214 - Pieces of the Broken Glass Slipper
Shattered Glass Slipper Shards 214
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A relationship bound by contract is truly convenient. Even more so if those involved value keeping promises as a matter of honor. Was it the power of the sum of forty gold coins? Or perhaps they wanted to express how deeply they cared for Jack.
Umbra's drive was astonishing. The request previously entrusted to Jack was already quite impressive, but with their leader directly involved, the information gathered and the speed of processing were incomparable.
'Since it concerns Jack, I can't withhold this information from them.'
Knowing the identities of those pursuing the child, the Rat and Bird believed that dialogue was essential to confront a common enemy. Only then could they understand why they were acting in such a way and sending such information.
Therefore, they firmly stated that they had to reveal so much, even though it seemed like too much for a contracted agreement, while clarifying that I had some stake in this data.
According to them, Umbra had been interested in Jack since he joined. Most children running the streets sold their labor to survive, but Jack had sought them out to obtain more information, which was remarkable.
The fact that the person providing the funds had a unique social status was another reason for their interest. No other child with such a distinct background had ever joined their ranks in the history of information brokering.
However, they soon thought Jack would become ordinary like the other children. Exceptional cases rarely translated into ability, and with so many children competing, his enthusiasm gradually waned.
They would have dismissed it entirely if the information I requested hadn't unexpectedly branched out in unforeseen directions, aligning with several incidents they had found odd but couldn't connect.
'Being able to preemptively secure or organize information that others haven't noticed is akin to possessing great power. We are keenly interested in the events unfolding in the capital.'
They believed it was time to test whether their trump card was genuine, through me, who had a connection to the Grand Duke.
So, Umbra sent me information related to the Grand Duke from their files, and I was satisfied to receive an unexpected gift that broadened my perspective.
At the same time, I could understand through what route Jack had escaped, and why he had made such a choice, as they intended.
Of course, Umbra added that they couldn't be certain that the information on the paper was the Grand Duke's trail.
Recently, he had started leaving traces more frequently—probably because of Roena—allowing for some speculation, but so many things were suspicious that even they found it difficult to sift through the facts.
Come to think of it, even the Crown Prince didn't seem to know what alias the Grand Duke was using until I told him. Or perhaps he was feigning ignorance. In any case, it was clear that the Grand Duke had been perfectly deceiving everyone for a long time. I almost wanted to commend his cunning and prudence.
In fact, the Grand Duke was not a person of interest to information brokers. After all, wasn't he the one who had been banished to the provinces with burns after his mother was killed?
There was no reason to know about someone who had been excluded from the center of power since childhood and only surfaced when he was being ridiculed by the public.
Therefore, information about him was minimal—even if there was any, it was only about his perverted fondness for women—and some data on the strange movements in the capital was relegated to a corner of the warehouse, ignored by everyone in the information brokerage.
If I hadn't requested various tasks through Jack, even this might have become a scrap of paper, forever forgotten. They wouldn't even have known it pointed to the Grand Duke.
The Rat and Bird asserted that even the Emperor or the Crown Prince wouldn't know the contents of the information they sent me. This, they boasted, was why they were called one of the most outstanding information brokers in the empire.
"And yet, it ended up in my hands. Truly inexplicable."
It was indeed a strange thing. I looked down at the bundle of papers in my hand and thought. The danger that had befallen Jack had conversely brought me such benefits.
Disgustingly, I was purely delighted by the situation that had been created, which could be beneficial to me, setting aside my concern for Jack. It made me feel that I could escape the Crown Prince's grasp to some extent.
...So, how am I different from Roena?
"And yet, you are giving me so much, Jack. For someone like me... Why?"
I ran a hand over my face, wearily blinking my tired eyes.
It had already been a week since I received the blood-stained note. Yet, Jack's fate was still unclear.
The Rat informed me that people who appeared to be under the Grand Duke were secretly rummaging through the alleys, indicating that he had not yet been captured.
He was a child who had been running through the back alleys of the city since birth, begging and stealing. So, he would know even the most complex alleys like the back of his hand. He might even have his own hideout that the information brokers didn't know about.
In the meantime, he was making full use of what he had learned from the information brokers and hiding himself away, making it even harder to find him.
In particular, the Grand Duke's gang couldn't reveal themselves yet, so they were having difficulty tracking down Jack's trail because they had to search without attracting attention.
Moreover, Umbra was subtly interfering with them using their power, so they said there would be no more progress than before. The information brokers were also having difficulty because they had to find Jack while avoiding their eyes.
Still, the note sent today contained something hopeful.
『Information has come in that a young boy who appeared to be a vagrant bought medicinal herbs and bandages to treat wounds from various pharmacies a few days ago, little by little. It is speculated that he was hired with money from Jack.』
Good news also came from Sir Halberd, who had explored the address Jack had written on the note. According to him, he had found Roena and Lord Schilfise at that mansion.
Sir Halberd wanted to rescue Roena immediately, but he felt a sense of incongruity at her peaceful appearance, strolling around and drinking tea as if she hadn't been kidnapped, so he had no choice but to return. Then, with his characteristic calm eyes, he asked me.
"What do you know, Miss?"
I drank my tea as if trying to hide a sigh. And I looked at Sir Halberd.
The Knight of Clear Hearing. A man more loyal than anyone else. In some ways, more trustworthy than Sir Ayres.
But I couldn't reveal the truth yet. Nor what kind of incident the Bishvarts Family was involved in. Because the role he had to play was that of a knight of justice who could wield his sword against the family's enemies without a trace of doubt. So, I made up a plausible reason.
"As you know, there were several issues in the process of appointing a guardian before. Fortunately, His Majesty considered my position and bestowed the honor of appointing a guardian first, but not everyone welcomed it. Because what flows in my veins is not the blood of Bishwartz."
Despite the rather long introduction, Sir Halberd seemed to quickly realize what I was trying to say. He frowned as if he couldn't believe it and opened his mouth with difficulty.
"...Surely not? Please rebuke me for having blasphemous thoughts. Tell me I'm misunderstanding."
"I wish that were the case, but unfortunately, we sometimes have to face cruel realities."
I quietly continued, my voice mixed with a sigh. And I blinked slowly as if I was sad, biting my lip as if to show it.
"The aristocratic world has a strong tendency to value legitimacy. So, they don't like others encroaching on that position, even for a short time. That's the same for Roena. No, she must have been persuaded. In fact, I hope so. Roena would never betray me. But after hearing your words, I can't be sure. Because until I heard that she was doing well there, I was also full of suspicion."
A heavy silence falls on Sir Halberd's shoulders. He was looking at me with a pale face.
"It's fortunate that Roena is not being threatened in any way. But that doesn't mean we can leave her there. So, please bring her back. You must go alone, without taking any other knights. This is because I trust your abilities, but also because I want Roena to follow you willingly without being frightened."
Roena wanted to accompany Sir Halberd when she left for the villa. Despite Lord Schilfise accompanying her, she couldn't let go of her attachment to him. A much stronger desire than she had shown in her previous life lingered in her eyes.
Perhaps for Roena, Sir Halberd was both a knight she admired and a crown that confirmed her own position.
That's why she cried when the Empress offered him a position as a knight in the Imperial Palace, fearing that he would leave. But how desperate would she be when Sir Halberd became my knight? It must have felt like she had been robbed of everything.
In the meantime, the Grand Duke approached her, so he must have looked like an angel who would save her. So, she must have been kidnapped willingly, if she was persuaded with the promise of returning the Bishvarts Family.
But what if Sir Halberd appeared in the midst of all this and said he had come to save her? If he took the risk of appearing alone, without bringing anyone else? Would she be able to turn away from his hand?
"Please bring Roena back."
At my request, Sir Halberd's face contorts miserably. He seemed to be tormented by the thought of Roena not following him.
"If she hesitates, tell her that I know. No, tell her that everyone in society knows. That we are waiting with concern."
If Sir Halberd appeared like a prince in a fairy tale and held out his hand, and she heard that people knew where she was, she wouldn't be able to do anything foolish.
What could be more important than face and honor? She would have no choice but to return, even if she was afraid of the eyes of society.
"This is all for Roena."
I quietly said to Sir Halberd, as if emphasizing something important. And I added that I trusted him. This loyal man would surely do his best for Roena, rather than fulfilling my request. Lustewin Halberd was such a man.
Then, his furrowed brow smoothed out, and the Knight of Clear Hearing, with a firm face as if he had made a firm decision, rose from his seat. I realized through Sir Halberd's face that he would somehow bring Roena back.
Is that why? I felt a little comforted in my heart, which had been broken by Jack. If I secured her safety before the Grand Duke could act, I would have stopped one of his plans. There could be nothing better than this. So, when Sir Halberd kissed the back of my hand and said goodbye, I gladly saw him off and urged him to be careful.
The reason why the Grand Duke's people didn't send Roena to another place, even though the location of the mansion had been revealed, was either because they saw Jack as a simple petty criminal or because they had a reason why they couldn't move. Or maybe they were confident that they wouldn't lose her.
In any case, it was very fortunate that I had bought Sir Halberd time to approach Roena again thanks to this misjudgment.
Perhaps I would have been relieved if I hadn't heard the tragic news that the Emperor's life was in danger that night. The soldier who knocked on the mansion's gate late at night was soaked from the rain that had been falling since evening.
『All nobles living in the capital must enter the palace.』
The words in the letter were simple, but their weight was incomparable. So was the night sky, which was spreading a more gloomy aura than usual.
The fierce rain was nothing more than a symbol of anxiety. So was the roaring thunder, as if foreshadowing the upcoming catastrophe.
Is that why? The faces of the nobles who had hurriedly gathered at the Imperial Palace were full of anxiety. As if they were sensing something.
