Ch.45Crisis (4)

“Issac. You don’t think she found out, do you?”

As soon as it turned 6 o’clock, our agreed meeting time, Marie returned to her dormitory, leaving just the two of us. Nicole asked me this question. When I shifted my gaze to her, I could see worry and concern written all over her face.

She must be concerned that our close relationship with Marie might have revealed our secret. But contrary to her worries, aside from a few slip-ups, nothing had been revealed.

“Don’t worry. She hasn’t found out. For now, we’re just friends, friends.”

“…Really?”

Nicole expressed doubt and gave me a suspicious look. Seeing that made me feel a bit bewildered.

Who did she think had no real friends and was a loner? I know my social relationships aren’t great, but seeing Nicole give me that look made me feel a bit hurt.

“What’s with that look? It’s like you don’t believe me at all.”

“Hmm… Never mind. Anyway, she doesn’t know your secret at all, right?”

I definitely wasn’t imagining the feeling that she was hastily changing the subject. I put aside the suspicions rising in my mind and answered.

“I’ve made mistakes before, but it should be fine.”

“Mistakes… like showing her your drawings last time? Don’t tell me she was that girl?”

When she opened her eyes wide and asked for confirmation, I silently nodded.

Nicole already knew that I had accidentally shown my drawings to someone else. However, she had no idea that Marie was the person I had made that mistake with. I hadn’t told her because I thought it would only cause unnecessary worry.

But now that Marie and I were acquainted, I thought it might be okay to let her know this much.

“Sigh…”

Her reaction was slightly different from what I expected. Nicole stared at my face for a moment and then let out a deep sigh. It was a reaction that made me feel somewhat tense.

Then she seemed to think for a moment before speaking to me in a subdued voice.

“…Issac. You got a letter from Father too, right?”

“About our tail being caught?”

Nicole nodded in affirmation to my question. It seems she had also received a letter from our parents, just like me.

But unlike me, she seemed to be taking the current situation quite seriously. Looking closely at her expression, I could see it had hardened.

Perhaps Nicole had received a different letter? I tilted my head briefly, then spoke in a cautious voice as uneasiness began to creep in.

“Didn’t Mother say we shouldn’t worry about that?”

In the letter my mother sent me, she told me not to worry, saying it was literally just our tail being caught and there wouldn’t be any major problems. Honestly, except for that part, it was no different from her usual letters checking in on me.

Of course, that didn’t mean I was acting as usual; I was being somewhat cautious. Today, Marie’s surprise question almost caused a big problem, but I managed to get through it safely.

Nicole looked at my response and her expression became even more complicated. She looked like a parent who had left their child by the water’s edge.

“…Issac. Do you know what ‘tail being caught’ means?”

Nicole asked me in a voice that sounded more drained than before. Hearing that question, I instinctively sensed something was wrong and silently nodded.

At this, Nicole stared at me for a while and then shook her head. She seemed to have a lot on her mind.

“…Never mind. I’ll tell you later. Let’s just eat now.”

“…Okay. By the way, where’s Adelia?”

“She suddenly had something come up today and couldn’t make it. When I asked why, she said a letter from home was arriving today. She said it’s the first letter she’s received in almost a year.”

“Really?”

It was a bit disappointing, but I could understand her feelings. Not having heard from home for a whole year, she must have been looking forward to a letter from home.

Since my home is quite close to Halo Academy, it takes at most a week for mail to arrive, but it’s different for others. Generally, it takes at least a week, and if the home is far away, it can take more than a month.

It’s especially worse for commoners because there’s a law in the Empire that prioritizes mail for nobles. This is because nobles often handle state affairs, so each piece of mail can be important.

However, since magic can’t be used to send mail, carriages must be used instead. This means it takes a very long time from when a letter is sent until the recipient receives it.

“Where does Adelia live that she only gets letters once a year?”

“I don’t know? I asked her before, and she said she lives quite far away. One thing’s for sure, it’s not in the Empire of Minerva.”

“Hmm. Is she perhaps a noble hiding her identity?”

“She does look like a noble. I thought she was one at first too. But she’s not. She’s definitely a commoner.”

With Nicole being so assertive, I couldn’t ask anything more. I briefly recalled Adelia’s beauty, which was hard to believe for a commoner, but quickly pushed the thought away.

Right now, dinner with Nicole takes priority over Adelia. Since it was a dinner with none other than Nicole, I thought I could enjoy the evening meal in peace…

“Huh?”

“…Lord Leort?”

…There was a time when I thought that. Until we ran into Leort at the entrance of the restaurant where we had planned to have dinner.

“Hello? What a coincidence.”

“…Indeed.”

What’s more, Rina was by Leort’s side. I greeted her with a glum feeling as Rina smiled pleasantly and waved her hand.

I’m not sure how this happened, but it seems Leort and Rina were also planning to have dinner together as siblings. Judging by the fact that they were in school uniforms rather than casual clothes, they must have made plans in advance.

But who would have thought we’d run into the siblings at the same restaurant, at the same time, right at the entrance? It was an improbably unlikely coincidence.

I sensed inwardly that the situation had become complicated and looked at Nicole’s face after observing the two. She also seemed flustered, as if she hadn’t expected to meet them either.

“Are you two here for dinner as well?”

When the subtle atmosphere had settled, Leort asked us in a pleasant baritone voice. Nicole quickly gathered her wits and hastily replied.

“Ah, yes. I came to have dinner with Issac.”

“Hmm…”

“… …”

After Nicole’s answer, Leort looked back and forth between us siblings and eventually curled up the corners of his mouth. Seeing that smile, I couldn’t help but feel ominous.

I was inwardly hoping that the ominous feeling wouldn’t come true, but unfortunately, ominous premonitions always hit the mark.

Leort then extended his hand and proposed to us in a soft tone.

“Since we’re here, why don’t we have dinner together? I’ll cover all the costs. As it happens, I have something important to discuss with you both.”

“…Alright.”

It was more of a half-forced suggestion than a proposal. Who would refuse an offer from the Crown Prince, who is likely to be the next Emperor?

Nicole seemed to know this all too well and reluctantly accepted. Even if she had refused, Leort isn’t the type to hold grudges, so it would have been fine, but there’s nothing to gain from making him uncomfortable.

Moreover, there was one part of Leort’s proposal that concerned me: he said he had something important to discuss with us.

The fact that he specifically mentioned this suggests it could be an important matter, whether good or bad for us. Nicole probably accepted because she had no reason to refuse and was curious about what Leort had to say.

“Good. What about you, Issac?”

“I don’t mind either.”

“Alright. Then let’s go in. As I said earlier, I’ll pay for everything, so feel free to order whatever you want.”

“Really?”

“Issac.”

When I asked with a tone suggesting if that was really okay, Nicole scolded me in a stern voice. I quickly realized my slip of the tongue and hastily closed my mouth.

However, Leort seemed to like my reaction and replied with a faint smile.

“Hahaha. Of course. You can order whatever you want. Whether it’s steak or wine.”

“Issac. You haven’t forgotten who we are, have you?”

“… …”

After Leort’s answer, Rina asked teasingly with a slight smile. Hearing Rina’s teasing, I blinked and then felt my face burning with embarrassment.

Who are the siblings in front of me? They are the imperial family that rules the Empire of Minerva. They have wealth to the point of excess.

So asking such a question was stupid in itself. Nicole knew that too, which is why she called my name.

I usually think once more before speaking, but given the situation, the words just slipped out.

“Haah…”

“… …”

I couldn’t say anything even as Nicole sighed with embarrassment beside me.

Rina seemed to find our behavior amusing and laughed modestly, covering her mouth with her hand. That made it even more embarrassing.

“Do you have a soundproof room for four? Don’t worry about the cost.”

“Understood. Please follow me.”

After a slight mishap, Leort asked the waiter to get us a room. But the characteristics of the room Leort wanted were a bit strange.

Not just an ordinary room for four, but a soundproof one. Unless it’s a very important conversation, there’s no reason to choose a soundproof room.

Was it from that moment? When anxiety and worry began to stir deep within me. I looked at Nicole, feeling something was off.

Nicole also seemed to have detected that the situation was turning strange, as she kept her mouth shut tight. Her expression had also hardened slightly.

“If you want to call a staff member, please ring this bell.”

“Thank you.”

“Then, enjoy your time.”

Eventually, we entered the four-person room that Leort had requested from the employee, a soundproof space at that.

I looked around the interior of the room as the waiter closed the door. It was quite spacious for a dining area.

The design was also generally no different from an ordinary restaurant. There was just a square table placed in the middle of the spacious room.

I had expected it to have a secretive atmosphere since it was a soundproof space, but it was different from my expectations.

“Come on, sit down. Rina, you sit next to me.”

“Alright. Issac, please sit down too.”

“…Yes.”

I obediently followed Rina’s instruction and took a seat. Naturally, Nicole took the seat next to me.

For reference, Leort and Rina were already seated before we sat down. So I ended up facing Rina, and Nicole faced Leort.

“…I didn’t get to introduce myself earlier because of the commotion. I’m Nicole Ducar Mayshall, Issac’s sister and the eldest daughter of the Mayshall family. It’s an honor to meet the Imperial Princess who will be the sun of the Empire.”

Just before an awkward atmosphere could settle, Nicole refreshed the mood by introducing herself first. Come to think of it, while Nicole was acquainted with Leort, this was her first time meeting Rina.

Rina faced Nicole, who had introduced herself in a formal manner. Then, with a gentle smile, she placed her hand on the center of her chest and greeted according to imperial etiquette.

“Nice to meet you, Nicole. As you know, I’m Rina Urmi Christine, the First Imperial Princess of the Empire of Minerva. Please call me Rina, not Imperial Princess.”

“Understood. But…”

After the greetings were over, Nicole looked back and forth between Rina and Leort. Like true siblings, their smiles were similar.

The problem was that those smiles gave a strong impression of hiding ulterior motives. Even I felt that way, so Nicole probably did too.

Nicole opened her mouth in a cautious yet wary voice.

“…May I ask what the important matter you mentioned earlier is?”

“Let’s order first. We’ll discuss that after the meal is over.”

“…Understood.”

It seems he plans to discuss it after the meal is finished. Nicole readily accepted Leort’s request.

“Come to think of it, Issac liked wine, didn’t he? He drank it very well at the last gathering.”

“…What?”

Suddenly, Rina, sitting across from me, kindly brought up an embarrassing memory. It was such a sudden topic that I was momentarily taken aback, but Nicole was the real problem.

As soon as Rina mentioned it, she turned her head sharply and looked at me.

It was a look demanding an explanation for what I had done at the gathering that would make the Imperial Princess bring it up.

I hastily waved both hands and spoke urgently at her intimidating gaze. I don’t know what misunderstanding I’ve caused, but I really didn’t do anything.

“I, I just drank wine! Nothing happened! Really!”

“…Really?”

“Hehe. It’s true. But he did drink too much wine and fell asleep in his chair.”

“Issac?”

Why bring up such a story? Even though I looked at her with a gaze close to resentment, Rina just smiled as if she found it amusing.

Perhaps she held a grudge because I refused her suggestion at that time? Unlike with others, I’m not close with Rina, so I’m not sure about that either.

“Then we should order wine too. Since you drank it at the gathering, Alkione?”

“…Yes.”

“Alright. What would you like to eat?”

“I’ll have…”

Surprisingly, the meal itself proceeded without any issues. Although the cozy family dinner I had anticipated was out of the question, I’d have to save that for another time.

Moreover, thanks to Leort creating a comfortable atmosphere, we were able to converse easily. Rina also brought up interesting topics from time to time, making the atmosphere more relaxed.

In fact, having dinner with the imperial family like this is quite extraordinary from my perspective.

Having dinner with the Crown Prince, who is likely to be the next Emperor, means having a connection with him, and further, it’s synonymous with establishing a solid political foundation from the start.

If someone from our family were to enter politics, it would be an excellent network, but as you know, our family is far from politics. I also dislike throwing myself into the complicated political world.

Thus, the dinner was able to conclude in less than an hour. It was a restaurant I frequented, but perhaps because it was an expensive steak, it tasted much better than what I had eaten before.

“Now that the meal seems to be over, let me discuss what I wanted to talk to you about.”

While I was feeling satisfied with the fulfilling meal, Leort spoke as he wiped around his mouth with a napkin. I felt the comfortable atmosphere completely disappear and focused on his words.

Nicole, who had been tidying up, also flinched when Leort spoke and looked at him.

As both our gazes turned towards Leort, he gently placed the napkin on the table and began to speak.

It was a gentle yet soft tone and voice that penetrated the ears.

“Let me say in advance that even if we hadn’t met today, I was planning to call you separately in the future. Meeting today was just a coincidence.”

“… …”

“Do you know who the author of the Biography of Xenon is?”

A question that already feels ominous. At the same time, my father’s letter saying “tail being caught” vividly came to mind.

The atmosphere, the statement that he was planning to call us separately later, and asking such a question.

I had somewhat anticipated this, but when someone like Leort brings it up, the impact is beyond imagination. The blood in my entire body began to cool, and my heart started beating violently.

“…I don’t know.”

Unlike me, who could barely open my mouth, Nicole responded as calmly as possible. But the situation was tense for her too, as her voice was trembling slightly.

Meanwhile, Leort snickered after hearing Nicole’s answer and spoke in his characteristic baritone.

“But if the tail is long, it will eventually be stepped on. Even if it’s the author of the Biography of Xenon.”

“… …”

“The person submitting the manuscript to the publisher was just a simple errand boy. Like a lizard’s tail, investigating him yielded nothing. So we left it alone, and someone took the bait. I don’t know who, but they’ll soon realize it was a waste of effort. That was about ten days ago.”

I received the letter exactly two days ago from today. It roughly matches the time it would take for my father to hear the news that the tail was caught and send me a letter.

While I was thinking about this, Leort continued with his mouth curled up. It was a smile full of composure.

“Eventually, we pressured the publisher to show us the contract, but that wasn’t very meaningful either. One can simply use a pseudonym for the contract. So we were about to stop pressuring the publisher. Until we happened to check their tax documents.”

“Tax… you mean taxes?”

When Nicole asked with doubt, Leort nodded.

“Yes, taxes. As you know, taxes are more complicated than you might think. The amount to be paid varies greatly depending on the law. And the publisher paid taxes according to the tax rate. Actually, up to this point, there’s no problem. The contract states that the publisher pays the taxes in advance. But the issue is that it’s set up to pay taxes once more.”

“… …”

“If you don’t understand, commoners only need to pay taxes to their lord once according to the tax rate when they earn income, but lords are different. They must pay a portion of the taxes they receive from commoners to the Empire, and they themselves must also pay taxes according to a specific tax rate. This is to prevent wealth from accumulating easily.”

Throughout history, “wealth” is directly linked to power. With money, one can build military strength or increase welfare to make the lives of the lord’s people more comfortable.

Moreover, in this world, “currency” is well-developed. The fact that currency is well-developed means that the economy has greatly advanced, and thus the country’s power strengthens.

However, the Empire of Minerva’s science hasn’t kept up with its economic power. The tax rates Leort mentioned earlier have to be calculated by hand, which causes various discrepancies.

But who would have thought that this issue would lead to the tail being caught?

I silently looked at Leort, swallowing hard. I could feel my fists clenched tightly and cold sweat running down my cheeks.

“Paying taxes twice means not a commoner, that is, a noble. The way we found out was because the tax rates are subtly different. Moreover, because they didn’t pay taxes separately but combined them into one payment, it took a long time to notice. Since taxes have to be calculated by hand, traces were left.”

“… …”

“Anyway, the taxes were divided into two and went to different places. One to the lord of the territory where the publisher is located. The other directly to our Empire, without going through the lord. But it definitely doesn’t come directly. There was one place it passed through in between. We traced it backwards to figure out who it was passing through.”

Leort trailed off and stared intently at Nicole and me. At this, my heart pounded as if it would burst, and sweat soaked my clenched fists.

Nicole wasn’t much different. Her golden eyes trembled uncontrollably, and like me, she had her fists clenched.

Eventually, Leort uttered a name that we siblings absolutely did not want to hear.

“Hawk Ducar Mayshall.”

“… …”

“The former commander of the Navy Knights and a knight who was feared as the Red Lion.”

Honestly, the moment my father’s name came out of Leort’s mouth, I thought it was over. So I closed my eyes tightly.

“And the person presumed to be the author of the Biography of Xenon.”

“…?”

Until Leort mistook my father for the author instead of me.