Chapter 167

Sneaking into the Imperial Palace, huh…

Even for me, it’s a question that makes me hesitate.

It’s not something to decide lightly.

Sure, the security might be weaker because of the funeral, but still, the Imperial Palace isn’t exactly a walk in the park.

And would Isabella, who’s leaving her base for a while, really move without setting up any defenses in her room?

The chances of her laying some traps in case of an intrusion are pretty high.

Normally, I’d outright reject such a risky proposal.

But the thought that success could instantly turn the tide of the current situation keeps nagging at my mind, making it hard to say no.

Fail, and it’s doom. Succeed, and it’s victory.

The risks and rewards are both way too high.

This Leopold guy, just like during the Einfeld incident…

Despite always giving off a vibe of being cautious and thorough, he surprisingly has a taste for gambles, huh?

My temples are throbbing.

“What do you think?”

“No, wait, just give me a moment to think…”

I waved my hand at Leopold, who was rushing me for an answer.

Can’t this guy see I’m deep in thought? Stop being so pushy!

Alright, let’s take it slow and sort this out again.

First, Option 1 is out.

A woman who killed Matthias in a day and pinned the blame on Leopold two days later?

Who knows what she gained by sacrificing Matthias.

Giving her nearly a month is just way too dangerous.

Option 2 is also… out.

Unless Ludwig brings the entire eastern forces, Leopold’s faction isn’t that strong.

We’ve already lost two valuable masters.

Sure, Isabella lost more masters, but those bug knights aren’t normal to begin with. Who knows how many she’s hiding?

Seeing her casually throw out seven or eight, there’s gotta be at least ten.

And there’s no justification.

Storming the Imperial Palace out of nowhere… it’s practically a rebellion. Our side’s morale wouldn’t be high either.

The odds are just too slim.

So, does that leave me with Option 3?

Wait, no no no. Hold on, something’s off.

Why am I even considering these three plans?

Suddenly, a realization flashed through my mind.

I almost fell for it.

Leopold kept emphasizing these three plans so much that I started thinking I *had* to choose one of them.

But when I think about it, why do I even need to stick my neck out for such a risky mission?

Now that Matthias’ death is confirmed, Lacey must’ve already requested some covert investigation team.

Why not just leave it to them?

They’re investigators Lacey vouches for, so they’re probably better at this than me trying to sneak in clumsily.

I’ve got some experience with interrogations, but infiltration isn’t exactly my specialty.

And even if things go south and they get caught, it’s not like the suspicion would fall on me. There’s barely any connection.

Alright, let’s go with this.

“…Let’s go with the third option, but with some adjustments.”

“Hmm? Adjustments, you say? How so?”

“Me infiltrating the palace is inefficient. First, it’d be strange if Your Highness attends the funeral without an escort knight… so I can’t exactly act as your escort knight until the funeral. If you get attacked during those ten days, it’s game over.”

If even one bug knight shows up, I’ll end up meeting Matthias in the afterlife.

“That’s… a fair point. You’re right, Princess.”

Leopold nodded.

Even Hector, a Royal Guard who should’ve been his close aide, turned out to be the Empress’ puppet, so it’s not like he has any other trustworthy escorts.

“Second, I’m not exactly skilled in infiltration. So, for the palace infiltration on the day of the funeral, it’d be better to use people with expertise in this field.”

“Not a wrong point. But if I had such talents, would I really have asked you to take on such a risky mission?”

Who knows?

Maybe he really doesn’t have such people, or maybe he’s planning to cut me loose like a lizard’s tail if things go south. Who can tell?

In the worst-case scenario, he might even frame me as a Ka`har spy to save himself.

From Leopold’s perspective, it’s only natural to choose self-preservation over going down with me. Probably.

Of course, if things go that way, relations between the Empire and Ka`har would naturally sour… but that’s a problem for later.

They say if your goals don’t align, you shouldn’t work together.

Man, the old folks really didn’t miss a beat with their sayings.

That’s the kind of relationship Leopold and I have.

Cooperation based on shared interests.

We’re just doing our own thing, with different motives and goals, so complete trust is impossible.

I’m acting to prevent the Empire from falling into chaos and collapsing, while Leopold is trying to bring down Isabella to save his own skin and avenge his mother.

“Don’t worry. I have acquaintances who specialize in this kind of thing.”

“No way. The whole world knows the princess’s social circle is as narrow as a doghouse. You’re telling me you have acquaintances? Probably less than ten, right?”

…Should I depose this punk?

“It’s classified, so I can’t go into detail, but let’s just say they’re acquaintances of acquaintances. They’re more skilled at this than I am, and even if they fail, Your Highness won’t be implicated. What do you think?”

“Entrusting such a critical role to untrustworthy outsiders is something to avoid if possible… but I guess there’s no choice. Fine. I’ll leave it to the princess’s judgment. Please take care of it.”

So, does that mean he trusts me?

I don’t know if he believes in my abilities, in me personally, or if he’s just saying it to be polite.

“Understood. Then I’ll relay the details to them and start guarding Your Highness from tomorrow onwards. As for my duties as a guard knight, do you have any specific instructions?”

“Hmm… Having a woman as a guard knight is bound to stir up gossip… I’ll have to apologize to the princess in advance for that.”

Leopold bowed his head politely.

“Gossip?”

“Among noblemen, it’s not unheard of to have a female knight as a guard… but most of the time, the guard is just a title, and they’re practically the noble’s concubine. If the princess becomes my guard, similar rumors will spread. It’s practically blocking her path to marriage. Though the princess has said she has no intention of marrying anyone, so the burden is a bit lighter.”

Ah, so the gist is that I’ll be rumored to be Leopold’s mistress.

Like a beautiful secretary hanging around a corporate CEO or a big-shot politician.

Damn it.

“I’ll have to endure it… for now. If you feel sorry for me, I’d appreciate it if you could track down and deal with those spreading the rumors later.”

If you don’t, I’ll find them myself.

“I’ll do my best. Also, another knight will share the guard duty with you. After all, it would be awkward for both of us if the princess had to guard me in the bathroom or bedroom, right? In that case, instead of staying close to me, the princess can keep an eye on the other guard knight to make sure he doesn’t try anything funny.”

“Understood.”

Honestly, it’s not particularly awkward for me, but if I were to stick close to him in the bathroom or bedroom, the mistress rumors would spread like wildfire.

Just imagining it is horrifying. Freide would be rolling around laughing.

“Lastly, you can wear the Ka`har-style chainmail armor, but please wear the proper knight uniform underneath. Given the nature of the position, if you dress as usual, it’s bound to cause all sorts of controversies.”

I glanced down at my chest.

A bandage-like undergarment with just a short piece of cloth over it.

It’s practically just wearing two layers of underwear.

Admittedly, walking around with the prince like this would probably look disrespectful.

“I have the knight uniform I received earlier, so I’ll wear that. Though I’m not sure how well it’ll match my armor.”

Thinking about it, it might look a bit ridiculous.

“No need to worry about that. Most knights from Faelun dress like that, so everyone’s already used to it.”

Well, Freide used to wear a fur coat over her school uniform.

As I said back then, there’s not much difference between a fur coat and a fur shawl, so it should be fine.

“Understood. Then I’ll visit again tomorrow.”

“Please take care of it. With the princess as my guard, I won’t have to worry about dying in some random place. That’s a relief.”

Leopold chuckled lightly.

He’s laughing, huh? Just thinking about the rumors that’ll spread is already giving me a headache.