77 - The Bride of the Great Lord is a Warrior from Hell
Judith continued, watching Alisha, whose lips were barely moving.
"For accuracy, I meticulously examined the headstall, browband, noseband, cheek straps, bit, bit rings, and reins separately. The fragrance was only present on the reins. Specifically, about a hand's breadth from the part connected to the noseband. It's slightly away from the horse's noseband and far from where a person would hold it, making it difficult to detect when worn by the horse. Quite a coincidence, isn't it?"
Indeed, it was quite a coincidence.
The person behind this was cautious and meticulous.
An enemy.
Alisha thought about her enemies.
Since returning from hell, she hadn't avoided battles, but she hadn't initiated them either.
She kept an eye on potential enemies or those with whom she might later fall out, but it was too early to respond.
She also didn't have the leeway.
After becoming nineteen again, she had too much to do.
She nullified the engagement that was about to become a mess.
She moved busily to regain the power she had possessed.
She was busy dealing with the relationships intertwined with the new engagement.
She had made arrangements for the distant future, but there was no immediate use for them.
Anyone could become an enemy.
Since one couldn't know people's hearts, today's friend could be tomorrow's enemy.
Who could it be?
Someone who would benefit from keeping Alisha tied to Reine or from her father's death causing her hardship.
There were too many such people.
The six families who originally intended to proceed with a marriage to Grand Duke Tessen, due to the unexpected engagement with Alisha.
Among them, she was threatened by Baron Graitz and retaliated.
Count Combat set fire to the Lilliese Detached Palace. All the messengers the Count sent were dealt with.
Graitz, Heronimo, Strahl, Morrow, Koph, Combat.
Graitz had stopped moving, and Heronimo and Morrow had given up on the position of Grand Duchess.
Strahl, Koph, and Combat were watching the situation and preparing for any eventuality.
It wouldn't be strange if any of them decided to take action.
The power and wealth that the Grand Duchess of Tessen would possess were considerable.
There were many enemies besides them.
Viviana Manners, who lost a lot by picking a petty fight with Alisha.
Duchess Belz and Baronet Belz, who had slowly begun to be excluded from the Imperial Family due to Alisha's appearance.
Cynthia and Angela, who were humiliated when they tried to disgrace Alisha.
The Imperial Concubines who were on the Empress's side and trying to depose Alisha.
And the Emperor.
The members of the Imperial Palace were people who would stab a friend in the back for their own power or for the balance of power.
They were people who would even form alliances with enemies for the sake of power, so they could order an attack at any time to suppress the rising power of the Reine family, which had suddenly appeared in central society.
Anyone had the power to do so.
"Did you find out anything about the fragrance?"
"I am sorry. I had several perfumers smell the fragrance, but they couldn't offer any specific opinions other than that the fragrance was strong. I will gather information until the fragrance completely disappears."
Judith apologized with a somber face.
"Fragrance..."
"The opponent is quite cunning. Fragrances disappear without a trace over time."
Alisha nodded in agreement.
"I will investigate the fragrance myself. Is there anything else?"
"We haven't found any suspicious movements or relationships among the Marquisate's knights or attendants. But, are you going to investigate the fragrance, my Lady?"
Alisha nodded at Judith's question.
"There is someone I can trust. I'll contact you when I find out. When shall we meet again?"
"Are you meeting the person who will give you information tomorrow?"
"I'm going to meet them now."
"Then, it would be best to meet here again when you return from your outing, my Lady. There may be things you need to order."
"I'll see you later."
Alisha and Judith each cleared their teacups and stood up.
Alisha took the reins with the remaining fragrance in her pocket, and Judith took the reins she had brought for comparison and left the greenhouse.
Daisy looked at Alisha with anxiously shaking eyes.
It was the look of someone watching an incorrigible troublemaker.
"Aren't you getting out?"
The two were in a carriage.
Juan, sitting on the driver's seat, carefully examined the quaint Luo Castle near the sheer cliff.
He was dressed as a coachman, but his frame was so striking that the disguise was of little use.
Five minutes had passed since the carriage stopped.
Juan didn't avoid the gaze of the guard over there as he tapped on the carriage wall.
Castle Luo, not far from the Reine Marquisate, was the villa of Count McMahon in Reine.
Count McMahon, who had come to protect his friend's last moments, planned to stay here for the time being.
His eldest son, Albert McMahon, was with the Count.
"Must you do this, Miss?"
Daisy looked at Alisha as if she were the worst person in the world, cheating on her lover.
Even if an accident happened, Alisha would be at fault, but Daisy was worried as if she were committing a great sin.
"You can stay here."
Alisha said something absurd with a calm face.
"I'll go."
Daisy barely got out of the carriage and approached the guard.
Even though she could be threatened if she didn't take off the cloak she was wearing, Daisy thoroughly covered her face.
The conversation between the guard and Daisy was not long.
"Go ahead. Sir Juan, I'll be right back."
Daisy seemed to hope that Juan would come inside if they were even a little late.
"Take your time."
Juan moved the horse to make it easier to leave when the two returned, changing the direction of the carriage.
Alisha and Daisy entered Luo Castle under the guidance of the guard.
The guard handed the two over to a maid with prominent cheekbones and turned away.
The maid headed for a huge glass garden.
"..."
Recently, Alisha had spent a lot of time in the glass greenhouse of the Maze garden.
Daisy, seeing the glass garden, strongly shot a meaningful look at Alisha.
It's not like that.
Alisha didn't make any separate excuses.
The maid, who had entered the glass garden, led the two to the study inside the mansion, not the greenhouse.
Daisy hoped Alisha wouldn't, but Alisha, who had entered the room, took off her cloak hood and revealed her face.
Albert McMahon's villa study was desolate.
Most of the bookshelves were empty.
The only five books that were placed had beautiful trees or plant leaves drawn on their spines.
When decorating books, trees or leaves were often drawn, but Albert McMahon's books were all related to plants, so such drawings were included.
With a click, Albert entered the room.
"Young Master."
At the maid's call, Albert looked at Alisha, the guest, with concern.
He had come out because a guest had come late at night, but it was clear that he was uncomfortable.
"I apologize for visiting at this late hour, Sir Albert."
"Ah, no. Lady Alisha."
"I came because I have something to tell Sir Albert."
At Alisha's words, Albert, who had awkwardly averted his gaze for a moment, looked at the maid.
"Step back. Don't let anyone come near."
"Yes."
The maid stepped back demurely.
Daisy, standing next to Alisha, pretended not to know.
Alisha left Daisy alone.
Albert headed to the tea table and offered Alisha a seat.
"Is it urgent?"
Albert said, keeping his gaze fixed on the table.
"Yes."
Alisha took a thick pouch out of her cloak and immediately presented the reins.
Albert was puzzled, and Daisy realized with embarrassment that she had been thinking wrong.
"I heard that Sir Albert is very knowledgeable about plants."
"Ah, no, not to that extent..."
"And you also know how to extract fragrances from plant leaves, fruits, and stems. Could you tell me about the fragrance coming from these reins?"
Alisha threw the main point at Albert, who was about to wave his hand.
"Fragrance?"
Albert, who had been shy and trying to deny something unknown, showed interest in the word fragrance.
There was no reason for the reins to smell like flowers.
Leather smell, maybe.
Alisha pushed the reins towards Albert, meaning for him to examine them.
Albert brought his face to the area where the fragrance was strong and sniffed.
Unlike a young master of a Count family, he sniffed several times.
His expression became strangely clouded as he smelled the fragrance.
Albert repeatedly smelled it with an active attitude that didn't remind anyone of his usual introverted personality.
The more he repeated the confirmation, the more Albert's face hardened.
"Excuse me, Lady Alisha. Would it be okay to cut out just a small sample to use as a specimen?"
"Yes."
Albert was uninhibited in front of things related to plants.
Albert took out scissors that looked like they could cut a branch at once, large but with a sharp end, and a transparent, shallow dish from his desk drawer.
He examined the area with the strong fragrance once more.
After checking the fragrance and frowning, Albert carefully cut a small piece from the surface of the reins.
The uniquely shaped scissors moved, making a snip sound.
He cut out only a very small amount, as he had said.
He smelled the sample in the shallow dish again and covered the dish with a lid.
Albert, who was about to open his mouth, hesitated when he saw Daisy standing behind Alisha.
"Please tell me."
Alisha noticed his gaze and said.
"...Lady Alisha, you probably already predicted it and came to me, but there is an enemy within the Marquisate. The fragrance remaining on the reins is the undiluted solution of 'Arno Tautz Water.' Arno Tautz Water can be easily explained as one type of perfume. Usually, if a perfume used by noble ladies or aristocrats has one cup of fragrance extract mixed with four or five cups of water, 'Arno Tautz Water' contains only the undiluted solution."
Albert explained the fragrance concentration and then looked to see if she understood.
"Is it a dangerous perfume?"
Alisha said cautiously.
"Most perfumes are usually not dangerous. But Arno Tautz... is very dangerous. People should not spray it outdoors in the transition season from spring to summer, nor should it be sprayed near people."
Albert looked worried about whether she would understand his words.
"Something like that..."
Alisha mumbled in a faint voice.
"First, to understand Arno Tautz Water, you need to know about the Anchor Flower. It's a flower that the Imperial Family only puts out about four or five stems for important events. The Anchor Flower is a symbol of eternal life and miracles. Because Anchor Flowers don't bloom easily."
Anchor.
At the mention of Anchor Flower, Alisha and Daisy closed their mouths.
The expression disappeared from Alisha's face.
Daisy's eyes shook like a stormy sea.
"A special environment is needed to bloom flowers from the Anchor Tree. Anchors bloom in the summer, but the weather must be cool and dry at other times. That's why people who meet luck close to a miracle see flowers in the mild winter. As horticulture technology developed, people realized how to directly pollinate the flowers, but that was difficult for Anchor Flowers. Since the flowers are rare, the Anchor Tree is very rare. The Anchor Tree is worth as much as the Anchor Flower. Natural pollination is the only way for Anchor Flowers. It's easy to ruin the flowers if you try to do it artificially. Arno Tautz Water is a fragrance created to attract bees to Anchor Flowers. It's incomparably stronger than ordinary perfumes. And..."
There is a place where miraculous Anchor Flowers bloom rarely but well.
Right here, Reine.