The Villainous Lady Doesn't Speak Chapter 125

Exchange of Opportunities 3

After finishing her dinner and preparing for bed, Liliana glanced up, slightly widening her eyes at the figure that had entered her room unnoticed. The boy with navy hair smirked, clearly amused by her reaction. Liliana smiled softly and sat down in front of him.

"You’ve come again, Sid."

"Yeah, I heard something interesting was happening."

"Something interesting?"

Liliana tilted her head curiously, wondering what he meant. Obsidian nodded and said, "I heard the princess threw a tantrum about going on an inspection tour in your place?" Liliana chuckled, impressed by how quickly word had spread.

Riley had already informed the necessary parties about Princess Edith’s participation in the tour, arranging for a swift response. While Riley had told Prince Roland that the request was likely impractical, there was no denying that having the princess attend would be beneficial for the kingdom's image. However, Riley had no intention of canceling Liliana's involvement, despite some nobles suggesting that she stay behind. It seemed he planned to ignore their wishes and proceed as originally intended.

"Yes, that’s correct. It's quite the feat, considering this information should only be known by a select few."

"Well, that’s just how it is."

Obsidian shrugged, as if it were no big deal. Given his skills and abilities as a spy, it was no surprise that he could move freely, even within the heavily guarded royal palace. Liliana couldn’t help but be curious about how he did it, though she doubted he’d share his secrets with her, nor was it something a noble lady needed to know.

Liliana blinked mischievously and asked the skilled assassin, "Did you come to see me because of the inspection?"

"That’s part of it, but I’ve also brought you the information you asked for earlier."

"Oh?"

Liliana’s eyes widened slightly. She hadn’t forgotten the information she had requested from him before, though most of it pertained to a neighboring country. She hadn’t expected him to return so quickly with news, especially since the capital of the Yunatian Empire was months away from the Kingdom of Slibegrad by normal travel means. Yet for Obsidian, such a distance seemed to be "nothing more than that."

"It wasn’t too difficult," Obsidian said with a small laugh, though he admitted that he hadn’t been able to gather all the information.

"I couldn’t find any solid proof that your father is in cahoots with the Yunatian Empire. That old man is pretty good at covering his tracks."

"I see. In that case, I’ll have to consider the possibility that Father isn’t secretly dealing with the neighboring country."

"Who knows? It’s hard to say for sure, but I’d bet he’s up to something shady. Everything around him is just a little too clean."

Obsidian’s cold remark seemed to dash Liliana’s hopes, but she wasn’t fazed. She smiled, knowing all too well how careful her father was. If proof were found so easily, she’d be more suspicious that it was a trap. Still, Obsidian grinned, as if he had an idea.

"Still, lately, he seems a little on edge. I think it’s only a matter of time before something slips."

"On edge?"

Liliana blinked and tilted her head in confusion. The word didn’t seem to fit Duke Clark. Yet Obsidian appeared confident.

"It’s just my guess, but... there’s a secret agreement to drop you from the Crown Prince's list of potential fiancées when you turn ten because you can’t speak, right?"

"Yes, that’s right."

"Well, I think your father’s getting nervous because it looks like you might actually end up as the Crown Prince’s fiancée before that agreement comes into play."

Liliana blinked in surprise. Things had been so hectic lately, with Prince Roland and Princess Edith’s diplomatic visit, that she hadn’t had a chance to review the information brought back by her magical spies. So, she hadn’t realized anything that would support Obsidian’s theory. Yet he seemed confident.

"The Crown Prince is keen on the engagement, and the Alcasia faction, led by Duke Ealdred, is fully backing it. Almost no one in the advisory council is opposing it. There are a few neutral parties, but if they have to choose from the options available, you're the only real choice.”

Even with a secret agreement with the king in place, it would be difficult to oppose the engagement once the advisory council and the Crown Prince both supported it. Especially since the king who made the agreement is now bedridden. His condition has worsened compared to before, and while he remains conscious, he spends most of his time asleep. Though the agreement bears the king’s signature and is therefore legitimate, should the advisory council question its validity or claim it’s null due to the king’s condition, it would no longer be easy to remove Liliana from the list of potential fiancées.

"More importantly, that agreement is set to take effect when you turn ten, right? If your engagement to the Crown Prince is finalized before then, it’d be difficult to annul it based on the agreement alone."

There was less than a year left until Liliana’s tenth birthday. Breaking off an engagement a year after it was made would be unprecedented. Not only would it disgrace Liliana, but it would also severely damage Duke Clarke’s reputation. Furthermore, waiting an entire year to finalize Liliana’s engagement would be equally problematic.

The Crown Prince had already begun treating Liliana as his fiancée during the visit of the foreign prince and princess, an event attended by many of the kingdom’s nobility. Even if it wasn’t official, people would believe that Liliana was his fiancée and rumors would spread. If, in a year’s time, she was neither the fiancée nor even a candidate, people would begin to question what had happened.

"No doubt, Duke Ealdred will start spreading rumors of how you were cruelly separated from your tragic love," Obsidian said with an amused tone.

Liliana’s cheek twitched at his words.

"—This ‘tragic love’ you’re referring to... Are you talking about me and His Highness?"

"Who else could I be talking about? You’re both so beautiful, it’s prime gossip material for bored noblewomen," Obsidian grinned.

Liliana sighed deeply, suppressing the headache forming from Obsidian’s teasing. She wasn’t sure whether Duke Ealdred would actually spread such rumors, but if Duke Clark had considered that possibility, it made sense for him to be nervous.

However, Liliana had no intention of being treated like the heroine of a court romance novel, caught up in some tragic love story with Riley. Wanting to change the subject, she forced a smile and asked, "Well then, I’d appreciate it if you could continue looking into it. —Did you find out anything else?"

"I’ve got a pretty good idea why the princess wants to marry the Crown Prince," Obsidian said with a hint of mystery.

From the way he spoke, Liliana could tell it wasn’t simply a case of Princess Edith falling in love at first sight. She stayed silent, waiting for him to continue, and Obsidian, not one to keep things to himself, quickly gave his answer.

"Turns out, she’s had all sorts of things whispered in her ear back home. Her sweet little head got filled with ideas that the Crown Prince would fall in love with her at first sight and that she’d become the Queen of the kingdom."

Obsidian chuckled, as if amused by the naïve belief of the young princess who had been fed such flattering lies.

"Normally, royals are supposed to be more discerning from a young age, aren’t they? You’d think they’d be able to tell when someone’s lying or telling the truth. But she just swallowed whatever they told her, no questions asked."

The princess was only eight years old. Considering her age, it wasn’t surprising she believed what she was told, especially if she heard it repeatedly. It would start to feel like the truth. Still, Obsidian didn’t seem to understand, tilting his head as if baffled by her gullibility. Liliana, giving up on explaining it to him, instead asked, "Do you think there’s someone who’s been encouraging her?"

Obsidian nodded.

"Yeah, I figured it out pretty easily. It was Elmer Hagen."

"Elmer Hagen?"

That was an unexpected name. Liliana repeated it, recalling that General Elmer Hagen had been assassinated only recently. If she remembered correctly, Austin had brought Riley the news.

"He’s the general who was assassinated, right? Are you saying the man who held control over the military was planning to marry the princess off to a foreign prince?"

Liliana asked the question with a suspicious expression. General Hagen had the trust of both knights and mercenaries, and there were rumors that he even had more followers than the emperor himself. He was said to be a man who had been trying to take control of the empire. The idea that such a man would attempt to marry the princess off to a foreign prince seemed contradictory. Wouldn’t it have made more sense for him to eliminate her and the emperor during a coup, leaving no lingering threats?

Yet Obsidian nodded without hesitation, confirming Liliana’s suspicions.

"Yeah, that was his intention. He was considered a moderate within the empire."

"Moderate? Wasn’t he planning a coup?"

"He did plan to take over," Obsidian said, but added that Elmer Hagen had not considered invading other countries. What he truly desired was the Yunatian Empire itself, not territorial expansion. In fact, he had been deepening conflicts with some of his subordinates who favored expansion.

"Elmer Hagen wasn’t a fool. Although he earned honor and power through his military achievements, the nobles looked down on him as just another unknown figure. Even if he succeeded in a coup, he wouldn’t have lasting power. He probably intended to consolidate his position domestically while maintaining friendly relations with neighboring countries after the coup."

"I understand that," Liliana nodded. After a coup, the domestic situation would be chaotic. To suppress opposing nobles and those waiting for an opportunity to seize power, it would be more efficient to stabilize relations with neighboring countries and focus domestic military strength.

"But if the princess is married off to the Crown Prince, it will make subsequent invasions difficult—"

Liliana hesitated to argue. If the coup succeeded, Princess Edith would lose the support of the Yunatian Empire. In fact, once she was aware of the kingdom's state secrets, it would be possible for them to demand her extradition and use a refusal as a pretext for war.

"Ah, that won’t happen. But one thing to be cautious of is Hagen’s character."

Obsidian paused meaningfully. Noticing Liliana’s puzzled expression, he continued with a knowing tone.

"He was intelligent but short-tempered and impulsive. He wasn’t good at long-term strategic planning."

For example, he was adept at reading the current situation and formulating strategies. However, planning for a year or several years ahead based on various factors and information was not his strength. This makes it unlikely that he independently devised the plan to marry Princess Edith to the Crown Prince. If a short-tempered and impulsive man were planning a coup, the kind of plans he would make would be evident without much thought.

"Which means the idea of marrying the princess to the Crown Prince was likely not his own."

"That’s a high probability."

It wasn’t just the marriage. There might also be someone behind Hagen regarding the coup. If this assumption is correct, it lends credibility to the rumor that the emperor was relying on the general for the coup. In other words, the emperor knew that the general alone could not achieve much.

"Do you know who the mastermind is?"

"Unfortunately, nothing at all. I’ve picked up a few nobles who were friendly with Hagen, but none of them seem to have the qualities of a mastermind."

Obsidian was disappointed, describing the nobles as too insignificant to be of interest. Liliana smiled wryly but decided to ask about a matter that had been on her mind.

"If the moderate general is dead, does that increase the likelihood of the empire invading?"

"I don’t think so, not immediately."

Obsidian shook his head. It seemed that the power dynamics within the empire were complex, and right now, internal succession disputes were more active than plans for territorial expansion. However, some nobles still believed that advancing into neighboring countries would be beneficial. Everything depended on the emperor’s decisions, so there was no certainty, but there were no signs of preparations for war.

Liliana breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing the clear and reasoned explanation. Knowing that the likelihood of an immediate attack from the empire was low made her feel more at ease.

She asked Obsidian to continue his investigation.

"Of course, I’ll let you know if I find anything. Honestly, I find espionage far more interesting than just being told to kill someone."

Obsidian readily agreed. Apparently, he found espionage more engaging than assassination. Although Liliana didn’t quite understand the difference, she chose not to comment since he had stopped performing assassinations for his previous employer. Meanwhile, Obsidian, as if recalling something, added casually.

"Oh, and I overheard an interesting tidbit."

"An interesting tidbit?"

Obsidian smiled slightly. When Liliana tilted her head in curiosity, he told her about a conversation between Prince Roland and his aide, Dormil Butler, at the palace.

"It seems that Prince Roland is concerned about which of their countries is safer."

"Is that also of concern to Butler?"

"No, it’s Prince Roland who’s worried. Butler doesn’t particularly care. If anything, he’s more of a schemer.”

Indeed, Butler seemed to be a complex character. Liliana nodded.

"He's actually the assistant to the prime minister, isn’t he? It’s certainly suspicious that he’s presenting himself as an aide while concealing his true identity. I wonder what he’s plotting."

"Well, I don’t know yet. He seems to like Prince Roland, but he doesn’t appear to be particularly supportive," Obsidian said with a shrug. 

He couldn’t figure it out either. Dormil Butler was an important character from Liliana’s previous life in an otome game. In that game, he interacted with Prince Roland in the way Obsidian described. As for Princess Edith, since she wasn’t in the game, Liliana had no information about her. Their light conversation soon gave way to the evening.

The next morning, Liliana received an unexpected letter from someone. The letter requested a private meeting. With a puzzled expression, Liliana made her way to the specified room in the palace, accompanied by her guards.

*****

The room Liliana was summoned to by the letter was a guest chamber in a corner of the palace. Her escort was Olga. Gild, as usual, disliked places with many nobles such as the palace and had avoided them as much as possible. Consequently, he was currently staying at the Clark Duke's residence in the capital. Though he wasn’t thrilled about even staying there, he begrudgingly accepted it, and despite his sour expression, he acknowledged it with a resigned “I understand.”

A steward stood in front of the door. After Olga announced their presence, the steward, seemingly informed in advance, allowed them inside. Inside the room was Dormil Butler, the person who had sent the letter. He appeared to be engaged with work, studying some documents with a serious expression. However, upon seeing Liliana and her escort, he set the documents aside and stood up.

"I sincerely apologize for the impertinence of summoning you by letter," he said after greeting her and introducing himself. His dark eyes scrutinized Liliana with a sharp gaze. Liliana maintained her usual smile and gave a gracious nod.

〈It seems you have business with me〉

Although Butler was supposed to be serving as the assistant to the prime minister in the empire, he was introduced to Liliana solely as an “aide.” Judging that he intended to act merely as an aide to Prince Roland and Princess Edith in the kingdom, Liliana decided to respond politely yet in a manner befitting someone of lower status. Butler, however, remained unfazed, responding with exaggerated humility, "I am deeply grateful for your gracious words."

Liliana raised her internal guard, unable to discern Butler’s true intentions. Olga also seemed to be on high alert in the background.

"Understanding that you must be busy, I would like to get straight to the point," Butler said, disregarding Liliana and Olga’s cautious demeanor.

"I wish to request the services of the mercenary—Olga."

It was a bolt from the blue. Liliana could scarcely believe her ears. However, Butler’s serious expression left no room for doubt that he was not joking. A heavy silence fell over the room.

---

ToC

Chapter 126