Kapitel 169: [Chapter 169] Keimil's Way
A dimly lit secret room with only candlelight, no sunlight.
Keimil, sitting on the chair in the center of the room, waited solemnly. The shadow belonging to Eunwol kneeled and reported.
"Your Highness. The one who killed Lord Wells is Lord Trophur."
"Lord Trophur? How could that insignificant person... Am I not also in prison?"
Keimil's brows furrowed. The Trophur mentioned by the shadow, who until recently was the lord of Trophur, was now driven out of the position of a subordinate lord and was awaiting a criminal sentence for the deception of a superior lord.
Trophur was a land that could yield considerable profits without major issues, and the Trophur lord's family had been living well there for a long time. So, it was possible for Lord Trophur to hold a grudge against Lord Wells, who had suddenly ruined his fortunes. But was it true that he, who was in prison, had the skill to disguise the death of Lord Wells as suicide and kill him off like a trick?
The shadow elaborated.
"It seems that 'Yayeon' was involved."
"Ah."
Understanding, Keimil twisted a wry smile.
"Yes, that must be it. Then, those are the only ones who can cover the eyes of my cute moon in Vistah and act as they please."
If it is a noble family in name, they raise soldiers and shadows to handle things secretly. Even though it is an impure matter that they must vehemently deny if the emperor asks.
In the fierce battles of information, assassination, and security, the most renowned legendary figures were Eunwol, the princess of Keimil, and Yayeon of Cledwin Maindland.
The shadow was famous, so it was amusing just to hear the names of each organization, but considerable information was needed even to touch the names. At least among those who knew enough, it was like that.
As leading one of the legends, Keimil was confident in the abilities of her subordinates. How much money and effort had she poured in? And she was confident in her own leadership skills.
It was precisely because of such Eunwol that she paid attention to the Wells family incident. What Lord Wells had done could escalate as much as it was inflated, and that meant that even the royal family could see the immense wealth of the Wells family. So, how angry was Keimil when she heard that Lord Wells, who had been carefully guarding against the investigation being prolonged, suddenly died?
"I wonder what the Duke is thinking with that pretty head of his. Does he want to pick a fight with me? Seek revenge? Because I took his toy?"
The toy Keimil was referring to was, of course, Neris Trued. That damn Adrian, promising to bring it over here and then selling it to the Elandria family...
Keimil was lost in thought. Her firm hand tapped the armrest of the chair, making a rhythmic, stiff sound.
After a moment, she snapped out of her thoughts and made a decision.
"The waiting period is over. I should kill it after all. That useless Adrian, because of his pointless actions, I ended up going in circles."
While Adrian had been adequately sanctioned, the anger surged anew. Seeing Keimil's twisted eyebrows, a subordinate cautiously asked.
"Aren't you going to take action?"
"If he's smart enough, he might bring it back and make use of it until it dies. But there are too many concerns bothering me now."
Since the Imperial Investigation Division was under Keimil's control, she had already seen Neris directly. Although the other side had seen it through the secret passage of the royal palace, she had seen it firsthand.
Pretending to be quiet and engaging with investigators, Keimil was convinced the moment she saw Neris's formidable face.
The Marquis who still thought there was some use in such things was foolish. Believing in their own intelligence, they were actually unable to escape foolishness.
Lately, the Elandria Marquis had not been to Keimil's liking. However, they were the ones Keimil could "make use of until they die." Therefore, she ordered her subordinates.
"When Neris Trued enters the palace next time, kill her. After killing her, bring her back as intact as possible."
"Yes, Your Highness."
***
The man bowed and concealed his expression.
The carriage of the Elandria Marquis stopped in front of the palace as usual. Nellusion, who got off the carriage first, took Neris's hand and kindly spoke.
"Stay strong today, Neris. It won't last long. Since there has been no significant evidence and the investigation has taken this long, the family will strongly request to conclude the formal investigation."
"Yes, Brother. I'm so happy that you're here with me today."
It had already been a week since the Marquise returned with Valentine to her family home.
Nellusion was supposed to attend a gathering in the palace today, filling in for his mother who should have stamped her face in the social circle. With no funds even at the main house, there was no way to provide financial support for the son-in-law who brought his daughter back to her family home. The Marquis and Nellusion would struggle with the dual hardships of lack of money and busyness for a while.
In a few days, one step would be taken, and then after a few more days, the next step would be taken. Neris thought that the current situation, where things were going as planned, was satisfying but required attention until the end.
Halfway there already. Taking the daughter back to her family home meant that the Marquise would most likely never return to the Elandria family.
She was doubting whether the person who killed her brother was her husband or her family-in-law.
Neris was the one who first planted such suspicions in the Marquise's mind, but it was the Marquise's chief maid who ultimately exacerbated the situation to the point of separation.
A maid who had been in a household for a long time was no different from a family member, and especially housekeepers, lady's maids, and chief maids who served high-ranking nobles often considered the family's affairs more important than their own family matters. It was common for them to be more attached to the history, traditions, and honor of the master's house than the master themselves.
Nevertheless, the chief maid subtly whispered various things in the Marquise's ear. Just with slight suspicions, she could make a judgment to temporarily distance herself from her husband.
Oh my, why is our lady so angry? What? Miss Neris said that? It may sound a bit presumptuous, but madam, honestly, it makes sense to me.
Come to think of it, madam, didn't the Marquis say such and such before? I didn't show it then, but I thought it was a bit too much. You seemed so innocent, so I thought you might be taken advantage of... You only used the family's money and didn't show respect...
Although the Marquise always listened to the words of her loyal servants like they were the tongue in her mouth, it would be unfair to call her foolish.
She simply did not know that her chief maid had accepted money from someone else.
She simply did not know that people around her had decided to leave her.
'Of course.'
Even if the people she surrounded herself with received unfair treatment from others, she overlooked it all with a single whimper from her daughter. There was no servant who would be loyal to such a master.
Honestly, Nellusion, who had been absent-minded recently, smiled happily at Neris's warm words. He hadn't seen Neris properly for a while. The time for family meals had disappeared.
"I'm truly happy to be here with you, Neris."
Joseph looked at the clearly prepared demeanor of the master with a slightly troubled expression.
The royal investigator was waiting in the usual place. He wasn't familiar, but Neris distinctly remembered seeing him in the room where she was being interrogated.
"Lady Trued."
The royal investigator greeted politely. Neris returned the greeting and brightly asked Nellusion.
"Can we go together when it's over, Brother?"
"I'm not sure. I might take longer than you. If it ends quickly, I'll send word for Joseph to accompany you."
"Well, if you're late, I'll have to wait."
She couldn't miss the opportunity to assess the royal atmosphere. Neris spoke warmly as if she really couldn't help but like Nellusion, and he smiled genuinely.
"Still, I'm sorry. Have a safe trip. I'll wait if I finish early."
"Yes!"
The royal investigator waited for their conversation to end before slowly turning away. Then, he entered the palace ahead of Neris.
The snow that had been falling incessantly until recently had stopped, and it was a clear day. Under that blue sky, Neris imagined the Elandria Marquisate burning.
In reality, it was practically burning.
After a while, the investigator turned onto a different path than usual. It was a secluded path with no one passing by.
"Isn't this the way to the investigation headquarters?"
Neris asked casually. The investigator turned back. In his hand, a sharp dagger had appeared out of nowhere.
It was a sudden event, but Neris did not panic. She had expected something like this to happen at any time. Hadn't she experienced it once before?
"Seeing the princess worrying about trivial matters, it seems like you have nothing to do lately."
The investigator's or assassin's eyes twisted viciously at the mocking remarks about the mastermind behind the scenes.
A skilled shadow often ended up not just respecting but loving their master. How could they endure without emotional attachment when they had to risk their lives for the job?
Eunwol and Yayeon were particularly exceptional because they were always prepared to prioritize their actual master's safety in any dangerous situation.
"Eunwol may emphasize loyalty training severely, but..."
In her previous life, Neris had seen how cruelly Keimil treated her subordinates. Even though they would melt to death if their identities were revealed, their loyalty to Keimil bordered on fanaticism.
"The Marquis also expected you to say that."
A skilled assassin from Eunwol's lineage—probably—would not foolishly admit their identity to the target. Observing Neris's relaxed attitude carefully, he made a fairly plausible remark.
"You must have earned a lot of resentment around you to be rejected by your family. Don't tire the noble ones and die here."
So, would he blame it on the Elandria Marquis? A clever move. In case Neris survived, or in case there were listening ears around, he prepared a 'plausible' answer to escape... relying on anything but himself. It was very Keimil-like.
With no need for further words, the assassin swiftly moved in. Clang. However, his dagger was swiftly deflected.
Given the solo mission, this assassin, trained for over a dozen years, assumed a defensive stance with eyes that seemed incredulous.
A sudden blackness momentarily obscured Neris's vision.
The man with black hair who suddenly blocked Neris had a skill of making the ceremonial sword, permitted for decoration in the palace, look threateningly like a weapon of reversal. He gracefully smiled at the failed assassin.
"The Elandria Marquis seems more capable than I thought. He could even hire Keimil's direct subordinate as my assassin."
"You."
It was possible for a duke in the royal court to show up in the palace. But it was quite unexpected for him to appear at this moment.
The assassin glared and lunged. Since he was caught by Duke Maindlandt, there was no way he could survive. He had to at least inflict some damage before Eunwol's other colleagues arrived.
Clang. With a sound of something being cut, something heavy covered Neris's vision once again.
A cool yet comforting scent. It was the black cloak of Cledwin. Shortly after, Dora's voice was heard.
"Are you okay, miss?"
"Get rid of this."
Cledwin's commanding voice followed.
Neris removed the cloak. Dora, who had yet to clear the body, made an awkward expression, and Cledwin gave a strange smile.
Glancing at the sprawled body, Neris calmly spoke.
"I appreciate the timely appearance, but my mind is not so weak that I can't even look at a corpse. Moreover, our colleagues will be here soon. If a fight escalates here, we'll be the only ones blamed for carrying weapons within the palace."
"Here?"
As Cledwin questioned, with a menacing tone, Neris abruptly broke a candlestick on one side of the quiet corridor as if tearing it off.
Seeing the wall silently open, Dora and Cledwin initially looked bewildered, but being efficient individuals, they didn't waste time and followed Neris inside.
Wöchentlicher Energiestatus
-- Power-
Rangliste 
-- Power-
Stein