18 Between Masks and Lies

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'How am I going to deal with this mess I've caused? Maybe I should blow it all up?' She seriously pondered.

'Come to think of it, since I transmigrated here, I've never tested a combat skill.'

She was really thinking about blowing up and ending this whole annoying situation, so much so that her eyes started to turn slightly red.

Realizing what she was thinking of doing, she shook her head to clear her mind.

'What kind of thing was I thinking?! Blowing up everything is just a temporary solution! A country-sized crater is not exactly a discreet thing! Surely some world power would investigate, and everything would get even more complicated. As much as I now have secret information about this country, and some general information about other countries, I don't know what's hiding in this world.'

'Besides, I'm not that extreme, or am I?' she thought, feeling confused with herself.

Keeping that matter inside her mind, she focused on the problem at hand and looks Kelart in the eye.

"Reply: All right, you got me. I am the princess of a faraway country."

Yes, the best play here is to play along with misunderstanding, and if she plays well, maybe she'll come home without a problem.

Kelart smiled feeling victorious. "See? It wasn't that hard to admit. So what country did you come from?"

"Answer: I came from-"

Before Eve could respond, Calca, who has been silent until now, interrupted her.

"Before that, Eve-chan, is that your name right? What did you come to do here in my country?" Calca said with a serious expression.

Eve looked at her, and a second before answering, her mind quickly worked on a satisfying answer that would convince Calca at least.

"Answer: I was tired. It's suffocating to be the princess of a country where people make fun of me because of the way I talk, and because I don't show many emotions. So I ran away to come on an adventure with my maid and a knight from my kingdom, and we ended up here. Basically, we came here for tourism."

Calca relaxed her expression and smiled brightly. "I see! Looks like we're pretty much alike!"

'Convince the Queen with an elaborate lie aimed at her problems and desires, success!' Eve thought as she mentally gave herself a high five.

Kelart, however, didn't look the least bit convinced.

"You still haven't answered me. Where do you come from? I never have seen your country's gold coin in any other nation, and I have quite a large collection of foreign coins."

Eve snorted sarcastically inwardly at hearing Kelart.

'What a good lie. You don't have a collection of foreign coins, you just want to make me feel trapped. What a bitch.' Eve thought.

Using the geography information she got from the library, she quickly formulated another reply.

"Answer: I come from a small country in the Far East, right after the Troll Kingdom."

Kelart raised an eyebrow at Eve's response, and Calca gave a small sob of surprise.

"After the Troll Kingdom?! Isn't that on the other side of the Continent?!" Calca exclaimed, and Eve nodded in confirmation.

"This is strange, however. How did you, with just two other people, manage to cross the entire continent without any loss?" Kelart intervened, she doesn't believe in Eve.

"Declaration: I won't answer more than that. I may have entered illegally, but that doesn't mean I'm going to spew out all the information you want. As a princess, I must keep our secrets." Eve said resolutely.

Lily, who was sitting next to Eve in silence as she devoured more snacks, nodded vigorously in agreement, even though she didn't know what they were talking about.

Kelart's irritation increased, she didn't think the child would be so shameless.

'Something in her story is very wrong,' she thought with a frown.

"Listen, kid, you better..."

"Stop, Kelart," Calca ordered.

Kelart looked at her in surprise. "But, Your Majesty..."

"We are not going to extract information from a child. You would also be just as stubborn if someone tried to find out about your secrets, wouldn't you?"

"Well, yes, but this is different..."

Calca looked at Eve with a warm expression and smiled. "As Queen of this country, I allow you to stay in our kingdom."

Eve smiled slightly. "Gratitude: Thank you, Your Majesty Calca."

Eve was happy that the Queen was so easy to fool, unlike Kelart. Fortunately, Kelart seemed powerless to argue back against Calca, who firmly believes the things Eve said.

Calca wasn't that naive, after all, she was crowned Queen. But the mental pressure she has to endure every day as a Queen of a kingdom that could at any time have a civil war, and through her fault no less, has left her mentally fragile and tired. Seeing someone in a situation that even slightly resembles hers has made Calca feels sympathetic.

"Declaration: Since we're done here, I must go before I worry my knight," Eve said, and then got up to leave.

"Don't you want to stay in the palace? Like royalty in another country, I can't leave you in a simple inn," Calca replied, trying to get Eve to stay.

Eve shook her head. "Reply: No thanks, I already have my plans. Besides, if I go to the palace, I'll need to announce myself to the masses as a guest, and I don't want anyone to know I'm here."

"I see. In this case, have a good stay and a good tour," Calca said, giving up.

"Order: Let's go, Lily."

Lily nodded, but not before she had finished devouring all the snacks on the last tray.

"Before you go, what's the name of your country?" Kelart asked Eve, who was already standing in the doorway, ready to go.

"Answer: It's called...Alpha Prime," Eve answered truthfully, knowing they would never really look for a small country that is on the other side of the continent.

Eve then leaves the room, not bothering to be escorted.

"She was a really cute girl, right?" Calca commented.

Kelart stood looking at the door lost in thought, her eyes much sharper than usual. "Yes, very cute..."