Ch#230
### Chapter 230
The informant’s promise was precise. The next morning, through the maid who came to tidy my bedroom, I received information about the person who had stolen the letter.
According to the maid, the thug had been hired by a mysterious—yet well-dressed—gentleman.
‘His voice was very dignified and soft, like a noble or someone of similar standing. He looked at me as if I were vermin, exactly like one of them. *Ptooey*, how disgusting. Still, his spending wasn’t stingy, so I was paid handsomely.’
The gentleman's request was simple. He told the thug that if anyone coming out of House Bischwaldz headed toward House Rosan, he was to suppress them without hesitation and rummage through their person. Thus, the thug attacked Marie, took the letter, and placed it in the pre-arranged location. Being quite drunk, he was boasting as if he had accomplished something magnificent.
Perhaps that was why he blabbered more easily than usual, and we might have even learned the gentleman’s description. However, while he was talking away, the thug suddenly coughed up blood and died, so we couldn't uncover the location of the meeting place or the gentleman’s appearance.
The cause of death was revealed to be poisoning. The member added in a low voice that poison must have been sprinkled on the new appetizer he ordered, and that someone must have been monitoring him constantly. I felt a chill run down my spine at those words.
I was horrified by the cruel act of killing the thug just to silence him. Furthermore, it was said that several others had died by similar methods besides the deceased thug. It was as if they were cutting tails.
“What shall we do? Shall we continue to dig for information?”
The member disguised as a maid asked me. I shook my head. Killing the thug was for silencing him, but it must also have been a warning to those trying to dig for information. There was no need to invite a difficult situation by digging too deep.
The member bowed gracefully and left the room, acknowledging the order.
Time continued to flow, and news arrived that the Crown Prince had nearly reached the Border Region. The time to subjugate the barbarians was not far off.
Suddenly, a strange tension settled over the Capital. Even those who had boasted of victory seemed fearful now that the battle was imminent.
I was no different; several times a day, my mouth would go bone-dry from the unbearable suspense.
In the midst of this, Knight Sylphice pestered me persistently, asking if I had inquired about Lady Roena’s intentions. He acted with such urgency, as if he absolutely had to meet her, that it was almost strange.
I felt suspicious and wanted to verify him somehow, but since all the knights who knew him had departed for war following the Crown Prince, it was difficult to confirm his identity with only past memories. So, I lied, saying I had met Roena and that she had refused the meeting.
Knight Sylphice asked me several times if I was sure, as if he were certain I hadn't met her. He then frowned with dissatisfaction at my firm nod. One of his legs was shaking as if convulsing. My suspicion of him deepened at that flippant behavior.
Fortunately, at the request of the doctor to not move easily until his body healed, he remained mostly confined to his room, making it easy to monitor him through the maids.
Meanwhile, time kept slipping away, and days followed where I could not meet Lady Roshan. I thought the Empress would raise her head and act freely since the Crown Prince and the Grand Duke were absent, but she was unexpectedly quiet.
On the contrary, the women gathered beneath her were the ones causing a stir. They spent their days insulting Shatoru, whose status had not been properly decided since the Emperor’s funeral had not yet been held.
Even when others told them to stop, their blatant mockery and sarcasm were enough to make onlookers frown. Even in the presence of people like the daughter of Duke Dibenzel, Lady Roshan, or Madam de Lavallière, their arrogance was as if they had come into their own world.
At the end of a letter asking after my well-being, Lady Roshan added the words: *‘It seems the Grand Duke has encroached upon the Empress’s side.’*
In the end, the Grand Duke had won the power struggle. This was very puzzling, as it was something that couldn't happen unless Duke Kiran had sided with the Grand Duke. Lady Roshan also expressed confusion, saying she was looking into what was happening.
A few days later, she managed to find time to visit me. She used the excuse of wanting to see me since I was no longer active in society. However, her true purpose in setting foot in the Bischwaldz mansion was to discuss the Empress.
“Unless they have some leverage over her, there’s no way this would happen. There is no other way to explain it.”
Just as Lady Roshan said, if the Empress was being held by some major weakness by the Grand Duke and he was shaking House Kiran using that as a pretext, it would explain why she was just quietly watching the situation. The problem lay in what that weakness was.
“If we knew, it would be a great help to His Highness. It is simply regrettable.”
I swallowed a bitter smile at Lady Roshan’s words and quietly sipped my tea. To the Crown Prince’s faction now, the Empress was not the mother who gave birth to him. She was merely a political rival threatening the throne.
Perhaps that was why. I truly saw Lady Roshan in a new light as she vowed to uncover a weakness that might even affect the Imperial Family’s image without a second thought.
Anyway, as I was pondering what kind of weakness could suppress the Empress, Lady Roshan spoke to me as if she had suddenly remembered something.
“Madam de Lavallière is displaying some rare behavior as well.”
“If you mean rare behavior….”
“She keeps praising you, Lady. Quite suddenly. Sometimes she is so enthusiastic that I’m quite startled. At this rate, I won’t even be able to claim that I am your closest friend. Ah, how upsetting.”
She then stared at me intently, and I did not miss that the words hidden behind her gaze were the question: *‘What happened with the Madam?’* Since it was impossible for Lady Roshan not to know that Madam de Lavallière and I were visibly on awkward terms, she was suspicious of the Madam’s sudden care for me.
“To make matters worse, rumors regarding Lady Roena are spreading as well.”
“Regarding Roena?”
“The matter involving Count Kiran.”
According to Lusette Roshan, Madam de Lavallière was repeatedly praising me, saying I had blocked the Crown Prince’s attempt to hand Roena over to Count Kiran.
Although it was a scandal difficult for a girl who hadn't even debuted in society to handle, to others who highly valued Count Kiran’s abilities, it was seen as nothing more than a common occurrence.
On the contrary, they were praising Roena’s beauty, saying, ‘It’s regrettable, but it could happen. She is such a beautiful girl,’ leaving only the Crown Prince’s side, who had tried to use her, in a slightly awkward position.
In particular, she mentioned it was quite a sight to see several women involved in rumors with Count Kiran becoming tense and sharp. She added that some were even seeing me differently for bravely protecting my half-sister from the Crown Prince, who had grown close to absolute power.
“I don’t know how that matter reached the Madam’s ears.”
I nodded at Lady Roshan’s suspicious gaze and chimed in nonchalantly.
“I agree. It is truly surprising. I didn’t know Count Kiran was such a loose-lipped person.”
“Do you think it was his doing?”
“A man will do anything for the sake of his pride. Wouldn't it be possible if he thought the rejection of the marriage proposal with Roena was because of a mother from a different background? Excessive inferiority makes one lose their reason.”
At my firm answer, Lady Roshan fell silent for a moment as if at a loss for words. I didn't miss the opportunity and spoke as if I were hurt.
“But lately, I feel as if you are not the person I used to know. To be honest, that’s how it feels. Why are you doubting me?”
“Sise, what are you saying? That’s not it.”
“Lady Roshan—no, Lusette. Let’s be a little more honest. Look at me. I am asking you while honestly revealing my true self. So, if your affection for me is the same as when we first met, please answer me honestly as well. So that I can be proud to call you my friend.”
“Goodness, don’t say such things. My heart for you remains unchanged. I am merely thinking more of His Highness. I cannot refuse him.”
“To the point of taking the time to come here and test me?”
Lady Roshan spoke with a wave of her hand, a rare gesture for her. Her face, colored with flustered confusion, was heavily broken with distress.
“That’s not it. I came because I was worried about your safety. Truly.”
“My safety?”
“Because His Highness sent a letter asking what was going on, saying that someone who looked like Knight Sylphice was among the Grand Duke’s group of knights.”
“Knight Sylphice? Could it be that he misidentified him?”
She let out a sigh and nodded.
“He was in disguise, but it was undoubtedly Knight Sylphice. It’s a story verified by Knight Halverd. However, His Highness added that since there are look-alikes everywhere, one shouldn't be too certain. Still, it’s very unsettling that someone reported kidnapped is associated with the Grand Duke. What do you think, Sise?”
“Well, since there is nothing I can know yet….”
I trailed off, thinking of a certain man in the mansion.
Was the Knight Sylphice in the Border Region a fake?
No, the person currently in the mansion had to be the fake. Otherwise, there was no way the palms of his hands would be soft and smooth. He was too blatant in trying to express the fact that Knight Sylphice had been focused on paperwork recently. Even though the joints of his fingers should have had thick calluses.
*Ah, I felt a sense of dissonance every time I saw him, and it was because he was a fake.*
Suddenly, Lady Roshan tilted her head while looking toward the door. Following her gaze, I saw only the firmly closed door.
“What is it?”
“No, I thought I felt someone’s presence. But I must have been mistaken. Since I haven't been able to sleep at all lately, I suppose I’ve grown quite sensitive.”
“Can you not sleep well?”
“Yes, how could I?”
Lady Roshan smiled bitterly as she spoke to me.
“Everyone says we will win, but a war is something where you can't let your guard down until it’s over. Because of that, my anxiety has only increased, and I’ve reached the point where I can't sleep well.”
“I have a tea that is good for insomnia; would you like to try some?”
“It didn't work. Anyway, Sise, I am worried about you. I didn't come to interrogate you, so please clear up the misunderstanding. Yes, that’s right. What does it matter if your relationship with the Madam improves? I only acted this way because I was worried her words would turn into a scandal related to His Highness.”
“I know. I fully understand. I would have acted the same way if I were in your position. I only asked out of impatience.”
“Hearing you say that makes me feel much more at ease. Now, I must return to the battlefield.”
Amused by her wit in describing social gatherings as a battlefield, I smiled brightly and asked.
“Is there a gathering even at this hour?”
“Now that their husbands are gone, everyone is quite excited. They’re holding back a little because of the war, but it’s as if they’ve forgotten the fact that the Emperor’s funeral was suspended—it’s a frenzy of drinking and poker games.”
“That is quite a problem.”
Lady Roshan gave a shrug, leaned down, and kissed my cheek. Then she whispered softly in my ear.
“I repeat, take care of yourself.”
Strangely, she was acting like someone who didn't know Knight Sylphice had returned. The caution she spoke of was not limited to the fake Knight Sylphice alone.
A headache began to throb for a moment, but I nodded submissively, pretending nothing was wrong.
“Yes. I will.”
Once Lady Roshan left, I intended to use whatever excuse necessary to kick out the fraud pretending to be Knight Sylphice.
And I would also commission the information brokers to dig into him, while asking them to handle him a bit roughly, given the possibility he might return to cause harm.
But looking back now, it was an incredibly complacent thought. Since the only able-bodied men left in the mansion were servants who had never held a sword, what made me think I could easily turn him out?
No, if I had taken Lady Roshan’s mention of feeling someone’s presence a bit more seriously, things might have been better. Then I wouldn't have ended up in a situation like this.
Like this—being threatened by a mysterious assailant in my room, which I entered alone after seeing Lady Roshan off.
Usually, I preferred to rest alone in my room around evening. This was the same even while the fake Knight Sylphice was staying in the mansion, so I had entered the room alone after seeing Lady Roshan leave. That must have made it all the easier to target me.
The thing that pulled me strongly as I opened the door without a second thought was someone’s arm. The assailant pulled me inside, showing the skill to immediately cover my mouth before I had a chance to scream in surprise.
Then, he immediately brought something sharp to my neck; the chilling sensation felt like a well-sharpened dagger.
“If you scream, you die.”
There was no mistaking Knight Sylphice’s voice. I nodded slightly. Then, while keeping the knife at my neck, he leaned forward just enough to face me.
Though the voice was Knight Sylphice’s, the fact that his face was hidden with a mask clearly showed he was a fake.
“If I hadn't happened to be passing by your room, it would have been a disaster. Then you, My Lady, would have kicked me out or finished me off first. I suppose I’m quite lucky.”
*Ah, the presence Lady Roshan felt was real. It was this man.*
I trembled with regret, but there was nothing I could do right now. I could only barely swallow my scream along with the surging fear.
“Now, from now on, if you do not answer my questions properly, you die. Very painfully. So do not lie and answer with all your heart.”
As if to show it wasn't a false threat, he moved the knife slightly. A stinging pain followed as if my neck had been slightly cut, and something began to trickle down my skin. My shoulders flinched at the sharp pain.
The assailant looked at me and gave a shrug. Then he asked in a low voice.
“Where is Lady Roena?”
