Episode 22 Sounds Suspicious as f*cking?
A few days had passed since the imperial family dispatched the entire force of the knights to subdue the monsters that appeared in the northern regions.
“Whoa.”
Duke Howard Montersen was smoking a pipe in the drawing room of his mansion.
The reception table was set with expensive red wine, beef jerky, and cheese. But he didn’t even look at the table.
The Duke’s gaze was focused only on the firmly closed door.
‘It must be about time… ….’
The grandfather clock started ringing at 8 o’clock in the evening.
After a while, the door opened, revealing the head of the butler and the guest Montersen had been waiting for.
“Duke of Montersen. Forgive me for being late.”
It was the Marquis of Horneon Marlborough.
He leaned slightly toward Montersen, who was sitting on the sofa.
“It’s okay. He arrived exactly on time as promised.”
“This is true. I was going to leave early, but something happened in the middle.”
“Work?”
Marlboro said yes and shook his head. Montersen beckoned him to sit down.
The Duke opened his mouth after confirming that Marlborough had taken the seat across from him.
“What happened?”
“Oh, nothing special. Just…… I was very concerned about how things were going in the north, so I sent a scout.”
“Tsk. You’re doing something you weren’t told to do.”
The Duke of Montersen did not hide his displeasure.
He was openly at odds with Cecilia during the noble meeting, but he hadn’t even thought about doing a duke behind the scenes yet.
It was never because he was just or had a conscience.
It was nothing more than a judgment that there was no need to do that right now.
“I’m sorry, Duke. It’s too hard to wait until I get a report on the situation, so stop…….”
“So, did the soldier just come to report?”
“Yes. Yes, but… ….”
The Marquis of Marlborough blurted out his words. Montersen looked into his marquise’s face with narrow eyes.
As if trying to figure out what words he couldn’t say before.
Soon after, the Marquis of Marlborough opened his mouth.
“He was injured. He told me that in the middle of the night he was attacked by an unknown person.”
“Maybe the Imperial Knights noticed the tailing.”
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“It is said that he was one who moved in the dark as if in broad daylight.”
“… ….”
Montersen crossed his arms and frowned.
“Are you saying you figured out the tailing in advance… ….”
“It seems so. The skirmisher also said so. He tried to find out his identity, but he was shot in the shoulder by an arrow, so he couldn’t chase it anymore and returned in a hurry.”
“Does this mean that there were other personnel dispatched in addition to the Imperial Knights?”
“He said he didn’t even get there.”
There was a hint of regret in Marlboro’s voice.
“I see…” ….”
Montersen felt his mind suddenly become complicated.
I thought the empress only dispatched the Imperial Knights, but did she secretly send another troop?
‘Are you saying there’s something hidden?’
Cecilia Campbell Eckhart.
She does a good job for a girl who is only 19 years old. However, her tolerance for opposition and her dignity and charisma to lead the aristocrats still fall far short of the former emperor.
Even more so than Olivia, the former empress who served as the Emperor’s representative.
For that reason, Montersen was openly in conflict with Cecilia.
It’s not easy to disrespect the Duke of Montersen, who has public trust, no matter how much he is an emperor.
‘I’d better keep in mind the possibility that they’re building a secret unit.’
But that’s not enough to be wary of, he concluded.
As far as I can tell, right now.
“Yes. Put that aside first. How did you say the war situation?”
“Thanks to the help of the Imperial Knights, two of the four monsters have been subdued. There were some injuries, but there were no fatalities so far.”
“Hmm…… I was hoping for more losses.”
“Yes. I feel a little sorry for that too.”
They exchanged nonchalant conversations that would have sparked fury if Cecilia had heard them.
The greater the damage to the Imperial Knights, the more grounds to criticize the Empress.
However, if the damage was less than expected, it was not easy to use this as an excuse to attack. You should clearly congratulate yourself for returning after successfully subjugating monsters, but criticize on the spot?
It was quite difficult to do.
Even if it was the Duke of Montersen, who had the second strongest influence in the empire after the imperial family.
“Actually, this trend is all because of him.”
Marlboro frowned as he pronounced the word ‘guy’.
“You mean that secretary? The name is clear…….”
“This is Luke Nedville, my lord.”
“Certainly, as the Marquis said. I tried to enjoy the Empress being paralyzed by shame…….”
Tsk tsk.
Montersen clicked his tongue in regret.
In fact, while proposing his dispatch, he demanded that he welcome his second son as the post of state secretary, not necessarily to fulfill his own ambitions.
The position of the emperor who must overcome the crisis of the empire.
However, the condition of her application was not easy for her to accept.
I wanted Cecilia to feel conflicted and helpless through this.
I was also sure that the nobles of the royal family would not actively support troops.
However, her own intentions were quickly foiled.
Because of one of her direct assistants, that nerd who came up from the countryside.
“I was treating him as if he didn’t exist because he was the second son of the baron family, but I think it would be better to keep an eye on him from now on. What do you think, Duke?”
“Well, to say that the fly buzzes a little bit, it would be a little annoying. Isn’t he the one who can blow up any amount with one gesture anyway?”
Montersen pretended to hit something with his hand as he spoke. Seeing this, a fishy smile appeared on the lips of the Marquis of Marlboro.
“Duke. I have another idea, would you like to hear it?”
Marlboro, who confirmed Montersen’s chin, said in a cautious tone.
“Why don’t you try to woo him to our side?”
“… ….”
“He must have some knowledge of the Empress’ weaknesses and secrets. So if he could just pull us over… ….”
“Arthur!”
The Marquis quickly shut up at Montersen’s unholy order.
“Anyway, he is just a kid. It means that he has no value to appease. Do you understand, Marquis?”
“…… Yes, I will keep that in mind.”
The Marquis bowed his head. The duke looked at it for a moment before he opened the cap of the wine bottle.
“Let’s have a drink.”
“I will follow you.”
The two filled each other’s glasses with wine. Then, after a quiet toast, they emptied their glasses at once.
Since then, they have occasionally sipped wine and talked about current issues.
The Marquis of Marlborough didn’t get up until late.
“Go in with caution.”
“Yes. I hope the Duke has a comfortable night too.”
Climbing into the carriage, the Marquis of Marlboro leaned her against the wall as far as she could and crossed her arms.
‘The duke said it was not necessary…….’
But he couldn’t help thinking that if he could lure the secretary out, he’d be able to make a pretty good deal out of it.
‘It wouldn’t hurt to poke it as a test.’
Right after I made my own conclusion, I felt a subtle intoxication. He let out a heavy sigh and closed his eyes.
* * *
I was able to get off work again today after struggling with the documents.
“Aww, that’s frowned upon…… “
I stretched as I walked through the corridors of the imperial palace. There was no one around at the time, so I did it with peace of mind,
“Direct Secretary Nedville!”
Someone suddenly called me from behind.
“Oh, what a surprise!”
Looking back, it was Carol, a postal worker whom I had recently become friends with.
“What’s up?”
“Here, I have a letter addressed to you, secretary.”
And then, Carol handed out a letter. However, the sender’s name was not visible on the envelope.
When I asked about this, Carol answered like this.
“They just entrusted it to the secretary. There was no time to ask who it was.”
“I see. I get it right away Go inside.”
“Yes. Even the secretary.”
As soon as I got back to my room, I put the letter down on the desk. Then I looked straight through.
Send to me without the sender’s name?
No matter how you look at it, this is too suspicious.
“First of all, you will know what it is by looking at the contents.”
I ripped off the outer bag by hand.
The letter contained very concise information.
「Tomorrow at 8pm.
Inside the Rengar Pub.
I have something to tell you about there.”
“Wow Mr. You’re so damn suspicious.”
No matter how you look at it, it looks like they’ll kidnap you or sell you to a tuna boat after you say you have something to say?
…… Ah, there is no such thing as a tuna boat in this era.
Anyway, I thought this would never happen. Very strong too.
So who the hell sent me this?
“Hmm… ….”
I can’t guess at all.
First of all, I understand that you are a higher noble than me……. The problem is that doing so creates too many objects to be suspicious of.
There isn’t a single nobleman lower than me in this imperial palace.
‘By the way, if I don’t respond, won’t I get angry later?’
Suddenly, a thought came to my mind, and a sudden feeling of anxiety came over me.
This is a much more barbaric place than Korea in the 21st century.
In other words, if the high-ranking people put their heart to it, they can get rid of the second son of a baron at any time!
There’s nothing you can do about it.
To take care of my own safety, I have no choice but to lean on the Most High.
That was to take this letter to Cecilia and tell her circumstances.
-Continued