I Became the Secret Mastermind in a Romance Fantasy Novel

“How did you know that…”

My mind went blank in an instant. I felt a slight dizziness, like I had been hit hard on the head with a hammer.

My brain wasn’t functioning well. I struggled to comprehend what Estelle had just said.

“I have the Emperor’s Blood in my veins.”

“This is my power as a royal.”

“Do you understand now? Someone from another realm.”

The shock of having my identity uncovered didn’t fade easily.

I never imagined I would be found out, let alone in such a way.

‘Emperor’s Lineage.’

I certainly understood that Estelle was of the imperial bloodline. I also recognized that her power allowed her to see through others.

I finally grasped what my friend meant about her “keen eyesight.” It was literally keen enough to discern other people’s identities.

So, that’s why she figured out who I was during the Monster Extermination War—it’s not every day you meet a Spirit Knight.

Moreover, considering what she said next, there was no doubt about her abilities.

“You referred to me as someone from another realm,” she said.

I started to untangle the complex mess in my mind, like unraveling a ball of yarn. Taking a deep breath, I raised my head.

I saw Estelle looking at me with a warm smile.

I exhaled deeply, calming my wildly beating heart, and asked her what had been on my mind.

“How did you find out?”

“At first, I didn’t know either.”

Estelle answered readily. Her explanation was simple.

She realized something was off when I approached her first.

‘From the very beginning.’

From that moment, she had already recognized that I was different. Her all-seeing eyes caught on to it.

She just didn’t know what had changed.

“The more I saw you, the more it became clear.”

A woman who initially showed jealousy suddenly approached me first.

And it wasn’t just a lie or an act; she meant it sincerely.

Even her demeanor was noticeably different, as Estelle pointed out.

But there was something unexplained.

She could pick up that I wasn’t Adele, yet recognizing I was from another realm was a separate issue.

In a world where the very existence of beings from another realm was dismissed as delusion or nonsense, it was strange to hear such words.

“How did you figure out I came from another realm?”

“I just took a guess.”

“…What?”

Estelle’s expression was innocent as she said this. The serious look from earlier had completely vanished, replaced by a smiling face that puzzled me.

So, mentioning another realm was merely a guess?

I had fallen for it without realizing. I felt a bit deflated and let out a hollow laugh.

“Of course, I had my suspicions earlier.”

Her knowledge of the world seemed lacking for someone who should belong here.

Moreover, it seemed she didn’t understand the nobles’ ecosystem or the norms at all.

Not to mention her apparent unfamiliarity with the currency of this realm.

Nobles, as well as commoners passing by, know well enough about the unified empire’s currency. Even those living in foreign lands wouldn’t be clueless about it. But I, on the other hand, didn’t know anything.

“I see. So why did you reveal my secret?”

My voice came out a bit sharper than intended. Estelle flinched slightly, her eyes trembling.

“Aren’t we friends?”

Friends.

Even at this moment, is this really the time to say such things? There was no trace of deceit on Estelle’s face.

She was genuinely saying it.

“Besides, I shared my big secret too.”

‘She did mention she has the Emperor’s Lineage.’

It was indeed a secret not easily disclosed. The moment her identity as the Emperor’s illegitimate child was exposed, she would be targeted by royals who hold the right to inheritance.

Setting aside the princess, if the Crown Prince found out, who knows how things would unfold?

No matter how much he liked Estelle, would he really let someone threatening his claim to the throne go?

After all, he was a spoiled brat dripping with ambition and desire. Even if he didn’t kill her, things would certainly turn ugly.

After all, she revealed such a secret to me, knowing that I was not Adele but a being from another realm.

‘Sharing secrets, huh?’

It was then I started to understand Estelle’s thought process a little. Was she saying this with the intention of exchanging secrets between friends?

But it was also true that I had to remain cautious.

The fact that I was a being from another realm was threatening information in itself.

Especially considering she was closely related to the Emperor, allowing her access to that knowledge made it even more so.

“I liked you as you are.”

Her eyes held a sincere look.

“Will you help me kill the Emperor?”

Estelle extended a hand toward me as she said this.

“The Emperor… you say?”

I stumbled over my words, taken aback by her sudden proposal. The one with the Emperor’s lineage is suggesting to kill the Emperor?

What on earth is this?

The princess mentioned something similar, and now it seems Estelle too wants to topple the Emperor.

My mind began to swirl again.

“Yes. The Emperor is practically my enemy.”

While saying this, she bit her lip hard.

With clenched teeth, she looked at me with tremulous eyes. There was a fury in her gaze that was unlike her usual demeanor.

The quaking voice and trembling wrist made me go speechless.

Her usual kind and gentle expression was gone, replaced with stark emotions.

Her golden eyes, mixed with hatred and fury, seemed etched into my retina.

That was how intensely her feelings were blazing in those eyes.

“I absolutely do not want to forgive him.”

“Is that… so?”

“I want Adele to join my plan.”

With that, Estelle reached out to me.

I was at a loss for words, unsure how to respond to her proposal. Maybe I was just still reeling from the shock moments earlier.

The moment I opened my mouth, it felt like I might stumble over my words.

“You…”

I hesitated to continue.

With my current state, I felt like I wouldn’t say anything good.

I was usually the one throwing sharp comments during situations like this.

So I decided to hold back my words. What I needed now was more time to think.

“Please give me some time. This is a bit sudden.”

“…Alright.”

Estelle nodded as if she understood my feelings.

She seemed to recognize that her proposal was abrupt, her expression becoming slightly darker.

She looked somehow pitiful.

Did she make a mistake due to rushing into it, showing that anxious sentiment?

“Just one thing to say.”

“Yes?”

“I feel the same way as you, Estelle.”

I witnessed the atrocities committed by the Emperor.

The massacre he caused when he tried to confront Abel and me on the train to Ark.

Yet, not a single piece about that made the news articles.

It just faded from people’s minds after being whispered among them a few times. Perhaps he played a hand in that behind the scenes.

But that wasn’t all.

On top of attacking his hometown, he went as far as killing someone who was like a mother to him by his own hand.

I can still vividly recall the way he grinned while choking me.

The feelings of helplessness and despair I felt then have shaped who I am today.

Now that I think about it, wasn’t the Hunt Festival similar?

Sitting alone at the top of the seating area, I watched as the disaster-level monster invaded with ease.

It was only the imperial knights and the nobles participating in the hunt who were flustered.

‘..Is it possible that the Forgetting Whale back then…’

The gaze of the monster I encountered during the Hunt Festival overlapped with the eyes of the Forgetting Whale that was targeting me.

Those eyes seemed to focus solely on me, almost as if they were being controlled by something.

Because of that, so many almost lost their lives. Had it not been for Abel’s help, there would’ve been numerous casualties again.

Ugh.

In the end, the root of all evil was the Emperor.

So my thoughts about him could only align with Estelle’s.

“..I see. What a relief.”

Estelle seemed relieved by my response and laughed lightly.

“I’ll give you my answer the next time we meet.”

“I’ll be waiting for a good response.”

With those words, Estelle left the spot. As I watched her receding figure, my legs gave out and I stumbled.

With trembling arms, I leaned against the wall and let out a big sigh.

The lively sounds returned to my ears the instant she disappeared.

I felt the festive energy around me, but my mind, all tangled up, refused to cooperate.

“..Adele?”

As a familiar voice echoed, I reflexively looked up. There stood a man cloaked in a black hood.

It seemed the hood had some sort of presence-inhibiting magic; I could hardly sense his presence.

Still, I could tell that the man was Abel.

A large man looked at me with questioning eyes. His appearance somehow brought me a sense of relief, and I leaned on him.

“Abel.”

Calling out his name, I settled against him, and he naturally wrapped an arm around my back.

Having hugged him so many times, it had become a familiar gesture to me now.

“Can I lean on you for a bit?”

“…Yeah. I don’t know what happened, but sure.”

Today, his embrace felt particularly comforting. The warmth from him eased the clutter in my head a little.

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