“Did you know what would happen to you if you followed those people?”
“Don’t you know how scary those people are?”
I was getting scolded by the maids for following Callius's subordinates blindly to retrieve a bracelet they had dropped.
'How dare you say such things to me, who will soon be leaving with those people?'
Seeing her say such things to me, it was clear that she wasn't concerned about my well-being.
Perhaps he was afraid of coming into close contact with Callius's men because of me.
I ignored the maids' nagging and thought of the bracelet that had found its master.
'It was really similar to what Karl had.'
It was an object very similar in color and shape to the bracelet that Karl always wore on his wrist.
Karl said that the bracelet was a very meaningful and precious item.
So, as soon as I saw Callius's subordinate drop it, I followed him without hesitation.
I felt so proud when I thought about how grateful that red-haired subordinate was.
'It was cute when we actually talked.'
From afar, he looked as hard as a rock and as scary as a lion, but up close, he seemed to be a somewhat innocent and naive person.
'You look young. Maybe 18? 19?'
It was funny how he got off his horse in a hurry after being very flustered, put his hands together, and politely accepted the bracelet.
His hand was so big compared to the bracelet that I couldn't help but laugh when I saw him holding it with all ten fingers tightly together.
Even the young servants of the palace don't show their emotions so honestly on their faces.
'By the way, was that bracelet one of Ronheim's accessories?'
So how did Karl come to have it?
'The saying that snowstorms are bound to stop is also strange when you think about it.'
In Arrental, where it rarely snows, snowstorms are an unfamiliar phenomenon.
But Karl always talked about snowstorms as if it were a habit.
After seeing Callius, a northerner, talking about the snowstorm, it occurred to me that it was unusual for Karl, a southerner, to talk about something like that.
'Karl is from Arental, so why does he talk about snowstorms so often...?'
I thought it was strange and then stopped.
'But is Karl really an Arrental person?'
Come to think of it, I've never asked about Karl's origins.
I just assumed he was just an ordinary boy from Arrental living somewhere in the capital.
'Wait a minute, so maybe Karl is from the North?'
When I thought about that possibility, the resemblance to the Northerner Callius, his manner of speaking, and his unique accessories not seen in the South all fit perfectly.
'Is that why he said he would go north with me?'
If he has ties to the North, isn't it relatively easy to make such a decision?
'I'm really indifferent too.'
I've always received mental help, but I've never really tried to learn more about Karl.
'I'll have to ask Karl directly later.'
But since Karl didn't come to see me for quite some time after that day, I didn't have a chance to ask him for details.
He was such an inconsistent visitor. We weren't in a position to make appointments and meet.
I waited for him, believing that this time, too, Karl would find the opportunity and come to me.
Meanwhile, the day of opportunity to raise funds for revenge has finally arrived.
After the engagement ceremony, the wedding preparations were rushed as Callius had urged us to leave for Ronheim as soon as possible.
Of course, it was only the people around me who were busy, and I, who had no initiative whatsoever even during the wedding preparations, was just as idle as usual.
I had no regrets about the wedding not reflecting my wishes at all.
'The wedding will be canceled anyway, and it will be a wedding without a ceremony.'
It is because of the unfortunate incident that will soon occur in the palace.
'It's almost time.'
I left the bedroom and loitered around the maids, pretending not to notice their annoyed looks.
For me, the maids were my only connection to the outside world. The news I was waiting for would be delivered through them.
I kept checking the maids' mood from time to time with a secret purpose.
At that moment, the maid, who had gone out to run some business, came back to her quarters in a hurry with a surprised look on her face and whispered to her colleagues.
“Did you all hear that story?”
“What are you talking about?”
“His Majesty the Emperor fell from his horse while hunting!”
"What?"
The maids were swaying their hips and making a fuss.
Although the distance made it difficult to hear their conversation clearly, the faint sounds of “His Majesty” and “fall from a horse” were enough.
'It's today!'
The emperor's fall from his horse happened around this time.
This is exactly what I was waiting for.
'Today, Kavala will empty the palace.'
The Emperor's injuries are quite serious, so Kavala stays by his side all night.
As a result, another incident occurs in the empty palace without an owner.
The Emperor's great injury caused chaos throughout the palace, and coincidentally, a thief broke into the Empress's palace while security was temporarily lax.
I vividly remember the events that took place that day, how the palace was turned upside down.
'Because of that, starting tomorrow, security at the Empress' Palace will be strengthened several times over.'
If I don't join the thief in robbing the Empress's Palace today, my chance to steal Kavala's treasures will be gone forever.
By the way, there was no need to worry about thieves stealing all the treasure.
Unfortunately, the thief will end up running away empty-handed without having stolen anything.
The treasures of Kavala are kept safe in a vault locked with a special magical key.
'Thanks to that thief, we now know that the security at the Empress's Palace is lax today, and we also know where the valuables are stored.'
The security of the Empress's Palace must have been so lax that the thief was never caught.
I heard the maids whispering that wanted posters with her face on them were scattered all over the palace and the capital, but strangely enough, they couldn't catch her.
'It was strange that she left such a strong impression and yet wasn't caught.'
I've seen that wanted poster too.
The daring thief was a striking woman with curly red hair.
I don't know if that's her real appearance or if it's an exaggeration, but the curly hair drawn on the wanted poster was very red and voluminous.
'Well, she's not related to me.'
Today, that unfortunate and lucky thief will miss her chance and run away empty-handed, but I will be different.
'Once I get my hands on the magic key that opens the warehouse lock, the rest will be easy.'
I smiled with conviction.
I had a rough idea where the key was.
I once saw that magic key, and unlike the appearance of a normal key, it was a heavy, large object shaped like a hexagonal dice.
"If you looked at it, no one would think it was a key. Besides, it's not even the size you'd normally carry around."
Just realizing that the key was a key was like unlocking the first invisible lock.
The reason I know that is because the key originally belonged to my mother.
So, most of the gold and silver treasures in that warehouse actually belonged not to Kavala, but to my mother, who was the Empress.
After my mother passed away, Kavala shamelessly took all of her belongings for herself.
'Actually, this isn't theft. I'm just getting back the things I should have inherited.'
The keys to the treasure vaults attached to each palace are normally off-limits to even the palace's butler. The keys are usually managed directly by the vault's owner.
If so, the key, which cannot be carried on one's person, must be kept in the empress's most personal and secret place, the bedroom.
'While courtiers can enter other places relatively easily, even close maids cannot enter the bedroom without permission.'
Besides, Kavala was a magician.
I've heard that wizards value their privacy and personal space very highly.
I was sure the key was safely stored in Kavala's bedroom.
'If only I could find that key...!'
After I rob the warehouse, if Kavala finds out that the treasure is gone, she will be the first to suspect that the thief did a good job of stealing it, so my crime will be more completely hidden.
'I'm sorry to frame you, but I guess it's okay since you won't be caught anyway.'
It was a very good opportunity for me in many ways.
As long as nothing happened, I had a perfect plan for success in my head.
“Don’t you know how scary those people are?”
I was getting scolded by the maids for following Callius's subordinates blindly to retrieve a bracelet they had dropped.
'How dare you say such things to me, who will soon be leaving with those people?'
Seeing her say such things to me, it was clear that she wasn't concerned about my well-being.
Perhaps he was afraid of coming into close contact with Callius's men because of me.
I ignored the maids' nagging and thought of the bracelet that had found its master.
'It was really similar to what Karl had.'
It was an object very similar in color and shape to the bracelet that Karl always wore on his wrist.
Karl said that the bracelet was a very meaningful and precious item.
So, as soon as I saw Callius's subordinate drop it, I followed him without hesitation.
I felt so proud when I thought about how grateful that red-haired subordinate was.
'It was cute when we actually talked.'
From afar, he looked as hard as a rock and as scary as a lion, but up close, he seemed to be a somewhat innocent and naive person.
'You look young. Maybe 18? 19?'
It was funny how he got off his horse in a hurry after being very flustered, put his hands together, and politely accepted the bracelet.
His hand was so big compared to the bracelet that I couldn't help but laugh when I saw him holding it with all ten fingers tightly together.
Even the young servants of the palace don't show their emotions so honestly on their faces.
'By the way, was that bracelet one of Ronheim's accessories?'
So how did Karl come to have it?
'The saying that snowstorms are bound to stop is also strange when you think about it.'
In Arrental, where it rarely snows, snowstorms are an unfamiliar phenomenon.
But Karl always talked about snowstorms as if it were a habit.
After seeing Callius, a northerner, talking about the snowstorm, it occurred to me that it was unusual for Karl, a southerner, to talk about something like that.
'Karl is from Arental, so why does he talk about snowstorms so often...?'
I thought it was strange and then stopped.
'But is Karl really an Arrental person?'
Come to think of it, I've never asked about Karl's origins.
I just assumed he was just an ordinary boy from Arrental living somewhere in the capital.
'Wait a minute, so maybe Karl is from the North?'
When I thought about that possibility, the resemblance to the Northerner Callius, his manner of speaking, and his unique accessories not seen in the South all fit perfectly.
'Is that why he said he would go north with me?'
If he has ties to the North, isn't it relatively easy to make such a decision?
'I'm really indifferent too.'
I've always received mental help, but I've never really tried to learn more about Karl.
'I'll have to ask Karl directly later.'
But since Karl didn't come to see me for quite some time after that day, I didn't have a chance to ask him for details.
He was such an inconsistent visitor. We weren't in a position to make appointments and meet.
I waited for him, believing that this time, too, Karl would find the opportunity and come to me.
Meanwhile, the day of opportunity to raise funds for revenge has finally arrived.
***
After the engagement ceremony, the wedding preparations were rushed as Callius had urged us to leave for Ronheim as soon as possible.
Of course, it was only the people around me who were busy, and I, who had no initiative whatsoever even during the wedding preparations, was just as idle as usual.
I had no regrets about the wedding not reflecting my wishes at all.
'The wedding will be canceled anyway, and it will be a wedding without a ceremony.'
It is because of the unfortunate incident that will soon occur in the palace.
'It's almost time.'
I left the bedroom and loitered around the maids, pretending not to notice their annoyed looks.
For me, the maids were my only connection to the outside world. The news I was waiting for would be delivered through them.
I kept checking the maids' mood from time to time with a secret purpose.
At that moment, the maid, who had gone out to run some business, came back to her quarters in a hurry with a surprised look on her face and whispered to her colleagues.
“Did you all hear that story?”
“What are you talking about?”
“His Majesty the Emperor fell from his horse while hunting!”
"What?"
The maids were swaying their hips and making a fuss.
Although the distance made it difficult to hear their conversation clearly, the faint sounds of “His Majesty” and “fall from a horse” were enough.
'It's today!'
The emperor's fall from his horse happened around this time.
This is exactly what I was waiting for.
'Today, Kavala will empty the palace.'
The Emperor's injuries are quite serious, so Kavala stays by his side all night.
As a result, another incident occurs in the empty palace without an owner.
The Emperor's great injury caused chaos throughout the palace, and coincidentally, a thief broke into the Empress's palace while security was temporarily lax.
I vividly remember the events that took place that day, how the palace was turned upside down.
'Because of that, starting tomorrow, security at the Empress' Palace will be strengthened several times over.'
If I don't join the thief in robbing the Empress's Palace today, my chance to steal Kavala's treasures will be gone forever.
By the way, there was no need to worry about thieves stealing all the treasure.
Unfortunately, the thief will end up running away empty-handed without having stolen anything.
The treasures of Kavala are kept safe in a vault locked with a special magical key.
'Thanks to that thief, we now know that the security at the Empress's Palace is lax today, and we also know where the valuables are stored.'
The security of the Empress's Palace must have been so lax that the thief was never caught.
I heard the maids whispering that wanted posters with her face on them were scattered all over the palace and the capital, but strangely enough, they couldn't catch her.
'It was strange that she left such a strong impression and yet wasn't caught.'
I've seen that wanted poster too.
The daring thief was a striking woman with curly red hair.
I don't know if that's her real appearance or if it's an exaggeration, but the curly hair drawn on the wanted poster was very red and voluminous.
'Well, she's not related to me.'
Today, that unfortunate and lucky thief will miss her chance and run away empty-handed, but I will be different.
'Once I get my hands on the magic key that opens the warehouse lock, the rest will be easy.'
I smiled with conviction.
I had a rough idea where the key was.
I once saw that magic key, and unlike the appearance of a normal key, it was a heavy, large object shaped like a hexagonal dice.
"If you looked at it, no one would think it was a key. Besides, it's not even the size you'd normally carry around."
Just realizing that the key was a key was like unlocking the first invisible lock.
The reason I know that is because the key originally belonged to my mother.
So, most of the gold and silver treasures in that warehouse actually belonged not to Kavala, but to my mother, who was the Empress.
After my mother passed away, Kavala shamelessly took all of her belongings for herself.
'Actually, this isn't theft. I'm just getting back the things I should have inherited.'
The keys to the treasure vaults attached to each palace are normally off-limits to even the palace's butler. The keys are usually managed directly by the vault's owner.
If so, the key, which cannot be carried on one's person, must be kept in the empress's most personal and secret place, the bedroom.
'While courtiers can enter other places relatively easily, even close maids cannot enter the bedroom without permission.'
Besides, Kavala was a magician.
I've heard that wizards value their privacy and personal space very highly.
I was sure the key was safely stored in Kavala's bedroom.
'If only I could find that key...!'
After I rob the warehouse, if Kavala finds out that the treasure is gone, she will be the first to suspect that the thief did a good job of stealing it, so my crime will be more completely hidden.
'I'm sorry to frame you, but I guess it's okay since you won't be caught anyway.'
It was a very good opportunity for me in many ways.
As long as nothing happened, I had a perfect plan for success in my head.
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