The Villain’s Aide Has Run Away - Chapter 18.1
“It was admirable that a commoner child managed to learn letters on his own, so I brought him in to teach him. He understood words well and his hands were skillful. I thought he was a promising seedling, so I kept him close and raised him.”
He spoke in a detached tone, as though recounting an old story.
“But at some point, his eyes changed. I wondered if he could no longer be content with what was given to him.”
His words were calm, but inside them lingered betrayal and calculation.
“And then, suddenly, he disappeared.”
Count Robert Camilo paused for a moment before continuing carefully.
“Not long after, I heard he was serving as Crown Prince Kailos Delroi’s aide.”
Though his voice was low, it was definitive.
His words carried a clear nuance, that he himself had not placed the boy in that position, and yet also seemed to suggest his own speculation as to why such a child might have ended up at the Crown Prince’s side.
The Empress regarded him with a silent gaze. Count Camilo lowered his eyes briefly and added:
“I only went about my own duties, so I cannot know the details. How that boy ever caught His Highness the Crown Prince’s eye, I mean.”
What those “duties” were was not made clear.
The Empress’s eyes narrowed, but Count Camilo did not prolong the subject further.
At times, he had carried out Crown Prince Kailos’s instructions—sometimes they were direct orders, other times subtle urgings.
This time, it had been he who moved Leslun to kidnap Lady Miroi. Although the Crown Prince had not given an explicit order to abduct her, it was certain he had been the one to entice him into it.
Count Camilo had thought Leslun had managed it cleverly enough that no major issue would arise. But that very night, Lady Miroi vanished.
And that wasn’t the end of it. Even though he had tried to pin all the blame on Leslun to cover his own tracks, instead of punishment, Leslun was receiving the Crown Prince’s protection.
Could it be that Leslun had struck a deal with the Crown Prince? That the Crown Prince, in return, had seized his weakness?
There were many things he wanted to know, but above all, the most important thing was to never let it be revealed that he himself had been the one behind Lady Miroi’s kidnapping.
That was why Count Camilo had hurried to seek out the Empress, to secure a connection with her.
At first, he had thought standing on the Crown Prince’s side would bring him great advantage once he ascended the throne. But no longer.
If he stood beside the powerful Empress instead, and simply waited for the Second Prince to grow up, then at the very least his house would not collapse. If, in the process, he could even rise to the rank of Marquis, all the better.
“To covet what belongs to others when one already has more than enough… the Crown Prince is greedy.”
“That greed will ultimately be His Highness the Crown Prince’s downfall.”
Count Camilo smiled pleasantly, as though he already had something in mind. The Empress showed interest at that confident smile.
Meanwhile, Count Maven—who had no idea why he had been summoned to this meeting with the Empress and Count Camilo—was racking his brain, trying to discern her intentions.
“So it is not only Baron Kelly, but you mean to use that aide as well, Your Majesty?”
Only belatedly did Count Maven realize, and though the Empress did not bother to answer, her serene demeanor was enough to confirm he had guessed correctly.
***
While the Empress conversed with the two Counts about seizing control of Wisley Academy, Kailos sat before a lavish banquet.
“Robin.”
The Crown Prince’s voice was indifferent.
“Isn’t this far too much for me to enjoy alone?”
“This is the usual amount, Your Highness.”
The food had been prepared to suit the Crown Prince’s tastes. Unless the palace chef had been suddenly replaced overnight, it was the same as always. So what flaw was he trying to pick at?
“Do you think I can eat all of this?”
“Well…”
You never eat it all, but only taste what you want at the moment. And even that is more than enough to fill you. Robin didn’t dare say the words aloud, but his expression betrayed the thought.
“Eating alone is rather lonely, too.”
“Yes, Your Highness…”
Robin wanted to add, Isn’t that why you keep me standing at your side while you enjoy yourself? But he held his tongue. His nostrils twitched in frustration as Kailos lifted his head.
“This would be better, then.”
Robin wondered what on earth he was building up to—
“Leslun, you should join us as well.”
Startled, Leslun, who had been standing quietly beside Robin, nearly jumped. Why drag in someone as fragile as a nervous chick?
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