I Will Break Off the Engagement Because I'm Jealous - The Untalented Villainess Who Rejected the Prince Searches for a Safe Haven with the Cheat Heroine - Chapter 6.7

After the incident in the hallway. Emilia had returned to her room, but…

(I can’t rest with this going on.)

She had crept back into the hallway, glancing around furtively to avoid being seen by anyone. Whether it was because First Prince Herrick had whispered his affections to her or because Emperor Dian had shown her strange concern, her heartbeat still hadn’t settled down.

(“2” left the worst impression because the treatment of the previous heroine was just awful but I’d forgotten the love interests got even more handsome. I let my guard down. Seriously, having such good looks is cheating.)

Spurred by the prince and emperor, Emilia suddenly recalled memories from her past life. The heroine Iris from the otome game. The way Iris’s “after-story” was handled in the first game was so terrible that Emilia’s impression of the second game was the worst. Remembering Iris, she reflected on her reincarnated life so far.

(Me? I’m in no position for romance. Well, sure? If nothing else was going on, I might get flustered over a prince or emperor. But…)

Emilia bit her lip.

“I can’t believe in love.”

Her sigh was deep and long.

(Maybe Dian was right. All this love and romance stuff. I might be a little tired of it. Right now, I need to expose the capital’s secrets. And I have to reunite with Iris as soon as possible. Iris…)

Her shoulders slumped as she walked unsteadily. Her chest felt heavy and murky, painful. Her head was fuzzy too.

“No. This isn’t love. It’s not, I tell you huh?”

As she shook her head, Emilia’s raised gaze caught sight of the far end of the hallway.

(Garret… ah. That’s right.)

Garret had just left her room and was hurriedly walking away down the hallway. The room she’d emerged from was definitely her private quarters.

What occurred to Emilia was…

Breaking into her room.

(Garret is a record maniac. On top of that, she’s clearly the emperor’s right hand. If her room has all those books she was taking notes on couldn’t I get information from them?)

If she were caught, all the trust she’d built up would crumble in an instant… and she’d probably have to flee the imperial capital. It might waste all the effort Iris was surely putting in, running around the city.

Emilia furrowed her brow, lowered the outer ends of her eyebrows, let her eyes wander, and looked down.

She let out a deep sigh.

(…I’ll do it. I want to be useful to Iris.)

She approached the door to Garret’s room.

The lock wasn’t engaged.

☆ ☆ ☆

Emilia quickly slipped into Garret’s room. She glanced around the room furtively. Books were scattered everywhere—not just on the shelves, but even on the bed.

(No one’s here. Now’s my chance.)

A faint smile gracing her lips, Emilia used her “Storage” skill to retrieve an item from “within.”

“Iris’s handmade ‘Rumor-Talker’!”

Emilia put the mouthpiece of the retrieved mortar-shaped spirit tool to her lips. She blew into it with all her might, and rippling light spread out. The light hit every corner of the room, reflecting back into the mortar.

She watched the fantastical scene with excitement for a moment. This spirit tool was a wonderful device that collected and compiled all information within a certain range, answering the user’s questions.

(There are tons of books but this entire wall here is probably the “records” she’s been keeping. What an enormous amount. I feel bad taking advantage after she’s looked after me but honestly, with my homeland in danger, I can’t hold back. Sorry, Garret.)

Emilia gently spoke into the mortar.

“‘The former emperor’s whereabouts.'”

The slightly dusty room fell completely silent.

(…Nothing? Then…)

Closing her eyes, Emilia posed the next question.

“‘The location of materials that reveal the former emperor’s whereabouts.'”

『Lord Dian is said to keep the plans, but he did not show them to us. It’s not a matter of trust——』

(Good. So, the documents where Dian plotted this conspiracy are hidden somewhere. Then I’ll investigate, focusing on his private rooms and such.)

Nodding deeply, she held the mortar again and spun her words.

“‘The hiding place of Emperor Dian’s documents. And how to infiltrate it.'”

『Lord Dian always carries his key ring on his person. He said the doors to the places he manages himself require that one and only key. It’s an imperial tradition——』

(Whoa. Carrying them himself? That’s high security… I can’t just break down the door to get in. What should I…)

In this castle, sounds from the hallway carried fairly well into the rooms. Especially the sound of high heels striking the floor, it traveled clearly.

(S-Someone’s coming!?)

Emilia panicked. Footsteps were definitely approaching this room.

『Also, Lord Dian——』

(Wha—, this thing!? It won’t shut up in the middle of giving information! Th-this! I can’t stay in the room. Where can I hide!?)

Clutching the spirit tool in both hands, Emilia looked around——.

“Not just documents, but forgetting to lock up too. I guess I can’t criticize Emilia. I must be tired.”

A short while later. The room’s owner, Garret’s voice, echoed.

“At least I didn’t forget to close the window or something. I thought I saw something, but this is the fourth floor… must have been my imagination.”

A small sigh, a voice tinged with puzzlement, and then the sound of the door closing. The sound of heels striking the floor faded into the distance eventually getting lost in the blowing wind.

Emilia on the balcony, let out a huge breath.

(That was close… no, wait, isn’t this bad?)

Garret had definitely locked the door and left the room. If Emilia went back inside and left through the door now, obviously the lock would be left undone and it might cause a commotion later.

(But going down from here is a bit difficult, isn’t it? It’s high. Way too high. What about another room? That would mean…)

After peeking cautiously downward, Emilia looked at the balconies of the rooms to her left and right. They looked surprisingly close.

“Guess I’ll give it a try for now. Starting with that one.”

Once she had the idea, she acted immediately. Emilia climbed over the railing, putting strength into her legs. Then she leaped lightly, hopping over.

(Ah. It’s farther than I thought——)

Right in front of the neighboring balcony.

Her body began to fall rapidly.

She stretched her arms out as far as she could.

A hard impact, her forehead and body colliding, putting all her strength into her arms as if hugging it.

“Owwwwwwww… I-I’m okay. I can get up. Ouch, ouch…”

Gasping for breath, Emilia began to pull herself up. Gripping the railing post, she used just the strength in her arms to somehow haul her entire body up, scrambling towards the balcony. Her feet finally caught on the floor.

She climbed over the railing with ease.

“——!?”

The moment she landed, her eyes caught the window, the inside of the room. Gasping, Emilia stared intently.

(Dian!? Eh, here. The emperor’s… no. It’s a study.)

The emperor seemed to be asleep on the sofa. Seeing this, Emilia brushed off her clothes. She shook off some of the dirt from her outfit and pushed the window. The lock wasn’t engaged. Carefully sneaking into the room, mindful of noise, she slowly closed the window.

“He’s asleep and sleeping deeply.”

She approached the sofa. Peaceful breathing, the slight rise and fall of his shoulders and chest and his closed eyes, his long eyelashes standing out. Her face flushing slightly, Emilia averted her gaze.

(Ah! The key ring! This is my chance!)

She spotted the key ring hanging from his waist. Now that she thought about it, she remembered it made a jangling sound every time Dian walked.

Emilia carefully began to remove the key ring. She neatly unhooked it from his belt and smoothly pulled it away from his body. Confirming Dian was still asleep, she let her gaze dart around. Among the forest of bookshelves, she found a small desk.

(…Good. Since it’s not a complex lock, I should be able to make an accurate rubbing of the indentations.)

From her “Storage” skill, she first took out a cloth and spread it on the desk. Placing the key ring on it, she then took out paper and a pencil. She layered the paper over the keys on the cloth and rubbed with the pencil, copying the indentations. After bringing out the overall shape, she checked the details with her eyes and moved to the next key.

There were five in total. While she was concentrating on the task, the sunlight streaming onto the desk had grown slightly longer. She stored the paper, cloth, and pencil back “within.”

(That’s all of them… Now to return the keys…)

She confirmed once more that Dian was still asleep. Carefully approaching so as not to make a sound, she hooked the ring back onto his belt. With a tense expression, she compared him and the key ring. For a moment, she was captivated by his sculpted face.

Then her face relaxed into a grin. Standing up straight, turning her back to the sofa, she clenched both fists in front of her chest.

(Yes. Well done, me! A huge success! I can boast about this to Iris, right! I’ll head back to my room right away and wait for Iris all day.)

“Aina.”

Suddenly, a clear voice came from behind.

She flinched, trembling, and tried to run away quickly.

(Wh-what!?)

An arm reached out——and embraced Emilia.