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Chapter Five: Wellmy the Villainess’s Scheme
Having returned from the party where she’d met Theresalo, Wellmy used her nightly cuddling session with Aides to ask if he had heard of a perfume that could influence someone’s thoughts. Her fiancé stopped stroking her head and, narrowing his eyes, replied that, yes, there was indeed a magic drug that fit that description.
“Did you get yourself tangled up in yet another troublesome situation?” he added.
“I didn’t do it on purpose,” Wellmy retorted. “Do you mind if I let Lord Turgis roam freely for some time while I keep an eye on him?”
“What a clever girl you are. I was about to suggest the same thing.” Aides paused to consider something, then resumed. “We’re actually in the middle of investigating the matter of that perfume with the Special Operations Department. You just found us a great lead.”
Wellmy narrowed her eyes. “As I suspected, you knew about it all along. What have you discovered so far?”
Ӗ n̊ ŭ mа .ĩ d̂
“It’s confidential information. I can’t tell you.”
“Oh, really?” She huffed. “Fine. I’ll go ask father if we can lift Saintly Charm with our magic. If it sounds possible, I’ll do it in secret and gather as much information as I can. You’re not going to forbid me from doing that, are you?”
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“I don’t mind you helping us, but only do it when either Leo or I is around.”
Wellmy looked up at Aides, a small smile on her lips. “Are you concerned for me?”
“That goes without saying.”
Feeling a little embarrassed, Wellmy rested her head on her fiancé’s chest.
Е̄.n̄u m̌а̇ .і_d̀
※※※
After that, Wellmy went to report the situation to Leo, then began working on discreetly approaching the men Theresalo had charmed.
As she and Aides strolled around the palace’s courtyard, an unexpected figure approached them. He saluted them the way knights usually did, with his left hand behind his back and his right hand on his heart.
“Lord Enderlen? Is something the matter?” Wellmy asked.
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“May I have a moment of your time, Lady Wellmy Liroud?”
The man standing in front of them was none other than Theresalo’s former fiancé, Lord Sofoyl Enderlen, a knight in service of the kingdom. The reason he was so polite toward Wellmy was that, as a knight lord, his peerage was the lowest among nobles.
E núm å
The crown could grant commoners who had distinguished themselves through military prowess or notable deeds the nonhereditary titles of knight lord and baronet. Following these were barons and viscounts. Together, these four titles formed what was known as the low nobility. The high nobility consisted of counts, then marquises, and lastly, dukes.
The highest aristocratic title a regular noble could hold was that of a marquis, with Aides being the most powerful out of them all. Duchies were usually given to members of the royal family who renounced their succession rights and agreed to become subjects of the state. However, their children would still be granted the right to succeed to the throne. This arrangement ensured that the royal family’s bloodline wouldn’t end if the current king was unable to produce an heir. This right didn’t carry over to the next generation, though; a duke’s grandchild would become a marquis and would not be in the running for the throne.
There were a few exceptions to that rule in the Lionel Kingdom. One of them was House Abaccum, who shared the bloodline of the former royal family. Unlike other ducal houses, its title would never fall to that of marquis. However, it also had no right to the throne.
Houses with exceptional magical abilities, such as the ducal house of Liroud, with their vermilion eyes and talent for disenchanting, possessed a similar status.
As a sidenote, despite being the niece of the current Duke of Liroud and having the surname to match, Wellmy wasn’t part of the ducal house. She was merely the daughter of a count. Nobility titles were a little tricky to understand, but Wellmy’s status was such because her father, Clartes, had once renounced his peerage and become a commoner. The title of Count Liroud was a newly created one that had been granted to him for his personal achievements and had nothing to do with the ducal family.
Then again, from Lord Sofoyl’s perspective, anyone above the rank of viscount was part of the elite, so Wellmy’s exact title didn’t matter.
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“What do you wish to talk to me about, Lord Enderlen?” Wellmy asked.
“Please call me Sofoyl, my lady. I would prefer not to have this conversation in such a public place. May we go somewhere more private?” His slender eyes shone with sincerity.
He had been forced to end his engagement to Theresalo due to his family’s situation, but according to the prospective saint, they had both wished for that union.
He likes Theresalo, doesn’t he?
Wellmy looked up at Aides, who was escorting her today, and whispered, “May I go?”
Her fiancé turned to Sofoyl. “I shall arrange a private room for you two to use. I’ll listen to your conversations from the shadows. Does that sound all right with you?”
W̌ е̊ b n̆ov.е́ l̂ Е n̊ ů m̊ а
“As you wish, my lord,” Lord Sofoyl replied.
“Why do you want to hide?” Wellmy asked.
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“We want to make your reputation worse, don’t we? Having you disappear alone with a man seems like the perfect opportunity,” Aides explained, raising an eyebrow.
That made sense. After all, Wellmy’s goal was to attract others’ attention by acting like she was Leo’s future fiancée. It seemed that Aides wanted to use Lord Sofoyl for their plan.
Wellmy flashed her fiancé a mischievous smile, then nodded at the knight lord.
“Let’s go, then, shall we?”
W е̂ b̊n ӧ ṽ.еl Е ňü m̄а
“Thank you, my lady.” Lord Sofoyl gave her a clean bow.
“I doubt this applies to you, but let me warn you just in case: If you do anything untoward to her, I will show no mercy,” Aides warned him.
“I won’t, my lord. You have my word.”
Aides vanished, and Wellmy made sure to show off that she was alone with Lord Sofoyl when the two of them entered the drawing room her fiancé had arranged for them.
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She sat opposite him and, aware that Aides was listening from somewhere, asked, “What did you wish to talk to me about?”
Lord Sofoyl remained silent for a moment before saying, “May I inquire about your conversation with Lady Traff at the last party at the palace?”
Еn̂ ů m а
His slender eyes widened slightly, and Wellmy could feel pressure emanating from him. While he didn’t seem to have any hostility toward her, he clearly took this matter seriously. Wellmy surmised that he must’ve heard about Theresalo returning to the party with tears in her eyes and was concerned about her well-being.
In a matter of seconds, Wellmy contemplated all of her options and replied, “She has gotten herself involved in a bit of a dangerous situation, so she asked me for advice.”
“A dangerous situation?” Lord Sofoyl asked, exuding even more pressure.
Wellmy gave him a soft smile, relieved. That was exactly the reaction she had expected from him. “Don’t worry. We have been monitoring the situation closely. Nothing will happen to her,” Wellmy assured.
“What exactly is the danger you speak of?”
“I assume you may be thinking of going to find Theresalo and asking her directly. I advise you not to,” Wellmy replied, dodging the question.
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“Lady Liroud,” the young man insisted, refusing to back down.
Wellmy opened her folding fan and held it up in front of her face. Good. I think we can safely assume he’s on our side.
Even to her discerning eye, Lord Sofoyl looked genuinely concerned about Theresalo. Moreover, he seemed like a kind man. The reason he had asked Wellmy to have this conversation in private was likely out of consideration for Theresalo’s reputation. If Wellmy had truly done something to her, keeping the discussion between them would prevent anyone else from finding out.
Wellmy did feel a bit bad to have used his concern for Theresalo to serve her own interests.
“I’m afraid someone of my status can’t tell you much more,” Wellmy said.
“I see. Would it be correct for me to assume the danger you speak of has blue blood running through its veins?”
Е̌ n̊ǔ m̈ а
“It would. The watchdogs are following that trail as we speak. That’s why we would all appreciate it if you could keep your distance from her.”
“I understand,” Lord Sofoyl replied, furrowing his brow for the first time since the beginning of their conversation.
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Not only is he good with a sword, but he’s also decently smart.
From that little exchange, he had fully grasped that powerful nobles and the state itself were involved in Theresalo’s predicament. While he didn’t have much influence, he seemed to be a man of both outstanding character and capability. It was no wonder Theresalo was so taken with him.
Wellmy glanced up at him. He seemed to be debating how to proceed going forward.
“May I ask you a question of my own?” she said.
Е̊ñ u̇ mа
“Of course, by all means.”
“I’ve heard that you called off your engagement to Lady Theresalo Traff. Why, then, are you concerned about her?”
“I...”
“Instead of asking me about the conversation I had with her, couldn’t you have gone to her directly?”
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The young man hesitated for a brief moment. “My father told me that Lady Traff was the one who wished to cancel our engagement. I figured calling on her would only inconvenience her,” he replied, pursing his lips.
Wellmy’s mood soured at this. His own parents had lied to him. Under those circumstances, it was perfectly understandable that he would be afraid to go talk to Theresalo directly. Wellmy felt for his parents too. A baron couldn’t possibly defy a count, after all. Still, it was because his father had cracked under the pressure that Lord Sofoyl and Theresalo’s engagement had fallen apart.
Е ṅ u̇ m̂а
If I told him that, he would probably storm out of the room and go find Theresalo.
While he probably wouldn’t act too recklessly, he might decide to cut ties with his father. Wellmy opted to keep that truth hidden for now and decided to ask him more questions.
Apparently, Lord Sofoyl assumed that Theresalo resented him for leaving her alone and moving to a distant region for his duties as a knight.
So that’s how it is... I think we can definitely use him.
Lord Sofoyl was such an outstanding swordsman that he had been assigned to the corps in charge of fighting elite monsters. There was no one more suited to protect Leo from those targeting him.
All Wellmy needed to do was to create an obligation of gratitude from the young man and recruit him to her side.
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“Did you know that Lady Traff resides in the noble academy’s women’s dormitory? From what you’ve just told me, it seems there’s been a bit of a misunderstanding between you two. I could arrange for you to meet in private, if you’d like. That way, you can hear the truth directly from her,” she offered, extending a lifeline to the young man.
“The truth...?”
“Indeed. But only if you agree to a couple of conditions.”
Wellmy smiled, her eyes narrowing like crescent moons, and closed her folding fan with a snap. “One, do not make a scene when you learn the truth. And two, I want you to work with us. Can you promise me that?”
Lord Sofyl remained silent for a while.
“I will not do anything that goes against my principles. I should also point out that my only skill is swinging a sword. Do you still want my help?”
Ê n ũ m̊а̃
“That’s more than enough. After all, what I need from you is to protect a certain person.”
“In that case...” The man nodded.
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“I shall send a carriage to your residence in the near future. Have a long chat with Lady Traff, then come to the Ormirages’ secondary estate, will you?”
Several days later, Wellmy met with Theresalo to perform a disenchanting on her in case she was under the influence of a mind-control spell. She took that opportunity to tell the prospective saint about her conversation with Lord Sofoyl.
A few more days passed, and Lord Sofoyl eventually came to visit Wellmy at the Ormirages’ secondary residence.
“Theresalo told me everything. Please allow me to join your faction to protect her and the crown prince,” Lord Sofoyl said, bowing to Wellmy.
Ĕ_ň ùm̂à .іď
Of course, she and Aides agreed to his request and introduced him to Leo.
A tormented expression on his face, the crown prince lowered his head. “My apologies, Lord Enderlen. It seems that my fool of a brother is involved in this case as well.”
A royal bowing to his vassal—this showed just how regrettable Leo found the situation.
“When this is all settled, I’ll ask my father to renew your engagement to Lady Traff,” he added.
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“I am most thankful, Your Highness,” Lord Sofoyl replied, getting down on one knee to demonstrate his gratitude to the prince.
“Please rise. And you don’t need to thank me. Things wouldn’t have turned out this way if Tygrim hadn’t hidden Lady Traff’s abilities from the Holy Church.”
W̆ е bň ӧv̄е̇ l Еn úmа̇
Aides observed their exchange from the sofa, where he sat with an insolent posture: his legs crossed and his arm propped on the backrest, resting his chin in his hand.
“Now that we have more manpower, it’s time to put our plan into action,” he said, the corners of his lips tugging upward. “How did your conversation with Clartes go, Wellmy?”
“Father said that I can probably lift Saintly Charm with my abilities as a Liroud,” Wellmy replied, giving a succinct summary of the discussion she’d had with her father a few days ago while she’d waited for Lord Sofoyl’s visit.
“The elementals who always lend us their powers are friends of the Goddess,” Clartes had told her. “They will likely help you if you ask—especially if it’s true that the saint candidate was coerced into casting the spell.”
“Good,” Aides said. “We have identified three targets we believe are being manipulated by our enemy.”
The first one was Seyfalt Aulgim, the young man who had forced himself on Theresalo.
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The second was Shizolda Langley, the chancellor’s son, renowned for his brilliant mind.
The third and final suspected victim of the mind-control item was Zumiano Olbran, the son of a marquis. His mother was a relative of the imperial family ruling over the Baslam Empire.
“So it’s these three, plus Leo,” Aides summarized. “We know that Turgis Deltraute is the one who used the mind-control item on them, so it’d be logical for us to suspect that the true mastermind behind this plot is his father. But...”
“You don’t sound convinced,” Wellmy pointed out. “Do you not want to suspect him?”
“Something feels off. Commander Deltraute is a very straightforward man. I can’t imagine him resorting to trickery. In fact, he would probably hate this approach.”
“Well, we don’t have to draw any conclusions yet, do we? More importantly, whom do we approach first?” Wellmy asked.
Wеb̆nov̌ е l Ёñŭ m.а̂
Aides brushed his fingertips against his chin pensively. “Seyfalt Aulgim seems like our best option. He’s likely the least alert of the three.” Even as he answered Wellmy’s question, he still seemed to ponder who was pulling the strings from the shadows.
Wellmy knew that it was just his nature, but she still thought he worried for nothing. She was his complete opposite—if she couldn’t find the answer to a question after giving it some thought, she simply moved on.
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“Be careful of Lady Darristea,” Aides warned her. “For years, people viewed her as a potential fiancée for Leo, so because of our plan, she’s currently in a bit of a precarious situation. It doesn’t look like she’s involved in this plot, but she might try to get in your way out of sheer frustration alone.”
Leo made a face at this. “Ah... Uh, I don’t think she’ll do anything of the sort,” he said awkwardly.
He likely didn’t want Lady Darristea to be suspected of foul play just because he had chosen Iora over her.
“I agree,” Wellmy said. “She doesn’t strike me as the petty type.”
E ṅ.um а́
“She may not be, but the same can’t be said of her father. We can’t trust Duke Abaccum,” Aides said.
“Is that so?” Wellmy asked.
“Yes.”
“Marquis Deltraute, Duke Abaccum...” Wellmy murmured under her breath, mentally registering their names as the potential masterminds behind this case. Then, she turned to Leo. “It would be a pain if Lady Darristea got in our way. Can’t you explain the situation to her directly?” she asked.
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“I’m not sure. The two of us have known each other since childhood, but it’s a bit of a delicate period. It would probably cause a stir if I were to visit her out of the blue.”
Wellmy brought a hand to her chin and hummed pensively.
Ӗ ṅ u̇ m а̀..і̌ ď
They had no choice; they would have to resort to a slightly underhanded method.
“I’m going to ‘accidentally’ splash some wine on her dress. Then, you’ll take her to a drawing room to get it cleaned and tell her everything. Would that suffice to resolve things without a fuss, Le—ahem, Prince Leoniel?” she asked, correcting herself at the last minute. Lord Sofoyl was still there after all.
Leo raised an eyebrow. “Are you really going to make your reputation even worse?”
“Well, we’ll flip the entire situation on its head at the end, so it won’t be a problem, will it?” Wellmy retorted with a bright smile.
Aides chuckled at the exchange while a slightly puzzled look appeared on Lord Sofoyl’s face.
And so, Wellmy and the others worked to lift the mind-control curse from the young men, one after the other.
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The reveal at the royal palace’s party resumed.
“Lord Turgis Deltraute. Is Lady Theresalo Traff speaking the truth?” the king asked.
The young man bit his lip and weakly replied, “She is.”
“Seize him,” the king ordered.
Lord Malefident Abaccum gave a signal to his men, and the members of the Special Operations Department appeared without a sound, swiftly restraining Lord Turgis.
He didn’t resist the arrest and allowed himself to be taken away.
Wе b̀nо̄v̂ё l̇ È ṅ u̇ m̌а
At least now, everyone would know that Lady Darristea and Theresalo were merely innocent victims in this case.
Yet, for some reason, Lady Darristea seemed anxious as she watched Lord Turgis being escorted out of the room. She might have been the one who had caused this scene, but it had all been because he had influenced her mind. Perhaps her reaction was an effect of the magic drug, or perhaps she felt sympathy for Lord Turgis, even though he had manipulated her. Wellmy couldn’t tell.
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So far, everything has gone according to plan.
Yet, this case was far from over.
In fact, it had only just begun.
