The Villainous Lady Doesn't Speak Chapter 118

The Wind Blows from the Imperial Country 10

After the exhibition, Liliana had dinner with Riley before returning to the room prepared for her at the royal palace. It seemed that separate meals had been arranged for the two visitors from the Yunitian Empire, so there was no need to dine together every evening.

Once back in her room, Liliana asked Marianne to help her change out of her formal attire. The moment she slipped into more comfortable clothes, a wave of exhaustion washed over her. Sitting alone on the sofa, she sipped herbal tea, trying to calm her nerves. As the tension in her body eased, she let out a sigh of relief. Liliana was lost in thought when she suddenly sensed something outside the window and looked up. The window slowly opened, and a shadow slipped through the small gap. Liliana couldn’t help but smile at the intruder.

"My, it’s quite concerning that you can enter so easily. What does that say about the palace’s security?"

"Don't worry. It’s not as easy as it looks."

"And yet, you’ve managed to slip in so effortlessly?"

"Well, I’m just that good."

The figure, unashamedly boasting, removed the black hood that had concealed his face. Obsidian, who had nonchalantly infiltrated the royal palace—supposedly the most heavily guarded place in the Kingdom of Slibegrad —strolled across the room and sat down across from Liliana. He pulled an apple from his pocket and took a bite.

"Is that your dinner?"

"Nope, just getting some nutrients."

Liliana tilted her head in puzzlement. While it was true that apples were rich in vitamins and potassium, they didn’t contain much protein or fat, two of the three main nutrients essential for someone like Obsidian, whose work was physically demanding. It seemed odd to consider an apple as sufficient nourishment. However, she didn’t bother to argue, acknowledging that apples were nutritious in their own right.

"Do you not eat meat or vegetables?"

"I like meat."

"But this apple’s a separate matter," Obsidian added as he finished the apple, tossing the core into the fireplace where it quickly disappeared into the flames. Liliana, who had been watching the core’s demise, turned her attention back to Obsidian.

"Was there something that happened today? Have you found out whose orders the Director of the Ministry of Magic is acting on?"

"Nope."

Still no luck, Obsidian shook his head. It seemed certain that the director was connected to someone, but perhaps out of caution, he hadn’t made any suspicious moves lately. While Obsidian suspected that further investigation would reveal something, he gave a sly grin.

"Or what? Do I need a reason to come here?"

"I didn’t say that. It’s just that, considering how strict the palace’s security is, I thought you must have risked getting caught because something had happened."

"Don’t worry, I’m not the type to mess up and get caught."

Obsidian shrugged as he chuckled, clearly amused. Liliana, on the other hand, couldn’t help but smile wryly.

"Overconfidence can lead to a downfall."

"Call it a clear understanding of my abilities, young lady."

At some point, Obsidian had started calling her "young lady." Liliana wasn’t sure when it began, but she didn’t particularly mind, so she never corrected him. With a sigh, Liliana slumped slightly in her seat. Seeing this, Obsidian seemed to have a sudden thought and said, "By the way."

"Obsidian’s a fine name and all, but it’s a bit long. Why don’t you call me something shorter?"

"Something shorter?"

Caught off guard, Liliana blinked in surprise. Obsidian nodded.

"Yeah, isn’t it kind of a hassle to say ‘Obsidian’ every time?"

"I’ve never found it to be a hassle, but—"

Liliana tilted her head thoughtfully. "Obsidian" wasn’t exactly a short name, but it didn’t feel inconvenient to say either. After pondering for a moment, Liliana gently asked,

"Do you want me to use a nickname?"

Obsidian was taken aback. It seemed he hadn’t expected Liliana to respond that way. His cheeks gradually turned red. But Liliana simply continued to gaze at him, unperturbed.

"N-no, not exactly…”

“That’s not it,” Obsidian tried to protest, but Liliana, observing him, nodded in understanding. It seemed he wanted to be called by a nickname, but couldn’t bring himself to admit it.

Liliana herself didn’t have any particular preference for what to call him. Whether she used his full name or a nickname, she wouldn’t hesitate to address him however he preferred. After all, Obsidian was her shadow, and it wasn’t likely she would need to say his name in front of others. In noble society, casually using a nickname was not common practice.

“Well, I suppose it might be a bit long. How about I call you ‘Sid’ instead?”

She smiled as she made the suggestion, and Obsidian’s eyes widened in surprise. Then, putting on a sullen face, he grumbled, “Fine by me, I guess,” though it was clear he was pleased. Liliana noticed and began, “Then, Sid…” When Obsidian looked up at her, she asked,

“There’s something I’d like to know.”

“Something you want to know?”

Sensing that it was about business, Obsidian’s demeanor shifted. Liliana nodded, her smile remaining, but her eyes were now serious.

“There’s a suspicion that the Crown Prince may be targeted for assassination. Do you know anything about that?”

Throughout the exhibition, Liliana had occasionally reflected on what Duke Ealdred had mentioned. He had hinted at the possibility that someone might send an assassin after Riley. The Duke’s primary concern had been a plot by a neighboring country, but he couldn’t completely rule out the possibility of domestic nobles being behind it. There were certainly those within the kingdom who would be inconvenienced if Riley became the next king.

Obsidian narrowed his eyes.

“You mean by a neighboring country or someone within this kingdom, right?”

“Yes,” Liliana replied with a smile, nodding. She had a hunch about who had originally hired Obsidian. His target was Margrave of Kennys, a significant obstacle for the Yunatian Empire if they attempted to invade the Kingdom of Slibegrad by force. When the Margrave was attacked by assassins, he had not yet made clear whom he would support as the next king. This made it unlikely that the domestic nobles were responsible. By process of elimination, Liliana deduced that Obsidian’s previous employer was the Yunatian Empire.

“It could be either,” Obsidian answered without hesitation, causing Liliana to blink in surprise.

“Sid, was the Crown Prince’s name on your target list?”

“Yeah, it was. So, I guess you figured out that I was working for the Yunatian Empire?”

“I didn’t have any solid proof, but I deduced it from the circumstances.”

“You’re right, as usual,” Obsidian muttered, frowning as if he were trying to gauge her abilities. Liliana shook her head slightly.

“Even so, I don’t know who all your targets were. Besides the Crown Prince and Margrave of Kenis, who else was on the list?”

“The head of House Draco, the head of House Ealdred, and identifying and eliminating the head of House Rocald.”

Obsidian answered without hesitation.

Liliana furrowed her brows. The Ealdred and Rocald families were two of the three major ducal houses. The Draco family, though not noble, was highly valued in the Kingdom of Slibegrad due to their exceptional magical abilities. However, the third major ducal house, House Clark, was not on the list. The mention of needing to identify the head of House Rocald suggested that they hadn’t yet figured out who led that house. Yet, it seemed strange that the Clark family was excluded while House Rocald was targeted. The inconsistency was too glaring to ignore.

“Have you identified the head of House Rocald?”

“No, I haven’t even started.”

Apparently, his first job had been the assassination of Margrave of Kennys. However, the Margrave had survived, and before Obsidian could move on to the next task, Liliana had succeeded in recruiting him. Thus, he hadn’t gotten around to any of the other jobs.

“Is there anyone else targeting the same people you are?”

“Who knows? I doubt it, but some targets might overlap. We don’t usually share information on our targets.”

“That makes sense,” Liliana nodded as Obsidian confirmed there was no certainty. He hadn’t informed his previous employer that he had stepped away from the job. They were supposed to be contacted once an assassination was completed, so there was still some time. Eventually, if too much time passed, they might realize Obsidian wasn’t working, but for now, the likelihood of them hiring another assassin wasn’t too high.

Satisfied, Liliana took a small breath before asking the question that had been bothering her most.

“Why isn’t the head of House Clark on the list of targets?”

“Who knows? We don’t usually question those details—we just do the job we’re given,” Obsidian replied.

It seemed Obsidian didn’t care much about the specifics. Though Liliana accepted this, she lowered her gaze, still troubled. The furrow in her brow remained.

There was only one reason Liliana could think of as to why the head of House Clark was not included on the Yunatian Empire’s assassination target list. If her suspicion was correct, it would also explain why Duke Clark was so eager to remove her as a candidate for Riley’s fiancée. If Liliana were to be eliminated as a candidate, the next potential fiancée might be a prince from the Yunatian Empire.

(Could Father… possibly be in secret communication with the Yunatian Empire?)

If that were the case, it would be the worst possible scenario for both Liliana and Clyde. They had both grown close to Riley, and feelings had developed between them. Even if it was by her father’s command, there was no way they could harm Riley and submit to the Yunatian Empire.

But for now, it was just a hypothesis. If Duke Clark was planning treason, they would need evidence. Without it, they couldn’t make any accusations.

After calming herself, Liliana looked back at Obsidian.

“So, what about those within the Kingdom of Slibegrad who might want to harm the Crown Prince? How many are there?”

“It’s hard to say for sure, but most likely the Grand Duke’s faction. There are nobles leaning toward the Yunatian Empire, but they’re only in it for the benefits. They wouldn’t pay out of their own pockets for an expensive job like assassinating the Crown Prince.”

“So we can exclude the Old King’s faction,” Liliana concluded.

The Old King’s faction was a major group that believed the Ealdred family had the rightful claim to the throne. However, most of them were loyal to Duke Ealdred, and while some might defect, if Duke Ealdred openly supported Riley, the majority would likely back Riley as the next king.

Obsidian nodded, “Probably.”

In that case, Liliana only needed to be cautious of the Yunatian Empire and the Grand Duke’s faction. There was, however, one more major concern.

“Sid, if you hear anything about an assassination attempt on the Crown Prince, please let me know. And if you can, gather evidence if my father is indeed in communication with the Yunatian Empire.”

“Got it,” Obsidian replied with a sly grin, looking as though he was genuinely enjoying himself. It seemed he preferred tasks that required intellect and investigation over straightforward assassinations.

After some thought, Liliana decided to give him another assignment.

“There’s something else I’d like you to look into.”

Obsidian blinked, as if to ask what it could be. Liliana then briefly explained the events that had transpired from last night’s banquet to the conclusion of today’s exhibition, particularly concerning Princess Edith.

“Princess Edith proposed marriage to the Crown Prince.”

Obsidian’s eyes widened in surprise, indicating that he hadn’t come across that information yet. But he quickly interjected with a teasing tone, “So, a rival has appeared?”

“That’s not it,” Liliana denied. Truthfully, Princess Edith wasn’t even a threat. Although it depended on how things played out, the likelihood of her becoming Riley’s fiancée was very slim. There were doubts about her suitability as the Crown Princess, and Riley himself seemed uncomfortable around her. Furthermore, many nobles would likely oppose a marriage that would give the Yunatian Empire influence over the Kingdom of Slibegrad.

And more importantly, in the otome game from her previous life, neither Princess Edith nor Lady Malvina Tanner had appeared. There was a high possibility that both of them would disappear from the scene before the game began four years later. In Princess Edith’s case, Liliana had to consider the possibility of her being killed.

“It just piqued my curiosity. Princess Edith has been keen on marrying the Crown Prince from the start. While it’s possible she’s simply a romantic, at her age, it’s more likely that someone around her put the idea in her head. It might have happened while she was still in the Yunatian Empire. Maybe someone convinced her that she could win the Crown Prince’s heart, marry him, and become the next Queen of Slibegrad.”

The initial sense of unease Liliana felt was from that. Although Princess Edith blushed when she first saw Riley, and had since made several attempts to approach him, Liliana couldn’t shake the feeling that the princess hadn’t truly fallen for Riley at first sight. If she had, she would have shown more hostility or jealousy towards Liliana, like Malvina Tanner, another fiancée candidate. However, even after hearing that Liliana was almost certain to be the Crown Prince’s fiancée, Princess Edith didn’t change her attitude.

Liliana was well aware that she wasn’t particularly astute when it came to matters of romance, so it was entirely possible she was wrong. Still, she felt it was worth investigating.

“That’s why I’d like you to find out if there’s someone who has been encouraging Princess Edith to marry into the Kingdom of Slibegrad.”

If someone was considering marrying Princess Edith to the next King of Slibegrad, they would undoubtedly belong to a different faction from those planning to subdue the Kingdom of Slibegrad by force. If they intended to take control by military means, they would have to execute the princess from their own country who was already married to the king. Naturally, they would seek to avoid such a scenario.

Obsidian nodded readily. He might need to travel to the Yunatian Empire, which could delay the arrival of information. Considering what to do if urgent communication was needed, Liliana thought of the magical tools she possessed. However, before Liliana could speak, Obsidian spoke up.

“If you need to get in touch suddenly, I’ll send a raven. That way, you can receive the letter.”

“You have a message-carrying raven?”

“Smart of you to notice.”

While she had never heard of ravens carrying messages, it was true that ravens were highly intelligent.

Liliana believed that in such situations, it was better to rely on someone with more experience than herself. Although Obsidian was an assassin, he was also skilled in espionage. She nodded, trusting his judgment would be more effective. Satisfied, Obsidian nodded in return. He stood up and moved toward the slightly open window, disappearing into the night’s darkness.

Liliana took a sip of the herbal tea she had left on the table. It was cold, but the taste remained as delightful as ever.