Strangely, I never heard anywhere that Ayla's child was related to Noah. Noah and I were completely excluded from this incident. Rumors circulated that she had taken her own life out of despair, unable to identify the child's origin due to her corrupt and depraved behavior, as befitting a government official. Rumors that the maid's harassment had gone too far circulated like groundless specters.
A few days after the funeral, Renier came to the mansion to say goodbye to me before she left and cleaned up the place.
“You’ve lost some weight. You should eat well.”
Her voice was filled with concern, but I didn't pay much attention. I raised my chin as if to tell her to just get to the point.
“Are you ready to leave?”
“I plan to leave today.”
“Have you come to ask me to look after your younger siblings?”
“No. That’s my job.”
"All right."
Despite the cold answer, Renier had a kind face.
“I just came to say goodbye, so don’t worry.”
“Take care even after you leave.”
“Yes, may God bless you, Madam.”
Renier bowed to me, raising her elbow. The knight's mind went blank as he saw the official salute, the highest form of courtesy reserved for royalty.
“Sir Renier? Since when?”
She smiled silently. I couldn't hide my confusion.
"I came to see you, hoping this incident might change your mind. For the sake of our nation's fate, it's right for the Princess to inherit the throne, but you must remain undetected from now on."
“Why...? And how did you know?”
"I stumbled upon this during my investigation. I've been working as a disguised maid, and I've been feeling this way ever since. And it seems Frogen's illegitimate child knows about this."
“What about other people?”
"While investigating his deceased wife's whereabouts, Prime Minister Groenendaal of Belford uncovered the truth. To protect his family and sons, he kept quiet and spread false information that you were the Duchess's illegitimate child. It seems the only other person involved is Admiral Claire, the Princess's biological father."
“Did you tell His Majesty?”
"I didn't relay it. It was a secret order, given only to me, so no other investigators were dispatched by the Queen. If I had relayed the truth, which is Her Majesty's weakness and incompetence, I wouldn't be here either."
Renier's smile slowly faded as she straightened her back. She continued.
"If the truth comes to light, the Princess will not be safe. The royal family values bloodlines, so if the Princess's origins are revealed, the bloodlines of the constituent nations will question the current Queen's qualifications and her right to succeed. Her Majesty detests Admiral Claire and considers her past mistakes a grave shame. She'll likely choose to ignore the truth."
"That..."
“Assuming the worst happens and your identity is discovered, we’ll destroy this place.”
“Because we have to eliminate the cause.”
Noah's statement that he would destroy this place if my identity were revealed wasn't a thoughtless one. For him, the worst-case scenario is my death. Under that assumption, the cause of my annihilation is the Queen. Even if I escape to another country, she'll hunt me down and kill me, her mistake and her shame.
Prime Minister Belford, Lieutenant Colonel Groenendaal, Jace, Admiral Claire, and Celine would never reveal anything for their own safety. But the fact that Mastiff knows is concerning.
“Why is Frogen’s illegitimate son keeping silent?”
“I haven't figured it out yet. Things have gotten this way...”
“Yes. Where do you plan to go now?”
“I'm thinking of visiting the capital of the Third Republic of Francia. I'd like to try their chimney cakes.”
“Instead of that place, go to one of the following places: Kappel, Katiel, or Panibara.”
If we apply the historical context to my world, it will likely be occupied by the Frogens. The capital will be reduced to ashes by bombing. Based on my research, I predict that the only countries that will avoid the devastation of a world war are the Federal Republic of Kappel, the Holy Empire of Katiel, and the Kingdom of Panibara on the eastern continent of Levant.
“I will do as you say, my Princess.”
“You were a good knight.”
She smiled sadly at my words.
"I'm not a knight. I wanted to be one. Because of my fault, innocent people were taken hostage and put in danger, and I lived a life bound to a fabricated lie. Now, at last, I'm free."
I couldn't figure out what it meant, but I couldn't bring myself to ask the woman with that sad face.
"Renier, write to me when you get there. I hope I'll hear from you."
Renier paused, looked down at her feet for a moment, then raised her head and smiled brightly.
“Yes, I understand. Please stay healthy.”
I stared blankly at the back of the person I was destined to meet, who stayed with me for a moment before departing. She was a charming person, with a freckled nose and a smile. She was an unlucky knight, constantly plagued by dilemmas, obeying the painful order to ignore the pitiful, yet unable to pass them by.
Her steps seemed lighter as she walked out of the Queen's shadow and into the sunny area.
A normal person would have thought about leaving this country after hearing Renier's story, but I decided to follow Noah's advice. He knows the selfishness and cruelty of the people of this world well. He was caught up in political strife at a young age and spent extensive time on the battlefield. His extraordinary computational skills and keen insight, born from a difficult life, cannot be ignored.
I think Noah's refusal to dissuade me from getting involved in Ayla's affair, even though he already knew it would be futile, served as a kind of cautionary tale. What he was implying was, "Do whatever you want; you'll learn when you experience it yourself."
Noah, who had returned from a long absence from Cynthia, immediately hugged me as soon as he entered the hallway, burying his face in my neck and rubbing it like a cat. His hair had a heavy, luxurious scent of soap.
“You didn’t want to see me?”
“I missed you.”
“I heard the news.”
He continued talking as he took my hand and walked up the stairs.
“Diana, are you very upset?”
His eyes and voice were concerned, only concerned about my feelings. I knew that was his natural disposition, so I didn't say anything.
“Does Mastiff know that Ayla is dead?”
“Yeah, maybe.”
“Ranier was eventually expelled from the country.”
Noah, who had been listening to me, opened the bedroom door ahead of me and raised the end of his voice.
"Exile?"
"Yes, I think shr even considered quitting. It seems Renier was distressed by the time she spent as a bystander."
Noah entered the room, sat down on the sofa, leaned back, and tilted his head miserably.
“There’s nothing I can do. She was a failure, but she was a talented person.”
“A failure?”
"They say she was the greatest intelligence agent of all time. I agree. But she was too emotional and human to handle the job, so she had many weaknesses. She valued too many things."
Now I can finally understand, at least a little, the meaning of what Renier had told me before she left: the bondage of fabricated lies and freedom.
“You knew her identity before, didn’t you?”
"I even knew Molly was on the Royal Knights' list. But there's no way a proud Royal Knight of noble birth could be infiltrated into the mansion as a maid. Renier Elliot came from an orphanage and had training in disguise and infiltration, so she could have done it."
“Yes? But you said she has a younger sibling.”
"Yeah, I think she's been caring for the orphans like family. There were probably kids around Daniel's age, and people around you and the maid's age. They were all like little brothers to her. That became her weakness."
The smile of Renier, beaming at Daniel, who had come to visit the mansion in the past. The pity in her eyes that she couldn't pass up a poor child. That was the kind of person she was. She had so much affection that I guessed she must have been deeply distressed, witnessing Ayla's suffering for so long.
According to Noah's subsequent account, she was a secret agent known as "Her Majesty's Shadow," a separate royal agency organized under the Medea Intelligence Service. They conceal their identities and carry out covert missions such as espionage, surveillance, counterintelligence, intelligence gathering, and handling cases involving the royal family and high-ranking officials.
They receive education from the age of eight, and those designated as special education personnel at thirteen are separately classified and educated, and trained in utmost secrecy. Of these talented individuals, only the five most talented individuals live under false identities, dedicating their lives to the royal family. Due to their secrecy, their identities are kept secret even among their fellow informants, and only a very small number of those involved are aware of their true identities.
It is said that this is a position that can only be filled when a more outstanding talent appears, or the existing member dies, and until then, they live mixed in with society as determined by the state.
“By any chance... is that a job you can’t quit on your own?”
"In other words, they're dogs who are forever subservient to the state. They're bound by loyalty for life and can't betray. They say anyone who's been replaced or quit has disappeared. Probably for security reasons."
"I just heard that if you quit, you'll have to leave this place and go abroad. Where on earth will you disappear to?"
I tried to confirm my mistake. He, who had been watching me confused, crossed his arms and asked in a low voice.
“You didn’t know why Renier Elliot told you everything?”
As soon as Noah finished speaking, my entire thought process ground to a halt. A surge of dizziness washed over me, and I began to see two embroidery patterns on the carpet. It felt like time had stopped, like a dream, but the curtains by the window were fluttering in the wind, as if to remind me of reality.
“Is Renier Elliot dead too?”
I remembered the despair I had seen in Renier that day.
The reason the Queen I met in the audience room offered such a ridiculously easy solution was that Renier had risked her life to come find me.
"I will break free from eternal bondage and move toward the freedom of rest. This is my choice."
Her freedom meant death.
I recalled Renier's words about innocent people being taken hostage. Was the state exploiting the orphanage children and their siblings, who had grown up there, as a means of forcing them to submit to the state? The Queen's promise to ensure their noble demeanor was a promise to not harm those precious to her.
Then Noah's answer was heard.
“They would have tried to kill her. She knew too much.”
Did the sacrifice I made to save someone end up being useless and just a meaningless death?
Why does it happen like that?
Why did you have to go to such lengths? Even risking your life?
It seemed like a pointless question about a matter that had already been unanimously decided. It was impossible to know what prompted Renier to make such a suicidal choice. Without knowing the details of her personal circumstances, her emotional struggles, and her suffering, a profound understanding was impossible. A profound emptiness arose as those who had sought the right path vanished. The little bit of hope that remained within me vanished, dissipating into nothingness.
"They say he woke up two days ago. The child is safe, and they say he's now arrived at the Jayton Gate City. Count Rotsilt, are you not going to tell?"
Noah, standing with his back to the window, nodded at Countess Reuben's low voice. Slowly, his clouded blue eyes narrowed as he turned around.
"It's better not to know now, Madam. I'll tell you when the time comes."
“Diana will be very sad. As her aunt, I feel bad for her.”
"I know. That's why I saved your life. I chartered a passenger ship to the New World from the Duke of Hessen."
"Are you feeling sympathy? Or are you trying to win over your wife? I've felt it before, but I don't really understand you. Why on earth do you help others?"
The Countess felt a sense of unease as she gazed upon this man, whose good and evil were unclear. Unlike his former self, who had spent the first half of his life on the battlefield, emotionally crippled and heartless, he had helped the Esatians and had even provided her with crucial evidence as she defended them on the verge of being falsely accused and forcibly repatriated.
“Isn’t that normal? What’s wrong?”
Noah asked, adjusting his tie with an indifferent expression. The Countess, realizing she had unknowingly shown him prejudice, hastily put down her teacup.
“I made a mistake, Count Rotsilt.”
A few days after the funeral, Renier came to the mansion to say goodbye to me before she left and cleaned up the place.
“You’ve lost some weight. You should eat well.”
Her voice was filled with concern, but I didn't pay much attention. I raised my chin as if to tell her to just get to the point.
“Are you ready to leave?”
“I plan to leave today.”
“Have you come to ask me to look after your younger siblings?”
“No. That’s my job.”
"All right."
Despite the cold answer, Renier had a kind face.
“I just came to say goodbye, so don’t worry.”
“Take care even after you leave.”
“Yes, may God bless you, Madam.”
Renier bowed to me, raising her elbow. The knight's mind went blank as he saw the official salute, the highest form of courtesy reserved for royalty.
“Sir Renier? Since when?”
She smiled silently. I couldn't hide my confusion.
"I came to see you, hoping this incident might change your mind. For the sake of our nation's fate, it's right for the Princess to inherit the throne, but you must remain undetected from now on."
“Why...? And how did you know?”
"I stumbled upon this during my investigation. I've been working as a disguised maid, and I've been feeling this way ever since. And it seems Frogen's illegitimate child knows about this."
“What about other people?”
"While investigating his deceased wife's whereabouts, Prime Minister Groenendaal of Belford uncovered the truth. To protect his family and sons, he kept quiet and spread false information that you were the Duchess's illegitimate child. It seems the only other person involved is Admiral Claire, the Princess's biological father."
“Did you tell His Majesty?”
"I didn't relay it. It was a secret order, given only to me, so no other investigators were dispatched by the Queen. If I had relayed the truth, which is Her Majesty's weakness and incompetence, I wouldn't be here either."
Renier's smile slowly faded as she straightened her back. She continued.
"If the truth comes to light, the Princess will not be safe. The royal family values bloodlines, so if the Princess's origins are revealed, the bloodlines of the constituent nations will question the current Queen's qualifications and her right to succeed. Her Majesty detests Admiral Claire and considers her past mistakes a grave shame. She'll likely choose to ignore the truth."
"That..."
“Assuming the worst happens and your identity is discovered, we’ll destroy this place.”
“Because we have to eliminate the cause.”
Noah's statement that he would destroy this place if my identity were revealed wasn't a thoughtless one. For him, the worst-case scenario is my death. Under that assumption, the cause of my annihilation is the Queen. Even if I escape to another country, she'll hunt me down and kill me, her mistake and her shame.
Prime Minister Belford, Lieutenant Colonel Groenendaal, Jace, Admiral Claire, and Celine would never reveal anything for their own safety. But the fact that Mastiff knows is concerning.
“Why is Frogen’s illegitimate son keeping silent?”
“I haven't figured it out yet. Things have gotten this way...”
“Yes. Where do you plan to go now?”
“I'm thinking of visiting the capital of the Third Republic of Francia. I'd like to try their chimney cakes.”
“Instead of that place, go to one of the following places: Kappel, Katiel, or Panibara.”
If we apply the historical context to my world, it will likely be occupied by the Frogens. The capital will be reduced to ashes by bombing. Based on my research, I predict that the only countries that will avoid the devastation of a world war are the Federal Republic of Kappel, the Holy Empire of Katiel, and the Kingdom of Panibara on the eastern continent of Levant.
“I will do as you say, my Princess.”
“You were a good knight.”
She smiled sadly at my words.
"I'm not a knight. I wanted to be one. Because of my fault, innocent people were taken hostage and put in danger, and I lived a life bound to a fabricated lie. Now, at last, I'm free."
I couldn't figure out what it meant, but I couldn't bring myself to ask the woman with that sad face.
"Renier, write to me when you get there. I hope I'll hear from you."
Renier paused, looked down at her feet for a moment, then raised her head and smiled brightly.
“Yes, I understand. Please stay healthy.”
I stared blankly at the back of the person I was destined to meet, who stayed with me for a moment before departing. She was a charming person, with a freckled nose and a smile. She was an unlucky knight, constantly plagued by dilemmas, obeying the painful order to ignore the pitiful, yet unable to pass them by.
Her steps seemed lighter as she walked out of the Queen's shadow and into the sunny area.
***
A normal person would have thought about leaving this country after hearing Renier's story, but I decided to follow Noah's advice. He knows the selfishness and cruelty of the people of this world well. He was caught up in political strife at a young age and spent extensive time on the battlefield. His extraordinary computational skills and keen insight, born from a difficult life, cannot be ignored.
I think Noah's refusal to dissuade me from getting involved in Ayla's affair, even though he already knew it would be futile, served as a kind of cautionary tale. What he was implying was, "Do whatever you want; you'll learn when you experience it yourself."
Noah, who had returned from a long absence from Cynthia, immediately hugged me as soon as he entered the hallway, burying his face in my neck and rubbing it like a cat. His hair had a heavy, luxurious scent of soap.
“You didn’t want to see me?”
“I missed you.”
“I heard the news.”
He continued talking as he took my hand and walked up the stairs.
“Diana, are you very upset?”
His eyes and voice were concerned, only concerned about my feelings. I knew that was his natural disposition, so I didn't say anything.
“Does Mastiff know that Ayla is dead?”
“Yeah, maybe.”
“Ranier was eventually expelled from the country.”
Noah, who had been listening to me, opened the bedroom door ahead of me and raised the end of his voice.
"Exile?"
"Yes, I think shr even considered quitting. It seems Renier was distressed by the time she spent as a bystander."
Noah entered the room, sat down on the sofa, leaned back, and tilted his head miserably.
“There’s nothing I can do. She was a failure, but she was a talented person.”
“A failure?”
"They say she was the greatest intelligence agent of all time. I agree. But she was too emotional and human to handle the job, so she had many weaknesses. She valued too many things."
Now I can finally understand, at least a little, the meaning of what Renier had told me before she left: the bondage of fabricated lies and freedom.
“You knew her identity before, didn’t you?”
"I even knew Molly was on the Royal Knights' list. But there's no way a proud Royal Knight of noble birth could be infiltrated into the mansion as a maid. Renier Elliot came from an orphanage and had training in disguise and infiltration, so she could have done it."
“Yes? But you said she has a younger sibling.”
"Yeah, I think she's been caring for the orphans like family. There were probably kids around Daniel's age, and people around you and the maid's age. They were all like little brothers to her. That became her weakness."
The smile of Renier, beaming at Daniel, who had come to visit the mansion in the past. The pity in her eyes that she couldn't pass up a poor child. That was the kind of person she was. She had so much affection that I guessed she must have been deeply distressed, witnessing Ayla's suffering for so long.
According to Noah's subsequent account, she was a secret agent known as "Her Majesty's Shadow," a separate royal agency organized under the Medea Intelligence Service. They conceal their identities and carry out covert missions such as espionage, surveillance, counterintelligence, intelligence gathering, and handling cases involving the royal family and high-ranking officials.
They receive education from the age of eight, and those designated as special education personnel at thirteen are separately classified and educated, and trained in utmost secrecy. Of these talented individuals, only the five most talented individuals live under false identities, dedicating their lives to the royal family. Due to their secrecy, their identities are kept secret even among their fellow informants, and only a very small number of those involved are aware of their true identities.
It is said that this is a position that can only be filled when a more outstanding talent appears, or the existing member dies, and until then, they live mixed in with society as determined by the state.
“By any chance... is that a job you can’t quit on your own?”
"In other words, they're dogs who are forever subservient to the state. They're bound by loyalty for life and can't betray. They say anyone who's been replaced or quit has disappeared. Probably for security reasons."
"I just heard that if you quit, you'll have to leave this place and go abroad. Where on earth will you disappear to?"
I tried to confirm my mistake. He, who had been watching me confused, crossed his arms and asked in a low voice.
“You didn’t know why Renier Elliot told you everything?”
As soon as Noah finished speaking, my entire thought process ground to a halt. A surge of dizziness washed over me, and I began to see two embroidery patterns on the carpet. It felt like time had stopped, like a dream, but the curtains by the window were fluttering in the wind, as if to remind me of reality.
“Is Renier Elliot dead too?”
I remembered the despair I had seen in Renier that day.
The reason the Queen I met in the audience room offered such a ridiculously easy solution was that Renier had risked her life to come find me.
"I will break free from eternal bondage and move toward the freedom of rest. This is my choice."
Her freedom meant death.
I recalled Renier's words about innocent people being taken hostage. Was the state exploiting the orphanage children and their siblings, who had grown up there, as a means of forcing them to submit to the state? The Queen's promise to ensure their noble demeanor was a promise to not harm those precious to her.
Then Noah's answer was heard.
“They would have tried to kill her. She knew too much.”
Did the sacrifice I made to save someone end up being useless and just a meaningless death?
Why does it happen like that?
Why did you have to go to such lengths? Even risking your life?
It seemed like a pointless question about a matter that had already been unanimously decided. It was impossible to know what prompted Renier to make such a suicidal choice. Without knowing the details of her personal circumstances, her emotional struggles, and her suffering, a profound understanding was impossible. A profound emptiness arose as those who had sought the right path vanished. The little bit of hope that remained within me vanished, dissipating into nothingness.
***
"They say he woke up two days ago. The child is safe, and they say he's now arrived at the Jayton Gate City. Count Rotsilt, are you not going to tell?"
Noah, standing with his back to the window, nodded at Countess Reuben's low voice. Slowly, his clouded blue eyes narrowed as he turned around.
"It's better not to know now, Madam. I'll tell you when the time comes."
“Diana will be very sad. As her aunt, I feel bad for her.”
"I know. That's why I saved your life. I chartered a passenger ship to the New World from the Duke of Hessen."
"Are you feeling sympathy? Or are you trying to win over your wife? I've felt it before, but I don't really understand you. Why on earth do you help others?"
The Countess felt a sense of unease as she gazed upon this man, whose good and evil were unclear. Unlike his former self, who had spent the first half of his life on the battlefield, emotionally crippled and heartless, he had helped the Esatians and had even provided her with crucial evidence as she defended them on the verge of being falsely accused and forcibly repatriated.
“Isn’t that normal? What’s wrong?”
Noah asked, adjusting his tie with an indifferent expression. The Countess, realizing she had unknowingly shown him prejudice, hastily put down her teacup.
“I made a mistake, Count Rotsilt.”
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