I clenched my fist and lowered it, and Soniel smiled gently.

“My lady, this will be all right, won’t it?”

I relaxed my expression and responded slowly.

“It’s regrettable… but unavoidable. I hope you go back and recover soon.”

“Thank you.”

Soniel turned away with a faint smile.

After she left, I hurriedly sat down and unfolded the crumpled paper.

“How many times did she fold this?”

After finally unfolding the thoroughly creased paper, I found it filled with tiny, densely packed writing.

“Hah.”

The writing was a mess, as if written against something soft.

She must not have been able to write at a desk. This letter might have been written secretly while curled up in bed.

If so, this wasn’t just a letter but a kind of cry for help.

I bit my lip and slowly began to focus on the text.

<When I heard you were looking for me, Father allowed me to go out today. He told me to show you that nothing’s wrong and I’m doing well.

Johana and Lili take turns guarding me. I probably won’t be able to talk in detail when we meet.

After you left, there was a problem that night.

I’ve never seen Father so angry before.

But thanks to that, I learned some things. The things you were curious about.

The more I learn, though, the more frightened I become. I’m scared and terrified.

It took me some time to make up my mind.

When things are more organized, I’ll somehow get this to you.

Father said that as punishment for going to the forbidden part of the garden and not being honest about it, all outings and lessons are prohibited for the time being.

Up to this point, it was still bearable.

The problem is that the next day, a woman called Madam Grita came and has been forcing strange things on me.

She teaches me how to get pregnant easily, about *ntercourse, and makes me do terrible movements.

I can’t even write everything here.

It’s shameful and disgusting. I finally gathered the courage to tell Father I couldn’t do it anymore, but instead I heard even more frightening words from him.

He said my reason for coming here and my role was only for that. That the time would come soon, and if I didn’t fulfill it properly, he would kill me.

My lady, I don’t know what to do anymore. Sometimes I want to go back to where I could live freely even if I had just a piece of bread, but then I pull myself together and tell myself that’s not right.

I try to endure by thinking it’s nothing, but my mind changes dozens of times a day.

Of course, there are no other options. I’m happy to have come here, gained a new life, and met you, my lady.

And perhaps hearing Father’s plans has helped me make up my mind.

I still don’t know exactly what I need to accomplish. I only know that Father could kill me at any moment.

It seems we won’t be able to meet easily for a while. But I’ll hang in there. Please don’t worry too much.

-Titi.>

“……”

Soniel’s situation was far worse than I had thought or imagined.

“It’s all because of me.”

I put the paper down on the table and buried my face in my hands.

‘Who goes there!’

The man’s voice that had flown at me when I turned around rang in my ears again.

It was natural for her to think it was Soniel since she heard someone calling “Miss.”

I was pathetic for thinking nothing would happen just because I ran away.

I was too complacent.

Just because nothing happened didn’t mean all problems were solved.

“I didn’t expect him to reveal his true colors so quickly.”

Additionally, her father’s explicit words and actions were unbearable.

‘So this is how an uneasy peace shatters.’

‘…he said he would kill me.’

The “time coming soon” likely meant Foil was waiting for Ainberg to return.

From the letter’s contents, it seemed Soniel didn’t know whom she was supposed to seduce.

‘Why didn’t he tell her that? What was the reason for hiding that the target was the Emperor?’

I felt conflicted, both wanting Ainberg to return quickly and hoping he wouldn’t come at all.

While I was clutching my head and unable to look up, the door opened and Sabine walked in.

“Oh my, Miss!”

Sabine quickly put down her tray and came to me.

“Are you all right? Does your head hurt?”

Not even slightly all right.

When I slowly shook my head, Sabine spoke with a puzzled voice.

“Did Miss Soniel already leave? I brought lots of delicious things. Did she leave because you weren’t feeling well?”

“No, it’s the opposite.”

“The opposite?”

Without further explanation, I handed the letter to Sabine.

“Miss, what is this?”

Receiving the paper crumpled like a rag, Sabine turned it over and opened her eyes wide.

“Why did you crumple the letter like this?”

“……”

“Could it be because it’s a letter from His Majesty the Emperor…?”

Hey.

I bit my lip and glared at Sabine once.

“It’s not from His Majesty.”

“I’m sorry, Miss.”

“Soniel secretly gave it to me before she left. Read it.”

“She came today and secretly gave you a letter?”

“Yes, it seems the girls who came with her were ordered to monitor her.”

“Ah.”

Sabine looked at the letter again and said:

“But she’s young and worked as a maid, yet she knows almost all the letters. She seems better than me.”

“She probably learned by watching from the corner of her eye while working at the boarding school.”

“What a clever child.”

Sabine calmly began to read the letter. And as she read, her face gradually turned ashen.

“Oh, my goodness.”

Sabine put the letter back on the table and couldn’t hide her anxious expression.

“Wh-what should we do? It’s because I talked about playing hide-and-seek.”

Then her face became precarious, as if she might burst into tears at any moment.

“It’s not your fault. If I hadn’t gone into the garden that day… I wouldn’t have even known my former father was plotting something.”

“……”

“Finding that out was actually fortunate.”

“But what about Miss Soniel?”

“Yes, that’s the problem. Should I tell him it was me?”

That it was actually me, that I got lost while walking in the garden and happened to hear something.

That Soniel was scared and took the blame for my mistake.

Should I say she’s a good child and ask him to be lenient?

‘……’

No, this isn’t a good idea.

If I know Foil Viper, he might instead become suspicious of the relationship between Soniel and me.

“Miss, look here.”

Sabine spread the letter on the table and pointed with her finger.

“She says she learned some things thanks to this. She’ll organize and somehow deliver it.”

“……”

“Wouldn’t it make things more difficult for Miss Soniel if we moved carelessly?”

Sabine was right.

I was angry and frustrated, but there was nothing I could do right now.

“But how will she deliver it?”

I wished she would just lie low, but it was also heartbreaking to see her trying to find her own escape route.

‘She’s learned that coming to the Duke’s family wasn’t entirely a good thing. Should I have… told her earlier?’

But Soniel was a much smarter child than we thought.

A few days later, she boldly delivered a letter through Johana.

“Hello, my lady.”

“What is it?”

Though I was desperately curious about Soniel’s well-being, I deliberately responded calmly without making a fuss.

“She said she’s learning chess from you and you gave her homework.”

When Johana trailed off, I quickly picked up the thread.

“Yes, I gave her homework before she left, but I haven’t been able to check it because Soniel hasn’t been well lately.”

“So my Miss asked me to deliver this.”

Johana handed me something in an envelope.

Receiving the unsealed letter, I barely managed to suppress my rising irritation.

“What a diligent student. Truly befitting a lady of the Viper family.”

When I spoke with a gentle smile, Johana also smiled slightly.

I didn’t look at the envelope until Johana turned away. I thought I shouldn’t show any signs of impatience.

“I’ll send a reply separately.”

“Yes. Then I’ll be going now, my lady.”

When the door closed and even the footsteps completely faded away, I carefully picked up the envelope.

[There are 5 boards, each containing 100 pawns.

More pawns and bishops exist in places that cannot be verified.

Each chess board has at least 10 knights.

I don’t know about the king.

Are they aiming for checkmate now?

This is the answer to the riddle you gave me, my lady.

Studying chess with you was really fun. I hope to recover my health soon and play chess with you again.

-Soniel Viper]