Chapter 144

The Marquis of Tipion was not pleased with the atmosphere of Maindulante upon his return.

He had avoided being imprisoned again thanks to using Adrian as a shield. He’d even been given a room like a guest. But everyone here, down to the lowest servant, looked at him with contempt. Insolent fools…

So cold… In an empty room, he muttered to himself. The chill goes to the bone… A real human wouldn’t live in a place like this. Cursed… cursed bloodline…

The tiny cell where he’d been locked up for half a year had been unbearably cold. In winter, naturally, but even spring offered no comfort. With no one to speak to, he had murmured the same words endlessly. Now it was a habit.

He no longer believed he would ever feel warmth again. Even under the summer sun, his heart remained frozen. But the people here were different.

All of them, except one, seemed happy.

“Ke… keh-heh… heh-heh…”

In the dark room without a single candle lit, he fumed with hatred. It was unfair. The castle was filled with laughter about autumn, the upcoming festival, fond memories of last year. He hated the joyful atmosphere. He wanted them all to be as miserable as he was.

He wouldn’t have to wait long. Adrian had kindly lent him one of his agents.

Knock, knock. Someone rapped on the door. The marquis instinctively grabbed his dagger, a habit born of fear. His hoarse voice rang out.

“Who’s there…!”

There was no answer—just the sound of the door opening. The marquis, alarmed and furious, raised his dagger, ready to throw it. But when he saw the person entering, his eyes widened.

Clink. The dagger slipped from his hand and clattered onto the bare stone floor, which he had cleared of carpet out of fear of assassins. He wheezed with relief.

“Y-you…! You frightened me…”

The one person in this filthy north he trusted—the one who had helped him escape.

Nerys Truydd smiled gently and shut the door behind her. No attendants. That made her seem even more trustworthy in the marquis’s eyes.

“I’ve come to see Your Excellency.”

“Yes, yes, I’m well. Of course I’m well! P-please, have a seat. Just in time—there’s something you can help me with.”

Nerys slowly sat in the offered seat and met his gaze.

During his previous imprisonment, the marquis had spoken with her alone many times. He should’ve been used to those Jeweled Eyes. Yet today, they felt colder than ever.

Suddenly uneasy, he rushed to speak—as if needing reassurance.

“I-I’ve decided to go through with it. I’ll deal with Cledwyn, just like you said. You’re trustworthy—so you’ll help me, yes?”

He expected a nod, even a reluctant one. But Nerys only smiled faintly, as if confused.

“Help?”

“Y-yes, help.”

“You’re quite the joker. And what value does the current Marquis of Tipion have that I should help him?”

The marquis stared in disbelief. Still smiling, Nerys continued.

“I said I came to see you—not to help you. I came to confirm something.”

Confirm? What was she talking about? As he floundered in confusion, Nerys met his eyes and asked calmly:

“Please answer honestly. Did you tell Adrian I’m a spy from the Elandria family?”

His eyes briefly glazed over. He answered without hesitation.

“I… I did. I did.”

He thought she might be angry. But Nerys just smiled.

“Well done.”

Her voice was pleased. Her gaze had the cold focus of a predator who’d found its prey.

Without hesitation, she stood—as if she had only spared a moment to visit in passing.

“W-wait…”

As if her leaving would mark some final moment. His instincts screamed it.

But the frail voice of Hudis Tipion meant nothing. Nerys turned to go, then looked back over her shoulder.

“You’ve played your final role well. So let me offer one parting courtesy: may the rest of your short life be thoroughly miserable.”

Clack, clack. Her soft footsteps faded, leaving only the marquis’s stunned expression behind. Nerys exited the room.

As she closed the door behind her, she came face to face with Adrian. They stood so close, yet both smiled with not a trace of sincerity.

“What were you up to, pretty one?”

Adrian crossed his arms with a smirk. The gemstones adorning his shoulders, neck, arms, and fingers clinked together obnoxiously.

Nerys didn’t answer his rude question. Adrian chuckled sharply, amused by her silence.

“Ignoring a royal, are we?”

“I am Maindulante’s advisor, Prince.”

“So? Is that higher than a royal?”

“It simply means I expect you to respect Maindulante, regardless of rank.”

“Haha! You’re sharp. No wonder you duped the marquis so easily.”

‘Fishing for a reaction.’

In her past life, Adrian had served as Camille’s loyal stooge. And by “loyal,” it didn’t mean he worked diligently for her benefit—he simply used her name and backing to excuse his reckless antics.

As long as something amused him, he feared nothing. His royal status made him a useful pawn, so Camille had given him tasks. But his unpredictability often irked her, and by the time Nerys became crown princess, she had become Camille’s new “agent” instead.

Though Adrian belonged to the lowest rung of royalty, he was still part of the Imperial line. That made him one of the people Nerys, as crown princess, had to oversee.

And since he hadn’t entirely severed ties with Camille, Nerys had been forced to learn a great deal about him.

Unlike the marquis, who stayed in his remote territory, Adrian spent most of his time in the palace. Naturally, he knew the Elandria family’s affairs well.

Which meant he knew Nerys wasn’t their spy, no matter what the marquis told him.

Whether he had overheard her conversation with the marquis or not—

He seemed to be watching her for a flicker of unease. But she had no intention of indulging him.

“Such praise leaves me flustered. After all, the marquis is far older and wiser than I am—how could I possibly deceive him? Unless, of course, he had neither age nor trustworthy subordinates to rely on.”

Her gaze flicked meaningfully to the servant standing behind Adrian. Adrian grinned, baring his teeth.

‘Trustworthy subordinates’… There wasn’t a single loyal soul among Adrian’s entourage. No competent man stayed under a cowardly, petty master.

The only ones to be wary of were Camille’s spies embedded among them.

Even under Nerys’s stare, the servant remained composed. Adrian, bored now, let his smirk drop.

“Eh, whatever. There’s still plenty of time left. Tell me more later, alright?”

Without waiting for a reply, he sauntered off. So typically him.

Nerys watched him and his attendant disappear around the corner at the end of the hall.

Once they were gone, she smiled genuinely—no longer the hollow smile she had worn before. Things were progressing just as she’d planned.

“Young Lady.”

Dora appeared, as if summoned. Her expression was stiff with irritation over Adrian’s behavior, but she dutifully reported what she’d been tasked with.

“One of the southerners definitely entered your office. If I hadn’t kept a distance as we planned, I might’ve missed it.”

“Good. Thank you.”

The farewell she gave the marquis had been sincere.

Bringing Adrian had fulfilled the marquis’s role. Camille was already targeting them, and now the marquisate’s erratic actions had aligned perfectly with her plan.

And when Nerys said she had come to the marquis to ‘confirm’ something—that too was sincere. Just not in the way one might think.

All winter long, she had whispered to the marquis not to tell anyone about the late duchess’s origins. So he wouldn’t have. Anything else, though, he could babble to Adrian freely.

What she truly wanted to confirm was who Adrian would use to act on that meeting.

Nerys had visited the marquis’s room, fully aware that Adrian would never miss such a chance.

And her office—usually occupied during the day—had been conspicuously empty.

She turned to Dora.

“Are you certain who it was among the southerners?”

“Yes, my lady. A servant named Javel. He’s also been seen near the marquis, so I remembered his face clearly.”

“Perfect. Did he take anything when he left?”

“Yes. His chest looked bulky as if he’d stuffed something inside, and I caught a glimpse of blue through his open collar. It looked like that book you told me to put in the office safe.”

“I see. Thank you for being so thorough. Let’s go back.”

Dora didn’t know what was in that blue-covered book, but seeing Nerys’s reaction, she felt proud. It had to be something valuable for Maindulante.

‘Our lady does everything perfectly.’

Dora knew she had learned more about Maindulante’s secrets than she ever had as a spy.

And she understood why—because Nerys needed someone who knew those secrets in order to entrust them with a critical task.

To be trusted by someone you respected was a wonderful thing. Dora, who didn’t like overthinking things, was content with that.

As Nerys walked slowly, she pondered what would happen next.

Her office safe wasn’t actually secure—it was just a token precaution. Anyone capable of infiltrating White Swan Castle wouldn’t be stopped by a simple lock. And anyone not an infiltrator wouldn’t attempt to open it anyway.

Of course, truly critical secrets were kept in a magically sealed vault beneath the castle.

For Silver Moon, her office safe was the obvious first target during their infiltration—while Adrian served as a distraction.

Especially if the document stolen appeared to be just a castle ledger but actually contained evidence suggesting the marquis had antagonized the Imperial Family. What a prize it would seem.

‘Adrian wouldn’t ignore that.’

The documents didn’t prove the marquis opposed the crown, but they could easily be interpreted that way.

In her past life, Nerys had gathered that intel while working under Camille. In this life, it had slipped into Adrian’s hands.

He would bring the materials to Camille. He had no choice—they came via Silver Moon. But before handing them over, he would want to profit from them himself.

On the way back to the capital, he’d confront the viscount and demand a hefty bribe.

The marquisate was already stretched to its limits. One more scandal and it would collapse.

The people’s discontent was at its peak… One little push from Yayeon’s agents, and the whole domain would fall apart.

Among the information Joyce MacKinnon had provided before he left was this: “Soon, you might have the chance to seize all of Tipion’s commercial power.”

Satisfied with the bountiful results of this visit, Nerys decided to take a walk—to give Adrian’s team time to copy the book and return the original to the safe.