I was given a brand-new identity after I’d pretended to be killed by Hagl’s assassination squad.
All that would’ve been very easy to accomplish if Lord Edward was the chief of Ashbury’s special operatives.
“But it’s strange,” I muttered.
The military and the Third Order didn’t get along, and a portion of the military had even rebelled and tried to kill Princess Delphine.
If Lord Edward had always been protective of me, then why would he ask me to be Princess Delphine’s body double during such a tumultuous time? Why had the man who so adored his brother given me such a dangerous task?
“Could it be that the Third Order is so neglected, they have no choice but to use an ex-operative from a foreign country as the crown princess’s body double?”
There was too little evidence to dig any deeper as to why they had chosen to use me. I decided that was enough for today.
But as I walked, lost in thought, I detected a gaze directed at me from above. There was no need for me to acknowledge it, though. I had no reason to show my cards.
I left the building without looking up at the window to see the person watching me. Before I went home, I stopped by Lord Edward’s house to tell Blythe he was safe.
Once I got back, I found Nonna sitting in the living room, reading a book.
“Mom, was Uncle Edward okay?”
“Yes, he’s fine. I told Lady Blythe there’s nothing to worry about.”
“I see. I wonder if Master Clark is okay? I know he’s pretty lowly at the castle, so hopefully, he wasn’t caught up in the commotion.”
“Calling him ‘lowly’ isn’t very nice. But if you’re worried, shall we send a letter to his house and ask about him?”
“Yes!”
We wrote a letter, and Reed immediately delivered it to Master Clark’s house, then brought back a reply. I was very surprised when I read the contents of the letter.
“Why, Nonna. It says Master Clark is also participating in the delegation your father went with.”
“What? Why? He always said he was just a lowl—I mean, a low-ranking civil servant. What would the delegation want with him?”
“It says he volunteered since he’s fluent in Subartuan.”
Nonna fell silent and left the living room without a word. She must’ve been shocked, the poor thing. Now not only Jeff, but her good friend Master Clark was also heading to Subartu.
The consequences of my cracking Elmer Archibald’s code and our discovery of the gold mine were becoming apparent.
I stood by the window and looked toward the western sky as I prayed aloud.
“Jeff, please be safe. All I want is for you to come back alive. Please return with Master Clark.”
I missed him dearly.
Back at the palace’s Department of Institutional Maintenance, Mills was looking quite embarrassed.
“Do you think Victoria noticed, Chief Edward?” Mike asked.
“Probably. There’s no way she wouldn’t after seeing Mills’s face,” Edward replied.
“I’m so sorry!” Mills bowed immediately.
“Don’t worry about it. It was my oversight for not expecting her to come here. Mike, if Victoria asks you anything regarding this matter, just plead ignorance. If she’s insistent, contact me instead of making any judgments on the spot.”
“Yes, sir.”
After Mills and Mike walked off, Edward Asher lapsed into thought.
If Victoria was going to deduce his position, there was no stopping her. There was nothing he could do. But knowing her, he didn’t think she would make a big fuss about it.
“The problem is Jeff.”
If Jeff found out it’d been Edward’s decision to send them to Shen for five years and have Victoria act as the princess’s decoy, he would be furious. He would be convinced his own brother had betrayed him and used his wife.
Still, Edward didn’t think he’d made the wrong decision. He was confident he’d taken the best course of action.
If anyone could convince Jeff, it was Victoria. She’d surely make him understand their hands had been tied.
There was a possibility she might not even say anything to Jeff about this matter at all.
“Mills.”
“Yes, sir!”
“Sorry, but could you go to my house and send a message? Tell my family I’ll be back in two or three days.”
“Yes, sir.”
“Don’t give them any unnecessary details if they ask what happened at the palace.”
“Of course, sir.”
Edward watched Mills depart, then rose to his feet. He had a difficult conversation ahead of him. He sighed deeply, then made his way to the king’s study.
Before Edward even had the chance to knock, a guard opened the door and said, “His Majesty is waiting.”
When Edward entered the room, the king, Crown Prince Conrad, Lord Cedric, Prime Minister Stanley, and Martis, the minister of military affairs, were already present.
“Please excuse my lateness.”
“We know how busy you are. Please, sit down,” the king instructed.
Edward noticed heavy fatigue etched onto everyone’s faces. The prime minister looked especially pale. He had been in poor health for a long time and on the verge of retiring when this turmoil had started. It must’ve been hard on his body.
Minister Martis also looked weary. Normally, the prime minister would be in charge of meetings such as this, but the king was leading it himself today.
“Before you arrived, Martis offered to resign as minister of military affairs. Stanley has also decided to step down as prime minister. Therefore, the consensus here is we would like you to be the next prime minister, Edward.”
“I must decline.”
“Don’t refuse so bluntly, Edward. I’ve heard you repeatedly warned Martis about unrest within the military.”
Martis stood up and bowed deeply to me. “I failed to heed your repeated advice, Lord Asher, and that led to our current situation. I must take full responsibility as the head of the military. I did not sufficiently monitor the actions of the deputy minister.”
“That is true. I’ve repeatedly advised you to keep an eye on Bryan’s activities. This incident is undoubtedly your responsibility,” Edward agreed with an impassive expression on his face.
Martis couldn’t argue. He just closed his eyes in anguish.
An awkward silence followed, then the king spoke again. “As for the other personnel changes in the military, we’ll address that later. Stanley has said you are the only one who can succeed him as prime minister. With Subartu on the brink of conflict and the internal instability in Eagal, I also believe you are the only one who can steer the ship.”
Edward thought for a few seconds but then shook his head. “If I become prime minister, then who will lead the special operations force?”
“Perhaps the current head of the unit could take over?”
“I would be comfortable leaving it to him, but I’ve never been in the public eye. Many will oppose the idea of me suddenly becoming prime minister. Friction is the last thing we need at this time. I must still decline the position.”
“I see… Then who would you suggest for the position, Edward?”
Edward pondered for a few more seconds and said, “I recommend the minister of internal affairs, Lord Haynes. He’s a man of good character and sharp intellect. He will work well with me. Not only that, but Lord Haynes is also in excellent health. The minister of finance has heart issues, and we need to keep the minister of foreign affairs in his position considering the current situation abroad.”
Everyone in the room thought the same thing at once:
He’s even researched the health of the other ministers!
After a brief silence, the king made his decision. “Very well, then. I will appoint the current minister of internal affairs as Stanley’s successor. You will continue to lead the special operations force as usual.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
“Now, as for the selection of the new minister of military and deputy minister, please provide your opinion if you have any concerns about the names I propose, Edward.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
And so, Colin Haynes, the son of Lady Yolana, was chosen as the next prime minister of Ashbury.
Edward guided the course of the meeting, making one decision after another that would shape the future of the kingdom.
His mind was filled with vast amounts of information, and he used his intelligence with integrity. He had a strong sense of patriotism, and he had built harmonious relationships with many nobles.
His opinions were of the utmost value to the kingdom.
The delegation sent by Ashbury still hadn’t returned. Considering how far the meeting place was from the capital, Jeff’s negotiations with the Subartuan officials had likely just begun. Still, every day I did not hear word of him from the palace was cause for me to feel down.
And I wasn’t the only one; Nonna was also looking rather gloomy.
Miss Elizabeth had come to visit today, and she seemed very concerned about how out of sorts Nonna was.
“What’s wrong, Nonna? Are you feeling unwell?”
“I don’t know. I just don’t seem to have any energy.”
“I asked Father, and he said Master Clark is with the delegation,” Elizabeth said.
“That’s right.”
“My father’s quick to catch on to that sort of information. I suppose he’s what you’d call an insider,” Elizabeth said.