Where Lloyd makes up his mind and Kyle receives an alarming message.
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Episode 248. About 9 months (7)
Tara quickly returned to the mansion.
"Well, have you met up with him?"
Lloyd, Dylan, and a few other vassals were making their way to the dining room when they ran into Tara striding in.
"No. I didn't even see his face."
"You didn't even meet with him? How disrespectful of him to ignore our family like this. Your father will confront him!"
Tara frantically waved her hands.
"No, Father. It's my job, and I'm going to give it my all! Give me some time to think first, Father. I'll have dinner in my room, Beth."
"Yes, My Lady."
Watching Tara run to her room, Lloyd slowly nodded.
"She has the endurance to never give up. I can't believe that she's the daughter of a fool like me. All this time... To think of the big misunderstandings I've had because of it. Ah."
He was still bitter at the memory of that day, but he couldn't dwell on it forever.
Lloyd went to the dining room with a determined expression.
"Oh. That's it! She can't give this up when she's so close to becoming the head of the house. Yes, good for her! Very well then, I'll show the Second Prince that I won't take kindly to his disrespect to our family."
"The Second Prince?" Dylan asked cautiously, and Lloyd lifted his chin as if he had undergone a metamorphosis.
"Yes! I won't take this lying down anymore! Tara is not only his Second Aide, she's also the daughter of an allied family. If you think about it that way, he can't just ignore her like this. I'm scheduled to go to the Palace tomorrow to present the heart medicine, so I'll hunt down that serpent-like bastard, discuss every detail and make sure he won’t treat our family disrespectfully again!"
"Your Excellency, I think you should calm down and let the situation play out. Lady Tara said she'll look into it, so I'm sure she'll be able to figure it out...!"
"No! This much is fine! We're an ally that agreed to support the Second Prince alongside the Kezak family. If we can't even talk about this, there's no point in joining hands with him!"
However, neither Dylan nor his vassals seemed to agree with Lloyd's determination, and only smiled awkwardly.
"Why are you guys looking at me like that? Do you think that I'm no match for the Second Prince?"
"Haha. Of course not. I heard duck stew is on the menu tonight, I'm really looking forward to it, Your Excellency."
"Ah. I've been looking forward to this dinner tonight as well. Hahaha. Let's go in quickly.
Watching everyone shuffle into the dining room as if it was an appointment, Lloyd clenched his fists and repeated the firm vow in his mind.
***
Three hours before issuing the order to Tara, 2nd Imperial Palace.
Walter and Nick were reporting to the 2nd Prince in his office after their morning training.
"The Emperor will be in attendance, so I've arranged for additional escorts to be stationed here, here, and here in the seating area on the third floor."
After Nick finished his report, pointing to a map of the mock battle that was going to take place in the afternoon, Walter took over.
"Under Chris' command, we've decided to provide the money sent by the Empress to the orphanages and vulnerable groups in each region. The conditions for the aid stipulate that the newly created mercenary corps song will be taught there."
"Yes. It would be good to have it sung at puppet shows and other performances. Tell them to use the aid for that as well."
"Yes, Your Highness. Then I will send an order that, as of today, all investigations into those involved with the Cursed Mercenaries are off limits. I will also instruct those assigned to that job to return to their original positions."
Kyle nodded with an emotionless expression as always.
"Yes. Give the personnel assigned to the mercenary corps case a bonus and a vacation."
"Yes, Your Highness, but God only knows how the Empress came to concede so quickly."
Kyle smiled wryly.
"Andrei gave me a present. Harriet, Franz's First Aide, foolishly spread rumours in Franz's name and sent letters of encouragement to each group, promising them a job at the Palace. Andrei showed me a letter he had obtained."
"Ah. As expected of the head of the Black Society. I can't believe he got his hands on that."
Walter nodded slowly, carefully studying his master's expression. His wry smile faded and he returned to his impassive expression, but it felt dark somehow.
'Is it because of the Second Aide's leave of absence? I was hoping to hear about the whip I gave her last time, but... She's been on leave since her birthday. You still won't tell me what's going on, so I'm going to have to... Hah.'
Besides, hadn't he met with the Empress last night? Walter didn't say much, gathered his papers and turned around, thinking that his Master was in a bad mood.
At times like this, it was best to stay out of the way. But as usual, our Nick couldn't resist being curious.
"No, Your Highness, I've been investigating this for nearly six years, so why are we just stopping? I've made some progress, but it's a waste like this!"
Kyle laughed a little.
"As wasteful as it is, the case has already been tainted by false rumours. Proving the truth would be difficult even if we investigate further. Besides..."
Kyle paused, rose from his seat and grabbed his coat.
"...?"
"I shouldn't dispose of the Empress for those who would use me as a tool."
"What do you mean by that, Your Highness?"
It was Walted who asked this time.
"What would have happened if the fake mercenary who was ambushed and killed in the Chase territory had been brought to the Capital for questioning?"
"The fake mercenary would've testified that Her Majesty had ordered him to do it, and her reputation would've taken a big hit," Waltered answered right away, and Nick nodded as if he had known.
"That's what the person who orchestrated the incident is aiming for. Of course, she won't lose her position as Empress because of one witness, but her dignity will be damaged. She'll become the vicious Empress who tried to kill the Emperor's child out of envy and jealousy. The person who set up the fake witness wanted to use me as a tool so that I could tarnish the Empress' reputation instead."
"So you're saying that because you didn't bring the witness to the Capital and placed them on trial, the rumour was spread."
"Yes. It was meant to harm both me and the Empress. The original mercenary corps song damages the Empress, while the altered version calls my loyalty into question. In other words, the Emperor will become wary of me. It's a cunning, but effective song."
"Still, if Your Highness' goal turns out like this..."
"Nick."
"Yes, Your Highness!"
"My ultimate goal, no, my revenge is to make the throne they so desperately desire my own. I don't intend to simply punish them for this case, so the investigation into the coastal incident stops here."
"Yes, Your Highness!"
The meeting with the Empress at the Harrington Manor had also left Kyle in a foul mood.
[If you think I'll be grateful for this, you're sorely mistaken, Second Prince. It would've been just as damaging to you if the tainted rumours had gotten out. So don't try to use this as an excuse to gain other advantages.]
Kyle stopped halfway through the open door and turned to look down at the Empress, who was sitting gracefully on the couch.
[Judging by how much you've been talking, you must be scared.]
The Empress gripped the armrests of the couch and gritted her teeth.
[Who's intimidated by who?! You've been talking more and more nonsense, you bastard!]
[Don't worry. I just didn't want to leave my task in the hands of others. So, please be always be vigilant of your surroundings and be prepared for emergencies, so that we may see this through until the end, Your Majesty the Empress.]
[W–What are you talking about! Y–Youuu!]
The Empress jumped to her feet and screamed, while Kyle immediately turned around and stormed out.
"I will be taking my leave now, Your Highness."
"Yes."
When Nick and Walter left the office to carry out their instructions, Nick turned the doorknob and bent down.
"A message arrived from the undercover team at House Elias, Your Highness."
Kyle was just about to leave his desk when Nick stopped him, and opened the letter.
[Lady Tara Elias has been attacked by a mysterious young man.]
In an instant, his heart constricted.
His breath caught in his throat. His fingertips tingled and his mind automatically began conjuring up the worst possible scenarios.
'It can't be. Tara is not so easy to...'
"Damn it, Walter, my sword!"
At Kyle's command, Walter grabbed his master's sword, which was lying right next to him, and threw it at him. Kyle caught it and headed straight for the door.
"Your Highness, what is it?"
‘She'll be safe. No, she has to be safe!'
Those were the only thoughts running through his mind.
"I will not be attending this afternoon's mock battle. Nick, you need to make sure the Elias family notifies the local law enforcement and get a sense of the surrounding circumstances..."
He rapidly gave out orders and paused in his tracks at the door. Then, very slowly, he released the handle of the door he was about to open.
"...?"
"How dare those rats use her."
"What? What are you talking about?"
Kyle's whole body suddenly came alive.
Walter and Nick had to take a few steps back due to the pressure.
His sharp gaze was more frightening than ever, and his jaw was tightly clenched, as if he was trying to restrain his anger.
Kyle, deep in thought, tried to suppress his Aurore as much as he could.
'With such a shallow trick... The moment I realized she was in danger, I acted without thinking. Shit. They're trying to figure out who she is to me.'
"Your Highness?" Nick asked nervously, and Kyle handed him the message.
"Oh, my... The Second Aide was attacked. I'll order the security forces to investigate."
In response to Nick's urgent words, Walter tapped him on the shoulder.
"Look. They called her 'Lady Tara Elias'," he said.
"Ah..."
Indeed. Not once since Tara Elias became the Second Aide had the undercover team called her Lady Tara Elias, not a single time.
"The handwriting isn’t even Toby's."
"Oh, my. How dare they do such a thing? It almost went right past me... Ah! Why, though?"
Walter tugged at Nick's elbow and quickly whispered, "Shut your mouth!"
Nick looked at Walter with wide eyes, protesting as if he felt it was unfair.
"No. I'm... Argh... Ugh!"
Walter clamped his hand over Nick's mouth and gritted his teeth.
"Please. Nick! Usually His Highness would've noticed straight away and ordered you to find the spy in hiding. So be quiet!"
"Ah..."
Nick, who finally understood, took two more steps back, gulped, and looked at his master. Walter did the same.
'Even though he's an insightful and thorough man, he acted on his emotions due to this shallow trick. This means that the Second Aide is special to His Highness. To be so shaken by her safety could act as a weakness. Will the Second Aide become a variable in his goals?'
Walter believed that he had a point with his interpretation of the situation.
As he was telling himself that he had made great progress, his master quickly issued an order.
"Walter, write this down."
"Yes, Your Highness, give me your command."