~Chapter 53~
“Not the Imperial family. We would be opposing the Empress Dowager.”
The power of Empress Dowager Reina, who had placed her own grandson on the throne, was overwhelming in the current Imperial Court.
“That’s basically the same thing—!”
At that moment, Horwin, who had been standing quietly behind them, stepped forward.
“No. Right now, His Majesty the Emperor and Her Majesty the Empress Dowager are openly at odds.”
“And who are you?”
“I’m Horwin, captain of the information guild called Magpie-Toe.”
At the name of the information guild that had quietly gained fame in recent years, Romulus narrowed his eyes.
“This is confirmed information from eyes we planted inside the Imperial Palace. Two years ago, the Empress Dowager tried to force her own person into the position of Empress—but His Majesty rejected it outright. That’s when their conflict began.”
“Such a thing…”
Romulus muttered in shock.
Camilla calmly looked at the elder, who had fallen into deep thought.
“With this much, it doesn’t go against Everett’s stance of loyalty to the Empire, does it?”
Drake looked around at the senior members.
“…I believe so. What do the rest of you think?”
Meaningful looks were exchanged.
The elder asked Camilla,
“Lady. Knowing all of this—do you truly have a way to bring down Mowin?”
“Yes. Would you like to hear it?”
As everyone’s eyes turned to her, Camilla nodded toward Sonya.
Sonya unrolled the scroll she was holding.
A map spread open—clearly a depiction of a fighting arena.
“Mowin’s core business, and its largest source of income backed by the Empress Dowager, is this arena.”
Camilla’s eyes glinted dangerously.
“I will destroy this arena first.”
As she said that, her gaze shifted to Romulus.
“Sir Romulus. I hear you have a rather unique hobby—taming wild beasts?”
That day, Camilla officially gained Everett as her ally.
Leaving Drake and the Everett members with their hoods pulled low, Camilla stood up first to return.
It wouldn’t be wise for everyone to leave together.
But just before she reached her carriage, Drake stopped her in front of the stable.
“Lady.”
“What is it, Drake? This doesn’t seem like something to discuss at the Mowin estate.”
Drake was still working as a servant in the Mowin household.
Once someone entered that house, the only way out was as a corpse—so it was only natural.
“…I have something to tell you about Lady Nina.”
Camilla paused.
Drake was currently Nina’s personal servant.
After her relationship with Camilla broke down, the lonely Nina had chosen him herself.
“What about Nina?”
“Lady Nina is planning to run away from the family.”
“…What did you just say?”
The unexpected words made Camilla’s head ring.
The first thing that came to her mind was the original story.
Nina deciding to run away after discovering Drake was from the enemy Everett family.
‘We’re getting close to the original timeline, but…’
“You’re planning to run away with Nina?”
“What? Why would you think that?”
Expecting a lovers’ escape, Camilla was surprised when Drake lowered his head gloomily.
“Lady Nina and I are not in that kind of relationship.”
“…I see.”
Camilla narrowed her eyes at him, then asked,
“Then why is Nina running away?”
Drake whispered quietly.
“Last night, Lady Nina was summoned to Baron Mowin’s office.”
“And?”
“The baron said that the Grand Duke of Escalus has finished his long assignment and is returning to this city to formally inherit the ducal title.”
Thump.
Camilla’s heart jolted, but she hid it behind a blank expression.
“To inherit the title…?”
“Yes. And you know that to inherit the ducal seat, marriage must come first.”
Thump, thump.
Her heart began to race.
She had deliberately avoided hearing news about Dane all this time.
And yet—
“In two months, the wedding between the Grand Duke of Escalus and Lady Nina will take place.”
Bang.
It felt like her chest collapsed inward.
But Drake’s next words made her doubt her own ears.
“To avoid this, Lady Nina is planning to run away from home.”
“…What?”
For a moment, Camilla wondered if she had misheard.
Then the words she had once thrown at Nina five years ago resurfaced in her mind.
‘Why didn’t you say you didn’t want it?’
‘I—I…’
‘You should’ve run away from the engagement ceremony. And now you say you want to help me?’
‘Could it be because of that…?’
Half of what she had said back then was a lie.
She had pushed Nina away on purpose, thinking it was better to cut ties before destroying the family.
‘But did those words really affect Nina?’
Camilla suddenly felt her chest tighten.
“What’s Nina’s plan?”
“…Honestly, it’s very detailed. She plans to go to Bellua, where her aunt lives, under the excuse of bridal lessons. Then she’ll look for a chance to buy a ship ticket and go to another port city, Etten, to work as a private tutor…”
‘What nonsense.’
It was very different from the original story, where Nina ran away with Drake.
“No need to wait and see. She’ll fail.”
The plan seemed sloppy—but Drake disagreed.
“The frightening thing about Lady Nina is that she actually carries things like this through.”
Was he blinded by affection?
Camilla narrowed her eyes as Drake whispered,
“You sisters are very alike.”
“…That’s—”
Camilla stopped herself.
She had heard those words before—from Dane.
She bit her lip, then forced herself to focus.
“A wedding, huh. That could be useful.”
“…What?”
“The Grand Duke’s wedding will be a full celebration. The perfect timing for our plan.”
For the operation to succeed, the streets needed to be packed with people.
The Escalus family had a tradition of holding a three-day citywide festival for weddings.
“It’s the perfect time. So Nina cannot go to Bellua.”
Camilla tilted her head slightly.
“Stop her by any means necessary. You can do that, right, Drake?”
“…You really are—”
“Do you have anything else to say?”
“…No. That’s all.”
Drake looked at Camilla with heavy eyes, then turned away.
The conversation was over.
Camilla also turned and climbed into the carriage.
From below, Horwin whispered,
“Miss, that brat’s eyes look awfully disrespectful when he looks at you. Want me to knock his jaw loose?”
“No. You did well, Horwin. I’ll pay you as usual.”
“What? After everything we’ve built thanks to you, you’re cold.”
Leaving Horwin behind, Camilla closed her eyes inside the carriage with Sonya.
She was exhausted.
‘Dane…’
She hadn’t avoided Escalus for five years. She had run into him a few times.
But she never expected to hear about a wedding.
“Shall we return to the estate, miss?”
“…Yes. I need to go to the lab. There’s still a medicine I haven’t finished…”
“Get some sleep first.”
Sonya’s gentle, quiet voice was comforting.
Camilla soon drifted into sleep.
For five years, Camilla gained the baron’s trust—and immense infamy in the streets.
As a result, her reputation in high society was the worst.
After the baroness disappeared, Eugenia, who ruled Escalus high society, never forgave Camilla.
She protected Nina—and openly opposed Camilla.
Dirty rumors about the Witch of Mowin never stopped.
One of the main sources of those rumors was Ares, known as the golden tongue of high society.
Cruel and sharp-tongued, Ares unexpectedly thrived as a social manipulator, freely shaping ugly gossip.
With his sword skills and connections, he earned a knighthood and rose to vice-captain of the family knights.
His reputation only improved.
Camilla’s only worsened.
‘That’s why I don’t set foot in high society at all.’
All the information she needed came from the Magpie-Toe Guild, which she funded directly and which now functioned as an information guild rather than a mercenary group.
Yet even after five years, Ares still spoke to Camilla with the same careless tone.
“Hey. Tomorrow, you’re coming with me as my partner to the masked ball at Marquis Churello’s estate.”
Like that.
‘What dog is barking now?’
