Victoria’s background was classified, and there were only three people with whom she shared information: Chester, Mike, and Edward. None of the other members of the Third Order were aware of Anna Victoria Asher’s true identity. Even the prime minister and the royal family were in the dark about her.
Mike resided in a section of the capital’s commoner district that was close to the eastern quarter, where the nobility lived. He was a bachelor and lived on the third floor of a four-story stone building.
Chester rapped lightly on Mike’s door and saw the peephole slide open. He couldn’t see Mike through it, so he figured the man was using another peephole to check who was here while keeping the top one open. Chester patiently waited for Mike to answer.
He heard the lock click, and then the door opened slightly.
“I’m sorry to bother you so late, Mike.”
“It’s all right. You wouldn’t come unless it’s something important.”
Chester nodded and explained Victoria’s message in detail.
“Understood. Send someone to Randall to investigate but leave out Victoria’s involvement,” Mike said.
“Got it.”
The next morning, Mike was summoned to Edward’s office as soon as he arrived at the castle. Edward slid a sheet of paper across the desk to him.
“I want you to verify this information.”
The document contained details about Gunther, which had been sent by a messenger. However, the information Victoria had gathered was more detailed and precise.
“I’ve dispatched a messenger to Randall last night to investigate the matter,” Mike said.
“I see. I take it you heard this from Victoria, then?”
“Yes. She stopped by Chester’s place on the way back from the ball last night and told him.”
“I see. We’re very lucky that she’s on our side.”
“I agree.”
“Was her information more detailed than this document, Mike?” Edward asked.
“Yes, it was.”
Mike relayed Victoria’s account of the situation.
“She gleaned that much from just a few dances with him?” Edward jotted notes down from Victoria’s account onto the piece of paper, a satisfied look on his face.
Then Edward motioned for Mike to leave. Once his subordinate was gone, he stood by the window and gazed outside.
“Now, should I inform Lord Cedric of this? No, that won’t do. He’s a terrible liar. Gunther would catch on in no time. I’ll have to wait for the results of our investigation before I tell him.”
He would just have to sit tight for the report from Randall. There were still things to investigate in the meantime.
Gunther had requested to stay at Hotel Fruud in the southern quarter. Edward decided to send a young operative to pretend to be a hotel employee.
“Call Riley here.”
Riley arrived promptly, standing before Edward with a nervous look on his face.
“Your task is to go undercover at Hotel Fruud. I want you to handle the room of a man named Gunther Bahr. I’ll arrange things so that you’re assigned to him. Monitor his every move.”
“Yes, sir.”
Riley quickly left the office.
Edward had other pressing matters to attend to besides the Gunther situation. He exited the room and headed for the prime minister’s office.
Prime Minister Stanley was writing at his desk. A servant announced Edward’s visit, and Stanley looked up and removed his glasses.
“It’s unusual to see you in my office. What brings you here?” he asked.
“There’s something that’s been on my mind.”
“Oh?”
“According to our reports coming out of Subartu, some of the nation’s nobles have been acting suspiciously. Specifically, several nobles with sway over the military have increased their levels of activity. We’ve spotted their troops conducting repeated drills about twenty kilometers from the western forest,” Edward said.
Stanley stared at the paperweight on his desk for a moment before looking up at Edward.
“They must be after the gold mine, then.”
“Most likely, yes. But there’s another concern. Poison has shown up twice lately in Crown Princess Delphine’s food.”
“Yes, so I heard. The taster collapsed, didn’t they? And the culprit is still at large? Forgive me—uncovering suspicious activities in the castle is supposed to be my responsibility.”
“It’s all right. We’re currently pursuing suspects, so please bear with us a little longer.”
Stanley nodded, his gaze drifting to Prince Conrad’s wedding portrait hanging on the wall. The prime minister seemed drained.
“Our kingdom has managed to evade war so far thanks to our proficiency at combining trade with diplomacy and our willingness to take in crown princesses from neighboring kingdoms. In Prince Conrad’s case, it was the kingdom of Eagal’s turn.”
“And next, it will be the kingdom of Subartu’s. It’s possible they’re trying to expedite when they’ll get to send a crown princess of their own.”
Stanley fell silent, lost in thought.
“If anything happened to Princess Delphine, however, Eagal wouldn’t stay quiet. They would insist the next crown princess also come from their kingdom, especially since we’ve discovered the gold. That aside, she and Prince Conrad are such a devoted couple. I’m determined to protect Princess Delphine, no matter what. As I grow older, the deaths of those younger than me grow even heavier. And the thought of our sweet crown princess being murdered is unbearable. I have but a short time left—I don’t want it to be filled with sorrow.” Stanley closed his eyes and rubbed them, his expression weary. “Edward, do you think the attempted poisoning was Subartu’s doing?”
“Normally, not even Subartu would stoop to something like that. However, with the gold mine involved, it’s hard to say. And then there’s the matter of the sacred forest.”
“Is there any specific evidence that points to Subartu being behind it?”
The prime minister kept his gaze fixed on Edward, who stared back without hesitation. “No.”
“But it’s unlikely anyone would dare make a direct move against Princess Delphine within the royal palace. To safeguard against another poisoning attempt, we’ve assigned people to watch over every step of the process of preparing her meals,” said the prime minister.
“The Saint Floren Festival is approaching soon.”
“Ah, yes. The festival.”
The Saint Floren Festival was only two months away. For over one hundred fifty years, the crown princess had been responsible for officiating its opening in the town square.
“I doubt anyone could assassinate Princess Delphine in front of thousands of citizens, but that’s precisely the kind of thing assassin squads are made for. We must be prepared,” said Edward.
“Hold on. Everything is still hypothetical at this stage. Let’s focus on the Saint Floren Festival first. Edward, I want you to personally oversee Princess Delphine’s security detail during the festival, separate from her knights.”
“Understood. Please prioritize your own recovery, though, Lord Stanley.”
“I will. But perhaps it’s time for me to step down from my position,” Stanley said, then lowered his voice. “But if there’s a possibility of assassination, we’ll need to use a decoy. Wasn’t there someone among the staff who resembles Princess Delphine?”
“Yes. I can assign Luna to that task.”
“How fortunate it is we have someone who looks like her.”
“I agree.”
Edward bowed and left the prime minister’s office.