Chapter 16

Six months after Nate was brought to the Duke of Johnston's residence, Amelia enrolled in the noble academy. Melissa was never sent back, and Nate was relieved that she was able to enter the imperial noble academy without any issues.

Amelia thought Nate was the illegitimate son of a border baron and a second cousin. When he saw the investigation report, his first impression was that it was Noah, so Nate called the same-aged illegitimate son of the border baron "Noah" in his heart. It was written that Noah grew up in the border baron's mansion with his mother, and after losing his mother at the age of 9, he went missing. Nate prayed that the real Noah would not enroll in the same noble academy as Amelia.

Amelia said nothing about the burn mark on Nate's forehead. While he was relieved that Amelia did not associate the burn mark with a fire, he felt pathetic for overestimating and fearing her excessively.

If he had conducted inquiries in Roarton, he would have found out that Nate had burns on his face and both hands when he first arrived in Roarton. However, it seemed that Amelia concluded her background check on Nate with just that one investigation report. To Amelia, Nate was a worthless person whose only significance was that he looked like her.

She easily forgot about Melissa and the people of Roarton, and was glad to work at the Duke of Johnston's residence in the capital instead of the rural town of Roarton. She was happy about the raise in salary, and although she knew that Lady Amelia had a bad personality, she decided to keep quiet out of fear. He played the role of a heartless and dull man, working as a servant in the Duke of Johnston's residence.

For the first six months in the capital, he was observed wherever he went, but recently, it seemed that he was deemed not a threat, and the atmosphere of surveillance from the servants and maids had disappeared.

No one in the Duke of Johnston's residence ever spoke about Melissa. Even though Melissa used to practice magic manipulation every day to return to the Duke's residence, Amelia did not even notice that she did not practice magic manipulation for Melissa. Amelia never missed her regular flattery to the Duke of Johnston and Melissa's grandmother, and the current Duke of Johnston's household revolved around her.

Nate could not like anything about the Duke of Johnston's household.

Thinking about Melissa, Nate felt his heart crushed by guilt for hurting her by coming to the capital with Amelia.

After Amelia went to the noble academy, Nate could now move freely without being watched. He secretly sent a letter to Melissa, always keeping a letter in his chest pocket in case there was an opportunity to send it, which often left it crumpled.

While working as a servant, he thought about how to reveal Amelia's sins and true face and bring her to justice. In the midst of serious discussions, Josh would joke to lighten the mood, and Rose, surprisingly sharp, and Melissa, who was good at summarizing opinions, would have been able to provide good solutions and constructive suggestions if they were here. However, he could not involve important people in a plan to kill someone, so he decided to do it alone without telling anyone, not even his aunt, after much deliberation.

Investigate if there is any evidence left in the burned Viscount Mills' residence, analyze the large water-dispensing magic tool that coincidentally broke and the magic tool that is believed to be the source of the fire, and make Amelia confess her sins with a recording magic tool and a confession magic tool. These were the only methods Nate could think of on his own.

There are two types of recording magic tools and confession magic tools: a simple version and a formal version that can be used as evidence. The simple version of the recording magic tool costs one month's salary at the Duke of Johnston's residence, and the formal version costs about one year's salary. The simple version of the confession magic tool costs two years' salary, and the formal version that can be used as evidence costs five years' salary. Moreover, both the recording magic tool and the confession magic tool are disposable and cannot be reused.

Since they are expensive and cannot be obtained, Amelia would not expect a commoner like Nate to have them and would let her guard down. That is the target.

Save as much money as possible and buy a formal confession magic tool by the time he graduates from the magic academy. Then, use the confession magic tool on Amelia in the presence of the king and the royal family. Nate set his goal to use the confession magic tool on Amelia at the graduation ceremony of the magic academy in six years.

With Amelia's confession, an investigation of the Viscount Mills' residence and analysis of the magic tools should be conducted, and Amelia should be punished. Then, he would find his mother's remains, build a tomb, and bury her properly. After that, he would go to Melissa, who was in the empire.

Initially, Nate had planned to burn Amelia alive like his mother, but now he wished to live openly with Melissa rather than kill Amelia and become a recluse. Melissa's existence had made him think of a way to take revenge without getting his hands dirty.

After deciding on his goal, he spent his days saving money to the limit. He still did not understand why Amelia wanted to keep him close.

Amelia adjusted her relationship with Prince Christopher, who was a candidate for her former fiancé, to remain just a good friend, and secretly deepened her relationship with Prince Eldred, currying favor with the queen and searching for the third prince, who was hidden from the king. When Nate realized that "it was different from what I expected," which she had said when she kidnapped him in the carriage, she must have suspected that he was the third prince.

The real Amelia, who did not act like a good person, depended on another servant, showing a weak face and relying on him from time to time. The servant did not hide his pleased expression every time Amelia relied on him.

How could a woman who killed someone at the age of 9 have the ability to fall in love or love someone?

Nate spat out these words in his heart when Amelia spent time with the princes and servants. Nate thought that Amelia's dependence on the servant was an act.

Three years after Nate started working at the Duke of Johnston's residence, in early autumn, about six months before Nate and Amelia were to enroll in the magic academy, Nate was investigating a certain countess's daughter at Amelia's command.

Amelia suspected that the countess's daughter might be the third prince, even though she was a woman, if there was any hint of a troubled past. The inquisitive Amelia, who read books that could not be taken out of the royal library, knew that a magic tool that could change gender, like the one in a story, was owned by the royal family in the past.

The countess's daughter he was investigating now was the daughter of a mistress and had worked as a commoner until she enrolled in the noble academy. Today, he was at the café where the countess's daughter had worked.

After leaving the café and walking towards the duke's family carriage to return to the duke's residence, Nate was pulled by the arm from a narrow alley and dragged into a small street. At the same time, a person who looked exactly like Nate came out from the side, walked down the path Nate was originally on as if nothing had happened, and got into the duke's carriage and left.

Nate, whose mouth was covered, could only watch the duke's carriage leave and was then forcibly pushed into another carriage. The carriage, which looked like a regular shared carriage with no crest or decoration, had an interior as luxurious as the one used by the head of the Duke of Johnston's household.

"I'm sorry for the rough treatment."

In the back of the carriage sat a handsome man. Nate had seen him from a distance when he accompanied Amelia to the castle. He was the king's younger brother, Prince Cornelius, who was in his mid-20s and still single. Amelia called him a "hidden ace" and said, "Once this is over, it's the hidden ace," referring to him as the person she would face after her engagement to the crown prince.

Nate hurriedly knelt and bowed his head.

"I am Prince Cornelius. Nate, can you raise your head?... The impostor who got into the duke's carriage just now is someone from the royal family who can change their appearance with a magic tool. He can easily fool that woman. I'll switch back with you tomorrow, so please don't worry."

Nate was confused by the sudden turn of events and could not even guess why the prince had come to see him. He thought about how the royal family had all kinds of magic tools, including ones that could change a person's appearance, instead of thinking about the situation.

"Did I surprise you?... Actually, my brother and I are having a hard time with the queen and her family, and we've been at a disadvantage lately because of that woman's influence. I thought we might be able to turn things around if we worked together with you."

The "woman" was undoubtedly Amelia. Fear, excitement, and anticipation mixed in Nate's heart, making it beat wildly.

"Can you raise your bangs and show me your face? I've already confirmed it with the magic tool that made you look like her, but just to be sure."

Nate raised his bangs with his trembling hand and looked at the prince.

"Yes, you really do look like that woman. ... Sonia was killed by Amelia Mills, wasn't she? She wasn't Amelia Johnston yet, was she?"

Sonia was Nate's mother's name. Shocked that he knew, Nate nodded like a broken doll, unable to speak.

He had not told his aunt about Amelia, unable to tell her that the man who had forced his sister to become a mistress was the one who had killed his mother.

Melissa knew that Nate had terrible burns, held a grudge against the nobles, and wanted to do something at the country's magic academy. If Melissa had talked to his aunt, she would have figured out that Nate and Amelia were half-siblings and that Amelia's parents' death, Nate's burns, and Nate's mother's death all happened at the same time, which was suspicious.

It was Melissa.

"My brother is hiding the son of a concubine, the third prince you are desperately looking for, and he is currently getting along well with Miss Melissa. My nephew has heard about her plan to become a pianist in the empire from Miss Melissa."

Hearing that Melissa and the third prince were getting along well enough for her to reveal her plan to become a pianist, Nate tried to suppress the jealousy that flared up in his heart. It seemed that the third prince had enrolled in the imperial noble academy, as he could confirm Melissa's school life by stealing a look at the report on the imperial noble academy that Amelia had obtained from some marquis's family, which was disappointing.

"My nephew told Miss Melissa, who had revealed her hidden plan, that he would sign her application for the competition because he is a member of the royal family, and that she should apply immediately. He even promised to sign it every year if she did not win the Apollo Award this year, and told her that he was a prince without consulting my brother or me."

To apply for the Telfort International Music Competition, 15-year-old Melissa needed the signature of the Duke of Johnston or a member of her own country's royal family. She had decided to wait until next year after becoming a commoner, but with the signature of a royal family member other than the Duke of Johnston, Melissa could apply for the competition without any worries.

"That's good..."

Hearing the good news about Melissa, Nate forgot about his own situation and spoke without the prince's permission.

"You two really care for each other, don't you?... When my nephew saw the woman's name in Miss Melissa's letter, he was surprised. He had forgotten that Miss Melissa was the step-sister of that woman and a candidate for Prince Christopher's fiancée, and had only thought of her as a cute pianist named Mel.

So, depending on what you tell me, we might be able to get rid of the queen, Eldred, and that woman all at once. We are really at a disadvantage now, so I thought we might as well let them get carried away, but we need to start counterattacking soon. My brother is being pressured to take action, and I'm in a bind...

So, can you tell me about the fire at the Viscount Mills' residence and the Mills couple?"

The prince encouraged Nate to speak, impressed that the name "hidden ace" Amelia had given him was fitting. Nate told him about overhearing his mother and aunt, the encounter at the wine shop, the handmade hairpin, the blue flame like Flambé, and how Amelia had laughed when she saw the burning house.

Excited by the miracle of having a powerful ally after struggling alone, Nate was more talkative than usual.

"I see. It was a coincidence that you found out. If that's the case, that woman probably doesn't suspect a thing.

The investigation at the time concluded that the fire was caused by a combination of the Viscount Mills' carelessness with his cigarettes and the malfunction of the water-dispensing magic tool. Fortunately, the Viscount Mills' territory is under royal jurisdiction due to the absence of the head of the household, and the burned house remains as it is. We will investigate it.

Can I have the magic tool you brought back despite your burns? I'll send one of my subordinates to pick it up from you after you return to the duke's residence tomorrow."

Nate took out the magic tool from a small pouch he wore around his neck. He had been able to bring it with him even when he was suddenly taken away by Amelia because he had been carrying it around. He was still carrying it because he was worried about leaving it in the duke's residence dormitory.

"Here it is."

"I'm surprised. You've been carrying it around. ... It looks simple, so it might be modifiable. We need to analyze not only what kind of magic tool it is but also the magic traces left on it."

When a magic tool is used, magic traces are left behind. Even commoners without magic can leave different traces, so the magic traces of a young child who has not yet developed magic should also be left behind.

"Nate, this might be the only time we can talk, so I'll tell you directly. I can't just believe your story, so until I verify it, please keep in mind that it's not confirmed.

My nephew, who was hiding in the empire, had to return and enroll in the Waynewright Magic Academy due to the queen and that woman. It seems that that woman, worried that the third prince could not be found, changed her strategy to make Eldred the crown prince and had the queen submit a new education policy proposal for the magic academy.

The servant who is with that woman and not you is a former royal page trainee who was taken by that woman during his training period. It's really pathetic and I'm sorry.

The queen is asking my brother to make Eldred the crown prince in exchange for a promise not to interfere with my nephew.

After hearing your story, I decided to pretend to give in and promise to make Eldred the crown prince. I'm sure Eldred and that woman will get engaged soon. If it becomes known that they removed a long-standing fiancé candidate and engaged a murderer who killed someone at the age of 9, Eldred will never be able to become the crown prince."

Nate's revenge had grown beyond his control and had become a matter of royal succession. Even if Prince Eldred were to be removed, Prince Christopher would still be left, but the prince seemed to think that he could handle him alone.

"There is one important task I want you to do, but other than that, we will take care of everything. I said you would return tomorrow, but let's change the plan. I don't think you need to go back to the Duke of Johnston's residence.

It depends on the report from the Mills territory and the analysis of this magic tool, but I feel that your story is true.

I'll have a royal page impersonate you with the specific appearance-changing magic tool we used today and get information from that woman. I'll send the page to ask you some questions later to prepare for the impersonation.

... That woman is just an adult on the inside, and the mismatch between her appearance and her inner self is creepy. There's no need to be particularly afraid of her."

The prince said that Amelia was not scary, looking at Nate's bewildered face. Nate nodded to hide the fact that he was still trying to understand the sudden turn of events and was in a daze.

"Is there anything you want to ask me?"

Hearing the prince's words, Nate, despite feeling it was presumptuous, asked a question he had been wondering about for a long time.

"Why does Amelia want to keep me close?"

"Hmm... I don't want to think that she has the same thoughts as that woman, but I can understand a little.

That woman is someone who can only love herself.

She has the first and second princes under her control, and there are a few other men who have a crush on her, but she doesn't use their bodies. At most, she kisses them. The fact that she doesn't use their bodies even though she knows it would make things easier suggests that she has a disgust for such contact.

I think she feels that it would be better to have a child with Nate, who looks just like her, if she absolutely has to have a child. She probably thinks she can trick the real person with drugs or something. What would she do if she found out that Nate and she are half-siblings? ... No, I think she would be fine with it even then.

Moreover, it's difficult for a woman to run a country. She would have to use the position of a child's guardian, just like the current queen. I think she might prefer a child who looks like her...

This is just a complete guess, but I don't think I'm wrong."

The prince chuckled. Nate did not understand the story, but the phrase "someone who can only love herself" felt right and strangely made sense.

Amelia would not be able to win against an opponent who had been trained in various knowledge since childhood as a member of the royal family and could use the special magic tools that had been secretly passed down through generations. The royal family could use convenient magic tools like the confession magic tool that Nate had planned to buy in six years as if they were water.

Realizing that the king allowed the prince