Chapter 55 from Let Me Take That Envelope of Money:
The Grand Madam could neither answer yes nor no and pressed her hand to her forehead.
Seeing this, the attendant cautiously asked her,
“Shall I go look for the lady-in-waiting?”
“…No, it’s fine. You may step back now.”
“Yes, Grand Madam.”
“Before you go, pour me another glass of wine.”
After handing over her empty glass and receiving a fresh one, the Grand Madam swirled the wine and let out a long sigh.
…Well, whatever. No one’s going to get hurt anyway.
At worst, Airy would just suffer some embarrassment.
The thought of stopping Olbia didn’t even cross her mind—especially when she was still irritated with Elkias.
The Grand Madam brought the glass to her lips and drank it down in one go.
Maybe it was because the wine had an aroma similar to her favorite mint tea, but it went down surprisingly smoothly.
Stepping out the back door of Queen Rose Hall and walking only a little, Olbia felt as if she had fallen from the world of day into the world of night—everything around her was suddenly darker.
The noise, too, had died down, until the sound of her own footsteps began to echo.
Olbia deliberately softened her steps and sank into thought.
The honey on the flowers was a success.
The maids at the Iris Pavilion were all personally selected and placed by Elkias.
She had thought bribing them would be difficult, but it turned out to be surprisingly easy.
The maid who had taken the honey from her later reported that she had applied it to Airy’s hair ornament without being caught.
Just in case the maid was lying, Olbia had even gone near Airy to confirm for herself that the ornament smelled sweet.
It was Euphir honey—fragrant like apples.
Produced only in a special northern region, it was exquisite in taste, but came with a fatal drawback: it attracted insects like nothing else.
Especially the Frost Locust—known as the “Nightmare of the Northern Snowfields”—an adult of which could grow larger than an adult man’s palm, and would go mad for Euphir honey.
Even a single drop would have dozens of them swarming and fighting to get at it.
If I release them into this garden, they’ll fly straight to that woman.
Olbia had told the Grand Madam she only meant to humiliate Airy by making insects cling to her hair ornament, but her real goal was more than that.
She wanted Airy to get caught up in the Frost Locusts’ fight, leaving hideous scars on her face.
Then Elkias would lose interest, and Airy would be driven out of the Duke’s mansion.
If she could just die in the process, that would be even better.
Twenty-six years ago, when a divine beast was killed and its egg went missing—a huge incident—Olbia had not been suspected by anyone.
Yet after Airy’s arrival, the Duke had begun to suspect her—not because she had slipped up, she felt, but simply because Airy was here.
She’s an eyesore. I must drive her out before my identity is fully exposed.
She had hidden her true self for decades in the Duke’s mansion, perfectly establishing herself as the Grand Madam’s lady-in-waiting.
Elkias might suspect her of scheming, but he had never once doubted her true identity.
She was certain it would be the same this time.
If insects suddenly swarmed her, people would just assume it was because she wore fresh flowers in her hair.
Some might recognize the Frost Locusts as being native only to the North. But Olbia had prepared for that—she had ordered northern flowers to be planted in Queen Rose Hall’s garden.
She had made it look like the Grand Madam’s idea, so even if anyone grew suspicious, they would think it was the Grand Madam’s own ploy to drive Airy away.
Yes, this plan is perfect. There’s nothing to worry about.
All she had to do was not get caught releasing the Frost Locusts.
Eager to finish the task and return, Olbia walked quickly.
But then—
…What is that smell?
Sniff, sniff.
After a few sniffs, Olbia realized what it was—the smell of something roasting over a fire.
Where is that coming from…? Wait!
She didn’t know exactly what it was, but the smell was coming from the direction where she had hidden the Frost Locusts.
Perhaps an attendant or someone else had discovered them and was burning them.
No!
She rushed to where she had stashed the insects.
But her faint hope—that the locusts were safe and that it was something else burning—was instantly incinerated in the sight before her: the fire surrounded by knights, where her locusts were roasting away.
“Hahaha! Now this is a feast! Dozens of the North’s delicacies brought right to us! Who would give me such a fine gift?”
“Uh, Deputy Captain… are you sure these are really a delicacy?”
“Of course! Don’t you believe me? In the North, you can’t get enough of these beauties. Come on, take a bite!”
Around the fire, dozens of long iron skewers pierced Frost Locusts, set at an angle over the flames.
A quick count told Olbia there were twenty-three in total—every single one she had painstakingly procured through a fellow cultist, now reduced to a midnight snack for the knights.
“What on earth… are you doing?!”
In her despair, Olbia couldn’t stop herself from shouting.
Several broad-shouldered knights turned to look at her at once. Realizing too late that she had drawn attention, she decided to bluff it out.
“Have you forgotten where you are? How dare you light a fire in a place where such important guests are gathered… And what exactly are you roasting?”
“Oh, it’s you—the Grand Madam’s lady-in-waiting, isn’t it?”
Mark, the one who seemed to be leading the group, stood and bit into a roasted locust as he approached her.
Thinking he meant her harm, Olbia stumbled back a few steps.
“D-Don’t come near me! What are you eating?!”
“Guess you don’t know either. This here is the Frost Locust—one of the rarest delicacies in the North. Must be a gift from someone who pitied us for patrolling while everyone else is enjoying themselves.”
“Who would give such disgusting bugs as a gift?!”
“Why, the Duke himself, of course! When we worked together in the North, he loved these!”
“Deputy Captain, is that true? The Duke actually ate these locusts?”
“Of course! Have you all been living under a rock?”
“Well… your stories are always so colorful, sir…”
“Every story I tell is true! Go ask the Duke yourself if you don’t believe me.”
“If you put it like that…”
One of the younger knights, emboldened, bit into a roasted locust.
“Hmm… Hm…? Oh…?”
He chewed several times, then stared in surprise at the skewer in his hand.
“Wow, this is actually pretty good. Tastes like beef!”
“Don’t lie! How could a locust taste like beef?”
“I’m serious! Try it!”
“If it doesn’t taste like beef, you’re in trouble—… Wait, it really does?”
“Why is this tasty? It’s an insect! A locust!”
The knights, now convinced, began devouring the skewers with gusto. Mark grinned smugly at their reactions.
“Hahaha! Told you it was good!”
Then he held a skewer out to Olbia.
“Come on, miss, you try one too.”
“What? Absolutely not—!”
“This isn’t an everyday opportunity! Don’t be shy—here!”
“W-What are you doing—! Mmph!”
Olbia tried to flee, but Mark was faster, shoving the roasted locust into her mouth.
The moment her lips touched the crisp shell, she instinctively bit off a leg with a crunch.
A shiver ran up her spine—and without even managing a scream, Olbia fainted dead away.
