Irene sat on the desk and bed with those thoughts as Louiselle opened the safe.
Her hand swept across the wood of the post. A long accumulation of dust settled on her fingers. Seeing that no traces of people were there at all, it was evident that it had been neglected for a long time.
As her suspicions grew, Louiselle opened the safe and took out the necklace. As soon as Irene saw the necklace, she could recognise it. It was a fake
Every time she encountered spirits, Irene would feel a change even though she didn’t know the identity of the aura.
However, there was no such foreign sensation in this necklace. She could tell at once because it was a counterfeit. Not just this, the whole room was staged.
There was an indescribable sense of disappointment, but getting out of the room was the first priority.
It was because she didn’t know if Ascardo would notice and come. She put the counterfeit back in the safe, and when she came out, there was a click and the device locked.
“What should I do now….”
-The place she believed to be Ascardo’s room.
Wasn’t this the real room? So, where was the real Ascardo’s room, and where was the necklace?
Even if she took a step back and planned the next one, she never knew when another opportunity like this would arise.
“First of all, let’s go to the meeting place in advance because Noel may have found the necklace. On, is anyone approaching us?”
[None.]
“Then let’s go out to the garden.”
“Yes.”
Since she couldn’t move hastily without certainty, Irene headed to the garden with Louiselle.
The garden was very dark. Because of that, she was able to hide.
“Maybe Noel found the necklace...”
But Irene wasn’t sure. Ascardo created a fake room for her and made it so secure that he hid a fake necklace there. It didn’t make sense for him to keep the necklace in the treasury.
In the end, it ends in failure.
They had planned prior yet still were unsuccessful. Suddenly, she felt a sense of emptiness.
As Irene waited for Noel with complicated feelings, Louiselle covered her mouth with her finger.
“Shh. Someone is approaching.”
“Are they the knights again…?”
At Irene’s question, Louiselle shook her head.
“Not a knight.”
Not a knight? If so, was it a couple who came to enjoy secret dating? There was nothing good about being caught peeping, so Irene hid in the bushes.
Then the persons Louiselle spoke of came. Both of them had their masks off, making it easy to identify them. Irene’s eyes widened as she looked at the two’s faces.
Ascardo and… Riel?
An unexpected pair appeared in front of them.
We’re at Ascardo’s house. So why is Riel here?
Seeing that she was wearing a dress, she seemed to have attended the ball too.
Ascardo was one of the best swordsmen amongst the knights, so Irene quickly asked On to wipe out her and Louiselle’s presence with the wind. Thanks to this, Ascardo and Riel didn’t notice that Irene and Louiselle were hiding in the bushes right behind them.
[Contractor.]
What on earth was the purpose of these two who were meeting so secretly? As Irene was watching the two, curious and anxious, On spoke to them. Irene looked up, and On licked his lips.
[The necklace is over there.]
What…?
Irene quickly turned. Soon her eyes widened.
Riel had a sapphire necklace on her neck that looked exactly like the one she had seen in Ascardo’s room earlier. Although it was invisible to other people’s eyes, Irene’s clearly saw the faintly flowing blue energy.
Why is Riel wearing the former Empress Dowager’s necklace…?
Eventually, her head turned to Ascardo. She didn’t think for long. Ascardo must have handed it over to her.
“That necklace, it suits you very well.”
“It looks just like an old necklace.”
Despite Ascardo’s praise, Riel touched her necklace as if it wasn’t valuable.
“But it’s fascinating. Wearing this necklace gives me strength.”
“It is said that the former Empress Dowager was an outstanding magician. She said she had an enchantment on the necklace as well. Although I haven’t been able to figure out what kind of magic it is... the mana imposed onto the necklace must have been affecting milady.”
“At first, I thought it was nonsense, but now I believe it.”
Riel lifted her head and smiled contentedly.
Ascardo then spoke, briefly laughing at her.
“Isn’t it possible to play around with the things you gave me as a token of trust? Anyway, milady, what you said last time, I really want to trust you.”