“What? His body?”
“Yeah! I can feel it inside Alvin’s body.”
Katana, full of certainty, spoke as if frustrated.
“But a magical tool inside his body, that’s just…… Ah!”
At that moment, I remembered what happened with Marriott. The magical tool she used inside the cave when she kidnapped the raffle winner.
‘Could it be a magical tool similar to that one?’
A chill ran down my spine. That tool, which seemed to be used for communication, exploded just as Marriott was about to confess.
‘If Alvin’s is the same…’
I quickly turned my head and looked at Alvin. Outwardly, he looked completely normal. He didn’t look like someone who had a magical tool implanted in his body.
‘If even Alvin doesn’t know about it…’
It meant he was carrying something that could explode at any moment, inside his own body.
I immediately took Katana and Olche to Caesar. There were too many things we needed to discuss.
We sat together in the parlor. I explained everything so far— that someone had planted a magical tool inside Alvin’s body to extract information, and that it might even explode.
“A magical tool inside Alvin’s body…”
Caesar spoke with a darkened expression. Even if someone was extracting information with a magical tool, he clearly hadn’t imagined it would be done this way.
I responded with a troubled look.
“…How could they have done it? In Marriott’s case, she cooperated since she was on their side.
But Sir Alvin isn’t.”
“They wouldn’t have been able to force him. It would’ve taken more than a couple of people to go up against Alvin.”
I nodded at Olche’s words.
“Exactly. And more than anything, it’s strange that Sir Alvin doesn’t know at all. How can something be put inside his body without him realizing?”
Katana, who had been quietly listening, suddenly chimed in.
“Maybe they made him swallow it. You said it was a really tiny magical tool.”
“Even so, would Sir Alvin really not have noticed?”
“Maybe…”
Katana paused for a moment, thinking, before continuing.
“It could’ve been a liquid when he drank it and solidified inside his body.”
“That’s possible?”
“In theory, yes. I’ve never heard of it being used for communication or eavesdropping though…”
Olche nodded in agreement.
“If that’s the case, it’s certainly possible. Getting a glass of water into a drunk Alvin wouldn’t be hard.”
I recalled the magical tool we found in Marriott’s body after she died. It was said to be a type that wasn’t available on the market.
‘Maybe that one was custom-made too. Then… a mage?’
“Um, by the way…”
Olche cautiously spoke again.
“This young lady here seems to have strong magic— could she remove the magical tool?”
He was pointing to Katana, who still clung to me and glared at Olche. Katana gave a small nod.
“You can remove it, Katana?”
“Uh-huh. Probably. A magical tool is just something infused with magic. I can either remove the magic or destroy the tool. Making a potion to cancel the magic would be easiest.”
“That’s a relief. There won’t be any side effects on Alvin’s body, right?”
To Caesar’s question, Katana nodded again.
“I haven’t made it before, so I can’t be completely sure… but probably not.”
Olche let out a sigh of relief.
“Then we don’t have to worry about Alvin dying. I’ll go get him right away—”
“Wait!”
I stopped Olche, who looked ready to run to the training grounds.
“What’s the matter, Lady Evelyn? We need to get rid of the magical tool quickly!”
“Please, just hear me out first.”
I calmed Olche and turned to Caesar.
“Your Majesty, I believe this was done by one of the noble faction nobles.”
“I think so too.”
“If that’s the case, we might be able to find the culprit easily. If we trace the rumors backward, we might find who started them.”
Caesar narrowed his eyes, as if wondering where I was going with this.
“But I have a feeling that catching that noble won’t change anything.”
“…You think there’s someone else behind them?”
“Yes.”
Duke Spiegel, the maid who tried to poison Floria, Marriott… They all died to keep someone’s secrets.
If the same person was behind this, then the same thing would happen again.
‘They keep cutting off the tail.’
“So we can’t keep dancing to their tune.”
“Do you have a good plan, then?”
I gave a small nod.
‘Even though an unexpected twist— the magical tool being inside Alvin’s body—came up…’
It didn’t get in the way of carrying out the plan I had in mind.
“We’re going to use that magical tool to lure them out instead.”
“Lure them out?”
“Yes. We’ll do exactly what they did. With rumors and eavesdropping—both.”
I quickly turned to Olche.
“To do that, I’ll need everyone here to help. First, Sir Olche.”
“Me?!”
Olche pointed to himself in shock at being suddenly called out.
“You often drink with Sir Alvin, right?”
“Uh… yes, I do?”
“Having various conversations during those gatherings would be totally natural.”
“Well, yes, I suppose…”
Olche blinked, still looking confused.
“And those conversations will leak right out through the bugging device.”
“Oh—then I should be careful about what I say!”
“No, Sir Olche, it’s the opposite. You need to spread false information. We’ll use the eavesdropping device against them.”
Olche’s eyes widened. Caesar, who had been quietly listening, joined in.
“You want to use fake information to lure them?”
“That’s right.”
This time, I looked at Katana.
“I’ll need your help too.”
“You mean making the potion to cancel the magical tool?”
“That too, but there’s one more thing. It might be the most important part of the whole plan.”
Olche interrupted impatiently.
“So what’s the plan? And what fake info am I supposed to leak?”
“That…”
I opened my mouth, then shook my head.
“I’ll tell you after I explain everything to Sir Alvin.”
“What?”
“This operation requires Sir Alvin to take on a big risk. He’ll have to keep the magical tool inside his body even though it might explode at any moment.”
The plan couldn’t even begin without Alvin’s cooperation.
“If I tell him the plan now, it might just put too much pressure on him.”
Olche lowered his head respectfully and nodded.
*****
A few days later, it was the day I visited the princess’s palace, something I did once a week to see Floria. I headed there with Katana.
Ever since the day we went on a picnic to Summerhill, Katana and Floria had grown much closer and often spent time together like this.
“Evelyn! Katana!”
Floria greeted us warmly. Before entering the drawing room, we underwent a light body search. It had been years since the poisoning incident, but the security procedures had continued ever since.
Even after we sat down, I could still feel sharp gazes on us. After what happened last time, all the maids in the princess’s palace had been replaced.
Of course, even so, there was always the risk that outside forces could bribe or threaten someone into betrayal, so I’d heard the staff changed frequently or were rotated out altogether. The Empress Dowager had placed veteran maids she’d trusted for years in key positions to monitor them closely.
‘I think I understand now why the princess’s maids were so quick to believe those rumors about Caesar being a tyrant.’
I looked at the various snacks and drinks laid out on the table.
‘These must have already been checked one by one by the maids.’
No wonder Floria might be tired of all the constant protection.
“Oh right, Evelyn! You’re going to the snow festival too, right?”
Floria, who had been chatting with Katana, suddenly asked.
“Yes, His Majesty said he would be attending. And I… well, I wanted to see the cat? That parade, I mean.”
“Right! It’s going to be super cute! What about Katana? Are you going too?”
Katana glanced at me, as if asking for permission to say so. I quickly nodded, and only then did Katana respond excitedly.
“Yes, I’m going too!”
“Wow, really? Then sit next to me and watch it together! What about your dress? What will you wear? Let’s match and wear something similar!”
Floria spoke rapidly in excitement. Even though there were many watching eyes and she couldn’t call her by name or speak informally like that time, Katana still joined in with enthusiasm.
I watched the two of them with a fond smile and spoke.
“His Majesty said he’s going to have formal outfits made specifically for the event.”
“Huh? My brother is?”
Floria looked surprised. Originally, it was because of her request that the snow festival was added to the schedule. There was no reason for Caesar to go out of his way and prepare formal attire for it.
“Yes. He also contacted the festival organizers and arranged for special seats just for His Majesty and Her Highness, the former princess.
Seats with the best view of the parade, of course.”
I said with a slight smile.
The reason Katana was attending the snow festival, and the reason Caesar was making such a fuss about formal outfits and special seats— it was all for the operation.
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