Side Story 2.2

It was an ambiguous time, too late to call evening but too early to call night. Waiting for Cyril was Danielle, now dressed in her familiar shirt and trousers. Cyril, who had somewhat anticipated such a turn of events, quickly hid his wry smile and asked, 

“So, what’s the mission?”

“Exploring secret passages.”

Of course, he hadn’t expected her to take on a task this risky.

Danielle calmly pulled an old parchment from her coat and spread it out. Even without examining it closely, its distinctive features made it instantly recognizable. It was a “more detailed” map of the Ingram fortress.

No wonder she had been able to navigate quiet spots even during the day… Cyril felt a wave of unease wash over him. Danielle glanced at him briefly, sensing his discomfort.

“Some of the passages only open one way, or require keys. So, even if something happens, we won’t get trapped and die.”

“…Where did you get this?”

“Her Majesty. Even I don’t know the original source.”

It couldn’t be Sir Felix, could it? 

If Felix had leaked this, even unintentionally, he would essentially be a traitor to Ingram. Then again, the late Duke Godfrey Ingram’s study had likely been thoroughly ransacked, so that might be the source… but that wasn’t the issue right now. Cyril hurriedly grabbed Danielle, who was already casually pushing open one of the walls.

“Is it really Her Majesty’s order for me to help you explore the secret passages of Ingram Castle?”

“Well… perhaps Her Majesty was impressed by our ‘ability to investigate the unknown.’”

“Truly…”

“Don’t overthink it. Her Majesty probably sees this as her way of apologizing.”

Under normal circumstances, this would have been the time for their honeymoon after the wedding. While their destination wasn’t the northern Odillon territory they had originally planned, but rather the southern Ingram—practically enemy territory—it was true that the south was objectively a better travel destination. The envoy was scheduled to stay in Ingram for about a week until the gifts to be sent to Allegra were ready.

In other words, this was a week-long vacation, essentially an early honeymoon. Entrusting them with inspecting—or rather, spying on—Ingram was simply a way of saying, “Make yourselves useful.”

But how could they “make themselves useful” with a map of secret passages in hand? Cyril began to wonder where in the fortress he could sneak into to produce results that would satisfy Her Majesty. Danielle, as if reading his mind, shook her head.

“I already scouted the place before you arrived. The problem isn’t inside the castle…”

“It’s outside?”

Danielle pulled Cyril close and led him into a secret passage. The sound of the door closing left the surroundings eerily quiet. She cupped her hand to her ear, signaling him to listen carefully. Cyril, whose sharp hearing was renowned even among the knights, held his breath and focused.

Creak, creak… click.

Cyril’s head snapped toward the faint sound. Danielle, who hadn’t noticed it herself, followed his gaze, clutching the map tightly. The faintest sound of footsteps… drawing closer, then abruptly changing direction and fading away. Cyril narrowed his eyes.

“An intruder?”

“If it’s an intruder, that’s fortunate. If it’s a collaborator, that’s less so. Did you hear it?”

“I couldn’t pinpoint the direction.”

Listening further was pointless. The two quickly returned to a well-lit room and pored over the map together. Cyril flipped the map back and forth before pointing to several passageways.

“It has to be one of these. Any farther than this, and the walls are too thick for the sound to carry.”

“Where do you think they’re headed? The lord’s chamber?”

“Or Lady Ingram’s room. You’d know better than I where she spends most of her time.”

Danielle Odillon, officially Annemarie Ingram’s lady-in-waiting, nodded seriously.

“She uses the lord’s office during the day and sleeps in the room she’s had since childhood at night. The two aren’t far apart, so the passages overlap for the most part.”

“All right. Then we know what we need to do.”

Cyril grabbed his sword, which he hadn’t expected to use during his time in Ingram. Their nightly task was to investigate the external exits of the secret passages.

***

When asked if Her Majesty knew about the potential intruder or collaborator, Danielle tilted her head.

“She did give me the map and told me to use it if necessary. But I don’t think this is exactly what she had in mind…”

“Then how did you notice something suspicious?”

“I went in to explore since I had the map.”

On the day Danielle Odillon arrived at the Ingram Estate, Annemarie clung to her so energetically that Danielle, despite her steel-like stamina, was on the verge of collapsing. 

Annemarie insisted on showing her every corner of the fortress, dressed her in a heap of southern-style clothes as a “commemorative gift” for her first visit to the south, and served a dessert-only feast, claiming it was specially prepared for someone with a sweet tooth. She even seemed ready to insist they share a bed that night.

Feigning severe exhaustion from travel, Danielle excused herself early, only to find herself wide awake once she was alone. Sleep eluded her, and as a guest who had just refused the host’s company, she couldn’t wander outside, leaving her with an endlessly dull evening. 

‘If Cyril were here, I wouldn’t be this bored.’ 

She thought, rolling around on the soft bed. She idly unfolded the map given to her by Her Majesty and exclaimed, 

Oh my, there’s a secret passage in this room?

“And so, I went in and heard strange noises. For three nights in a row.”

Was it curiosity or a lack of decorum? No, it was best to frame it as the professional dedication of an investigator. Cyril decided not to criticize further and instead focused on the matter at hand.

“Could it be Lady Ingram herself or one of her subordinates?”

Danielle shook her head resolutely. 

“The person isn’t trained like a knight. But it’s also not Lady Ingram. They enter at night from outside and leave at dawn. That couldn’t possibly be her.”

“…How do you know they leave at dawn?”

“Oh, I spent the night in the passage yesterday.”

Danielle Odillon, ever the unconventional individual, had apparently spent the entire night alone in the dim secret passage, despite the limitations of her hearing maQueen proper surveillance nearly impossible. Cyril’s face twisted slightly at the thought, but Danielle, too engrossed in studying the map to notice, was already marking the first exit Cyril had pointed out.

The two emerged from the passage into what appeared to be a wide alley in a bustling market area. The “secret” exit was so conspicuous—resembling nothing more than a back door to a shop—that they exchanged wry smiles before quickly surveying their surroundings. This was unfamiliar territory. Losing track of this passage meant they wouldn’t be able to return to the Ingram fortress.

Fortunately, a circular plaza with an ornate fountain was visible nearby, maQueen it seem easy enough to find their way back. Danielle, looking anxious, clung to Cyril’s arm while constantly scanning her surroundings. The ordinary-looking door they had exited drew no attention from the passersby. In fact, there were far too many people around for anyone to take notice.

Danielle whispered with a troubled expression, 

‘This… might be difficult.’

‘At the very least, we can’t stake it out for observation.’

There were no places nearby to hide or sit for long periods. 

Wait, sit for long periods…? 

Cyril’s gaze landed on the fountain, which, despite its size, flowed with a subdued trickle of water. The two exchanged glances and nodded in agreement. Danielle spoke loudly, her tone suddenly bright.

“Come to think of it, I heard they adjusted the spring festival schedule to coincide with the envoy’s visit. It’s not in full swing yet, but there should be some sights to see.”

“Are you here to play, Danielle?”

Despite his words, Cyril couldn’t suppress a chuckle.

Even though it was already past evening, people were lighting up lanterns in preparation for the festival. Among the merchants who had gathered from all over the territory, the more diligent ones had already set up their stalls, testing the waters for how the next seven days might unfold. Cyril quickly scanned the circular square with his eyes, deciding on their route. After all, they couldn’t afford to take their eyes off the entrance for too long.

Their first destination was a stall displaying an array of wooden ornaments — a specialty from the southern region.

***

Their first night of surveillance ended in failure. Between keeping an eye on the exit and occasionally circling the plaza, they eventually concluded that the intruder had already moved during a time they weren’t watching. Giving up, they openly indulged in exploring Ingram.

The picturesque residential area nestled within the outer walls of the Ingram fortress seemed to be a well-known tourist destination. The two even managed to procure a detailed and innocuous city guide. Cyril marked the discovered exit and the nearby fountain in red ink on the map. He planned to add the same markings to Danielle’s map later for comparison.

Their activities might have looked suspiciously like espionage, but the two became so engrossed in picking the prettiest wooden fish from a pile of twenty that they soon forgot any discomfort. After each chose a maple wood fish to wear around their necks, they watched an exotic shadow puppet performance and debated—without much regard for the peddler—whether cheap glass beads could be more beautiful than diamond wedding rings. They strolled along the road from the plaza to the main gate of the Ingram fortress, and when hunger struck, they bought roasted meat and flatbread. Choosing the fountain as their dining spot was, at least, a gesture of minimal discretion.

Sitting side by side, nibbling on their food, Cyril eventually went to buy two cups of ale served in wooden mugs. They compared which of their wooden fish was cuter and, caught up in the moment, shared a spontaneous kiss that tasted faintly of lamb grease. A passerby whistled. Cyril didn’t stop, leaving Danielle slightly flustered.

Since they couldn’t loiter in the plaza until dawn, the two returned to the passage and spent the rest of the night listening from inside the exit. The “intruder” didn’t use the plaza entrance. Hearing footsteps fade in a different direction, Cyril and Danielle carefully secured their maps.