Visitors entering the royal palace are under strict surveillance. But what about outside the palace?
“Outside the palace? What do you mean by that?”
“For instance, let’s say a gatekeeper harbored ill intentions. He could lie to the lottery winner, saying there’s a separate entrance or a special waiting room for winners.”
“Diverting them elsewhere? Why would they do that?”
“That way, they could verify the winner’s identity without letting them inside the palace.”
This was the first lottery event. If a gatekeeper deceived a winner by claiming there was a special entrance or a multi-step process, many would fall for it.
Once the winner was led away from the main area, everything would fall into place. Someone waiting nearby could then kidnap the winner, whether by trickery or force.
“Sir Alvin, the friend you mentioned as being unwell—is he the chief in charge of the back gate?”
“Yes, he is.”
“Tell him to return as quickly as possible. If he truly bribed the gatekeeper, he might know something.”
“Understood.”
Alvin responded with a stern expression, realizing the gravity of the situation.
“Oh, but don’t give him the full details yet. Nothing’s certain at this point.”
“Understood. But… shouldn’t we inform His Majesty as well?”
“That can wait. First, let’s hear what we can.”
After Alvin left to make contact, I entered a small building used by soldiers for rest. Showing the royal palace’s emblem, I was able to secure a room without much trouble.
Should I contact Caesar? I tapped the table with my fingers, deep in thought.
I wasn’t yet sure if the gatekeeper had actually been bribed. Even if I confirmed it, was telling Caesar the right move?
What was most crucial in this matter was speed and secrecy.
If the winner truly had been kidnapped, and even if Caesar successfully rescued them, the mere fact that this had happened would be detrimental.
Acknowledging any mishap in the lottery system would inevitably lead to rumors. If people learned that winning could put them in danger, ticket sales would plummet. Making a big issue out of it would only harm us.
The winner had to claim their prize safely before the week was out, with no one ever realizing something had gone wrong.
How long had I been waiting? Soon, Alvin returned with a soldier in tow.
“This is Sir Olche, the chief of the back gate.”
“Pleased to meet you, Sir Olche.”
Olche, looking rather unwell, plopped into the chair with a reluctant expression.
“What does the deputy maid of the royal palace want with me?”
“I have a few questions. They concern a matter of great importance to His Majesty.”
When I showed him the palace emblem once more, Olche adjusted his posture, now taking things more seriously.
“Ask whatever you need.”
One of the best things about Caesar becoming emperor, and me becoming the deputy maid, was this. Despite my young age, unimpressive background, and short tenure as a maid, I now held some degree of authority.
“Have any of the gatekeepers at the back gate shown unusual behavior recently?”
“Unusual behavior?”
“Yes, anything out of the ordinary. Particularly within the past week.”
“The past week, you say…”
Olche thought for a while before hesitantly replying.
“Well, since you said anything counts… Two of them, who are usually very close, seemed to have had a falling out.”
“They seemed to have fought? Why do you think that?”
“They’re usually inseparable and always request to be on the same shift. But this time, they specifically asked to be assigned to different shifts.”
Requested different shifts? That might mean…
“How many times are shifts changed in a day?”
“Three or four.”
Perhaps worried by my reaction, Olche added sheepishly, “It’s really not a big deal. I don’t know what you’re investigating, but if they were up to something shady, they’d want to work together, not apart.”
“No.”
“Sorry?”
“Precisely because they’re up to something, they might prefer separate shifts.”
No one knew when the lottery winner would show up. They could arrive early in the morning, trying to avoid attention.
That’s why they wanted different shifts. By alternating, they could guard the back gate 24/7 without leaving any gaps.
I was increasingly convinced. I hurriedly asked Olche, “I’d like to meet the partners who worked with those two this past week. Especially the ones on duty with them on Sunday.”
“Their partners, not the two themselves?”
“Yes.”
“Well… all right.”
Olche returned shortly with several soldiers.
I asked them the same questions. Had they noticed any unusual behavior?
They pointed out the same two individuals. Apparently, those two, who usually avoided hard work, had been exceptionally diligent this week. They handled so much that their partners had hardly anything left to do.
“It has to be them.”
To ensure they didn’t miss a single visitor, they must have worked harder than ever.
After dismissing the soldiers, I turned to Olche.
“Between the two, which one do you think is the leader?”
“The leader?”
“Yes. The one who usually comes up with ideas.”
“Hmm… if I had to guess, it’d be Poji.”
“Was it Poji who requested separate shifts this time?”
“Now that you mention it, yes.”
“He’s the ringleader.”
Whenever two or more people are involved in something, a hierarchy inevitably forms. It was likely that Poji, having been bribed, convinced his friend to join him.
Which meant Poji was closest to whoever was orchestrating this.
“Sir Alvin,” I said, turning to him decisively.
“Yes, Lady Evelyn.”
Alvin responded immediately, standing by my side. I leaned closer and whispered, making sure Olche wouldn’t overhear.
“We need to meet this soldier, Poji.”
“Should I bring him here?”
“No, it would be better if we go to him directly.”
“You’re going in person?”
“If we suddenly summon him, especially when he’s off-duty, he’ll be suspicious.”
“We could come up with a reasonable excuse.”
“Even so, I’d rather not risk it.”
I shrugged casually, but the truth was, my reasoning was far more cautious than I let on.
If my suspicions about a mastermind behind all this were correct, summoning Poji could be dangerous. There was a good chance they were already keeping an eye on him, ready to silence him the moment he was exposed or if he tried to confess.
The people behind the Floria poisoning attempt had no qualms about staging a maid’s suicide to cover their tracks. If silencing Poji was necessary, they wouldn’t hesitate to eliminate him.
“And…”
I lowered my voice even further.
“Could you inform His Majesty to station a few skilled knights nearby? Ones who are both discreet and excellent with their swords.”
Better safe than sorry. Preparation was essential for whatever might happen. Alvin’s expression turned serious as he nodded.
****
Thud, thud, thud.
The loud knocking on his door startled Poji awake. He had been lying on his bed, lazily scratching his belly.
Who could it be? He wasn’t expecting anyone at this hour. Had something gone wrong?
Poji’s hand instinctively moved toward the sword resting in the corner of the room. Despite his stocky frame, his movements were surprisingly swift.
“Anyone there?”
The voice outside belonged to a young woman. But Poji didn’t let his guard down. Gripping his sword tightly, he called out,
“Who is it?”
“Hello! I came to tell you about some amazing goods that just arrived!”
A peddler? It wasn’t entirely unusual for one to show up unannounced.
“…Not interested. Go away.”
“It’s alcohol from the Eastern Continent! Rare and hard to find—are you really not interested?”
Alcohol? Poji’s ears perked up at the mention of it.
“It’s a little pricey, but it’s a premium product you won’t regret buying!”
“Hm…”
Poji thought of the substantial amount of money he’d recently received. It had been a suspiciously generous reward for a seemingly simple task. With his pockets feeling heavier than usual, he figured a bottle of rare liquor from the Eastern Continent wouldn’t hurt.
“We’re offering a free sample. Would you like to try it?”
In the end, his curiosity got the better of him. Poji slowly opened the wooden door.
The moment he cracked it open, something small and fast slipped through the gap.
“Hey!”
Startled, Poji turned his head, only to see a shadow looming over him. Bang! The door slammed shut behind him, and a cold sensation pressed against his neck.
“Don’t move.”
A man’s voice, low and chilling, cut through the air. Poji looked up, frozen, as the man pulled back the hood of his robe. Poji’s face turned pale as he recognized him.
“…Y-you’re… a knight—”
“Kneel.”
The command was sharp, cutting off Poji’s stammering. His knees buckled, and he dropped to the floor.
As if on cue, a young woman with a sweet yet unsettling expression stepped forward. Her voice was now icy, completely different from the cheerful tone she’d used outside.
“You’re the one who hid the lottery winner, aren’t you?”
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