“It’s the second floor! Your Highness!”
“Sir Max. Please wait a moment.”
Yeniel didn’t look well, but she still began explaining to everyone.
“This dungeon is a place where a demon-worshipper once offered ninety-nine sacrifices. According to records, before the hundredth sacrifice could be made, His Majesty the First Emperor, the four founding heroes, and the Great Mage suppressed it. We are following those traces.”
Yeniel read aloud the passage recorded in the documents.
“This sentence is recorded in the Imperial Founding Chronicle: ‘We encountered a boy at the dungeon entrance.’ That refers to the mechanical doll. ‘Those spiders were effortlessly burned to ash by the Great Mage’s flames.’ That refers to the spiders. The problem is…”
“If the structure of this dungeon follows the Founding Chronicle exactly, then above us should be a demon worshipper—and a demon.”
Sian picked up where Yeniel left off.
‘Come to think of it, Yeniel never says anything that makes people uncomfortable.’
She avoided negative or painful topics, and refrained from expressing likes or dislikes. A way of speaking that didn’t make enemies.
It wasn’t a coincidence that she, merely a baron’s daughter, had risen to a position almost like a close aide to the Crown Prince.
“The Founding Chronicle also describes the dungeon’s strange structure and mentions, ‘A demon worshipper was hiding on the second floor of the temple and was subjugated.’ That’s from lines four to eight of the fourth paragraph in the 78th revised edition and the 132nd revised edition. Please recall it.”
“Why would you memorize something like that…?”
The Crown Prince asked in disbelief. Sian responded calmly.
“Lady Yeniel likely remembers it even better than I do.”
“So this is what it means to be top of the Imperial Academy.”
But Sir Max’s expression was strange. He had been quiet the entire time, but now he suddenly began to fume.
“Sir Isengriff!”
“What is it?”
“Were you aware of all this and still stayed silent?”
Max shouted loudly.
“Doesn’t this mean we deviated from the record?! We were supposed to follow it exactly! Why didn’t we kill the spiders earlier? No wonder His Highness got bitten! It’s because we didn’t follow the original path!”
“Max… you’re giving me a headache.”
The Crown Prince rubbed his forehead tiredly.
“This is all because of you, Sir! You were the one who insisted we come here! I said we should go to the city! You acted all smart, and now you’ve ruined everything!”
It wasn’t clear whether Max was deliberately trying to pick a fight, or if that was simply his personality.
I was starting to realize why I hadn’t disliked Max before—probably because I’d been skipping his dialogue.
‘There’s always a petty villain in horror stories who blames others while excusing themselves.’
Even as the Crown Prince tried to stop him, Max was about to lunge at Sian—
“Hm?”
I stared at Max, then tilted my head.
“Are you friends fighting again?”
I looked between my hands and the area around Max’s head, as if I might tear it off at any moment.
“……”
Max, who had been shouting just moments ago, suddenly fell silent, his eyes darting around.
They say even a madman goes quiet when he meets someone even more unhinged.
“Sir Max? Sir Sian?”
I tilted my head innocently.
“You shouldn’t fight with friends, you know?”
[Sir Sian’s affection has increased.]
At the same time as the expected notification appeared, the Crown Prince suddenly covered his mouth.
“Cough. Hm. Hm.”
He wasn’t just trying to hold back laughter—he was clearly laughing openly. Even while affected by spider venom, he looked far too amused. At this point, Yeniel and Sian had definitely noticed too.
[Crown Prince Azep’s affection has increased significantly!]
The Crown Prince quickly composed himself again, returning to a dignified expression.
“Lady April… the Sharon Marquis family… don’t they usually settle disputes among friends by pulling each other’s hair?”
“Lady April doesn’t do that kind of thing.”
She pulls it out.
In many ways, my older brother had strange tastes.
“Sir Max? Why aren’t you answering?”
I spread my hands and approached him.
Just as I considered whether I should actually pull his head off—
“Enough. …Please calm yourself, Lady.”
Sian stepped in to block me as I approached Max. Then he raised his voice to address the group.
“Sir Max is correct. We did not act according to the Founding Chronicle. However, thanks to Lady April just now, I realized something important. Your Highness, there is good news. Shall I explain?”
Unlike before, when he occasionally called me “young lady,” Sian used “Lady April” for the first time. It was a form of respect.
“What is it, Sir Sian?”
“Equivalent exchange.”
Yeniel and the Crown Prince immediately focused on his words.
‘Oh, equivalent exchange.’
I nodded seriously and listened carefully among the group. I had mostly skipped these parts before, so it was actually interesting.
Then, suddenly, a cold metallic sound rang in my ears.
A system notification only I could hear.
[Others feel suspicion toward Lady April Sharon due to her coherent speech and ability to understand conversation.]
I felt deeply wronged. I didn’t understand what part of “coherent speech” or “understanding conversation” was suspicious.
Suspicion has increased by 5%.
Total suspicion: 5%
Now even just listening was making me suspicious? Apparently even speaking properly increased suspicion. Why?
But when push comes to shove, survival comes first.
Lady April Sharon—the character who inevitably dies mid-to-late game. The suspicion stat that triggers death past a threshold. I couldn’t predict what would happen if those two combined.
So I abandoned my dignity.
I sighed inwardly and raised my hand brightly.
“W-what is equa… exchange? Sir Sian? April wants to know!”
I looked at him with sparkling, innocent eyes.
“That… Yeniel will explain instead.”
“Sir Isengriff…?”
Yeniel looked at Sian in disbelief, as if betrayed.
Sian avoided my gaze and nodded at her.
The two exchanged quick looks—like competent teammates trying to avoid becoming the group project leader.
“…It can’t be helped.”
In the end, Yeniel lost the silent battle.
“Equivalent exchange means you can only exchange things of equal value, Lady April. For example, an apple can only be exchanged for another apple of equal value. The criteria for value depend on black magic standards.”
“Why exchange them if they’re the same?”
I asked innocently.
“Well… as a premise. It might not be completely identical. Even apples of the same weight can differ in appearance, variety, texture… and taste.”
Yeniel’s effort to simplify “flesh texture” into “taste” was almost tearful.
“If Lady April had to choose between a green sour apple and a red sweet one of the same weight, which would you choose?”
“The red sweet one! But if the red one tastes better, why would anyone exchange it?”
“……”
Everyone’s shared language, yet communication failed completely with Lady April Sharon.
All previous conversation was dismissed as coincidence.
Suspicion has decreased by 8%.
Total suspicion: -3%
So negative suspicion was possible after all.