Sir Vilas! What do you think you're doing? Sir Pendragon has rescued my son and the state guest princess from the lost thieves. So to speak, he's the benefactor of Selbira city. He wouldn't take those lost thieves who should be his underlings to the surface alive if he had anything to do with fiend drug!"
The one who entered the room with a long protest is the Marchioness. Even the Marquis himself is behind her. A fox in tiger's clothing, version 2*. This time the connection, or rather the bribe power from the prior investment has bear its fruit.
"My wife is right. Who instructed you to haul Sir Pendragon away?"
So the one who ordered him to capture me really wasn't the viceroy.
"I-it's because the story about the disparity between the strength of Sir Pendragon and his retainers and their ages was the talk of the salon..."
"In other words, you had bought into the baseless baloney in the salon, and made him, who is one of your fellow noble, underwent the humiliating inquisition?"
"Viceroy-sama, i-it's a misunderstanding--"
Apparently, I have been regarded as an eyesore for participating in the Marchioness' tea party. There really are some narrow-minded people who get upset just from a newcomer participating in the tea party once.
I took advantage of when the Marquis was reproaching Baron Vilas, and inquired him, he confessed while sweating waterfall that his goal was to seize my weakness by first inquiring about the fiend drug. Looks like it's the vice-viceroy who has instigated him.
The reason why he confessed this unnaturally far might be because of Interrogation and Coercion skills. Maybe I had better normally turn both skills OFF.
The Marquis will be discharging both the Baron and the Vice-viceroy the instigator. Since the Marchioness looks satisfied behind, leaving it to him should be fine. I thought that they would only be given some stern warnings, but since this means that they won't freely interfere with us again from now on, this is good enough.
I report to Arisa that the problem has been solved and they don't need to worry anymore.
The reason why the Marchioness conveniently intruded this time was thanks to Ms. Miteruna who properly acted upon the memo that I had left in the basement.
After I was taken by the carriage, she went to the Marquis' mansion to deliver the letter with my seal as instructed. Normally, a letter from some lower noble would have been postponed, and finished just like that, but it seems that as the result of the pastry that I had given back then, the maid gave the letter to the lady attendant, and the attendant gave it to the Marchioness, so she could quickly read the letter. I'll present them with various confections later.
Since Ms. Miteruna had come with a carriage, I lifted Lulu in and let them went home ahead. I was going to go back with them, but I couldn't reject the Marchioness' invitation to a dinner. It had become a dinner where we said our thank and apology to each side.
The princess profusely pestered me to tell stories about the labyrinth during the dinner, I answered her while taking care not to disturb other attendants. It would be bad if I carelessly told her some exaggerated stories and made her and plump-kun go to the labyrinth again.
None of the the dinner menu, the so-called full course meal, use ingredients made of monsters at all, it's probably the Marquis' house chefs' fixation. If I have to say, there are not enough vegetables. Every dish was delicious, but the beef stew was superb. I'll recreate this taste for everyone later.