~Chapter 120~
“Come in.”
Gerda carefully stepped inside, shoulders tense with nervousness.
“What is it?” Johann asked, frowning.
“…My lord, this morning, while Lady Leah was receiving her gifts, someone slipped me a note.”
Gerda spoke in a low voice.
The Blumhardt estate was usually under tight security, so this must’ve been planned for such a moment.
“What did it say?” Johann motioned her to come closer.
“…It said to find Leah’s jewelry box and check if it had an owl engraved on it.”
An owl? That was the Goldscheider family crest.
Johann’s back stiffened.
How did the Empress know about that box?
“If the symbol matches, they said to hand it over to the royal knights on the day of the operation.”
Gerda pulled the note from her pocket and placed it on Johann’s desk.
He stared at it in silence.
‘How the hell does the Empress know about that box…?’
Clearly, she’s planning to use it to take down not only Leah and the Blumhardt family, but also the crown prince.
It’s now a race—who grabs the other’s weakness first.
“Is that all? No other messages?”
“No. Just instructions to make sure everything goes smoothly that day.”
She bowed politely.
“For now, keep doing what you’re doing. Stay on standby until I tell you otherwise.”
“Yes, my lord.”
After Gerda left, Johann waved at Samuel.
“Samuel, you said you had a lead on the former Tower Master?”
“Yes. He might be hiding in one of two places—Whissen or Marburg, both in the Elsnor family’s territory.”
“Good. Do whatever it takes. Find him fast.”
So the former Tower Master’s been hiding under the Empress’s protection all this time.
“Yes, sir. But… about the jewelry box—if the Empress knows, what do you plan to do?”
“…I’ll need to talk to Leah about it first.”
Johann rubbed his temple and got up from his seat.
—
Meanwhile, Leah had just finished lunch and was back in the study writing thank-you letters.
“Leah.”
Just as she lifted her pen again, Johann’s voice called out nearby.
“…Johann?”
She’d been so focused she didn’t notice him come in.
“Writing letters, huh?”
“Yes, I started before lunch but I’m still not done.”
“Do you want me to come back later? I’d like to talk.”
“No, it’s okay. I can finish this tomorrow.”
Leah grabbed his sleeve to stop him from leaving.
“Actually… I want Dorothea to join us too. Can we talk in the annex?”
“What is this about, Johann?”
She noticed how serious he looked.
“I’ll explain when we get there.”
—
Dorothea came down to the lab after hearing they were here.
“What’s going on? Why’d you ask for me too?”
She sat down, looking puzzled.
“The Empress has figured out Leah’s identity.”
Johann dropped the bomb.
“What?!”
“Seriously?!”
Both Leah and Dorothea shot up in shock.
“I didn’t say anything before because I didn’t want you to worry, but… one of the maids here was actually a spy for the Empress.”
“…A spy?”
Leah shivered slightly with anxiety.
“Don’t worry, Leah. She’s on our side now.”
Johann gently patted her shoulder to reassure her.
“So, a double agent,”
Dorothea nodded, understanding.
“Yes. Today, she brought us a message. The Empress is planning to use the jewelry box as a weapon against us.”
No way. A plan like that… because of her?
‘I’m going to get everyone involved in this…’
“…Johann, do we know when this ‘plan’ is supposed to happen?”
“If she reports the jewelry box exists, the Empress will likely move immediately.”
Gulp.
“We need to outplay the Empress—use the spy to our advantage.”
“She’ll probably act when you’re not here, right?”
If Johann’s gone, it would be easier to get the jewelry box.
“Exactly.”
Soon, winter would come.
Monsters would awaken, making everything more dangerous.
This was the perfect opportunity for the Empress to strike.
“Before that happens, we have to find the former Tower Master and gather evidence.”
Johann frowned, rubbing his head.
“…Johann, what if we did this instead?”
A clever plan had just come to Leah.
—
Elsewhere, the Empress Narcissa sat in a dark drawing room, the curtains drawn even in the daytime.
“Carmen, we need to strike before they find proof of our black magic. We must get the upper hand.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
But how? She tapped her fingers on the armrest, thinking.
‘We’ll get the jewelry box soon. All that’s left is removing the Duke from the capital.’
…Wait, what if—
“Carmen, how about we wake the monsters early this year?”
“A brilliant idea, Your Majesty.”
Carmen clapped excitedly.
“I’ll need your help, though.”
“Leave everything to me.”
Narcissa led her into her bedroom.
There, she moved a small framed picture on the wall.
Creak.
A secret passage appeared in the wall.
When Carmen touched it, a hidden door swung open.
It was their secret lab—where they experimented with black magic.
“Mmm… I always love this smell.”
Narcissa inhaled deeply as she stepped inside.
The lab was windowless and damp, like a cave.
The floor had an old magic circle drawn with blood.
Bookshelves were lined with forbidden texts on dark magic.
Shelves held jars filled with monster venom, black potions, and blood.
“This won’t be enough to wake the monsters early.”
Narcissa muttered, staring at a bottle of blood.
The blood had been drained from people with mana who had failed to become mages.
“I’ll get more, as quickly as possible.”
Carmen was already calculating how many more mages she needed.
‘Looks like I’ll be busy for a while.’
She smiled to herself.
That was fine. It was all for Narcissa’s new world.
“Carmen, I’m so glad I have you.”
Narcissa smiled at her warmly.
Carmen felt a rush.
She was the only one Narcissa didn’t wear a mask with.
“Once everything’s ready, go to the Black Mountains entrance. You’re okay with that, right?”
“Of course. I’ll head out as soon as I’m prepared.”
“You always know what I need.”
“I’ve always been able to read your thoughts, Your Majesty.”
“Yes. I saw it in you even when we were little.”
Narcissa put her hands on Carmen’s shoulders.
“I knew you’d become the perfect black mage.”
“I promise, everything will go exactly how you want it to.”
Carmen trembled with excitement.
“I’ll serve you with everything I have, Your Majesty.”
“Good. You’re so reliable.”
Narcissa briefly hugged her, then stepped back.
“Now I’ll research the dark spell to wake the monsters early.”
As Narcissa opened a book, Carmen left.
‘I better go collect the ingredients… for my queen.’
—
A few days later, an invitation arrived at the Blu hart estate from the Imperial Palace.
Shockingly, it was from the Empress Narcissa.
“She really has no shame, disturbing our peaceful tea time like this.”
Isabella frowned as she sipped tea with Johann and Leah in the glass garden.
The kids were off at lessons.
“What’s the point of this sudden banquet? She always hides her true motives.”
Johann scowled at the invitation like it had personally offended him.
“Maybe we just shouldn’t go.”
“Probably for the best,” Johann agreed, placing the invitation back on the tray.
“…Actually, I think I should go.”
Leah finally spoke up.
“What?”
“Why…?”
Both looked at her with surprise.
“They say, ‘Know your enemy and know yourself, and you’ll win every battle.’”
Leah smiled, lifting her teacup.
“She might be trying to observe me, but I can also use it to observe her.”
Her eyes shone with quiet determination.
“If that’s how you feel, then yes, maybe it’s worth it.”
Johann nodded thoughtfully.
“This time, I’ll go too. I’ll put the kids to bed early and join the banquet.”
“Really? Thank you!”
Leah happily grabbed Isabella’s hand.
