Volume 5 - CH 2.08

Although Dimitar thought he’d surely be together with Valeria since he was summoned, being told that it was a top-secret mission, it was just the king alone who was waiting for him in the office.

「—Ah, if it’s the young lady from the House of Costacurta, she’ll come a bit later」

Perhaps he had seen through Dimitar’s slight confusion, Jeffren Francesc XI grinned.

「Summoning just you first is because… well, it’s a topic that I don’t want the too innocent girl to hear about」

Setting whether Valeria was someone with a pure and innocent image or not aside, Dimitar judged that it seemed to be a questionable topic and nodded silently.

「Almudena will come back soon」

「Congratulations」

「Ah, un. Well, it’s certainly a happy thing that her physical condition has recovered」

The king, who was reclining on the chair, sighed greatly and scratched his head.

「…Someone might be trying to kill Almudena」

「Assassination—is it? Not abduction?」

Dimitar narrowed his eyes. If one became the royalty of a country, the possibility of someone trying to kill them would always follow around them, but speaking of Almudena alone, it felt unexpected.

She was certainly the queen of the large country Ahmad without doubt, but she didn’t marry from a foreign country, and she continued to observe her position as the wise woman that supported her husband, who was the king, behind his back and had never interfered with political issues. In short, she had no political influence. Therefore, if there was something by which Almudena’s existence would influence the state of affairs in the continent, it’d probably be the situation where she was abducted.

「It’s assassination. …I also have a rough idea of who the other party that is trying to kill her is」

The king cleared his throat slightly.

「Well, although I said assassination, it hasn’t actually commenced yet, and the other party is slightly difficult for me to make a move proactively」

「……」

Just the assassination plan of the queen was quite a serious matter, but it seemed that the other party also had some special circumstances. Dimitar was curious about the other party, whom the king was taking into consideration.

「Therefore」

The king, who had stood up from the chair, patted Dimitar lightly on the shoulder and spoke in a low voice.

「—If the number of guards is few when Almudena returns here, the other party will probably see it as a good opportunity and put the plan into effect. If we can catch the perpetrators at that time and make them confess, we can catch the mastermind」

「Does that mean… Her Highness the Queen will be used as a decoy to lure in the mastermind?」

「Don’t put it so bluntly. —Well, it’s certainly like that though」

The king smiled slightly, but his eyes weren’t smiling. The intelligent brilliance as a schemer was dwelling in that pair of eyes.

「That’ll expose Her Highness the Queen to danger though」

「I’m fully aware that this is a selfish matter. However, this problem has already become something politically delicate. I can’t make the government take action unless there’s a just cause, so I have to take some risks for that」

“The one taking those risks isn’t you but the queen.” Dimitar interfered so in his mind and nodded greatly.

If the other party was one that he must catch to the extent of deliberately exposing his beloved queen to danger and that he couldn’t carelessly meddle with unless he went that far to obtain definite evidence, then the number of them was quite limited. It must be an internal influential person—most likely someone from the great nobles. That the king was always speaking in a manner, which was roundabout in some way, and not trying to say who the mastermind was meant that the other party was one that he had some reserve about. However, there was no need for Dimitar to know that here and now at least.

Stroking his chin which had grown full of beard, the king spoke with a sigh.

「—However, keep this conversation secret from Her Eminence for the time being, all right? She probably can’t do that sort of subtle communication, right?」

「I think that’s the case. She’s also strangely upright, so if she learns that Her Highness the Queen will be exposed to danger to lure the assassins out, even if it’s Your Majesty, she’s liable to flare up at you」

「That young girl is not only strong-willed but seems to be stubborn too, after all」

The king, who had shrugged his shoulders and smiled wryly, held out a sealed letter to Dimitar. Even his smile, which was done for form’s sake, had already disappeared completely at that moment.

「—If the thieves are lured out as per my plan during the journey, you must protect Almudena by all means」

「She’ll be unharmed; I’ll protect her」

「That’s right. I’ll decapitate you if you let her get hurt. Since I can’t behead a Dominas, I’ll have you bear the culpability of ineptitude alone」

「Acknowledged」

Those words of the king most likely wasn’t a joke at all; they were probably the truth. What he said was very one-sided and harsh, but from another perspective, it also meant that Dimitar was given a mission which was that important. Rather than harbouring ill feeling towards the king, Dimitar was even thinking of using the fact that he personally received a secret order from the king like this as the first step to succeed in life instead.

「Though protecting Almudena is important, finding out the mastermind is an important mission as well. Make the thieves confess who ordered them without killing all of them. I’ll leave the method to you」

「Understood」

「After you’ve identified the mastermind, open the decree I gave you just now and follow the instructions inside. Until then, don’t read it no matter what, all right?」

「Acknowledged」

The king pointed towards the solemn door and spoke to Dimitar, who had put the sealed letter away in his pocket.

「If that’s the case, once you leave the royal palace, come here again together with Her Eminence as if nothing had happened. Since it has been decided that you’ll depart immediately afterwards, prepare a horse in advance as well」

「Yes」

Although the king was demanding in various ways, Dimitar understood that the king had judged that he could meet those demands, and then he courteously bowed and left the office.