Ch.640Episode 23 – The Spy Who Returned from a Cold Country

A sedan glided across the black asphalt.

From the radio came the urgent voice of a foreign correspondent stationed in Petrograd, while the damp steering wheel jerked intermittently.

When the car hit a pothole in the road, the vehicle lurched roughly. Photos that had been on the glove compartment scattered across the floor.

Gripping the ceiling handle, Camilla, who had been assessing the situation by turning the radio frequency, spotted a sign at the edge of her vision.

The rain-slicked sign clearly read “Abbas Embassy in Kiyen.”

“Go ahead. You know the way, right?”

I pulled out the car key and handed it to Camilla, who nodded as she unbuckled her seatbelt.

“Exit and turn right. I know the way from there.”

“Obey the traffic signals, and I’ll see you at the Grand Palace.”

“I’ll call depending on the situation.”

The sound of the door closing followed.

Camilla, now in the driver’s seat, slipped the sedan into the darkness without any lights.

The time on my wristwatch showed it was already around midnight.

I clutched my briefcase roughly and ran into the embassy lobby.

Episode 23 – The Spy Who Returned from a Cold Country

A prominent figure had been arrested by the security police. The Imperial Police Security Department had raided Count Zubov’s residence and captured the daughter of the Eastern Governor-General.

The charges were incitement to assassinate a member of the imperial family and aiding and abetting bodily harm to civilians.

Solicitation of murder, rebellion, accessory to murder, attempted murder of imperial family members, violations of the High-Risk Magical Apparatus Control Act—at the press conference, the security official listed twelve charges against her.

The Imperial Police Security Department’s movements were extremely precise and meticulous.

They carried out the arrest operation in a short time and summoned numerous reporters to both the scene and headquarters—without giving the other five security agencies or the investigation headquarters any chance to intervene.

I could smell something.

It was hard to describe, but the more I listened to the investigator’s voice echoing from the radio, an undeniable sense of discomfort spread through my mind.

That’s why I couldn’t help but ask about the specific situation.

“What on earth is going on here?”

“We don’t know either.”

In the disguised office on the middle floor of the embassy, while Royal Intelligence Service officers on duty were busy making phone calls, the consul—the senior-most person at the outpost—was frowning deeply in front of the TV.

At that moment, a press conference by a high-ranking security police official was being broadcast on television. The consul stared intently at the elderly man reciting the press release, then put down the headset he had been holding to one ear and clicked his tongue briefly.

“I don’t understand why the security police are suddenly acting like this. Even at lunch today, the investigation headquarters maintained that nothing had been revealed yet… Damn it.”

“Is this reliable information? Listening to the Security Department briefing, it seemed like the internal investigation was already complete.”

A total of twelve charges had been applied to the young lady of the Zubov family.

Considering that Angelica Zubov was the only daughter of a prestigious family, and that the Count’s family had served as Eastern Governors-General for generations and enjoyed the deep trust of Nicholas VI as first-class loyalists, her arrest wouldn’t have been possible without substantial evidence.

Yet the Security Department had succeeded in detaining the Eastern Governor-General’s daughter.

Security investigators, divided among several buses, pushed aside the Count’s servants and entered the Count’s residence, and the entire process was fully reported by the media crew observing the scene.

What did this mean?

It meant confidence. Confidence that they could touch the beloved daughter of the Eastern Governor-General and still remain unscathed.

But the consul firmly shook his head.

“It’s nonsense to say the Security Department has already completed their investigation. If they had, the Imperial Guard, which leads the investigation headquarters, would have already arrested the assassination instigator.”

“You said the investigation headquarters still hasn’t discovered anything. Could you possibly tell me the source…?”

“The Imperial Guard.”

He said it was information directly received from a Section 1 executive. To be precise, it was information shared during a lunch appointment.

It wasn’t entirely incomprehensible. The consul was officially a cover intelligence officer, but in reality, he was a 23-year senior executive of the Royal Intelligence Service responsible for negotiating with the host country’s intelligence agencies.

For an experienced intelligence officer, having meals with executives of hostile intelligence agencies wasn’t unusual at all.

Hadn’t my uncle, who served as a military attaché in Moscow, had several meetings with Russian intelligence officers?

He even had dinner with a visiting Russian Federation military general in Seoul. If my memory serves me correctly, they met at the Grand Intercontinental Hotel, and an OCS colleague who had studied in Russia attended as a simultaneous interpreter.

Anyway.

“…Hmm.”

I scratched my chin with an anxious expression and spoke to the consul.

“Consul, actually, I’ve had contact with Miss Angelica Zubov.”

“You, Major? How did that happen?”

“It was an accident. I encountered her while getting some air with Camilla in the outer garden of Rayevsky Hall before the event.”

At the mention of contact with the arrested daughter of the Eastern Governor-General, the consul’s expression darkened slightly.

“…What unfortunate timing.”

“Could this incident possibly be related to that meeting?”

I meant to ask if the security police had used my meeting with her as a pretext to arrest Angelica Zubov.

After tapping the table briefly, the consul suddenly shook his head, as if to say that was an excessive interpretation.

“No. They wouldn’t have engaged in such aggressive activity just because of simple contact with a foreigner. She’s not someone who could be arrested on such circumstantial evidence.”

“You’re saying there must be another reason.”

“I would think so.”

Though he didn’t say it aloud, he seemed to have some suspicions.

The consul, staring at Princess Elizaveta’s photo pinned to a corner of the board, stroked his cheek and jaw and sighed.

“For now… don’t worry too much, and let’s gather the incoming information.”

“Understood.”

Just then, a ringtone began to sound from my pocket. After practically turning the lining inside out to retrieve the phone, I saw Camilla’s number flashing on the screen.

“Excuse me for a moment.”

“I need to attend a meeting anyway, so I’ll be going.”

The consul said he would inform me as soon as news came in from the Imperial Guard, then left, and I retreated to the safest possible location.

When I pressed the call button, Camilla’s voice immediately came through the phone.

She seemed to have discovered something new while assessing the situation. Her words were rapid and urgent.

-“Frederick! Can you talk now?”

“Yes, what’s going on?”

-“The High Priest says the Professor is currently in a standoff with security police!”

*

“Move!”

The Imperial Police Central Headquarters was embroiled in an unexpected commotion.

The urgent footsteps of building security guards shook the corridor. Through doors left ajar, the sounds of cabinets being organized and doors being locked with loud bangs echoed continuously.

“The lobby’s been breached! Don’t let them come in!”

“How am I supposed to stop them?!”

“Throw your body in the way if you have to, hurry!”

Officials packed tightly in the corridor stood shoulder to shoulder, blocking the way.

Amid shoulders bumping and voices rising, a plainclothes official spread his palms toward the intruder.

“This is a restricted area! You cannot enter!”

The officials who had blocked the way without knowing what was happening looked uneasy. However, the intruder who had barged into the building merely waved a hand with a perfectly calm face.

“Step aside.”

The Archmage, with one hand thrust into her pants pocket, spoke in a nonchalant voice.

“I’ve come to see the Commissioner and the Director. I have no business with you.”

An indifferent gaze slowly scanned the officials blocking the corridor.

Even faced with a corridor packed with people, Alexandra Petrovna showed no particular emotion. She merely looked annoyed.

“That’s not possible, Your Highness. You know what kind of place this is.”

“I do. I don’t intend to stay long, so everyone please return to your posts.”

“Even if you are a Grand Duchess, there are procedures. You simply cannot enter a secure area without warning!”

“Please go back for now, and as soon as day breaks, the Commissioner and Director will make an official visit to your residence, so if you could just wait a little…”

The officials couldn’t hide their bewilderment at the Grand Duchess’s sudden visit to the Security Department. No matter how royal she was, this wasn’t a place one could visit without prior scheduling.

That was both the administrative procedure and the law of the Empire.

However,

“Procedures?”

Factually speaking, even a Grand Duchess had to go through formal procedures to enter the Imperial Palace. Everyone present knew that much.

But she was an Archmage.

For 90 years, she had been teleporting past the Imperial Guards to enter the palace at will.

She had repeatedly damaged inconvenient protective barriers and veils to climb over walls, then secretly repaired them before the palace mages could notice.

Now she was the embodiment of lawlessness, even illegally entering foreign embassies and making the Kiyen Foreign Minister seriously consider resignation.

The officials didn’t know this.

“With the times so turbulent, why are you all gathered in the corridor doing nothing? Don’t frighten a lady unnecessarily and go back to your posts.”

Her tone suggested that trying to stop her would be futile. Alexandra Petrovna, with a sneer on her lips, rotated her arms as if loosening stiff muscles.

Just then.

Ding! As the elevator doors opened, someone came running out from behind with quick steps.

“I’m here to escort the Professor! Please let me through for a moment!”

It was Camilla.

Shouting hurriedly as she ran, she slid in front of the Grand Duchess. Then, flapping her arms, she corrected her center of gravity that was shifting forward due to momentum.

“Oh really. What on earth are you doing here, Professor?!”

“And why are you here, child?”

“I heard the news from the High Priest! I swear, you’ll be the death of me…!”

Go home right now!

The disciple grabbed her master’s wrist and shouted while pulling her along. But she still couldn’t handle the Archmage’s strength.

Her attempt to pull the Grand Duchess looked like a child throwing a tantrum while holding onto a guardian at an amusement park, and considering the actual relationship between the two, it wasn’t an inaccurate comparison.

Despite Camilla’s desperate efforts, Alexandra Petrovna didn’t budge at all. She just looked at her disciple with an incredulous expression.

“You’re exerting yourself even though I’m not moving. It’s admirable, but this old teacher’s wrist is starting to hurt, so please let go now.”

“I’m afraid you’ll do something impulsive again!”

“I’m worried your face will turn redder than an apple from all that effort.”

Hup, Camilla’s face had already turned red long ago as she inhaled deeply and pulled at the Grand Duchess.

Finally, unable to watch any longer, the master took her hand and sighed lightly.

“Hoo… Fine. I’ll go on my own feet, so lead the way.”

It was a moment when her desperate persuasion finally bore fruit.

Alexandra Petrovna, accompanied by Camilla, went outside the building. The tense security officers watched as the two left, and Camilla sent the Grand Duchess ahead first, then followed closely behind, keeping a watchful eye with a sulky expression.

And I, waiting for the two at the entrance, moved away from the sedan I had been leaning against and ended my call.

“Yes, they’re coming out now. Thank you for letting me know. I’ll see you tomorrow, High Priest.”

“……”

“Did you enjoy your prison food?”

“Who are you calling a criminal!”

I went through so much trouble to get you out.

In contrast to Camilla’s chattering complaints, the Grand Duchess didn’t say a word.

First, to leave the area, I put the two in the back seat.

The engine came to life, and the sedan began to drive down the empty road.

Without setting a specific destination, I glanced at the rearview mirror as I put my mobile phone in my pocket.

“What on earth were you thinking, going to the Police Security Department?”

“……”

There was no answer.

The Grand Duchess silently gazed out the window, and Camilla’s worried eyes followed her.

As if lost in thought for a moment, Alexandra Petrovna closed her eyes. And not long after, her lips began to move quietly.

“I wanted to meet Count Zubov’s daughter.”

“You mean Angelica?”

The Grand Duchess nodded slightly.

I exchanged glances with Camilla, then silently mouthed a question.

What on earth happened?

After observing my lip movements, she silently shook her head. It meant she didn’t know either.

I see.

I placed my hands on the steering wheel and began to speak as usual.

“She’s currently accused of instigating the assassination of Princess Margarita. If you meet her, there will certainly be unfavorable stories circulating.”

“…Yes, I suppose so.”

Between suddenly raised eyelids, blue eyes sank low. Regret, remorse, or lingering attachment—emotions difficult to describe swirled within them.

Without making eye contact with anyone, Alexandra Petrovna surveyed the darkness-covered Petrograd.

And suddenly, she murmured in a weak voice.

“…But I cannot remain idle when it comes to family matters.”

I didn’t bring up anything else.

“The person who instigated Princess Margarita’s assassination will soon be revealed.”

So please rest assured and wait for the Princess to wake up.

After saying that much, we fell into silence.

Until the black sedan cut through the deep darkness.

*

After Angelica Zubov was arrested by the Imperial Security Police, many events unfolded in diplomatic circles.

First, Kiyen embassy officials stationed abroad met with local government officials. The times and places varied, but they all seemed extremely curious about how the investigation was progressing.

“I heard a suspect who attempted to assassinate your country’s royal family has been arrested. Has the investigation already advanced to that stage?”

“Deputy Minister, I’m embarrassed to say this… but we have no information regarding the Security Department’s investigation announcement.”

“Aren’t you from the Imperial Guard? The Empire’s top intelligence investigation agency, the superior organization overseeing all investigations and information from the joint investigation headquarters, knows nothing? You don’t expect us to believe that, do you?”

“……”

“I believe you’re aware that our embassy staff attended that ball.”

There were numerous requests for handshakes.

However, Kiyen Empire’s diplomats and official cover intelligence officers gave no answers to questions about the investigation’s progress.

“I know how excellent the Imperial Guard is. I spent quite a long time in Petrograd. But I find it hard to understand how the Security Police could arrest the assassination instigator without proper coordination with the Imperial Guard.”

“I fully understand your concerns, Brigadier General Leoni. But it’s also a fact that headquarters didn’t receive any prior arrest plans from the Security Department.”

“My point is, that’s exactly what I don’t understand. How could they suddenly announce they’ve caught the real culprit without notifying the Imperial Guard and the Imperial Army Counterintelligence Command, and without sharing investigation data?”

“…That’s something I also…”

“Do you believe Angelica is truly the culprit? Looking at the interim report from the Security Department, it seemed they had collected some evidence.”

“I’m sorry, Brigadier General Clevins. That’s information that even headquarters cannot confirm at present.”

“According to reliable sources, Security Police officials secretly contacted someone at a location in Petrograd. It was said to be someone very close to Princess Elizaveta. Do you think this is related to the investigation?”

“…That’s something I cannot confirm for you right now.”

Most diplomats and intelligence officers responded that they didn’t know much either.

How the Security Department was conducting the investigation, whether Angelica was really the culprit, why the Police Security Department had pushed aside the Imperial Guard and made the investigation announcement… they said they truly didn’t know.

At this point, exasperated reactions erupted from various quarters.

The Imperial Guard couldn’t possibly be this incompetent.

Seeing both the Kiyen Foreign Ministry and Intelligence Service claiming they “really don’t know,” suspicions arose that the Security side had unilaterally announced the investigation results.

Sensing things might go badly at this rate, the previously bewildered Foreign Ministry and Imperial Guard began to shift into neutral gear within a day.

“The Imperial Guard spokesperson drew a line, saying ‘the criminal charges and allegations against Angelica Zubov announced by the Imperial Police Security Headquarters are not currently confirmed facts.'”

“Angelica, who is in suspect status, is reportedly cooperating diligently with the investigation. The Imperial Foreign Ministry expressed ‘deep regret at the reality where speculative reports are rampant’ and urged domestic and foreign press to ‘refrain from sensational articles that blur the essence of journalism.'”

“Meanwhile, Governor-General Zubov has not expressed any position regarding his child being charged with attempting to assassinate a royal family member. According to a source familiar with local circumstances, the Governor-General reportedly went into seclusion after the Security Department’s announcement, hardly meeting anyone…”

They reserved their comments, saying they knew nothing about the situation and would clarify their position after the investigation concluded.

However, other governments observing the briefing whispered suspiciously, suggesting “there seems to be some kind of discord between the Imperial Guard and the Imperial Police Security Headquarters.”

“……”

“What do you think?”

“About what?”

“The theory about the conflict between the two agencies.”

“It’s not entirely unfounded. The Security Police and the Imperial Guard have been at odds over jurisdiction issues for a long time.”

“Could this be the result of Elizaveta searching for an innocent scapegoat?”

Her voice noticeably shrank, likely conscious of her surroundings.

Camilla, who had stealthily moved the macadamia nut bag away from pilfering hands, asked in a subtle voice, and I looked alternately at my empty hand and her, then sighed.

“Sigh… I wouldn’t know about that.”

“I suppose not.”

“But one thing is clear. The Grand Duchess has been in quite a bad mood lately.”

Since the news of Angelica’s arrest hit the media, dark clouds had hung over Alexandra Petrovna’s face daily.

She had already been on edge, but now it was like walking on thin ice with cold winds blowing through.

By now, no one approached her except for us and the High Priest. Even the hospital director, who had dared to personally examine the Archmage based on decades of experience, was now stealthily avoiding her.

Why was she so on edge?

She was truly an unpredictable person whose inner thoughts were hard to fathom.

Anyway.

I continued speaking as I unfolded my crossed legs and took a sip from my drink can.

“Whoever the real culprit is, they’ll reveal themselves soon enough. If it’s Elizaveta, she’ll likely move on to her next action soon.”

“Is that speculation? Or certainty?”

“That’s what we need to find out from now on.”

“Hmm…”

“By the way, didn’t you say you were coming to find something out today too?”

Hehe. Camilla, pulling up the corners of her mouth, nodded slightly.

“I have something to ask.”

When I asked her to tell me a little about it too, she answered with a mischievous smile, “I’ll tell you later when we meet again after finishing our work!”

-Click.

The door to the hospital room opened, and the person we had been waiting for finally came out.

Camilla, who had been slowly swinging her legs, said “I’ll be going” and disappeared toward the Grand Duchess and the High Priest. I threw the empty can into the trash bin, then ambled along before suddenly turning my head.

“It’s been a while, Your Highness Anastasia.”

“It’s good to see you. I didn’t expect to meet you here.”

The Princess, who looked identical to the Grand Duchess, responded to my greeting with a graceful gesture.

I glanced at Margarita’s hospital room from which she had emerged, then pointed to the opposite corridor with a composed face.

“Do you have a moment?”

“I was about to ask you the same thing.”

“……”

“I’ve been waiting.”

“Then our conversation should be quick.”