After hearing Leon's refusal, Jerry couldn't help but sigh, then scratched the back of his head awkwardly and said,
"Since you've got things at home, you should head back first. Once the director wakes up, I'll help you request some time off from her..."
"No! That's not necessary!"
Hastily putting away the photos on the table, Leon carefully scrutinized the woman who came to report, pondering over her relationship with Anna as he spoke,
"Things at my place... aren't really urgent. Why don't I first ask questions with you, senior, and then head back?"
Seeing Leon's sudden change of heart, Jerry raised his eyebrows in surprise, but when he noticed Leon's unblinking gaze at the woman, he gave a knowing smile.
He reached into his pocket, rubbed a certain anomalous object capable of soul communication, and stealthily nudged Leon with his elbow.
*'She's already married. She filled out the registration form when she came to report this morning, and her marital status is listed as married!'*
*That's not what I meant... And married? Then Anna must be...*
Holding the worry that his sister might be a hidden "rouge," Leon, with a faintly aching head, invited the two into the office and sat on the guest sofa.
Placing a shopping bag containing the Black Goat at his feet and taking out a small notebook, Leon squeezed his homemade charcoal pencil and politely said,
"Miss, I need to know some basic information first. Could you tell me your name again?"
Looking at Leon, whose demeanor was gentle yet faintly distant, the Princess couldn't help but sigh inwardly. Instead of immediately revealing her connection with Leon, she chose to cooperate and answered a few questions first.
Through the soul vision of the Black Goat, Leon confirmed that she hadn't lied and everything she said so far was the truth. He secretly gave an OK gesture to Jerry beside him and continued to ask,
"Could you please describe what kind of anomalous situations you've encountered? How did you learn about our Purification Bureau?"
"As for the anomalous situation... since noon yesterday, I've been forgotten by everyone. As for how I knew about your Purification Bureau... I've always known about your existence."
Looking at the man before her, who until yesterday was her prince, Princess Veronica spoke with a somewhat complex expression,
"It may be hard for you to believe, but until noon yesterday, I was the princess of this country."
Jerry frowned at these words and then cast an inquisitive glance at Leon beside him.
*No, that can't be right. I remember the King should only have a son, so where would a princess come from? Is she lying?*
No, she's not lying. At the very least, she truly believes so.
Slightly shaking his head, Leon gave a negative answer to Senior Jerry and then, mind slightly confused, rubbed his temples and continued to ask,
"Since discovering the anomalous situation, it must have been a whole night. Did you contact any relatives or close friends yesterday who might remember you? Were they unable to recover their memories as well?"
"I managed to contact some of them."
Princess Veronica sighed,
"But everyone has forgotten me, including the maid of honor who has always been by my side. No matter how many past events I recount, she doesn't believe I'm the princess and even tried to call people to catch me. I only escaped after knocking her out.
As for my family, well, I can't access the Royal Palace now, so naturally, I can't reach them to see if I can awaken their memories."
The conditions still weren't sufficient to determine the real situation.
After listening to the princess, Jerry immediately gave Leon a look, indicating that he could ask sharper questions to see if this woman was delusional or truly affected by an anomalous object.
Returning a knowing look to him, Leon straightened his posture, stared into Princess Veronica's eyes, and said,
"I apologize in advance. My next question might be a bit offensive, but please try to answer: have you considered the possibility that you might not be the princess but are experiencing some kind of hallucination?"
Having pondered this question all night and fully prepared, the princess shook her head, her expression resolute,
"I'm very sure that I am indeed the princess of this country, and I should be able to prove it."
As she spoke, she looked at Leon, whose breath reeked of alcohol, his expression visibly tired, and whose collar sported half a lipstick stain. She frowned slightly before continuing,
"Gentlemen, yesterday at the Ryan family's inauguration ceremony, are you familiar with it?"
Ryan family's inauguration ceremony?
Hearing Princess Veronica's words, Leon and Jerry exchanged surprised glances before they both nodded.
"I've heard some things."
"Not only do I understand it, but I was there yesterday."
After answering this woman who claimed to be a "princess," Leon's head suddenly spun, as if something was about to leap out of his memory.
But when he tried to grasp this part of memory, it was as if there was an invisible thick glass barrier—no matter how he reached out, he could only feel the cold, hard barrier.
"I was there yesterday too."
Watching Leon's eyes, which were somewhat confused, and his hand unconsciously pinching his brow, Princess Veronica felt a flicker of hope. She clenched her fists and spoke earnestly,
"It may be strange to you, but the King actually doesn't only have a son. He has a daughter as well, and that daughter is me.
Yesterday, I privately visited Ryan Manor, wanting to observe the Ryan family's inauguration ceremony. But as soon as I entered the hall, I heard someone offering the entire Ryan family as a dowry in a proposal to me."
Upon hearing this, Leon, whose mind was growing more chaotic, couldn't help but raise his hand and remind with a furrowed brow,
"Let's assume for a moment that you do exist as a princess, but are you really sure someone proposed to you using the entire Ryan family as a dowry?"
"But I don't recall such a thing happening."
Leon rubbed his temple,
"The only person qualified to use the entire Ryan family as a dowry should be just one person. You may not have met me, but I actually am..."
"You are actually the new Duke of Lionheart."
Preemptively stating Leon's identity, Princess Veronica looked into his surprised eyes and declared, word by word,
"The person who proposed to me yesterday was you!"
Under the surprised gaze of Senior Jerry, which seemed to say, "You scoundrel, you did such a thing," a stunned Leon waved his hands repeatedly,
"Impossible. If you really are a princess, and you accepted my proposal, then..."
*Then I should have a corresponding badge, and it should start at Silver Level, possibly even Gold... Damn, I actually do!*
Opening the system panel on a whim and seeing the [Migratory Thrush Prince] gleaming with dazzling golden light in the slot, Leon's mind felt like it had been hit with a heavy hammer, buzzing into utter disarray.
*Did I actually propose to her yesterday? So, is she really the princess?*