Episode 159

The day to leave the duchy came. Lucerne often went to the officers' club downtown.

'Look at that person who doesn't even look like a human has a social life in his own way.'

At that time, it was a rare time when the surveillance of Elisha was relaxed.

One afternoon, Elisha was having lunch and having a leisurely time. She had no time left and she was sewing in the living room. The side dish of sewing was Sophie's chatter.

“In the words of the duke's maids.”

Sophie chattered.

“It's the first time he's seen the head of household favoring someone like this. How much do you love our mistress? Besides, I heard that you will give the mistress a fortune.”

“It's not for me, it's for Lucerne.”

“It could be, but then the general will receive it and share it with the lady! Because the general cherishes the mistress. Married couples share half of everything.”

Strangely, Elisha had been in a high spirits since last night. So she was less bruised than she usually was by Sophie's words.

“…… I'm saying all sorts of things. The people of the Duke of Cartier don't spend money on useless things.”

Such was the case with the Cartier family. If something had to be divided fairly, it would cost more than assassinating the other side. They were born that way.

“The general is frugal, right? But you don't spare the money you spend on the madam.”

“That's Okay. Sophie.”

Elisha shook her head. Money was the most abundant resource for Lucerne anyway.

'I'm not sure of the source of that wealth, though.'

At this time, I knew that the head of the household did not lend much property to Lucerne. Maybe she thought she should dig into that a bit too.

“Sophie, Sophie has a good affinity. If you look closely, it seems like you can quickly become friends with people wherever you go.”

“I'm pretty good at that. Hehe, I grew up in a family with so many siblings.”

Sophie smiled brightly.

“What else do the maids say?”

Sophie was straight.

“Carola, she said she was crazy. She's been staring at her wall these days and howling and talking about her weird stuff.”

“Okay?”

Elisha calmly nodded her head.

“But there are other strange rumors going around. Sir Jacob, the eldest son of the duchy. He said he was angry. When he comes back, he'll tell the head of the family to take Carola out. Did you know that Pansy got into a fight with another maid and she said that?”

Elisha nodded her head. It was expected news.

“Okay.”

Elisha suddenly realized that it was time for tea. The quick-witted Sophie rang her bell to summon the duke's servants.

Soon the duke's servants set the tea table. Elisha always brewed tea herself.

She only drank rose tea these days. Elisha held up the plate of the day's roses and smelled her. Even today, there was a strong and even tingling, enchanting scent.

“These are the rose petals I picked this morning. It would be nice if you put it in the car.”

“Thanks.”

Elisha looked at her car and hesitated. She looked out the window The weather was very nice, and the wind was just right for the beginning of autumn.

“It's a nice day.”

Said Elisha.

“Could you make a seat in the garden? I want to drink tea outside. A seat right next to the front door is enough. Under the tallest tree. Please set it up there.”

*​ *​ *​

Ian was watching.

'What should I do with this?'

He slowly reflected on what had happened this morning.

Lucerne had several secret identities. Among them, there were things about the merchants and information guilds he secretly operated.

He had to be reported and dealt with matters related to it.

So Lucerne, on the pretext of going to the officers' club regularly, came out to the town near the duchy.

Inside the club was a secret office rented by Lucerne. However, because it was a closed room, the limited number of people who came and went did not know of its existence.

In that office, Lucerne was responsible for everything from guild work to state affairs. He saw things he couldn't handle in the Cartier family. That's how I went to work today.

It had been a lovely day until then.

'I'm sure he was in a great mood this morning.'

Lucerne this morning looked a little loose. Ian noticed right away, 'It must be something good with the madam.'

Lucerne sat on a bench in his office with his arms crossed and slowly looked at the papers. It was quite lax, but he always did it that way.

Then Lucerne saw a letter. It was an urgent letter that arrived this morning. The letter, unlike the others, was marked with a red string.

Ian knew the meaning of the document with the red string attached.

[Urgent message to members of the Cartier family.]

The people of the Cartier family were always the first-class targets of Lucerne's subordinate guilds. Urgent messages related to them were marked with a special mark so that Lucerne would be the first to hear about them.

And as Lucerne read the letter, his expressionless face cooled in an instant. He stared at it for a while, then gave it a puzzled look.

And then his low pressure began.

'Because what the hell did you read?'

Ian was staring terribly.

Lucerne didn't say anything for a while. And he asked Ian to bring him a cigarette. He started smoking slowly.

'You're smoking it from this time on, if you do something wrong today…….'

Lucerne inhaled a cigarette and slowly rested his head on the armrest of his chair. He closed his eyes and slowly savored the drowsiness. Ian knew what that terribly sweet, acrid and thick floral scent was.

Mauritiana Flowers. I.E. Hallucinogens. It was a drug. Lucerne has mixed Mauritiana flowers in its cigarettes.

In the empire, hallucinogens were allowed on the battlefield only for knights fighting monsters. It was a way to protect the spirit of the knights. The battlefield to fight monsters was a fierce and hellish place.

Although Lucerne acted like a lunatic, he was actually a very rational, somewhat rule-following man.

So he rarely took hallucinogens except on the battlefield. One week before and after leaving the battlefield. Because it was only legal to put hallucinogens in it. That he's breaking the rules and taking hallucinogens…….

'Really. You're angry…….'

Ian felt his body tremble. When Lucerne became so strange, blood always blew. It would calm down only after no one felt better.

“General, are you okay?”

Ian mustered up the courage to ask. Lucerne's aides were standing in the hallway, watching. Lucerne rubbed his forehead. He closed his eyes and slowly took another dose of the hallucinogen. He let out smoke

“There is no twist this time either.”

“Yes?”

“I thought it would be okay, but I am really angry.”

Lucerne smiled. He muttered.

“Somehow, he did something pretty.”

Ian was very quick-witted. He realized at that moment that this had to do with Elisha. And the hunch was right.

Took.

A letter was sent to Ian. Ian got it in a mess.

[Elisha de Lorre's Borrowed Name / Account creation request has arrived.

The requester appears to be related to Princess Ilione.]

The note read: Ian's face went white.

'Oh, it's a big deal.'

Elisha tried to use Ilione to create a fake identity and account for her. The intention was too self-evident.

'Of course, through our guild! No mistress and no luck! Why did you make this? As if they were preparing to run away.'

Ian thought.

An information guild owned by Lucerne. It was small, but attracted only a select group of customers. One of the guild's tasks was to create borrowed-name identities and accounts for some VIPs.

But that was a trap that Lucerne dug a long time ago. It was an operation to manage such a guild painstakingly and later to secure borrowed-name accounts in the names of the Cartier family members. It was actually going smoothly.

However, Gurley, not Jacob or the householder, was caught by the information network by Elisha.

“General, this is…….”

“Okay.”

Lucerne said.

“This betrayal hurts quite a bit.”

“But the madam hasn't betrayed me yet……. This isn't necessarily proof of my pain…….”

Lucerne silently bit and glanced at him. Ian shut his mouth.

“Are you impressed?”

“…… Yes?”

“My wife. It's quite a feat to use even Princess Ilione. Somehow the picture was strange. Suddenly, a tombstone appears from somewhere. Ilione hangs out with Elisha……. Now I have to take away my one and only friend.”

“…….”

“It almost became the perfect crime, right? If it had been through another guild, I would have found out quite late.”

However, no matter how many people you go through to secretly create an account and identity, the person who receives the request will create a fake identity. In other words, the information has no choice but to be delivered in a structure that can identify the actual client.

Identification information, physical characteristics, and identity of the real account owner. When it all comes together. It wasn't even that Elisha's identity was immediately exposed. Elisha's numbers were perfect, and she had only bad luck, unfortunately.

Lucerne raised the corner of his mouth. He wanted to laugh

“Shall we go? Ian.”

Lucerne said. He got up from his seat

“I was really fooled this time. Trust.”

He rubbed his hair Lucerne was thinking of Elisha from last night. She wasn't the only one who saw her hope.

The sweetness she gave me last night. Her suggestion that she can give herself moderately. It almost turned his life upside down in just one night. If I hadn't heard this sad news today, something might have started in Lucerne. But unfortunately, that heart was buried before it sprouted.

He did not know love and was used to madness and possession. Even that beautiful thing that almost sprouted last night. He decided to include it in familiar emotions. Monopoly and ownership. It was the one he was most familiar with.

'Where did I learn such a bad thing?'

Lucerne thought. Lucerne said as if talking to herself.

“I was careful because I thought it would break if I held it tightly in my hand.”

Lucerne said.

“This time, even if it breaks, I won't be able to watch it. You still want to hold on to it, so it's good for both of you.”

Lucerne smiled.

“General.”

“I am going home today. I want you to tidy up the house. For the time being, my wife won't be out of the house, so she'll make arrangements for herself.”

Ian, realizing what he meant, rolled his eyes. He nodded his head slightly.

“All right. By the way……. How long are you going to be out of the house, madam? The knights must be curious about the mistress' well-being. I think I need to prepare an appropriate excuse.”

“Maybe forever.”

“…….”

“So, shut down the surroundings.”

Lucerne said nonchalantly. He extinguished it by rubbing it against the armrest of his sofa.

Widely. The door is closed.