Episode 76. Keep It Going!
It was morning. Maxim entered the study holding an envelope.
"Princess, Mr. Becker's messenger has stopped by."
Serena looked up from her papers. She took the envelope. Watching Maxim leave, Serena opened it. Inside were two items: a short letter and a commission in the form of a bond. The letter stated that the building payment had been received from the Empress's side, just as Serena had promised. It included the assigned commission and expressed hope for a good relationship in the future.
Serena set down the letter and clutched the envelope. She thought to herself, "I really pulled it off."
Lucy looked at Serena from the side.
"It is such an important document; why didn't he come in person and send it through a messenger?"
Serena said, examining the bond inside the envelope.
"He was being considerate, worried that if he came in person and was seen by others, it might cause me trouble. He is a calmer person than I thought."
Lucy nodded as she took out her notebook. Lucy had a vague idea of what kind of money this commission was, and it went without saying that Mr. Becker was involved. That was why he hadn't come in person.
The commission received in the form of bonds was quite substantial. Since the settlement had only recently concluded, the bonds had truly become a reliable emergency fund for Serena.
"I'll use this money later to treat Bianca and Lily to delicious food and go on a shopping spree. Of course, my family and employees too... and Leon, too."
Serena said as she stood up from her seat.
"Shall I put into action the mischief I've been simmering for a while?"
Lucy asked, opening her notebook.
"When?"
"Right now."
Lucy jotted it down and thought. When the Princess says 'now', it really is now. Lucy clutched her notebook tightly. Serena left the room and went to the drawing room. In the drawing room, Edward was having tea and reviewing documents. As Serena entered, she said.
"Brother, proceed with Operation Artifact!"
Edward looked at Serena as he put down his documents.
"Are you applying for the artifact excavation survey?"
"Yes. Timed to coincide with the day construction begins on the Empress's side of the buildings. The application must be submitted immediately on that day."
Edward thought for a moment, then rose from his seat. Since the contract had ended, the current buildings would likely be demolished soon to erect a new one. Edward realized that this could truly be a fleeting moment. To time it right, it would be safer to have everything prepared.
"I'll send a message to His Majesty the Emperor by the end of today."
Serena said, looking at Edward.
"Thank you, brother."
Edward stopped at the door as he left. Then he turned around and called out to Serena. Serena looked at Edward. In response to Edward's question about what would happen if the Empress found out this was their doing, Serena pondered for a moment before saying.
"Think about that when the time comes. Why worry about something that hasn't even happened yet?"
Although Edward's expression showed clear anxiety upon hearing this, he nodded for now and left the reception room. Lucy sat beside him, taking notes in her notebook and thinking. Not worrying about things that haven't happened yet. I know how long the Princess has been working on this plan.
A few days later, Maxim entered the study early in the morning with quick steps.
"My Lady, I hear that construction has begun on the buildings in the alley south of the Imperial Palace."
Serena looked up from her documents.
"How many?"
"They say three have started simultaneously. One in the name of the Empress, one in the name of the Marchioness of Deberg, and one in the name of the Golden Lion Merchant Guild."
Serena closed her documents and looked at Edward, who was with her. Edward was already standing and ready.
"I'll submit the application now."
Serena nodded. Edward left Lucy, holding her notebook beside her, and said.
"My Lady, so construction is starting on three buildings at the same time?"
Serena said, holding her tea.
"It worked out well to do it all at once. It's more refreshing to have urine gushing out all at once than to have it trickle out little by little."
Lucy thought as she jotted down Serena's words in her notebook. Urine. Lucy gave up writing it down. It felt as though she could fill an entire notebook just with the notes she had unconsciously jotted down and erased from the Princess's words.
It was an alley south of the Imperial Palace. It was not long after construction had begun. Workers had just picked up their shovels and started digging the ground. Dust flew, and the sound of the workers smashing stones was deafening.
Just as the workers were busily clearing away the building debris, Imperial Palace officials burst in. They announced that an application for an artifact excavation survey had been received and that construction had to be stopped immediately. The workers stopped their shovels. The site supervisor lunged at the official.
"We just started. What artifact excavation survey are you talking about? Who will take responsibility if we stop construction?"
The official thrust a document at him.
"This is a formal application. Construction is suspended until the excavation survey is completed."
The site turned into chaos. The construction sites of three buildings became a scene of pandemonium simultaneously. It took less than an hour for the news to spread. It was at the Marchioness Deberg's quarters. It was a scene where Deberg was receiving a report from her lady-in-waiting.
"Construction has been halted?"
"Yes, Marchioness. They say a request for an archaeological excavation has been submitted."
Deberg said, rising from her seat.
"Who requested the excavation?"
"They say they don't know yet."
Deberg thought as she looked out the window. An archaeological excavation. She recalled the time when they said artifacts had been found in the Owl Bookstore building. She remembered who had first brought up the story. It had been Princess Valois.
Marchioness Deberg froze. Surely not. But she couldn't continue that thought any further. The thought "surely not" crossed her mind, but she lacked certainty. The thought that Princess Serena, whom Her Majesty the Empress keeps so close, would never do such a thing suppressed the Marchioness's suspicions. Marchioness Deberg said to her lady-in-waiting.
"I must urgently convey this news to Her Majesty the Empress first."
Her Majesty the Empress's chambers. Marchioness Deberg rushed to see the Empress. The Empress heard the news from the Marchioness. The Empress remained indifferent even after hearing the story. However, her tightly clenched fist hinted at her emotions.
"Construction halted."
"Yes. Three buildings simultaneously."
The Empress said, raising her teacup.
"So, an application for an artifact excavation survey has been received..."
Her Majesty the Empress thought as she sipped her tea. An artifact excavation survey. The commotion regarding the artifacts at the Owl Bookstore building came to mind. Princess Valois had brought it up during tea time back then. That it was a good location. That the price was lower than the market rate. But at the same time, she also recalled what Serena had said at that very gathering.
"I've heard rumors that the new owner brought the artifact there and spread the word because it would be difficult to get the deposit back. That there might not even be a real artifact."
The Empress set down her teacup. Her movement was slightly slower than usual. Marchioness Deberg looked at the Empress and spoke cautiously.
"Your Majesty. It was Princess Valois who first brought up the story of that building during teatime. It was also Princess Valois who suggested back then that the artifact might be fake."
"Serena?"
"Yes. As I recall, Princess Serena definitely mentioned that."
The scene showed the Empress looking out the window. A garden was visible outside. It was a peaceful garden. The Empress fell into thought for a moment. Would Serena be the kind of person to do something like this? No. Serena is on my side. She is the person't keep closest to me. But why would Serena do such a thing? This must be someone's slander. Trying to sow discord because our relationship is so good.
The Empress picked up her teacup again. Her hand was ever so slightly slower. But... It's a little strange. It was the first time that thought crossed my mind. The Empress looked at Marchioness Deberg and said.
"Find out."
The Marchioness of Deberg nodded. The Empress looked out the window and thought, "It can't be Serena." However, that thought was not as firm as it used to be.
It was the study of the Duke of Valois. Maxim had brought news that construction on all three buildings that the Empress's side had been working on had been halted. Serena nodded at Maxim's words as if she had expected it, set aside the documents regarding the artifact application, and began examining the papers related to the hot spring development. Lucy spoke from the side.
"My Lady, I think Her Majesty the Empress will find something strange."
Serena looked out the window and said.
"She will. But she will still be half-doubting."
Lucy looked at Serena.
"The real beginning starts when faith starts to lean in one direction."
Lucy thought as she clutched her notebook. When faith starts to lean. The real beginning. She always felt nervous when the Princess said these things without any expression.
That same evening, the Crown Prince heard the news. The news was that construction on three buildings belonging to the Empress's faction had been halted simultaneously. It was news that an application for an archaeological excavation had been filed. The Crown Prince dismissed his lady-in-waiting and stood alone by the window. Gazing at the garden outside, the Crown Prince thought.
A sudden archaeological excavation. And a scene came to mind. Serena had brought up the building during the Empress's tea time. Although the Crown Prince was not present at the time, he saw and heard everything happening within the palace, so he remembered even the trivial details of that conversation. He knew what had been discussed there. Serena had brought up the building. And he knew what she had said there. That the artifacts might be fake. That she had heard rumors that the new owner had placed the artifacts there and spread rumors because it would be difficult to get their deposit back.
The Crown Prince connected Serena's words with today's archaeological excavation. There was a reason Serena had said those things back then. To induce the Empress's faction to buy the building. And to apply for the excavation once construction began. She knew it from the beginning.
The Crown Prince walked from the window and sat at his desk. He unlocked the padlock on the left and opened the drawer. Inside was a single document. The Crown Prince took it out. It was the Certificate of Confirmation of Artifact Discovery at the Owl Bookstore building. It was an official document issued by the Imperial Palace when the artifacts were first discovered. It listed the type and quantity of the discovered artifacts, as well as the date the excavation survey began.
The Crown Prince looked at the document. Then, he placed the application for the artifact excavation survey of the three buildings whose construction had been halted today right beside it. He looked back and forth between the two documents. The Crown Prince thought. "The discovery of artifacts at the Owl Bookstore building came first. As that news spread, the market value of the surrounding buildings dropped. Serena brought it up during tea time, suggesting the artifacts might be fake. And then Mother's side bought those buildings. And today, the artifact excavation survey began simultaneously with the start of construction."
The Crown Prince put the document down. The room was silent. The Crown Prince thought. "Serena had been orchestrating this whole thing from the beginning." Sticking close to Mother, pretending to worry about her. Saying, "She would never do such a thing." All of that was for this purpose.
It was a scene where the Crown Prince's gaze changed. It wasn't a look of hurt. Nor was it one of betrayal. It was colder than that. It was a look that had begun to calculate something.
As the Crown Prince put the documents into the drawer, he thought. Serena, I can understand that you didn't choose me. But... As he closed the drawer, the Crown Prince muttered to himself.
"I cannot stand by and watch the destruction of what will one day be mine. Of course, you must not get a single scratch either."
In the empty room, only the Crown Prince's monologue quietly lingered.
[Lucy's Secret Shock Journal Episode 76]
The Princess sometimes tells dirty stories out of the blue. She brought up the topic of urination again today, so I almost wrote it down but stopped myself.
Also, today, she submitted a request for an artifact excavation survey that she had been secretly planning, bringing Her Majesty the Empress's construction site to a halt.
What if the Empress finds out later that this was her doing?
I am scheduled to meet Lord Siegfried on my day off, but to protect my own safe and secure life, I must either change jobs or get married and retire from my duties as a lady-in-waiting. It feels like walking on thin ice every day, and it is terrifying.
If I were to tell the Princess this, she would likely say the same thing again: asking why I am worrying about something that hasn't even happened yet.
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