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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 27
Chapter Title: Whispers and Suspicions
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While Chloe was speaking with Vanessa, Calius’s man, Andrew, sat in the driver’s seat.
With not even a single squire to their name, Calius’s party certainly didn’t have a separate coachman.
Naturally, his men took turns driving the carriage, and it was currently Andrew’s turn.
Andrew found it suspicious that Chloe and Vanessa were murmuring to each other inside the carriage.
*What nonsense is the princess trying to pull now?*
This was the same princess who was currently holding out in the carriage, having her maids complain that the lodgings were too shabby or that she was being mistreated.
There was no way he could look favorably upon her as she whispered to her maid in the carriage.
*Damn that Idellian Imperial Family.*
Curious about what the princess was saying, Andrew cracked open the small window to the driver’s box and eavesdropped.
Chloe’s voice was faint.
“...the Empress’s command...”
The fierce northern wind made the conversation choppy and intermittent, but he clearly heard the word “Empress.”
Andrew held his breath and focused.
Chloe continued to speak at length.
“...gain the Marquis’s trust... dig out his secrets...”
“...mission... if I fail... to the Empress...”
It was a veritable feast of suspicious words.
*Dig out our lord’s secrets? And if she fails her mission, she’ll have to answer to the Empress?*
That was certainly what it sounded like.
*I knew it.*
Scowling, Andrew meant to report to Brentian, but he was busy arguing with Chloe’s maids.
Frustrated, Andrew rushed over to his comrades instead.
“Hey, everyone, listen up!”
The men, who had been loitering in the cold, unable to enter the inn because of Chloe and her maids, glanced at Andrew listlessly.
Among them was the red-haired knight, Alex.
“What?”
“Guess what I just heard?”
“What is it?”
“Gather ‘round.”
His comrades formed a circle around Andrew.
“I overheard the princess talking to her maid. It sounds like she’s plotting something.”
“Go on.”
“From what I could make out, it seems the Empress ordered the princess to dig up our lord’s secrets. It sounded like the princess is trying to gain our lord’s trust for that purpose.”
Hearing this, Alex asked with a dubious expression.
“Are you sure?”
“Yeah, I heard it loud and clear.”
Andrew insisted forcefully.
Alex recalled the image of Chloe smiling brightly as she returned his Flatus bracelet.
*Could she have been acting even then, just to get on our lord’s good side?*
He shook his head at the thought.
*What would she gain by winning the favor of a low-ranking knight like me? That was definitely a genuine act of kindness.*
If she wanted to win Calius’s favor, Brentian, the knight commander, or the vice-commander would be much more useful targets.
Alex was the youngest and least influential in the order of knights.
*This is confusing.*
At the engagement ceremony, Chloe had seemed very stiff and cold.
But when she returned his bracelet, she’d been as gentle as if she were a completely different person.
But now, the Chloe Andrew was describing sounded like a sinister person.
*Which one is her true self?*
Just then, he saw Chloe getting out of the carriage.
Seeing the look of relief on Brentian’s face, it seemed the lodging issue had been resolved.
Dressed in so many layers, Chloe looked like a small, cloaked log as she stepped out of the carriage. Her steps were clumsy on the slippery snow.
Seeing her, Alex found it even harder to imagine the Chloe who had supposedly whispered sinister plots in the carriage.
*Ah, this is so confusing. So confusing.*
He simplified his complicated thoughts.
*The higher-ups will figure it out! There are plenty of people smarter than me.*
* * *
Seeing Chloe lead her maids into the lodging, Andrew reported what he had heard to the knight commander and Brentian, exactly as he had told his comrades.
Brentian’s reaction to Andrew’s words was calm.
“I expected as much.”
Andrew flared up.
“You knew, and you still brought the princess here?”
“It was the Marquis’s decision. He must have his reasons.”
In other words, not even Brentian knew what Calius was thinking.
Frustrated, Andrew grumbled irritably.
“This ‘Marquis’ business. Just because the princess is around, you’re all walking on eggshells, calling our lord ‘Marquis.’ Hmph.”
In Ronheim, they called Calius “Prince.” Some even went so far as to call him “King.”
The title of Marquis was merely one bestowed by the Emperor of Arental.
But if the Emperor of Arental found out that Calius was still being called Prince or King, it could arouse suspicion that he was plotting a rebellion.
The knight commander, Hawick, who stood beside Brentian, gave Andrew a firm warning.
“Don’t act rashly, Andrew.”
“My apologies.”
“Dismissed.”
“Yes, sir.”
He apologized, but Andrew’s expression was still sullen as he turned away.
Brentian shot Hawick a look.
“Isn’t the knights’ discipline a bit too lax?”
The stern-faced Hawick nodded.
“Mm. It is about time to whip them into shape.”
Calius’s men were highly skilled and fiercely loyal, but they were also a tight-knit group, bound by blood ties and old family friendships, which often led to overfamiliarity.
Trust between comrades was good, but excessive familiarity that overrode the hierarchy of rank could be poison to a group.
That was why the knight commander periodically made a point of re-establishing the chain of command.
“In any case, with what Andrew said, and since I also find the princess suspicious, it would be best to keep a close watch on her.”
At Brentian’s words, Hawick gave a dependable nod.
“Leave it to me.”
“Appreciate it. I’m going to go find Calius now.”
“Come to think of it, where did our lord go?”
Brentian let out a small sigh.
“To feed the cats.”
* * *
Fortunately, Calius said he would be using a different room from me.
*I guess we can’t spend our first night in a place like this.*
I stood blankly in the room I was led to.
It was the first time I was formally facing all the maids Cavalla had assigned to me.
Including Vanessa and Lamia, there were a total of four maids.
The maids kept their mouths shut, avoiding my gaze, and efficiently went about their tasks under Vanessa’s direction.
*They’re all new faces.*
Of course, I hadn’t been to the Empress’s palace often, so I didn’t know the faces of all her maids.
Still, I tended to remember the faces of the senior maids who usually followed Cavalla.
*They don’t seem to be Cavalla’s personal maids.*
If she decided to plant me as a spy, she wouldn’t have chosen the maids sent with me carelessly.
*She must have had a plan, choosing each and every one of them.*
For now, I decided to watch the maids without saying anything.
They unpacked only the bare minimum of luggage and quickly organized the items.
*Hmm...*
I had thought Lamia, who was secretly mixed in with the maids, would stand out.
Since the imperial palace maids receive prior training in court etiquette, I figured it would be difficult for Lamia, who would not have received any, to hide her identity for long.
But contrary to my expectations, Lamia didn’t stand out at all. That was because the other maids’ actions were also quite clumsy.
*What’s with all of them?*
They seemed accustomed to tasks like tidying and cleaning, but their movements lacked the polish of those trained in etiquette.
On top of that, they were all watching Vanessa’s every move.
Vanessa must have held a grudge against me for what happened in the carriage earlier.
She ordered the maids without even lighting the fireplace in the freezing room.
“Undress Her Highness.”
The maids swarmed me and took off my clothes.
Even though we were indoors, cold air seeped through the walls, and it was freezing.
I shivered, dressed only in a thin chemise.
Vanessa pretended not to notice me shivering.
The maids kept glancing at me, but they only watched Vanessa and no one stepped forward.
Vanessa said coldly.
“We will prepare your bathwater. Please wait.”
Perhaps I looked too pitiful, as Lamia cautiously stepped forward and asked Vanessa.
“Her Highness seems cold. Shall I light the fireplace?”
Vanessa frowned and said stiffly.
“From now on, don’t do anything unless I instruct you to. There’s an order to everything.”
“I’m sorry.”
Lamia pressed her lips together.
But her eyes showed no sign of agreement.
Vanessa shot Lamia a sharp glare and then gave an order.
“You, go tell those Ronheim people to bring heated water. Tell them Her Highness wants to take a bath, so bring enough to fill the tub.”
As if ignoring me, the princess, wasn’t enough, Vanessa was trying to order Calius’s knights around like servants.
At this point, I had no choice but to step in.
Having roughly grasped the maids’ relationships, I spoke gently to the other three, excluding Vanessa.
“I don’t need a bath. You’ve all had a long day. Instead of this, why don’t we get something to eat first?”
At my words, a little life returned to the maids’ eyes, which had been dead with fatigue.
“Ask the innkeeper to prepare a meal. All but one of you are dismissed. Tomorrow will be an even harder day, so get some rest.”
“Your Highness, that’s—!”
Just as Vanessa, whose authority had been usurped, was about to say something, Lamia quickly stepped forward and answered spiritedly.
“Yes! Wonderful! I’ll go fetch Your Highness’s meal right away!”
And with that, she whisked out of the room.
Seeing Lamia, the other maids furtively glanced at Vanessa before scurrying out after her.
“Th-that—!”
I asked Vanessa, who was left gaping.
“Are you the one who’s staying?”
Vanessa flinched and lifted her chin.
“I have many things to do, so I will have one of the other girls stay.”
Then, as if afraid I might stop her, she scurried away.
I wrapped a blanket around myself and thought.
*As I thought, none of them are trained palace maids. That must be why Lamia could blend in with them so easily... I’ll need to look into these maids properly.*
