Chapter 25:
Gobald had his own intelligence organization.
I already knew that his informants were secretly planted in the palaces of every royal family member.
‘There’s no way Gobald would leave alone the brothers who might one day become his enemies.’
All of my siblings, except for me, were aware that Gobald had his people in their palaces.
However, they left them alone. If they tried to root them out directly, it would be no different than declaring all-out war on Gobald.
‘Not that they’d even be able to tell who the spies were in the first place.’
The spies Gobald possessed had been passed down from generation to generation to the crown prince.
When the crown prince became emperor, those spies naturally became part of the emperor’s secret police, forming an even more solid intelligence network.
‘They’re extremely skilled at hiding their identities.’
No matter how powerful the royal family of Lornord was, it was difficult to identify spies who had deliberately concealed their existence.
Of course, I was an exception.
“Your Highness. I’ve brought Is.”
While I had been lost in thought, the head maid of my palace approached and whispered.
I answered with a bright smile.
“Let the child in, and the rest of you wait outside my room!”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
Just as she said that, the head maid hesitated for a moment and then spoke very carefully.
“Um, Your Highness. May I be so bold as to say something?”
“Hmm? Go ahead!”
“Is… Is came to the palace when she was ten and has served you ever since. It’s been ten years.”
“I know. I remember the names of all the people who have been with me for a long time!”
Encouraged by my unexpectedly cheerful tone, the head maid gained a bit more courage.
“Do you really think… Is is a spy?”
I blinked at her question, then burst out laughing.
“Ah, you misunderstood! I didn’t bring her in because I suspected her! I just have a few things I want to ask her!”
‘Well, that’s not exactly a lie.’
As I laughed brightly despite my inner thoughts, the head maid showed a fleeting look of relief.
She subtly let out a breath and returned to her usual composure.
“Thank you for answering such a presumptuous question.”
“No problem~. You’re the one who personally chose and raised Is! Of course you’d be attached!”
She responded to me with a smile and then left the room.
Soon after, a knock sounded and a maid entered.
“D-Did you call for me, Your Highness?”
The maid with faint freckles on her face approached me nervously.
She didn’t look too scared, as if she hadn’t been warned too harshly by the head maid before entering.
“Welcome, Is! Come a little closer?”
“Ah, yes!”
Is hurried over to the sofa where I was sitting.
At that moment, the sharp-eyed Marin appeared and cast a soundproof barrier around us.
“Um… you said you had something to say to me…”
At her words, I smiled even more brightly.
So much so that Is couldn’t take her eyes off me, visibly stirred.
Reading her expression, I softly spoke.
“Is, you have to be honest with me, okay?”
As if hypnotized, Is responded a beat late.
“O-Of course, Your Highness!”
“You see, I already know. That you’re the informant Crown Prince Gobald planted in my palace.”
“Wh-What?!”
“Recently, it seems you even recruited someone from my palace. Who was it?”
“N-No, Your Highness!”
Is quickly knelt down, pleading in an anguished voice.
“D-Did I do something suspicious?! If I did, please tell me! I’ll explain everything!”
“Oh? Are you saying I’m mistaken?”
“Of course! I’m innocent!”
“That can’t be right.”
I slowly wiped the smile from my face and stared straight at her.
“Don’t deny it needlessly. I’ve known from the start. I just turned a blind eye because I hate fuss.”
“Your Highness! I’ve been with you since I was a child! How could you suspect me!”
“I’m not going to punish you just because you’re Gobald’s informant. Like I said, I don’t want to make a big deal out of this.”
I whispered calmly.
“So just tell me. Who did you recruit from my palace?”
At my words, Is jumped up and shouted, veins standing out on her neck.
“Princess Neroli! Please believe me! I swear it’s not me! I really don’t know anything!”
“I promised not to punish you. Just tell me the name of the new spy, and you can stay here as my maid like always.”
“H-How could you do this to me! Your Highness, really, really, it’s not me! I’ve never recruited anyone, and I’m not a spy!”
Tears welled up in her innocent eyes.
Soon, clear streams rolled down her cheeks and dripped onto the carpet of the drawing room.
“I… I really didn’t do it… Princess Neroli… What do I have to do to make you believe me? I’m telling the truth…”
In the end, Is sobbed pitifully.
To anyone else, it would have looked like I was tormenting an innocent girl.
Nesgal, who had been watching from the side, exploded in fury.
[That wicked girl! Everything out of her mouth is a lie!]
His voice grew louder.
[Her whole aura is writhing with deceit! Who does she think she’s fooling! Wicked thing! Vile creature!]
I don’t trust people.
The only things I believe in are objective information… and the spirits who are always with me.
I asked her one last time.
“Is, you promised to be honest with me.”
“I-I am being honest! Your Highness, please believe me… it’s all a misunderstanding…”
‘…Looks like she won’t tell the truth no matter what I say.’
Well, if she were going to confess so easily, she wouldn’t have deceived me for all those years.
Suppressing the bitterness rising inside me, I asked another question.
“Did you enjoy the snacks I gave you?”
At the unexpected question, Is flinched mid-protest.
“Pardon?”
“I always gave out snacks to the people in my palace, remember?”
“Wh-Why do you ask that all of a sudden…”
“Did you really think I handed them out out of pure kindness?”
“!”
With a blank expression, I snapped my fingers.
Nesgal, seeing my signal, breathed fire.
[I’ve been waiting for this moment! You wicked human, I’m going to give you a real lesson today!]
And then—
“Ugh!”
Is clutched her chest, her body trembling.
“Kegh! Aagh!”
Soon, she let out groans and writhed on the floor.
I turned my gaze away slightly and sighed.
‘I never thought I’d actually have to use this method.’
The fire spirit, Nesgal.
Nesgal can’t go far from me, so he can’t gather information.
Instead, he’s a combat specialist spirit.
‘Especially skilled at forcing fire energy into human blood vessels.’
According to Nesgal, it was a technique taught to him by his master before last.
It’s said to cause pain so intense, it nearly pulls a person’s soul from their body.
However, not just anyone can be targeted with this technique.
‘The body must be prepared to channel fire energy properly.’
So I made a special drug to open those channels.
I mixed it into snacks and slowly fed it to the people around me.
They ate them eagerly, thinking they were treats from their beloved princess.
‘I’ve been doing this for seven years.’
The effect of the drug wasn’t just to let Nesgal attack more effectively.
The better the energy flowed, the more easily Nesgal could sense even slight emotional disturbances.
It was thanks to Nesgal’s warning that I discovered Is long ago.
‘With Marin watching over the palace and Nesgal identifying people, this palace has been under my control for a long time.’
A place I built over many years as a minimum safe zone for someone who can trust no one…
‘Besides, the drug… it’s not even bad for the body.’
If anything, it’s good.
After all, it’s a “medicine,” not poison.
‘It helps with circulation and detoxification.’
Many of my palace workers have said they felt healthier and more refreshed after working here.
Which is why so many people wanted to work in my palace.
So really…
‘As long as she didn’t betray me, there would have been no problem.’
We were together for so long, Is.
You were in all of my memories.
‘And now I find out it was all a lie.’
I almost said it out loud but swallowed it back down.
Fine, this palace is full of lies and betrayal anyway.
I knew that all too well, so there was no reason to feel empty or heartbroken.
‘I didn’t want to resort to such extreme measures, but…’
I didn’t have the time or luxury to slowly persuade her.
Besides, she approached me from the beginning with the intent to betray.
Just then, I heard the voice of Is, who was barely alive.
“Ugh… please… please spare me…”
I frowned slightly and signaled Nesgal.
‘That’s enough.’
[Hmph! I wanted to punish her a bit more!]
Nesgal grumbled as he pulled back his fire energy.
Is gasped for air and collapsed onto the floor.
I looked at her and said flatly,
“Is, it’s already too late to lie.”
“Huff, huff…”
