The Devil's Bait
As soon as he appeared, people swarmed around him like clouds—a perfectly natural sequence of events.
In that instant, the exhibition was utterly forgotten.
Genevieve, who had been fidgeting anxiously in a desperate bid to salvage the situation, felt her energy drain away completely.
How could everything go so wrong?
"Viv, where are you going!"
"Viv…!"
Her lovers called out desperately, but Genevieve staggered onward. Panting heavily, she nearly tumbled over.
"Ahh, ahhh… That damned wretch. That vicious monster!"
The whole world seemed to scorn her.
She had painstakingly prepared this exhibition to prove she was still alive, still relevant, not pushed aside.
But then a candy table appeared out of nowhere without any prior notice. And to top it off, some idiot kid nearly choked to death gobbling it down in haste.
Nothing had gone right.
"Aaaahhh!!"
Back in her chambers, Genevieve tore at her long hair in a frenzy of rage.
Crash! A vase shattered.
She pummeled cushions everywhere until her knuckles ached, forcing her to stop.
Exhausted, she collapsed to the floor and clenched her fists.
Ibel, that sly vixen becoming the hero!
And Victor had to show up at the worst possible moment… She had been about to try reviving the party atmosphere once more!
"Ha, haha! Ahahaha!"
Genevieve burst into manic laughter, only to realize no one came to comfort her.
All her maids and servants who once followed her had been dismissed.
And she hadn't been able to utter a single word of protest!
"Oh dear, how pitiful."
It was then.
The door opened without a knock, and a bright, cheerful voice slipped in.
"To think you're crying all alone like this, so tragically."
"Cecily Bethel…!"
"Hee hee, it was truly delightful today, wasn't it?"
Cecily covered her mouth with a smile, her eyes brimming with playful malice.
"Such a shame, though. That child nearly caused a disaster."
"…Why are you here?"
"Oh, I've seen everything I wanted to see, so I'm about to head out. Staying longer would just make me the villain disrupting the newlyweds, right?"
It was clearly meant for Genevieve's ears.
Her face flushed crimson as she grasped the implication, her body trembling with fury. Cecily pulled up a chair without permission and sat it down in front of the bed.
"I'm leaving, but what will you do? Just let the days slip by like this?"
"I… have an ace up my sleeve."
She had lingered long in this great noble house.
Until Victor and Ibel burst in, she had been the major authority here.
Someone like Genevieve was bound to have a hidden card or two.
She had only hesitated because she knew what using it would mean for her own fate.
"You're just too adorable. Victor has surely already figured out whatever it is. With your age, your mind doesn't turn as quickly anymore, so let this Cecily help you out."
Whispering like a devil, Cecily pulled a small note from her handbag.
Genevieve should have exploded at the rude remark, but she stared blankly at the note instead.
For some reason, it felt like following the instructions there would bring sweet revenge.
"Use someone from outside. Someone Victor hasn't sniffed out—a complete stranger."
"…Can I trust them?"
Cecily let out a clear laugh at Genevieve's suspicion.
"Trust? Oh, how innocent! We're just aligned in our goals, that's all. If things go wrong, we'll cut each other's tails off."
Cecily didn't utter a word about what those "goals" were or what they were for—using outsiders.
She dangled the bait like a naughty child, letting Genevieve interpret it as she wished.
"Whatever you desire, this person will make it happen. They're quite capable."
"Anything?"
"Without a trace."
Genevieve's mind whirled in complexity as she gazed at Cecily's beaming smile.
Right now, it churned like a steam locomotive.
"For now… I'll gratefully accept it."
After fierce deliberation, Genevieve snatched the note.
Cecily shrugged as if she had expected as much.
"I don't know them personally. I got introduced by someone who knows them as a capable fixer. Turns out they're already in Bayern territory."
The first part was true; the second, a lie.
But there was no need to reveal that she had brought him here in her carriage.
Nor that the journey had been… quite thrilling.
Getting Leo safely into Bayern territory was my secret mission from the queen. That's done, so now… shall I do something to earn even more favor?
Having tossed the stone, Cecily stood abruptly, as if she couldn't stand another moment in this drab, dim room.
"Make a wise choice."
As she closed the door behind her,
Cecily stretched languidly.
I have so much to report to the queen. She'll be thrilled, right?
No.
Would she find it thrilling?
If she told the queen that Victor Bayern was head over heels for Ibel, the queen would throw a fit.
Watching someone even nobler than high nobility crumble like that was utterly delicious.
That night.
In the study, where the nutty aroma of peanuts wafted through the air.
Ibel sat across from Victor, listening to Matthias's report.
"Very well, then. Let us begin the detailed report on this dangerous individual."
Gaspar Lorang.
The name was written on the paper pinned to the wall.
Beneath it: Alias: Leo.
"With so many servants dismissed amid wedding preparations, we're short-handed. That's the gap this one could slip through."
Ibel listened intently to Matthias, who had started with a cough.
"He could pose as Genevieve's new lover, or infiltrate as a new servant. Or both."
"What's the gain if he succeeds?"
"We uncover the Franche intelligence codes and discern what the Franche king is plotting. Gaspar Lorang is one of the king's most trusted and favored men."
It was too tempting to pass up, she murmured inwardly.
She turned calmly to Victor.
"The only info we can't let slip from our side… is about Damian, right?"
"Indeed, though we can't hide it entirely. Showing his improvement should suffice. More importantly…"
Victor paused, gazing deeply into her golden eyes that watched him.
"We must show our relationship is real. Prove that Bayern won't crumble without me."
Her throat felt inexplicably dry.
Could Ibel read what he was thinking now, too?
Fortunately, she brushed it off smoothly.
"Ah. So how did this one enter Bayern?"
"Two possibilities. He was already in Richter and came upon hearing of Your Grace's wedding. Or… Cecily Bethel brought him suddenly."
Ibel wasn't versed in intelligence warfare; she hadn't lived that life.
But having lived the future, she could infer a fair amount.
"The Franche king sent this man to Richter to test the waters. War or no war."
"Broadly speaking, yes."
Matthias sighed heavily.
He had hoped for a boringly peaceful life.
"Even if Cecily Bethel brought Gaspar Lorang, she likely doesn't know his true identity. If she did, it'd be treason. Probably just acted as a carrier."
Matthias continued.
"Here's a summary of positions. Memorize it now from this report, then we'll burn it."
In the end, all events stemmed from desire.
Gazing at the clashing words on the paper, Ibel found it fascinating.
Everyone had such clear wants.
"I'll note it and carry on as usual."
"I planned to send my aunt away before the wedding, but we'll need to delay. Is that alright?"
"No issue."
Ignore the aunt moderately, treat the intruder servant as a servant.
Nothing difficult.
"Ahem… Madam."
Then Matthias interjected hesitantly.
"The one thing that absolutely must not be discovered… is that you and Your Grace are in a contract marriage."
"Ah."
"So… perhaps… um, act a bit more… like lovers than now?"