Ch.641Episode 23 – The Spy Who Returned from the Cold Country

# After the Attempted Assassination of the Imperial Family

The Abbas government and parliament acknowledged that the moment of choice had arrived.

“Section Chief, orders have come down from Army Headquarters. The Long-Range Reconnaissance Regiment and Airborne Division mages are to remain on base without exception. Front-line unit officers have been restricted from leaving base as well.”

“All RFS vessels in the 5th Fleet have been ordered to deploy urgently. They’re calling it an inspection, but… according to my junior who’s stationed there, they’re loading weapons onto airships and even recalling crew members from vessels under temporary repair back to the fleet.”

“Orders have come down to dispatch personnel from several intelligence brigades to support the Petrograd base! Charnoi’s friends are preparing for business trips, and everyone’s panicking about this sudden development!”

The extreme political infighting within the Kiyen Imperial Family had crossed a point of no return, and the three-way conflict among the imperial family members had narrowed down to a final match between two figures.

Now that Princess Margarita, who had been considered a strong contender for succession, had been pushed off the stage.

The Abbas Kingdom had only two choices.

Either stand with Crown Prince Valery and work toward stabilizing the Kiyen political situation.

Or side with Princess Elizaveta and take a dangerous gamble.

Regardless of which choice they made, there would be only one outcome.

“…”

I silently continued walking.

Into the turbulent waves of a new era that no one could have predicted or foreseen.

## Episode 23 – The Spy Who Returned from the Cold Country

The Abbas government, which had maintained a cautious stance all along, began preparing for the rapidly changing situation in the Kiyen Empire.

Orders to remain on base were issued to major units of both the army and navy.

Diplomatic missions in the empire drafted notices to inform their citizens abroad, and the government established evacuation routes to safely extract citizens in case of emergency.

The Military and Intelligence Committees of both houses of parliament were receiving unofficial reports from the heads of relevant agencies, while party leaders held secret meetings with the Prime Minister.

War clouds were gathering.

Though no one wanted to admit it,

No one could deny that an ominous shadow was covering the Kiyen Empire.

“What are you thinking about?”

On a day with moderate wind and slightly chilly temperature, as warm sunlight filtered through the window, Princess Anastasia’s voice fell calmly.

I took my eyes off the window and picked up my coffee cup.

“I just had something on my mind for a moment.”

“I see.”

Princess Anastasia nodded matter-of-factly. As if to say that was understandable.

She used her fork to cut a small piece of medovik on her plate and chewed it in her mouth. Watching the sour cream filling ooze out between the fluffy, sweet layers reminded me of desserts I had tasted during business trips in my active duty days. Was it in Murmansk?

As I was tasting the coffee brewed with Ashtistan beans and reminiscing about old memories, Princess Anastasia, who was bringing her fork to her lips, lowered her long eyelashes and spoke.

“You said you had something to tell me.”

“Yes. To be precise, I’d like to finish the conversation we couldn’t complete earlier.”

I meant to talk about the “proposal” the princess had made to the Abbas government when she requested an audience with me.

“Hmm…”

By rights, I should have made contact with her much earlier.

If only Princess Anastasia hadn’t been avoiding me for whatever reason.

Princess Anastasia removed the fork from her cherry-like lips and carefully offered an apology.

“I wasn’t trying to avoid you. I just had unavoidable circumstances.”

“That’s a relief to hear. When you wouldn’t meet with me for nearly ten days, I thought you might have changed your mind.”

“How could that be? You seem to have been quite concerned, so I offer you my sincere condolences.”

“I never thought you were doing it deliberately. I’m sure Your Highness had your reasons.”

The princess explained that she had unavoidable circumstances that prevented her from meeting me. She said she wanted to make time, even briefly, but couldn’t manage even that.

Yet she seemed perfectly at ease at the ball.

Considering that she didn’t approach me even after our eyes met at Rayevsky Hall, and that she only sought me out after Princess Margarita fell into a coma following her near-assassination, it was clear she had been deliberately avoiding our meeting with some intention.

There was something suspicious about it, but I decided not to argue. So I simply nodded silently.

“Before we get to the main point… I have a few questions for Your Highness.”

“Go ahead.”

Princess Anastasia granted permission lightly, and I began my questions without hesitation.

“That day when you requested an audience with me. Your Highness summoned me to an old castle.”

To be precise, it was the greenhouse of an old castle owned by the Smirnov Imperial Family. The princess was cutting the edge of the medovik with her fork when she affirmed.

“Yes, I did. Was there a problem?”

“According to the ambassador, that castle is under the management of the Imperial Household Department.”

“All imperial residences are managed by the Imperial Household Department, so that would be correct.”

“Someone under Princess Elizaveta’s direction had installed a listening device in the greenhouse. Inside the vase on the very table where Your Highness and I were seated.”

I asked directly.

“And Your Highness already knew there was a listening device installed there. You even hinted at it to me.”

That day. When I was conversing with Princess Anastasia in the greenhouse.

The princess had clearly told me:

There is no one eavesdropping on our conversation. At least not in this room.

After emphasizing “in this room,” Anastasia had looked at the vase on the table. Then she tilted her head slightly and stared into my eyes.

At that moment, I vaguely realized that someone had tampered with the vase, and soon after, through my conversation with Elizaveta who had visited the Grand Duke’s residence, I confirmed that she had eavesdropped on our conversation.

I asked.

“How did you notice? Even the Grand Duke didn’t realize it at the time.”

Princess Anastasia maintained her usual expression. The movement of her fork was perfectly natural, as was the way she chewed the piece of cake she had cut.

“Within the palace, one should never be surprised by lurking dangers. If it were Elizaveta, she would certainly have obtained my schedule in advance and placed me under surveillance. With her snake-like temperament, she’s more than capable of such things.”

“Are you saying you just guessed?”

“No. To be precise, I directly confirmed that a listening device was installed in the vase before you entered the greenhouse that day.”

“How?”

“I have more interest in flowers than I appear to. The petals looked unusually withered, so when I looked inside, I found something that didn’t belong there.”

She was saying she had searched the greenhouse interior in advance and luckily discovered the listening device.

The princess explained that she had vaguely suspected someone was trying to eavesdrop on her conversation and who might be behind it.

She said that in the past, Princess Elizaveta had monitored her every move in a similar way. So it wasn’t difficult to notice.

However, Anastasia explained that she had no choice but to leave it in place, pretending not to know, because moving the listening device on her own would certainly have caused trouble.

Tapping the corner of my lips with my neatly gathered fingers, I nodded with an expressionless face.

“Indeed… it was a carelessly installed listening device. The security police could have hidden it in a more appropriate place. It was placed almost as if to be seen.”

“It was probably a gift from my half-sister. A warning that she was watching, so I should be careful.”

What a nasty gift.

“Do you think there might have been backup listening devices in other places besides the vase?”

“If it were her, she would certainly have done that and more.”

“…Well, I understand for now.”

I had roughly suspected it, but it seemed Anastasia disliked her half-sister just as much as Margarita did.

Conversely, Elizaveta also appeared to have been persistently monitoring and checking her two half-sisters for a long time. Seeing that even Anastasia, who had the smallest power base, was subjected to eavesdropping and surveillance, I had a feeling that Margarita’s situation probably wasn’t much different.

What an extraordinary family.

Mentally cursing Nicholas VI for his terrible job of raising his children, I moved on to my next prepared question.

“A few days ago, a gentleman who communicates closely with Your Highness met someone. Even missing an imperial event to do so.”

“Was there such a person?”

“Yes. There were a few others, but Your Highness probably doesn’t know exactly who they are.”

Even a member of the imperial family can’t know every move of all their associates. That’s something secretaries and attendants take care of.

Unfortunately, Anastasia was in a position without any proper secretary.

She had associates, but unlike her sisters, she didn’t have anyone like a secretary or advisor who would stay with her 24 hours a day and bring her information. So unless she checked directly, she wouldn’t know who disappeared from an event.

I took a sip of coffee and continued.

As carefully as possible.

“That gentleman seems to have a male lover.”

“…”

“I know that homosexuality is illegal in this country, but honestly, I don’t particularly care about the preferences of the people around Your Highness.”

“And?”

“You might want to exercise some caution. The gentleman’s lover seems to have wider connections than expected.”

He’s been meeting a woman involved with another member of the imperial family.

I stopped there, leaving the rest for her to figure out.

Anastasia, who had been sitting quietly with the fork in her mouth, gently closed her eyelids. After a long silence, she began to move her lips without opening her eyes.

“…Caution will be needed. Thank you for letting me know.”

“Don’t be too harsh with him.”

That concluded the second topic.

“Is that all your questions?”

Princess Anastasia, seated across from me, began to urge me to get to the main point.

To this, I showed my index finger, indicating “one more” as I began.

“I have one more question.”

“Fine. Feel free to ask.”

“What exactly is your relationship with Lady Angelika Zubov?”

At this sudden question, Princess Anastasia’s fork stopped moving.

She had been cutting the cake from the edges bit by bit, but now she silently looked at me.

“Why are you suddenly asking that?”

I shifted my gaze to my clasped hands. Then I answered her curiosity in a casual voice.

“It’s purely personal interest. I happened to meet Angelika before, and she resembled Princess Anastasia remarkably. Almost like twins.”

“…Is that so?”

“And coincidentally, when I looked at the entry records for the Grand Duke’s residence, I found that Angelika had visited recently.”

It wasn’t very recent, but in terms of timing, calling it “recent” wasn’t exactly wrong.

The day Angelika Zubov visited the Grand Duke’s residence was the same day the Grand Duke personally came to meet me when I had an appointment with Princess Anastasia. It was around dawn that day.

Princess Anastasia, who had contacted me through Alexandra Petrovna in the evening.

Lady Angelika Zubov, who had visited Alexandra Petrovna’s mansion at dawn that day.

While searching through entry logs to identify informants Princess Margarita had planted in the Grand Duke’s residence, I discovered Angelika’s name and became curious.

Anastasia and Angelika. The princess and the Eastern Governor’s daughter, who looked remarkably alike, had met the Grand Duke on the same day, at different times and places.

One summoned the Grand Duke for official business, while the other requested a meeting for personal matters.

Should this really be considered a coincidence?

I concluded that there might be some connection between the two. For instance, the princess might be closely cooperating with the Eastern Governor through Lady Zubov.

If that were the case, it would somewhat explain the suspicions surrounding Anastasia, especially how she personally influenced the Kiyen Foreign Ministry and the Northern Grand Duke. Though perhaps not completely.

So I demanded an answer from the princess.

And she opened her mouth in a casual tone.

“I have no direct connection with the Zubov family. I did spend time with Angelika in childhood, but that was when we were very young.”

“…Specifically, how young are we talking about?”

“You should just know it was when we were almost babies.”

No detailed explanation followed. Being a private matter, the princess was unwilling to reveal more, and instead looked at me with a strangely wary gaze for bringing up the question.

“How interesting. To think that Princess Anastasia is acquainted with the suspect accused of trying to kill Princess Margarita. What a coincidence.”

“…Is today’s meeting meant to dig into my personal history?”

“How could that be?”

I had no hobby of prying into a lady’s personal affairs. Therefore, there were no further questions about Angelika.

By the time I had roughly found out what I wanted to know, the coffee cup was gradually revealing its bottom.

Putting down her fork and leaning back against the chair, Anastasia hardened her expression, displaying her discomfort, while I took out a cigarette, pushed away the empty cup, and flicked my lighter.

-Tsssk…

The flame devoured the tip of the cigarette like a snake flicking its tongue.

“First, our government has thoroughly considered the proposal you gave us. Let me tell you the conclusion.”

“That’s welcome news. I’ll listen to your government’s position.”

With her arms crossed, Princess Anastasia nodded haughtily.

The cigarette momentarily removed from my mouth emitted a faint smoke, and I exhaled my answer with a slight sigh.

“Our government is considering welcoming Princess Elizaveta’s line if conditions mature, for the advancement of bilateral relations.”

*

After parting with Frederick.

As Camilla walked steadily down the hospital corridor, her gaze was suddenly captured by the scenery passing outside the window.

It was the back of her colleague heading somewhere with a woman who looked exactly like the professor.

“…”

She already knew who it was. Anastasia, who had just finished visiting Margarita. The woman moving with Frederick was certainly her.

Camilla stared at the backs of the two with an expressionless face. Until a familiar voice penetrated her ears.

“What are you looking at?”

“…Ah.”

Zeinab Eskander gently spoke to her. With her trademark subtle smile.

Slipping up behind her, Zeinab embraced Camilla’s shoulders and smiled brightly, as if very curious.

“Just observing the outside scenery.”

The subtle smile on her lips deepened slightly.

Having received Camilla’s answer, Zeinab wore a mysterious smile. As if she already knew everything.

“Though I may not be able to see, I can distinguish lies just by a person’s voice and breathing, even without seeing.”

“…”

“So, who were you looking at?”

It wasn’t a question with any particular intention.

Her curiosity was pure, and Camilla knew this as well.

Still, receiving such a playfully tinged question made her feel inexplicably flustered.

Camilla shook off the priestess’s touch, as if brushing away a fallen leaf from her shoulder.

It was an attitude that might seem rude, but the priestess just quietly laughed, as if even this behavior of Camilla’s was endearing.

“What’s so funny?”

“Seeing your reaction reminds me of old colleagues. Come to think of it, Sasha was always embarrassed by my teasing too. He would get so flustered. Even in this, you resemble your teacher.”

“Oh…”

The Grand Duke getting flustered by the priestess’s teasing.

It was a scene Camilla couldn’t easily imagine.

Just as she was becoming interested in this rare glimpse of the Grand Duke’s embarrassing past, Zeinab suddenly tilted her head.

She expressed her curiosity with a slightly amused tone.

“It seems you have business with me today. Right?”

“Oh. How did you know?”

“Hehe. Magic exists in every place. In the breath people exhale, in the pitch and tremor of their voice. Reading that is not much effort for me.”

After murmuring these mysterious words, the sorceress gently placed her hand on Camilla’s shoulder again.

“So, what help is our little magician seeking?”

Though her brow furrowed at being called “little,” Camilla didn’t care about that at all right now.

There were more important matters.

“I have something I want to ask you. It’s sort of a question about magic…”

“Tell me. If my knowledge extends that far, it might reach your curiosity today.”

With a slightly hesitant attitude, Camilla chose her words. But her eyes showed not a trace of hesitation, more careful than ever.

After a brief moment passed.

Camilla asked the priestess for advice in a careful voice.

“There are two different people. They are clearly different individuals, but there’s something about them… a quality or energy that feels the same. It’s hard to express exactly, but when there’s a sense of sameness between them.”

“…”

“Is there any magical explanation for this phenomenon?”

A mysterious silence lingered.

With her finger held straight against her lips, Zeinab silently smiled and fell into thought.

“…Hmm. I’m not sure exactly what phenomenon you’re describing, but when you mention humans, two different people, and sameness… something does come to mind.”

What is it?

To Camilla’s voice asking for the answer, Zeinab’s lips formed a gentle curve.

“It wouldn’t be fun if I just told you.”

“Ah, please-“

“Hehe. I’ll give you a hint, and you try to guess the answer, okay?”

It sounded like a suggestion, but was essentially a question with a predetermined answer.

That playful tone made it obvious.

In the end, Camilla sighed inwardly and agreed, and Zeinab’s smile deepened.

“Sasha’s disciple, every human is born with their own unique temperament. Another me, perfectly identical to myself, cannot exist in this world.”

But you know.

Very rarely.

“Once in a while, by a slim chance, someone resembling me comes into the world. And if one of them is born with an exceptional temperament, the other is influenced by it. Two different humans come to share similar temperaments.”

“…Share?”

“Yes.”

Zeinab nodded gently.

“However, they can’t have perfectly identical temperaments. For the scales to balance, someone must put down what they possess. That’s the difference that distinguishes them. It’s the law of the world, and the natural order.”

“…”

The sorceress concluded her explanation with a simple example, and Camilla calmly pondered the hint.

Sameness. Slim chance. Sharing. Difference. Human.

As various words swirled in her mind, Camilla’s lips, which had been lost in thought, suddenly parted and released a stream of sound.

And.

The priestess’s faint smile blended with her sigh.

“That seems to have been a sufficient answer.”

*

After hearing the Abbas government’s position, Princess Anastasia didn’t say much.

‘I fully understand your country’s position.’

There was no sense of regret or lingering attachment in her departing figure.

Only calmness remained.

After returning to the embassy and writing my report.

I sat alone in the empty secure communications room.

-‘How was it?’

“To be honest, I’m not sure.”

Whether it was a sufficient answer. Whether the other side understood properly.

I reported vaguely, trailing off, but Leoni maintained that there was nothing to worry about.

-‘It doesn’t matter. If they didn’t understand, we can just change our approach. If they don’t get it even when it’s spoon-fed to them, it just means their capacity is limited.’

“That’s true.”

-‘Anyway, wrap things up well. The Prime Minister and the opposition leaders are all on edge. If the operation falls apart, we’re looking at all-out war that very day.’

“Yes, I know.”

I know it all too well, and that’s the problem.

Click. The call ended.

As I took my eyes off the screen that had turned black, fatigue washed over me. I felt I needed to close my eyes for a moment before moving on to the next step.

As I was sitting with my chair tilted back, eyes closed, an empty ringtone shook the communications room, and after checking my mobile phone, I answered with a short sigh.

“Hello.”

Shaking off my drowsiness and speaking in the most normal voice I could manage, a voice full of schemes flowed from the other end of the phone.

-‘You met my sister, didn’t you?’

“I did.”

-‘I heard your answer. Today, this humble one wishes to invite you, and I hope you won’t refuse to come?’

“…”

I smiled as if to say “do as you please” while raising and lowering my heavy eyelids once.

“If you’re calling, I must come. Princess Elizaveta.”