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Chapter 16
The ducal estate was thrown into complete chaos.
Because Jonas, the highest-ranking among them, had opened his mouth, every infiltrator who had been planted within the duchy was exposed. Since the operation had been carried out over the course of ten years, there were far more than just the first few they arrested.
Screams echoed through the mansion all day long, while the remaining servants busied themselves whispering among each other.
Duke Rosenthal tried to prevent information from leaking out, but after such a massive purge throughout the estate, rumors spread quickly.
All he could do now was focus on hiding the true reason the estate had been turned upside down—and the identity of the one behind it.
“…So that’s the situation, apparently.”
The man spoke while burning the report slip he had received over a candle flame.
After roughly scratching through his short hair, he looked toward the person seated across from him.
That person was leisurely yawning with both legs propped up on the table.
“Well, that sounds troublesome.”
The man muttered.
Sweeping back his black hair, the man revealed himself to be none other than the Second Prince, Rakiel Bernhardt.
The other man—Yan, master of the information organization Twilight—looked down at him with an exasperated expression.
“That’s the information you told me to gather.”
It was somewhat disrespectful language to use toward a prince, but Rakiel paid it no mind.
“Well… true enough. But hearing it now, I can see why it’d be strange.”
“Do you really think so?”
Only then did Rakiel lift the head he’d been reclining back with interest. Yan’s expression was far more serious than expected, his brows furrowed.
“To me, this situation is pretty unexpected. Think about it—those were spies painstakingly planted by that Crown Prince over many years.”
“So?”
“Isn’t it strange that people like that were uprooted all at once? It’s too anticlimactic.”
Yan pulled out the chair opposite Rakiel and sat down.
“If I were the Crown Prince, I wouldn’t have done things this way… In the first place, stationing this many spies in the Rosenthal duchy feels suspicious.”
Rakiel slowly touched the tip of his nose. It was a habit that appeared whenever he was deep in thought.
“…A reasonable suspicion. Or do you simply not think Duke Rosenthal was that capable?”
Yan shook his head.
“It seems the duke only recently learned the truth himself. Besides, isn’t there a certain obsessive fan of the Crown Prince in that household? It’s obvious she influenced him.”
“Either way, Duke Rosenthal didn’t seem to care how obsessed his daughter was with the Crown Prince.”
“Wrong. He’s one of the empire’s most notorious doting fathers.”
“…The duke?”
Rakiel raised his brows in disbelief.
He had only seen the duke at official functions, but not once had he witnessed him treating his daughter affectionately—not even when the young lady was little.
Whether he believed it or not, Yan continued.
“With his daughter blindly worshipping the Crown Prince, blinding the duke’s judgment would’ve been child’s play. For the Crown Prince, the Rosenthal household was the perfect environment to stab in the back.”
Rakiel let out a dry laugh.
“So the Crown Prince intended to use Lady Rosenthal from the beginning when he got engaged to her.”
Yan nodded.
“Once you get spies inside, everything after that becomes easy. No risk of getting caught. But…”
“You think it’s suspicious that they were all wiped out at once? Who exactly are you suspecting? Don’t tell me you think the Crown Prince intentionally cut off his own tail.”
“Not that, but…”
“Fine, I get it, so stop there. I’ll probably be visiting the ducal estate soon anyway. If the duke truly intends to join hands with me… then perhaps he’ll reveal something.”
Rakiel lowered his feet from the table and straightened his posture.
The black hair he couldn’t be bothered to cut swayed lightly near his eyelashes. Between those strands, jewel-like crimson eyes glimmered lazily.
Watching him, Yan clicked his tongue inwardly. No matter how he looked at it, Rakiel suited the wild plains more than the imperial palace.
And yet this man suddenly says he wants to become emperor…
The two had been close friends for a long time. Their childhood bond remained strong enough that they still met often.
No—quite often.
But the day that friend returned from the battlefield and suddenly declared he would become emperor, Yan had been utterly shocked.
Even more shocking than learning the boy he’d thought was a commoner was actually a prince.
Rakiel simply didn’t suit power struggles at all.
Still…
Rakiel stretched lazily before rising to adjust his clothes.
…Maybe it wouldn’t be so bad.
If the Rakiel he knew became emperor, then surely the future would at least be better than it was now.
Yan stopped the still-yawning Rakiel before he could leave.
“Oh, right. Speaking of which.”
“…?”
“A woman came asking about you.”
“…A woman?”
Rakiel tilted his head.
“Was she pretty?”
“…She was wearing a hood, so I couldn’t see her face.”
Pretending to care just because she was a woman, huh.
Yan wrinkled his nose.
“She wore a hood?”
“Perhaps…”
Rakiel cut him off.
“Was she from the Rosenthal household?”
“How did you know?!”
The woman hadn’t revealed her identity, but from the material and design of her robe, Yan could roughly guess her affiliation. Someone running an information guild ought to be capable of at least that much.
Rakiel’s lips curled upward with interest. Seeing that, Yan stared at him in surprise.
“You know her?”
“Know her… Hmm. Hard to say.”
“What’s with that lukewarm reaction?”
Rakiel waved his hand dismissively.
But how could Yan not be curious? Rakiel actually knowing a woman was shocking enough already.
“Hm. Did she figure out who I am?”
Rakiel muttered, sounding intrigued.
…But why was she investigating me?
If she’d been acting under the duke’s orders, she could’ve gathered information from within the duchy itself.
Well, whatever.
Deciding it wasn’t important, Rakiel smirked and looked at Yan.
“She asked for information about me? And you actually handed it over?”
“She paid a lot. A friend’s information is worth selling for a few coins, isn’t it?”
“How terrifying. Who’d dare make friends with you?”
Despite his words, Rakiel looked thoroughly amused.
Because he trusted that Yan would never sell truly important information.
And because he trusted Yan’s instincts. If the other party had intended to misuse the information, Yan would’ve noticed immediately.
Meanwhile, Yan looked at Rakiel—who kept grinning to himself—with a creeped-out expression.
“This feels really weird. What exactly happened?”
“Mind your business. Anyway, it seems the duke really is considering joining hands with me. Otherwise, why would someone under his command come asking about me?”
“You never know. What does some mere maid have to do with the duke?”
“Who knows? Maybe that mere maid is the duke’s secret agent.”
She definitely didn’t seem like one…
Yan recalled her clumsy movements and awkward gait. He’d gotten distracted by the money midway through, but if he’d paid a little more attention, identifying her would’ve been easy.
“If she comes again sometime, treat her well. Give her generous information too.”
“…I don’t know why, but suddenly I feel annoyed.”
It felt like watching a friend’s romance unfold.
Still, maybe it’s not a bad thing.
Yan had secretly worried about Rakiel for a long time.
Leaving aside the trauma from war, Rakiel rarely tried to meet people. Since childhood, it had always felt as though he’d built a wall around his heart.
Even back when Yan thought he was a commoner, Rakiel had been prickly as a cactus.
Though after learning about his past, Yan could understand why.
His childhood really wasn’t a happy one…
But now someone had finally piqued his interest.
Nothing could make Yan happier.
Even if the gap in their social status was impossible to overcome, relationships between people weren’t limited to love alone.
As proof, the interest Rakiel showed toward her seemed less like romantic attraction and more like fascination with her as a person.
Thinking to himself that he should prepare another VVIP business card, Yan stood up to see Rakiel out.
Rakiel, who had just grasped the doorknob, suddenly stopped.
“By the way, are you still using that business card?”
“Business card?”
What impeccable timing.
“I was actually thinking of making a new VVIP—”
“Throw all of those away. Every time I look at them, I feel like my eyes are rotting.”
“…”
Yan, who had been answering confidently, froze like a statue.
Meanwhile, I was staring at the system window so hard my eyes felt ready to fall out.
It was the message that had appeared yesterday.
[Quest 「The Hand That Swallowed Assets」 success rewards have been distributed.]
[Freedom +20 / Fame +5]
That part I already knew…
The problem was what came next.
[Quest clue acquired: 「The Secret of the Continental War」]
“What the hell is this?”
I had never received a quest called The Secret of the Continental War.
Never seen it before, either.
And yet it said I’d acquired a clue…
Even a passing mutt could tell that the conversation between the duke and Jonas was the clue, but all I knew was that it had something to do with the Crown Prince.
And no matter how you looked at it, it sounded serious. Continental War and Secret? It sounded like the kind of quest that would give some ridiculously amazing reward if cleared!
“Aaaagh, this is driving me crazy! I’m so curious!”
As I screamed while violently tugging at my hair, I heard startled movement outside the room.
