Episode 86

The moment the servant realized his actions were under suspicion, he would likely attempt to disappear, making him harder to track. I emphasized that he must act as if nothing were wrong.

He was instructed to continue meeting the external physician as usual to collect the elixir but to avoid actually presenting it.

“Are you meeting the physician from Baron Zetrin’s household again tomorrow?” I asked.

“Yes, at the same time and place as always. But…” The servant hesitated, his voice dropping to a whisper. “I was told that after tomorrow, I wouldn’t need to come anymore. I was instructed to return to presenting the elixirs from Physician Herbert.”

Their goal had always been to eliminate Grandfather.

Had their plans changed, or had they decided they’d done enough damage to ensure Grandfather’s condition was irreversible?

What mattered was that tomorrow was our last chance to confront the physician directly.

Anyone who commits such shady acts would likely flee as soon as their role was complete. Worse, they might try to silence loose ends like this servant and the head attendant.

They were likely to be at their most complacent now, believing their plan was nearly complete.

“What about using the knights to raid the meeting location?” Father suggested.

“If we act openly, they’ll realize they’ve been exposed and vanish,” I replied. “The conspirators have covered their tracks through intermediaries. If cornered, they’ll cut ties and escape without hesitation.”

We had to act carefully.

“Father, please leave this to me. If the knights or you move directly, it will alert them to our suspicions.”

“I see your point, but do you have another plan?” he asked.

“Yes, I think I can handle this,” I reassured him.

“Very well. You were the first to uncover this conspiracy. If you need any assistance, let me know.”

I nodded, glancing at Grandfather’s unconscious figure on the bed.

* * *

At noon, in front of the Stenberg Fountain.

The location was eerily quiet, a perfect place for secretive meetings. As expected, the servant, Detton, arrived and sat on a bench, appearing as casual as ever, just as I had instructed him.

I hid among the bushes, watching the scene unfold.

A soft voice whispered beside me, “My lady, wouldn’t it be wiser to wait and request help from Queensbury?”

The voice belonged to Ibis, who had come to update me on the progress of the empire’s newspaper lawsuit and was now reluctantly assisting me in this matter.

“All of Queensbury’s agents, except for you, are currently out of the empire, aren’t they?” I replied.

I had initially considered using Queensbury’s network but quickly realized the organization was already stretched thin. Ludwig had dispatched the majority of their agents on a mission abroad, leaving only Ibis to manage tasks within the empire.

Ibis had suggested calling back the agents, but even under the best circumstances, it would take at least a week for them to return.

“There’s no time to waste,” I said firmly.

Time was of the essence. The physician wouldn’t show up again after today. The conspiracy was reaching its conclusion, and Grandfather was still unconscious. If there was a cure, we had to find it immediately.

I clenched my fists in frustration. Ibis placed her warm hand over mine, calming my restless heart.

“I understand how much this means to you, my lady. I may not be much, but I’ll do my best to help,” she said softly.

“Thank you, Ibis,” I murmured gratefully.

The clock in the center of the park struck twelve, and the bell rang twice.

Dong—dong.

“They’re here,” Ibis said, nodding toward the clearing.

Through the foliage, I saw a man approach Detton. He wore a brown hat pulled low over his face and dragged a large bag behind him.

“You’re here. You’ve brought quite a load today,” Detton greeted him.

“Haha, this is light for moving luggage,” the man chuckled.

“Moving? Are you relocating?” Detton asked.

“I’m retiring to another country. I think it’s time for me to settle down somewhere quiet.”

The physician rummaged through his bag and handed Detton a transparent glass bottle.

“Here you go. The final elixir. You’ve done well coming here every day.”

“Ah, thank you…” Detton muttered, taking the bottle hesitantly.

The physician leaned closer to Detton, lowering his voice.

“And here’s some advice, though it’s just my old man’s worry: you should prepare to leave soon yourself.”

“What? What do you mean…?”

“You know as well as I do—we’re disposable. Tools to be used and discarded by those above us. Now that the job’s done, it wouldn’t be strange for you to be taken out next.”

The physician patted Detton’s shoulder, his tone seemingly benevolent.

“Anyway, the operation ended smoothly without getting exposed. I’ve made my money, and now it’s time to plan my retirement. Take care of yourself.”

With that, the physician dragged his large bag past Detton and toward the alley.

As he reached the alleyway, Ibis, hiding in the shadows, moved swiftly and silently toward him.

“Urk…! Who are you?!”

A strangled cry echoed from the alley before silence fell once more.

I emerged from my hiding spot and signaled Detton to follow. We hurried to the alley, where the physician lay unconscious in a waiting carriage I had prepared in advance.

“He’s been subdued,” Ibis reported calmly.

“Good work. We need to leave quickly—assassins sent to eliminate him will be coming soon,” I replied.

We boarded the carriage and left the alley, heading toward the Drenihan estate.

As we rode through the busier parts of the city, a black carriage with no markings sped past in the opposite direction, heading back the way we came. Through its window, I caught a glimpse of several burly men, their demeanor unmistakably that of professional killers.

Baron Zetrin’s household was merely a pawn.

The mastermind, as I suspected, was likely the Marquis of Avon, who employed the Zetrin family as his loyal retainers. Their loyalty was infamous, strengthened by archaic binding contracts, now outlawed, that ensured absolute obedience even at the cost of one’s life.

For now, the priority was uncovering the true nature of the so-called elixir and finding a way to treat Grandfather. I could only hope the physician held the answers.

* * *

Diego stirred, the cold floor seeping into his skin as his consciousness returned.

The last thing he remembered was walking down the alley after handing over the elixir to Detton. Then, someone had struck the back of his neck with brutal precision.

“Ugh…” He groaned, his head pounding like it might split open.

He reached to cradle his head but found his arms tightly bound.

“What… what’s this?”

Diego realized he was tied up like a cocoon, his hands and feet rendered useless.

“Damn noble scum! I did everything you told me, and now you’re going to kill me?” he shouted in rage.

The door creaked open, and to his surprise, it wasn’t Baron Zetrin or an assassin standing before him. Instead, it was a young girl, smiling serenely.

“Awake now?” she said cheerfully.

Diego recognized her immediately. She was Sierra Drenihan, the granddaughter of the man who had fallen ill after drinking the very elixir he had prepared.

Diego’s face drained of color, while Sierra maintained her calm demeanor.

“You barely escaped with your life,” she said.

“What do you mean…?”

“I saw the assassins sent by Zetrin on our way here. Do you really think they’d let you escape to another country? You’re the one who made the elixir—they’d rather kill you to keep their secret safe.”

Though Diego had suspected something like this, the reality of it struck him hard. The prospect of imminent death loomed closer than ever.

He had foolishly joined this conspiracy, lured by money he could never have earned in his lifetime. Regret gnawed at him, but he knew there was no undoing the past.

“I want you to make a wise choice. If you want to cling to that miserable life of yours…” Sierra’s voice was cold as she drew a dagger from her belt and pressed it to Diego’s neck.

The sharp blade grazed his skin, drawing a thin line of blood.

“You’d better have a way to save Teragon Drenihan.”

Diego swallowed hard, his throat dry. He shut his eyes tightly, the desire to live consuming him.

But…

“T-that’s… that’s not possible,” he stammered.

Sierra’s eyes blazed with fury at his hesitant response.

 

 

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