Kirsi nodded. No wonder, they don't usually write addresses on this typical paper. As long as Arthur went to this place, the man never got the paper with the address on it. Where to buy information is always obtained by word of mouth. Kirsi was afraid this was a trap, but at least she had reassurance now. She headed straight for it as soon as she got her shoes back. It was still noon, there was still time before Cedric came home and the issue of her departure become a problem.
Kirsi intercepted a horse carriage that happened to be passing by. Give a coin of silver to arrive at the written address. The coachman was shocked to see such a large number. But Kirsi had no other choice. She didn't have a single bronze coin let alone a copper coin. Her household was too rich to afford that.
Her next destination was unexpectedly a simple bakery with a glass display case filled with freshly baked loaves of bread. An old woman is sitting in front of a shop stroking a white Siamese cat. Kirsi approached her, and asked, "Sweet kitty. Does it like to eat fish?"
The grandma looked up at her with a sweet smile, until her whole face wrinkled. "Love it so much that I have to fish every weekend for it. Do you like fishing?"
"Yes." Kirsi lowered her hood, smiling back. Her small and soft hands also caressed the top of the cat's head. "But the shrimp bait isn't very good. You know, the quality of the fish can only be guaranteed by the skill of the angler." Her hand slipped a piece of paper imperceptibly and the grandma's wrinkled hand accepted it.
"You are very experienced."
Kirsi moved back a little, "I'm going to order some bread. When can it be picked up?"
"We have a delivery system. Please wait about 3 to 4 days."
"Fine," Kirsi said goodbye pleasantly and returned to her starting point.
On the other hand, Frederick Winslow who continued to follow in the distance approached the grandma who was petting the cat. The grandma welcomed him, her face beaming, "This is the first time I've seen Madam up close. She's very beautiful and tough. I don't think the rumours circulating about her match the truth, do you?"
Frederick laughed, "Even a dog can still bite its master's hand. No one can be trusted in this world but ourselves. Now that I have seen it in person, it is impossible to believe such obscure hearsay."
The grandma laughed.
"So, whose meat is Madam looking for?"
The small piece of paper that the grandma was holding turned to Frederick. The man read it for a moment, thinking he might find out whether it was the name of the third prince or even the Emperor, but instead came across something even more shocking than the name of the Emperor. "Are you not wrong, old granny?"
"You saw for yourself how she slipped the paper to me."
On the paper, the name "Kirsi Daciana Reverie" was written in big letters.
Elsewhere, Kirsi was listening to Alruna's lecture when they finally met again in the first place. Kirsi knows that the information broker just now is the most confidential and trusted in its field. It's just that, even at the end of the story, the author never mentioned who created the organization.
The purpose of contacting them is not to seek information, but to monopolize information. In particular, information about herself. And even if someone from the opposition found out how Kirsi got in and out of the place, it wouldn't be a big deal to her. Especially because the information she was looking for was information about herself. She deliberately did that to prevent Arthur's party from knowing the truth about her birth.
"Have you found the clothes you desired, Madam?"
Kirsi gave a serious expression, "I think the clothes at home are pretty good too."
"..."
The group went home after everyone had gathered again. It was late afternoon when Kirsi arrived home. Cedric still doesn't seem to be home. The house seemed so deserted. Kirsi asked in a joking but serious expression to the butler if everyone might have been sent home, making the old man's expression look uneasy.
"Tell me, what happened?" Kirsi couldn't help but feel that something was fishy.
Butler said nothing, indicating that he was powerless. Frederick, who had been quietly following behind, inched closer to Kirsi. Said, "Madam, it would be good to go straight to the Master. He is already home."
"Oh, thank you. "
Kirsi hurriedly looked for him, and found the man was in a serious conversation with a strange man in the living room. Kirsi's arrival made the two of them pause their dialogue for a moment. Cedric patted the blank side next to him, so Kirsi obediently sat down. Cedric continued, "We also have no other choice. The concentration of bandits in Walherich has been increasing recently. Suerius may be close to the capital, but the person most in charge of that place is Marchioness Scarlett."
The old man with an inch-long beard gave a helpless expression as he responded to the matter, "We can't do anything about it either. After Livia's Armored Cavalry's assignment to Pordis, who else can stop those bandits from entering the border? "
Normally, the western frontier area was guarded by Grand Marshal Alastair's Livia Armored Cavalry. After the eastern border had been breached by enemy countries a few years ago, the silk road connecting Elysian with the Eastern countries was cut off, so it was necessary to build a new silk road elsewhere. The Silk Road that had previously been in the East was moved to the Southeast under the rule of the Maxima naval base.
Problems arose when the Emperor instead appointed a Marshal rather than the General from Maxima naval base to oversee the construction of a new silk road there. It was the same as pitting a lion against a tiger. Not only had he left the most crucial western frontier empty, but had forced Marchioness Scarlett to leave the northern frontier and secure the unfamiliar Western frontier all by herself. The situation at the border became chaotic. After listening to the two of them in silence, Kirsi at least knew why Cedric had asked her to lend her legal power to the Suerius-Walherich dam.
Cedric intends to isolate Walherich and makes Emperor rethink his ruling.
Before the sun had completely set in the west, the Provincial Administration Commissioner of Walherich, who had recently come to the capital at the Emperor's call, said goodbye. Kirsi accompanied Cedric to escort the old man to the front gate of their residence. A cold wind started to blow. Autumn is coming soon.
Kirsi asked, "Where have the servants in this residence gone? I didn't see anyone except the butler."
Cedric did not soon answer. He took out a silver cigarette case from the pocket of his official uniform, clattering the various medals hanging in many places on his uniform. Cedric took a cigarette and pressed it against his rosy lips. Blue flames were ignited from a silver cauldron the size of two adult fingers, burning the tip of a cigarette. The sound of burning tobacco filled the silence between the two of them. Cedric took one deep breath before exhaling unhurriedly. A puff of smoke soon filled around his face, making his figure look even more mythical. Like the angel of death playing among the clouds.
"Kirsi, are you familiar with the concept of responsibility?"
Kirsi shortly turned to him, "... What are you talking about?"
Cedric raised one corner of his mouth, looking completely unfriendly. "When the Emperor makes wrong policies, it is the people who suffer. When the leader is not trustworthy, the losers are the subordinates. And when a master is injured in an unknown place, who do you think will be blamed?"
It took Kirsi two seconds to realize what he meant. She flinched a little in disbelief. No matter how different Cedric she met with Cedric described by the author throughout the novel was, Kirsi never imagined that Cedric would act in this pattern. "You fired them all? It's unreasonable. I was wrong to go alone without anyone knowing, but, can you just fire everyone? They don't even know anything about it. Can't you just scold me?"
"When the Emperor makes such a rotten policy, do you think the people know anything about it? They will only know after they have been tortured by that policy. Kirsi Daciana Reverie, I understand that you are still too young to bear this responsibility. I wouldn't act like this if I were the one who forced you into this position. But no. You are the one who chose to become a crown princess and stand next to me. If that was your choice, then be responsible until the end. If you feel you are not capable, then stop before you involve more people." Cedric paused to take another sip, exhaled into Kirsi's stiff face, and continued, "Next time you decide to mind your own business, tell me and I won't let anyone follow you. We've promised not to interfere with each other's business, so I won't stop you from taking care of yours. But I'm going to ask you to play a little more neatly and not give yourself any trouble. Can you? "
Kirsi lowered her head and forthwith said, "I'm sorry. I will take full responsibility. Please let them back." people suddenly lost their livelihood because of it. Who wouldn't feel guilty about that? Not to mention, everyone's impression of her in this household wouldn't be the same anymore.
"Next time remember that every decision you make will have an impact on those around you." Cedric was no longer looking at her.
Kirsi dared to be casual because she thought Cedric's mischievous and careless attitude was his true nature. Who knew that the man the author always described as a vivid example of "failure" was a man who was resolute and tough like this?
The two of them walked into the dining room in silence just after Cedric finished his cigarette. Alruna prepared the dinner table equally mutely, reading that the atmosphere around them did not allow for sweet talk. Alruna withdrew as soon as her job was done. She's alone now, so a bit stuck.
Cedric ate quietly while reading the newspaper. Kirsi in front of him was munching on her roast, eating just as neatly. The silence lasted until dinner time was over.
After changing into a couple's pyjamas, Kirsi was at a loss as to whether or not she should sleep on the floor tonight, seeing how awkward it was between the two of them. While Kirsi was sorting out which floor she would sleep on, Cedric came out of the bathroom with only a towel wrapped around his waist. Water dripped from his wet hair. The black colour was washed away by the bath. Kirsi looked at him quizzically.
Cedric did not directly put on his nightgown. Instead, he pulled up a chair by the firewood heater and tried to dry his drenched official clothes. There seemed to be a minor accident during his bath. Seeing that Cedric was quite busy with his wet clothes, Kirsi cleared her throat before offering to help. "Want me to help?"
"Dry my hair." Cedric directly replied. Kirsi took another towel from the wardrobe and rushed over. Cedric is too tall to reach. Kirsi was about to tiptoe when the man suddenly pulled her towards the bed, left his clothes on the chair just like that, and sat Kirsi on the edge of the bed while he sat down on the floor between her legs. With that position, it was very easy for Kirsi to dry his hair.
"Did you slip while entering the bathroom lately? I heard a loud crash."
Cedric sighed in annoyance, "That's no big deal. But tomorrow the clothes still have to be worn again." drying them by the fireplace might be a good idea, but the smell of smoke left behind was not easy to deal with.
"Let's dry it with an iron basin."
Cedric looks up, "Huh?"
"I'll help you dry it."
So after drying Cedric's hair, Kirsi called Alruna to prepare an iron basin and a washcloth. The inside of the basin was heated with a candle flame for a few moments, before the outside was pressed against Cedric's wet uniform. In addition to drying it, it also managed to tidy up the tangled parts caused by Cedric's panic. Back in her old days, Kirsi used to try this method when the electricity in her house was cut off for a few days. Cedric did not give much response, and tended to be silent. But from the gleam in his eyes, he looked like an elementary school kid waiting for his birthday cake to be cut.
Actually, there are ironing machines nowadays, which use hot coals as a heater. The problem was that Kirsi only remembered that now when the clothes were dry. She felt stupid now.
Lying on her back like a starfish on the bed, Kirsi said, "Put on your clothes now. I'm going to bed first."
Not long after, her eyes were closed and she was sinking into a deep sleep. Cedric did as she asked and then took his place by Kirsi's side. He didn't go to sleep right away but pulled his pile of work onto the bed and dive into it. Not to forget, he also wore his monocle lens. Gives the impression of an obedient scholar.
About half an hour after he had been absorbed in his work, something warm crept under the duvet and grabbed his waist. There was no need to look to realize that it was his little wife. Kirsi's delicate hands wrapped around his waist as tightly as a monkey hanging in a tree. Her legs didn't stay still either, pounced on Cedric's one leg and turned it into a living bolster. Kirsi's head hid comfortably under his armpit. Mumbled satisfaction a few times.
-0-
Saturday came so fast. A chill was biting as the wind blew from the opened carriage window. Alruna wanted to force Kirsi to close it, but couldn't bear to see how enthusiastic she was seeing the splendour on the streets.
"Will there be any celebrations soon?" Jonah was the bodyguard they brought with them this time. Frederick was taken away by Cedric this morning, and all that was left was a young boy from a small village in the south. Previously, Jonah was still in his village as a commoner who still burdened his parents.
In such remote and quite distant villages, there are many cases where parents will enlist their sons in military service for living allowances and tax deductions. Not to mention, the situation in recent years has been so conducive that many people join the military just to pamper their asses. Jonah is one of them. And although his aim was quite commendable, his talent was so extraordinary that he did not escape the crown prince's eyes. The story is long enough that Jonah was finally brought to Cedric's residence at the end of January this year. So it was the first time for him to see such a lively celebration in the capital.
Alruna explained, "The autumn festival is just around the corner. Usually, people will hold hunting and roasting together. The palace also does this every year. Master has always been the one who brought the most prey every year. I was there to sing the chants. And now there is the Madam who will join the ranks of his supporters."
The closed-door meeting hosted by the owner of the Goldstein company took place in the Bougenville Park hall on Hemingway Street, right in the middle of the lively entertainment hub of Hilaria. Bougenville Park is a large hall officially owned by the Wing noble family, which is often used as a meeting place for people from the upper classes. Even the Emperor had played here. There are performing arts such as theatre, dance performances, musical orchestras, and poetry readings. The cuisine is also well known, which includes a variety of specialities from across the country. For Eugene Goldstein, renting this place for a few days was not a burden. Therefore, instead of just renting its place, he also rented all its entertainment to play for two full hours in turn.
There were about 12 guests in total. Each one comes at a different time. Kirsi was the fourth person to arrive. She wore a burgundy dress with open shoulders that accentuated her perfect torso. There is a small red mole on her upper chest, looks cute. Her hair, which was as black as night, was left loose with ruby pins framing each side of her face. Jet black gloves adorned her hands, and paired with her stilettos, she looked like the true definition of gripping elegance. Her face is made up with a bold look, looks like she can't be bothered at all. Alruna and Jonah could only follow her a little further behind. Join the other maids who let their masters enjoy the feast.
Kirsi saw an old man waving in the distance. Sitting with some beautiful women around him, along with 4 guests. Kirsi gracefully approached the group. The usually bustling Bougenville Park Hall was now filled only with people with invitation letters in their hands. Kirsi took her place across from the hostess, sitting on a long, majestic sofa alone. In front of her, apart from Eugene and his women, was a man who looked at her like he had seen a ghost. Just at that time, another person arrived and sat next to Kirsi. A glamorous and extravagant middle-aged lady, who graciously gave everyone chocolate truffles as a present. Kirsi also received one.
"Jeez, isn't this Princess Daciana?" Her tone was very friendly as she gave Kirsi her familiar greeting. Her interlocutor simply nodded gracefully, not saying much. Very contrary to the image circulating in the community.