The Beloved Fiancee Is Likely to Be the Villain - CH 15

“I guess you’ll have to wait a little while longer for the fun school life with Elizabeth, right?”

After the meal was over, I was asked this question as soon as I was about to get up, and I was surprised to see that he had seen through everything.

I guessed that he knew that the secret date was a pretext when he made the steward leave the room, but the fact that he did not bring it up at the table was a reflection of his fatherly consideration.

“Did you hear about it?”

“Well, I have some information, too. I heard you’re being swept up in a novel.”

His expression was teasing, but not tense. I remembered that I had never seen this man’s expression so at ease.

Father sank into the leather chair and listened and nodded as I explained the situation so far. A smile formed at the corners of his mouth. It deepened for a moment when I told Miss Ulysses that she was under the blessing of “Enchantment”.

“I would therefore like to ask Lord Domenic to investigate the magic stone.”

“I understand. Raphael has told him about it. I’ll give him a call myself.”

“Will you take care of this for me?”

“Yes. ……As for the matter of the blessing, ask Domenic’s instructions. I have to find out who was involved and punish them. Except this, I will leave the rest to you.”

“Thank you.”

I bowed deeply after receiving permission.

There is an intelligence unit under the direct control of the King, but whether they can enter the Royal Academia is another matter. It would be tough as a student, and even if you were to enter as a teacher or staff member, your scope of activities would be quite restricted. I thought it would be easier for someone like us to move around.

Father also has another reason for wanting to be there.

Rather than granting permission, it was a challenge. As the Crown Prince of this country, he wanted me to try to settle this matter much on my own.

“If Miss Elizabeth is involved, that’s even more important,” he said. “I will not put trust in anyone else about this.”

“That’s true.”

“Yes, but bear one thing in mind.”

Father looks up at me with a serious expression on his face. His sharp gaze is silently pressuring me that one misstep could cause a great deal of confusion.

I met his gaze without flinching and looked into his blue eyes.

“Don’t tell your mother.”

After all, was Father intentionally stopping the information so that Mother would not hear about it?

I think I am in agreement with my father on the importance of this point.

I looked at him and nodded my head gravely, and he nodded his head as well.

********

“Here are the results of the survey.”

The following weekend, when Lord Domenic visited my room as a tutor for magical studies and presented me with several documents, I was momentarily taken aback.

It was not that I had forgotten what Lord Domenic looked like, but I had been talking to Raphael more and more recently, so there was a big gap between the two of us. I was strangely impressed again to see that how different they were as father and son.

The material presented to me by his prominent arms bears a small piece of paper. Lord Domenic….. is the exact opposite of Raphael, wearing a wizard’s robe, but his magnificent physique made of pure muscle protrudes in places, and his face has thick eyebrows and a royal-style beard. His face, with its thick eyebrows and royal-style beard, was more seen in military soldiers.

I couldn’t help but imagine what the Marshalls’ dinner table must have looked like, thinking back to last night’s dinner. But then I came back to myself and received the document.

“Thank you for your hard work.”

I looked down at the paper and saw that the documents were excerpts from the trading records.

The condensed magic crystal, as Raphael described it, is unearthed once a year or so. When they are released into the world, they are the talk of the country. Which store bought the rough stones? Who processed it? It is easy to go back to past records to find out.

It is said that a major processor bought the rough stones, polished and shaped them, and sold them to a certain nobleman.

“What was the name of that nobleman?

“Count Zachary Norden, …….”

Edward’s father.

“Thanks for your hard work. You may leave.”

Lord Domenic responded with a face as if he were biting a bitter medicine.

The record only goes as far as the purchase of the magic stone by Count Norden. Of course, there is no record of him drawing a magic circle or activating a blessing after that. It is only natural that the application would surely have been rejected if it had been filed in accordance with the official procedure.

“We are currently investigating the person who gave the magic stone its blessing. I heard from Raphael that there are only a few workshops that can handle it. Even if there was a backroom deal, we should be able to at least catch the tail of it.”

“I’m counting on you. I’m sure you’ll be able to find out more …… or at least get a hold of the tail of the person who sold the magic stone.”

It is true that it is strange that the Norden family, whose head is the leader of the Order of the Knights and a family of martial artists, would spend so much money to purchase a magic stone. The Norden family is a family of martial artists, so they shouldn’t have any interest in magic stones.

However, the fact that they went to the trouble of applying a first-class forbidden curse to the magic stone, for which there is still evidence, and that the first person to fall for it is the eldest son of the Norden family, if they are actually planning for anything, their plan seems to be full of holes. It is also a common practice to bring out victims from among one’s own family members to avoid suspicion. ……

As I pondered this, Lord Domenic sighed, his face clouded over.

He said, “Count Zachary and I sometimes exchange words because our sons are close in age. It’s hard to believe that was an act. ……”

“I’m also feeling the same way.”

The Norden family, which is the leader of the first knighthood, has no benefit from the chaos that has been caused around me by going to such great lengths.

“Besides, he was present at the meeting between Elizabeth and me as the head of the Order of the Knights. He also taught me swordsmanship when I was a little boy. ……, that is, …….”

“Oh, I know that His Highness is madly in love with the Duchess of La Montrivere.”

“…… that’s right.”

I only returned an affirmation to Lord Domenic, who let out a huff after hearing my reply.

It’s a shame to think that even people who are not my parents, who are my family vassals, would say such things about me, but in this case, my embarrassing history may be quite useful.

“I’m not going to make a plan that aims to break up the relationship between Your Highness and your fiancée,” he said. “However, it’s meaningless to put together the eldest son of my family and the Baroness after they went to the trouble of using “Enchantment”.”

“The Norden family is the one who will have to deal with any complications. The Nordens are the ones who should be worried about any faults in their plan.”

“I still think there is more to it than that.”

Crossing his strong arms and craning his thick neck, Lord Domenic stroked his moustache.

“Then, Your Highness, how about this idea–”