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Chapter : 17
In the end, I let out a sigh and dismissed the maids and Renherton.
With only Got, Dante, and me left in the room, I continued speaking calmly.
“I’m thinking of raising you as my aide. Right now, I need someone I can trust in any situation.”
“An aide?”
“Yes. You may not realize it, but my circumstances aren’t very good.”
I could feel Got’s gaze boring into the back of my head.
Still, that was a relief. The future mastermind was still young and didn’t seem capable of hiding his distrust yet.
Turning lightly toward Dante, who still looked doubtful, I spoke casually.
“Well, you don’t have to believe me right away. If you stay here for a few days, you’ll understand what I mean.”
“He’s been reported missing.”
In just one day?
That was faster than I expected.
Hearing the news about Dante’s adoptive father, I set down the glass of milk I’d been drinking and widened my eyes.
“Really? When?”
“It seems to have happened last night. There was a commotion in the area after intruders overturned a cart.”
They tried to kidnap a man who couldn’t even swing a sword, and ended up overturning a cart?
Then was this not the duke’s doing?
“What about the gold coins?”
If the culprit were Duke Eberhardt, he wouldn’t have touched the gold.
A man rumored to possess enough wealth to fill an entire sea wouldn’t concern himself with a handful of coins.
Besides, the matter was connected to the imperial family one way or another.
The duke wouldn’t want to leave even the slightest trace.
“Well… by the time people gathered, both the man and the gold coins were already gone.”
…What?
So it wasn’t Duke Eberhardt?
Given the duke’s temperament as described in the novel, he wouldn’t have let Dante’s adoptive father off gently for breaking their agreement.
But if it wasn’t the duke…
“Then was he taken by people who were after the gold?”
At my murmured question, Got’s eyebrows lowered.
“You needn’t feel guilty, Your Highness. This is not your fault.”
Guilt? Setting aside that absurd misunderstanding, I focused on Got’s tone.
It was unusual. Got rarely spoke so firmly.
“Why do you think that?”
“We found out the child’s adoptive father had gambling debts. It seems he planned to use the money he received after handing Dante over to pay them off.”
“He was supposed to receive a hundred thousand gold. Then the advance alone should’ve been substantial, right?”
Was that still not enough? Were his debts that large?
Even ten percent as an advance would be ten thousand gold.
For a great noble like Duke Eberhardt, it was money he might spend on a single ceremonial outfit—but in the slums, it was a sum one would have to work oneself to death for ten years just to dream of.
Got hesitated, then spoke more cautiously than usual.
“It seems Dante himself may have been involved…”
“Hm?”
“I believe the child played a role in the debts growing so large. It’s hard to believe something like this could come from a child, but… while working as an errand runner, he maintained consistent contact with gambling dens.”
Got paused briefly, then added,
“Starting about two years ago.”
“Two years ago? That would make him only nine. No—eight?”
“About that. People might normally dismiss the words of a child, but… it appears he somehow gained their cooperation.”
Was there anything like this in the novel?
I searched my memory carefully.
But the novel never went into detail about the mastermind’s childhood.
The last arc I read was when the mastermind was imprisoning the female lead.
Back then, he locked her up, threatened her, persuaded her…
“Ah.”
Suddenly, one memory surfaced.
And he brainwashed her.
Dante could manipulate people’s emotions.
Very weakly.
It wasn’t so much control as making someone briefly feel the emotion he wanted.
It sounded like a useless ability, but it proved surprisingly effective on the female lead, who was psychologically cornered.
Come to think of it, the duke wanted Dante precisely because of that ability.
Even after abandoning Dante, he’d continued to keep tabs on him. He must have noticed Dante influencing the gambling den workers.
“I’m not sure it’s right for Your Highness to keep that child close.”
After carefully choosing his words, Got spoke again.
“To be honest… I find the child unsettling. I understand he was forced to grow up early due to his environment, but his methods are far from ordinary.”
That was only natural.
After all, he’s the mastermind.
I’d already prepared myself for the fact that his way of thinking wouldn’t be normal.
But something else bothers me.
Dante became aware of his ability earlier than expected.
If Got’s right, then around eight or nine?
That was likely correct.
Given the mastermind’s personality in the novel, he would’ve approached the gambling dens with at least one safety net in place.
“The timing of Dante’s contact with them coincides with when the adoptive father fell into gambling. If you intend to keep the child close, I don’t believe this is something that can be overlooked.”
“It’s fine. In a situation where he had no money to live on and no guardian to protect him, what ‘proper’ choices could he have made? Dante was just trying to survive in his own way.”
“…Even so, it’s something difficult for not just a child, but even an ordinary adult, to conceive of and carry out. This old man worries that such an excessive way of thinking might one day be directed toward Your Highness.”
The worry still hadn’t left his eyes.
Strangely, seeing that made my chest loosen.
I quickly shook my head.
People who once came to Hanse with armfuls of gifts and health supplements turned cold the moment they learned I was the child Chairman Han had abandoned.
No matter how devoted Got was to the princess in the novel, if he learned that the person inside Airensia’s body was me, he might turn away without hesitation.
My stomach churned, like I was seasick.
I bit my lip tightly and waited for the nausea to subside. Only when my wavering vision settled did I manage to speak calmly.
“Look at me. I’ve changed a lot lately, haven’t I? Dante will change too, if he lives in a normal environment and leads an ordinary life.”
That was my hope as well.
He has to change.
I had no interest in personally raising the murderer who would eventually kill me.
“…Yes, I understand what you mean. However.”
The old man’s eyes hardened.
“My highest priority is Your Highness’s safety. Until I can confirm that he poses no threat to you, I will continue to keep watch.”
That was exactly the answer I wanted.
“Good.”
I smiled in satisfaction.
“The reorganization of the lower servants is complete. However, it seems the head maid has sensed something. What would you like to do, Your Highness?”
“Then let her go.”
They were already struggling to hire new staff anyway.
It wouldn’t be a bad idea to first fill the vacancies, train them, and think things through slowly.
“Yes, as you wish.”
Got didn’t ask for a reason and bowed obediently.
There was nothing to gain from letting the palace servants know a restructuring was underway.
They were probably already whispering among themselves about the colleagues who’d been dismissed…
Suspicion and proof are different things. Once it becomes certain, unrest would spread through the palace in an instant.
Especially the head maid—she must not be given any leverage.
If Airensia’s memories were accurate, the head maid was the one leading the harassment.
She was a long-standing fixture of the Mirror Palace, having served there long before Airensia arrived, and held considerable influence.
She also had the support of many servants.
If she gathered them under claims of unfairness, we’d be the ones at a disadvantage.
If outsiders interfere through personnel authority, it becomes troublesome.
Airensia had no support from the emperor, no help from maternal relatives, and neither wealth nor power.
But she was still a legitimate imperial princess.
A mere head maid couldn’t orchestrate this alone.
The longer one served in the palace, the better they understood the meaning behind their actions.
I don’t know why they’re going this far… but there’s definitely someone backing her.
Could it be someone who harbored resentment toward the emperor?
“And the task you instructed earlier has been taken care of.”
As Got continued his report, he filled a clear glass of milk with plenty of oatmeal. Crunching into the lightly roasted oats, a nutty flavor spread gently.
“The documents—”
“Keep those safe, Got.”
“Yes, understood.”
I glanced at the time. Thanks to waking up early, the hour hand was just approaching twelve.
“Has Dante woken up?”
He’d already had a morning snack, so if he wanted more cookies, he’d need to eat again.
For a moment, I wondered if it was really okay to eat all day like this, but—
The growth period is terrifying.
It was an age where one could probably chew through rebar.
If he wanted to grow tall, he needed to eat lots of good food.
That’s right. He should eat plenty.
Thinking I’d have lunch with the future mastermind, I was shoveling the remaining oatmeal into my mouth when—
Knock! Knockknockknockknock!
—Your Highness! Something terrible has happened!
Along with the frantic knocking came a trembling voice, like a frightened lamb.
“What is it?” Got asked.
The door cracked open, and a cute bob haircut popped into view.
Betty’s face was pale, and she looked on the verge of tears.
“He—he’s missing.”
“If it’s about the slums, I’ve already heard.”
At my words, Betty, who had been holding back her tears, finally shrieked.
“That’s not it—Dante is gone!”
