Sword Emperor, Becoming the Young Lady of a Viscount House

Chapter 51: Lurking Danger (2)

A mansion exuding an air of high-class elegance.

In its office, Beatrice was writing something with a serious expression.

-Scribble, scribble.

The pen she used offered an excellent writing experience for something from a medieval era.

She was fully immersed, writing continuously without pause.

‘…I’m not sure if they’ll believe this.’

There was a mysterious force at work.

That force targeted key figures in Krapos.

Airy Arvanceco.

And this time, the Royal Knights.

Even losing one of them would be a fatal blow.

If a sinister scheme was unfolding.

The saying goes: the one who benefits from the incident is the culprit.

If so, who stood to gain from their elimination?

Beatrice knew that Krapos had been plagued by rebels, but she also understood that the rebels wouldn’t aim to kill such crucial figures unless they had lost their minds.

No matter how rebellious, they wouldn’t strike at the core foundation of the nation.

In other words, the chance that the mysterious force was the rebels was almost nonexistent.

Thus, the possibilities narrowed to one.

The enemy, Central.

They were the rats the elves spoke of.

‘No doubt about it. It was suspicious from the start. This is the enemy’s conspiracy to eliminate key figures and gain a strategic advantage in the war.’

However, the rats hadn’t yet consumed their prey.

They must still be hungry. Unsatisfied, they’d aim for the tastiest target, wouldn’t they?

The tastiest prey.

There was one thing she was certain of.

‘…The Crown Prince.’

Yes.

Beatrice wagered that their next target would be the Crown Prince.

She was writing a report to prevent this from happening.

Of course…

Whether or not this report would be believed was up to Crown Prince Luel’s judgment.

“I have to do what I can.”

-Thud.

Beatrice firmly placed the pen down after finishing the last paragraph.

**

Reiser was reading Beatrice’s report with a grim expression.

A suffocating silence filled the room.

Beatrice, unfazed, sipped her cold tea with a relaxed expression.

How much time had passed?

Just as it began to feel tedious, Reiser finally spoke.

“Is this… true? No, do you genuinely believe this? Central, of all things? And targeting His Highness the Crown Prince? This is utterly… preposterous.”

-The spies from Central are targeting Krapos’ Crown Prince, Luel.

That was the content of the report.

“The probability is high. You’ve heard it before, haven’t you? You know I don’t speak without evidence.”

Beatrice had explained it to Reiser on the day the operation in the Alps concluded.

The truth behind the incidents and the plans moving forward.

“And you trusted me enough to comply with my request, didn’t you? Enough for the commander of the Royal Knights to go so far as to lie to his lord, the Crown Prince.”

Beatrice had once made a request to Reiser.

To falsely claim that Miya was dead.

“That was… not because of this report’s veracity, but because I acknowledged that if that girl hadn’t died, it would significantly increase the likelihood that you’d be targeted. Certainly not because of this baseless and paranoid scenario-!”

“……”

Reiser’s tone grew somewhat agitated.

“If I had known you harbored such absurd notions, I would never have been foolish enough to lie to His Highness-.”

There was a reason Beatrice had specifically asked for the false claim that the girl was dead.

During the Arvanceco incident.

And even now.

The grand plans of the mysterious force had ended in failure.

From their perspective, Beatrice must have been a thorn in their side.

It was highly likely they would attempt to eliminate her.

That was why.

‘Revealing that Miya wasn’t killed would be suicide.’

This line of thought had led her to this conclusion.

Among other reasons, the fact that ‘strength is measured’ posed the most significant problem.

In a situation where one couldn’t know who might be listening.

Reporting to the Crown Prince would alert the enemy.

‘She wasn’t strong enough to kill me, but neither could I overwhelm her.’

It was like a game of poker.

If the opponent knew your hand, the outcome would depend entirely on the strength of your cards.

But what if the mysterious force believed their cards were stronger than Beatrice’s?

They would play their hand.

They would challenge her.

However, by reporting the false outcome that the girl was killed.

Beatrice could conceal her hand.

The mysterious force would hesitate. Challenging an uncertain opponent carried too much risk.

Especially when it wasn’t merely a card game.

But a battle with lives on the line.

That was why Beatrice had coaxed Reiser into fabricating the truth.

Even coaxing an upright knight into lying.

She did feel a little sorry for him.

But that was that, and this was this.

She said.

“You trusted me then, so why can’t you trust me now? Even though this is a plausible deduction, you’re denying it entirely.”

“…I’ll admit there’s some degree of feasibility. Of course, only in the sense that there’s a ‘remote’ possibility that His Highness could be targeted. But the idea that the mysterious force is Central, I cannot agree with.”

-If that were true, then Krapos wouldn’t stand a chance in this war. It would mean they possess the control mechanism.

He swallowed the rest of his words.

Even uttering it felt ominous.

Instead, he nitpicked another point.

“Even if this were true.”

Reiser’s gaze turned icy.

“Aren’t you simply deflecting the danger away from yourself by directing it at His Highness?”

It was blasphemous.

How could a servant throw the Crown Prince to the wolves to save their own skin?

“So we can burn those rats all at once.”

Of course, it was sophistry.

‘…But what do I do about my aching wrist?’

The real reason for deflecting the danger was simple: she didn’t have the strength to fend it off herself.

Even if she did fend it off, she’d be left with wounds at best.

Because Beatrice was beginning to feel the pressure mounting.

She could sense that the cartilage in her wrist was on the verge of giving out completely.

The accumulated damage from frequent battles.

And the strain from swinging her sword with all her strength during the fight with Miya had taken its toll.

If she engaged in another life-or-death battle here, there would be no turning back.

Yet, she couldn’t very well admit, “My wrist hurts, so I did it.”

If she said that, she could be summarily executed for treason without a word of protest.

“If they were targeting me, do you think they’d throw all their forces into it? I’m just the daughter of a Viscount’s family. I can’t even compare to the Crown Prince in worth.”

She had to dress it up, make it sound grand.

She began tying a ribbon, neatly and beautifully.

“Think about it. If even a single rat remains during the war, what would happen? Krapos is in a bad situation. The lack of troops has forced the Royal Knights to be deployed to the frontlines, hasn’t it? In such a scenario, if a few remaining rats targeted His Highness, could you handle it? Especially when they have the control mechanism.”

“…!”

“That’s why we need to deal with them swiftly and precisely. Before the war begins. Now is the opportune moment. To do that, we must consolidate our firepower… Even if that means using His Highness as bait.”

“Beatrice! That’s blasphemy!”

“Insult me all you want. But you must think about it. Who truly cares for His Highness, no, for Krapos as a whole?”

Beatrice clasped her hands together and spoke with piercing eyes.

Her gaze was unyielding, brimming with determination.

Indeed.

She was quite skilled at wrapping things up nicely.

Reiser’s eyes wavered.

Beatrice stood from her seat.

“The choice is yours, Sir Reiser. I leave this report to you. Whether you deliver it to His Highness or tear it up right here is entirely up to you.”

But Beatrice already knew.

She knew that this report would never be torn apart without seeing the light of day.

**

-What if the contents of this report are wrong? What if they’re not spies from Central?

-I’ll stake my life on it.

She recalled her final conversation with Reiser.

[Was that really necessary, young Beatrice?]

Solid had criticized her for being reckless.

“I suppose not.”

Beatrice chuckled faintly and leaned against a tree.

From her vantage point on a hill of moderate height, the mansion was visible in its entirety, offering a picturesque view.

[You’re hopeless. Sometimes, you’re far too reckless.]

‘I won’t deny it.’

Staking her life—

This was a world severely lacking in human rights.

If she were wrong, the words she spoke would likely come true.

But she believed it was worth the gamble.

If she didn’t wager her life, who would listen to the words of a mere Viscount’s daughter?

“Still, it’s a high-probability bet. Sooner or later, they’ll target the Crown Prince.”

[Assassinating the Crown Prince of a nation is no small feat. And even if they attempt it, how can you be so sure it’s Central’s doing? You’ve made too many assumptions for this to be a high-probability bet.]

“What, you think the rebels could be behind it?”

[Indeed.]

-Beatrice let out a soft laugh.

She answered with a smile.

“Even villains have their own circumstances and stories.”

[…What?]

“Do you think the rebels truly wish for the downfall of this nation?”

[Hmm.]

Solid remarked.

[You’re overlooking how many incomprehensible types of people exist in this world.]

“Then what.”

She replied lazily, stifling a yawn.

“I’ll just die.”

[…! Young Beatrice! You haven’t even lived 20 years, so stop talking as if you’ve experienced the whole world! It’s terrifying!]

“And you’ll fade into irrelevance forever. Because, before I die, I’ll leave my will. ‘There’s a strange sword I own. Bury it with my corpse.’”

[What an unworthy descendant you are…!]

Solid was horrified by her audacity.

“I’m kidding, I’m kidding. Who in the world actually wants to die?”

Beatrice stood up and brushed off her skirt.

‘But descendant? I don’t think I’ve ever heard anything like that before.’

Just as she was struck by a sudden question.

-Tap, tap.

Hearing a presence, she turned her gaze.

It was Argos.

“Just so you know, I have no intention of joining your stupid ball game.”

“…That’s not why I’m here, Beatrice.”

Following the success of the subjugation mission, the cadets were granted free time by the Crown Prince’s orders.

With this rare free time, the cadets excitedly played soccer.

But Beatrice had fled here in disdain.

Because she had triangular bangs.

She absolutely didn’t want to become a laughingstock.

“What is it then? Don’t bother me while I’m trying to rest.”

Beatrice waved her arms as she responded.

Then she noticed that at some point, the cadets who had been playing with the ball below had disappeared.

“…We’ve had a lot of conversations among ourselves.”

“Conversations? Without me?”

“Yes.”

“…Why?”

Beatrice tilted her head to one side.

‘Were they talking behind my back?’

She had an idle thought, but Argos in front of her seemed quite serious.

He spoke with a heavy tone.

“…To us.”

As he said “to us,” the cadets gathered behind him, all of them.

‘C-Could this be a rebellion?’

Beatrice stood up with a grave expression, gripping her sword.

But, unfortunately(?) it wasn’t that kind of discussion.

“Teach us combat. Please, show us the secret to how you became so strong.”

Argos seemed to have resolved himself, biting his lip as he bowed deeply.

“I’ll do anything.”

**

“This? Beatrice wrote this?”

“Yes. She asked me to make sure it was delivered to you.”

-Thud.

Luel skimmed through the document briefly.

…The handwriting was almost as if a worm had crawled across it, making it hard to read. He had to focus intensely just to decipher it.

At least the title was written in large, clear letters.

It read as follows:

-Title: Lurking Threat.

-Subtitle: The Crisis of Krapos.

“…Beatrice knows how to write fiction?”

“…It’s not fiction, Your Highness.”

“Then what is this? These words are quite ominous. Provocative, even.”

Luel’s eyebrows twitched.

“Lurking Threat,” it said.

And the subtitle, “The Crisis of Krapos”?

What could it possibly mean?

“Yes. As Your Highness noted, it doesn’t contain pleasant content. I’ve already read it, and… this time, it’s particularly difficult to understand.”

“Is it that bad?”

“I just hope Your Highness doesn’t get upset. She’s only 16 years old now. No matter how brilliant someone may be, there are bound to be shortcomings…”

Luel raised his hand.

“There’s no need to say so much.”

“I just don’t want Your Highness to take the report too seriously.”

“Hmm.”

Luel smiled as he organized the report and placed it on top of the stack of documents.

“You’re worrying too much. Do I seem like the type of person who would berate someone just for writing a poor report? Thinking about how she must have written this earnestly with those small hands, I only find it endearing. Tell her I’ll read it diligently.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

Reiser, as always, exited while observing proper etiquette.

After briefly watching him leave, Luel turned his attention back to the report.

‘Even a worm would write better than this. Reading it is going to be tough.’

Still, Luel felt pleased knowing that Beatrice, whom he had recently taken an interest in, had written a report for the sake of Krapos.

Sipping tea leisurely, he turned to the first page of the report.