episode_0175

The next morning.

The atmosphere in the imperial palace was a bit more noisy than usual.

Of course, it’s not that it’s particularly quiet as usual, but today it was particularly harsh.

Numerous nobles were gathered in groups of twos and threes whispering, and servants were busy walking around without stopping.

From soldiers searching various parts of the imperial palace to knights carrying out thorough inspections with stern faces.

Even when something happened, I felt a bit dazed in the atmosphere that seemed like it had really happened.

Leopold, who I met in his office before breakfast, was looking expressionlessly at the chaos outside the window.

Persval stood next to the prince, wearing new armor, as if guarding him.

There was a hint of fatigue around his eyes, as if he had stayed up all night.

“Do you think something happened last night?”

Leopold nodded.

what. I thought last night passed uneventfully, as I fell asleep soundly without being awakened by any suspicious activity.

“Nothing happened on our side… There were some problems with the main palace. Seven people died.”

“Yes? No, somehow… ?”

Not one, not two, but seven?

That was definitely enough to cause such a stir in the imperial palace.

Leopold’s expression was strange.

He continued speaking with contempt in his eyes and a sneer on his lips.

“They say an assassin disguised as a slave has infiltrated the main palace, Empress Isabella’s bedroom. They say they were two warriors with pitch-black skin and magnificent bones. Four royal guards were killed, and even a young maid was murdered… He lost his life at the hands of Ernst, who happened to be chatting with his mother.”

As the part about the death of the Royal Guard came out of the prince’s mouth, the corners of Persval’s mouth trembled slightly.

It was a reaction that was difficult to tell whether he was trying to suppress laughter or distortion, so I just pretended not to see it.

“Currently, I heard that Isabella is refusing to meet with anyone and is not willing to take a single step out of her bedroom. From her husband’s death to last night’s tragedy, she is in a state of despair due to a series of shocking events. Ernstmann is staying with his mother in the name of comforting her.”

“That’s a lie.”

Isabella wouldn’t be shocked if a few people died.

So, Ernst’s justification for comforting his mother must also be false.

But, then… What happened?

My mind became complicated.

Leopold also laughed as if he didn’t believe it.

“That’s right. The Empress is so disappointed, I’d rather believe that an ogre eats the grass.”

… There was a dragon who grazed the grass.

If you look for a vegetarian ogre, wouldn’t there be one somewhere?

“Of course. So, do you have any guess as to what the truth is?”

I don’t know yet, but Leopold might know something.

“Hmm… . Before I answer, there is something I must ask the princess… .”

Leopold turned his eyes toward Persval.

“… Sir Persval looks too tired to tell a long story. It’s a little early, but could I ask the princess to act as an escort?”

Are you talking about having a private party?

Of course, Persval doesn’t need to know about Isabella’s identity.

“Persval? It certainly looks like he’s about to fall asleep at any moment. Let’s do that.”

As I spoke, I glanced at Persval.

He seemed a little embarrassed when the topic about himself suddenly came up, and he seemed to subtly hesitate.

He bowed his head to Leopold and opened his mouth.

“I am very grateful, Your Majesty. However, I am also a Royal Guard. This level of fatigue… .”

… This guy really has no sense.

As for the story about the 40 rye buns, isn’t it because they deserved it, not because they were harassing new recruits? ?

Are we really saying this because we are worried about your fatigue?

This is a story that is not good for anyone else to hear, so I’m trying to get you out.

“No. I haven’t been awake even for a single moment since yesterday morning. Come in and rest. I hope that the Lord will always protect me in perfect condition.”

“Okay. You should sleep when you can, but if you force yourself to do it, you won’t be able to use your strength when it’s really important.”

“… yes. I will do that. Thank you for your grace.”

Persval bowed his head deeply and expressed his respect.

It didn’t seem like they realized our intention now.

maybe… I guess I just accepted it because Leopold and I both urged him to rest.

“Then, as of the present time, I will hand over the duties of guarding His Highness Prince Leopold to Lord Median. Thank you, Lord Median. ”

“Okay, see you in the evening.”

Persval left the office.

Leopold and I were silent for a while, waiting for his footsteps to recede.

—-

After a while, Leopold seemed to have thought that Persval had gone far enough by this point, and turned his gaze towards me again.

Leopold cleared his throat once and spoke in a low voice.

“Two monsters who attacked the empress’s bedroom. By any chance, were they the ‘acquaintances’ the princess was talking about?”

“Acquaintance… ? Oh, you mean the infiltrator you mentioned back then? No, that can’t be true. Due to time constraints-”

If it were the Holy Kingdom’s investigation team, they wouldn’t have even arrived at the islands… .

“Time wise? That means he is not a person of the system.”

uh?

I was speechless at Leopold’s remark, which seemed to cut off my words.

“The princess doesn’t have any particular connections with other lords, so they probably aren’t either. So that means he’s a person from the frontier… If it was Landenburg, there would be no reason to hide it from me, and Palun would not want to get involved in such matters… This is Seongguk. Isn’t that right?”

No, wait a minute. You know this right away with just one word?

It was my mistake. Even though I knew for sure that Leopold was a quick-witted person, I was hasty in saying the clue.

What the heck, I think Lacey said this was confidential. What excuse should I make… !

“That… .”

“It is done. Just by looking at the princess’s reaction, you can immediately tell that it is true. As expected, Seongguk also seems to have discovered the princess’s identity. Is it natural that he was so active in Einfeld while holding the sword of oath… .”

“… … .”

Everything was caught.

I had nothing to say in response so I stayed silent.

“I understand that you didn’t tell me. It would not have been possible to reveal to the imperial family that the Seongguk was operating such a secret intelligence unit. Even if that is information that the Empire is also half-confident about.”

“… Did you know?”

“No wonder. Even the Danes run an intelligence department, so how could there not be such an organization in a country the size of a castle?”

That’s right.

The fact that I had a connection with that organization was a completely different matter.

“I guess I should say it was rude of me to keep it a secret. They emphasized that it was confidential information… .”

“It’s okay since I didn’t sell out the empire’s information. If I lose by any chance, the princess’s position will also become unstable, so it is understandable that she should seek another way.”

I guess he also realized that even if he fails to succeed to the throne, I can escape to the Holy Kingdom.

My appetite was bitter.

Leopold and I had the same enemy, so we moved together, but we didn’t completely trust each other.

Even though we clearly knew that our intentions were not the same, we were just passing it on implicitly.

In a relationship like that, being found out that you have prepared a way out in case something goes wrong… It wasn’t a particularly desirable thing to do.

A relationship where one person will fall together if they lose, and a relationship where one person still has a way to survive.

From the prince’s point of view, which one would be more trustworthy? Of course it would be the former.

and… Our relationship has now changed to the latter.

In the already unstable relationship of trust, one more crack has been created.

Even if Leopold dies and Landenburg collapses, I will think that all I have to do is run away to the Holy Kingdom.

Actually, I hope something like that doesn’t happen as much as possible.

“Thank you for your understanding. So can we get to the point now? There isn’t much time left until breakfast.”

First, we changed the topic of conversation.

It may be a bit shameless, but I don’t really benefit from continuing this story.

“… Good. I will. Unless the intruders are ‘acquaintances’ of the princess… It’s probably either Isabella or Ernst’s own play. There is no one in my faction who would do something unreasonable like this without reporting to me.”

‘My faction’. It’s an expression that feels a bit distant.

In the past, I think the word ‘we’ was mainly used.

As expected, I said I understand, but it’s not like we had a community of destiny like before.

“Isabella or Ernstani, are you saying there are two types of original plays? Those two are on the same side, right?”

For now, let’s focus on the main topic.

My relationship with Leopold has become lukewarm, and it can’t be helped now.

Anyway, as long as he ascends to the throne, there will be no problem.

Just because Leopold doesn’t trust me doesn’t mean he can really blame me, right?

You will need a little strength now, and even after ascending to the throne, it will be difficult to touch me, who is under Landenburg’s protection, unless it is for treason-level reasons.

“Strictly speaking, it’s a little different. At first glance, they seem to be following the same path, but Ernst tends to keep his distance from the people Isabella has attracted, and the military figures Ernst has attracted are also not on good terms with the existing nobles. So, depending on who is in charge of the plan, even if it is a self-made play, the truth will be completely different.”

Leopold took a sip of tea and continued speaking.