Chapter 4 – The Skill Of Making A Move (Part 11)

The breakfast table started quietly as always.

Tap-tap-tap.

But that silence was broken by the sound of cheerful footsteps.

“Good morning.”

At the same time, a slightly low but clear voice was heard.

Lorraine entered the dining room with a smile. She greeted the butler who was setting the table in front of her as she sat down.

“Good morning.”

“Yes, good morning.”

The butler responded with a smile and quickly set the table.

“Oh, one more person will be coming down today.”

“Then should we not send breakfast to the second floor?”

“Yes, please.”

“Then I’ll go prepare it quickly.”

As soon as the butler left the dining room, Erich asked, as if he had been waiting.

“Is Olivia… coming down?”

“She’ll come down. She said she would….”

Then, suddenly, she stopped speaking.

Tap-tap. Step-step-step. Timely cautious footsteps were heard descending the stairs.

“She’s coming.”

Erich’s gaze turned towards the entrance of the dining room. Only then could Lorraine check the breakfast menu.

“Your Grace.”

“…What?”

“If this place is not well-maintained, what does that say about other places?”

They had been staying there for six days, but no matter how she thought about it, this place was well-maintained by anyone’s standards.

Compared to the family home, it was a palace. The bacon was glossy, the egg yolks were firm, and the thick asparagus was perfect. The bread in the center of the table was still warm.

Although it was a simple menu, it was evident that it was meticulously prepared with high-quality ingredients.

“And merchants come and go every dawn… Is it okay to let outsiders in?”

The only response to her question was—

“Sharp as always.”

-just that.

“…Your Grace.”

When Lorraine called out with a sigh, Edwin, with a nonchalant face, flipped through the newspaper and said.

“The merchant who comes and goes every dawn is the Emperor’s hand, Zero.”

“What?”

‘Why the Emperor’s hand?’ 

Edwin, seeing Lorraine’s puzzled gaze, folded the newspaper he was reading neatly and handed it to her.

“Because of this.”

“This is….”

Under the headline [Crisis in Fontaine?], an article caught her eye […As the Emperor’s health rapidly deteriorates, there are reports that a close aide, Mr. A, is attempting to defect…].

Though expressed in a twisted way, it was clear the story was about Marquis Gillas.

Looking down at the headline with a complicated face, Lorraine asked.

“…Philip is alive, right?”

Suddenly, she recalled the end of the letter where he had written, <…I might die before all this is over.>

“Fortunately, he’s alive.”

“Well, that’s a relief.”

Nodding, Lorraine chewed her food aggressively. It was a habit she developed from working with the workaholic Duke Edwin Duncan while eating.

The bacon and soft-fried eggs disappeared in an instant. Lorraine finished her meal with a glass of water and wiped her mouth before asking.

“Anyway… where did this article come from? <Weekly Mozet>? Where is that even from?”

Given her superior, she even read yellow papers, but this was the first time she had seen this publication.

“Finding that out is your job.”

“You say that so easily.”

Lorraine stood up with a smile.

There was a lot of work to do.

***

“How long are you going to keep watching?”

Olivia muttered grumpily with a fork in her mouth. Unfortunately, the person who had relieved themselves of all burdens couldn’t hear anything.

“Do you need anything else? How about some pie? The cherry pie is good today.”

Even though she looked at him with dissatisfied eyes while eating a salad with kiwi dressing, he didn’t falter.

“…Or there’s peach tart too.”

‘Does he think I’m a child?’

Olivia looked at him with a sour face for a moment before putting down her fork and wiping her mouth.

‘Still.’

“…Do you have pumpkin pie?”

“Of course.”

Food was innocent. Erich got up as if he had been waiting and brought the pumpkin pie.

“Here you go.”

Olivia’s face looked much more lively than before. She nodded and murmured.

“…Thank you.”

It’s been a while since he had this kind of experience. Erich persistently watched Olivia, who took the plate without making eye contact.

“So, did you get some sleep?”

“…Just enough.”

She replied nonchalantly, cutting the pie into appropriate sizes and putting it in her mouth. However, the dark circles under her eyes couldn’t be hidden. Erich, watching her quietly, muttered.

“I guess I shouldn’t have told you.”

The mood in the dining room, which was about to turn gloomy, was reversed when Olivia firmly put down her fork.

“Anyway, what’s my sister planning?”

She continued speaking as she drank the tea the butler had quietly brought.

“After locking us up like this, she must have something in mind.”

“Ah….”

“Even if she didn’t tell me, she must have told you.”

‘You’d better spill it.’ 

Olivia propped her chin on her clasped hands and smiled.

It was a smile that felt somewhat chilling, Erich thought.

***

Whether Olivia and Erich fought or reconciled didn’t really matter much to Lorraine.

“<Weekly Mozet> seems to be related to an apprentice who worked under the Royal Chamberlain.”

Edwin’s eyebrows twitched as he listened to Lorraine’s report.

“The Chamberlain?”

He subconsciously imagined an elderly gentleman armed with strictness.

“Yes. Chamberlain Johan.”

The Chamberlain’s family had the unique tradition of adopting successors. The position was usually filled by boys under the age of 15 who had lost both parents.

These selected boys had to undergo rigorous training under the mission of guarding the Emperor day and night and protecting his life.

Both Johan and Zero had gone through such a process to secure their current positions.

“He’s not the type to do that…?”

Edwin tilted his head. Johan, true to his role created for the Emperor, was meticulous in all matters related to Jamie.

Especially his meticulousness shone when it came to Edwin—

「…When do you plan to get married?」

Because he believed that Jamie’s lack of marriage was due to his cousin and subordinate, Edwin.

「Chamberlain.」

「Yes, Your Grace.」

「Do I have ‘marriage’ written on my face or something?」

Edwin had already endured a round of nagging. Although he was smiling, his furrowed brows and the coldness in his golden eyes made it clear that he was angry.

「You mention marriage every time you see my face.」

「It is indeed time for you to marry.」

But the sly Johan was not one to back down.

「I still vividly remember your childhoods. Every year you caught a cold in a new way, keeping everyone in the palace on edge.」

‘Why bring that up now?’ 

Edwin felt a headache coming on. As he was about to say something, Johan skillfully cut him off.

「It’s just… an old man’s concern, hoping that the pillars of this country have proper heirs… Well, there’s no need to take it too seriously.」

It was a warning that something would happen. Johan’s premonitions were never wrong.

Edwin suddenly looked at Lorraine standing in front of him.

‘Indeed, Johan.’

It was a series of unexpected events.

Johan’s premonition was once again spot-on, mocking Edwin’s past certainty that he would never marry.

“Your Grace? Are you listening?”

“…Continue.”

“I thought you were sleeping with your eyes open.”

Lorraine shrugged and continued, placing the documents about the apprentice chamberlain on the table.

“Anyway, they plan to punish the apprentice for spreading information as soon as they secure him.”

Edwin, skimming through the documents she handed over, muttered.

“An apprentice dismissed for embezzlement….”

“Yes, well… when I asked the palace about the situation at that time, they said it wasn’t a big deal. Just….”

“Just?”

Edwin’s eyes grew more serious at the meaningful conjunction.

“Just… it didn’t improve, and he repeatedly committed the same actions, which led to his dismissal.”

Lorraine looked puzzled.

“But the strange thing is, the apprentice seems to have harbored a grudge because of it.”

‘Even though it was his fault?’ 

Although she left the words unsaid, Edwin knew exactly what she meant.

“We don’t know if it’s just because of that. It’s too early to say.”

“That’s true, but….”

Edwin replied indifferently as he spread out the documents he hadn’t yet reviewed.

“Be glad we found a way to send the Marquis back.”

“…There could have been a better way.”

‘She always has to have the last word, doesn’t she?’ 

Edwin’s eyebrow arched slightly.

“…If you have a way to gather spilled water, go ahead and try.”

He picked up a pen from the inkwell and signed the document elegantly.

“…….”

Closing the signed document, Edwin spoke softly.

“Don’t curse me in your head.”

‘That’s why I don’t like perceptive superiors.’

“Of course not.”

Lorraine smiled brightly and took the documents Edwin handed over.

“By the way, how is your sister doing? Last time I saw, it seemed like they reconciled.”

“Yes, well… about that….”

She scratched the back of her head with a reluctant face.

“It’s… a bit… ambiguous, you see.”

“What do you mean?”

Edwin looked like he wanted a detailed explanation, but unfortunately, that was all Lorraine could say.