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Chapter 55
A sudden uneasy thought crossed Calliope’s mind, and her brows furrowed.
“Isn’t there something going on between the Second Prince and Leraje…?”
At the very least, they didn’t seem to be on good terms.
“Did he get scolded because he’s been dating me?”
Since both the Crown Prince and the Second Prince were sons of the Empress, it was entirely possible.
The very fact that the Crown Prince showed up immediately after Leraje disappeared made it all the more suspicious.
“I told them I don’t like him, so why are they making such a fuss? And that Leraje guy—pretending it’s nothing, but isn’t he actually in a really tricky spot right now?”
Caught in her tangled thoughts of worry, Calliope suddenly realized she was walking away from the banquet hall, down a different path. She quickly snapped out of it.
“Ugh, get a hold of yourself.”
She slapped her cheeks lightly with both hands and looked around.
“But… where am I?”
Even though the Ninth Prince’s palace wasn’t in the center of the Imperial Palace, this place seemed even more remote.
Still, Calliope wasn’t too worried.
Even if she got lost, in a place like the palace where people were everywhere, she would eventually run into someone.
Besides, if it came to it, she still had her last resort.
“There’s a path here. If I just go back the way I came, I should be fine.”
But just as she turned, she caught sight of someone.
“Wait… that person is…?”
Calliope’s eyes widened.
“Why is he here?”
The man hurried along, glancing about nervously. It was none other than Gilbert.
“Isn’t he supposed to be under house arrest in the annex of his estate? What’s he doing roaming around the Imperial Palace?”
Calliope was dumbfounded.
Her feet began moving on their own, following Gilbert.
“And he shouldn’t even have an invitation. How did he get inside?”
Nothing made sense.
But instinct told her this was connected to some kind of plot.
“Something’s definitely going on.”
Her pace quickened as she tailed Gilbert.
After following him for some time, Gilbert finally stopped.
Looking around, Calliope realized she had arrived somewhere inside the palace she had never seen before.
“There’s a place like this in the palace?”
There were no proper buildings, no landscaping.
The grass looked roughly cut, sticking up in uneven patches, and in some places weeds had grown so tall they brushed her ankles.
Scattered about were large stones, piles of timber, shovels, and carts. From the looks of it, this was a temporary storage site for construction materials.
“At least it makes for plenty of hiding spots.”
She slipped behind a tall stack of lumber just as—
“Have you been waiting long?”
A man’s voice came from the opposite direction.
Both Calliope and Gilbert turned their heads.
“No, Your Highness.”
Calliope immediately recognized the man, and her eyes narrowed.
“That’s Prince Manuel.”
The very Second Prince who had called out Leraje earlier was now meeting with Gilbert.
“How am I supposed to interpret this?”
Her gaze sharpened, her focus locked on the two men.
“At the very least, it looks like Gilbert and the Second Prince are in league together.”
Their conversation began.
“Thanks to Your Highness’s efforts, I managed to wrap things up without too much trouble.”
“That’s good to hear,” Manuel nodded.
But irritation flickered across his face.
“Still, the losses from this incident are significant. Not only did we lose an important source of funds, but we also suffered heavy manpower losses. They were all highly skilled individuals… such a waste.”
Clicking his tongue, Manuel looked at Gilbert with clear displeasure.
“If it weren’t for that carriage raid, the losses in manpower would have been minimal.”
“……!”
Calliope quickly covered her mouth, stifling a gasp.
“I-I’m terribly sorry.”
Gilbert bowed his head repeatedly. Calliope let out a silent breath.
“Just as I thought—it really was my uncle. No wonder he was so desperate to be sent back to the territory…”
She had already suspected the territorial incidents might be tied to the Imperial family, so the pieces fit together smoothly.
“If the mana stone incident is linked to the Second Prince, and Gilbert was helping him, then everything lines up.”
Even though he now held the title of Baron Roman, Gilbert was still Archibald’s second son.
Naturally, he would have fewer restrictions in the Verdi territory than an outsider.
“So the most critical mole was none other than my own uncle. What a farce.”
Calliope let out a bitter laugh.
“I’ve underestimated him. I never imagined he was capable of scheming like this.”
From Gilbert’s perspective, drawing in the Second Prince had been the best choice.
Without such backing, Gilbert could never hope to defeat Calliope fairly.
“But to hand over the Verdi family’s interests for it—that’s unforgivable.”
The value of the mana stones already mined must be astronomical, even by rough estimate.
Calliope’s stomach churned.
“That bastard—I’ll crush him no matter what it takes.”
As she made that firm vow, another thought struck her.
“Wait… then what about Leraje?”
Was he on their side, or hers?
The suspicion she had pushed aside rose once more, darkening her expression.
There’s a saying—“Birds of a feather flock together.”
“Even though Leraje did help resolve the incident, I still can’t trust him completely.”
After all, there were spies who intentionally approached as allies, only to gain trust before betraying it.
As Calliope’s eyes grew cold, Gilbert raised his voice slightly.
“But it couldn’t be helped. No matter how skilled the assassins, how could they possibly defeat a Sword Master?”
“Well, true. No one expected that bastard Leraje to side with Calliope Verdi. Even if she’s a mage, if Calliope Verdi had been alone, eliminating her wouldn’t have been an issue.”
The Second Prince stroked his chin, sounding genuinely regretful.
“In any case, from now on it’ll be difficult to touch Calliope Verdi. Not only is Leraje by her side, but to make matters worse, Brother Lucius has taken a liking to her.”
“What? Is that true?”
Gilbert’s eyes shook, his voice trembling with alarm.
“Then… then what about the contract between Your Highness and myself?”
“There’s nothing to worry about. Once Calliope Verdi marries my brother, the Verdi family will naturally fall into your hands, won’t it?”
“Oh! That makes sense!”
Gilbert’s face lit up at Manuel’s words, while Calliope’s face twisted in rage.
“Are they insane? Who said they could decide my marriage to the Crown Prince?”
The idea of third parties arranging her marriage without her input was beyond absurd.
Yet, oddly enough, she wasn’t really angry—more like exasperated. It was strange.
“Well, at least I’ve confirmed Leraje is innocent.”
The conversation had made it clear.
Leraje’s presence had been an unforeseen variable for them, one that ruined their carefully laid plans.
“I need to let Leraje know right away.”
By now, he should have already arrived at the banquet hall.
Carefully, Calliope began to slip away.
Crack.
“Damn it.”
Her foot had snapped a branch beneath it.
Of all the places for a stick to be lying around… Calliope cursed silently.
