Prince Henry's head had been placed on the table, resting on a silver platter.
Beside it was an ordinary tray holding a blackish lump that gave off a foul stench.
"It's horse manure," Mr. Bede said.
"Horse manure?" Kallen asked.
"It was dug out of Prince Henry's mouth."
Kallen looked at Prince Henry's face again. It was only a little pale.
"His face has already been cleaned," Bede explained.
"Isn't that tampering with evidence?" Kallen asked.
"Uh..." Bede hesitated before answering, "It's etiquette among nobles."
"Etiquette?"
"In short, even if you're starving to death, when you see a table full of food, you still have to look disdainful that the cutlery isn't silver first."
"Heh."
"How did it get here?" Kallen asked.
"His head was tied to the saddle, and that horse happened to be a gift our family gave the royal family a few years ago. By instinct, it brought Prince Henry's head home."
"So, is someone framing us?"
"Father is already calling the Royal Palace. But if this is a frame-up, it seems rather crude, and the price is far too high."
"I didn't mean the royal family framing us themselves," Kallen explained.
"I understand what you mean, young master, but they shouldn't have done this. The reason the Gloria Family has held the throne of Vien so securely all this time is that they don't go stirring up trouble outside. They're content to stay home and focus on... ahem, content to be well-behaved mascots.
"So even with Prince Henry dead, it would be hard to provoke a confrontation between the royal family and the Allen Family. They won't let their emotions cloud their judgment, because they use all their emotions in other areas."
Kallen remembered Puer saying something much like what Mr. Bede had said.
"So you