TYND 49

Chapter 49

“Thank you, Your Majesty. It’s hardly worthy as a return gift, but I would like to give you something as well.”

The item he offered with utmost courtesy was a fist-sized pebble.

It was just a stone.

Lucy stared at the stone in her palm, wondering what kind of reaction she was supposed to have.

Thinking it might be some kind of raw gemstone, she examined it carefully—but it was nothing more than an ordinary gray rock. The rough texture was that of a normal stone, its moderate chill and weight exactly like the countless stones scattered along the roadside.

Seeing the disappointment flicker across her face, Walter drooped his shoulders, looking crestfallen. Then, as if sharing an important secret, he stepped closer and lowered his head toward her ear.

“Your Majesty. This is not an ordinary stone. It’s an incredibly… extraordinary… how should I put it… a stone of great fortune.”

“…Fortune?”

“Yes. It’s a remarkable stone that skipped across the water seven times and then came back. I’ve always kept it on me as something precious. Since Your Majesty gave me such a valuable gift, I wished to repay you with something equally precious. Please accept it.”

A stone that skipped seven times and returned was, indeed, quite rare.

Still, she had never imagined she’d live long enough to receive a stone as a gift, so she couldn’t help but feel at a loss for words.

But Walter looked so earnest that Lucy couldn’t bring herself to scold him. Instead, she answered with a serious expression, thanking him sincerely.

And then, the moment she saw the man—more stone-like than the stone itself—blushing to the tips of his ears in embarrassment, she burst out laughing without realizing it.

* * *

Beyond the frost-laced window, dark clouds drifted faintly across the sky.

Stepping out of the reception room, Witten faced his reflection in the glass. He brushed back a stray lock of hair and checked his attire. Just as before he had entered, there wasn’t a single flaw.

After idly fiddling with his cravat, he slowly formed a relaxed smile. Judging by his appearance alone, one would never guess he was someone who had spent days indulging in savage acts in the bedroom—his figure was immaculate and elegant.

“Your Grace. It seems you enjoyed the conversation very much. You look radiant.”

The attendant, who had been anxiously waiting, sighed in relief upon seeing him enter the study. Witten chuckled softly, rubbing his cheek.

“A pleasant chat? Hardly. Political talk is always the same—what’s there to enjoy? If I look good, it’s probably thanks to the toy I left in the bedroom.”

“I was worried, since you didn’t seem particularly eager, but it appears you liked her. Shall we prepare another woman of a similar type?”

Witten said nothing as he sank into his chair. With a faint sneer, he tapped the armrest lightly before changing the subject.

“What’s the current state of the war? The Empire claims it’ll be settled within ten days at the latest.”

At the mention of the war, the attendant straightened his back, his expression turning serious.

“The prevailing opinion is that Dauphin will win. At first, Antevasila held the advantage, but their supply routes were cut, leaving them completely stranded. Morale has dropped sharply, and soldiers are surrendering one after another… I, too, believe Dauphin will achieve an overwhelming victory.”

The smile lingering on Witten’s lips deepened.

“Well now. I was certain Antevasila would win. Who would’ve thought Dauphin would take it instead? Even accounting for the Empire’s involvement… truly, the world never goes the way you expect.”

Antevasila, Dauphin, and Parnassus.

The standoff among the three nations stretched back nearly five hundred years.

Once a single country, it split into Parnassus and the Ante Republic, and the Ante Republic later divided into east and west—what are now Dauphin and Antevasila.

From the time of division until now, Antevasila had overwhelmingly superior national power. If war were to break out, most people naturally believed Antevasila would prevail.

But—

“They say you never know until it actually happens. How amusing. Yes… that’s right. You never know until it happens.”

Murmuring almost like a song, Witten opened the cigar case on his desk and took one out.

The attendant swiftly clipped the end, lit it, and handed it to him. Watching the cigar glow red as it burned, Witten curled his lips.

“I’ll be meeting the Crown Prince soon.”

He muttered around the cigar, his voice muffled. The attendant stared blankly for a moment before realization struck and his eyes widened.

“The Crown Prince himself is coming?”

“Something like that. He’ll come, but we can’t exactly meet on land, so we decided on a location somewhere in between. Filthy pigeons are crawling all over both land and sky, after all.”

The filthy pigeons—

It was what he called the Rapi Corps under Arsinoe’s command.

Originally the reconnaissance unit directly under the Grand General, the Rapi Corps had quietly carried information behind the scenes and had never revealed themselves publicly.

Rumors circulated that the kingdom’s army had Rapi operatives, but very few people had ever encountered one in their lifetime. As a result, most had no real understanding of how the Rapi Corps gathered intelligence or contributed to the military.

However, when Duke Kil was suppressed, the true nature of the Rapi Corps was revealed—and it was far more terrifying than anyone had imagined.

Fearing that someone might be eavesdropping at any time, from anywhere, the lords moved their secret meetings to increasingly secluded locations.

Basements, wine cellars, grain warehouses, docks… or else—

“You’re planning to rendezvous at sea?”

Witten exhaled a thin stream of smoke and nodded lightly.

“Exactly. Neither of us is in a position to meet openly, so somewhere out of sight would be best. Judging by the fact that he’s coming personally, he seems to have his own schemes… I’m thinking of joining hands with the Crown Prince and cleaning out the royal palace.”

Thinking the current instability after the change of king was the perfect opportunity, the Crown Prince had openly sent an envoy proposing an alliance.

Having provoked Dauphin into starting the war, he must be confident he could swallow Parnassus as well.

This time, it would be Witten who did the provoking.

With that man’s power, bringing down the royal palace would be effortless. Witten drew in a deep breath of smoke.

“Once the date is set, ready a ship. Port Meyer is the only route connecting to the Empire, so we’ll have to slip through the strait as inconspicuously as possible. Inform the Empire’s side to move quietly as well.”

“Understood. I’ll send the letter immediately.”

The attendant replied and rose from his seat. Watching his back, Witten suddenly called out to him.

“By the way, what did you say earlier? You asked if you should bring another woman of a similar type?”

“Yes. The woman in the bedroom doesn’t seem to be in good condition, so I thought to ask… What shall we do?”

Witten removed the cigar from his mouth and gazed at the glowing ember.

After a moment, a refined smile spread across his lips.

“Well… no need. If the meeting goes smoothly, rather than a substitute, I’ll just drag Arsinoe herself into the bedroom. I’m eager to see that impudent face of hers dissolve into tears.”

* * *

In the rose-scented bathroom, the sound of dripping water echoed softly—drip, drip.

Rutherford waved his hands, brushing aside the steam clouding his view. Then he straightened his posture and looked at the woman before him with clearer eyes.

“So, to summarize what Your Majesty said… you want every ship passing through Port Meyer to be inspected? Every single one, without exception?”

“That’s right. Not just the ships docking at the harbor, but even those merely passing through the waters—all of them must be investigated.”

Lucy replied as she poked at the rose petals floating on the water with her finger. Rutherford stroked the petals that had drifted toward him, his expression dazed.

“To inspect all ships… that won’t be easy. And I’ve only just become the governor of the duchy—still green. I’m not sure the port workers will even listen to me…”

“I’ll send Rapi soldiers to you. You can use them to monitor the ships from the sky.”

Rutherford blinked repeatedly, eyes wide.

“Are you certain it’s all right to entrust such important troops to me?”

“They’ll return as soon as the mission is complete, so don’t worry. It won’t take very long.”

Reclining halfway in the large bathtub, Lucy gathered her loose hair and twisted it up. Her pale skin was flushed red, and water streamed down along the curves of her body.