Day Ten: Loneliness and His Work
The next day, I woke up when the sun was already high.
I spent the night thinking too much, and since it was getting a bit bright outside just before I fell asleep, I didn't get much rest.
Still, I crawled out from under the blanket and went to the desk.
I pulled out a bundle and a bag from the drawer, took a biscuit and a candy, and then closed the drawer. Back on the blanket, I started nibbling on the edge of the biscuit.
...What's a coup d'état like, anyway? Like a war or a revolution?
In my mind, soldiers break into a castle, fight, and take control by force. There might be peaceful coups, but in this case, I think it's probably through force. Soldiers would likely come not only to the castle but also to the harem.
After all, the queen, concubines, and young princes and princesses live in the harem.
Since all the royals would likely be captured, there's no reason why soldiers wouldn't come here.
...Hmm, should I hide?
But the queens would probably escape or hide, and the soldiers would thoroughly search the harem.
...So, should I just stay still in the storage room?
Even if they realize I'm part of the royal family, being mistaken for a slave or something might be troublesome.
Besides, there's the anxiety of not knowing when it will happen.
...I don't want to be with the queens when it happens.
I'm sure those people would tell me something like 'be my shield' or 'die in my place.'
Well, the best thing is to be left alone.
I think about it while nibbling on the softened part of the biscuit.
...No good, even if I think about it, when a coup happens, all Lucienne can do is hide or wait.
There's no reason for her to resist the soldiers.
Anyway, I can only wait for the coup to happen.
When it does, I'll hide somewhere and observe the situation.
I hope someone seemingly trustworthy finds me because soldiers with a hot temper are scary.
I take my time eating the biscuit.
Just in case, let's save the food Lulu left for me, considering he might not return for two or three days.
But I'll make sure to properly take the medicinal candy.
I want to heal my mouth
...Lulu isn't coming today.
It would've been nice if he could've told me beforehand, but knowing he won't come feels a bit lonely.
Maybe because we've seen each other every day since we met, his calm voice and casual tone made me feel at ease.
Without thinking, I crunched down on the candy.
The candy's surface chipped a bit. I crunched the pieces.
Thinking I won't see Lulu makes my chest feel restless with loneliness and worry, making me uneasy.
...Maybe I'll go to the well.
Since the candy is gone from my mouth, I stand up.
I gently open the door, step into the corridor, and head to the well.
Once outside the building, I reach the well.
I looked up at the roof somehow, but as expected, there was no one there, and I sighed.
I drop the bucket into the well, pull the rope of the pulley to draw water, and dip my face into the water in the bucket to drink.
After finishing drinking, I pour out the remaining water on the ground, put the bucket back in its original place.
I enter the building, pass through the corridor quietly to return to the storage room.
I enter through the gap in the open door, and close the door.
Sitting on the blanket in the dusty room.
Just like that, lying on my side, feeling the rough texture of the blanket on my cheek.
Rolling from right to left.
...Let's sleep.
I pull the blanket and wrap it around, closing my eyes.
Was it like this every day before I met Lulu?
It feels like a hole has opened up in my chest.
Enduring the unsatisfied feeling, I fell asleep.
＊ ＊ ＊ ＊ ＊
...If the wife is like that, then the husband is also going to be like that, huh?
Lefebvre lay on his back in the attic, propping up his cheek, peeking through the gap to watch what was happening below.
In a room not far from the king's office in the royal palace, despite it being daytime, the curtains were drawn shut. However, light leaked through the gap.
In the dim room, there was a man and several women. All the women wore thin clothes that hardly concealed anything, more like lace, and were adorned with jewelry and precious metalwork.
As for the man, he was naked except for accessories.
There was a large bed in the room with a canopy, and on it, the man and the women were entwined.
Lefebvre had been assigned the crucial task of watching over the king, the most important target in this coup.
Certainly, Lefebvre could easily sneak into the king's office or bedroom, bypassing the castle's security.
A husband who indulges in affairs and his extravagant wife
...In a way, they are a good match.
Surprisingly, despite being intimately involved with these women, the only child born outside of the queen and concubines is Lucienne.
Watching other people's affairs is as boring as it gets, even if it's part of the job.
The women sweetly whispered to the king, who seemed pleased in return.
These kinds of people are familiar to me, and there's nothing fresh or interesting about them.
After observing for a while, as things seemed to be getting serious, Lefebvre decided to move.
A place a little away from the room where the king and the women were.
Normally, the prime minister, who should be in the king's office, was occupying it. The portly prime minister, while capable at his job, used it for his own selfish desires.
The country's treasury was already strained due to the royal family's spending, and the prime minister embezzled even more, pushing the nation's finances to the limit.
In reality, the royal treasury is almost empty because the nobles are chipping in from their private funds to prevent the people from starving in places where money is scarce.
It's been less than ten years since the current king ascended to the throne, but a coup was expected to happen sooner or later.
...Doesn't it feel like there's a king for these subjects?
The prime minister, who should be in a position to advise the king, gives women to the king, indulges him in pleasure, and rules the country.
Moreover, this prime minister is secretly in league with the queen and, eventually, plans to make the silenced Lucienne, manipulated by abuse, the queen to maintain his position.
He suggested to the queen to persuade her to assassinate the second prince, and if she succeeded, he whispered that even after a change of kings, they could continue to live in luxury and control the country.
The queen readily agreed to the plan.
Perhaps, if the queen successfully assassinated the second prince, he intended to use it as a reason to remove her from the queen's position in the future.
The fact that the prime minister is secretly trying to obtain a lethal poison has been conveyed to Lefebvre's employer through the dark guild. Is he planning to assassinate the king?
Maybe he's aiming for the throne.
In that case, this prime minister intends to marry Lucienne.
...Just imagining it makes me want to kill him.
If someone is plotting to use Lucienne, who is much older than her parent, for the throne and trying to obtain her, I won't forgive it.
This prime minister is also on the execution list.
...Hmm?
The prime minister stands up from his chair, reaches for the wall's bookshelf, and lightly pushes one of the books.
Then there's a clank, and the bookshelf shifts to the side.
...I see, someone still uses that kind of thing these days?
On the wall where the bookshelf was, there was a small door. The door had one protrusion, and when the prime minister grabbed it, he turned it left and right with a clickety-click.
Finally, a clicking sound, as if something had locked into place, and the small door opened.
Inside were documents and jewels that seemed like national treasures at a glance.
Currently, concealing things like these that shouldn't be found is mainly done using magic.
Using illusion magic to hide in walls or secret places, setting up magic tools that interfere or deflect detection magic, or placing items in magic tools specially made to block magic power are the usual methods.
But, well, that actually makes it easier to find.
If someone can sense magic, trying to interfere or deflect it would make that specific area feel off, giving away the hiding spot.
The prime minister's old-fashioned method, on the other hand, is effective. It's concealed without using magic, making it hard to detect.
Even though it's from an era with less advanced magic, it's somewhat cutting-edge in not being affected by magic.
After putting away some documents, the prime minister closed the door and returned the bookshelf to its original position.
After handling official matters, he left the room.
It's interesting not to keep evidence at home, but this type of safe from the olden days has a drawback. If someone knows the hiding place and the method of opening it, they can easily unlock it.
Quietly descending to the office, I pushed a book back into the shelf, causing it to shift. Turning the round protrusion, I knew how many turns were needed. With a satisfying clickety-click, the mechanism engaged.
I examined the contents of the opened door.
It's just embezzlement documents. Hiding national treasures like necklaces and rings here is quite something. The hidden items, despite being royal possessions, are surprisingly simple—according to the current royal family, they're quite plain.
Both the queen, concubines, and even the king prefer flashy items. Since they likely have no interest in plain belongings, it was probably thought they wouldn't notice.
Besides, the embezzlement documents. The funds seem to be going to houses or places unrelated to the prime minister's residence. In terms of evidence for embezzlement by the prime minister, it's a bit weak.
Not everything hidden in the secret vault is necessarily crucial. Its placement in the king's office might give the impression of embezzlement or hiding national treasures for personal gain. Not enchanting the vault with magic is an excuse if needed. Some magical vaults only respond to specific individuals' magic, making it impossible to feign innocence when discovered. My job is to prevent that.
I discreetly slip the documents I brought into the pile of existing papers. These documents were obtained by bribing one of the Prime Minister's subordinates. He seemed reasonably intelligent but lacked trust and respect from his subordinates. Offering a substantial sum of money easily convinced him to reveal the location of the embezzlement ledger.
In fact, to secure his safety, the subordinate had hidden evidence of embezzlement in a location different from the Prime Minister's instructions. If he felt threatened and faced potential harm, he intended to use the evidence of embezzlement as leverage. Regardless, the documents I acquired contain the Prime Minister's signature, making any excuses impossible.
After placing the documents back, locking the door, and returning the key, I reset the bookshelf. Now, all that's left is for the coup forces to discover it when the time comes. The plan is to create a scenario where the hidden vault is accidentally found during the coup, revealing evidence of the Prime Minister's embezzlement and national treasures. The Prime Minister only opens this vault once or twice a month, and I monitored him today, so he's unlikely to touch it for a while.
Even if he does, the evidence documents are hidden behind the current pile, making them invisible unless the papers in front are moved. Returning to the ceiling, I head back to the king's chambers. The king is currently enjoying himself with the women.
"...I wonder how Lucienne is doing."
While observing the uninteresting scene below, Lefebvre thought of Lucienne in the royal harem.
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