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Chapter 3 …
Caught the Mouse (1)
“Yes, there’s still no word from them. It would probably be faster to go there in person. Father, you have to send your strongest knight. Understood?”
Having finished what she wanted to say, Nea hurried toward the door, then suddenly seemed to realize something.
She came back, bent her knees slightly in a proper curtsy toward Myr Renat, and then left the room with much more ladylike composure.
Once the lively Nea disappeared, an awkward silence settled over the room.
Myr sat with his eyes closed, lightly tapping the armrest of the sofa with his fingers.
Count Dace, a collateral member of the Renat imperial bloodline, quietly waited for the imperial prince to speak first.
Ever since Myr had begun hiding his identity and staying in his house, the count had been in a constant state of tension.
“By the way,” Myr said at last, “that woman called Ophelia—is she a direct descendant of the Lares family?”
“Ah, no. Ophelia is the daughter of Baron Jont Lares, an illegitimate son of the Lares family.”
“An illegitimate branch of the Lares family…”
Myr spoke thoughtfully.
“Then send Bella to the baron’s house tonight.”
“Ah… since Ophelia asked for a knight, you mean to send Sir Bella?”
“That’s right. If we can build ties with the Lares family—the military leaders of the kingdom—our business may become much easier.”
The serious look on Myr’s face vanished, replaced by a soft smile.
“Please summon Bella at once, Count Dace.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
A short while later, a female knight with brown hair and green eyes entered the room where Myr was staying.
“Your Highness, you called for me?”
“Bella. Go to Baron Jont’s estate tonight. Find out what is happening there, and assist Lady Ophelia.”
Ever since Myr had saved her life on the battlefield when she was young, Bella had quietly stood by his side.
In a word, she was his person.
“Ophelia is a daughter of the Lares family. Through her, we may gain a natural opportunity to make contact with them in Asri.”
“I understand. Then I will leave at once and entrust Your Highness’s protection tonight to Ron.”
Meanwhile, at Baron Jont’s house—
Knock, knock.
Along with the knocking came Bisha’s voice.
“Miss, the person Lady Nea sent has arrived. Jonathan is here as well. They’re waiting downstairs.”
“I’m coming down.”
When Ophelia descended to the first floor, she saw Jonathan—and a brown-haired woman sitting with her back turned.
A female knight? she thought.
Just then the large-built Jonathan sprang to his feet.
“Miss!”
“Jonathan, thank you for coming. I needed help.”
“It’s nothing, Miss. Just give the order.”
Ophelia smiled brightly at Jonathan, then turned toward the woman, who rose and bowed respectfully.
“I am Bella, sent by Count Dace.”
“Thank you for coming, Sir Bella.”
A clear, elegant voice reached Bella’s ears.
She lifted her head and looked at the woman standing before her.
Clear white skin like polished jade.
Long black hair flowing like the night sky itself.
At first glance, she thought Ophelia was merely a common beauty.
But her large violet eyes, reminiscent of amethysts, were unusually deep and mysterious.
They were the kind of eyes that held so many stories that anyone who looked into them might be unable to pull away.
While Bella was studying her, Ophelia was also struggling to calm her racing heart.
Wasn’t this Bella Neville, personal knight to Crown Prince Myr Renat of the Apollos Empire?
Ophelia remembered meeting Bella in her previous life.
It had been the summer she became Albus’s mistress.
A birthday banquet had been held for him, but because of her poor reputation in high society, she had not been allowed to attend.
Then she heard that the crown prince of the Apollos Empire, the greatest genius and most handsome man in the world, would be attending.
Unable to suppress her curiosity, she had disguised herself as a maid and slipped secretly into the party.
Hiding behind a pillar, Ophelia had been secretly watching the guests when she saw Myr Renat—and was stunned.
The gods truly were not fair.
There really existed a man blessed with beauty, wealth, and extraordinary brilliance all at once.
Myr had stood beside Albus, the man called the most handsome in Astra.
He was every bit as beautiful as Albus—
No, perhaps even more dazzling.
And Bella, together with Captain Louis, had stood by Myr’s side through the lively banquet, expressionless and vigilant.
If Bella is here… could Myr also be here?
In her previous life, Myr had indeed visited Asri, Astra’s capital.
That meant perhaps he had traveled there from Naris together with Count Dace.
“My lady?”
Bella’s voice pulled Ophelia back to the present.
“My master instructed me to come here and follow your orders. Please command me as you wish.”
“Thank you. That gives me great strength. Then… shall we begin?”
Ophelia’s large violet eyes curved into a smile as she looked at Bella.
Late that night, while cuckoos cried from time to time in the darkness, the back door of Baron Jont’s house creaked open.
The one who slipped outside was Samuel.
As soon as he appeared, a black shadow approached as if it had been waiting.
It was a rough-looking man with a scar covering half his face.
The man immediately began complaining.
“Why call me so suddenly? Weren’t we supposed to act in a month?”
“Quiet. How many men did you gather?”
“Only five.”
“It can’t be helped. That girl Ophelia suddenly insists on leaving with Count Dace’s family in two days. We have to move tonight.”
“With this few people?”
“If she leaves, we may never get another chance. Stop whining and follow me.”
Samuel led the scar-faced man and the bandits through the back door toward the underground storeroom.
Since he kept the key, the butler opened it as casually as if it were his own house.
“There’s no time. Take the jewelry first and let’s get out.”
The bandits fingered the small amount of gold and gemstones, snickering in delight.
Annoyed by their behavior, Samuel impatiently began stuffing valuables into a pouch.
That was when—
White smoke slowly began creeping into the storeroom through a small crack in the door.
Did something catch fire?
Scarface moved to check outside, but someone was blocking the door.
The smoke spread through the room in an instant.
One by one, the men lost consciousness and collapsed.
A little later, the door opened.
With a handkerchief covering her mouth and nose, Ophelia stepped inside.
“The effect of thorn-lotus grass is excellent.”
Thorn-lotus grass was the herb that, in her previous life, had played a major role in helping Albus defeat an overwhelmingly larger enemy force on the battlefield.
When burned from a distance, its smoke was stronger than any anesthetic.
She stepped into the storeroom and nudged the unconscious Samuel with the tip of her shoe.
Watching a noble young lady capture thieves with herbs, Bella could only click her tongue inwardly.
She’s no ordinary lady.
Bella resolved that if she had the chance, she would ask about that herb.
Surely it could be useful to her lord.
At Ophelia’s command, Jonathan and Bella tightly bound Samuel and his men with rope.
Ophelia dragged a chair in front of the tangled heap of men and sat back against it.
“Jonathan, perhaps you should wake them with some cold water.”
She spoke calmly, suppressing the anger rising inside her.
Splash—
Jonathan poured icy water over them.
The men jolted awake, gasping like fish dragged from water.
Memories flashed through Ophelia’s mind—
All the hardship her family had suffered because of Samuel’s theft.
How bitterly she had cried when she realized her mother’s keepsakes were gone.
How she had swallowed her rage when she saw her father and brother treated worse than servants at the main house, all because they had no money.
“Ugh…”
Samuel opened his eyes in confusion.
Everything had happened so suddenly that he still could not understand the situation.
Looking down at him, there was not the slightest trace of warmth in Ophelia’s eyes.
When Samuel met her cold gaze, he finally muttered,
“Ha… what a cunning little bitch…”
Thud!
Before he could finish, Jonathan’s massive fist smashed into the butler’s face.
Two bloodied front teeth dropped onto the floor in front of his knees.
Only then did the butler flatten himself against the ground, trembling white with fear.
“M-Miss… Lady Ophelia… why are you doing this to me?”
“You don’t know why?”
“You mustn’t treat me like this. Do you know how hard I’ve worked for this house? If the master finds out, he’ll punish you severely.”
“You dare mention Father?”
Ophelia’s voice turned colder.
“Spit out every last bit of wealth you’ve stolen from this house. Do that, and I may allow your miserable life to continue.”
“Stolen? Miss, you misunderstand. Those men are merely workers I brought to help organize the luggage. And the baron—”
“That’s enough.”
Ophelia cut him off mercilessly and held out a small bottle filled with liquid.
“Soon you’ll speak freely even without me asking. Jonathan, make them drink this.”
What now? Bella wondered.
Again she watched Ophelia with interest.
Jonathan pried open the men’s mouths and poured the liquid down their throats.
At first there was no reaction.
Then their bodies began twisting violently, and agonized screams filled the storeroom.
“Aaaaargh!”
“Ahhh—!”
“P-please spare me!”
“Uwaaaah!”
Ophelia watched their suffering with detached, emotionless eyes.
“Jonathan, the thing I asked Bisha for?”
At her words, Jonathan pulled three account books from inside his coat and handed them to her.
“Then shall we begin the accounting? I intend to take back every last thing.”
Samuel’s mind raced.
How had Ophelia known about tonight?
And those account books—?
Pain and terror twisted his body mercilessly.
In her previous life, Jonathan and Bisha had once happened to see Samuel selling the late baroness’s jewelry at the market.
Jonathan had beaten Samuel badly and taken the jewelry back.
Later, he had sent it to Ophelia.
Only then had she realized Samuel had been selling off the little wealth the baron’s house still had—
And after her mother’s death, he had even laid hands on her mother’s jewelry.
If Ophelia had not stopped him tonight, the same thing would have happened all over again.
“I—I’ll talk! Please spare me! Aaaargh!”
Writhing as though dozens of knives were stabbing his insides, Scarface crawled toward Ophelia.
Bella glanced at Jonathan.
Jonathan immediately planted his foot on Scarface’s shoulder so he could not get too close.
“Fine. Let’s hear it first.”
“W-will you spare me?”
“The antidote is here.”
Ophelia slowly waved the bottle of antidote in front of his eyes.
“Whether you live or die depends on what I hear.”
“Ghh… That man has been frequenting the black market for years, selling jewelry. And a month ago… he told me there was a big job… and asked if I wanted in…”
“Go on.”
“He said… when the baron and young master are away… and when all of the young lady’s acquaintances have left… then… then we could take the valuables…”
“That much, as you can see, I already know.”
Ophelia gave a faint, languid smile.
Jonathan lowered his head, barely breathing.
His young lady seemed possessed by an eerie presence unlike anything he had ever seen before.
