Chapter 19
“Yes, the persistent pestering from Marquis Hopery made me start pushing forward with the engagement plans. As soon as I decide, we can set a date and begin preparations for the engagement ceremony.”
She was an unfamiliar daughter.
Just hearing about the engagement made her furrow her brows under the emotional pressure.
The queen gently stroked Eirin’s hand and added,
“Don’t worry too much. Nothing has been firmly decided yet.”
“What do you think of the young duke? I thought he might fall for you at first sight.”
At first sight, huh.
Although Eden seemed a bit shy, he would probably have reacted the same way even if the woman in front of him hadn’t been Eirin.
“Don’t you think you’re quite pretty? Just look—how long and thick your eyelashes are. Even you can see it, right?”
The queen suddenly turned her head sharply and asked.
“Uh? Y-yes! Of course!”
The sudden question startled the young maid beside her.
Flustered, she stiffly raised her head and answered loudly.
Judging by her reaction, she was likely a new recruit.
She’d get used to this soon.
Eirin leaned back comfortably into her chair.
“You should meet a lot of men before marriage. Because once you marry—it’s the end.”
Eirin didn’t respond much to the queen’s words, but the queen chattered on, unfazed.
“You know, when I debuted in society, so many men wanted to have just one dance with me. You wouldn’t believe how many offers I got.”
The queen seemed to be reminiscing about the times when she received endless courtship.
Her eyes sparkled as she clasped her hands together.
The queen’s joyful gaze looked as if she was expecting someone to present her with a flower bouquet right now.
“I see.”
“Is there anyone you like?”
“No.”
The queen’s sudden question caught Eirin off guard, and her response came a beat late.
A hint of bitterness touched her lips, but thankfully, the queen didn’t seem to notice.
If you ever fall for someone, try holding his wrist and checking his pulse, or listen to his heartbeat.
It was something she had heard before.
“If it’s beating fast, chances are he likes you too. There’s nothing more honest than physiological reactions.”
She had tried that trick a couple of times before, but whether it was actually useful was… questionable.
After all, a rapid heartbeat wasn’t exclusive to love.
If my daughter gets married, what joy will I have left in life? The queen’s affectionate voice tickled her ears.
She stroked Eirin’s hair.
Her brown locks fluttered through the queen’s hand, releasing a soft scent of sweet shampoo into the air.
“Should I just not marry and live in the palace forever?”
“That wouldn’t be bad. But I still want you to know the happiness of building a family.”
Eirin chuckled softly and propped her chin on both hands.
It wasn’t an action fitting for royal etiquette, but no one said a word.
—
Back in her office, Eirin searched through the intelligence files she had reviewed many times before.
Why did Agno Bellingka die?
Strangely, the news didn’t feel entirely unpleasant.
Rather, it was like a heavy burden had been lifted from her chest—a kind of relief.
Maybe it’s just one less thing to worry about.
First, she needed to understand exactly how Agno died.
Especially if Illiard was behind it, she had to know his motive.
She also needed to thoroughly study the current power structure of the Mersen Empire.
She should have already deduced what Mersen wanted from the war they started… but she had pushed it aside. That was a mistake.
What concerned Eirin the most was Illiard’s physical condition.
His current state was vastly different from before the illness.
Maybe… he was the key to this disease.
Given that the Crown Prince of the Mersen Empire’s condition was classified, she needed an informant who could handle sensitive and covert operations.
The best choice would be the top informant in the so-called “underworld,” known for selling even state secrets.
To do that, she’d have to start at the underground marketplace, where the black market and illegal exchanges thrived.
If I carry a defensive magic scroll, I shouldn’t be in too much danger.
Was it worth risking so much just to trade with an underworld informant?
Eirin clasped her hands together and fell into deep thought, then stood up decisively.
“Isn’t Mendelt the current commander of the royal guards?”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
Rose, the lady-in-waiting beside her, responded to Eirin’s murmuring.
Arthur Endilt, the commander of the royal guards, was the older brother of her close friend Bersi—someone she knew well.
Arthur was a top-tier swordsman. If he helped, it would be a great asset.
“Set up a meeting with Sir Mendelt soon. And what’s with the investigator I summoned earlier? Why haven’t they come yet?”
She spoke with slight irritation, and soon Chera came running.
“I’m sure they’re on their way. I’ll send someone to check.”
Just as Chera stepped out, she bumped heads with the arriving investigator.
“Wh-Who are you?”
“I heard someone from the palace was looking for me.”
“Ah, you must be the investigator. This way, please.”
Chera hurriedly guided the man to Eirin.
“Greetings, Your Highness. I’m Collint, the investigator in charge of the Bellingka murder case.”
A middle-aged man with a solemn face greeted her.
“Thank you for coming so quickly during this busy time. Please, have a seat.”
Eirin pointed to the seat across from her and sat down.
The investigation into Agno’s death was proceeding quietly due to his relationship with the Crown Prince of a foreign empire.
Since there wasn’t much she could find on her own, Eirin had decided to summon the investigator.
“I heard you had questions regarding the case?”
She nodded at his words.
“I’d like to hear the full details of the incident.”
Following her request, he began explaining the investigation and its results.
The body was found in a secluded area of the capital with few people around.
The report came from the young nobleman from House Dilche, who was supposed to meet Agno.
He said he arrived at the meeting place and found her dead.
“There were no witnesses, as it was an isolated spot.”
“Why meet in such a secluded place? There are plenty of other places to go on a date.”
“It appears Lady Agno was seeing more than one man.”
“Wasn’t she officially the Crown Prince’s lover?”
“Officially, yes. But she was suspected to have been seeing several noblemen. It’s unclear if she was trying to sort things out when she met him.”
‘Several noblemen’ meant at least two or more.
Eirin was shocked at Agno’s boldness.
Wasn’t she afraid of the consequences?
Maybe, as the queen said yesterday, those consequences had now become reality.
Agno was believed to have been involved with three men from the Porti Empire.
All were from distinguished families.
The investigator’s current theory was that one of them killed her out of revenge.
Two of the suspects had solid alibis, excluding the one who reported the death—the young nobleman from House Dilche.
“The primary suspect is the young lord of House Dilche. He is a knight and previously served in the Royal Third Division.”
The 413th Division—so his swordsmanship was likely decent.
“So he killed her and then reported it?”
“Yes, that’s the current assumption. Her heart was pierced by a sword. The defensive wounds were only on her palms, which suggests she tried to resist after the stabbing.”
“So it was a surprise attack.”
“Yes, and it seems they knew each other.”
“If he’s the killer, his motive would be clear.”
“Likely jealousy. But it’s still under investigation.”
“I see.”
“Oh, there’s also a testimony from a servant who said Lady Agno often left the mansion to meet someone.”
“Any idea who she was meeting?”
“At first, we thought it was another lover, but that wasn’t it. Nor was she searching for her birth parents.”
“Birth parents?”
“Lady Agno was adopted at age 12. According to the Viscount, she never showed any interest in her biological parents.”
“I see… and their whereabouts are unknown?”
“Unfortunately, yes.”
Eirin held back a deep sigh and said to the investigator,
“Thank you. I appreciate your detailed explanation. It’s unsettling to think someone around my age was involved in a murder case.”
“Yes, the atmosphere has become grim lately, possibly due to this incident. Please be careful, Your Highness.”
After he left, Eirin flipped through the documents he had brought.
They contained detailed records of the murder case.
If someone really wanted to get rid of Agno…
Would they have made it look so obviously like murder?
“I must inspect Agno Bellingka’s corpse myself.”
–
