The Innkeeper

As Lex looked at the 'ordinary' looking elf, countless thoughts ran through his head. If he did not have overwhelming faith in Velma's deductive work, he would really doubt that this simple elf was actually the very princess Kenta had flirted with!

This was not the first time the princess had snuck out using an alternate identity, and putting all the clues together upon researching all the invited guests, Velma was willing to bet her own life that she was the princess. If Velma had such confidence in herself, then Lex should too.

"It's… it's not crass. It's lovely, in its own way," the elf said, seeming distracted. She was most probably going over the lines in her head again, trying to feel the emotions in each line. The same poem read by someone who cared little for literature would be an experience that lasted a couple of seconds at most.

But an enthusiast would look deeper into the meaning of each line, fulfilling the dream of every highschool english teacher. They would look for the meaning behind each word, then each line, and then each stanza and so on. On the surface the poem seemed to be about two lovers who were denied their relationship due to a difference in their destinies. They became friends, but could never affirm their relationship. In his last moments, before death, the writer of the poem seemed to think of her again.

"I was inspired when I heard Kenta talking the other day," Lex said very casually. "You may not know this, but he actually tried to get out of the wedding."

What Lex said was not necessarily news for everyone there, as they would likely have enough resources to hear such rumors, regardless of how they were hidden.

"He kept referring to this marriage as if it was the end of his life, and then kept alluding to someone else he had recently met. He never said anything specific, but I let my imagination run wild a little. After all, as an heir to a neutral organization, how can he get mixed with someone else? His destiny is already laid out in front of him, and only in his final moments before his 'demise' can he think back to that one acquaintance who could only become a friend and not a lover."

Lex seemed to be speaking casually, but the elfs breathing seemed to be getting harder and her eyes seemed to be losing focus. He felt a little guilty, but at the same time, he also thought that he should not feel any guilt for creating problems for Kenta, who used the princess just to get his hands on some ingredients.

"Can I- can I really have this?" Aoi, who had not been listening and was instead only focused on the lotus, asked.

"Yes, of course. If anyone has any hope of preserving this flower, it's you…"

Before he could complete his sentence, the 'ordinary' elven girl grabbed him by the collar and pulled him close.

"You… when did you talk to Kenta? When did he say all this?" the elf demanded, taking the group by surprise.

"Uhh… about four or five days ago, right before the wedding ceremonies began," Lex answered ambiguously, as if it was not something he would specifically recall.

The elf struggled for a moment, as if she was undergoing some internal struggle.

"Is everything alright?" asked Aoi, who finally noticed the situation.

Instead of answering, the elvish girl simply said, "follow me," and turned around, bolting through the doors.

Lex did not need to stop himself from smiling since his face was hidden by a mask. There was one important point to take note of in his plan. If Velma could detect the princess' identity, then surely others could as well. That meant the only one the princess was really fooling was herself.

The Tilaiyans would surely know who she really was, and not cause too much trouble for her. Or at least, that was what Lex was counting on as he followed her as she ran through the corridors. Beside him, Aoi seemed to be running after the elf as well, though the lotus remained firmly gripped in her hand.

Lex had contingencies in case this plan failed, but he was really hoping that it didn't, because from here on out, it would become increasingly difficult to go anywhere without attracting attention.

In fact, they had already attracted attention. The only thing that prevented the guards from stopping them was their hesitation when they saw the princess. There were quite a few rumors already that the heir had some kind of illicit relationship with the princess. That… was drama even the guards wanted to stay away from.

Every step of the way, Lex was thoroughly prepared for his plan to fail, and was even somewhat expecting it. But, somehow, it didn't. Unbelievably, no one stopped them.

What he didn't realize was that this was by design.

"What do you think he has planned?" a woman asked Kenta's father, who was seated comfortably in a private room.

"Who knows? The kid put some effort into his plan, but if this is all he has, he's bound to fail," the Celestial replied.

"That's exactly what makes this bet exciting. I'll put 3 years of revenue from a crystal mine on the kid," said another elven man who was in the room.

"I'll bet a bottle of Holy tree sap," said another.

Like this, the small crowd in this room began to bet on or against Lex. The game would officially begin when he finally met Kenta.

Lex had expected that a few of the guests might be Celestials, but he had sorely underestimated the number. In this room alone, there were five of them, and they were all elves. Moreover… they were all a part of Darmin!

"If he really succeeds, what will you do?" asked one of the Celestials.

"What else? I'll let Kenta run around outside for a few years. We were all young once, you know how it is. Besides, what's the point of being strong if you have to constrain yourself?"