SWST 55

Chapter 55

It seemed that Nikolai still didn’t know.
“That person came looking for me, and that’s how they got caught.”
“…What?”
“Didn’t Prince Helvern tell you? Today, they happened to stop by my neighbor’s house in the village, saw that the person was looking for me, and caught them.”

Seeing him lose his poker face, it was clear he really hadn’t known.
“…I heard about it.”
Nikolai… what a loner.

“Then you also understand why I’m looking at this book. You must’ve heard that explanation too.”
I carefully stood up and slid the book back into the shelf. Then I bowed.
“I’ll take my leave now so I won’t be under your eyes, Your Highness.”

I knew the value of my own life, so I intended to follow his guest order.
But even after telling me to leave, Nikolai kept holding me back.

“Why did they come looking for you?”
“Didn’t you hear?”
“I was told. But I don’t trust secondhand information. I need to see and hear it for myself. You tell me. What’s your connection with them?”

Was it that he couldn’t lie? His words dragged on quite a bit.

‘Hmm. Should I tell him or not?’
I quickly ran through my thoughts.
There was a traitor hidden in the family, and to expose them, I would need the help of someone from the family. Especially since the traitor had been in this place for over ten years, they were likely in an important position. So, to drive the traitor out, I needed the influence of someone powerful in the family.
‘Right now, Nikolai is the best option.’

But he hated me. No—he loathed me.
He would probably trust the traitor’s words over mine.

“I don’t really know. I’m just a simple villager. But I heard from my neighbor, who was interrogated by the Holy Church, that they were looking for me persistently. I was just trying to find out, because I was scared.”

I continued, trembling like a frightened lamb.
First, I needed to make it clear that whatever was happening had nothing to do with me. I certainly didn’t want to be involved with a group like the Holy Church, nor did I want my identity to be suspected because of them.

“You really don’t know?”
“Yes, really.”

“Your parents, siblings, or relatives might know, though.”
Nikolai’s suspicion grew even more at the mention that the Holy Church was looking for me. His voice grew harsher.

“I have no siblings, and I don’t even know if my parents or relatives exist.”
“…Are they dead?”
“I don’t know if they abandoned me or passed away. I’ve been alone for as long as I can remember.”

Probably.
Halara must have been an orphan like me. Otherwise, there would have been at least some trace of her family at home. Halara’s house was filled only with her belongings.

“Alone?”
“Yes. I’ve always been alone as far as I remember.”
I spoke based on my own experiences.

Nikolai, who had been assessing whether I was lying, fell silent for a moment and then slowly spoke.
“…Among those who came looking for you, anyone suspicious?”
“Just men who came saying they wanted to drink. If I had anything to do with that side, I’d have been moving from place to place. Could I have settled down here?”

I probably would have been living a wandering life.

“So I have a favor to ask, Your Highness.”
I spoke first to him, now silent. Whether he would accept it was his choice.

“A favor?”
I thought he might curse me immediately, but he didn’t. He waited for me to speak.

“Please let me meet that person.”
“You know what schemes they might have.”
“I just want to ask why they were looking for me.”

I was genuinely curious.
Was it because I inherited Brinihanta’s blood, or was there another reason?

Nikolai didn’t immediately answer.
“I’ll tell you the reason, whatever it is. I promise.”
My throat felt tight as I spoke—it was probably a lie. If they were trying to use the fact that I was Brinihanta’s descendant, I’d run immediately.

“…They’re dead.”

“What?”
“They’re already dead,” Nikolai murmured.

“They were killed, huh?”
Then—

“A traitor exists, then.”
It was certain that there was a traitor within.

“How dare you talk recklessly? Do you take the family for a joke?”
“Then why were they killed? Someone who knew they were captured must have infiltrated the family’s impregnable defenses, eliminated the guards, and then killed them. Isn’t that even more impossible?”

Even I, who didn’t know a thing about investigations, could see that.
In fact, hearing that they had been killed only confirmed the existence of a traitor.
‘Maybe this works out in my favor. Nikolai will probably also suspect there’s someone inside.’

“None of your business. Don’t go babbling around acting like you know something.”
“I’ll be the bait.”

“…Bait?”
His eyes narrowed. I quickly added an explanation.

“They came looking for me, and they ended up being killed. That alone signals that there’s an insider involved. And if someone is willing to do this despite that, they must have a strong reason to hide it. Can we really say that reason has nothing to do with me?”

But he didn’t know where I was.
So there was a good chance the traitor didn’t know either.
If they did, they would have approached me long ago. They wouldn’t have let the Holy Church rampage through the village.

“Use me as bait.”
I said it with unwavering confidence.

“You’re probably part of their group, too.”
His eyes narrowed even further.

“If that were the case, I would have gladly followed when the Duchess allowed me to enter the family. But I never wanted to join the family in the first place.”

At that, Nikolai ground his teeth silently.
Could it be he hadn’t heard this before? Apparently not.

“If it’s unnecessary, you can stop anytime.”
“How will you be bait?”
“You said the Holy Church is looking for me, right? Then their goal must be contact with me. Moreover, they don’t even know I’m here.”

“So?”
Nikolai tilted his chin.

“I need to make sure they know I’m in this family.”

If they knew I was here, approaching me would just be a matter of time. Nikolai must have known this too.

“Should I even post flyers?”
Hmm… there was a more certain way, though I didn’t like it. A way to definitely show that I was in the family.

“Hold a wedding. One that everyone in the family can see.”

What could be more certain than that?
Since I had settled here anyway, sooner or later everyone in the family would know.
If the family held even a small ceremony, the news would spread beyond the estate to the capital.
Bringing me in without a formal marriage would mean that if my relationship with Dotchef soured, or if he abandoned me, they could throw me out anytime.
I knew that well.

“…You understand the situation.”
“Absolutely.”
“Not trying to sweet-talk me?”
“Were you expecting me to?”
“Of course not.”

Nikolai answered firmly.

“I also don’t intend to play cute.”
Same here.

“Arrogant. A lowly commoner like you.”
“You said you understood the situation just now.”
“Seeing you trying to climb up, it seems you truly are an insignificant commoner.”

If my proposal displeased him, I would quietly withdraw.
So I stepped back slightly. But instead of moving away, Nikolai came closer—or rather, blocked me.

“The traitor must be caught.”
“What if you don’t catch them?”
“If they’re connected to the traitor, I cannot let it go.”

“Will you even torture me?”
“If necessary.”

Scary, like a fierce guard dog.
He looked similar to Dotchef, but gave off a cold, piercing aura.

But the fact that Nikolai accepted the plan without hesitation was an incredible result.

“If the traitor is caught, what’s the reward?”
“Your name will be cleared.”
“That’s anticlimactic. I thought you’d at least grant one wish.”
“Do I look like a genie from a magic lamp?”

Nikolai gave me a cold glare.