Unveiling the Hidden Spark
Upon returning to my room, the first thing I did was order a cup of herbal tea with plenty of honey from the maid. Yet, even after draining the cup, my mind refused to settle. The primary source of my irritation was Carmel's sheer audacity. Arranging a marriage proposal behind my back, and with the exact type of man I despised most—anyone would be utterly livid.
But it wasn't just that. I felt something deeper, a distinct sense of betrayal from Carmel's actions. How dare she do this to me... My fists clenched so tightly that my nails dug into my palms. My emotions felt like a tangled, chaotic mess. It wasn't quite a raging fury. It was difficult to find the exact word to describe this turbulent sensation.
Sigh. Let's calm down. To punish that insolent Carmel, I first had to solve the puzzle she had thrown at me. To do that, I needed to cool my head.
First of all, I had absolutely no intention of accepting this marriage proposal. That was an absolute, non-negotiable stance. According to the gossip I'd overheard from the maids, Walter Grave was a notorious womanizer. His respectable facade as the Captain of the Royal Guard Direct Division was nothing but a sham. In reality, he was a piece of trash who tried to lay his hands on any woman who caught his eye.
On the other hand, just as Filgret had mentioned, the knights under his command held him in consistently high regard. The opinions of men and women were completely polarized. I suppose he knew how to manage his public image. Or perhaps, in this kingdom, that level of philandering was simply tolerated. Either way, to me, he was nothing but an annoying pest.
This marriage would never happen. Its ruin was already guaranteed. The important part was how I would break it off. Even in the worst-case scenario, the damage would be negligible compared to actually marrying him. At worst, the Grave family's loyalty to the crown would hit rock bottom. It wouldn't cause an immediate crisis.
However, if that happened, Carmel would undoubtedly use the situation to plot something else. The Grave family, who guarded the royal capital, turning their backs on the royal family could prove fatal depending on the circumstances. Besides, I utterly loathed the idea of things playing out exactly as Carmel intended. I had no desire to see her smug, triumphant face. Carmel looked much better trembling with helpless rage. Though, of course, watching her fall flat on her face right at her moment of triumph would be the absolute best.
A safe move would be to personally visit the Grave family and reject the proposal. Depending on my delivery and attitude, I could minimize the friction between us. I was reasonably confident in my ability to handle that. However, the fact that the royal family broke the promise first without any special justification would remain unchanged. No matter how smoothly I spun it, their trust would inevitably waver.
In that case, there were two better alternatives. The first was for an obstacle to arise that made the marriage impossible. For instance, the sudden death of Walter Grave. It was a rather tempting option. As long as my involvement in his death remained undetected, everything would be resolved cleanly. However, executing it wouldn't be so simple. Walter was the eldest son of the prestigious Grave family and the Captain of the Direct Division. Furthermore, as a self-proclaimed genius of swordsmanship, his personal combat prowess would be formidable. Devising a way to kill him without leaving a trace of my involvement was no easy task.
Then, the other clean solution was... to make the Grave family withdraw the proposal themselves. This, too, would settle things perfectly. Since they would be the ones breaking it off, there would be no reason for their loyalty to waver. But how? It sounded ideal, but the method of execution was even more vague than assassination. Without a realistic plan to back it up, it was nothing more than wishful thinking.
A clear answer wasn't coming easily. In times like this, it might be better to set it aside for a moment and focus on the immediate problem. The issue right in front of me was the Festival of the Sword, which was only three days away. Just imagining Walter winning the festival and delivering some cringeworthy proposal with a face full of smug self-assurance made me want to punch him. Moreover, if we lost the Festival of the Sword, the issue of Filgret's movements being restricted remained. We could not afford to lose, no matter what.
Carmel wouldn't just let the match proceed fairly, either. She would definitely plot some scheme to ensure Walter's victory. For example, slipping a drug into the food right before the festival to ruin our knights' physical condition. Of course, the Queen frequenting the knights' quarters would draw too much attention. But Carmel possessed dark magic that allowed her to alter her appearance: Shimasa's Spell. Now, she would be able to use it far more freely. If she disguised herself as someone who regularly accessed the barracks, pulling off such a scheme would be incredibly simple.
Naturally, she couldn't transform into just anyone. Although it wasn't described in precise detail in the novel, Shimasa's Spell could only be used on someone whose soul shape was identical to Carmel's. In the novel, the only person explicitly stated to meet this condition was Princess Sera. Carmel had never attempted to transform into anyone else. Still, it paid to be cautious. I stood up and called for a maid to prepare for my outing.
The Roberts Merchant Guild Headquarters. Having sent word of my visit in advance, Grus was waiting to greet me personally.
"W-Welcome, Your H-Highness..." Still as jittery as ever, though he seemed slightly more composed than before.
"M-May I ask what brings you here today...?"
"I'm looking for a specific item, Grus."
"An item, you say...? What kind of item might that be?"
"A magic item capable of seeing through magical transformations. Price is no object. This is urgent. Can you secure one within three days?"
I already knew such an item existed thanks to Monas. Grus tilted his head, mulling over my words.
"An item that sees through magical effects... Could you perhaps be referring to the Necklace of Truth?"
"The Necklace of Truth...? What kind of item is that?"
"It is a magic item that perfectly matches Your Highness's description. When worn by someone possessing mana, it grants the ability to see through illusion magic. If I recall correctly, it was part of Count Roberts'—ah, no, Graham Roberts's private collection..."
"How convenient. Where is this collection kept?"
"It should be stored at the Roberts Mansion. It was part of Graham Roberts's personal vault, after all."
The Roberts Mansion. Perfect. I was currently the patron of Baron Roberts. The mansion's contents were practically my own. I bid Grus farewell and left the headquarters. While obtaining the item would be easy, one detail Grus mentioned slightly disrupted my plans. Only someone with mana can use it? Originally, I had planned to wear the necklace myself to root out Carmel. But if that was the case, I would need someone else's assistance... Well, I would worry about that once the Necklace of Truth was in my hands.
Lost in thought, the carriage soon arrived at the Roberts Mansion. As I stepped down and walked toward the entrance, a familiar face emerged to greet me.
"Welcome, Your Highness."
It was William Roberts. The youthful boy bowed politely, showing his utmost respect.
"Have you been well, William?"
"Yes, thanks to you, Your Highness. What brings you to the mansion today?"
"I'm here to retrieve something from Graham's collection."
Despite my blunt declaration of taking his family's property, William showed no sign of wariness. He simply nodded readily.
"I see. My uncle's collection is kept in the annex. I will guide you. This way, please."
"You don't mind? Me helping myself to the Roberts family's treasures?"
William paused and looked up at me. Then, wearing a fresh, boyish smile, he replied:
"What a strange question, Your Highness. Since you are my patron, this mansion and everything inside it ultimately belong to you."
He certainly possessed a far sharper mind than Grus. Once William grew a bit older, Grus might find himself out of a job.
William led the way into the annex, and I followed close behind. Upon entering, I saw rows of tiered display shelves protected by transparent partitions. Inside lay countless dazzling treasures. It was quite a spectacular sight. The sheer volume of brilliant, uniquely shaped treasures stacked so grandly was enough to make even the most uncovetous heart flutter.
"Which item are you looking for, Your Highness?"
"The Necklace of Truth. I was told it was kept here..."
"The Necklace of Truth... Is it a magic item?"
"Yes. It's an artifact that can see through illusion magic. But I think finding it might take longer than I expected..."
Although the transparent partitions made it easy to see inside, there were simply too many items. Just scanning them all would take a considerable amount of time.
"If it's a magic item, there shouldn't be too many of them. Hmm... My uncle likely arranged them by value, so... let's head further inside."
Just as William suggested, we walked deeper into the vault. At the very back, I spotted a necklace adorned with a brilliant blue sapphire. The nameplate beside it was clearly labeled.
Grade: High-tier Magic Artifact
Effect: Grants the wearer the ability to see through illusion, transformation, and disguise magic.
William slid the partition aside and stepped back. I reached in and picked up the necklace. It was at that exact moment—
"Huh?"
The instant my fingers brushed against it, the sapphire, which had only been reflecting the ambient light, began to glow with its own inner radiance. The Necklace of Truth was a magic item that only reacted to those with mana. Which meant...
Do I have mana?