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Chapter 4
“Yes. That’s all we have.”
“There’s almost nothing here.”
Rodrigo frowned as he looked through another file.
The documents he had requested weren’t about the Crown Prince’s murder case.
They were about the little girl who had been following him around for the past month.
Surprisingly…
There’s only her name, age, and criminal charges.
There wasn’t even the most basic information.
No parents.
No birthplace.
No background.
Nothing.
“If she’s really a homeless orphan, that’s not unusual,” Sys explained. “People who wander the streets often lose their parents young.”
“…”
“However…”
“There is one suspicious detail.”
“Speak.”
“I believe the trial records were forged.”
Rodrigo slowly raised an eyebrow.
Sys cleared his throat before continuing.
“The trial itself officially took place, and the judge listed in the documents actually exists.”
“…”
“But there wasn’t a single spectator.”
“…”
“Even if ordinary people weren’t interested, newspapers always attend trials looking for stories.”
“This defendant was an unusually young child.”
“And yet…”
“Not one reporter.”
“Not one observer.”
“No one attended.”
“Suspicious.”
“Exactly.”
Sys nodded grimly.
Rodrigo silently reviewed the papers once more.
After a moment of thought, he beckoned him closer.
Sys hurried over.
Rodrigo leaned in and whispered something into his ear.
A moment later, Sys nodded.
“I’ll summon her immediately.”
* * *
Why does the warden want to see me?
Patter. Patter. Patter.
As I climbed the stairs, I couldn’t stop thinking.
I’d been peacefully taking my afternoon walk when I’d suddenly been summoned.
By the most powerful person in Izetail.
I didn’t do anything wrong…
Well…
Aside from the crimes on my record.
But I’d never caused trouble inside the prison.
I’d only been running around trying to recruit a dragon.
And I always stayed within the allowed hours.
I’d never snuck around.
“We’re here.”
The guard opened the heavy door at the very top floor.
Click.
I cautiously peeked through the opening before stepping inside.
A man was already sitting on the sofa.
He’s so young!
I’d imagined the warden as an old, stern-looking man.
Instead…
He had blond hair and blue eyes.
He looked neither particularly young nor old.
His lean frame and sharp eyes gave him a strict appearance.
“Sit.”
He gestured toward the sofa opposite him.
I hurried over with tiny steps.
After struggling to climb onto the rather tall sofa…
He gave a small cough.
“Your name is Karin?”
“Yes.”
“Your family name?”
“I don’t have one!”
I couldn’t exactly tell him I was the daughter of Count Amelot.
So I lied without the slightest hesitation.
The warden studied me carefully.
“You know you’re the youngest prisoner here.”
“Yes.”
“When I heard you were only four years old, I looked through your records.”
“But something caught my attention.”
Something?
I listened attentively.
Then he suddenly asked,
“Who were you trying to assassinate?”
“…Huh?”
“I’m asking who put a dagger in your hand instead of candy.”
“Umm…”
That was sudden.
But he’d asked…
So I should answer.
“His Majesty the Emperor.”
“…What?”
“I wanted to get rid of him.”
I cautiously watched his reaction.
“…Is that not allowed?”
* * *
Meanwhile…
Hidden behind the enormous desk, Rodrigo quietly sharpened his hearing.
388,112 assassination requests.
4,829 counts of extortion and blackmail.
Ridiculous charges for a four-year-old.
So they’d asked who she’d supposedly tried to assassinate.
And her answer had been—
“His Majesty the Emperor.”
…Is she out of her mind?
Disliking the Emperor was understandable.
The man was complete scum.
But openly declaring you wanted to assassinate him?
That was an entirely different matter.
“I wanted to get rid of him.”
“…”
“Is that not allowed?”
Hearing her timid question…
Rodrigo genuinely began worrying about the child’s mental state.
If an adult had said it…
Fine.
But she was only four years old.
She was so tiny she still looked like a baby.
“Do you hold a grudge against His Majesty?”
“Umm…”
She lowered her head.
Without realizing it, Rodrigo found himself listening even more closely.
What kind of hatred would make a child boldly announce that she wanted to kill the Emperor?
But instead…
“It’s difficult to explain.”
Rodrigo frowned deeply.
“Difficult?”
“Yes.”
“If I reported what you just said to the Imperial Family…”
“You could receive additional punishment.”
“…”
“Even so?”
“Yes.”
Despite Sys’s warning…
The little girl answered without hesitation.
“I’ve already hired lots of assassins…”
“And committed lots of blackmail too…”
“So…”
“My tiny wish to assassinate His Majesty…”
“…the Imperial Family probably already knows about it.”
“So reporting me…”
“…probably wouldn’t make much difference.”
She mumbled the last part shyly.
…Ha.
Rodrigo was speechless.
She looked frightened…
Yet somehow managed to say exactly what she wanted anyway.
Should I call that courage…
Or insanity?
Most people who hated the Emperor had lost family.
Or friends.
Or something precious.
Perhaps…
The same was true for this child.
Especially since she’d apparently arrived here without any parents.
Interesting.
If she’d answered exactly as expected…
He would’ve lost interest immediately.
Instead…
Every answer only made her more suspicious.
Sys asked several more questions about her family and personal history.
Unfortunately…
The information she provided was extremely limited.
Eventually…
He let her leave.
There was no point questioning her any longer.
As soon as the door closed…
Sys spoke seriously.
“She’s definitely suspicious.”
The paperwork had already seemed questionable.
Meeting her in person only confirmed it.
“What should we do?”
“If you order it…”
“I can have her transferred to another prison.”
“…”
“We don’t even know whether she truly has a grudge against the Emperor.”
“She revealed absolutely nothing about herself.”
Experience told Sys one thing.
That little girl…
Was dangerous.
Rodrigo, however, thought differently.
“Keep watching her.”
“Don’t transfer her.”
“But, my lord—”
“There are only two reasons someone hides their identity.”
“Either…”
“They intend to harm someone.”
“Or…”
“The moment their identity is exposed…”
“They become the target.”
“…”
“We need to find out how she entered this prison.”
“Who helped her.”
“And exactly why she hates the Emperor.”
This wasn’t just any prison.
It was Izetail.
There was no way a four-year-old could have arranged all of this by herself.
If forged documents had successfully passed inspection…
Then someone highly capable had helped her.
A mysterious child suddenly approaching him…
It was only natural to wonder whether she posed a threat to Vankadium.
“What are the odds that a homeless orphan knows someone with that level of skill?”
“…Practically none.”
“Exactly.”
Which meant…
They first needed to discover who Karin really was.
“Contact Veronica.”
“Tell her to keep a close eye on the little brat.”
Since they were already sharing a room…
It actually worked out perfectly.
“Understood.”
Sys bowed.
Rodrigo crossed his long legs again as he recalled the little girl he’d seen that morning.
She hated the Emperor.
She constantly chased after him.
She lied without the slightest shame.
Ridiculous.
He folded his arms and looked out the window.
There she was.
Pattering along on her tiny legs.
At first…
She’d been nothing more than an annoying child.
Now…
She had begun irritating him in a very different way.
Enough that…
He wanted to uncover the truth.
Just who…
Was that little girl?
…
Little did he know…
That was exactly what the cunning little fox had planned all along.
