The Villainous Lady Doesn't Speak chapter 253

chapter 253. The Town of Senf (1)

​Liliana Alexandra Clark sat in a swaying carriage alongside her fiancé, Crown Prince Riley of the Kingdom of Slibegrad. They were bound for a monastery located within the territory of Baron Navy. It was her second time visiting; she had been there once before.

​In truth, Liliana had planned to take a separate carriage, but for the sake of coordinating their guard details, she ended up sharing a seat with Riley.

​"How have you been feeling lately?" Riley asked once they had put some distance between themselves and the royal capital.

​Liliana offered a faint, strained smile. "I am quite well, thank you."

​Feeling that such a brief response was perhaps too repetitive, she thought for a moment before adding more. "I haven't suffered any more fevers, nor have I been confined to my bed."

​"I see. I’m glad to hear it. This inspection will be a long one, so if it becomes too much for you at any point, please let me know immediately."

​"I appreciate your concern."

​As Liliana offered her thanks, Riley’s eyes narrowed ever so slightly. For a fleeting moment, his expression was tinged with a profound sadness, but he reverted to his usual composed self before Liliana could even register the discrepancy. She tilted her head inwardly in confusion, but Riley changed the subject before she could voice her curiosity.

​"About this inspection... it seems Lady Emilia will be acting as our guide. Apparently, Lord Angus was originally scheduled to come, but his duties with the knights have kept him busy as of late."

​"Lord Angus—that would be the eldest son of Margrave Calvert, correct?"

​"Indeed. He is young, but he currently serves as the Captain of the Calvert Knights," Riley added, supplementing her memory.

​The Calvert Margraviate was situated to the south of the Kennys Margraviate. Like the Kennys lands, it bordered the Yunatian Empire, but because the southern half was shielded by a mountain range, Liliana had heard that the threat from their neighbor wasn't particularly high there.

​Yet, Riley had said he was busy with work. Sensing a strange friction in that statement, Liliana spoke her mind honestly.

​"If he is so busy, does that mean they are facing pressure from the neighboring country?"

​Suddenly, Riley’s eyes sparkled. A glint of amusement flickered in his gaze as he leaned forward slightly, peering into Liliana’s face. "What makes you think that?"

​"If Lord Angus is busy, it must mean something has occurred that requires the deployment of the knights, would it not?"

​"Heh. I suppose that was too simple a riddle for you." Riley chuckled with satisfaction and leaned back into his seat. He seemed to have been certain Liliana would notice, yet he appeared genuinely pleased by the fact that she had. "I received a private letter from Margrave Calvert. He says there has been progress regarding the 'disappearances of the Northern Immigrants.'"

​"—So the knights were investigating within the Margraviate."

​"Precisely."

​Liliana drew a single conclusion from Riley’s words, and her deduction was not far off. Riley’s smile deepened as he crossed his arms.

​"I’ve been requesting cooperation in the investigation through Margrave Kennys for a while now. I hadn't received much of a favorable response, but a private letter arrived almost immediately after the Investiture Ceremony."

​I see, Liliana thought, nodding slightly.

​In all likelihood, Margrave Calvert had been unsure of Riley’s character and capabilities. But after speaking with him directly at the Investiture Ceremony, he must have been convinced that the Prince was trustworthy. Only then did he feel comfortable showing his hand.

​Riley continued, his gaze fixed quietly on Liliana. "It appears they've grasped information regarding the organization executing the human trafficking. However, they possess an extraordinary amount of military power. The Margrave says even the Calvert Knights are struggling to crack down on them and are currently at a standstill."

​"An extraordinary amount of military power...?"

​Liliana’s eyes widened. The Calvert Knights were rumored to be exceptionally strong. While the Kennys Knights were described as brave and fierce, the Calvert Knights were known for being calm, collected, and elusive. Regardless of their reputation, there was no doubt both orders were formidable.

​It was hard to wrap her head around an organization possessing enough strength to make the Calvert Knights hesitate. Essentially, it implied that this organization might boast power comparable to that of an entire nation.

​Seeing Liliana’s shock, Riley gave a grim nod. "Exactly. To make matters worse, they are apparently excellent at information gathering. Even when the knights set traps to wipe them out in one fell swoop, they escape as if they knew the traps were there from the beginning."

​"—Could it be that they have spies within the ranks?"

​"Naturally, that was suspected, but the possibility was ultimately ruled out."

​There were no spies. Yet, the organization was steadily evading the investigative net. Furthermore, any spies sent out by the Calvert Knights were found as mangled corpses. To serve as a warning, the bodies were reportedly left near the knights’ training grounds.

​"They are also gathering mercenaries. And reports state they are steadily stockpiling weapons."

​"Are they... planning to start a war?" Liliana murmured.

​Riley shrugged. "At the very least, it's not for a passive reason like self-defense."

​Riley’s point was valid, and Liliana nodded in agreement.

​What concerned her most was the fact that the organization was connected to the neighboring empire. While it had previously been nothing more than a suspicion, the existence of the letters Liliana had received from Obsidian served as corroboration. In short, there was no doubt that at least Marquess Tanner of the Kingdom of Slibegrad and Earl Kepke of the Yunatian Empire were involved in the trafficking.

​"Since Earl Kepke likely only plays a small part, he may not be directly involved with the organization itself."

​"Ah, I share that opinion. Earl Kepke is connected to Marquess Tanner, and their proximity is closer to the Kennys Margraviate."

​Liliana blinked, staring intently at Riley’s face. The Crown Prince maintained a quiet smile as he met her gaze.

​"In other words, you believe the transactions are being handled through multiple routes?"

​"Is that strange?"

​"No, I believe it is a reasonable assumption."

​When Riley tilted his head and asked, Liliana gave a small shake of her head.

​The Kennys and Calvert Margraviates were vast. It would be a hassle to take 'Northern Immigrants' kidnapped in the north all the way through the Calvert territory to reach the neighboring country, and conversely, it would cost too much time and money to take those captured in the south through the Kennys territory.

​Considering they had failed to catch so much as a tail even with the help of the Royal Knights, it made perfect sense that this was an incredibly large-scale, organized entity.

​Riley watched Liliana’s expression, seeing that she had followed the logic thus far. His tone shifted slightly, turning serious.

​"Under such circumstances, we are heading toward the monastery in the Navy Baron’s territory. No one knows what the outcome of this will be. However, I believe the danger has increased compared to before."

​Liliana, who had been looking down slightly, slowly raised her head. Their gazes locked in the air. Liliana opened her mouth slowly, her demeanor composed.

​"Do you believe that organization will attack us?"

​"I'd say the probability is high." Riley tried to sound playful, but his eyes remained taut with tension. "With their high information-gathering abilities, they’ve almost certainly realized that Sasha and I are looking into them. I’m the Crown Prince, so I always have the Royal Guard nearby. But Sasha only has two guards. If they were to aim for someone..."

​"It would be me," Liliana answered matter-of-factly.

​Any ordinary girl would likely have been flustered and trembling with fear, but Liliana did not possess such delicate nerves. Riley seemed to have expected this, letting out a small, wry chuckle at her calm state.

​"Yes. That’s why I’ve arranged things this time so that we can be guarded simultaneously. So, I want you to stay as close to me as possible."

​"—Does that mean our rooms will be adjacent as well?"

​"That’s the idea. Don't worry, the rooms aren't connected."

​Normally, Liliana and Riley’s rooms would be prepared in separate locations. Though they were engaged, Liliana was still the daughter of a Duke. She wasn't treated as an equal to the Crown Prince. However, for the sake of security, they likely couldn't keep their rooms apart.

​"Is such a measure truly necessary? I have my own guards, and if the enemy is targeting me, wouldn't it be better to make them think there's an opening—"

​"Sasha, please stop trying to put yourself in danger."

​It seemed Riley knew exactly what his fiancée was about to suggest. Liliana had been on the verge of saying she could act as a decoy to draw out the enemy, but Riley cut her off with a sharp tone.

​Liliana blinked in surprise. It was a rare reaction for Riley, who usually listened to everything she had to say. Riley’s eyes turned stern, piercing into Liliana’s.

​"Danger should be eliminated as much as possible. If there is a chance, we must work to avoid the worst-case scenario. The mere thought of you being in even the slightest danger is unbearable to me. I do not want to lose you."

​Liliana was speechless at Riley’s earnest words. It was unusual for her, someone who typically assessed an opponent's intent calmly and responded with rational words. But it was also rare for Riley to show this much emotion. Being hit head-on with pure anger, worry, and sorrow left Liliana’s mind blank.

​"U-um..."

​She was fine with hostility or malice. When Malvina Tanner had spat verbal abuse at her while she was a candidate for the Prince's fiancée, it hadn't bothered her. When her mother had scolded her, screamed at her, or ignored her, she had simply accepted it as 'the way things were.' She didn't argue if it wasn't necessary, and if it was, she provided what she deemed a proper response.

​The emotion of malice was something Liliana found quite easy to understand. Even when her father had tried to enslave her, she hadn't felt sadness. She had simply judged calmly that he was trying to harm her and that she should remove the threat.

​But the emotion Riley was thrusting at her was none of those. He was genuinely worried for her, angry at her lack of concern for the danger looming over her, and—though Liliana couldn't quite grasp why—he looked somehow sad.

​The tangle of complex emotions was beyond Liliana’s understanding. Up until now, there had been nothing Liliana didn't understand. Even if she couldn't digest something immediately, she could eventually read the logic behind it if she took the time to think. But when it came to emotions, it was a different story.

​She had never understood courtly tales or the songs of bards that spoke of romance, love, and sorrow. She couldn't empathize. Still, she had been able to write it off as something that didn't involve her, so it hadn't been a problem.

​However, the glimpse of his heart that Riley was showing now was not unrelated to her. On the contrary, it was directed entirely at her.

​"Do you understand?"

​Being pressed for an answer, Liliana nodded reflexively. She had no words. She didn't even know what she should say. Even if she wanted to say she would be fine, Riley wouldn't let her. Liliana couldn't hide her bewilderment at the atmosphere that permitted no counterargument. Precisely because it was Riley, who had always respected her will until now, her confusion ran deep.

​Seeing her nod, Riley smiled with satisfaction. The air inside the carriage relaxed.

​Even so, Liliana’s agitation did not fade easily.

—-

Toc