“My Lady! Over here, quickly!”
“Dammit!”
Lake shielded me, hiding me behind his back. Face buried against his broad back, I heard Jason spit out harsh curses right beside my ears.
In that instant, the sound of multiple arrows cleaving through the air echoed from the direction of the building, followed immediately by the heavy thud of a body collapsing onto the ground.
Just as I was about to raise my head to inspect the situation, the ghost of Ash Winterton blocked my way.
[You must not. It is not a scene fit for a precious lady to behold.]
I nodded my head.
Before long, sounds resembling a crowd pouring out from the building reached my ears.
While the other knights resolved the situation, I returned to the main building with Lake’s support.
As if they had already heard news of the commotion that had just taken place, the head housekeeper, Charlotte, and the maids were gathered nervously outside my bedchamber, their faces pale with worry.
Offering them a light eye contact to convey that I was unhurt, I turned back to look at Lake and asked.
“Is that child, Kai, going to be alright? And did you manage to safely retrieve the letters Jason possessed?”
“I shall visit you again tomorrow to inform you of the details, My Lady. For I, too, have matters to inquire of you.”
“Ah……”
“So please, rest deeply tonight without a single worry.”
Saying so, he offered a polite bow in respect before exiting the main building.
Wearing a sheepish expression, I entered the bedchamber. I then mouthed silently to the ghost of Ash Winterton, who was following behind me.
‘Is that man always so cold when he speaks?’
[He may seem cold, but he is a man of deep thoughtfulness and affection. He cries quite easily, too.]
‘Liar. He looks like he wouldn’t bleed a single drop even if you pricked him.’
Pouting my lower lip, I grumbled internally.
Watching me, the ghost let out a low chuckle and whispered softly.
[……Thank you, Princess. And I am sorry.]
‘Thank you as well for saving me.’
I, too, softly moved my lips to return the sentiment.
The following afternoon.
As promised, Lake came to visit me together with Kai. Looking at Kai, who wore a tearful face with bandages wrapped tightly around his head, I spoke.
“Oh dear. That must really hurt. I’m so sorry, I should have gone to look for you sooner.”
“Not at all, Marchioness. You did exactly as you promised me.”
The boy beamed at me. The sight was quite adorable and commendable.
Right then, Lake, who had been silently sipping the tea served by the head housekeeper, spoke in a frigid voice.
“It would have been better had you reported to me first, Kai.”
“……Ugh! I-I am terribly sorry, Lord Lake……”
“Do not scold Kai. It was all at my instruction.”
‘To be precise, it was done by me and your lord over there.’
Swallowing those words internally, I darted a side glance at the ghost of Ash Winterton sitting beside me.
Letting out a long sigh, Lake spoke to Kai.
“Now that you have shown the Marchioness that you are alright, return to the quarters and rest.”
“Yes. Understood, Lord Lake.”
Reading Lake’s mood, Kai cautiously rose from his seat. Once Kai had departed from the drawing room, Lake turned to address me.
“First, I must express my gratitude to you, Marchioness. Thanks to you, we were able to weed out the traitor.”
“Did Jason confess? What will happen to him now?”
“He admitted to leaking classified information, but he refused to utter a single word regarding his backer to the very end. After placing a magic spell on him to erase all his memories, we intend to send him to the northern fortress. There, he will perform hard labor until the day he dies, forgetting not only the secrets of the Marquisate but even his own identity.”
“I see.”
“He will pay dearly for daring to betray our lord and deceive his comrades.”
Letting out a cold sneer, Lake wore a meaningful expression.
“However, according to Kai, Commander Ash…… no, our lord had already known of Jason’s betrayal and delivered a letter informing you of that fact, My Lady.”
“Um, that’s right.”
“May I ask how you managed to acquire that letter?”
Looking straight at me as he asked, his gaze was sharp as an awl.
It was understandable. Even if physical evidence had vanished and Jason remained silent, there was no way he wouldn’t realize that Grand Duke Midelharnis stood behind this incident.
And it was only natural for him to feel suspicious about how I, the Grand Duke’s biological daughter, came to stand on Ash Winterton’s side. He would also be curious as to how I acquired the Marquis’s letter and my intentions in delivering it to him.
I spoke to him as I had rehearsed in advance with Ash Winterton.
“Before the Marquis collapsed, he secretly sent a letter to me. He said he had a bad premonition, and if an unfortunate event were to befall him, I was to deliver the enclosed letter to his subordinates.”
“……Our lord said that to you, My Lady?”
“Yes. If you read this, you will understand everything.”
Adding to my words, I handed the prepared letter over to Lake. It was the very letter I had put our heads together to forge, pretending to be his last wishes.
Inside, along with the truth of the abuse I had suffered at the Grand Ducal House of Midelharnis, was an endorsement that I could be trusted entirely.
Furthermore, he did not forget to request that no matter what happens, they must not stop searching for his nephew, Ian, and that they must follow my instructions entirely throughout that process.
Lastly, it concluded with words stating that he trusted Lake completely, and if he were to pass away, Lake was to serve his nephew Ian well and lead the Winterton family faithfully.
“My lord……”
Reading the letter, Lake’s hands trembled faintly, and his cold eyes began to moisten bit by bit.
A short while later, he looked at me with reddened eyes and spoke.
“I shall uphold our lord’s wishes. ……To be frank, I still cannot place my complete trust in you, My Lady, but in accordance with our lord’s command, I shall do my utmost to follow your directives.”
“I, too, have no intention of interfering or issuing orders regarding anything other than finding Ian, so rest assured. I look forward to working with you.”
“Yes. We will strictly find Lord Ian. As well as a way to revive our lord.”
At Lake’s words, the ghost of Ash Winterton’s eyes widened slightly in surprise.
Unable to see him, Lake folded the letter as cautiously as if handling a precious treasure and slid it into his inner pocket. Then, offering me a respectful bow, he exited the drawing room.
Turning to the ghost of Ash Winterton, I whispered in a low voice.
“You have a wonderful subordinate by your side.”
[……Yes. Almost too good for someone like me.]
The ghost muttered with a moved expression.
Envious of that deep bond, a bitter surge of jealousy welled up within me.
“I envy you. I don’t have anyone who would stand up for me or grieve for me like that.”
[You will have someone soon enough.]
The ghost spoke to me in a brusque yet resolute voice. Though clumsy, it was a statement filled with genuine warmth.
Grateful for that comfort, I offered a faint smile in response.
Kensington District, south of the capital of the Hartania Empire. The Grand Ducal Residence of Midelharnis. The owner of the residence, Grand Duke Midelharnis, sat alone in his office reviewing documents.
With platinum-gold hair bordering on white and light-blue eyes, he was a man in his late fifties with a solid build and sharp, handsome features.
“Tsk.”
Clicking his tongue in annoyance, he put down the document regarding the income of the Grand Ducal House of Midelharnis.
Just then, a few knocks echoed from outside the door, and the butler—Baron Annphil—stepped inside with a pale face.
“Y-Your Grace!”
“What is it that makes you cause such a fuss?”
“Th-That is…… It is said that Lord Jason has been expelled from Margrave Winterton’s knighthood. It appears his selling of classified information to us has been exposed.”
Grand Duke Midelharnis’s eyes widened in shock. Vaulting out of his seat immediately, he shouted at Baron Annphil.
“How on earth! There wasn’t even a hint of such a thing until yesterday! Was he not brimful of confidence that there would be an unexpected harvest?”
“Upon looking into it, it seems Marchioness Lizero’s treasure never existed from the start. It appears the Margrave’s subordinates intentionally spread such false rumors to weed out a spy.”
“Dammit…… Of course. There is no way that foolish girl Agnes could have known proper information……”
The Grand Duke let out a long sigh, pressing his throbbing temples.
He shouldn’t have believed the idle rumors passed on by his foolish daughter. Blinded by the desire to lay hands on unowned wealth, he had ruined the endeavor. The Grand Duke gritted his teeth as he recalled his foolish second daughter, Agnes.
Reading the Grand Duke’s mood, Baron Annphil opened his mouth cautiously.
“……What shall we do now, Your Grace? Shall we look into another spy to plant in the Winterton knighthood?”
Grand Duke Midelharnis slowly shook his head back and forth.
“No. We must take this opportunity to find a way to sever Margrave Winterton’s breath once and for all. If we eliminate him, sweeping away those subordinates who have lost their focal point will be no difficult task.”
“Do you have a good method in mind?”
“We shall have to start looking for one from now.”
