Ch.166Three Operations

“So, are you asking me to investigate the truth behind the rumors?”

“Would I ask such a thing of a princess? I know full well that your true value lies in your strength, not your wisdom.”

Actually, I’m quite confident in both…

Is Leopold looking at me with too much prejudice?

He seems to view me as some kind of muscle-bound gorilla.

“What I wish to ask of the princess is to serve as my guard. The fact that the Empress has gone to such extremes… means I can no longer be completely assured of my own safety.”

Well, that’s something I’d be more than happy to do.

Though many things have changed, preventing Leopold’s assassination was the main storyline of the original work.

Even if I prevented the assassination, he still couldn’t ascend to the throne, but…

That part is already quite different from the original story, so it’s up to me now.

“Guarding His Highness the Prince… I understand. I’ll be in your care for the time being.”

“I should be the one saying that, Princess Aishan-Gioro.”

I smiled as I took Leopold’s outstretched hand.

…Since it’s come to this, perhaps I should tell Leopold about Isabella being a witch.

Though I have no proof, it might at least make him more cautious than he is now.

—-

I told Leopold what I knew.

About the insect knights I encountered when fighting Claire. And Lacy’s explanation that only a witch could control such monsters.

Leopold remained silent for a while.

He just sat in his chair with a blank expression, repeatedly making sounds that could have been either gasps or groans.

“Truly shocking information… Not only the reason for House Sigmillus’ destruction, but Isabella being a witch… is that true?”

“For now, there’s only circumstantial evidence, no concrete proof. But wouldn’t it be stranger if all these suspicions pointed to nothing?”

I’m not sure how convincing my words were.

At least Leopold seemed to believe them.

Judging by how he covered his face with his hands and let out a deep sigh.

“A witch becoming the mistress of the Empire, how has the lineage of Carlos the Great fallen to such a state…”

“Surprisingly, you seem to care about Carlos the Great’s authority? Unlike what you said in your speech at Einfeld.”

“That… in that situation, I had to say whatever I could to motivate the soldiers. To boost morale that had hit rock bottom, I would have said even more extreme things… But it wasn’t sincere. How could someone born as imperial royalty deny the achievements of their ancestors?”

“I see. That makes sense.”

I wonder if Leopold realizes?

That his willingness to tell lies according to his needs is precisely why I can’t fully trust him.

Though I too am a person full of lies and deception… that’s exactly why I can’t help but be wary of him.

A liar knows the dangers of another liar better than anyone.

“A witch, a witch… Then that incident too, was that woman’s doing…”

Still not removing his hands from his face, Leopold muttered in a grinding tone.

“What do you mean?”

“…About my mother. If she hadn’t suddenly passed away, how could Isabella have ever become the Empress of the Empire?”

Leopold slightly raised his head.

His eyes were gleaming intensely.

Ancient resentment swirled in his gaze.

“Do you think it was Isabella’s doing?”

“Yes. My mother’s death was strange in many ways. She was someone who never suffered from even minor illnesses, yet one day she suddenly passed away in her sleep… At first, everyone suspected poisoning, but the court physicians couldn’t find a single sign of it. If not that, what other answer could there be but a witch’s curse?”

“If it was a witch’s curse, wouldn’t the priests have detected it?”

Since a witch’s power would still originate from dark mana, I would think priests could have sensed it.

However, Leopold firmly shook his head.

“Impossible. Perhaps if the curse was still active, but by the time my mother passed away, the curse had already fulfilled its purpose and dissipated. How could anyone detect it then?”

“…Then it would be the perfect ability for assassination.”

The power to kill someone from a distance in just one night.

And if it leaves no trace… it’s amazing that Leopold is still alive.

“Fortunate or not… it’s not a power that’s easy to use. To begin with, a curse that brings death so immediately is a powerful curse that ordinary individuals couldn’t even attempt. Its very existence is debated… truly the stuff of old tales. There were opinions that my mother’s death was due to a curse, but they were dismissed as nonsense for that very reason.”

As if his throat had gone dry from talking, Leopold took a sip of wine from his office.

Without even offering me any.

Well, I understand.

The last time I drank wine, I caused a major incident.

Even if he had asked, I would have declined.

“Besides, even if it were possible to use such a curse, it would require extensive preparation over a very long time, and the moment the curse is cast, it would release an enormous impact. Enough for the Church to notice immediately. If Isabella had been living in the imperial palace since then, she wouldn’t have even thought of casting a curse. If she had done such a thing inside the palace, she would have been discovered right away.”

“You seem to know… a bit too much about curses.”

At this point, he sounds more like a curse specialist than a prince.

“Well, it was a death that made no sense at all. Isn’t it natural for a child to make every effort to learn the truth?”

Leopold answered without hesitation.

Certainly, he had sufficient motivation to learn about curses.

Though his position wasn’t high, as a prince it wouldn’t have been too difficult to access relevant materials.

“Hmm… I see. So, what do you plan to do now? Now that you’re convinced Isabella is a witch and your mother’s enemy.”

Leopold rested his chin on his hand, closed his eyes, and remained silent for a long time.

I patiently waited for his answer.

“…In my opinion, there are about three strategies. The most rational method, the fastest method, and the most dangerous method.”

Three whole options?

“Please explain.”

Leopold spread three fingers and began to fold them one by one.

“The most rational method is to wait for the right time. Until the electors’ vote is over and I ascend to the throne. After that, I can denounce Isabella as much as I want, and adding the charge of witchcraft to her crimes would not be difficult. It would make it much easier to send her to the execution block.”

So not exposing her as a witch to bring her down, but bringing her down first and then revealing she’s a witch.

“Winning the succession vote is an issue… but the electors who know me well won’t believe rumors like me assassinating Matthias, so it’s quite possible. As for the people’s suspicions, once I’m on the throne, I can prove it was Isabella’s doing.”

Indeed, people like Ludwig don’t seem like they would be swayed by such slander.

“The only concern is that since it takes a long time, we don’t know what Isabella or Ernst might do in the meantime.”

“That is rather concerning.”

Leopold nodded and folded his second finger.

“The fastest method is to gather all the forces we can and attack the imperial palace now. If we advance to Isabella’s quarters and cut off that witch’s head, surely we could find evidence afterward? The problem is… whether a breakthrough is possible even if we concentrate our forces. To others, it would look like I’m trying to usurp the throne by force, so undoubtedly everyone in the palace except my own troops would stand against us.”

“In the worst case, it could end with our complete annihilation.”

“In fact, that’s highly likely. Though the princess is strong… the palace also has Viscount Valenstein.”

The Empire’s Number One Bubble?

I’m not sure if this old man who’s supposedly on his last legs is really as strong as his reputation suggests…

Since I’ve never met him, I can’t be certain.

“The final method, the most dangerous path… would be to entrust it to the princess.”

“You mean me?”

Leopold nodded.

“Within the next ten days, my father’s funeral will be held at Extrashafel Cathedral. Perhaps Matthias’s funeral will be held on the same day. All imperial family members including myself, Empress Isabella, and most high nobles will have to attend… that day will be when the palace’s defenses are at their weakest.”

I think I understand what he’s saying.

He wants me to infiltrate the palace on that day.

“With the princess’s abilities, you might be able to approach Isabella’s bedroom… Honestly, I’m not certain, but if successful, it would be the most definitive method. If you can find evidence that Isabella is a witch, we can immediately inform the Church for official confirmation, then borrow their power along with my forces to eliminate her. No one would be able to stop us. However, if the princess is discovered…”

Leopold’s voice trailed off.

Does he mean I might meet a fate too terrible to put into words?

“As you said, it’s certainly the most dangerous method.”

My life would end there, and Leopold would be implicated too.

…Or he might cut ties with me to avoid being implicated.

“Indeed. That’s why I’ll respect the princess’s wishes regarding whether to implement this strategy.”

A mission with uncertain success and a terrible fate awaiting if it fails.

The choice has been passed to me.