ESL Chapter 9

A week passed quickly after Lea entered the Kaien ducal house as an administrative officer.

It was somewhat disappointing that she had no opportunity to meet the current Duchess since she was confined to the office, but she was able to gather some information through conversations with the maids and butlers.

First, the current Duchess and the Duke had a very poor relationship. According to the maids, despite the Duchess’s constant attempts at seduction, the Duke didn’t even glance at her and treated her as if she were vermin. Second, the current Duchess was causing havoc in high society and severing all of the ducal house’s connections. Third, though she confirmed this herself, there were spies within the ducal house monitoring the Duke’s every move. And what caught her interest was that the Duke knew this fact but left them be. The Duke probably knew there were also watchers on the outside.

After organizing the last document, she placed the stack of papers on Duke Kaien’s desk. Today was the day the Duke was working at the imperial palace. And he had sent a message through his attendant that he would be late in the evening, so she should leave when her work was finished.

‘Tomorrow is a day off… Then should I meet the person Luciel introduced today?’

As she put on her outer garment and left the office, she stopped at the sight of a woman in her early thirties walking toward her with maids in tow, her gorgeous dress fluttering. The woman, whose appearance was as splendid as her dress, flaunted a mature beauty that would make any man take notice.

‘The Duchess.’

Noticing the venom in the woman’s eyes, Lea smiled imperceptibly and bowed politely as she approached. The Duchess stopped in front of her and said:

“Where is he?”

While thinking what a shrill voice she had, Lea showed no sign of it and answered slowly.

“His Grace has gone to the imperial palace. He sent word that he would be late today.”

“Is that so? But you’re a new face.”

Michelle de Kaien. That was the current Duchess’s name. Michelle quickly looked over the beautiful young man standing before her. She had heard about it. The Duke had hired a new administrative officer named Joseph, who was quite capable and whom the Duke was quite pleased with. She couldn’t see his face properly because of his glasses, but even just his snow-white skin, straight nose, and small, plump rose-colored lips like a woman’s gave him a strange beauty. She suddenly felt curious about how the Duke would react if she seduced this young man, and reached out to gently stroke his cheek. And she shuddered involuntarily. The feel of his skin against her hand was so soft it was like a baby’s skin. Michelle’s hand, which had moved to touch him more, circled through empty air as Joseph stepped back.

“I apologize, Duchess, but I’m not accustomed to others’ touch. Please understand with your generous magnanimity.”

Joseph apologized to Michelle with such perfect courtesy that no fault could be found, then walked past her. Michelle’s face twisted as she watched his retreating figure. She saw the Duke’s image overlapping with Joseph’s back—the Duke who hadn’t given her a single glance despite 17 years of constant seduction and effort.

“How dare someone like you refuse my touch? I’ll make you regret it.”

A cold smile appeared on Michelle’s lips as she turned and returned to her room. The maids hurriedly followed behind her.

‘So it’s true that the Duchess can’t contain her loneliness and has affairs with this man and that.’

Lea suppressed her displeasure as she rode the carriage Jerome had called for her, leaving the ducal residence. When Michelle’s hand touched her cheek, she had almost slapped it away at that creepy feeling like a spider crawling on her. She was an unpleasant woman.

‘She’ll surely try to get revenge soon since she was offended today.’

Though it was a brief moment, Lea, who had grasped Michelle’s personality in that time, smiled crookedly, lifting one corner of her mouth. Meanwhile, the carriage stopped in the city center as she had requested. Lea got out of the carriage and walked quite a distance to enter an antiquarian bookshop in the outskirts away from the center. The shadow that had been following Lea without presence climbed up to the roof like a shadow when she entered the bookshop, hiding its presence and waiting.

‘They’re persistently following me. They must really think they can use me for something.’

Lea smiled faintly where it couldn’t be seen and looked around the bookshop. This place, filled with the smell of old books, seemed quite old. But the books were well organized and there wasn’t a speck of dust on the window frames or shelves.

‘If I’d come without knowing, I’d have really thought it was just a bookshop.’

She walked to the second bookcase among those standing at regular intervals. The bookcase was made at about human height so that even women could easily take out books, and it had five shelves.

‘So it was the second bookcase, third shelf, right? The book title was… this is it, History of the Yurasen Empire.’

Lea reached out and pulled out the book Luciel had told her about. The book, quite large in size and thick in volume, was hardcover and heavy enough to be used as a weapon.

Of all things, such a heavy book… Just as she was getting slightly annoyed, a somewhat husky but pleasant male voice was heard.

“You seem to be visiting our bookshop for the first time. Is there a particular book you’re looking for?”

When she turned her head, a tall man wearing a work apron and holding a feather duster came into view. With deep golden hair and sky-blue eyes, he couldn’t be called handsome, but he was a genial-looking man who gave people a favorable impression. He wore a gentle smile on his lips, and it seemed so natural rather than professional that he would probably be quite popular with women. But Lea was more interested in the skills the man was hiding than such things. Unless one could manipulate mana as freely as she could, the man was concealing the mana in his body so well that it wouldn’t be noticed.

‘Not quite up to Sword Master level, but most knights wouldn’t be a match for him, would they? As expected of Luciel’s right hand.’

She finished analyzing the man before her and showed him the book she was holding while saying:

“I’ve only been here a short time, so I want to study the empire’s history a bit. Does this book also contain stories about Emperor Elsiru and his friends?”

At her question, the man’s eyes changed subtly. He put down the feather duster he was holding, untied his apron and draped it over his arm, then said:

“The content you’re looking for is downstairs, shall I guide you?”

“Yes, please.”

She said as she put the book back in its place.

“This way, then.”

Following the man’s guidance downstairs, books—fewer than on the first floor but still antiquarian volumes—greeted the two of them. They were books that looked even older than those on the first floor.

“Sounds don’t reach up to the roof from here, so you can speak freely. But you look different from the appearance I was told about.”

So he did notice the tail… She chuckled and removed her glasses and took off the ring from her finger. As the magic was dispelled and she returned to her original appearance, Berchel’s blue eyes showed both admiration and understanding simultaneously.

“Just as Lord Luciel said.”

“What did that one say?”

Though she called his master “that one,” Berchel answered with a smile as if he didn’t care.

“Black hair, red eyes, and a beauty, he said.”

Was it her imagination that he seemed to emphasize the word “beauty”? When she slightly frowned her beautiful brows, he added as if reading her thoughts:

“It’s only the second time Lord Luciel has used the word ‘beauty’ about anyone since I’ve been following him.”

“Hmm, he didn’t say such things when we were together. Really, he doesn’t show what’s inside.”

As Lea muttered as if displeased, Berchel nodded as if in agreement.

“He is rather like that. Ah, just a moment.”

Berchel approached a bookcase by the wall and pulled on a book. Then a picture frame hanging on the wall smoothly rotated to the side, revealing a safe. He took out well-organized documents from the safe, closed the safe door, and returned with the documents.

“This is the information you requested through Lord Luciel.”

Lea took the documents and sat on a small sofa nearby. While she was focused on the documents, Berchel, who had disappeared, returned with two teacups emitting warm steam.

“You’re a customer visiting my bookshop for the first time, so I should at least offer you a cup of tea.”

Lea took the teacup Berchel offered, and her eyes hardened slightly at the fragrance flowing from the tea. It was a scent she knew well thanks to Abel.

“Does it contain Montina?”

At her question, Berchel smiled as if satisfied and said. But the content was serious.

“Because you’ll need to drink it if you’re to stay at the Kaien ducal house.”

“…That means poison is being used at the ducal house?”

“From my investigation, a colorless, odorless poison has been used on two people for quite a long time. On Duke Kaien and on the captain of the Kaien Knights. However, the poison used only accumulates, and another poison is needed to activate it.”

“I think I know what it is. A poison that shows toxicity when two types are mixed. And the method of using the activating poison is through fragrance.”

“That’s correct. Estimating the amount of poison that has flowed into the Kaien ducal house, the moment it’s activated, no matter how high their martial arts or how strong their resistance to poison, both of them will lose their lives. They’ll probably use it in the worst case scenario when threatening through the Duchess doesn’t work.”

“……”

Lea brought the teacup to her lips and took a sip. If it was colorless and odorless, even she wouldn’t be able to detect it. And Montina was a powerful antidote that could detoxify most poisons. The only problem was that because its performance was so excellent, it was very expensive and very difficult to obtain. If they had been poisoned for a long time, they would need to ingest at least a handful of Montina to completely neutralize it. But that wasn’t much of a problem for her. She could obtain it. What grated on her nerves was the word “Duchess.”

“The former Duchess went missing with her daughter 17 years ago. For a while, there were vile rumors in society that the Duke had driven out or done something to his wife and daughter, and six months later the current Duchess entered… Up to here is the same as the information I received from Luciel last time. But this investigation report says the former Duchess appears to have been kidnapped.”

At Lea’s words, Berchel nodded and answered.

“That’s correct. Upon investigation, mail is delivered to Duke Kaien every month, and the contents are handkerchiefs with embroidery. Ah… how I confirmed the mail is a trade secret. And I had a maid who spent 20 years at the ducal house confirm that the embroidery was the former Duchess’s handiwork.”

“So they’re holding the Duchess hostage and confirming she’s alive once a month. Then that explains why he brought in the current Duchess and why he’s leaving the surveillance alone even though he knows about it.”

Lea put down the documents and fell into thought. The materials Berchel had investigated contained the contents they had just discussed and quite a bit of useful information that would be of great help in making future plans.

“Can’t you find out the Duchess’s location?”

“That’s a bit difficult. Actually, even helping like this now could endanger Lord Luciel’s position if the chief finds out.”

Because the damned chief is helping them… Berchel quietly swallowed those words. In fact, he thought Luciel should overthrow the chief and lead the organization. Everyone except a few of the organization’s leaders supported Luciel, after all. But that thing called affection, a single thread of it remained and bound his master’s ankles. So Berchel sincerely hoped that the Kaien ducal house’s affairs would be resolved well. His true feelings were that everything the chief did should fail.

“I see.”

Lea nodded as if understanding and got up from the sofa. While she put her glasses back on and put on her ring, Berchel held out an old book.

“This book contains the story you inquired about.”

In other words, “Take it so you won’t be suspected.” Lea was impressed by his meticulous consideration.