Masquerade - Chapter 2
As she stood up, she took out a small pair of scissors from her pocket and cut the embroidery thread connected to the unfinished pattern.
With a soft sound, the thread that had been wavering in the air fell onto the table.
The man still hadn’t touched the embroidery hoop. Elia, unconcerned, held out the embroidery to him.
“Don’t forget. The bet.”
* * *
The autumn sunlight streamed into the antique office belonging to the head of the Grand Council, the Chancellor.
Countless people visited him until well past lunchtime. The Chancellor of the kingdom greeted them with his usual demeanor, but the courtiers closest to him noticed that he was particularly on edge today.
Rejun was glaring at his desk drawer.
In the drawer was a letter he had received a few days ago.
[The winds of Fluora will soon blow. It’s time to reclaim the duty you’ve forgotten. Attend the Marquis’s masquerade and discover the identity of the person you meet. Move in utmost secrecy, so go yourself.]
His father was not one to speak nonsense. Because he had been unable to move from his territory for over 10 years due to physical difficulties, Rejun had been handling matters that needed to be dealt with in Shilom, the capital.
Mostly, it involved supporting nobles from the Eastern Duchy who wanted asylum, or meeting secret envoys from foreign countries. There was nothing unusual about it since most of the Eastern nobles were his relatives.
But this time, the contents of the letter were strange. A masquerade, and to discover their identity? Rejun had never lived a moment of his life hiding himself. Espionage was not his domain. His father knew this well, so why…
It was all very puzzling. Moreover, what duty had he forgotten? He was tormented by things he couldn’t forget, so what could he have forgotten?
“Your Grace.”
Rejun looked up at the man standing in front of his desk. It was his aide, Michael.
“Michael.”
“About the investigation you ordered this morning. I’m here to report.”
Michael took out a box and some documents from his breast pocket.
“As you might have guessed, this is indeed Wernyu Mountain silk, which is only presented to the royal family. Moreover, the gold thread used for embroidery is only used for making royal garments. You can find the details in this report.”
The dry gesture that received the documents flipped through the report quickly.
[…It is certainly from Wernyu Mountain. This high-quality silk is by far the best in terms of texture and material, not easily flammable or stainable, and thus classified as top-grade. The reason it’s only presented to the royal family is that there are no more than five artisans in the entire continent who can make it, and the method is passed down as a secret technique…]
He took out the embroidery hoop from the box and held it up.
“Who could have access to this?”
“Members of the royal family, a few high-ranking nobles who have received handkerchiefs or such from His Majesty as gifts, royal tailors, anyone who could have approached the cargo during the transport of the silk and gold thread, smugglers…”
The answers poured out as if he had anticipated the question. However, Michael, focusing on the fact that the Chancellor had ordered the investigation, listed mostly individuals related to criminal activities.
While that woman had seemed bold, it was unlikely she would openly carry around stolen royal items. In reality, though her tone was light, her conduct was proper, and she moved according to court etiquette when sitting and standing, so it was reasonable to assume she had connections to the royal family.
Rejun dismissed Michael, who was still listing potential suspects.
Royal items, huh. While Wernyu silk was a precious fabric, it wasn’t impossible to own if one was determined. Moreover, according to the report, what needed attention was not the silk but the thread. Gold thread directly sponsored by the royal family for production. The kind of item that might be gifted to a royal family member’s close associate or to foreign royalty.
Rejun retraced his memory. Due to the mask covering half her face and the hat pulled up to hide her hair, he couldn’t pinpoint her appearance. All he could remember was the green eyes shining through the white mask, a voice with a clear Shilom accent, and a small frame. That wasn’t enough to identify anyone specifically.
Moreover, an attendant was waiting on one side of the balcony. Guards were likely not far away either.
‘Narland would be crying.’
Narland. Comparing herself to the ancient king who was humiliated by the Eight Knights suggested she might be royalty from a fallen country, or nobility from the Eastern Duchy. Then what about the letter with unclear intentions? Was it asking him to personally take care of her, unlike before when he would arrange hideouts and send them where they wanted?
She didn’t seem to be seeking asylum or a hideout. She must have come out after receiving some kind of communication through some channel, but like Rejun, she came out not knowing who the other person was. It was a matter important enough for a high-ranking lady to move directly at a time close to midnight. In such cases, there would usually be an urgent request. But when Rejun appeared not to know her, she seemed confused at first, and later seemed to be suppressing anger.
Rather than her original purpose, what was her intention behind asking him to figure out who she was? No matter how much he thought about it, he couldn’t find a reason. He considered the recent entangled situations thoroughly. There was no reason to need to know a new person if he wasn’t in a position to help.
Or could it be…
Rejun recalled that the location was Marquis Dint’s masquerade ball. While it was a place where domestic and foreign secret agents operated, it was also a hotbed of free love. He shook his head. His father had never once pressured him about marriage. He wanted to believe that this wasn’t an attempt to arrange a personal meeting. Touching his forehead, he picked up his quill pen.
[Although I met an unidentified person at the Marquis’s mansion, I cannot be certain it was the agent Your Grace mentioned. However, regardless of her identity, I decline if she is someone I must care for. I have no intention of meeting her again. It would be much easier for Your Grace to support her directly.]
* * *
“…So, we’ve finally started planting and cultivating various bulb seedlings in the Pin region. We predict that if the harvest increases, the western harvest will increase faster than expected.”
Elia muttered while half-listening to Professor Bobbin’s explanation.
“Is that so? That’s good…”
“Your Highness? Are you feeling unwell? You’ve seemed low on energy all day. And you were so curious about the situation in the west.”
Bobbin indirectly commented on her inattentive attitude towards the lesson.
Elia straightened her wandering gaze.
Across from her, wearing large glasses and with sparkling intelligent eyes, was a young woman who was a botany professor at Academia. Being the only one in her 30s among the princess’s professors, Elia had grown somewhat close to Bobbin, even engaging in casual conversation.
“Ah, I just feel a bit tired.”
“Shall we end early today?”
“Sure.”
Elia brushed it off. Her mind was entirely occupied with the events of the previous night and the identity of the man. She wasn’t even sure how the lesson had passed and ended.
After Professor Bobbin left with a farewell, Elia suddenly had a good idea.
“Marie! Bring me some ordinary clothes!”
Marie moved without a word. Elia also sprang up from her seat, immediately preparing to go out. She didn’t change her dress as she usually didn’t wear elaborate clothing. After just draping a cloak over her simple attire, Marie asked worriedly,
“Where are you going?”
“The Academia.”
Marie’s eyes widened unusually.
“Why suddenly to the Academia?”
“The Chancellor of Academia must be involved too. There’s no way he isn’t. Did you think I’d just sit quietly?”
“You’re angry, Your Highness.”
“You heard it with me on the balcony yesterday. How could I not be angry? He invited me to a strange place saying I’d be curious about his identity, but when I went, someone who didn’t even know who I was showed up. What kind of situation is this? Are they trying to test me in such an unpleasant way? I even moved outside the palace in person!”
“That’s true.”
“Of course! I do go on secret outings often. But if someone wants an audience, they should obviously come to me, right?”
“That’s right.”
“Besides, if it was simply to insult me, that’s strange too. Why go through all that trouble for an insult that’s neither bothersome nor impactful? It’s really weird, isn’t it?”
Marie handed her a hat with a deep brim, looking worried. Elia roughly pulled the hat down, muttering,
“I wonder. what’s the purpose”
Carefully placing glasses on her nose, she murmured as if in a trance.
“I have to attend the Didante Ball soon. When I enter society, all sorts of people will try to cling to me. I won’t live as a puppet, being dragged around.”
Elia quickly descended the stairs and caught up with Professor Bobbin, who was leaving the annex. As she stepped outside, Paul, the captain of the guard who was on sentry duty, moved quietly. Though there were only a few guards, they, like Marie, had served faithfully for a long time, silently following and protecting Elia even when she went outside the castle.
