“…Your Majesty?”
Before I could stop him, Caesar had already slipped off his uniform jacket and placed it over my shoulders. Just like dressing a child, he guided my arms into the sleeves and even buttoned it up.
“Wait a moment, Your Majesty. This is—”
“I’ll be going to the special box seat, so I’ll be fine.”
Caesar gestured with his chin toward the very top of the viewing stands. It was an enclosed space surrounded by glass, accessible only to Caesar, Floria, and a small number of guards and maids.
The glass would block the wind, and even without that, the place was surely warmed with layers of magic.
“You’re not going to the special seat, right?”
“That’s true, but…”
“Then you wear it.”
“But—”
“Huh? Evelyn’s not coming with us?!”
I was about to gently refuse—there was no way I could walk around in the emperor’s uniform jacket—when Floria suddenly interrupted.
“Come sit with us! Why not?”
“That seat is meant for His Majesty and Your Highness.”
“But you could just say you’re a maid!”
“Well, the thing is… I didn’t register ahead of time.”
Only a few pre-registered maids could enter the special box today. Even a deputy head maid couldn’t access it otherwise. It was a rare public event for the emperor, so everything was being handled with extreme caution.
I tried to soothe her, but Floria puffed up her cheeks.
“Why didn’t you register!”
I gave her an awkward smile. Though I usually didn’t attend events like this, the real reason I didn’t register was different.
There was something I had to do from the general seating area.
‘And besides, Floria isn’t involved in this operation. I’d rather keep her somewhere safe.’
“We’ll meet again after the parade’s over.”
“Hmph… Then what about Katana?!”
Floria whipped her head around.
“Don’t tell me Katana’s not going to sit with me either?!”
“Nope… I have to stay with Evelyn.”
“Then it’s just me! I’ll be all alone!”
Floria’s face crumpled.
‘If she bursts into tears now, this could be bad.’
Fortunately, the one who calmed her down was Caesar.
“So I came all the way here because you said you wanted to see the snow-cat or whatever, and I’m still not enough?”
“Huh? No, no…”
“It’s disappointing to be left alone.”
“That’s not what I meant…”
Floria fidgeted with her fingers.
“It’s just… Evelyn doesn’t come out much… so I thought it’d be nice if we watched together…”
Caesar smiled as he patted Floria’s hair. Then he glanced at me and shrugged his shoulders.
I silently mouthed “Thank you” so Floria wouldn’t hear.
Caesar also knew perfectly well that I needed to be in the general viewing area to carry out the operation.
My goal with this operation was simple: rumors and surveillance.
The first stage—rumors—was already a success. Word had spread all across the capital that Caesar cared deeply about the snow festival.
To push the rumor further, I’d reminded Alvin and Olche to keep up the act. For the past month, they had carefully leaked bits of information during drinking sessions.
Information suggesting that Caesar’s power would manifest at the snow festival.
It was all a ploy—making people believe Caesar’s power was related to snow, just to draw them out.
‘There must be a leader among those spreading the rumors.’
The one who received the eavesdropping tool from the mastermind— the one who planted it on Alvin and directly listened in on his conversations.
If that person heard the information about Caesar’s power, they wouldn’t be able to resist coming to the snow festival.
And the second stage—surveillance.
I intended to return the favor. Just as they planted a magical device on Alvin to eavesdrop on Caesar, I was going to plant one on their subordinate to gather intel on the mastermind.
That’s where Katana’s help was crucial. We needed a magical tool similar to what they had used—tiny, implantable, able to be taken in as a liquid and harden inside the body.
‘Of course, Katana did an excellent job.’
I tightly grasped the magical tool I’d stored safely in my coat. It looked like a small pill—dissolving in water, then solidifying again once absorbed by the body.
In short, I’d identify the noble who came to the festival, plant the device, and use it to find out more about the one behind all this.
That was my plan.
‘So around now, the noble who came for that reason should be showing up…’
I looked around the area. And at that very moment— as if he had read my mind—someone pushed through the crowd and approached.
“Greetings to His Majesty the Emperor. I am Hetchian.”
The white-haired man who strode confidently up and bowed to Caesar—
‘Baron Hetchian…!’
I nearly flinched, barely stopping myself. I’d heard that name back when I visited Baron Gobet’s territory during the export issue. He had helped Viscount Krause juggle territorial resources.
‘Is he the real leader of the noble faction…?’
“…Baron Hetchian.”
Caesar, who also knew everything about the plan, looked at the baron with a hostile gaze.
“What brings you all the way here? I didn’t know you had a hobby of attending little festivals like this.”
“I heard Your Majesty would be here personally,
and as your loyal subject, how could I not come and greet you?”
Baron Hetchian lied smoothly, without blinking.
‘Then it’s him. The one who planted the device and directly communicates with the mastermind…’
But the very next moment, several others stepped up beside him and bowed.
“Greetings to His Majesty the Emperor.”
It was Viscount Krause and other key nobles from the noble faction. Nearly the entire group had come to the snow festival.
So that no one could tell who planted the device. So no one could tell who was in contact with the mastermind.
Whoever that leader was, they had intentionally brought their allies— to hide among them.
I let out a quiet, incredulous laugh.
‘How can things go exactly as I predicted…?’
I glanced toward Alvin, standing behind Caesar. Alvin gave the faintest nod.
****
Viscount Krause sat in the viewing area with a smile. Everything was going smoothly.
Bringing Baron Hetchian to the snow festival, quietly blending in among them, securing a seat with a perfect view of the special box—
all of it had gone as planned.
Krause lifted her head and looked toward the box where Caesar was seated.
The special box, enclosed in glass, was under tight security. Krause couldn’t get anywhere near it. But the truth was, she didn’t need to.
<Your Majesty, where did you leave your uniform jacket?>
<Don’t worry about it.>
No matter how far away she was, information from inside the box poured directly into her ear. Through the magical device planted inside Alvin.
Despite the heavy security, the surveillance tool worked perfectly in the box.
And of course it did— the box was filled with magical tools for comfort and convenience. If magic were disabled inside, it would’ve caused all sorts of problems.
Soon, the parade began. Krause, who had been watching the box with satisfaction, turned her head.
Large snow sculptures shaped like animals began to march. Artificial snow, created with magic, fell from the sky, and sparkling lights filled the streets.
Everyone was mesmerized by the parade. Even the mood inside the special box seemed the same. Krause couldn’t hear anything out of the ordinary.
The parade proceeded smoothly for several minutes.
Her eyes watched the parade, but all of Krause’s attention was focused on what she was hearing through her earpiece.
According to the information she had gleaned from Alvin and his talkative friend Olche, Caesar’s power was supposed to manifest after the parade.
She didn’t know exactly what the power was or how it would appear, but one thing was certain—something was going to happen.
‘If I catch the moment right, I’ll be able to figure out what the emperor’s power really is.’
But if she stared too intently, it would look suspicious. Krause did her best to keep her head still and focus only on what she could hear.
And then— Alvin’s urgent voice came through the earpiece.
<Your Majesty, there’s a problem!>
A problem?
Krause instinctively turned her head. But from the outside, nothing seemed wrong in the special box.
Yet the voice she heard through the device was tense and unsettled— completely different from usual.
‘What is it?’
Krause’s gaze left the parade and locked onto the box. Caesar and Alvin were whispering to each other.
<What’s going on?>
<A bomb has been detected. It’s hidden in the crowd watching the parade. If it explodes, the lives of the people in the viewing stands will be in danger. There’s no time. You must evacuate immediately.>
What?! A bomb?
Krause shot up from her seat before she even realized it.
****
Meanwhile, across from the noble faction’s seating area, I was watching them—and I couldn’t stop the corners of my mouth from rising.
Everything had been made perfectly clear. The one secretly listening to Alvin’s voice through the surveillance device— was Viscount Krause.
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