Without any suspense, Dust, who had been choked unconscious by Darkness, was taken away by the police. He would probably be eating prison food again for a while.
Meanwhile, Fang Li and the others moved to a nearby park.
"So, may I ask something?"
With a serious expression, Darkness spoke to Alice, who was sitting on a bench.
"Why are you here, Princess Alice? Where are Kureia and Rain? Did you get permission to come out this time? Does anyone in the Royal Capital know? And now, this is..."
Under Darkness's practically endless barrage of questions, Alice hurriedly spoke up.
"Lalatina, you're asking too many questions at once. I don't know how to answer."
"S-Sorry, Princess Alice, but I..."
Darkness looked troubled.
That made sense.
If taken seriously, this was an incident serious enough to shake the very foundations of the nation.
The princess of a country—and its current ruler at that—had suddenly arrived in a beginner town far from the Royal Capital without bringing a single guard or giving any notice. No matter how one looked at it, that could not be considered a minor matter.
Perhaps Darkness was overreacting somewhat, but that only proved how unusual Alice's presence here was.
Under those circumstances, Fang Li could only calm the troubled Darkness, who had no idea what to do, and walk over to Alice.
"Hey, Alice." Fang Li looked straight at her and asked, "Don't tell me you ran away on your own?"
"...Yes." Alice's gaze wavered, but she ultimately seemed unwilling to lie. Lowering her eyes, she said apologetically, "I'm sorry. I know this will cause trouble for a lot of people..."
Alice's words were filled with guilt and self-reproach.
This child had always been exceptionally sensible, considerate of others, pure and kind at heart. She never did