After Putting the Slayer of the Night to Sleep, I Ran Away - Chapter 101

Leo quietly left the mansion.

He didn’t forget to leave Wolf in front of Ayla’s room where she was resting.

Anxious, he tried to call Ian to stand guard outside the door, but Ayla vehemently refused, so they eventually compromised at the midpoint.

Ayla seemed to dislike Ian but liked Wolf, her eyes sparkling as she nodded.

Still, Leo’s anxiety didn’t subside, so he even stationed Crow outside her window.

And so, he headed towards Moonlight Manor.

This distance was easily and quickly covered alone.

Arriving safely without being noticed by passersby, Leo headed to the second floor of Moonlight Manor.

Passing through the door only known to those in the know, he reached the strategy room, where Jade, the head of Moonlight Manor, jumped up to greet him.

“Your Highness? What brings you here?”

It seemed he was in the middle of work, as a high stack of documents was piled on the desk.

“Am I not allowed to come here?”

“Who said that? I’m just surprised to see you appear when you should be enjoying your honeymoon.”

“…I just stopped by. Spare me the nonsense and tell me what I asked you to do.”

“You mean about Rodrigo Esteban?”

Jade, as if already prepared, rummaged through the desk, took out a few documents, and sat across from him.

“First of all, it seems certain that Lord Rodrigo had a private meeting with the Second Prince regarding the Princess now Her Highness, right? We secured a testimony that he was seen secretly talking to the Second Prince and returning on the day of the Art Festival.”

“Didn’t Edward already say that himself?”

“Still, we have to confirm. Here’s what you ordered.”

Jade turned one of the documents for him to see easily and placed it on the table.

Leo picked up the document and narrowed his eyes, listening to Jade’s explanation.

“This is information about the Esteban Count family. Ostensibly, they run a trading company, but in reality, they’ve been increasing their wealth by smuggling and illegally trading rare animals and plants.”

“Evidence?”

“We’ve secured the front companies and transportation routes used to purchase the smuggled animals. We’ve also planted one of our people.”

Jade continued his explanation, handing him the remaining documents he was holding.

“And this is a list of families currently discussing marriage with Lord Rodrigo. Immediately after the engagement was broken, the atmosphere was reluctant, but since he’s the eldest son of the Count family, some families seem to be interested.”

“Which of these families is most likely?”

“Lady Jane of the Schwitz Count family. According to my investigation.”

Jade’s shoulders straightened as if he had found some plausible information.

“Lady Jane is a close friend of the First Princess of Everett and brought two hawks to the hunting competition. My deduction is that the Schwitz Count family is highly likely to be the family that lent Her Highness the hawk that day.”

Leo, who had been drumming his fingers on the table, took a quiet breath as if he had finished thinking.

His calm eyes sank coldly.

“Good job, Jade. Lady Jane would be a good match for Lord Rodrigo.”

“I will work to make it so. When should we release the evidence of smuggling?”

“Release it to coincide with the end of their wedding ceremony. Whether you file a complaint or use a family with a grudge. Make sure the gift I give arrives right after all the marriage vows are completed.”

The corners of Leo’s lips deepened.

Daring to involve Ayla without knowing his place?

“I’ll make sure he knows how heavy the price of uttering those words is.”

“That’s right. But Your Highness.”

Jade asked cautiously.

“What are you going to do about the Everett Dukedom?”

“……”

“Are you really not going to do anything about it?”

He glanced at Leo, then added a word as if he was ashamed.

“I’m sorry. For giving you the wrong information about Her Highness’s birth…”

“That’s fine. It seemed even Marcus Everett didn’t know Ayla was his real daughter.”

He replied indifferently and changed the subject.

“That’s enough about that. What about the Empress? Did you assign a monitor?”

“I did assign a servant, but I think it will take time to gain her trust. That’s why I was going to say.”

“I did assign a servant, but I think it will take time to gain her trust. That’s why I was going to say.”

Jade cautiously suggested.

“Would it be difficult to plant a familiar in the Empress’s palace?”

“A familiar?”

“I think that’s the most effective way.”

“Jade. Even for me, there’s a limit to bringing familiars into the Imperial Palace. At best, I can only float Crow or Wiltus in the sky, which reduces efficiency.”

“Then why not make one?”

Jade continued with a gloomy face.

“I know that Your Highness doesn’t make any more familiars. But you almost had a big problem this time. Now that the Supermoon’s curse has been offset by Her Highness.”

“Jade.”

“Please don’t just say no and consider it carefully. It seems there’s a Silver Bird among the animals smuggled by the Esteban Count family. Wouldn’t it be possible to make it a familiar and present it to the Empress through one of the nobles of the Empress faction?”

“…Okay, I understand. I’ll think about it.”

Leo sighed and waved his hand as if to stop.

In fact, the day he first got a familiar. The power he gained was not simply about controlling familiars.

He just knew.

He had never tried it, but he just knew.

That he could make as many familiars as he wanted.

‘Dex, that bastard.’

Anyway, if the word gets to him, there are no secrets.

To think he would remember the one thing he confided in him a long time ago.

Leo put his thoughts aside and got up from his seat.

He felt bad, so he wanted to see Ayla.

“Are you leaving already? You must be a newlywed.”

Jade, as if he had heard something, followed him with a beaming face.

Leo, looking at him with displeasure, paused and gave one more instruction.

“Ah. There’s one more thing I need you to find out.”

“Tell me.”

“Find out if anyone among those even slightly related to the Grand Duchy knows the name Artien. He’s a man, with black hair that reaches his waist. He seems to have the ability to use magic or something.”

“Magic, you say?”

“Gather information as much as possible for now. Bring it if you have anything useful. Oh, his name is Artien.”

“That’s a common name. I understand, Your Highness.”

Leo refused Jade’s farewell and left Moonlight Manor.

Then, he closed his eyes for a moment to share senses with Wolf, but soon opened his eyes with a reddened face.

‘Why on earth…’

Wolf, who should have been guarding outside the door, was somehow with her in the bedroom.

The problem was that Ayla was hugging Wolf.

Rubbing her cheek against his fur as if she liked how soft it was.

Leo, who had been standing blankly at the unexpected sense sharing, turned around and began to walk away.

‘…I should wander around outside a little more.’

If he went back like this, it would seem pointless to have deliberately left the mansion.

At that moment, a strange tension was swirling between Alexander and Tatiana, who were sitting face to face.

Alexander, who was silently holding the teacup, took a long breath and opened his mouth.

“I’m on my way back from seeing Edward.”

Tatiana muttered with a calm face.

“You must have been surprised.”

“He’s in much worse shape than I thought.”

A dark shadow was cast on his face.

Tatiana quietly put down the teacup and added to Edward’s current situation.

“Since the first competition, he’s already spent several nights at the swordsmanship training ground. As if that wasn’t enough, he spends a long time standing blankly, and now he doesn’t even come out of his room. I have no idea what he’s thinking.”

“That’s what I heard.”

Tatiana paused for a moment, then clicked her tongue as if frustrated.

“What’s so special about Ayla that he’s going this far.”

Alexander’s brow furrowed at those words.

“Then why did you put something like that in the hands of a child?”

“I thought he would sort things out if he knew Ayla was a real cousin.”

Alexander retorted in a firm tone to Tatiana’s reply, which was like a sigh.

“You know that people’s hearts don’t break off that easily.”

Tatiana was momentarily speechless, but soon opened her mouth sharply.

“You don’t think Edward is just doing this because of his affection for her, do you?”

“Then, isn’t it? What else is there?”

“You fool. Of course, it’s because of Leomond, that child!”

A faint anger was mixed in Tatiana’s voice.

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