Chapter 15

As soon as the Marquis left the audience hall, Murien’s smile vanished.

The Captain of the 1st Knight Order, Egon, who had been quietly standing behind her, spoke indifferently.

“Looks like you figured it out.”

“…Yes. Maybe even more than we thought.”

Neither Egon nor Murien missed the fleeting look of defeat on Marquis Oro’s face.

Murien immediately turned toward the back door of the audience hall.

“Any word from Dame Hilde?”

“Not yet.”

“Select quick-footed and stealthy knights from the 1st Knight Order and send them to Marquis Oro’s mansion. This incident is definitely deeply involved.”

“Will do.”

It was natural for Murien to command the royal knights directly, and for Egon to take it lightly.

It had to be. The Delva royal palace was in a silent state of emergency.

‘Where are you, Irien…!’

On the Queen’s birthday, the Queen had gone missing.

Murien, masking her anxiety, headed to the Queen’s chambers. The knights guarding the inner quarters more strictly than usual quietly stepped aside.

“Your Majesty. It’s Murien. Excuse me for a moment.”

Without waiting for permission, Murien opened the door. She played the role of the Queen’s favored confidante, so no one found her behavior odd.

Inside sat only the veiled Queen, without any maids.

When Murien and Egon entered, the Queen didn’t move until the door closed, then quickly threw off her veil.

“It’s over, right? Please tell me it’s over…”

“We haven’t found Irien yet. You’ll have to handle the afternoon audience, Anri.”

“Ugh, save me, Madame…!”

“Stay still. You’ll ruin the dress.”

The person hidden under the veil wasn’t Irien, but Murien’s loyal maid and shadow bodyguard, Anri.

Early that morning, a maid who confirmed the Queen’s absence reported it to Murien, starting the chain of events. The 2nd Knight Order Captain, Hilde, who had long guarded Irien, tracked her alone, while Murien struggled to keep the Queen’s absence secret.

‘With foreign envoys gathered, Irien’s hobby must never be exposed.’

Even the disguise tools Irien used as “Camellia” weren’t enough—her confidante Senri had disappeared as well. Something must have happened while she was Camellia.

And the chief of the Capital Security Force, who was secretly backed by Murien, reported that last night, Marquis Oro’s third son, Brandon, caused trouble at the tavern Fiore and vanished.

‘Senri wouldn’t have been defeated by a drunken troublemaker. Something more serious happened.’

Recalling Marquis Oro’s earlier agitation, Murien looked grave.

She was also bothered that Marquis Oro’s second son, the Sovereign candidate, hadn’t accompanied the Weldon prince during the audience, especially since her political rival, Marquis Valantour, had brought the foreign prince.

‘He didn’t notice Anri’s acting. If they had Irien, they wouldn’t have left so easily. That’s a relief… But where are you, Irien?’

Anri, sensing her master’s anxiety, looked worried.

“You’re not saying I have to attend the evening banquet, right, Madame? No matter how talented, smart, resourceful, and quick-witted I am, and how well I can dance—actually, I dance really well, I could fly—but still!”

“Your mouth.”

“Yes.”

Anri quickly shut up under Murien’s soulless gaze, recognizing this was no time for jokes.

Egon, leaning against the wall, tilted his head.

“If she’s so confident, should we send her?”

“No… mmph.”

“…No.”

Anri, about to protest, covered her mouth at Murien’s glance. Murien pressed her temples, as if a headache was coming, and added,

“Even if you cover your face and act convincingly, you can’t fake your voice. At a banquet, facing many people at once, you can’t rely on luck like in an audience.”

“Hm… Then we’d better prepare right away.”

“Huh? For what?”

Murien turned, puzzled, as Egon gestured with his chin. Both Murien and Anri turned their heads in the same direction and shouted simultaneously.

“Irien!”

“Your Majesty! Senri!”

Irien and Senri, quietly entering through the terrace door, flinched at the enthusiastic reaction.

Murien, eyes brimming with tears, rushed toward Irien—not to hug her, but to smack her back.

Slap slap!

“You…! Didn’t I tell you to stop that, didn’t I?”

“Ow! You said to stop soon, not right away…”

“Irien!”

“Sorry.”

Irien dodged Murien’s hand, then hugged her.

“Sorry for worrying you.”

“…”

“I won’t do anything dangerous again. Really.”

“…You—you’re such a bad girl. Really…”

Murien’s legs wobbled. Anri quickly came to support her.

Even Murien, notorious and famous in society, found this crisis terrifying. She’d only held out because no one else could make decisions without Irien. Confirming her sister’s safety, she finally collapsed.

Anri helped Murien to a nearby chair, then signaled Senri silently.

‘I was worried.’

‘…Sorry.’

Though they served different masters, they were sisters by blood. Their brief exchange was quiet, so as not to disturb their overwhelmed mistresses.

As the commotion settled, Egon spoke.

“Where is my wife? Did you miss her?”

“No. I met Hilde. She’s watching a criminal…”

“Watching?”

“A criminal?”

Murien questioned, then frowned as if something clicked.

“Is it about Brandon, Marquis Oro’s third son?”

“Yes. It’s a long story…”

Knock knock knock.

Irien’s words were interrupted by a knock from outside.

“Your Majesty. The envoys are waiting for the afternoon audience.”

“Oh dear…”

She hadn’t even started explaining. Irien and Murien exchanged silent glances.

Both looked at Anri.

Anri, relieved to finally shed the heavy dress and crown, flinched and looked anxiously at her masters.

“No way…”

“You’re dressed beautifully, Anri.”

“Please handle the afternoon audience as well.”

“Nooo…!”

Her fears became reality. Anri, face crumpled, left the room disguised as Irien, veiled.

This time, Senri quickly changed into a maid’s outfit and followed, knowing the situation.

As the chamber door closed, Irien opened her mouth under Murien’s urging gaze.

“So, what happened is…”

***

After the afternoon audience ended, twilight descended.

As Murien helped Irien prepare for the evening banquet, she sighed.

“Even so, to use a magic tool for such a thing…”

Magic had long vanished from the continent; magic tools were relics of a bygone era. But when found, their power could exceed human understanding.

So most countries made it law to report, register, and claim them as state property.

Yet greedy nobles sometimes found magic tools and traded them secretly, without reporting.

Brandon was one of them.

“I’d heard rumors the third son was problematic, unlike the first and second, but I didn’t expect him to be so reckless.”

“Right. Even Marquis Oro can’t protect his son this time.”

“We secured the boy and the magic tool, but Irien, this was risky. Don’t think of leaving the palace again.”

“…”

“Answer.”

“Yes…”

She’d sneak out anyway, so it didn’t matter.

Irien avoided her sister’s gaze in the mirror and changed the subject.

“So, I need a technician who can replicate the magic tool.”

“I’ll look into it as soon as possible. But… can you trust that foreigner?”

“…”

Irien explained everything to Murien, except the side effects of the magic tool and spending the night with Usher.

Thanks to his mysterious power, all pain and traces of intimacy vanished, so Murien noticed nothing while helping Irien change.

She believed Usher and his group just rescued Irien from danger and protected her until she recovered.

“No matter how much he helped, to return such a rare magic tool… He’s a merchant, isn’t he? Buy it instead. If it’s so powerful, it could become a national treasure.”

“No amount of money will work.”

“Of course, it won’t be cheap. But you can at least try to bargain. Does he think our country is what it used to be? The railroad is making so much money, what’s the problem?”

‘The problem is he doesn’t want money…’

Unable to say the foreigner wanted her time instead of material reward, Irien made excuses.

“It seems very important to him. It was hard enough just to borrow it, so let’s leave it at that. Brandon’s case is more important. We need to make sure Marquis Oro can’t cut off the tail…”

“He won’t be able to.”

Click.

Just then, Hilde entered the toilette, interrupting. She was now dressed in a crisp white uniform as the Captain of the 2nd Knight Order.

“Brandon’s interrogation just ended. He wasn’t the one who obtained the magic tool—it was his father, Marquis Oro.”

“What?”

“Marquis Oro got it at an underworld auction. He intended to give it to his second son, but confessed he intercepted it.”

“He intended to give it to his second son?”

“No way…”

The sisters exchanged glances in the mirror. Marquis Oro had been unusually sensitive during today’s audience; his second son, the Sovereign candidate, hadn’t accompanied the prince…

“So that’s why he didn’t come.”

The birthday festival lasted a week, but there was only one chance to meet the Queen.

“Even if they retrieved the magic tool, they would miss the chance to use it.”

A heavy silence fell.

Irien closed her eyes, then opened them with a cold smile.

“They targeted me from the beginning.”

Brandon, or rather Marquis Oro, obtained the magic tool for one purpose only.

To use it on Queen Irien.

As the room was wrapped in cold silence, a black shadow flickered beyond the slightly open window.

At that moment, Hilde’s red gaze snapped to that direction. But only leaves swaying in the wind were visible.

‘That presence just now…’

Hilde’s eyes narrowed. Then, with a knock, Egon entered.