76 – Spiders are good at running away
“Askal, you’ve burned the stew! Kyaa, Kyaa! Quick, put out the fire-!”
“hehehe, when I heard about a rejuvenation potion sold by an Eastern merchant for only 10 gold, I bought it. Here, down in one gulp- Uh, why are you spitting blood-?”
“Oh, I brought in a pitiful cat who was getting wet in the rain. You’re saying that the number of cats I’ve taken in has surpassed ten? That could be possible.”
The Crown Prince’s proposal.
The moment Askal heard of the suggestion to make Sushia his companion, a panorama of a hypothetical future unfolded in his mind.
Following such serious considerations – for about three minutes – Askal responded,
“That could be a bit difficult.”
“I thought so,” the Crown Prince agreed.
Of course, for Sushia’s safety, the slightly deceitful method of a sham marriage was accessible. However, there was no way that such a pairing could bring happiness.
It would be better to find another suitable man.
For instance, someone with a solid background who could handle Sushia’s personality –
Hmm.
‘Huh?’
The subject swiftly shifted back toward the Crown Prince.
“If there’s no bread, isn’t it okay to eat cookies?”
“I’m sorry! I accidentally spilled cocoa on the documents! It’s not important, is it? Uh, this appears to be a treaty of alliance?”
“Could I borrow the crown for a bit? hehehe, if I swim with the crown on, wouldn’t I float more easily in the water?”
There are things between men that can be understood by just a look.
Without saying anything, Askal immediately grasped what the Crown Prince was thinking.
The Crown Prince said,
“It might indeed be difficult.”
“I had such a hunch.”
The Crown Prince looked out the window at Sushia, leaning against the tree. The once crying Sushia had now gathered her strength and was playing with a stick she found on the ground.
Before long, Sushia began sketching on the dirt ground with the twig. A cake, cookies, lemon bread – and a man with two women, smiling as though it was a family photo.
“I wonder who will end up taking in that cheeky girl…”
“Let’s give it some time and consider it slowly.”
There’s still a last resort left for the House of Senestia.
Even if matters are not resolved, the Crown Prince had the ultimate option of removing Sisia from the situation and sending her to the monastery within the empire.
The monastery, known in this era as the Rainbow Shield, had a fatal disadvantage that once entered, one could not leave. However, it was the final fortress for disgraced nobles where they could at least save their lives.
Unexpectedly, Sisia, once almost chosen as a saint, may match well with the monastery.
Like this, several options stirring conflict in the Crown Prince—Suddenly, a herald arrived in haste.
“The Duke of Senestia has fled!”
“What?”
The Duke had run away in the dead of night.
“I’m off work!”
As night fell, Sisia who went back home, walked around the mansion. The family members who usually welcomed her warmly when she got off work were not there.
It was tricky figuring out how to treat the Duke, her father, initially after regaining her memories.
It felt like someone had approached her one day and whispered, “Actually, your father is the villain and the final boss who blocks the protagonist” and the shock was that it was true.
‘Yet, he is still my family.’
Of course, she had reported him, but she intended to treat her father normally until the very end came.
But now.
“I also don’t know where our master went. He didn’t give me any particular instructions. However, recently, the master seemed particularly anxious.”
All the matters of the Duke’s mansion go through the head butler.
Even the head butler didn’t know the whereabouts of his master, the Duke.
Sisia felt a sense of unease.
She hurried to the master’s room. The room was unchanged. Bookshelves in a row, office tools, documents lying around… it felt as if the owner had suddenly evaporated into the sky.
“Ah, Dad, Mom. Where has everyone gone leaving just me?”
Sisia, who had become an orphan in an instant, plopped down on the floor.
Just as her feelings were transmitted to her tear ducts, and the warm tears consisting of water and salt were about to flow, Sisia discovered something that could only be seen from her seated eye level.
A hazel switch was placed on a small pedestal.
The one used for scolding Sisia.
“Eek!”
Sisia reflexively winced.
But why was that legendary switch here?
Sushia pondered deeply.
Her father, Duke Senestia, had always taught her that there was intent behind everything.
If so, it was certain that this oak whip was deliberately placed here by him.
But why?
“The oak whip, the oak whip, a raccoon fat in oak… No, that’s not it. Hmm…”
Sushia put her mind into high gear.
Thirty minutes passed.
And finally, she found the answer.
“Help me, head butler!”
“What’s the matter, Miss?”
When one’s capabilities are lacking, it’s acceptable to seek help from others!
How many people in this world, in history, have failed while suffering alone because they failed to realize this simple truth?
Humans are creatures that are meant to live and help each other after all.
Upon hearing Sushia’s story, the head butler headed to the master bedroom.
And he came out with an answer in just thirty seconds.
“Look at the end of the oak whip. It is pointing in one direction.”
Sushia looked where the whip was pointing, following the butler’s words. It was pointing to a bookshelf.
“Could it be a message to read and study until he comes back?”
“I don’t think so.”
The head butler approached the bookshelf.
The whip was precisely pointing at one book, a book titled ‘The Secret Will Be On Your Right’.
Sushia looked to the right.
“There’s nothing…”
“It seems to mean to push the bookshelf to the right.”
“Are you some genius, head butler?”
“Your deduction was sharp, Miss.”
As sharp as a kitchen knife left untouched for ten years.
“Then, what would you like to do? Would you like me to push the bookshelf?”
“I’ll do it! I should be useful too!”
Sushia forcefully pushed the bookshelf to the right.
Nothing happened.
The butler forcefully pushed the bookshelf to the right.
As the bookshelf moved, an empty wall was revealed.
“……..There’s nothing here?”
“If you look closely, there’s a small hole.”
“Hmm——”
It was a small indention as though it was made for something to fit.
What was the meaning of this?
After five minutes of elaborate deduction, the detective Sushiya finally realized it.
“Shouldn’t this wooden cane be inserted here?”
“Brilliant, young lady.”
The butler applauded.
Sushiya was elated.
“It’s nothing really!”
She then inserted the wooden cane into the indentation on the wall.
It fit perfectly.
Creaking——
“Eek!”
Suddenly, the wall fell downward. There was a space that was large enough for one person to pass through. Beyond it, there were stairs leading down.
It was a bit scary.
Sushiya looked at the butler with deer-like eyes.
“Please lead the way, I will follow, young lady.”
Every noble family has secrets.
Especially those with a history that spans back more than a century, there are always different things that unfold, whether they want them to or not.
Their usual repertoire includes concealed illegitimate children, relationships between relatives, and assassinations from rival families.
For the sake of future events, it is necessary to record these dark histories.
In case, suddenly, some guy claiming to be your illegitimate child comes asking for a portion of your wealth, you can assuredly decapitate them saying ‘You are not in this dark family tree, you are a fraud.’
The best place to gather such evidence is the basement.
However, if the basement is not properly managed, it can become unusable due to dampness.
-Therefore if such a place with excellent magical dehumidification and artificial ventilation is required, you can always contact the ‘Mystiade Association.’
“Now, we are offering a premium care service guaranteed for hundred years, completely free of charge. Don’t miss out on this opportunity!”
– Representative of Secretiade Merchants, 1st class demon, Retina.
“Wha…Wha… We had a basement in our family?”
Shaken, Sushia looked around the basement.
Sushia was a noble princess. She had heard rumors circulating in the aristocratic society. Which family ordered an assassination, which family had enjoyed a delicious feast.
However, these rumors did not swirl around the Senestia family. The reason they could maintain neutrality, not siding with either the aristocrats or the royal family, was due to the clean reputation of the Senestia family.
But now, there was a basement.
“…Did the butler know about this?”
“No, your father kept this a secret even from me.”
Thankfully, it didn’t look like there were too many things in the basement.
Sushia step by step slowly moved forward. Then she tripped over something. The butler shone a magic lamp.
There are visible skeletal remains.
“aaaHHH!”
Sushia’s stalwart heart was shattered within a minute.
“Calm down, young miss.”
“Sniffle, I… I get it.”
“Would it be okay if I check the records? Just in case there’s something dangerous.”
“Yeah, yeah, do it.”
The butler sifted through the records in the basement. He was ready to take his own life if he found something he shouldn’t.
‘Month and day, a young man claiming to be a bastard child showed up. Checked the records and found it to be false. Sent him to the labor camp, where he can work until he dies.’
‘Month and day, the same young man has become a foreman at the labor camp. They say he works exceptionally well. Who knew he had such talent?’
‘Month and day, now they are calling him the Maestro of the Pickaxe. Considering his merit of finding a magic stone, I decided to list him in the family register. He is now my son.’
‘Month and day, thank you, father.’
(Only this part was written in a different script)
The butler spoke.
“It seems like there are no harmful records as you were worried, miss. It would be okay to take a look.”
“Really?”
Sushia picked up the old parchment that the butler handed her.
However, the butler didn’t know. The parchment was charmed with a special magic that changed its contents depending on who read it.
‘Sushia―― If you’re reading this, I’m probably no longer here.’
Perhaps he is already dead, or he is in hiding.
There isn’t leisurely time nor the support to idly chat, so I will make it simple.
You are not my daughter.
From Noble mtl dot com
No, to be precise, I am not the Duke of Senestia.
I am a doppelganger who adopted the appearance of the Duke of Senestia.
Sisia’s face began to pale.
Sizzling.
Steak was browning, signaling its readiness with a savory aroma. The man, wiping the sweat off his forehead, waited for the ideal moment.
––––The very moment to flip the steak.
Now.
The steak had been flipped.
“Hey! Table no. 3 is rushing for their steak! Get it ready and out quickly!”
“We can’t do that yet.”
“‘Yet?'”
“Just wait a little more. It’s almost done.”
The owner’s eyebrows raised.
The newly hired chef had excellent cooking skills but an unnecessary artisan spirit.
‘Well, since he has no valid identification, we can exploit him for cheap.’
He was, after all, an illegal immigrant.
And here he was, the saintly boss feeding, sheltering, and paying an illegal worker – sure hell wouldn’t be seeing him; heaven was more like it.
The United Nations store manager grinned.
‘Sisia…she must be reading the letter by now.’
The man grilling the steak, once the leader of the Spider group, known as the ‘Duke of Senestia’, wore a complicated expression.
Although he was lucky to pick up on the crown prince’s surveillance tactics and flee, the rushed escape left him with nothing to his name.
He became a pauper overnight.
Furthermore, he ended up losing connections to all his legs.
‘I will rise again, no matter what! Wait and see, Empire!’
“When will the steak be ready?”
“Yes, yes, coming right up!”
Wow, Sushia is the cutest.