Chapter 286

The Duke plots, Lloyd absorbs Kyle's shocking revelation, and things take an unexpected turn...

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Episode 286. About 5 Months (9)

“That’s right. Those people are crucial evidence. If they’re discovered, kidnapped, or disappear in the chaos, everything would go down the drain. The fact that the Emperor’s edict came at the same time as the Second Prince’s plan means that he's entrenched in the Emperor's schemes. I wasn't initially convinced when Hans ordered us to execute the operation early… But it was the right choice.”

“What should we do?”

“What can we do? We must attend. Let them think their strategy is working. That way, they'll be caught off guard. Hahaha.”

The Duke's serious expression transformed into a smile for the first time today.

“Yes, the more they are caught off guard, unaware of what lies ahead, the more smoothly the crown will come to us.”

"Okay. Then I will attend today and carry the plan out as ordered tomorrow."

“Good. We can afford no mistakes.”

The Duke's expression was more relaxed than it had been when the commander had first reported to him.

“I will keep that in mind, Your Grace!”

The Knight Commander nodded and left. The Duke began to prepare two files, one for if the small operation succeeded and one for if it failed.

The paperwork he had prepared in case of a successful outcome was nothing special. On the other hand, the documentation he arranged for their defeat proved to be a headache.

However, the latter set of documentation relied on the premise that they would survive this.

This would only be possible if they were certain they would not die in the process.

The Duke tugged on the rope and began to summon his vassals, one after the other.

***

The backstreets of the Capital. Noon.

As soon as Kyle left House Elias, he immediately spurred his horse towards the Capital training grounds of the Phoenix Knights.

As he sped down a shortcut to the training grounds, he couldn't help but think about the end of his conversation with the Count.

“Hmm. I'm sure she'll be angry that I told him without consulting her...'

As soon as his audience with the Emperor was over, he decided he would visit the Palace Administration building.

There was no need to hide it anymore. Besides, Count Lloyd, or rather her father, seemed to have accepted it.

[...How... Why... How long, no, when did this…? How? Since when?]

Tara’s father also tended to speak gibberish when he was flustered. When the butler entered with a pitcher of cold water, Lloyd snatched a glass and immediately gulped it down.

[...Slow down, Count.]

[Are you... serious? Ah. My apologies, that was rude, Your Highness.]

[That's alright.]

[Hmm. So what you're saying is, you... you... Haaa. My Tara, you're saying you like her?]

[I don't like her, I love her. It's more than that, of course.]

[Love... her. My God. Ha, ha! Ha...]

After a moment of silence, the Count's expression suddenly turned fierce like the eyes of a herbivore intent on defending its young from a predator.

[Are you... Are you just saying this because you find her intriguing?]

Kyle relaxed his stiffened jaw and answered as mildly as possible.

[Absolutely not. I do not say this lightly, I want her by my side. I want to spend the rest of my life with her. Of course, if I can convince her to do it.]

[Hmm...!]

He wanted her to stand by his side. If the Second Prince ascended the throne, she would become his Empress. The Count stared, dumbfounded for a moment at Kyle's implication that House Elias would produce the next Empress.

Lloyd sat motionless in the drawing room, still thinking about his meeting with Kyle.

[Not everyone who enters the Palace... is welcomed. The Palace is a dangerous place. In such a place, Tara...]

[I plan on making sure it won't be dangerous for her.]

[Will that be easy?]

[I will make it so.]

[....!]

‘It might be possible for the Second Prince. And if he can eliminate the danger...'

But despite his best efforts, the corner of his mouth kept twitching upwards. Lloyd couldn't help it, it was every nobleman's wildest dream to create such a connection with the Imperial Palace.

Moreover, the Second Prince's abilities were unrivaled. So surely the Empire he governed after overcoming his current obstacles would be far greater than it was currently.

The Second Prince stood up while he was still lost in thought.

[I will visit you formally another time to discuss this in more detail.]

[I'll have to think about it... a formal visit.]

For no apparent reason, he was trying to shake the Prince a little.

[I'll be waiting, Count.]

Lloyd stood up and looked at the Prince. His response sounded somewhat strained. 

‘I never thought I'd hear the words 'I'll wait' from his lips. And he's nervous on top of that?'

The corners of Lloyd's mouth almost curved into a smile, and he had to force himself to control it.

[That might take a while.]

He tried once more.

[... Of course. It's something you will have to consider quite carefully.]

‘Oh... He's even trying to be considerate?'

Lloyd felt like he was gradually losing his grip on reality. The strict, cold, and merciless Second Prince he had dealt with until now felt like nothing more than a distant memory.

Lloyd spoke in a deliberately blunt manner.

[I'll ask Tara how she feels about it tonight. My daughter's opinion on this matter is important to me.]

[Yes, of course.]

Despite Lloyd's blunt words, the Second Prince smiled faintly and slowly stood up from his seat.

[Well, then, I must depart. I'm running short on time for a meeting at the Imperial Palace.]

In other words, he had taken the time to come here despite his tight schedule at the Palace. The Count swallowed hard.

‘The Palace is the home of the Imperial Family. And the Second Prince is a strong candidate for the throne.'

He was a far cry from the usual noblemen who were likely to ask for his daughter's hand. Even so, Lloyd chose not to think of the Second Prince as a prince at that moment.

[Mm. Well, yes, I suppose so... You should go... Ah! Do you enjoy drinking?]

The shrewd prince immediately understood Lloyd's implication. He smiled faintly and bowed politely.

[I have some excellent cognac gifted to me by the Emperor. If you don't mind, may I bring it next time, Your Excellency?]

[Wow. Hmm. Yes... Please do. Hmm, hmm.]

‘Was drinking too easy an excuse? Even so, I cannot deny myself an opportunity to taste the Emperor's wine cellar. That's the kind of experience you cannot buy...  Well, that's not why I invited him for a drink, but.... Hmm... The Second Prince wants to have a drink and talk about Tara.... Hmm. Hah.... Hmm. Hmm.'

Lloyd kept clearing his throat for a long time after that.

He kept cycling through the same words over and over again.

“To think the Second Prince harbors such feelings about Tara. Really. Will I truly see a day where I will be able to repay all of the humiliation I’ve suffered?”

As soon as the words left his mouth, the corner of his mouth twitched, and he muttered to himself.

"Does he really think I'll accept him just because he's a prince!? I'll never let him off that easily! Hehehe! The weather is truly fantastic all of a sudden. It's a beautiful, beautiful day!"

But, Lloyd's evaluation of the weather was sadly unfounded. In reality, the sky was filled with low, black clouds, and the air was gloomy and ominous.

***

Administrative Office Treasury Warehouse. The same time.

Bering was an experienced agent who had worked with Internal Intelligence for 5 years and was currently a member of Harrison's special operations team.

The Treasury Warehouse was the location where the masseuse had promised to hide the information he'd gotten from the main palace, and the person who came looking for that information would lead Bering to the mastermind.

Bering was risking his life for this mission. The Second Prince was keeping an eye on the result. If Bering assisted in solving a case of this magnitude, he would almost certainly be rewarded with a first-class promotion.

Since there were only three people on the surveillance team, including Harrison, they worked in three shifts, and today was Bering’s morning surveillance day.

He honestly didn’t expect much because it was a holiday today, and since the Black Crown operation had already begun, this undercover team would probably be disbanded next week due to their lack of progress.

Still, Bering couldn't pass up the opportunity for a promotion, and he was determined to do his best until the day the team was disbanded.

Bering, who had entered through the back door of the warehouse, was hiding behind a pile of boxes next to the rear exit and watching the building. It was just past 11:30 am.

Several people had entered and exited the Treasury warehouse, but not a single person had approached the box containing the masseuse's intelligence over the past ten days.

At this point, he was beginning to wonder if the masseuse had lied or if their mission had been exposed.

The door to the Treasury warehouse swung open, and someone entered.

Bering immediately tensed and turned to follow the figure as they moved through the windowless, darkened warehouse carrying a lantern.

‘Is it someone from the Inner Palace?'

The shadowy silhouette cast by the lantern was that of a woman.

Bering watched under his breath as the woman moved quickly to a filing cabinet and pulled out a few documents.

‘That's the collection of Treasury forms. She must be from the Treasury.'

As he watched, he noticed that what she did next was very suspicious. As soon as she closed the lid on the filing cabinet, she grabbed the ladder from the corner and started moving toward the far bookshelf.

Bering tensed for a moment. The trap had been set in the second row of the second-to-last filing cabinet.

What the hell, is she the mole?'

The woman opened the first row of the first filing cabinet, the top one, with lightning-fast fingers, and began to check the contents, then repeated the action all the way down the row.

‘Why is she looking through the first box? Doesn't she know it's in the second box in the second row? Was she told it was the bookshelf in the corner? I should watch and see!'

Just as he was thinking it, she finally opened the second box in the second row.

“Aha! I found it....”

He heard the woman's voice say.

The trap lay in her trembling hands.

Even from a distance, he could sense the woman's whole body trembling, and the rungs of the ladder shook.

The woman stared at the map of the villages that the Second Prince had made for a long moment, but never moved to look at the masseuse's intel.

___

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