Kloe arrived somewhere she did not recognize, and a wave of astonishment rose in her heart.
She instinctively sensed danger, yet had no idea where it was coming from. She could only draw a slender sword from her waist and hold it before her.
But what use was that?
Before her stood a vast, palace-like structure. She had never seen a palace so magnificent; even her home—the royal palace of the Liberl Kingdom—was nowhere near as immense as this one. She gently pushed open the palace doors, only to hear a voice drifting toward Kloe from afar:
"Welcome to the palace of the Erebonian Empire, princess Kloe. Do you find this palace astonishingly grand?"
Kloe shouted, "Who are you? Come out! Stop sneaking around like this."
The voice gave a chilling laugh. "Who am I? Princess Kloe, surely you should know. As one of the important politicians on the Zemuria Continent, are you truly so unfamiliar with this world—and with the politicians of other nations?"
Kloe said in surprise, "A politician from another country... Since this is the palace of the Erebonian Empire, could you be... Lord Giliath Osborne of the Erebonian Empire?"
The man's voice replied, "Bingo! Princess Kloe finally guessed correctly. I, Osborne, can give you a gift."
Giliath Osborne, Chancellor of the Erebonian Empire, naturally had no good intentions toward the princess of Liberl. Kloe could not help edging backward, gripping her slender sword more tightly.
"Oh, princess Kloe, isn't that rather unpeaceful? I wanted to have a nice talk with you. If you're this tense, won't my hopes be dashed?"
Osborne's voice continued to drift through the air. Ignoring him, Kloe swung her slender sword forward and said, "Lord Osborne, if you are here to toy with me, Kloe, then I will not keep you company.