Just when Ito Cheng's mental power was spread out to carefully explore the underground of the Rikyu (Aries Palace), Cornelia's face, who had been meditating there, suddenly changed, as if she had thought of something, and her face became very ugly.

Have you thought about it? Although Ito was using his mental power to detect, it did not affect his senses. After seeing the change in Cornelia's face, Ito Cheng said lightly.

Hearing Ito Cheng's question, Cornelia nodded silently.

Interesting! At this time, after the spiritual power that penetrated the ground broke through the thick soil layer, it suddenly felt empty. A room about the same size as the main hall of the Rikyu appeared in Ito Cheng's spiritual perception, which aroused Ito Cheng's interest.

, said unconsciously.

Well? The palace was already empty, and Ito Cheng didn't deliberately lower his voice when he muttered to himself, so Cornelia easily heard Ito Cheng's soliloquy clearly, and she looked up with a slight smile on her face with some confusion.

Ito Cheng, his inquiring eyes fell on him.

Ito Cheng did not explain anything, but controlled his mental power to find the entrance to the space in the underground space, and explored upward along the entrance passage.

Over there... Ito Cheng's eyes turned to the passage leading to the palace, and after mentally muttering something, he walked over.

Let's go and follow him. Cornelia couldn't understand Ito Cheng's behavior at this time, but when she thought of the other party's magic, she was also curious about Ito Cheng's purpose, and whispered to Guilford beside her.

Then, he followed.

The three of them walked into the side passage one after the other. After walking for a while, they came to a room with a slender wooden pillar about three meters long and five meters wide, supported by arm-thick slender wooden pillars at the four corners.

, a room with a pink sand curtain hanging above and a European-style aristocratic bed covered with a thick white down quilt on the bed. At this time, Cornelia only heard that this was the palace of Princess Mariana.

Oh. Ito Cheng seemed to have known it for a long time, and nodded in response. Then he walked straight to the bed next to a ceramic bottle that was as tall as a person and decorated with gold lacquer patterns. He reached out and grabbed the mouth of the bottle and pulled it.

Twist and release, and then there was a slight to almost inaudible clicking sound of mechanical movement. [*You] saw on the wall on the right side of the palace, a huge portrait of Princess Mariana suddenly appeared towards him.

One side moved open. Then a stone door that was slowly retracting into the wall emerged from behind the portrait, and a dark passage leading to nowhere appeared in front of the three of them.

Without waiting for Cornelia to speak, Ito Shimizu stepped into the dark passage and walked deeper into the passage along the long stairs.

Let's go in. Cornelia frowned and stared at the passage in front of her for a moment, then said in a deep voice to Guilford beside her.

Your Highness, please let me go down alone. We don’t know the situation in the passage yet. What if there is danger? Guilford stepped forward and stopped Cornelia who was about to move forward. He looked serious.

said.

Didn't you see that he has already gone in? If there is a problem, he can definitely solve it. Cornelia pointed to the dark passage and said.

But Your Highness, he is him, and we are us. As a guardian knight, I cannot place your safety on a stranger whom I don’t know at all, especially in this uncertain environment. Guilford said.

Lord Guilford, Cornelia said solemnly: If he wanted to, I would have died countless times when I was in EU.

Um... Guilford was resisted by Cornelia's words. Of course he knew that Cornelia was telling the truth. But his duty as a guardian knight is not to give up the basis for his actions just because he knows the facts. That way

If so, why would he need to protect the knight? But unfortunately, compared to the weakness of most of the royal family members, the princess he is protecting is a being who is stronger than himself.

So don't worry, Mr. Guilford. Cornelia walked around Guilford, reached out and patted Guilford's shoulder who had no choice but to put down his arm, and strode into the passage.

Hey! Guilford sighed deeply. He had to cheer up and follow him.

The passage was very long and dark. Except for Ito Shige who had the mental power to explore the path, he was not affected in any way. [*Yu] Guilford and Cornelia, who then walked in, were completely unable to adapt to this kind of world.

With only his own darkness left, he cautiously moved forward step by step.

Your Royal Highness! Guilford shouted worriedly after walking in the silent passage for a moment.

I'm in Guildford. Cornelia's voice rang in front of Guildford. The still sonorous female voice easily calmed Guildford's worries.

Guilford breathed a sigh of relief and said, "Your Highness, please wait for me there. I'll explore the way ahead."

Sir Guilford, do you regard me as that kind of weak woman? Cornelia's voice came from the front, saying with some dissatisfaction.

Of course there is no His Highness. Guilford quickly said that this is just my duty as a guardian knight.

Really? Okay then. Cornelia thought about it and said.

Yes, mylord Guilford was shocked and replied loudly. Then he quickly took a few steps forward. After smelling the very familiar fragrance next to him, he took a few steps forward again and said, Your Highness, please come with me.

.

Okay, Cornelia said.

The two of them were silent all the way and continued to explore inside... However, the two cautious people were too slow after all. When they reached the bottom floor, a room emitting incandescent light appeared in front of them.

The two people who had been in the dark for a short time instinctively felt a pain in their eyes and subconsciously stretched out their hands to cover their eyes. After a moment of adaptation, they slowly opened their eyes and observed the room in front of them.

In an instant, a room like a laboratory with various tools, operating tables, and huge glass tube walls appeared in their eyes.

This is... Cornelia walked into the room and asked Ito Cheng who was standing in front of a wall and observing the strange symbols on the wall.

A research room used for human experiments. Ito Cheng took his eyes away from the huge and weird blood-red V-shaped pattern on the wall, turned his head and said to Cornelia and Gilford who walked into the room.

Human experiment!? Cornelia exclaimed subconsciously.

Yes. Ito Cheng nodded and pointed to the objects in the room and introduced them one by one. The platforms over there are for dissection, the instruments next to them are life support tools, and the huge tube wall opposite is a culture tank.

Something should have been cultivated inside. Judging from the size, there is absolutely no problem in preserving a human body in it. As for the remaining tools, you should have seen the few smaller ones, such as the electrocardiograph and brain wave.

instrument, posture instrument, etc. As for the last one that looks weird, I took a look at it and found that it is for baby care...

What do you want to say? Cornelia's eyes followed Ito Cheng's introduction one by one. Finally, she asked with some confusion.

Nothing? I'm just introducing you to the utensils here. Ito Cheng shrugged and said, but I'm curious as to why these things exist under the palace of an imperial concubine. Cornelia, can you tell me?

I don’t know either. Cornelia shook her head and said with an incredible look on her face.

It seems that the Princess Mariana you admire is not simple. Ito Cheng said with deep meaning.

Upon hearing this, Cornelia's expression suddenly changed, and then she turned back to the passage without saying a word, walking back towards the original path.

Hey, Ito Cheng looked at Cornelia who turned to leave and chuckled softly. He turned his head again and looked at the weird red V-shaped pattern that almost occupied the entire wall on the right. He also turned around and walked towards the passage.

.

Bang! The moment Ito Cheng left, the lights in the room immediately went out, as if there was an invisible arm controlling the light switch. Weird.

After breathing for a while, Guilford subconsciously breathed a sigh of relief when he returned to the palace. Although he looked very strong in the passage, that was because Cornelia was beside him. As Cornelia's guardian knight, he had no choice but to

Not strong. But this kind of feeling of walking in the dark, with only yourself in the world, and the only sound is the sound of footsteps is really unbearable. If your own mind is not strong enough, it would be an ordinary person with a weak mind to walk this way. No.

It’s no wonder that I scared myself crazy. So confinement in a military dark room is indeed the most severe punishment.

Let's go. Cornelia, who then walked out, glanced at the dark passage behind her and said lightly.

Yes, mylord. Guilford responded quickly.

At this time, Ito Cheng's figure also walked out of the passage, walked to the ceramic vase on the side, closed the passage in the same way, and followed Cornelia and Gilford out of the palace.

Walk outside the palace.

The three of them were silent along the way. Cornelia's silence was because she was recalling Princess Mariana in her memory. Guilford's silence was because of Cornelia's silence, and Ito Cheng's silence was because of thinking.

In short, the three of them were speechless along the way. They walked out of the palace smoothly, got in the car they came in, and rushed back to the mansion.

After returning to the mansion, as soon as the three of them entered the living room, the maid Liz who had been waiting for them bent down and saluted His Highness.

Go and get me a glass of red wine. Cornelia nodded as a return gift and then ordered.

Yes, mylord. Liz responded, turned around and walked to the wooden wine rack near the stairs leading to the second floor, took out a bottle of red wine, opened the cork and poured it into the goblet next to her, until the red wine was submerged.

After one-third of the glass was filled, he stopped, covered the cork and put it back on the wooden stand. He reached out to pick up the wine glass on the table and walked to Cornelia who was already sitting on the sofa. He handed the wine glass to His Highness.

, your red wine.

Cornelia took the wine glass, raised her head and drank it in one gulp, then handed the wine glass into the hand of the maid Liz again and poured me another glass.

Yes, Your Highness. The maid obviously saw something was wrong with Cornelia. After taking the wine glass and saying yes, she immediately walked aside and poured it again.

His Highness Guilford looked at Cornelia's appearance and called out with concern.

I'm fine, Mr. Guilford. Cornelia shook her head at Guilford and said, then reached out to take the wine glass handed over by the maid Liz again. This time she didn't drink it all in one gulp, but began to taste it slowly.

.
Chapter completed!