Chapter 69. Julietta Iris Kiellini, Part VII
Translator: Khan
Editor: Aelryinth
“Then where can I meet her?” Valerian asked impatiently, having to carry out Killian’s order no matter what.
Oswald opened his eyes. “I don’t know that much. I’m just telling you what I heard from Viscount Morton, who arrived yesterday.”
It was Oswald’s specialty, talking to the aristocrats and digging up information by reassuring them with light banter. Of course, social gossip, fashion, clothes, jewelry, art, and opera were things he loved, but he often caught more just in chatting than digging with such things in mind.
Thanks to Oswald lightly making use of his hobbies and talents, Killian didn’t need to waste his time sending a man to the Eileen Theater, and looked at him admirably.
“I’ll have to ask when Spenser arrives. Did Duke Kiellini have any suspicious movements?”
“Yes, he hasn’t been out of the main castle since his first day out,” Adam reported. The movements of the Duke had no change.
“What’s his relationship with Marquis Anais?”
“He didn’t have any interactions, except to meet with him at dinner time and say hello.”
“Don’t neglect surveillance on him, and thoroughly examine the surroundings of Duke Kiellini. I’m afraid he’s not come all the way to Bertino for my support.”
Killian could not ignore the sense of discomfort he had felt when he had his private meeting with Duke Kiellini that day. He didn’t know what it was, but he had felt a certain strange feeling.
“It’s Lady Kiellini’s debut year, so maybe it’s to start a political background.”
Adam shook his head in Valerian’s opinion. “No, it’s time to hold his breath for the future of his daughter, who he won’t hurt if he puts her in his eyes. No matter how likely His Highness is to be the next Emperor, the power of Prince Francis is incredible, and no one can guarantee the future of the political world. Even if he really decided to support His Highness for his daughter, he didn’t have to come all the way to Bertino. Since His Highness is not staying here, if he goes back to Austern, it’s enough for him to express his intentions.”
“Or would he want to give her the highest seat in Austern, because she’s his dear daughter? The seat of the Queen of Austern is higher than the one of the Duchess of Kiellini.” Oswald mused, thinking of Lady Anais, who had come all the way to Bertino for Killian. The Duke might have thought that his daughter should get a higher position.
“No, the Duke didn’t like me showing interest in Princess Kiellini. So, I don’t think he is looking for the seat of the next Empress.” Killian said, recalling the Duke, who had hardened his face when he had been told about the Princess’ debut.
” Anyway, don’t reduce surveillance on Duke Kiellini, and search for the whereabouts of Julietta as quietly as you can. Prince Francis will arrive soon. I am not worried about Duke Martin, but it’s not too pleasant being helped by Duke Kiellini because of the work of Lady Chaister, so it’s not bad to have one weakness on him. I think his daughter is a weakness, so find out about her.”
******
“Did you get a girl?”
“Yes, ma’am. Fortunately, there was a perfect girl.”
In the middle of the night, Vera and the driver Gibson took a woman in her twenties to Simone’s room. Simone closed her eyes for a moment, holding her trembling hands together, and then she opened them
She said she would look for the right body, but it was not easy to get a body with a similar appearance and age, as she made it. It was fortunate they found a plausible girl by scouring the slums like this.
Simone looked at a girl, who put down her head in a dismal way. Now that she’d decided to put her foot in it, she didn’t know how much more sin she would make in the future. She had to check her sin with her own eyes ,instead of avoiding it.
The girl might not eat well, and she had a leaner body, dry skin, and a rougher hair than a brick-red wig Julietta had.
“Lift your face.”
The girl raised her face at Simone’s command. The frightened girl’s eyes were gray-green, almost transparent. As the color of the eyes looking without focus were different from what she thought, Simone looked at Vera as she asked.
“The color of her eyes changed as she became sick and lost her eyesight. It’s a light color with little pigment left, but…”
She would be found dead, so other physical differences except hair color would be noticeable.
To be blind in the slums was to be dead. A girl who couldn’t make a living would have been a burden to her family. Simone turned her eyes from the girl and asked, “What about her family?”
“We have brought them here. If we leave Bertino, we’ll attach a man to help them to settle in the Kingdom of Halintz and pay them what we promised.”
They put their daughter to death and would be quite well off for a lifetime. How could she blame the family for providing them with such an opportunity?
“Take her outside.”
As planned, the body would be found in the river. It was a choice keeping in mind that the more the body was damaged, the less the differences between Julietta and her would be revealed.
Vera grabbed the girl’s arm and took her outside. Simone made up her mind by keeping her eyes on the back of the girl being dragged out.
She had never imagined that she would plan and do this, even if it was for her niece and her future. She was the daughter of a high-ranking aristocrat. Although she had lost her husband early and had to spend her entire life in the countryside raising her young niece, she was a lady who had never seen anything so wrong before.
However, Iris had to become the Duchess of Kiellini, and she herself had to retire as a powerful woman who had raised the Duchess of Kiellini. Simone bit her lips to the point of bleeding, thinking that she would not let anyone interfere with her plan.
——————-
When the body was found, all the knights who had been searching for the missing maid withdrew. Because of the upcoming hunting competition, the security for the outer gates surrounding the capital was the same, but Simone thought it wouldn’t matter if they weren’t looking for Julietta.
When they were finally ready to leave, Simone’s party set out at lunch time, when the security of the gates was the most relaxed.
“Viscountess Simone and her ward, Miss Lyla.”
Only
The driver Gibson held out the identity cards he had prepared to the knight, who was checking their identity at the guard’s post. A knight came to the carriage, confirming two small bronze cards for women, and ones for a maid and a driver.
“May I check inside for a moment?” At the knight’s words, Vera opened the carriage window.
“Excuse me. Since it’s National Foundation Day and the hunting competition, we’re thoroughly investigating every procession that goes to and from Ricaren to avoid danger.”
Jose, one of the twenty elite knights who had followed Killian as an escort from Austern, looked carefully into the carriage, wondering if there was any sign of the familiar appearance of the maid. It was the job that Killian had secretly ordered them in the capital.
Jose greeted them politely over the window, and looked inside with sharp eyes. In a plain little carriage with no emblem, which for a noble family which was not very large, there was a lady with silver hair, a young woman with a veil covering her face, clad in sables, and a maid.
Jose took a close look at the appearance of the beautiful woman who looked back at him faintly over the veil in a dark carriage. She was the first woman to cover her face even though he had checked so many carriages so far. But her black hair and dazzling white skin under the veil were too far from the ugly maid he had seen. No matter how disguised she was, it could not be that different.
At that time, a reproach came from the Viscountess, who was displeased with seeing him staring at an unmarried girl too much.
“Is there still more to check? There happened an unexpected event in Miss Lyla’s family, and we are on our way back. Since it’s a late departure and a long way to go, would you hurry up?”
Comments