It was noon, two days after the commotion with the Black Needle Society, when a carriage bearing the crest of the royal palace stopped in front of the mansion.
At the time, I was in my office reviewing the ledgers. The bounty money had come in, and permission for the highway maintenance had been granted. However, looking at the list of expenditures, it still wasn't enough. Bridge planks for the village, watchtowers for the highway, roofs that needed fixing before winter, and the cost of oil for the gatekeepers' lamps. It felt like I had money, yet I didn't.
As I leaned my elbows on the desk, considering which task to postpone, Mylene’s footsteps in the corridor grew slightly hurried.
That was unusual.
Normally, Mylene never let her footsteps grow frantic, no matter how much of a hurry she was in. There was a knock at the door, and Clarice Elford entered before I could even answer. This woman, who usually placed papers on my desk before speaking, was looking out the window first today. Even Raisa Vangrit was standing in the hallway with her arms crossed, as if she had been called away from the training grounds.
"Vain! A carriage from the royal palace has arrived."
"Again? What is it this time? If it's the permits, I've already received them. If there's some paperwork missing, tell them to make copies on their end."
"This isn't something so trivial! The crest on the carriage doesn't belong to a royal civil official. It’s a mark that only a select few in the royal palace are permitted to use."
Clarice's voice was low and tense. I looked out the window. A white carriage stood before the gate, its door bearing a crest bordered in gold. It certainly wasn't the plain carriage used by civil officials. There were several guards as well. However, just because a carriage was expensive didn't mean the person inside was important. Those people in the royal capital loved to put on airs.
"If it's a messenger from the royal palace, let them in. If we keep them waiting outside, they'll just send another troublesome letter."
"Letting them in is fine, but please, I beg of you, absolutely do not say anything unnecessary! It won't be too late to speak after you've seen their face, so for once, just stay quiet!"
"What do you take me for?"
"The kind of man who lets his tongue slip in front of the royal palace!"
What an impolite aide... However, since even Mylene was nodding slightly with a pale face, I reflected on my behavior just a little. Well, only a little. I wasn't so bored that I’d go out of my way to be snide to a messenger from the royal palace. I would hear their business, give the necessary response, and send them home quickly. That would be the end of it.
With that thought in mind, I stepped into the entrance hall and stopped in my tracks. The person who had entered was the saucy brat who had pestered me in the palace gardens once before.
She was wearing proper clothes today. A light-colored coat with finely embroidered sleeves and a small gemstone at her throat. Unlike the functional outfit she wore when I saw her in the royal palace gardens, she was dressed exactly like the daughter of a prestigious house. However, her eyes were the same. She was looking my way, smiling as if she had found something amusing.
"You... the saucy brat from before? You're wearing proper clothes today."
The air in the entrance hall died.
I truly thought it had perished. Mylene gasped, the color drained from Clarice's face, and Raisa pressed a hand to her forehead. The guards' hands shifted toward the swords at their waists. Only Serena remained by the wall with her usual poker face, holding a tray.
The brat's eyes widened for an instant, and then she laughed as if clutching her stomach.
"You really don't change... I thought it was just in the palace gardens, but you're like that even in your own mansion?"
"It's because it is my mansion. There's no reason to be more careful here than in the royal palace gardens. So, what's your business? A woman from the royal capital didn't come all this way just to show off her clothes, surely."
Clarice let out a small groan behind me.
"Vain... please, I'm begging you, at least choose your words."
"I did choose them, and this is what came out."
"That wasn't choosing at all!"
The brat laughed even more delightfully. The guards stood there looking utterly perplexed. This girl was likely the daughter of a reasonably high-ranking house... but if she was important, she should have introduced herself first. People from the royal capital were a hassle because they expected others to figure things out just from their faces and clothes.
Mylene offered to prepare tea in a trembling voice. Her movements were as polite as ever, but her shoulders were stiff. This guest was apparently of such high status that even Mylene could tell. If so, she was even more of a nuisance. I waved my hand to signal they should be shown to the reception room and had the brat sit in a chair.
The girl looked around the room, gazing with amusement at everything from the scratches on the desk to the age of the walls.
"It's a more ordinary mansion than I expected. I thought it would be darker, with screams coming from the basement."
"I don't know about House Razgrim in the old days, but we don't have that kind of leeway now. Even making people scream costs money for their meals."
"You think of it in terms of food expenses?"
"You can't do anything without money. Is your house different?"
"My house is nothing but trouble, even with money."
"Then you should just leave home."
"...If I could, I wouldn't be having such a hard time."
Only that response carried a bit of weight. For the first time, I looked the brat squarely in the face. She was saucy, laughed a lot, and had eyes that seemed to test people, but her expression wasn't that of someone who had just come to play.
She rode in a royal palace carriage, brought guards, and came all the way to my mansion. In other words, she had some sort of business. She probably wouldn't leave until I heard what it was.
Mylene set down the tea, her hands shaking slightly. Serena stood behind her holding a pitcher, quietly observing the positions of the guest and the guards. One of the guards noticed Serena, and his expression shifted slightly. Serena said nothing; with her usual poker face, she retreated to the wall.
The brat took a sip of tea and narrowed her eyes.
"It's delicious... Your mansion is much more decent than the rumors say."
"I'd be the one in trouble if it wasn't decent. It's hard to sleep comfortably in a dilapidated mansion."
"Heh, as I thought. You seem to do good things, but your reasons are terrible, aren't they?"
"I have no intention of doing 'good' things. I'm just hiring people, spending money, and reducing the workload so that I can live in peace."
"And did you dispose of the Black Needle Society for that reason as well?"
The air in the room grew tense. Clarice's eyes sharpened, and Raisa crossed her arms. Mylene took a step back as if holding her breath. Only Serena remained standing in the shadow of the tea set, not even blinking.
I looked at the girl.
"Oh, those guys? I don't know much about the royal capital's underworld, but for being famous, they were a bunch of fools. They broke into my place in the middle of the night and got caught, and their comrades were tied up in a bunch at the post station, even leaving behind their ledger and murder weapons. I thought the capital's underworld was more fearsome, but they're nothing special if they're the type to line up the evidence themselves."
The brat set down her teacup.
"...It wasn't you who did it?"
"Why would I do it? I was sleeping that night. When I woke up in the morning, a man whose face was unrecognizable was sprawled in the hallway, and the next day, the Black Needle Society people were tied up of their own accord. So I don't know. Didn't they just have an internal dispute?"
Clarice pressed her hand to her eyes. Raisa’s mouth twitched, and Mylene looked at Serena with a troubled expression. Serena adjusted the pitcher with an innocent look on her face.
What was it? Everyone was making such strange faces.
I had only stated the facts.
The girl alone glanced at Serena for an instant instead of me. Then, she returned her gaze to me.
"Heh... You really haven't realized, have you?"
"Realized what?"
"No... it's fine for now. I came today to confirm that—whether silencing the Black Needle Society was an order from House Razgrim, or something else entirely."
"It's probably something else. I didn't order it. If I were to give an order, I'd choose a cheaper way to handle it. Creating a commotion in the middle of the night only increases the cost of lamp oil and security."
"That's a very 'you' answer."
The brat laughed with satisfaction.
The way she laughed felt a bit more familiar than when I had seen her in the palace gardens. Her eyes were like someone who had found a blade they didn't know how to use, rather than an interesting toy. I had a bad feeling. This was a woman who brought trouble with her—the type who enjoyed it, at that.
"Now then, if your business is done, leave! If a royal palace carriage stays in front of the gate for too long, the villagers will get anxious."
"I'm leaving... but I'll be back again soon."
"Don't. My home is not an inn."
"It's not an inn, but tea is served, and you're never boring."
"I want to be bored."
"That's impossible."
Why did she sound so certain?
The brat stood up, and the guards hurried to clear a path. Both Clarice and Mylene bowed deeply. Even Raisa stepped back with a bit more courtesy than usual. Serena merely stood quietly, but her gaze was fixed on the guards' hands rather than the girl.
When I saw her off to the entrance, the brat turned around before boarding the carriage.
"Oh, that's right... Vain Razgrim. Next time we meet, know a little more about me before you speak."
"It seems like it would be easier not to know."
"I look forward to seeing how your face changes once you do!"
With that, the brat boarded the carriage. The royal palace crest receded into the distance. I finally let out a breath. Honestly, dealing with women from the royal capital was exhausting.
When I turned around, everyone in the mansion was looking at me in unison. They all looked like they wanted to say something. Only Serena was cleaning up the tea set with her usual poker face.
"What is it? What's with those looks?"
Clarice started to speak, then took a deep breath instead.
"...I'll talk to you properly tomorrow. My heart can't take any more today."
What an exaggerating woman. Even as I thought that, I found myself strangely unable to forget the ominous smile that the brat had left behind.