IBWMD 68

~Chapter 68~

There wasn’t a particular reason.

If the assumption that he was uncomfortable with me still held true, then he had every reason to place a hit order.

“Rather than accepting the bride sent by the Emperor, it’s easier to quietly make her disappear—either killed or vanished without a trace.”

If he were truly a cold-blooded duke, that kind of thing wouldn’t be far-fetched.

But I didn’t want to think that far. Because…

“Didn’t I tell you? His Grace… I think he might actually like you.”
“Maybe… he’s just putting off accepting a bride altogether.”
“That way, you get to stay alive longer.”

It’s strange, isn’t it?

It wasn’t even the Duke himself—just Cal making a few excuses—and yet I started to believe it.

“I really have gone soft.”

Maybe that’s why I didn’t feel convinced it was the Duke behind it.

Then that left… the possibility of someone with a specific motive.

“Could it be because I’m the duchess?”

If the duchess from the capital were to get hurt, obviously the Emperor would raise hell.

And that would make it easier to attack or destabilize Saint Portou.

“But only the people inside the Duke’s estate know that I’m the duchess.”

Still, I couldn’t rule it out.

“It wasn’t classified as top secret from the beginning, after all.”

If someone had decided to dig into who I was, it wouldn’t have been hard to find out why I came here.

And when I factored in the tobacco situation on top of it—

“This might be more serious than I thought.”

My thoughts were cut off by the worried voices of Tan and Eliza.

“Got it? You have to tell your boyfriend.”
“Yeah, tell him you’ve become a target and that he should stick close to you for now.”

Their concern was written all over their faces. So cute. So admirable.

But if I said that, they might just feel insulted—like I was treating them like children.

What I needed to say was something else.

“You two need to be careful.”

“Huh?”

“For now, don’t let anyone see you meeting me. Stay out of the main streets, and stop trying to investigate the higher-ups.”

“But why?”

“…Got it.”

Unlike the confused Tan, Eliza understood instantly and nodded obediently.

“There’s no way the assassination guild’s target list didn’t make it to the underworld boss.”

All criminal guilds were connected to the underworld boss.

The assassination guild would’ve reported the contract as well.

“And yet they allowed me to be targeted anyway.”

If they were still going through with the contract even knowing I was the duchess—

“That means the one behind it is probably connected to that boss.”

That underworld boss had always been suspicious in more ways than one.

If they found out that I—a target of assassination—was close to the pickpockets under their command?

The boss would likely see those kids as a liability.

“And if the plan fails, they’ll assume there was a leak.”

Which would be true—these kids were giving me information.

And the guy who already tried to purge the older members? He definitely wouldn’t show mercy to the younger ones.

“No way I’m letting that happen.”

I deliberately made a solemn face and turned to the two of them.

“You came here today to pick my pocket. That’s the only reason you talked to me.”

“…”

“When you leave, swing my wallet around proudly. I’ll act like I got robbed.”

“Noona…”

“Seriously—use it to buy yourselves a meal or something.”

Saying that, I shoved my wallet into Tan’s hands.

Time to act the part.

“Oh no, my… wal-let… has been… stolen…”

“Stop.”

“Noona. That’ll backfire.”

Getting scolded by both of them, I just went with a more subtle reaction and parted ways.

As I walked down the main street after the warning, returning to my lodgings—I saw it.

“There’s one on the roof.”

A figure in similar clothing to the surroundings, lying flat behind a decorative structure on the building across from mine.

“He picked the perfect spot for sniping.”

Ah, the memories of my own days as a sniper were flooding back.

If it were me, I’d have picked that exact same position.

If they were waiting like that—

“They’ll probably act the moment I let my guard down.”

It looked dangerous, but it was actually an opportunity.

A perfect chance to lure the bastard in and interrogate him.

And fortunately, there were no guards assigned to me tonight.

“Let’s reel him in.”

With that thought, I kept the curtains tightly shut.

If he couldn’t strike from outside, he’d be forced to come inside.

“He’ll probably move once he thinks I’ve fallen asleep.”

It was best Beth didn’t know about this situation. She was overly protective lately.

“Sorry, Beth.”

I couldn’t send her out entirely, but I could give her laundry to handle instead.

I’d even secretly asked the innkeeper to vacate the other rooms.

When I told him to bill the damages to the Duke’s estate, he looked reluctant but agreed.

And after all the setup, I’d gone to sleep for a bit—just earlier.

* * *

“Whew.”

I held my breath inside the wardrobe, keeping my eyes fixed on the outside.

As I took a deep breath, a sense of calm settled over me.

“If there’s one thing I’m good at, it’s waiting.”

Some people saw me as reckless, thanks to my occasional impulsive outbursts.

But sniping was all about waiting—patiently locking onto a target over long stretches of time.

“Patience and focus are the true virtues of a sniper.”

Maybe I wasn’t good at everything, but when it came to work, I was always thorough.
There was a reason I’d made it to vice-captain.

“Come in. I know I can beat you.”

Crouching low, I kept the musket tucked at my side and sharpened all my senses.

Tick, tick—the second hand of the clock moved steadily.

Ten minutes… twenty… thirty…

One hour.

Creak.

The window opened.

“Damn it. What a pain…”

A man dressed in classic assassin attire—black mask, black clothes—climbed in.

“I swear, there’s always guards around her. It’s so damn annoying.”

Muttering, he crept toward the bed—slowly, cautiously.

“Just a little closer.”

One step… two… three…

Shing.

The moment he drew a dagger from his coat—

Bang!

I burst out of the wardrobe.

Splash!

The water I hurled from the bottle cracked through the air like a whip, smacking him straight in the eyes.

“Argh!”

A raspy, startled cry erupted as he stumbled.

“My eyes!”

As he clutched his face and bent forward—

Whack!

I swung the musket’s sturdy buttstock with full force.

“Ugh!”

“Ah, that satisfying impact.”

It had felt too light when I’d tried aiming with it before,
but now, used as a blunt weapon, the weight and grip felt just right.

“Almost like it wanted to be swung like this.”

So while I was at it—

Wham!

“Gah!”

The groans that came out were delightfully varied.
I felt like a musician playing a human instrument.

Crash!
The guy lost his balance and tumbled to the floor, flailing helplessly.

He slashed his dagger blindly in front of him, having lost sight of everything.

“That’s dangerous, you know.”

“Ack!”

I grabbed his wrist and twisted it sharply.

The dagger clattered to the ground.

Without missing a beat, I straddled his torso and pinned him down.

“Awfully shy, aren’t you? Why cover your face so much, huh?”

Grinning, I peeled off his mask.

The man wriggled underneath me—but escaping? Not a chance.

I’d stabbed his sleeves into the floor with the very dagger I’d taken from him.

“Damage claims go to the Duke’s estate. Not coming out of my pocket, thankfully.”

I hummed cheerfully as I stuffed a handkerchief into his mouth and took a long look at his now-exposed face.

“So that’s why you hid it. You’re just that nasty and ugly—sneaking in at night to hurt a small, helpless noble lady.”

“Mmph! Mmph!”

“People in Saint Portou are usually pretty good-looking, you know.”

“Mmph! Mmmph!”

“So I guess you’re not from around here?”

“…Mmph?!”

He visibly froze—like I’d hit the bullseye.

With a calm face and a curled smirk, I looked down at him.

The same expression my lieutenants used to call terrifying. That exact one.

“Took a wild guess. Was I right?”

“…Hrrmph!”

Realizing he’d been caught, he started trembling like a leaf, writhing in panic.

“Now, repeat after your instructor. ‘I am a bad man who tried to break into a lady’s home.’ Go.”

“…Ugh…”

“What, not going to repeat it?”

He trembled, eyes half-shut, as if saying, How the hell am I supposed to do that with my mouth gagged?

Maybe he felt wronged. I didn’t care.

“Tsk. Too bad. I might’ve let you off easy if you repeated properly.”

“Mmph!”

I smiled, voice dripping with sweetness.

“But bad men need to be punished.”