Chapter 65
Chapter 65
Translation: godsn
"It seems things went well."
Neril greeted Medeia as she emerged from the prison.
"What makes you think that?"
"Your Highness's face is radiant."
Medeia's pale face, bathed in moonlight, shone with an eerie glow.
Yet somehow, an overwhelming sense of exhilaration could be felt.
"Yes, I suppose I made some unexpected gains. It seems you left quite an impression last night. I have you to thank for that."
"Not at all, I merely followed Your Highness's orders."
Neril fidgeted awkwardly with her scabbard at the praise, visibly embarrassed.
"Speaking of which, the Signature Document..."
The noose that the Minister had desperately coughed up turned out to be an unexpected key to fate.
"So that's why he was so difficult to sway."
The moment they conspired in treason and put their names to paper, they must have known that if the rebellion failed, death would be their only fate.
'As the Regent, he must have wanted to identify and solidify the fence-sitters.'
But he couldn't have known it would become his own noose.
"We can bring down the Regent now."
What clearer evidence of treason could there be than a document bearing their signatures?
"Yes. Once the Signature Document is revealed, even public sympathy for the Duke won't be able to gain traction."
If the goal was to completely uproot Claudio's faction, there could be no more perfect and definitive proof than this.
Neril fastened her scabbard back to her waist. The metallic clang of steel against her belt rang out sharply.
"Your Highness. I will go there and retrieve it."
The Minister had confessed that he'd hidden the Signature Document within the interior of Count Etienne's mansion.
"There is a magic circle in my office that can transport one to the hiding place of the Signature Document. However, that place..."
"No, I'm going too."
"Absolutely not. Neither the time nor the place is safe for Your Highness."
Neril's expression turned grave.
"Siseo will dispatch another investigation team soon. We must move before the Count's mansion is sealed off—there's no time to waste."
Moreover, the mansion of the Minister—an old noble family of Valdina—had undergone multiple renovations, making it difficult for intruders to escape.
That must have been why they agreed to store the Signature Document there.
"The same applies to Your Highness."
"No, I know how to get out of there. I'm familiar with the interior."
"Eh? How?"
Instead of answering Neril's question, Medeia only offered a bitter smile.
In her past life, after stealing the Philosopher's Stone and sneaking out of the royal palace, Medeia had reunited with Iason.
The two had hidden in the Minister's mansion to evade Pelleus's pursuit before eventually fleeing to the Empire.
And the one who had suggested it was her uncle, Claudio.
'Back then, I thought they were helping me escape for my sake.'
Little did she know she'd been dancing to their tune from start to finish.
"Will you go right now?"
"Yes. My uncle must also know the Signature Document is there. We must retrieve it before he makes his move."
Neril nodded.
"...I will escort you to the mansion."
"Prepare yourself properly, Neril."
Medeia's gaze flickered pointedly to the scabbard at Neril's waist.
"Tonight, you might have to use it."
As midnight approached, a carriage departed quietly from near the royal palace.
Inside the high walls of the Second District's Rose-White Mansion, a deadly scene unfolded.
Two men stood with their swords locked in a fierce clash.
"Ha, haah..."
Labored breaths mingled with the grating screech of steel that pierced the ears.
Alpha struggled desperately, his feet digging into the training ground floor as he resisted the relentless onslaught of blade strikes that threatened to drive him back.
Then, Gallo emerged from inside.
His face darkened momentarily as he glanced at Alpha.
Had the curse not been eating away at Cesare's body, Alpha wouldn't have lasted long enough to even catch his breath.
'The moment he drew his sword, the match would have been decided.'
"My lord, I yield."
Finally, Alpha dropped his sword in surrender.
Cesare gave a slight nod, then jerked his chin as if to tell him to pick it up.
"It's news from the palace."
Gallo approached Cesare with a mischievous expression, a newspaper tucked under his arm. Alpha noticed and stepped back.
"Speak."
"The Queen Dowager has moved Etienne to the special prison. The Regent found out too late and tried to intervene, but not only was access denied—he was even barred from entering the palace grounds."
The front page of the newspaper featured a caricature of the Regent being turned away at the palace gates, his expression comically exaggerated.
"She brought the Queen Dowager into play to block the Regent's petition. Instead, she completely isolated the Minister. The Princess never had any intention of entertaining his request in the first place."
Just then, Terence approached them, holding a teacup filled with medicine.
"I heard there was an assassination attempt on the Minister at the new special prison. But I suspect the Princess was behind it."
"And?"
Terence rubbed his furrowed brows, clearly struggling with how to phrase his thoughts.
"Get to the point, Terence."
"I'm saying this out of concern. You've been unusually lenient with her. But I know why—it's only because the Princess hasn't clashed with us yet."
"......"
"If she ever stands in your way, you won't hesitate to eliminate her, as if asking why you were ever so generous in the first place."
Cesare had precedent.
When the elderly retainers who had cared for him since childhood betrayed him and tried to depose him, he had taken their lives without hesitation.
"What are you trying to say?"
"I just hope the Princess won't be an exception."
Terence's lips twitched before he pressed them shut.
Did his friend—did Cesare realize? That he was showing the Princess of Valdina a side of himself he'd never revealed before?
Unexpected variables were always dangerous.
"Forgive me."
Silence fell. The heated training hall's temperature plummeted.
"My interest in the Princess is solely because of Valdina's Gold Star—nothing more, nothing less."
Under that icy gaze, Terence's lips moved briefly before he sealed them again.
As if signaling the end of casual conversation, Cesare turned away.
"Gallo, what about the Sage's Tome?"
Gallo, who had been rolling his eyes between the two, quickly responded.
"I looked into it—apparently, the Regent doesn't have the Sage's Tome anymore. He gave it to the Minister to smooth over the banquet incident."
"So it's at the Count's estate now?"
Gallo nodded.
Cesare rose from his seat.
"You're not seriously planning to go yourself, are you? Boss, Alpha and Zeta are already set to retrieve it."
"I agree. Cesare, you had another episode not long ago."
Terence also hesitated, but there was no stopping Cesare's resolve.
"Leave my lifeline in someone else's hands? No. I'll go."
"It's dangerous. Empress Seo's Shadows entered Valdina recently."
For once, Gallo wiped the playful look from his face.
"They've been doggedly tracking us and finally pinpointed your location."
"Oh?"
Cesare scoffed. The laughter that escaped him was sharp.
"Then I'll get to see some familiar faces."
A trace of leisure settled over his handsome features, curling at the corners of his well-shaped lips.
"Are you serious? You know how dangerous they are! There's a reason they haven't stormed in here as Facade even after learning you're here—they're waiting for you to step outside!"
But Cesare was already strolling away, nonchalant.
"Dammit, he's not even listening. Let's go with him!"
Count Etienne's Residence.
Late into the deep night, two shadows slipped into the mansion.
Clank, clank. Armed guards patrolled in formation. Even at this hour, security was tight.
[Your Highness, I'll draw their attention.]
After waiting in vain for the guards to leave their posts, Neril mouthed the words.
Medeia nodded.
Neril scaled the opposite window and roof like the wind.
Rustle!
"Did you hear that just now?"
"Sounded like it came from over there?"
While Neril diverted the guards, Medeia successfully infiltrated the mansion's interior.