Nonna was a determined girl who was always full of enthusiasm, so seeing her this dejected made Yolana feel a bit of amusement.
“I can’t count on my son in this situation, but the daughter of a lady I play poker with is the head maid. I can inquire about the castle through her.”
“Really?! Thank you so much!” Nonna said.
“However, I have a condition. You must be honest and tell me why you want to do such a thing.”
“Hmm…”
“That’s only fair, don’t you think?”
“Hmm…”
“Nonna, do you remember the saying that starts with the phrase If you try to gain something for free…? What comes next?”
“…The price you pay will only be higher in the end.”
“Very good. That’s the foundation of noble society. I would require something in return even for you, Nonna.”
“Hmm…”
“Is this regarding Victoria? Or Jeffrey? Or perhaps Clark?”
“…”
“I see. It’s about Victoria, isn’t it?”
“How did you know? Oops!”
Yolana chuckled with amusement. “You’ve got a long way to go if your expressions are that easy to read. So tell me what’s happened to Victoria. I’ll see what I can do to help. Don’t tell me someone from another country is pursuing her again?”
“I don’t think it’s that.”
“What makes you so sure?”
“Lady Yolana, can I ask you not to tell my father what I’m about to say?”
Yolana didn’t answer right away. She wanted to grant her dear Nonna’s request, but she also had her own responsibilities as an adult.
Perhaps I can keep this from Jeffrey Asher but not his brother. Forgive me for being a little underhanded, Nonna.
“Very well. I won’t tell your father. Why do you want to work at the castle?”
“The kingdom hired my mother to work for two months.”
“Hmm. The kingdom hired her, you say?”
“Yes, and I’m worried about her. I want to know what kind of work she’s taken on.”
“You might only end up burdening Victoria if you go to her,” Yolana said.
“Well, I guess it depends on what she’s doing. I just want to see for myself, and if it seems like she’s safe, I’ll come home right away,” Nonna said.
“And if it doesn’t seem safe?”
“Then I want to stay close to her and protect her.”
“But, dear, I’ve already told you that’s impossible.”
Nonna’s face fell at Yolana’s immediate response.
“The palace isn’t the kind of place where just anyone can come and go, dear. You need to show a permit every time you enter and leave. If you snuck in illegally, your parents could face severe consequences. And it might not even stop there; Lord Edward, Clark, and even Clark’s parents could be implicated. Would you risk causing trouble for all those people solely to check on your mother? You need to drop this idea at once. It’s far too reckless. Besides, there’s no guarantee Victoria is even working at the palace.”
Nonna thought about it for a moment before nodding.
“I suppose when you put it that way, I see your point.”
“Her work might not even be in the capital, let alone the castle. However, it might be possible to find out what she’s been asked to do.”
“Really?”
“I promise I’ll look into it for you. I can’t guarantee I’ll find out for sure, but I will try. So go on home now and wait for word from me.”
“I understand. Thank you, Lady Yolana.”
Nonna bowed deeply, and Yolana sent her home in the Haynes family carriage.
When she got back home, Bertha exclaimed, “When did you sneak out?” and promptly reported the incident to Jeffrey. When her father asked where she went, Nonna lied, said she’d gone into town alone to play, and was thoroughly scolded. Despite the lecture, Nonna didn’t regret her escapade one bit.
Meanwhile, Yolana immediately penned two letters: one to her poker companion of thirty years, and another to Edward Asher.
Edward Asher received the note after returning home. He wasn’t expecting a letter from Yolana Haynes, and he froze for a moment after reading it.
“That was a close one. That girl certainly has the skills of a spy… I’m grateful Lady Yolana warned me. Perhaps I underestimated the bond between Victoria and Nonna.”
Edward pondered the issue.
He was already dealing with the man calling himself Gunther Bahr, the attempted poisoning of the crown princess, monitoring the antiroyalist faction, and tracking the increasingly active Subartuan military after Ashbury’s discovery of the gold mine. With no shortage of work to be done, he couldn’t afford to have Nonna interfering now.
After he finished the letter, he called for his beloved wife, Blythe.
“Yes, darling? What is it?”
“Blythe, I need to ask a favor of you.”
“Oh my! How unusual. Whatever could it be?”
“I’m going to discuss this with Jeffrey, too, but I think we should take in Nonna for two months. Victoria is rather busy, and I don’t think Jeffrey can handle a girl of Nonna’s age alone.”
This was the very first time in their entire marriage Edward had made such a request from Blythe, so she knew it must be something very important and asked no questions.
She was well aware of how deeply Victoria loved Nonna. So if Victoria had entrusted Jeffrey with Nonna’s care for two months, it must be for something very significant indeed. Whatever it was, Edward would have explained it if he could. Since he didn’t share any details, that meant that he wasn’t in the position to disclose.
“Darling, rest easy and leave it to me. I’m looking forward to being with Nonna.”
“I’m sorry for the trouble. I really appreciate it.”
The next day, Jeffrey was summoned to his brother’s house and was surprised by what he heard.
“What do you mean, you’ll take in Nonna?”
“It appears she’s tried to go work at the palace. Is Victoria away? Nonna seems to think she’s staying there.”
“Nonna was trying to get a job at the palace?” This shocked Jeffrey. He hadn’t expected Nonna to consider such a thing, but he supposed it wasn’t entirely surprising considering the strength of her and her mother’s bond. He bit his lip, inwardly scolding himself for his lack of foresight. He wondered how best to explain the situation to his brother.
“I won’t interfere with you and your wife’s decision. Victoria will return once her task is done, won’t she? But if Nonna does something reckless in the meantime, you’ll be the one held responsible. Let Blythe take care of her, and then you can rest assured.”
“But I intended to look after Nonna myself,” Jeffrey said.
“I know. However, a girl her age can be difficult to handle. And who knows what she might do if left unsupervised? Please, Jeff. Let Blythe handle it.”
“Can I at least talk to Nonna about this first?”
“Of course.”
With that, Jeffrey rushed home.
Nonna was in her room reading Dell Dolgarr: Messenger from Hell, an adventure novel she’d gone through countless times before. Jeffrey knocked on her door.
“Nonna? I need to talk to you about something important.”
“What is it, Dad?”
Nonna was shocked by what Jeffrey told her. “Why are you sending me to Lord Edward’s house? Is it because I went out without telling anyone?”
“My brother is worried about you.”
“But what about Ash and Berry?”
“You can bring them along. My brother and my sister-in-law like cats, and so does my mother. Also, it would help if you could keep my mother company. Blythe handles all her care on her own. Even if it’s just for two months, having you there would make things easier on her.”
Nonna remembered what Victoria had once told her: “Jeffrey’s mother went through something very painful in her past. She couldn’t bear the sorrow, and her heart broke. So when you meet her, please be kind to her.”
I probably can’t do much for Mom, but I can help Aunt Blythe and Grandmother. Waiting around and feeling frustrated for two months doesn’t sound very fun anyway.
That morning, she had received a disappointing letter from Lady Yolana saying, I got a reply from my contact at the castle, but they have no information about Victoria.
“All right, but only if I can take Ash and Berry with me.”
“Good. Will you be all right going there tomorrow?”
“Yes, that’s fine.”
And so, Nonna and her cats went to stay at Edward Asher’s estate for two months. This would lead to some unexpected consequences, but that’s a story for another time.
Edward let out a sigh of relief when he received Jeffrey’s approval. Up until now, he’d hidden Victoria’s background from everyone except Mike. There was a reason he’d asked Victoria to act as a body double.
“The attempted poisoning of the crown princess’s food was a catastrophic failure on our part. The enemy’s reach has extended dangerously close to the royal family. It’s clear the prime minister can no longer manage the situation.”
Edward had noticed the prime minister’s health had been declining for some time.
The prime minister handled domestic affairs, while Edward took care of foreign matters. But it was now evident the prime minister was no longer up to the task. Although Edward had refrained from intervening out of respect, he could no longer do so; waiting until something happened to the royal family was out of the question.
Edward thought of the crown princess, Delphine. She was around one hundred sixty-five centimeters tall and very slender. She had the sort of physique that was impossible to fake, and it was rare for an operative with rigorous training to be so slim.
Out of all his female operatives with a similar build, only three had the necessary skills for the job. Two of them were on long-term missions in other countries. Recalling them abruptly would not only waste their years of effort and the significant funds spent on them, but also raise suspicions in the countries where they were stationed. Plus, sending replacements after the Saint Floren Festival would be just as challenging, since trust was difficult to regain once lost.
Luna had been assigned to domestic missions to keep her close in case of emergency, but now she was unavailable.
And that wasn’t the only problem.
The kingdom of Ashbury had avoided war for almost twenty years. Although the operatives played a significant role in this, the budget for special missions had been steadily decreasing in recent years.
The prevailing opinion was these funds were better spent on building up the military, which was more visible and therefore a better deterrent to other nations than allocating money to covert operations.
Hence, the budget for special missions had been cut year after year. Recalling agents for a costly operation was out of the question.
Edward had chosen the kingdom’s financial interests over his own personal feelings for Jeffrey’s family and decided to use Victoria.
Forgive me, Jeff and Victoria. He delivered a silent apology.