"If you're not sure, then never mind—I was just asking casually."
After closely observing Fiona's demeanor, the Fourth Princess realized that her words indeed didn't seem to be false; the girl genuinely didn't know the Duke's whereabouts.
Or rather, it was likely the Duke never intended to inform her of his plans in the first place.
"However, Fiona, on the way here, I saw many things in your territory that are different from other cities in the Empire. Could you tell me how you govern your lands?"
With a charming and cheerful finish to her inquiry, Auswia steered the conversation back to her own interests.
"Oh, you mean those magic-guided mechanical constructs, Auswia. Those are all from the mechanical factory of my fourth brother, Anvis. He gave me a discount, and they are very cost-effective to use!"
Mentioning this, Fiona's interest was immediately piqued.
