Returning to my office, I sent Jeremy to summon Lockhart, Russell, and the other senators and vassals.
Some were skeptical, wondering why I would hold a meeting over the disposition of a mole.
But when I told them that the man who had rescued Dioana three years ago, two years and nine months to be exact, was the same man who had been captured a few days earlier, they were aghast.
“Then he has been wandering about here for at least three years, on this Sterren estate!”
“How can your Excellency let such a slavering wretch go free so easily!”
“It is something that should cast doubt on the competence of the Captain of the Guard, Lord Lockhart. He assured me that not a rat could get in, and now this?”
“Haven’t we already suffered for some time from what we don’t know whether it was sleepwalking or witchcraft, and we haven’t even found out who was behind it, and what if it happens again!”
The meeting was a blame game.
Of course, if anyone was to be blamed for all of this, it was me.
I literally brought in an exotic slave whose identity I wasn’t even sure of, and set him free without properly handling him.
But I’m not here to assign blame.
The elders were shouting at each other, pointing fingers, and it reminded me of a market floor.
I addressed them as they shouted at each other.
“Do you think I’ve gathered you here to blame anyone?”
With a bang, I slammed my hand down on the desk and everyone fell silent.
“If I had to pick a blame for this, it would be mine for bringing him here in the first place. But arguing over what has already happened won’t solve anything, and I think the first thing we need to know is the slave’s exact identity, so Sir Percy, I need you to compile a list of the merchants attending the slave auction in the Iridian harbor, and Sir Helion-“
“Your Excellency, I beg your pardon for interrupting you, but I hope you don’t mind if I make a comment.”
I was in the middle of my sentence when Russell interrupted.
I nodded as if to say yes.
“Your Excellency, what do you intend to do with this man until you find out his identity?”
“Keep him in prison, I suppose.”
“Dioana has certainly named the man her guardian angel.”
“Yes.”
“Shouldn’t the first thing we do is ask the man if he really did save Dioana’s life? If so, then he is her benefactor.”
“…What is it you want to talk about?”
“It is the creed of House Sterne: mercy to those who do right. For those who do evil, downfall. This man’s identity is unclear, but he saved Dioana’s life, and he should be rewarded accordingly.”
“For what?”
“Because Dioana is constantly begging us not to kill him, not to imprison him, and it would be educationally wrong for her to keep him locked up.”
As I listened, it sounded as if Russell wanted me to take the man back.
I raised an eyebrow and asked him.
“Russell, it sounds like you’re suggesting we let the man go.”
“You know what they say about keeping your enemies closest to you. Keep him close, and keep an eye on him yourself, Your Excellency. Apparently, the man continues to call you, the Archduke. As you say, you are responsible for this incident.”
“Russell, are you mad, to keep him so close, and then have him take Dioana-“
“He saved Dioana’s life once. And he’s not the sort of man who’s going to open his mouth just because you’ve got him in jail. I’m saying, if hardball doesn’t work, let’s try appeasement. Lord Lockhart, tell us about this morning.”
“This morning?” My gaze snapped to Lockhart.
Lockhart cleared his throat for a moment, as if surprised by my glance, and then began to speak.
“I did the inquiry this morning, by order of Lord Russell. He says he came here with nowhere to go, and that he remembers nothing about his identity.”
“To hell with not remembering anything, what else did he say?”
“He said he had no memory and didn’t know who he was or how he came to be a slave. He also said that from now on, no matter what we torture him with or do to him, he would not open his mouth unless his master told him to.”
“He did?”
“Yes, he said that now his master is not Daphne, but Dioana, who gave him his name….”
With a bang, I slammed my hand down on the desk once more, causing the vassals to stiffen their shoulders and turn to look at me.
But Russell, as if on cue, just kept them silent.
My inspiration ( Russell ) had gone senile. How could I allow such a madman to be near Dioana?
The other vassals were too trusting of Russell to speak up.
There were many who were unhappy that I, a woman, had become Archduke, though they were silent.
‘This is Lord Russell, who has been involved in all the affairs of state for so many years with the previous generations of archdukes, that he must be trusted.’
In the meantime, the old counselor of the Changeling, Russell, had become an old man, and still retained his eloquence.
He seems intent on persuading me and my vassals with his words.
I don’t doubt Russell’s intentions. It’s clear that he truly loves his family and is loyal to me and Dioana.
“Ha, I’m getting a headache, so I’m going to ask you all to leave.”
I waved my hand in the air, pressing hard against my throbbing temple.
Eventually, the meeting fizzled out. In fact, it was almost as if Sir Russell had concluded that it might not be a bad idea to wait and see.
Catching Russell on the way out of the office, I turned to him and asked.
“Russell, what are you thinking about?”
“I don’t know, I’m just thinking that maybe he’s not such a bad guy after all.”
“What, you’re telling me that Russell, the guy who’s famous for being objective, says puffy might not be such a bad guy after all, so let’s keep him around?”
Russell’s jaw dropped and he remained silent.
You wouldn’t expect him to be so compassionate. Russell was the kind of man who, if something like this happened to him, would always say that he was objectively untrustworthy and should be thrown off the estate or executed.
He’s not a great man who would let a man live for some stupid subjective reason.
Russell had a cold, ruthless side to him that my brother and I both learnt from watching him.
“Yeah. We’ll see what happens, but let’s not get rid of him, let’s let him run around the estate? ”
” Russell, come on. You’re not like that.”
“Your Grace, all I want is for this House Steren to prosper and for you and Dioana to be safe.”
“Why are you suddenly talking about something else?”
“Please listen to me for once. I’ll be sure to explain why later.”
“…What?”
“Your Highness, please believe me for once. The puffy must be kept back, and only then will this House of Steren, and by extension this Empire, benefit.”
I genuinely began to wonder if Inspiration was getting senile.
He must be, because he’s not like this, and he’s getting old. They say people die when they do things they’re not supposed to do. Maybe it’s really time to go.
“No, you’ve suddenly gone from talking about a slave to the security of an empire. Inspiration, are you sick? I’m really worried about you.”
“Just trust me for once, okay? I’ll explain everything later, Your Excellency, please.”
He unexpectedly squeezes my hand and sends me a glare, saying, ” Just agree. “
No, Russell, I’m getting really scared, why are you doing this?
It was only when I finally gave in and said, “Okay,” that he reverted back to his normal self.
“Hmmmm, so…you’re letting the slave, ah, I mean the man, stay here, are you? That’s a good idea. Mistress Dioana will be very pleased, and this old man will go tell her in person.”
Russell disappeared at a brisk pace.
…What the hell, Inspiration, did you just copy Dioana’s behavior?
That glazed look in his eyes, that’s definitely a copy of Dioana’s, for my weakness?
Goosebumps began to rise all over my body.
“I’m going to have to get Russell checked out by my assistant asap, just to make sure I don’t have dementia or something….”
That aside, Russell seemed sincere when he asked me to trust him for once, because he’d explain everything later.
“It’s not that I don’t trust him,” I said, “I just think he’s acting out of character, but I know he’s not going to get inspired and put me and Dioana in danger.
If you asked me if Russell was that trustworthy, I’d say yes right away; I trusted him completely.
He was a father and a mother to me.
‘…Okay, let’s trust him. Russell asked me to trust him, so I’ll give him the benefit of the doubt. Dioana seems to like the slave, too…. ‘Ha, how did this happen?’
It’s clearly a world that I’ve created, and what I thought was going to be a happy ending is changing with the death of the two main characters.
Worst of all, as the story changes, so do my characters.
For example, Russell has a change of heart.
But I’ve built up enough trust so far that I’m going to take him at his word, keep him around, do my own surveillance, and find out what he’s here for.
Somehow, I had a premonition that things were going to get very complicated.
My head was throbbing and my orbital area was bunching up, so I quickly grabbed my brow and shook my head.
This is how the story goes.
__________________________________
E/N :-
*Inspiration is the nickname given to Russell by Daphne.
If you like my work please support me on coffee and leave some comments.
