Let's do this.
I sit down near the window. It might not seem like the best spot, but it's right next to the Dukes and Duchesses.
And people at the top? They always know more.
More than then they let on, at least.
More secrets.
More important information.
The kind of things people whisper, not say out loud.
I listen carefully, pretending to relax.
I hear words like:
"Southern Empire… Commander.""Blood Rose… bloomed… Northern Empire.""Imperial Commanders… clash.""Monsters… higher population… coming to Northern Empire.""Blood Rose… Northern… Monsters… connection?""Southern Commander… Monsters… fight… Northern Army."
I heard everything I needed to hear.
This… was a lot. A lot of information all at once.
And one thing's clear:
The words "Northern Empire" came up more than anything else.
Which means…
The North isn't just involved.
It might be the center of all of this.
The Blood Rose blooming just as the monsters arrive in the Northern Empire can't be a coincidence.
The Blood Rose must've bloomed in the Northern Empire.
But is it a human or an item?
Monsters must be coming to the Northern Empire because of the Blood Rose.
I did hear the maid's conversation about how they were frightened about something when I was getting more materials for my dress.
The monsters also have a higher population now.
The Blood Rose and the monsters must be connected.
But how?
The next thing I heard was 'Imperial Commanders'—and then 'clash.'
Do the twins not like each other?
Or they could be dueling it out because the Southern Imperial Commander is coming to the North, which the Northern Imperial Commander rules.
The Southern Imperial Commander must be coming because of the monsters.
More monsters means more weapons are needed to fight them.
But the leaders are clashing, which must mean there's discord in the troops as well.
Looks like I'm going to forget about the experiment—at least, until I figure out why this is all happening and how I can use it to my advantage.
The Imperial Family must be scared that monsters are coming here.
They might also be happy that the Blood Rose bloomed here... even though no one has any idea what it is.
I can spread rumors through the Junos Café Information Guild that the Blood Rose isn't anything to be happy about.
The less hope the Imperial Family has, the more desperate they become.
The more desperate they become, the less they pay attention to the surroundings.
The less they pay attention to the surroundings, the easier my chances become of running away.
This game of chess has become heavily distorted... but the more chaos, the more fun.
At least for me.