Chapter 325: Bread and Dagger (23)
Chapter 325: Bread and Dagger (23)
The journey to Senior Delphine’s bedroom was a long and arduous one.
There were several reasons for this, the first being that Yurdina Castle was simply too vast.
Though I had been climbing the social ladder recently, I was still just the second son of a rural viscount. From my social circles to my daily life, I only remembered associating with people of my own station.
Until now, my experience with noble residences had been limited to 'mansions.'
Arriving suddenly at a 'castle,' I needed time just to adjust to its sheer scale.
It was the sad limitation of a lower noble.
After all, I had never once been invited by a high-ranking aristocrat before.
Then came the letter from Senior Delphine. In terms of social hierarchy, I had essentially skipped several rungs at once.
The Yurdina family was the undisputed ruler of the North. Moreover, as one of the Empire’s Five Great Noble Families, their power was incomparable to that of other high nobles.
Naturally, the seat of their power had to be grand and magnificent.
I was lucky I’d had some time to adjust at the Academy.
While the Academy didn't have any buildings officially called 'castles,' some of the research wings boasted a scale that far exceeded any 'mansion.' I remembered struggling to find my way around as a freshman.
It was the same now.
I had to wander through long corridors, relying on my clumsy intuition.
Furthermore, my meeting with Senior Delphine was a classified matter.
It was part of the operation to root out the traitor within the family. Regardless of who the traitor was, it was better if they didn't realize where the blade was pointed.
It was also best if the nature of the weapon Delphine held remained unknown.
But there was a more pressing reason to be discreet.
It was the fact that Senior Delphine and I were a man and a woman in the prime of our youth.
A secret meeting between a man and a woman of marriageable age, alone in a bedroom at this late hour?
No matter what misunderstandings arose, I would have no excuse. I wanted to avoid such a disaster at all costs.
The scene at the Percus mansion flashed through my mind.
When things had turned awkward with the Saintess, Senior Elsie had appeared, brandishing a kitchen knife.
The look in her eyes, burning with a chilling blue light, had seemed utterly sincere.
If onlookers hadn't gathered, something terrible might have happened. To make matters worse, the Saintess—who had been maintaining a confusing distance from me lately—was also staying in the castle.
I absolutely did not want it getting out that I had met Senior Delphine alone in her bedroom.
I was also strangely worried about Emma.
And so, I had to melt into the corridors like a shadow avoiding the light. After wandering for a long time, I finally arrived at Senior Delphine’s bedroom.
After double-checking the nameplate several times, I knocked softly.
I felt a surge of inexplicable tension. This was despite the fact that I had barged into her bedroom plenty of times before.
Perhaps it was because Yurdina Castle was still a foreign place to me.
Even after I knocked, no voice from within told me to enter. Instead, the door simply swung open on its own.
With my limited knowledge, I assumed it was some kind of magic.
To think even a bedroom door would be enchanted.
It was something one couldn't even dream of unless they belonged to one of the Five Great Noble Families, the symbols of wealth and power. While it was intimidating, it was also reassuring to know that one of them was on my side.
I let out a sigh of relief and slowly stepped into the room.
The peace was short-lived.
The moment I took in the sight of the bedroom, I jumped back in shock.
"Wait, Senior Delphine! What are you wearing...!"
"Shh."
Senior Delphine placed an index finger to her lips and gave a seductive smile.
The door closed on its own, just as it had opened. The room, bathed in soft lighting, became a completely sealed space.
I couldn't even retreat.
Senior Delphine’s attire was provocative.
It had to be, considering she was practically half-naked. She was wearing red lingerie that barely covered the essentials.
With her pure white naked body exposed, I didn't know where to look.
The thin material of the lingerie revealed her curves without filter. Under the dim light, it even seemed as though I could see right through it.
It was a sight designed to stir a man's carnal desires.
Unable to hold it in, I let out another small cry.
"Put—put some clothes on! Seriously, aren't you afraid of being alone with a man...?"
"Why would I be afraid of my Master?"
However, Delphine, the one exposing her skin, remained perfectly composed.
Her pale hand grasped a glass filled with red wine. Even the act of sipping the wine with her legs crossed looked enchanting.
She gave a flirtatious smile.
"I'm your property, aren't I? So take a good look at what you own... The higher your position, the more you must do so."
To me, it was an absurd claim.
Desperately averting my eyes from her semi-nude form, I muttered in a hollow voice.
"I don't recall ever saying I'd take possession of you."
"You defeated me. And then you made me submit again."
Delphine spoke in a matter-of-fact tone, as if preaching an obvious truth.
Clack. The now-empty wine glass was placed on the table.
"So, you should take me. Am I not a magnificent trophy?"
Her logic was full of holes.
I wanted to snap back with a few more words, but the main topic was more important, so I held back. Sighing, I hesitantly sat down across from her.
Delphine naturally poured me some wine.
The fragrant aroma of the wine spread as the glass was filled.
Drinking alone with a naked woman.
No matter how I looked at it, this was dangerous. An instinctive sense of crisis—the feeling that something might happen tonight—flashed through my mind.
Or perhaps, it wasn't a sense of crisis, but expectation.
My eyes briefly flickered over her body. She was, as always, a captivating woman.
But it was only for a fleeting moment.
Slap. I struck my own cheek with my palm. It was to pull my wandering mind back together. If I wavered now, I’d be in real trouble later.
Seeing this, Delphine simply let out a soft, airy laugh.
There was a playful glint in her eyes.
Judging by her beaming expression, she clearly intended to tease me. I felt pathetic, wondering how I had ended up as her plaything.
Frustrated, I downed the wine in one go.
Delphine threw out a few words with a meaningful smile.
"Impressive. In the North, you're expected to finish your drink in one gulp... That's how you earn the reputation of being a real man. You wouldn't make a bad son-in-law for the North."
"Stop teasing me."
I said this as I set the glass down.
I felt the warmth of the wine rising.
The fragrant vapor traveled up my throat and reached the tip of my nose.
It was good wine. Not surprising, given it was something Delphine enjoyed.
I focused on that sensation as much as possible before speaking. I felt like that was the only way to erase the image of her naked body from my mind.
"More importantly, I want to hear about the 'traitor'... How can I help you?"
Delphine let out a hum of dissatisfaction.
She swirled the wine in her glass. It meant she was still deep in thought.
I waited patiently for her to speak.
It didn't take long for that patience to be rewarded.
"...Go to the front lines."
It was what I had expected.
I let out a long breath.
The thought of all the hardship ahead made me crave more alcohol. I grabbed the bottle and filled my glass to the brim.
Then, I poured the liquid down into my stomach once more.
Delphine continued in a languid voice.
"Lately, Elves have been emerging from the coniferous forests more frequently. And the frequency of their raids on villages... The Yurdina family must stop them. The smaller estates don't have the resources."
"How should I proceed with rooting out the traitor?"
"The information usually cuts off regarding the Elven villages. We haven't been able to grasp their detailed movements yet. The Imperial Intelligence Agency moved recently, but..."
Delphine’s crimson eyes drifted toward me.
Her gaze was calm and deep—the kind of look only someone who already knew a great deal could possess.
"Is there any information you'd like to share with me?"
Where had the information leaked this time?
For a moment, suspicion toward Senior Neris flickered, but on second thought, it wasn't likely. If she had told her, Delphine wouldn't have needed to ask me.
Delphine was a Northerner. She didn't care for redundant verification.
I had told Senior Neris to activate the Imperial Intelligence Agency's contact network; she must have noticed something then.
The Northern scouts would have been investigating the Elves' evil cult as well.
I honestly divulged the information I had heard from Avian.
It didn't seem like it would be news to her anyway. The scale of the cult spreading among the Elves seemed too large to ignore.
As I expected, Delphine didn't show much of a reaction.
"It's similar to the information we've gathered... But we have no information on exactly where the Elves are congregating, or where the cult is flourishing."
"Is it possible the Elves are simply tight-lipped?"
"Hundreds of them?"
It was a valid counterargument.
I immediately fell silent. After all, Delphine had already mentioned that the frequency of raids had increased.
Increased raids meant that more Elves were leaving the coniferous forests.
Consequently, the number of Elves captured by the Yurdina family would also increase. It was impossible for hundreds of Elves to all keep a secret.
Unless, of course, some magical form of coercion was involved.
If so, there was only one answer.
"...In the end, someone trustworthy has to go and scout?"
"It is a dangerous mission."
It was a mission to observe the Elves' movements.
Naturally, one would have to infiltrate the heart of enemy territory. It would be a lie to say it wasn't dangerous.
Despite this, Delphine showed no sign of guilt.
"Which is exactly why there's no one else I can entrust this to but you, Master."
It was likely an appointment made after much deliberation.
The fatigue etched on Delphine’s face bore witness to this. In this situation where she had to doubt the vassals she once trusted, she was bound to be the one suffering the most.
It wasn't that I couldn't empathize with her.
I, too, had to doubt my own family back in my hometown. That experience was painfully engraved in me, making me feel pity for Delphine’s moment of weakness.
Above all, the Dark Cult was my enemy anyway.
Delphine continued with a bitter smile.
"Of course, I'll provide appropriate compensation. Since I'm your property, I suppose I can't complain no matter what you take, but..."
"I don't need it."
Those inscrutable blood-red eyes turned toward me.
Perhaps the mental toll had been heavy, as Delphine was now half-slumped over the table. It was the first time she had shown such a defenseless side in front of me.
That made it even harder for me to demand anything from her.
I simply wanted to prove that there was at least one person in the world on her side.
"This is for you, Senior."
My words were short and clear.
In truth, no further reason was necessary.
Delphine gave a faint smile and lowered her head for a moment.
And then, a moment later.
She murmured in a voice thick with intoxication.
"Then, can I ask for one more favor?"
The tone sounded so sorrowful that I remained silent.
It was then that Delphine raised her head again.
Her face, wearing a sad smile, was incredibly alluring. My heart pounded, my breath hitched, and every sense I possessed focused on the woman before me.
She was revealing her fragile inner self.
That fact felt more provocative than any words or actions.
"Sleep with me tonight."
It was something I had heard often from Ria.
However, Delphine surely didn't mean it in the same innocent way.
Unless I was completely mistaken, there could only be one implication.
She was asking to share a bed.
For the first time in my life, I had heard such words from a woman.