Episode 9

“The head chef is the culprit, what do you mean by that?”

The investigator looked at me, greatly perplexed.

I recalled the Imperial Palace’s work regulations I had read in the library. And in this case, it’s necessary to pay attention to the authority and responsibility of the Imperial Palace’s head chef.

“Have you checked who decided on this morning’s menu?”

“Well… the head chef sets the menu every week.”

“Right. And today’s menu was suitable for cyanide poisoning.”

Despite knowing that Camilla has a nut allergy, the head chef with the authority to select the menu deliberately chose almond pancakes sprinkled with powdered sugar for the morning menu of the competition day.

For reference, cyanide is a white powder that smells like raw almonds. Therefore, one thing was clear.

The pancakes generously topped with almonds and white powdered sugar were a meticulously prepared menu to conceal cyanide mixed with sugar.

Having planned the menu for the poisoning in advance, he deliberately absented himself on the day of the competition. The investigators would investigate the one who cooked first. That way, he would have bought himself time to escape.

The investigator still had a doubtful expression.

“But… it was said that the sous chef prepared all the ingredients today.”

“Sugar and salt are managed under the responsibility of the head chef. He must have tampered with the sugar container before he left his post.”

Sugar and salt were precious ingredients in the empire. That’s why the head chef was strictly managing their dispensation.

“How about we quickly arrest the head chef before he escapes?”

Before I even finished speaking, the flustered investigator sprang up from his seat and dashed out.

*

As expected, the Imperial Palace’s head chef was caught near the border while trying to flee the empire. He was said to have been a spy for Cortina, infiltrated into the Imperial Palace long ago.

Cortina was a nation that became a vassal state of the empire seven years ago through a conquest war. They were constantly rebelling against the empire.

Due to the attempted cyanide poisoning of the royal family, a storm of blood swept through the Imperial Palace for three days.

Those who failed to notice the presence of spies within the Imperial Palace were all executed. It was a chilling sight to behold.

And anyway, I scored big points with the emperor in this competition as planned. Though it was a bit different than I thought.

The emperor highly praised my merits in this incident and immediately doubled the budget of the Princess’s palace.

The one who was most pleased with the increased budget of the Princess’s palace was Martha.

“I’m so happy we get to buy new dresses for the Princess!”

“But Martha, if there are guards in the princess’s palace, why don’t I have a personal escort?”

Although called a spindle-shanked princess, it was curious to have no escort, considering I am of royal blood.

After the attempted assassination of the royal family, I became quite concerned for my safety, especially being targeted by a serial killer.

Martha furrowed her brows at my question.

“Your Highness… don’t you remember? Oh, right, you have amnesia….”

“Uh… Why, what happened?”

“You dismissed all your escorts, Your Highness. You said they were all inferior to Grand Duke Killian.”

“What? For such a ridiculous reason?”

“All your standards were based on Grand Duke Killian, Your Highness. You were dissatisfied with every new escort and chased them all away.”

Charlotte’s obsession with Killian was at the level of a stalker. I ruffled my hair at the karma of Charlotte that kept popping up just when it was about to be forgotten.

“Let’s find my escort right away.”

“Yes, I’ll find out right away.”

Martha cheerfully responded and left the princess’s palace with quick steps. Left alone, I opened the investigation records.

“Huh, some pages are missing?”

Startled, I sprang up from my seat, and then I remembered today’s events. It seemed that I had left some documents aside in the imperial palace’s library, intending to keep them separate for a moment.

“I must be crazy! To forget something so important.”

Scolding my own carelessness, I hurried out of the princess’s palace and ran towards the emperor’s palace.

“Phew, thankfully.”

The records were neatly in their original place. With a sigh of relief, I firmly tucked the records under my arm and left the emperor’s palace.

I hadn’t realized in my haste, but outside it had become completely dark as the sun had set.

Because I had come here in a hurry by myself, I had to return to the princess’s palace alone as well.

“Could anything happen in just a short while?”

I pretended to be nonchalant and muttered to myself, then quickly walked through the dark garden path leading from the emperor’s palace to the princess’s palace.

This was a shortcut.

Rustle-! Just then, I heard a noise behind me. A chill ran down my spine.

Wait. Could it be that the enemy spy who infiltrated to assassinate the royal family was just one chef?

Moreover, Charlotte’s life was already a mess. Even without spies, there are many in the palace who dislike me.

I swallowed hard.

Crunch-crunch-crunch-. The sound of someone trudging through the grass behind me was unmistakable.

I couldn’t muster the courage to look back. The closer I got to the princess’s palace, the darker the path became.

I licked my dry lips with my tongue.

With every step I took, it felt like my body temperature dropped by a degree.

The fear that someone was following me made my whole body tremble.

As the corner of the princess’s palace came into view, I clutched the hem of my dress and started walking almost as if I were running.

Clatter!

A clumsy branch caught under my sharp shoes, of all things.

Already hampered by my cumbersome dress, I lost my balance and tumbled to the ground of the garden in an instant.

“Agh!”

A scream escaped me before I knew it.

I was sprawled on the bare ground, burying my face in the dirt to withstand the shock, when a large black shadow loomed over me.

The thudding sound of footsteps was gradually getting closer.

Because I had fallen defenselessly, I couldn’t find anything to protect myself with.

All I could do was raise my arms over my head to shield myself. It seemed futile because they were so scrawny.

Suddenly, a thick, large hand gripped my wrist firmly.

“P-please save me!”

I begged for my life without even being able to open my eyes. I couldn’t end my second life so meaninglessly.

“Your Highness?”

But unexpectedly, a familiar voice reached my ears.

Finally, I lifted my head and slowly opened my eyes.

“Jo… John?”

“Are you alright? I came running when I heard the scream. Were you being followed by someone?”

He knelt on one knee in front of me, scanning the garden path with wary eyes.

Rustle-.

At another rustling from the low bushes, I instinctively rushed into John’s arms.

“Oh my goodness!”

John looked momentarily startled, but he kept his arms around my shoulders, attentively watching the direction of the noise.

Meow-!

Suddenly, a completely harmless crying sound was heard.

Could it be… what was following me…?

Finally realizing the situation, I lifted my head from John’s chest.

Then my gaze met John’s green eyes, which were looking down at me.

Rolling. My embarrassed eyes just rolled to the side.

*

All the way back to the princess’s palace, John chuckled and shook his shoulders with laughter.

“Heh. Did you ask the cat to save you?”

“It was dark, I was mistaken!”

I walked ahead of John quickly, my face red with embarrassment.

I was ashamed to have clung to his chest and nearly cried over just a cat.

“Of course, I understand.”

John was still giggling, finding the situation so funny.

“What are you doing near the princess’s palace at this hour?”

“Why, I have come to report on the task you assigned me.”

I sat in the parlor chair, legs crossed and arms folded, looking at John with a sulky face.

“Stop laughing and how about you report the investigation results now?”

At my grim expression, John finally coughed and removed the smile from his face.

He straightened his posture and soon put on a serious face.

“Shall we start with what the princess is most curious about?”

“What is it?”

“Well, you can be pleased. Duke Adler’s private life is so clean that there are rumors he has OCD. No common scandals whatsoever. It’s almost a pity, considering his good standing.”

“Oh, is that so.”

In truth, it wasn’t what I was most curious about, but I nodded and pretended to be interested.

John glanced at me and continued speaking.

“Of course, it seems his father, the previous Duke Adler, was not quite like that. His family affairs were quite complicated.”

“Family affairs?”

“Five years ago, Duke Adler’s biological mother died, and the current Duchess Adler is his stepmother.”

This was new information.

Of course, it wouldn’t have been a secret. However, it was clear that the duke was reluctant to mention that fact.

He hadn’t bothered to reveal it when I asked about his family on our first date.

“What was the reason for his mother’s passing?”

“It was a chronic illness. It seems the illness worsened while the duke was away at the military academy.”

“What is the duke’s relationship with his stepmother?”

“Since a very young woman who was his father’s lover took the duchess’s position… their relationship isn’t particularly close. Instead, he is said to be quite fond of his only remaining sibling, his younger sister, Lady Blaire.”

I frowned and nodded. There was nothing in his family history to specifically suggest a motive for murder.

I asked John the question that had been on my mind all along.

“Do you know why the duke didn’t join the Imperial Army after graduating from the military academy?”

John looked intrigued by my question.

“The only person who knows the reason in this empire would be Duke Adler himself. Everyone agreed it was unusual because in Asgard, having imperial military service experience leads to a fast rise in status.”

The emperor was fervent about the conquest war. Accordingly, the treatment of soldiers was also excellent.

For this reason, even high nobles had to graduate from military school and enlist, earning great merits in war to establish a strong foundation in the empire.

The reason John, a commoner of outstanding qualities, chose the military academy was the same.

But inexplicably, the duke gave up enlisting in the Imperial Army after graduating from the military academy.

If he had no intention of enlisting from the start, there was no reason to attend the military academy at all.

I narrowed my brows.

The Imperial Army was still at war in various countries.

Perhaps it meant he had given up the opportunity to kill legally.

It was hard to see it as the choice of someone who would commit serial murders out of a killing impulse.

Indeed, it seemed right to focus the investigation on ‘murder with a specific motive’.

To do so, it was imperative to find a connection between the victims and Duke Adler.

John suddenly seemed to recall something and spoke up.

“Ah, and I’m not sure if this should be considered related to Duke Adler, but since Your Highness is very interested in the serial murders…”

“Is there something more?”

“The first victim of the serial killings had worked as a private tutor in the Duke  Adler’s household until last year.”

“What?”

I asked again, surprised.

“She was the private tutor for Lady Blaire.”

The duke, who dearly cherished Blaire, and Blaire’s private tutor.

This was precisely the information I had been looking for.

A thrill ran through my body at the thought of finally finding a connection between the victim and the perpetrator.

John glanced at me slyly.

“Are you okay? You look pale.”

“No, I’m just still shaken up from the scare in the garden earlier.”

I quickly made an excuse so John wouldn’t realize what information had caught my attention.

Then his green eyes gazed at me intently.

“If you tremble at the sight of a garden cat, what makes you think you can investigate a serial murder case?”

His remark stung, and I quickly scrambled for an excuse.

“It was because I was alone in a dark place earlier.”

“For a princess, you don’t have a proper escort?”

“…Indeed, I’m about to get one now.”

At my answer, John let out a shallow sigh. It seemed he could guess the reason for the lack of an escort, whether it was the budget or my character.

He suddenly spoke up.

“Shall I protect you, Your Highness?”