I drew the dagger I had strapped to my thigh and pointed it at him.
“Gunther Bahr—were you or someone you work for behind the poison intended for someone in the castle?”
“Mmph! Mmph!”
Gunther’s eyes widened as he shook his head. I wanted to press him further, but I needed to return to my duties. Besides, he was Mike’s responsibility now.
“Unfortunately, I must return to work.”
“Very well. Leave him to me,” Mike replied.
“Thank you. If you’ll excuse me, then.”
Good… Tonight has been quite productive.
Satisfied, I headed back to the princess’s chambers.
The following night, Mike delivered a shocking report during our regular debriefing.
“He’s the fifth son of a duke from the kingdom of Eagal? Gunther? But he looks more like a soldier than a nobleman.”
“He is a soldier. We found letters confirming this at his hotel. Gunther claims he infiltrated the castle to protect the princess.”
“So he wasn’t involved in the attempted poisoning?”
“No. Gunther’s father is the king’s younger brother, a leading supporter of the royal family. They would be in big trouble if Princess Delphine died.”
“I must apologize to him for knocking him unconscious.”
“He suspected you were the assassin and followed you, so it’s mutual. Even though he’s the son of a duke, he could’ve killed you, a noblewoman from another kingdom. You don’t need to feel guilty.” Mike’s calm response made me do a double take.
He was right. I could’ve been killed.
Gunther hadn’t been trained as an operative, and with a build like his, he could easily take my life if he didn’t exercise restraint.
Mike was right. We could just call it even.
“Even eliminating one suspect is a significant achievement, Mike,” I said.
“I agree. By the way, I have news about the matter you asked about: I received a response from our contact in Eagal.”
“Already? That was quick.”
“My boss designed a very efficient network of communication. Anyway, according to our operative there, a troubling story about Elly’s family is circulating. Elly comes from the family of a viscount who belongs to the royalist faction, but they seem to be deeply in debt for some reason. The cause of this debt is still being looked into, but it may have made them vulnerable to the antiroyalists.”
“So you’re saying Elly had to poison Princess Delphine to pay off her family’s debt? If that’s the theory, then why would Elly ingest the poison herself?”
“Precisely. Why did Elly collapse from poison twice if that was the plan?”
I recalled Elly’s demeanor when she had spoken of Princess Delphine. She seemed to genuinely care for the princess. I hadn’t detected any deceit in her tone of voice or her expression.
“Mike, the fact that she didn’t die either time is quite suspicious. Normally, after one failed poisoning attempt, you would expect the culprit to either use a stronger poison or try a different method altogether. Besides, poison that causes immediate symptoms would incapacitate the food taster, so either way, Princess Delphine wouldn’t end up ingesting it. Why use a poison that wouldn’t be successful the second time, either? And who planted it? We need to investigate everyone around the princess again.”
“You’re right. But, Victoria, your first priority here is to act as her body double. Here, take this. It’s the blond wig.”
I examined the wig Mike gave me; it was almost identical to Princess Delphine’s hair color. I tried it on without a net, and it fit me perfectly.
“All right, I’ll wear this while I act as her double. I think it’s time for the princess to start wearing netted hats, just in case.”
Now that our discussion was finished, I returned to my quarters.
The maid who was assigned to take over my shift was already waiting inside.
“Thanks for covering for me, Nina.”
“Are you sure you’re okay? Kate, have you been getting enough rest?”
“Yes, I’m fine. There’s no need to worry about me.”
“That’s a relief.”
Once I was alone, I checked to make sure nothing in my room had been tampered with. I’d sealed the drawer with a single strand of my hair. It would have snapped if anyone tried to open the drawer. However, it was untouched.
I lay down in bed, mentally sorting through the information Mike had given me, trying to consider who might have the motive to poison the princess.
Could Elly be orchestrating this plot herself? Then what’s her goal? How would it tie back to her family’s debt?
There wasn’t enough evidence to come to any conclusions.
Perhaps it was because I was on edge from being active again after so long, but I hadn’t felt tired at all since coming to the castle. I had a feeling the exhaustion wouldn’t hit me until I was safely back at home.
I was already thirty-three years old. That was around the age most operatives began thinking about retirement.
“Maybe it’s time to seriously consider settling down at the sheep farm…”
Nonna would probably get married in a few years.
Jeffrey and I could spend our days peacefully, tending the farm. I could spin wool, dye it in my favorite colors, and knit sweaters for Jeffrey and Nonna. And if Nonna had a family of her own, I could knit baby clothes, too. That sounded like fun.
That night, I ended up dreaming about my family.
In my vision, Jeffrey and I were a little older than we were now, and we sipped tea while we gazed out at the sheep farm. Nonna chatted with us while she held a baby.
I woke up at four in the morning, and even though it was still dark outside, I felt incredibly happy.
Princess Delphine had two children of her own. She had a wonderful relationship with Prince Conrad, and she was a kind, loving mother.
If acting as her body double meant protecting her happiness, then I was determined to see it through.
Jeffrey was visiting his older brother Edward at his estate.
“I’m surprised to see you looking so energetic, Mother,” he said.
“I’ve been feeling so much better thanks to Nonna. You’re so fortunate to have such a wonderful daughter.”
“I am. Nonna is my and Victoria’s treasure.”
“Heh-heh.” Nonna giggled softly.
She and Courtney sat side by side on the love seat.