I Became the Butler of the Seventh Princess, Who’s Regressing Into a Child - Episode 45

Episode 45

It was lunchtime. And as usual, I was eating with Rinyan. After finishing her meal, she rubbed her drowsy eyes. And soon after, she nodded off. It seemed that Elena had managed to slip a sleeping agent into her food.

From here, the plan was simple. In the empty break room, Karin came in and immediately looked at Rinyan. Then, in the next moment, Karin closed her eyes.

“…So you don’t actually need to lie next to her to do this?” 

I mumbled. Elena, who had come along with us, looked at me in surprise.

“…Huh? Do you usually lie down next to people to enter their dreams?”

“Yeah, usually.”

“That’s probably just one of Karin’s quirks. Honestly, she has some odd hobbies.”

Was that supposed to be a joke? Elena, however, seemed perfectly serious. We watched Karin for a few minutes, waiting in silence.

A few minutes later, Karin slowly opened her eyes. She stretched lightly and exhaled.

“How did it go? Did you get the information?”

“Yes, I got it. First off, it turns out that Vanz really did order her to do this.”

“I see…”

“And Rinyan’s sister, Lian, is in a facility within Vanz’s territory.”

“…Vanz’s territory, huh.”

That meant we couldn’t just make a move casually.

“Yeah, Lian is in treatment there. But it’s nearly impossible to get her out of that place.”

We frowned at Karin’s explanation. …It was unlikely that Vanz would let Rinyan take her sister away so easily.

“What would we need to do to get her out of the facility?”

“I thought about it. The only option might be to create some kind of distraction. Vanz has stationed strong guards at the facility, so breaking in isn’t an option. It seems like Rinyan has tried a few times to make a plan herself, but she hasn’t been successful.”

…Which means Rinyan herself probably wants to escape, too. If that’s the case, there might still be room for negotiation.

“Also, Lian is in a highly secured room, a special facility. It seems likely she’s being held as leverage to keep Rinyan in line.”

Karin’s expression turned slightly sad as she gently brushed Rinyan’s cheek.

“…Considering Lian’s situation, it’s likely that Rinyan feels she has no choice but to obey.”

“Yes, in Rinyan’s dreams, she seemed tormented by the situation. She wants to protect her sister. But at the same time, she doesn’t want to betray Lady Luciana.”

“…Right now, Rinyan’s caught in a tough position.”

Learning Lian’s location was somewhat reassuring. But now came the hard part.

“Our first priority should be getting Lian out safely. Karin, do you remember the exact location of the facility?”

“Yes, I memorized it.” 

Karin nodded confidently.

In the worst-case scenario, we could stage a direct breakout, but…with Lady Luciana’s relationship with Vanz, we couldn’t act recklessly. Right now, it would be best to share this information with Lady Luciana and discuss our next steps.

We placed a blanket over Rinyan before leaving the room.

—

We headed straight to Lady Luciana with the information Karin had obtained. As we explained the details, she nodded quietly, clearly deep in thought.

“…If Lian is essentially a hostage, we need to secure her as soon as possible.”

“However, taking Lian out of there will likely require us to use force. The facility is heavily guarded, and it’s within Van’s domain. So it will mean a direct confrontation.”

“…I see.” 

Lady Luciana sighed softly and closed her eyes, seeming to consider various possibilities.

…….I felt bad for causing her such trouble. But if we left Lian in that situation, Rinyan’s life would be in jeopardy as well. I wanted to help in any way I could.

After a moment of silence, I voiced the plan I’d been considering.

“Lady Luciana…what if we called in Rinyan to discuss Lian’s rescue? She has no intention of opposing us right now. If we frame it as a family matter—her going to fetch her sister—it might at least appear to be a legitimate reason.”

“On the surface, you mean?”

“Yes. If Vanz retaliates afterward, we’ll resist as necessary.”

She seemed to understand my meaning. Lady Luciana nodded at my words.

“…Understood. Let’s proceed with the plan, with you and Rinyan working together to secure Lian. Rondo, it’ll be dangerous, but are you ready?”

“Yes, leave it to me,” 

I replied, nodding firmly at Lady Luciana’s proposal.

“Alright then, let’s call Rinyan and discuss this right away. We don’t have much time.”

“Understood.”

“I’ll go and fetch Rinyan,” 

Elena said as she left the room.