LIGHTNOVELONLINE EP.21
“I have the honor of meeting Your Highness, Maria.”
“It has been a while, Count Maximilian.”
Maria steeled herself and made her way to the reception room. Given that she needed to buy time for Wilhelm to search, her responsibilities in this operation were quite significant as well.
Normally, she wouldn’t be the type to get nervous over such matters, but given the partner she was moving with, her heart was pounding in her chest.
However, she didn’t let it show.
“Um, may I ask why you have visited today?”
In contrast, the Duke of the Empire was wearing his anxiety openly.
“I have a proposal regarding the charity project being conducted by the Imperial Family.”
“Is that so…?”
To the Duke of the Empire, the Imperial Family – especially the direct lineage of the Emperor – was always a daunting presence. Well, it was difficult for anyone to be relaxed around the Emperor, but the Duke of the Empire felt this particularly keenly. Unless they held another title, the only reason he had ascended to his position was due to the Emperor’s favor.
Even if the Duke of Shupe had been an ally to the Empress, there was a strong reason he couldn’t treat Maria lightly. No matter how much the current Empress might have tried to win over the nobility of the capital, the Dukes could not blindly serve unless the Empress’s son had firmly ascended to the throne.
In the end, the right to wield the title of Duke of the Empire was solely held by the Emperor.
“Ahem, uh, is this perhaps an undertaking initiated by His Majesty the Emperor?”
“No, it is, quite literally, being conducted in the name of the Imperial Family.”
Maria’s response raised a question in the Count’s mind.
‘Why has a princess personally come for something so trivial?’
Feeling slightly puzzled, he decided to clarify his doubts.
“May I ask who else besides the Imperial Family is participating in this?”
“Archbishop Paolo has expressed his intention to participate.”
“Gasp.”
At that, the Count immediately changed his demeanor.
“Then I must participate as well. A charity project involving the Archbishop must surely be a noble endeavor, correct?”
There were rumors circulating that the Archbishop was fond of money, took bribes, and indulged in drink, but hardly anyone believed them. In fact, many who had received help from the Archbishop had made such slanders ineffective.
Meanwhile, Maria felt a bead of sweat running down her brow from the Count’s attitude.
This was a lie.
‘I really will have to involve the Archbishop when I go back.’
The charity project itself wasn’t false. Traditionally, the Imperial Family managed at least a few charitable initiatives, and when numbers were high, they would fund projects in double digits. It was likely that several initiatives were being prepared even now, so all Maria needed to do was select one and bring it along.
Everyone else likely knew that as well, so she had hoped to use it, yet the Duke was more suspicious than she had anticipated.
“Then besides myself, who else has expressed intent to participate?”
The Duke rubbed his hands together eagerly at the mention of the Archbishop’s involvement.
Maria pondered for a moment. What could she say to avoid giving the Count any more reason to doubt?
‘…But after all, won’t I have to verify others anyway?’
Her thoughts shifted. Ultimately, to gather credible evidence that the Empress’s faction was accepting bribes, she would need to check a few more families.
However, couldn’t she also use that same rationale to pull them all in under the guise of a charity project?
Without wasting any time, Maria moved into action.
“This is my first visit to Count Shupe. When I lead the charity project, it will be the Count who is the first member invited to participate alongside Archbishop Paolo.”
“Being first implies that no one besides yourself has joined yet, correct?”
“Yes, it also means that the Count has some influence regarding whom we might invite in the future.”
At that statement, the Count’s eyes sparkled. In the nobility, connections were everything. The social scene was so influential that each time a new matron emerged to dominate society, the aristocracy would stir for a good reason.
This situation could ultimately be summarized as the Empress’s faction shaking the capital’s nobility.
Moreover, the best opportunity for those always wanting to expand their connections, yet lacking the means, was through these charitable organizations and events.
Gaining the privilege to select who to invite held far more value than a mere material reward.
“Let’s discuss this in more detail.”
Only then did the Duke begin to fully trust Maria’s words and engage in the conversation. From that point on, it was Maria’s stage.
Though she wasn’t quite complete as a politician yet, her intelligence as a sixth-tier magician and the instincts she had acquired to survive in Imperial politics were more than enough to trap the Duke in the snare she had laid, without him realizing it.
As they were engaged in their discussion for quite some time, something caught Maria’s eye out of the window behind the Count.
“What’s that?”
Thinking she might be seeing things, she lifted her gaze and found Wilhelm dangling precariously outside the window.
“…!”
“-So, um? Is something wrong?”
Maria’s astonished expression as she looked toward the window made the Count turn his head as well.
“Ahem! I must have lost focus for a moment due to tired eyes. Where were we in our discussion?”
“Ha ha, eye health is precious! If you lose your vision too soon, it’ll be troublesome, so be careful! Anyway, you can start from here.”
The Count grinned and returned to focusing on the contract writing.
As the discussion continued, Maria couldn’t help but sneak glances out the window.
Wilhelm had his eyes locked on Maria, dangling helplessly while clinging to something unseen. He raised a finger to his lips, silently urging her to keep quiet.
‘You don’t need to say that!’
Internally responding, Maria felt exasperated.
‘What on earth are you doing?!’
She shot him a glare, packed with meaning, but he just awkwardly smiled and nodded before pulling himself up higher.
Only then did Maria release a sigh of relief.
“Let’s take a short break and talk later.”
Honestly, her heart nearly stopped. Thinking this, she swiped her eyes with her hand.
-―
Fortunately, while dangling outside, Wilhelm managed to go undetected and return to the office without incident.
The maid’s cleaning was completed quickly, so it didn’t take long. However, it had been a truly heart-stopping experience. They had come perilously close to being discovered.
But amidst the scare, a bit of excitement blossomed too.
“This feels like a complete spy action.”
It seemed like dopamine was surging. The adrenaline from the thought that one false move could ruin everything made her heart race.
How peculiar—it was almost more thrilling than taking down a typical monster. Was this the exhilarating part of city life?
With those scattered thoughts, she left the office. It was now time to head to the bedroom. Since the bedroom was much deeper within the mansion, she needed to be extra cautious moving forward.
“Looks like I’ll finally get to use my magic after a while.”
Wrapping her entire body in magical energy, she lifted her heels to move silently. As she navigated through the lush foliage, she used her skills to remain undetected.
Climbing the stairs, she paused to ensure no footsteps were heard from above before proceeding carefully. After quite a bit of sneaking around, she finally made it near the Count’s bedroom.
However, she couldn’t hide any longer.
“Hey, did you hear that the princess is here?”
“What of it? We can’t even have a look.”
Cunningly, the Duke of the Empire had cleared the corridor leading to the bedroom entrance of any obstacles. The moment she rounded the corner, there was nothing to conceal her until she reached the bedroom door.
Even worse, there were two guards stationed right in front of the door, making it absolutely impossible to enter the bedroom unnoticed.
Entering through the window wasn’t an option either. While there were windows in the bedroom, they faced the garden. And the garden connected to the main entrance.
Trying to slip outside would guarantee immediate discovery.
As such, the strategy I devised was straightforward: a frontal assault.
“Ahem.”
Clearing my throat a few times, I steadied my voice, straining to make it sound aged. Drawing on my magic, I contorted my facial muscles to appear older, though I couldn’t quite replicate the texture of a veteran guard’s skin due to my own robust physique; I could only do my best to cover it by utilizing candlelight rather than daylight in this corridor.
Adding the butler outfit I had previously borrowed, I planned to act as the butler of this mansion.
“Ha!”
Taking a deep breath, I patted my cheeks two times to compose myself and took my first step.
Standing tall and imitating the confident gait of the butlers I had observed earlier, I walked forward.
“Hmm?”
“Who goes there?”
I approached the guards with confidence. As I neared the door, the guards drew their weapons and stood in my way.
“This is the lord’s bedroom. What business does a butler have here?”
I deliberately further scrunched my face in confusion, glancing back and forth between their faces. Without saying a word, my silence caused them to shrink back slightly, pondering if they had done something wrong.
Taking advantage of the gap, I promptly squeezed in.
“You’re aware that Her Highness the princess is downstairs, right?”
Naturally, as I scratched my throat with a slightly dry voice, they straightened up, thinking I was someone of high status in the mansion.
“Yes, yes!”
“The lord intends to sign a contract with Her Highness for a transaction, but it appears the necessary documents are in the bedroom.”
“B-but the lord specifically said that no one is to enter the bedroom when he is not present.”
“Right, I understand that.”
I nodded as if empathizing with them.
“However, this is unavoidable. Since we are conducting business with the Imperial Family, important documents need to be moved. Given that the princess is already here, how could the lord possibly leave his post?”
The guards nodded along with my reasoning.
“Especially if untrustworthy newcomers are sent to move such valuable materials—the consequences of a leak would be quite severe.”
“Y-You’re right.”
Their responses indicated reluctance, and with things not progressing, I decided to take a gamble.
“If you’re really that anxious, then open the door and keep an eye on me. I’ll grab the documents and come right back out, so there won’t be anything to worry about, will there?”
Of course, this was a gamble in every sense. I had no idea where the documents were to begin with. Expecting to bring them all out in one go was a tall order, even under favorable conditions.
However, I believed it was a gamble worth taking.
After all, there were a few more places where I could gather evidence, even if not here. While it would be regrettable to fail, it wouldn’t be the end of the world.
And this wasn’t a pure guess with no options at all.
“If that’s the case…”
Finally, the guards nodded in agreement. I patted their shoulders and slipped a banknote into each of their pockets.
“This is a token of gratitude from the lord for those of you willing to take a risk. But don’t go telling anyone, understand?”
“Yes, yes!”
With the sound of coins hitting their pockets, the guards sprang to action, quickly opening the door and stepping aside.
I stepped inside and swiftly scanned my surroundings with a glance. Where might the documents related to slush funds and bribes be hidden?
Fortunately, nobles tended to think similarly, allowing me to narrow down a few common possibilities. And luckily, there was just one among those options in this bedroom.
‘Please let it be here. Please let it be here. Please let it be here. Please let it be here.’
With a fervent prayer, I made my way to a small desk. Grabbing the drawer’s handle, I gave it a small shake to gauge its weight and sound.
Thankfully, there was one drawer that emitted a double sound when jostled.
I opened it immediately. To my relief, the drawer was surprisingly shallow compared to its exterior.
‘Bingo.’
There was definitely something inside. Hoping it was what I desired, I began to disassemble the drawer. Luckily, the construction of this secret drawer was quite standard, allowing me to retrieve the documents quickly.
“Did you find it?”
“Hmm. Yes, I have. Now I shall take my leave.”
I couldn’t tell what it was without looking, but I couldn’t check the contents with the guards watching.
I exited the bedroom, receiving the guards’ farewells, and as soon as I rounded the corner, I hid in a place where no one could see me to check the documents.
A smile crept onto my face.
—
In a stealthy manner, ensuring I wouldn’t be seen, I pressed the button on the one-time communicator that Maria had given me. Confirming that the notification magically pinged to the other device, I slipped out of the mansion and made my way to where the Iron Cross Order was stationed.
“You really pulled it off.”
“Did you think I would fail?”
“What does that say about you, talking about assassinations and whatnot while you’re always blowing everything up?”
As I brushed off the incredulous comments from Jonas, the deputy leader of the Iron Cross, I hopped into the carriage, passing the time effortlessly until Maria, who had executed the delay expertly, boarded as well.
“Are you certain you secured the documents?”
With a grin, I produced the documents in response to her question.
“Of course.”
As they say, the first step is half the battle.
Our operation was off to a smooth start, right from the beginning.