Princess over here making a valid point rarely seen in media, just ask the person themselves and you'll probably get the answer, so often people just assume the worst and believe the person in question will lie to them when the whole problem would be solved immediately if they just walked up to them and asked. Also they have a legit reason to ask here.
"Excuse me Mr. Aix? The local Viscount approached the princess with this device at the recent ball, as the one who made it could you tell us it's purpose and whether it poses a threat?" Aix tells them and explains "Thank you for your time have a good day."