135. A Link

When Larael called Joy’s name, Joy—who had been waiting outside the door—hurried into the bedchamber.

“Your Highness, what is the matter?”

“Sit here for a moment.”

Joy obeyed her order and sat down across from her. He looked at Larael, who seemed unsettled, with a puzzled expression.

“Joy, I once saw you using aura. Can you show me now?”

“What??”

Joy hesitated for a moment, but soon nodded and stood. He drew the sword at his waist. His expression turned serious, and as a dark light flickered along his fingertips, his sword became shrouded in that same darkness.

“That’s enough.”

Looking bewildered, Joy sheathed his sword again and returned to the sofa.

“But please keep it a secret that I can use aura.”

“Of course. Joy, there’s something I want to ask you.”

“Yes, please ask me anything.”

“You must answer honestly, without hiding anything. I won’t scold you.”

Larael’s gaze grew even more serious.

“Yes. It’s only natural that I answer Your Highness truthfully.”

“Have you ever stolen from a noble’s mansion?”

“Your Highness!!! What are you saying!!!”

At Larael’s question, Joy’s face instantly flushed red, and he shot up from his seat in shock.

“Joy, I only asked. I just wanted to know, that’s all. Don’t get worked up—sit down.”

Joy lowered his head and sat back on the sofa. He couldn’t easily raise his eyes again. From his demeanor, Larael became certain that there was indeed something there.

“……The truth is, there was one time. But it was because of the slave trade. I swear it’s true.”

When Larael remained silent, merely watching him, Joy glanced up briefly, then opened his mouth again.

“Slaves?”

“Yes. You know, Your Highness—when you first met me……”

Larael recalled the first time she had met Joy. He had been captured and dragged away by men who kidnapped slaves and sold them to traders. Considering Joy’s abilities now, it had truly been an absurd situation.

“Come to think of it…… why were you being dragged away then? With your strength, you could have escaped easily. The fact that they killed each other over gold coins……”

“To be honest, I allowed myself to be captured on purpose so I could enter the slave traders’ base. My plan was to infiltrate and wipe them out at once.”

“So…… I ended up interfering.”

Larael half-closed her eyes and sighed. At that, Joy quickly waved his hands and added hastily,

“No, Your Highness. There was no guarantee I would have been able to catch them anyway. Though it all ended up coming to nothing, back then I had been investigating someone I suspected of being connected to the higher ranks of the slave traders.”

“How?”

“I overheard the men dragging me talking about a certain slave trader. I don’t know what the relationship was, but I once saw him following behind an academy student. At the scene where the men who received Your Highness’s gold were killed, I noticed an academy student in uniform watching from slightly behind the crowd with a strange expression in his eyes.”

Larael’s gaze grew sharper and sharper. Joy wet his lips, then continued.

“I secretly followed him and once even infiltrated his mansion. But it was spotless—not a shred of evidence. Out of anger, I only stole a few of his ornaments. That was all. Please believe me.”

“Do you know who that person was?”

“That man…… you know him. He’s become quite well-known recently. Count Briznay.”

Larael’s mind went blank in shock. At the completely unexpected name coming from Joy’s mouth, her lips parted in disbelief, and she covered them with both hands.

“Joy, bring Count Winters to the palace at once.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

Sensing something unusual in Larael’s expression, Joy left the chamber. Afterward, her maid entered.

“Your Highness, shall we prepare to head to the main palace?”

Joanna asked. But Larael sat staring blankly into the air, as if she hadn’t even heard her words.

“Your Highness?”

When Sasha called her once more, Larael blinked rapidly twice, then turned her gaze to her.

“No, there’s something I need to do first……”

Larael rose from the sofa and sat down at her desk. She began scribbling on a blank sheet of paper, sorting out her thoughts.

She had always considered the current Count Briznay only as a victim who had lost his father, never once thinking to connect him to anything else. The peasant uprising, though lacking evidence, was certainly backed by Duke Anderman and Herwen.

If the Anderman ducal family or Herwen were behind Count Briznay, then they could very well be involved in his illegal slave trade. And come to think of it, if they were the ones pulling the strings, it explained why the illegal slave dealings had never surfaced until now.

Larael felt as though she had finally grasped the thread of a counterattack. She paced meaninglessly around her chamber, anxious for Joy to return with Dean.

***

It was later than Larael had expected when Joy finally arrived with Dean.

“I greet Your Highness the Empress Consort.”

When they entered, Larael dismissed all her maid. Dean swallowed hard at the urgent expression on Larael’s face and fixed his eyes on her lips.

“We must thoroughly search the Briznay estate.”

Larael spoke before they had even sat down on the sofa.

“What? The Briznay estate, Your Highness?”

The words that came out of Larael’s mouth were completely unexpected. Dean slowly sat on the sofa, tilting his head as he looked at her.

On the way to the palace with Joy, who had suddenly come to fetch him, Dean had asked what was going on. Instead of answering, Joy had worn an expression as if he were about to cry. He mumbled that he must have done something bad, then turned his head toward the window and refused to speak further. Dean hadn’t pressed him either. So he had vaguely assumed that Larael’s summons must have had something to do with Joy.

Larael nodded.

“Yes, the Briznay estate. Especially Count Briznay himself—from his days as a young lord, and during his time at the Academy—I need every detail. And Joy, you will go down to the Briznay territory immediately and investigate their household.”

“What? Are you telling me to steal, Your Highness?”

Joy widened his eyes as he asked. Larael nodded calmly.

“It is not stealing—it is called an infiltration investigation, Sir Joy.”

“Ah……”

When Dean explained from the side, Joy nodded in understanding.

“So, I’ve been entrusted with an important task, haven’t I?”

“Yes, Joy. We will continue what you had already begun. You must uncover proof that he is connected to the slave traders. Can you do it?”

“Yes, Your Highness!!”

Joy nodded, answering with firm conviction. At the mention of slave traders, Dean’s eyebrows twitched.

“Is there a reason, Your Highness, that we are investigating the Briznay estate?”

“Joy, could you step out for a moment?”

At Larael’s words, Joy left the chamber. Larael then relayed to Dean everything she had discussed with Joy. Dean listened with a grave expression. It was a link that even Four Seasons, who prided himself as the greatest intelligence broker in the empire, had failed to detect. Strangely, Dean felt a sting to his pride.

“Please investigate all the information on the Briznay estate—the flow of their funds, and any possible connections they might have.”

“Yes, Your Highness. Also, just now, the Tower Master and Marquis Argen came with Lady Layton and took away the assassin. They said it was by your order.”

Larael nodded.

“Yes. I ordered it so that we could confirm the place where the assassins had been hiding in the capital.”

“What do you intend to do now, Your Highness? Could it be……”

Larael’s red eyes turned toward Dean. Startled, Dean averted his gaze at once.

“If you are asking whether such an event happened before the regression, the answer is no. Even I did not foresee this.”

“Your Highness, I will remain by your side and do all I can to assist you. But I am worried, for you do not look well. I believe it is also necessary that you set aside your burdens, even if just a little, and take care of yourself.”

“Thank you, Dean. Then, I must go see His Majesty now. Once the investigation is complete, report to me either through Joy or in person.”

“Yes, Your Highness. I will do so.”

Larael nodded and rose from the sofa.