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Chapter 12
“Do you think Lady Penten won’t say anything? Lady Demera is the type who likes to gossip, so once the lady returns she’ll probably—”
While checking the valuables hidden beneath the bed, Maria spoke anxiously.
“I’ll leave a few cheap imitation ceramic pieces as a decoy. Demera doesn’t even know what was there anyway. We’ll just say I left them there thinking they were Maria’s, so there’s no problem.”
“Then the rest…?”
“I’ll convert everything into cash today. Once we erase the evidence, it’ll be hard for anyone to properly track what was missing.”
Lady Lucila, Julius’s wife, was terrible at financial management, and the head steward Blik, whom she brought from her maternal home, was no different.
That was something I realized after organizing the accounts in my second life, after the Penten family left the ducal manor.
“If it’s something the lady treasured and managed regularly, you wouldn’t have been able to steal it. And if—unlikely as it is—she tries to go as far as the pawnshop to gather evidence, Bartol will stop her. The shops there know Bartol’s name.”
“You really have considered everything.”
At my words, Maria nodded as if convinced.
“I’ll do as you say.”
Maria really was an excellent tool. She had a clear sense of desire, was perceptive in certain ways, and would remain loyal as long as she wasn’t betrayed.
I had once told Bartol not to treat people like dogs, but the truth was she was the kind of person who would willingly become one if properly compensated.
“Let’s see… the ceramics and paintings don’t seem very valuable. Still, we can get about 50 gold each.”
As expected. Lucila, who had refined taste in art and ceramics, would have already secured and protected anything truly valuable.
“Handle the dishes and tableware as usual, and take the jewelry to a jeweler rather than a pawnshop.”
“Yes, my lady.”
“Leave the gold coins as they are, and the rest… Ah.”
Between the scattered gold coins, something caught my eye and I narrowed my gaze.
“What is it?”
“Where did this dagger come from?”
“It looks like Young Master Bartol brought it from the weapons storage near the training grounds. It’s a small, useless blade, but he said it had a ruby attached and suggested we sell just that…”
“Don’t remove it. Don’t damage its shape.”
I turned the dagger over in my hands.
“Take this to the weapons dealer on Besset Street, not the pawnshop.”
“The old man who used to be in the Imperial Knights?”
“Yes. And ask for 100,000 gold. Not a single coin less.”
“W-What? 100,000 gold?”
Maria stammered in shock. That amount could buy a small estate inside the capital.
“What exactly is this blade…?”
I smiled faintly as I traced the engraving on the hilt.
“This is the sword that my great-grandfather, who achieved the greatest feats during the conquest wars, received from Emperor Alraic I. It was made by the finest craftsman of the era—and because he died young, the blade’s value increased even further.”
“This is such an incredible treasure, and I almost—”
Maria broke into a cold sweat, looking dizzy. Stealing and storing a 100,000-gold artifact was a serious crime.
“So turn it into money quickly. A relic exists to be sold in times of need.”
I spoke based on my experience from two lifetimes. If we left it alone, the Penten family would either run off with it or sell it for a pittance anyway.
“Understood, my lady. I’ll exchange it for cash today and bring it all to you.”
As she nodded and began wrapping items in cloth, she suddenly looked up again.
“By the way, Lady Iris.”
“Yes?”
“Where… will you be keeping the money?”
“……”
“I-I’m not trying to interfere!”
Seeing my silence, Maria quickly explained herself.
“You may not know this, but Lady Lucila always orders the servants to search your drawer whenever something goes missing, so I thought I should warn you…”
“I know that much. I wasn’t planning to keep it in my dresser drawer.”
I chuckled softly.
“Then…?”
“I’m not going to keep it.”
“What?”
“I’m going to spend it. Every last coin.”
I smiled as I looked down at her.
Maria’s eyes widened as if she were looking at a madwoman.
“In the north, any new developments?”
Carciel asked. His office desk was cluttered with maps, letters, and documents.
“Nothing out of the ordinary. As you already know, the King of Tar did not leave his castle, and the commander of Tar is gathering more troops near the border.”
His aide and second adjutant, Luten, replied.
“More troops? Are they planning to end it in the next battle?”
“Seems so. They likely saw how strained our unit became in the last battle, including Your Highness, and morale must have risen.”
“So it’s because of the thorn venom. Even after losing, their morale increased?”
Carciel scoffed in disbelief.
“Without reinforcements, we won’t be able to continue. It’s already a miracle we’ve been winning with such small numbers.”
At Luten’s words, Carciel rubbed his temple.
“Frustrating… It’s been years just to reclaim the territory Tar invaded.”
It had been two years since the northern King of Tar led his army across the border once again.
His father, the Emperor, and the Empress—both unusually frugal in military matters—only provided minimal forces, leaving Carciel to resolve everything himself.
The problem was that Carciel had been managing to keep winning despite the odds. So when he requested reinforcements, there was no justification to grant them—the Empress’s argument, specifically.
Geil, his first adjutant and close friend, joked that they should intentionally lose a battle to justify reinforcements. Carciel even considered it—“What if I fake a defeat?”
“I’ve been requesting reinforcements for months, but His Majesty still hasn’t approved it. It must be the Empress opposing it.”
“Isn’t it just to delay things until the Second Prince is ready?”
“Probably. Then Duke Ludes will send troops. Or perhaps Duke Serbe as well. They’re all stalling, acting like they might help.”
Carciel gave a bitter smile.
“They’re trying to make it look like the war ended because Prince Baltazar sent reinforcements, making him the hero. It’s obvious.”
Geil laughed dryly.
“Forget reinforcements. Let’s just go all-in and fight a full-scale war. Haven’t we been winning like this anyway?”
“I disagree. They’ll target Your Highness. Casualties will be enormous.”
At Geil’s words, Luten shook his head sharply.
“Luten, are you really a knight? Death in war isn’t exactly rare.”
“That’s not the point. I don’t want to live in an empire where Prince Carciel dies and Baltazar takes the throne. Your family, Geil, is even connected to House Ludes through marriage, so maybe it doesn’t matter to you.”
“What does that have to do with me being a ‘disowned son’? Are you just insecure because you’re not noble?”
Geil and Luten glared at each other.
After a moment, Luten spoke again.
“Isn’t there already a noble house willing to send troops to Your Highness? If the Imperial family won’t….”
“The distance from their territories is too great. And His Majesty would still need the Empress’s approval to accept reinforcements.”
Geil scoffed, and Carciel frowned.
“Am I wrong? The Empress holds real power.”
“Focus on the war.”
Carciel agreed inwardly but still reprimanded him.
Luten, who had protected Carciel since childhood, was different from Geil, a noble-born friend who had grown up alongside him. That was why Geil tended to speak so bluntly.
“It seems obtaining reinforcements this time will be difficult.”
“So then maybe we should just….”
As Luten began to speak, Carciel shook his head.
“Full-scale war is too dangerous and wasteful. You said we’ve contacted the younger brother of the King of Tar, correct?”
Luten nodded. Carciel asked again, though he already knew the answer.
“You mean he refuses to cooperate in stabbing his brother in the back?”
