Chapter 283

Where Kyle goes to pay a visit and Tara is stuck on Sunday duty.

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Episode 283. About 5 months (6)

“There’s a place I must visit.”

Seeing the faint smile on his Lord's face, Chris stared at him blankly, then quickly saluted him.

“Yes, Your Highness.”

Then all the members of the Order of the Phoenix and the members of the Security Department who had been putting the finishing touches on their work, stood and bowed to Kyle on horseback.

Kyle nodded to them and immediately spurred his horse on.

***

Empress's Drawing Room. 10:00 a.m., same day.

The Empress had been bedridden for over a week.

She lay motionless in her bed day and night, which kept her closest attendants on high alert.

As a result, the Inner Palace was on high alert. Sometimes the Empress would severely chastise her maids, servants and administrators without warning.

Perhaps because of this, the number of requests for leaves of absence from Inner Palace administrators had increased, causing most of the female staff of the Permanent Secretarial Department to be reassigned to the Inner Palace.

Of course, the administrative officers of the Permanent Secretarial Department who were good at their jobs and from prominent families tried to avoid being called to the Inner Palace but since I hadn’t used those connections I had been called and dispatched to the Inner Palace today despite the fact it was a Sunday.

In my situation, it was just as well.

The huge drawing room was eerily quiet, even though there were quite a few people in it. It felt like a tomb.

Olive, who had also been dragged out on a Sunday, was sitting in the reception room of the Empress’s Palace.

“This is a common occurrence in the Inner Palace,” Olive said before entering the drawing room as if it were no big deal.

I was sitting across from her organizing a list of gifts brought by the ladies.

They were clustered in groups around the room, whispering.

Since the Empress hadn't accepted any audiences for the last two weeks, the ladies were exchanging gossip, trying to infer what had been going on in the Palace.

“It's so quiet.”

"Yes. it's like a tomb... No. Hoho. I should say it's like a library. It's natural to be quiet when someone is ill. Hohoho."

Right… It was like a grave. And what kind of medicine was that? It smelled strange. I wrinkled my nose and focused on their conversation.

"Ho-ho, true. But have you heard? About the Third Prince the other day."

‘Joseph?'

After writing down the list of gifts, I checked the list which recorded the ladies’ entries and exits for the past week. Better to have something in hand than to sit and listen to them talk.

I pricked up my ears as I corrected a misspelled name.

"Oh, I heard it too. That all the things the First Prince and the Toulouse Merchant Company used to manage were transferred to the Third Prince? So that's why..."

I didn't hear the last words, but I could still tell.

‘The real power has changed hands.'

"It’s understandable that His Excellency the Duke of Toulouse isn’t welcome in the Inner Palace, but why is His Highness the Third Prince not visiting when Her Majesty the Empress is so ill?"

That's right. For the past two weeks, Third Prince Joseph hadn't come to the Empress’s Palace even once. A year ago, I heard that he used to visit daily, even if she had a cold.

“......”

None of them answered. The looks on the ladies' faces as they chatted said it all.

‘Their relationship has changed.'

And the expressions on their faces was a sight to behold.

Deep dark desires swirled in those sparkling eyes, and soon they were filled with a certain firm conviction.

‘A major shift. Now is a good time to switch from the First Prince to the Third Prince. Whoever gets there first will benefit the most. It’s time to move!'

The ladies, who had all come to the same conclusion, quickly cleared their throats as their gazes met.

After a few moments, they quickly scurried out of the drawing room as gracefully as possible.

With no more visitors, Olive and I sat in a daze in the empty reception room until 11:30.

The door swung open and the head maid, who had cautiously emerged from the Empress's bedroom, came up to me and asked.

“Did you take careful notes?”

“Yes. Would you like to see them?”

The head maid waved her hand in annoyance.

"It's okay, she won't use them anyway. Go get lunch. You know that the administrative cafeteria is closed today because it's Sunday, right? So go to the cafeteria next to the Treasury Department. Also, I'm telling you this in advance, come by 11 o'clock tomorrow, not early like today."

“Yes. Oh, and I heard you say earlier before you went into the Empress’s chambers that you have some paperwork to hand over to the Treasury tomorrow. Would you like me to drop it off for you?”

"Much appreciated. You're quite diligent. Please wait a minute."

After receiving the 'Imperial Specialties Merchandise List Request Form' I moved to leave and Olive quietly came over to speak to me.

"Um.... Secretary Tara, shall we... have lunch together?"

"I have to deliver this to the Treasury Department... But let's definitely have lunch together tomorrow!" I emphasized, smiling broadly, while Olive nodded in understanding.

I went straight to the Treasury.

Up to this point, the events from [The Ocerian Chronicles] had happened as they should have.

Only the magnitude and aftermath had been different.

It would definitely happen again this time, and all I could do is make sure we didn't get caught in the crossfire.

Fortunately, Logan wasn't in the Capital. As for the next event on the horizon, I estimated it should be around five months away.

So, I would be heading East to help with the business right after the Joint Knight Training ended.

I planned to stick by Logan's side during that time and keep him away from the Capital until it was time for things to happen.

I intended to submit a leave of absence to the Palace, but if they didn't allow it I was going to resign. I’d only enrolled as an administrator to prevent my family's destruction in the first place.

Finding the map would be the icing on the cake, but I honestly didn't expect much after all the time I had already spent searching through the Treasury warehouses.

How was this any different than trying to find a needle in a haystack?

Until yesterday, I had thought about giving up on finding the map. If I stopped Logan, the danger would be gone.

But the word 'trap' kept bothering me.

The trap could ruin the operation Kyle was working so hard on and get him hurt. If I hadn't been aware of that fact, I would have given up, but since I was, I couldn't stop my search and risk him getting harmed.

I handed the papers over to the Treasury Department on the first floor and asked for a form for tomorrow's paperwork at the Permanent Secretarial Division.

"The forms are on the third floor, but it's closed because it's Sunday. They should be in the warehouse filing cabinets containing miscellaneous forms. If you wait a minute, I'll get it for you..."

I repeated the same refrain I had been using for each department.

"No, I'll find it myself, just tell me where it is and I'll be right back. While I'm at it, I'll grab any other forms you might need in the future."

“Uh-huh... would you?”

Yawning heavily, the Sunday on-call administrator reluctantly handed me the keys to the warehouse and left for lunch.

As I walked upstairs I realized that all the other departments had locked their doors and were empty because it was Sunday during lunchtime.

My office was still open because I was 30 minutes late for lunch. All that was left was the Permanent Secretarial Department where I was the sole person on duty.

So now I was the only one left in this building.

If I checked the Treasury warehouse, which I couldn't get into before, then only the Ministry of Public Security’s warehouse would remain.

I walked lightly down the stairs.

Deciding that if once I had searched both the Treasury and Public Security warehouses and still couldn't find the map I wouldn’t bother searching any further, I opened the door to the Treasury warehouse.

***

Elias Mansion. At the same time.

The Second Prince arrived unannounced. The surprised Elias guards quickly saluted and obediently opened the iron gates.

The four bodyguards that had followed the Second Prince stationed themselves at the entrance while Kyle entered the premises.

Neeeigh!

Kyle quickly dismounted as his horse whinnied and strode inside.

Kyle was clad in the black chain-mail armor and cloak of the Order of the Phoenix and smelled of a cool wind as if he had been riding non-stop to get here.

‘She’s not in the mansion. Where did she go on a Sunday?’

He couldn't feel the Aurore he had given her at all. He assumed she would be there, so he had visited without prior notice.

It was a pity that she wasn't present, but that was okay. Kyle’s mouth curved upwards, he felt great satisfaction at having identified his enemy and no longer needing to hide his feelings for her.

‘It’s been a year since I’ve made an official visit.’

Kyle chuckled to himself at how different he was from the man he'd been a year ago.

"I'll show you to the drawing room."

Dixon, House Elias’s butler, strode forward and bowed politely.

"Of course."

"The Count is in the office building. Word was sent as soon as I heard the news from the guards."

“Thank you.”

“Yes, Sir. Yes?”

The butler straightened his hunched back in surprise and looked at him.

On the battlefield, he was known as a ruthless warrior; at Court, he was known as a cool-headed man of reason who never used emotional language.

Dixon knew that for a fact. Since the last time he had visited, the Second Prince had given him nothing but murderous looks and curt orders.

And now, for some reason, the famously expressionless Second Prince had a faint smile on his face.

Certainly, his mood and tone were much different from last year's visit.

“Why, is something wrong?”

“Oh, no. What do you want me to bring you, Your Highness?”

"I'll have the same as the Count, and since my horse has run for a little too long, have him taken care of in the stables."

“Yes. Yes. I will do so, Your Highness.”

As soon as Kyle had been guided to the guest parlor on the first floor and sat himself on the single sofa, Dixon bowed and left the room in a hurry.

Kyle tapped the sofa's armrest while waiting for Tara’s father, Count Lloyd Elias.

He was a bit disappointed, but he needed the Count's help anyway.

A few moments later, the parlor door creaked open, and a surprised Count Lloyd entered.

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