Episode 77

Chapter 77. Who Are You, Really?

Deng, deng, deng—

The bell tolled midnight.

It was the signal marking the end of the Founding Festival.

I left the room, leaving Jerome behind. Even as I closed the door, he didn’t so much as flinch. What could he be thinking?You’d expect at least a glimmer of joy from someone who had just recovered a long-lost memory—but he remained strangely composed.

Hmm… how did it go in the original story again? If I recalled correctly, he simply gave Fay a brief word of thanks for finding the treasure, along with a faint smile.

But the expression I had just seen was different.

It looked like he was smiling and crying at the same time—a fleeting storm of emotions crossing his face. His lips trembled, yet no words came. That moment lingered in my mind even as I made my way down the steps.

There was someone waiting for me at the bottom.

“Your Majesty the Empress.”

It was Leonard.

“You waited long, didn’t you?”

“Not at all.” He shook his head.

“Sorry. The conversation ran longer than expected.”

“Was everything all right?”

“Yes. Nothing happened.”

“I’m relieved to hear that.”

Leonard smiled, but his expression quickly stiffened, as if something had unsettled him.

“What is it? Do you see something odd?”

“…Excuse me for a moment.”

He slowly reached a hand toward me. I flinched instinctively, caught off guard.

His cold fingers brushed past my ear, gently parting my hair. A moment later, I realized he had plucked something from it.

“…A leaf,” Leonard murmured.

“Oh, I didn’t even notice that was there.”

So something like that had been stuck in my hair? When did that happen…? Ah! It must’ve been when I fell after Jerome pushed me.

“Thank you. If it weren’t for you, Sir Leonard, I would’ve gone all the way back to the palace without ever noticing.”

Leonard didn’t reply.

“Oh—did you find those people?” I asked, referring to the suspicious figures I’d seen hiding in the wardrobe.

Leonard slowly shook his head.

“I discreetly ordered the knights to sweep the palace grounds inside and out, but…”

“You didn’t find them.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be. I had a feeling this would happen.”

It wasn’t just something I said to console him—I truly meant it. I had the sense from the start that they wouldn’t be caught. A dark premonition weighed on me, one that whispered this was only the beginning.

After that, Leonard escorted me back to the Empress’s palace.

Once we parted ways, the ladies-in-waiting helped me change into something more comfortable. As I relaxed, a certain someone suddenly came to mind.

Come to think of it, what happened to him…?

Cedric.

At some point, he’d completely disappeared from view. If I remembered correctly, it must’ve been after he got locked in the wardrobe with Isaac.

Oh no. I was so caught up in everything else, I completely forgot about him!

Just then—

Knock, knock.

A soft tapping came from the door.

By now, all the maids had returned to their own rooms.

I walked to the door and called out, “Who is it?”

“It’s Cedric, Your Majesty.”

Speak of the devil! I quickly opened the door.

“Cedric. Where have you been all this time?”

Where in the world had he been wandering?

Strangely, he was covered in dust and dirt. It was a far cry from his usual neat and tidy appearance.

“I was… looking for this,” he said with a sheepish smile, pulling a small box from his coat.

The box gleamed gold, ornate and brilliant.

“This is…?” My eyes widened in shock.

I recognized it immediately.

It was from today’s treasure hunt—an event arranged by the imperial family for the nobles visiting the palace. The palace staff had hidden numerous gifts throughout the grounds, each one stored in treasure chests of different colors, corresponding to their value.

And among them, there had been only one golden box.

The rarest and most precious of all the gifts prepared by the imperial family.

Cedric had found it.

“That’s the one rumored to hold the most valuable treasure, isn’t it? I heard no one’s been able to find it for years. That’s incredible, Cedric.”

“I think I was overthinking it,” he said. “When I stopped to consider where an ordinary person might hide it, I found it surprisingly quickly.”

I never imagined it would be hidden inside the chimney.

He added with an awkward chuckle.

“Still, you found it in the end. That makes you the winner of the day.”

Now that I thought about it, something similar had happened in the Kingdom of Calus.

During a festival hosted in goodwill by Calus, there had been a competition—and Cedric had emerged as the final victor.

Back then, just like now, he had a knack for surprising people.

“Thank you. Then…” Cedric held out the box. “Please accept it.”

“What? You’re giving it to me?”

At my surprised question, Cedric gave a shy nod.

“But I can’t accept it. You worked hard to find it.”

“I searched for it because I wanted to give it to you, Your Majesty. Honestly, if it weren’t for your suggestion, I wouldn’t have found it at all.”

Blushing faintly, he placed the box in my hands.

“It’s a gift, Your Majesty.”

And as he said that, he gave me a small smile.

That smile—dusty, a little worn, and utterly radiant—felt especially beautiful beneath the moonlight.

While Helena was speaking with Cedric—

Leonard, who had escorted her to the Empress’s palace, rode his horse out of the imperial capital.

His destination: a red-light district near a secluded part of the city’s bustling center.

There, tucked between alleys, stood one of the most exclusive taverns in the area.

Though modest in size, its luxurious, discreet atmosphere made it a favorite among high-ranking nobles.

As Leonard stepped through the entrance, a bald, burly man bowed his head.

“You’ve arrived.”

Leonard gave him a curt nod.

“Where is he?”

“He came a little earlier. He’s in the room at the very back.”

The room at the back—available by reservation only.

Ordinary guests wouldn’t even be allowed near it.

Following the bald man—Heymitch—Leonard made his way inside.

There, waiting for him, was a man with a sinister air.

Leonard glanced at him and spoke.
“Kept you waiting, didn’t I.”

“Eh, not that long. More importantly, you’re the one who asked to meet?”

“I am.”

Once Leonard sat down, Heymitch brought over a fine bottle of wine and two glasses. He poured quietly, then disappeared without a word.

Leonard gestured at the wine.

“Consider it an apology for the delay.”

“Ooh.” The man’s face lit up. “Now that’s how you treat a professional. Makes a man actually want to work.”

Clicking his tongue appreciatively, the man took a sip.

“Damn, this stuff is amazing.”

He whistled in admiration, then sneaked a peek at the wine label.

“Whoa—isn’t this insanely expensive?” His eyes widened.

It was the kind of wine that had no fixed price—only whispered rumors.

“This is almost too generous. Just what kind of job are you offering, exactly? I’ll say this now—I’m scheduled to work in the imperial palace for a while.”

“You don’t need to worry. I just want to ask a few questions.”

Leonard pulled out a file Heymitch had handed him earlier.

“Oh yeah? Then mind if I drink a little more?”

“Go ahead.”

Leonard’s tone was flat as ever.

Watching him, the man refilled his glass without hesitation.

Meanwhile, Leonard skimmed through the file.

“Lyman Hart. Age 29. Second son of Baron Hart. Most recently worked for three months as a butler in the Count of Bilheim’s household.”

Lyman nodded, unconcerned. It wasn’t strange that a potential employer would know a few details.

“Yeah. I’d have stayed longer, but the working conditions were awful. Hopefully the palace job will treat me better…”

“You won’t need to worry about that.”

“Good to hear. But this wine—damn, it’s unreal.”

By now, Lyman was no longer bothering to gauge Leonard’s mood. He refilled his glass with relish.

He knew full well this was the kind of wine you only got to taste once in a lifetime—if ever.

And judging by how lavishly he was being treated, this client was promising.

Maybe I’ve really hit the jackpot this time.

Grinning, Lyman gulped down the wine, glass after glass.

Rustle. Leonard turned a page of the file.

“Before Bilheim, you spent six months with the Marquess of Dass. Before that, four months with the Count of Thorn. You’ve switched jobs quite a lot.”

“…?”
Lyman frowned, pausing as he licked the last drops from his empty glass.

Now it was starting to feel… off.

“Why the hell are you digging so deeply into my employment history?” he asked, clearly buzzed.

Leonard didn’t respond. He calmly turned another page.

“Two months after you left the Bilheim household, the countess suddenly died. She went to bed early, complaining of fatigue… and never woke up.”

“…!”

“The Marquess of Dass died a few months after your departure. So did the eldest son of the Count of Thorn.”

His voice remained calm—unchanged despite the gravity of what he was saying.

Lyman’s face contorted in alarm.

“Who the hell are you?”

To the outside world, he was just a drifting butler.

But the file Leonard held told a different story.

“Strange, isn’t it? People tend to die wherever you’ve worked.”

“Tch.”

Spit. Lyman growled through gritted teeth.

“I should’ve known this was too smooth. Do you even know who I am?”

“You’re ex-Fallen Guild, aren’t you? Fairly notorious in that line of work.”

“So you knew—and you still tailed me?”

“Why? Was that not allowed?”

“Heh. You must have a death wish. You do know what happens to people who try to uncover an assassination guild’s secrets, right? You and that guy outside—you’re both already dead.”

Leonard didn’t flinch. He slowly stood up.

He rolled up his sleeves and undid the top buttons of his shirt.

“What, you don’t believe me? Fine. You’ll find out soon enough. None of you will leave here alive—!”

Lyman’s voice rang out in a furious roar.

But Leonard didn’t so much as blink.

Instead, he spoke one word.

“Do you know the name ‘Alben’?”

“…!”

Lyman’s eyes stretched wide.

“If I’m not mistaken, he was your guild leader.”

“H-How do you know about him?!”

“Ran into him on my way here.”

“Th-That’s impossible. No one survives an encounter with him!”

“Is that so? Then I guess I’m the first.”

Leonard’s voice was terrifyingly composed.

Lyman couldn’t help but shudder.

He’s lying.

He has to be.
No—he must be…!

But then…

Why was his throat suddenly so dry?

Lyman swallowed hard.

“From now on, I’ll be asking the questions. You just need to answer, Lyman.”

Leonard flexed his fingers, loosening them.

“I’m not interested in your pathetic past. I don’t care who you worked for, or who you killed.”

He spoke with lifeless monotony.

“What I want to know is where you’ll be working in a few days.”

“Th-The palace?”

“More specifically, the Empress’s palace.”

Leonard’s eyes locked onto him.

There was no killing intent. No malice.

Just a void. That, somehow, was even more terrifying.

Lyman’s complexion turned from pale to corpse-white.

An assassin like him recognized it instinctively.

The man before him wasn’t human.

He was something far more terrifying.

“Wh-Who the hell are you?”

“Oh, and just so you know—the person behind the attack on the three traveling to Calus? Already identified. Your guild master was very cooperative. Made things easy.”

Leonard took a step closer.

“Now it’s your turn, Lyman. Who sent you to infiltrate the Empress’s palace?”

His voice was sweet as honey. Deceptively gentle.

“I-I don’t know. I swear I don’t! P-Please, spare me!”

“Wrong answer, Lyman.”

Leonard’s lips curled into a cold smirk.

“That’s not what I wanted to hear.”

“…!”

Some time later, Leonard emerged from the basement.

The heavy night air carried a faint metallic scent of blood. Glancing down at his appearance, Leonard frowned slightly.

“This… won’t be wearable anymore.”

Dark bloodstains clung to his clothes in several places, as if silently attesting to the severity of what had transpired below.

Lifting his head, Leonard gazed off into the distance. The imperial palace, brightly illuminated, stood in view. Soon, the lights began to dim, one by one.

Was she asleep by now?

As Helena came to mind, an involuntary smile tugged at his lips. At some point, her presence had begun to seep into every idle corner of his thoughts, stirring his mind like a hazy fog that blurred all reason.

He had been chasing her lingering image.

Then, his expression suddenly turned cold.

That single leaf, stuck to her luscious golden hair.

That leaf, which had inexplicably bothered him.

As the memory settled, Leonard muttered under his breath with a grim edge.

“…Just who was that?”