Chapter 16

Jeffrey was attending an emergency meeting convened by His Majesty the King.

The attendees were the King, Prince Conrad, Prince Cedric the Second, the Chancellor, the Commander of the First Knights, the Head of Personnel, the targeted Duke Mackner, and Jeffrey, making a total of eight people.

First, the events of the night were briefly explained. Prince Conrad was in charge of the meeting.

" Duke Mackner, do you have any idea why you were targeted?"

"I can't think of anything at all. The man must have been hired by someone, but I can't think of anyone who would bear a grudge against me..."

Duke Mackner, in his fifties, straightened his broad back and answered with a puzzled look.

"However, I deeply apologize for the inconvenience I caused at the evening party hosted by His Majesty. If it weren't for the Commander of the Second Knights rushing to my aid, I would be... "

"You would be dead. The man had a slender knife coated with poison."

The faces of all the attendees turned grim at the First Prince's words.

"Jeffrey, when did you first notice the man?"

"It wasn't me who first noticed him, but the young lady I accompanied today. She told me during the dance, 'There's a waiter who hasn't been working properly.' When I looked, I noticed a suspicious figure moving through the hall and chased after him."

The First Prince tapped his fingertips together.

"I see. A woman's observation, huh?"

"Yes."

"The man has been working in the castle for over a year. We are summoning the soldiers who wrote the man's recommendation letter, Baron Eld, but it's likely that the recommendation was bought with money."

The middle-aged man in charge of personnel was wiping cold sweat from his forehead with a handkerchief.

"Actually, the first guard who ran out into the garden had excellent night vision. When he arrived at the fallen man, he saw a woman's figure running away."

"A woman?"

"Did a woman knock the man out?"

Everyone was surprised, and the room buzzed with excitement.

"The guard didn't see the woman knock the man out. The guard chased the man from the hall to the terrace and then to the garden. The man disappeared from sight for a few seconds after jumping into the garden. By the time he was found, the man was already unconscious. It would be difficult for even a man to knock someone out in such a short time. So, it could be a mistake by the guard, or perhaps a woman who was there by chance was startled and ran away."

"But someone must have knocked the man out, right?" the King asked.

"What were the woman's features?" the Commander of the Royal Guard asked.

"The guard was already quite a distance away and it was dark, so he only saw that she was wearing a dress," Prince Conrad answered regretfully.

Jeffrey had been listening silently, but Victoria's face came to mind. She was the one who noticed the man's movements, and he remembered how she had no hesitation when she kicked the thief while carrying Nonna on her back.

"First, we need to investigate the man's background. Duke Mackner, could you tell us a bit more?"

"Of course."

With no further information, the meeting was adjourned, and several people left the room quickly to attend to their duties. The King, the two princes, the Chancellor, and Jeffrey remained. Jeffrey stayed at the First Prince's nod.

The First Prince spoke first.

"Jeffrey, I have a feeling that the woman is the one you escorted. I didn't mention it in front of the others, but the guard who saw the woman managed to identify the color of her dress. It was either light purple or light blue. He wasn't sure which. But your partner was wearing a light purple dress, right? And she noticed the man's movements early on. What kind of person is this young lady?"

"She is a young lady named Victoria Serrers, whom I recently met."

"Could you tell us how you met?"

Jeffrey decided that being honest would be for Victoria's benefit and first apologized to His Majesty and the two princes for bringing a commoner to the party as a noble.

"For now, that's fine, don't worry about it. Could you tell us the details of how you met? Is there any possibility that she approached you with some ulterior motive?"

At the King's request, Jeffrey began to explain, starting from that day during his day off.

- He had kicked a thief while carrying a sleeping girl on his back.

- She had asked him to vouch for her identity when they happened to be at the scene of a theft, as she was trying to adopt an orphan.

- He had met her again when she was working as an assistant to his uncle.

- She had become the tenant of Yolana Haines, the victim of the theft.

- When he invited her to dinner, she said she would come if the children could join, so they had dinner together.

- He had invited her to the evening party, and although she initially declined, his cousin persuaded her to accept.

Prince Conrad nodded.

"I see. From what you've said, it seems to be a chance encounter. Did you make the first move? It doesn't seem like she approached you with any ulterior motive."

"Make the first move?"

"Anyone would say the Commander made the first move. That's unusual. Why?"

"......She didn't give me any unpleasant looks. I felt at ease. More than anything, she lives independently without relying on others, and her determination to adopt and raise an orphan from another country... "

"Are you in love with her?"

At the King's straightforward question, Jeffrey nodded honestly.

"......Yes."

The First Prince sighed deeply and looked at Jeffrey.

"You turned down all the excellent matches I proposed, yet you've fallen for a troublesome woman, Jeffrey."

"I am very sorry. But she is not a troublesome person."

"Brother, I would like to meet this woman. If she knocked out the man, she must be quite skilled."

This was said by Prince Cedric, who was confident in his martial arts and swordsmanship.

"What will you do by meeting her? It's none of your business."

"I just want to see her skills."

"Stop it, Cedric."

"Please stop, Your Highness."

The King and Jeffrey both tried to stop him.

"Your Majesty, Prince Conrad, you may think Victoria is someone's agent, but if she were, would she protect a child who would be a hindrance to her work?"

"That's true. Jeffrey, I won't interfere with your relationship with this woman. But if anything suspicious comes up, will you report it to me?"

"......That's..."

"If the Commander doesn't want to, I'll take on the task."

"I decline, Prince Cedric. I will watch over her myself."

With that, the five of them dispersed, and Jeffrey left.

The King, returning to his room, whispered to the Chancellor who followed him.

"Have someone in the Randor Kingdom investigate Victoria Serrers."

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