Elqueeness [EN]: Chapter 338

338.

“I already know that.”

“Pardon? How did you know?”

“Of course, I know. You sent Deron to monitor him, didn’t you? The fact that you’re here means he’s here too. What other explanation could there be?”

“Ah, that’s right.”

He nodded blankly, a look of realization on his face. …He certainly didn’t seem like this kind of demon when I first met him. So many things have happened since then that I don’t know what made him like this. Wasn’t he relatively normal until recently? Was my cross-dressed appearance that shocking?

“Anyway, where is that person, Caribdis, and what is he doing?”

“I don’t know.”

“……”

The answer came so readily and confidently that I thought I had misheard at first. I stared at him in bewilderment, and, seeming to have a conscience, he gave me an embarrassed look.

“He’s more sensitive to detection than I thought. I couldn’t get closer than a certain distance. I only confirmed that he disguised himself and sneaked into the main palace.”

“Hmm. When was that?”

“Around sunset.”

“And you haven’t seen him since?”

“No.”

‘This is a bit of a problem.’

If he’s disguised, it’ll be hard for me to find him right away. The Eye of the Spirit is based on the information I have, so the spirits couldn’t find a form I don’t know. Just in case, I roughly scanned the Imperial Palace, but there was nothing that caught my eye. Judging by the fact that I couldn’t detect any particularly suspicious presence, his disguise seemed quite elaborate.

“Okay, I understand. It’s a hassle, but Deron, please keep looking for him. Contact me if you find him.”

“Understood. How is the work progressing? Does it seem like the Grand Duke will come out as planned? It seems like a pretty full-scale banquet for a mere formality. I was surprised by how many people there were.”

“I’m a little concerned about that too… but he definitely seemed to have ulterior motives. I’ve laid the groundwork for now, so I’ll have to watch a little longer.”

“Is that so? Be careful. Well, it may sound like unnecessary worry, though.”

“No, I appreciate your concern.”

I smiled, and Deron’s face stiffened for a moment. I was puzzled by his sudden change in expression and gave him a bewildered look. He said, as if he was very troubled.

“Excuse me, but it’s best not to smile when you’re dressed up like that.”

“……Pardon?”

“I was prepared for it, but the impact is quite significant. I almost got excited without realizing it. To be able to captivate people without the magic of bewitchment, El, you’re truly a terrifying person.”

“……”

Maybe I’m just not a good fit for this demon.

It was a part I had never seriously considered, but today, for the first time, I felt a deep sense of skepticism. It was a very belated realization, even to myself.

* * *

When I parted ways with Deron and returned to the banquet hall, I was exhausted as if several years had passed. Lapis and As were still surrounded by a large crowd, so I couldn’t bring myself to go back into it. But even if I didn’t want to, if I stood here awkwardly, someone would soon find me and drag me in. Before that happened, I looked around to see if there was a place to hide.

“Oh my, look over there. It’s Lady Schutel.”

I felt a small commotion nearby and heard whispering. It was a reaction to a woman who had just arrived at the banquet hall. The woman, wearing a dress that spread out like a fan, had light purple hair and grape-colored eyes that were darker than her hair. She was still young, but she was also a beauty who could easily win favor. But the way people looked at her was closer to discomfort.

“Didn’t they say Lady Schutel was under house arrest? I heard an invitation was sent to the Schutel family, but she actually came.”

“There was a strict order that all nobles residing in the capital must attend. They couldn’t dare ignore it.”

“Still, wouldn’t it have been better not to come? Maybe it was a mistake to send an invitation to her. I don’t think the Grand Duke would be happy about her attendance either.”

“I agree.”

Just listening to the casual conversation, it seemed like she had a bad reputation. Even though she must have felt the whispering atmosphere directed at her, the woman called Lady Schutel didn’t seem to care much. She came into the hall and took a seat as if she didn’t see anyone, and people didn’t approach her. One of the servants carrying a tray handed her a glass of wine. She took it and drank it almost in one gulp. Her expression was calm, but it didn’t seem like she was okay with this situation.

‘That reminds me, there was an order to attend the banquet.’

No wonder there were so many people at the suddenly opened banquet. It seemed that the Grand Duke, whether for appearances or for show, had taken a hard line to fill the seats. I mean, how many people would have been comfortable participating in a banquet in this situation, with the Emperor’s army almost at their doorstep?

“Lady Schutel must be very upset. Her father and brothers all volunteered to go to war to cover up her mistakes. To have to attend a banquet in this situation.”

“Well, it’s not just Lady Schutel. The daughters of the Dariel family also have all their men gone to war.”

“In fact, it’s no exaggeration to say that almost all the noble men in the capital have gone to war. The remaining young masters are either too young or too weak to qualify.”

Only then did I calmly look around. I thought they were gathered mainly with young people, but now that I looked again, the men’s faces were particularly young. I thought they were adults because they were tall, but considering that humans in this world have a large basic frame, it wouldn’t be strange if they were younger than I had guessed.

“Still, the Schutel family is at the forefront. It’ll be much more dangerous than others.”

“Well, it can’t be helped. Lady Schutel really made a big mistake.”

“That’s right. Rather, it’s a great relief that it ended there. Sending a message to the Serik family to let them all escape. If Baron Schutel hadn’t quickly taken care of it, it would have been difficult for everyone to avoid disaster. It would have been no excuse even if they had been wiped out.”

What stopped me from just nodding and moving on was the conversation that followed. The content itself was serious, but the name of the family mentioned in the whispers sounded very familiar. I had definitely heard the name somewhere.

‘Serik, Serik. Where did I hear this name… Ah! Kayd Serik!’

The realization came suddenly. Isana’s Royal Guard captain, Kay’s last name was Serik. He was the Emperor’s most reliable ally, but now he was being treated almost as a traitor in the capital. But Lady Schutel helped Kay’s family? Surprised by the unexpected information, my gaze almost reflexively turned to where she was. The woman standing calmly, regardless of the surrounding reactions, suddenly looked different. Even at that moment, the chatter continued.

“Now that we’re on the subject, that day was really amazing. Most of the Royal Guards were living in the Knights’ quarters after entering the capital alone, but Count Serik wasn’t. He had a mansion in the capital, as well as his sister, nephew, and other family members. When ‘that’ happened, Count Serik quickly fled, but he didn’t have time to take care of his family. Knowing that, the Grand Duke immediately ordered the arrest of his family. But when the soldiers went to the mansion, it was already empty. Who would have known that it was Lady Schutel’s work?”

“It’s still amazing every time I think about it. Well, Lady Schutel had a crush on Count Serik for a long time. But I didn’t think she would take such a risk.”

“It’s a foolish thing to do. No matter what she does, Count Serik won’t even acknowledge her. Will the Count even be alive now? There were rumors that he was already dead at the point when the wanted order was lifted.”

“The body hasn’t been found yet, but there’s almost no chance he’s alive. I heard he was seriously injured at the end.”

“That’s right. I heard it was a fatal wound.”

“……”

My heart sank coldly. Come to think of it, I had never separately investigated what happened to the families and retainers who supported Isana in the capital. Even the Royal Guards must have had families. At the very least, there would have been servants or retainers they were taking care of. Most of them would have been threatened, and even if they had avoided disaster, they would have been having a difficult and harsh time. Isana and the Royal Guards would be fully aware of that. Yet, they had never shown that part of themselves. It must have been really hard, and my heart ached to think that they were secretly holding onto that pain.

When I came to my senses, my body was already moving. As I approached Lady Schutel, the surrounding whispers grew louder. The lady, sensing my presence, turned around with a puzzled look, then looked a little surprised to see me.

“Hello. You look lonely, may I stay here?”

Lady Schutel, taken aback by my sudden words, hesitated and nodded. Seeing her nervous expression, I smiled even brighter to reassure her.

“Nice to meet you. I’m El… Ella Mikalan.”

“I’m Annika from the Schutel family. I don’t think I’ve met you before.”

“Yes, that’s right. I came from a foreign country.”

“Ah, I heard that the main characters of today’s banquet are nobles from foreign countries…”

“I think I’m one of them. But I just came along.”

In response to my playful answer, a faint smile appeared on Lady Schutel’s face, who had been stiff. It was a face that showed the joy and embarrassment of receiving kindness after a long time. I slowly examined her appearance. Women are generally smaller than men, but even considering that, Lady Schutel was particularly small and slender. She had a pure and elegant atmosphere, and she looked really weak at first glance. But she risked her life to help Kay with this body?

There was no guarantee that she would survive just because she was a noble. Not only herself, but her family, everyone in the family could have been in danger. It must have been a very scary and difficult decision, but I was really impressed and grateful that she had overcome that fear and adhered to her beliefs. Because wealth and honor can be recovered, but the people who have left do not return. That’s something that can’t be compensated for with anything. If all the family members had been dragged away by the Grand Duke that day, Kay would have been tormented for the rest of his life. I felt new emotions when I thought that the person who had prevented that ending was right in front of me. How many people’s contributions are hidden until they get here?

Even when Isana summoned me that dawn, many Royal Guards had already lost their lives. The people who died in the process were not just them. The desperate time I had experienced in the past seemed to be vividly drawn before my eyes.

“Um…?”

While I was thinking about something else for a while, I heard a voice calling me. I lifted my head and saw Lady Schutel hesitating with an uneasy expression. I must have frowned without realizing it. I quickly shook off my gloomy thoughts and smiled again.

“Ah, sorry. I was thinking about something else for a moment.”

“I see. It’s okay.”

Relief bloomed on her smiling face. I couldn’t help but notice how overly conscious she was of other people’s reactions. She must have received bad reviews for openly helping Isana in the Grand Duke’s Imperial Palace. Even if she wasn’t under house arrest, it would have been difficult for her to come to the banquet, but she had to attend by force. I thought she must have mustered a lot of courage today. I wanted to repay her courage.

“Excuse me. I have something to say…”

“Lady Mikalan, I was wondering where you were. So you were here.”

However, the interrupting voice came first, just as I was carefully trying to speak. I frowned and turned to see three men standing there. They were people I had vaguely seen in the group that had spoken to me when I was with Lapis.

“I’ve been looking for you, Lady. What are you doing in a place like this? Aren’t you lonely by yourself?”

“Pardon?”

“You’re one of the main characters of today’s banquet, but it’s not right for you to be alone. Let’s go with us.”

“……”

Alone. It was a statement that treated Lady Schutel, who was right next to me, as if she didn’t exist. Lady Schutel’s complexion darkened rapidly. I was furious, but I answered in a soft tone for now.

“Are your eyes not very good? I’m not alone right now.”

“Yes? Ah, I’m sorry. Excuse me. Who is this? Lady Schutel was also here. It’s been a while.”

As if they had finally found her, the men greeted her smoothly. Lady Schutel’s face, which was already pale, seemed to turn even bluer.

“……It’s been a while.”

“Yes, I never thought I would see Lady Schutel again in the Imperial Palace. I heard that an invitation was sent to the Schutel family, but you really came.”

“That’s right. Well, but you did well. You have to do well even in a place like this to appease the Grand Duke.”

“I agree with that. The men of the family are all fighting hard for their only daughter and sister, so can the lady just be comfortable?”

“I’ll… try.”

Only the tone was polite, but every word they uttered was like a dagger. I quickly checked Lady Schutel’s complexion. She was maintaining a calm posture, but the hand clutching the hem of her dress was trembling so pitifully. The words to stop at a moderate level were rising to my throat.

“Ah, by the way, did you find Count Serik’s body today?”

“……!”

At the same time that my face hardened, Lady Schutel’s breath stopped. A sly smile was drawn on the faces of the men who saw her lifting her head sharply.