Chapter 26: If It Cannot Be Resolved Publicly (2)

A carriage passed through the street and came to a stop in front of Trine Diego’s house.

The man who stepped out of the carriage was Count Diang Oulad. He was a neatly dressed young man with tidy blond hair and a refined face.

It was not a scheduled visit.

Count Diang Oulad got off the carriage with his butler, Flang, and knocked on the door of Trine Diego’s home.

Knock! Knock!

When the door opened, Sophia, who had been home alone, appeared.

“Who might you be?”

At that question, the butler Flang stepped back, and Diang Oulad spoke.

“I am Diang Oulad. I wonder if you might have heard my name before.”

His tone was calm and courteous.

Of course, Sophia had heard of that name before, and her eyes widened as she asked,

“Are you the one His Majesty said he would arrange for me to meet?”

“That’s correct. I’m glad you’ve heard about me. If it’s not too much trouble, could we continue this conversation inside?”

“Oh… I’ve made you stand here all this time. Please, come in.”

“Feel free to call me Diang. I’m still not quite used to being called ‘Count.’”

Following her lead, Diang took a seat on the sofa.

As Sophia moved toward the kitchen, she asked,

“How could I possibly call a Count so casually? Anyway, what kind of tea would you prefer?”

“I’ll have the same as you, Miss Sophia. Ah, if it’s all right to call you that?”

“Whatever makes you comfortable.”

With that reply, Sophia brought out some warm fruit tea.

“Mmm~! The aroma is wonderful.”

“But what brings you here? I haven’t yet given His Majesty an answer regarding the arrangement.”

“Sir Trine Diego, the Royal Knight Commander, is quite famous, is he not? I was simply curious after being introduced to his only daughter, Miss Sophia, so I decided to visit.”

“Do you know my father well?”

At her question, Diang exclaimed,

“But of course! He’s one of the few knights in the Canel Kingdom who has reached the rank of Swordmaster. And so many people respect him. Naturally, I, too, admire Sir Trine Diego.”

Hearing this, Sophia didn’t feel particularly uncomfortable.

Though she did feel a bit of pressure because of his noble rank, unlike most aristocrats, there was no sign of arrogance or pretentiousness in him.

‘Is he perhaps a better person than I thought?’

Her gaze drifted toward him.

When their eyes met, Diang Oulad smiled softly and sipped his tea.

The two continued talking about various topics as time passed.

Only when the sun was about to set did Diang Oulad finally rise from his seat.

“I’ve taken up too much of your time.”

“Not at all. I’m the one who should thank you for coming all the way here.”

“No, I should apologize instead. Visiting without notice might have been rude of me. And please, don’t feel pressured about the arrangement. Still, I’d like you to know that I’ve come to take quite an interest in you, Miss Sophia.”

After saying that, Diang Oulad stepped outside and boarded his carriage.

As the carriage departed, Sophia stood there, staring intently at its receding figure.

“Is he really a good person?”

She had already asked around the plaza about Count Diang Oulad, but there hadn’t been any bad rumors about him.

Yet, in the corner of her mind, the face of Jade surfaced.

“That bastard…”

Patrick, unable to find any information about Diang Oulad even after asking around, went to the Eye of the Moon.

Regina greeted his visit with a pleasantly surprised expression.

“I didn’t expect to see you again so soon.”

“Indeed.”

“So, what brings you here today?”

“I’m here to buy information on someone. It’d be great if you already have it, but if not, I’d like to commission an investigation.”

“And who would that be?”

“Diang Oulad. He’s a Count and one of the current ministers of foreign affairs. He recently inherited his title.”

At that answer, Regina raised her gaze thoughtfully and pondered.

“Investigating a current Count, huh… Quite the difficult request, especially after such a long absence.”

“Would three hundred gold coins be enough for a satisfying answer?”

That was more than what he’d paid last time when he was searching for Dike.

It was a considerable sum—far more than what was usually required for information trading—so Regina’s eyes widened in surprise.

“You’re not planning to haggle over the price at all?”

“I believe anything is worth its value if the information proves worthwhile. Of course, as long as the results justify the cost. So, do you have any information on Diang Oulad?”

At his slightly impatient tone, Regina gestured for someone to bring over several bundles of parchment.

A large stack was soon placed before her.

Patrick’s eyes widened in surprise as he looked at it.

“Don’t tell me all of that is about Diang Oulad?”

“That can’t be.”

Regina gave a small scoff as she sifted through the bundles of parchment.

“These are the files I gathered on the heirs of nobles who were about to inherit their titles.”

She pulled out two sheets of parchment.

Unfolding them, Regina’s lips curled into a meaningful smile.

“I’m not sure what your reason for asking is, but… if it’s to get leverage on someone, you’ve picked quite the interesting target.”

Patrick took the parchments from her hand.

When he looked through their contents, his eyes widened.

“Oh ho… So Count Liang Oulad had such hobbies?”

“Quite the repulsive hobbies, if you ask me.”

“How reliable is this information?”

“Judging by its classification level, I’d say nearly one hundred percent.”

At her answer, Patrick frowned deeply.

“If this is really true, then I’ll have to move quickly. I’ll be taking my leave now.”

He pulled a heavy pouch of gold coins from his coat and placed it on the table.

“You won’t need to count it, I assume?”

“Do as you wish.”

Rising from his seat, Patrick left the Eye of the Moon at once.

Raion hurriedly read through the Eye of the Moon’s report that Patrick had brought back.

The document detailed the suspicious actions of Liang Oulad in full.

“Did the Eye of the Moon claim this was true?”

“They said it was certain.”

The contents written on the parchment were as follows:

Continental Year 928

—Multiple corpses were discovered outside a mansion owned by Count Deiran Oulad, on the outskirts of the royal capital.

—The victims were young women who had gone missing over a short period.

—The culprit was never found.

Continental Year 929

—Diang Oulad disappeared while visiting a red-light district.

—The next day, the body of a prostitute in her early twenties was found in an alleyway.

—Afterward, bodies began appearing irregularly.

—The suspected perpetrator: Diang Oulad.

Continental Year 930

—A commoner woman, who had been Diang Oulad’s lover, was found dead.

—The culprit remains unidentified.

—Given the previous circumstances, Diang Oulad was presumed responsible.

The last record was from four years ago.

As he read, Raion furrowed his brow deeply, tapping his finger against the desk.

If what he had just read was true, then Diang Oulad was far more troublesome than he had expected.

“Patrick, are you familiar with the incident where prostitutes were murdered in that district?”

“It was fairly well-known—who wouldn’t have heard of it? But the killer was never caught. And since it was an affair that neither ministers nor nobles cared about, it was quietly covered up.”

On the Phalon Continent, prostitutes occupied a social rank between commoners and slaves.

Though they weren’t bound to a master, they sold their bodies by choice, and no one treated them as human beings.

“How could the Eye of the Moon know all this and still— No, wait. It’s not their fault.”

After all, the Eye of the Moon wasn’t an organization driven by justice.

They gathered information, tracked people, and carried out contracts purely for profit.

Naturally, most of their work was illegal.

They used their various branches across nations as shields, spying on ministers and nobles alike to ensure their own safety.

They quietly collected blackmail material and used it only when their position was threatened.

Of course, Patrick despised such methods, which was why he had objected when Raion suggested hiring them.

“You’re right. They wouldn’t move unless there’s something in it for them.”

“But doesn’t it seem odd that they so easily handed over information about Diang Oulad—someone who’s both a foreign affairs minister and a newly succeeded count?”

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs handled communication and negotiations with other nations.

From the perspective of the Eye of the Moon, that kind of person would normally be a very useful connection.

“Maybe Diang Oulad has become a discarded pawn to them.”

“That’s not an unreasonable guess. Either way, he’s someone we must deal with.”

“What are you planning to do?”

Patrick already knew why Raion was investigating Diang Oulad.

It was connected to Trine, Jade, and Sophia.

If they didn’t take action soon, something terrible might happen.

“I might have to move personally this time.”

“Your Highness, you mean yourself?”

“Tell the Eye of the Moon to monitor Diang Oulad’s movements. Especially let us know whenever he acts alone.”

If Diang Oulad were to do anything in secret, he would likely work alone.

Still, Patrick couldn’t help but feel uneasy about Raion taking matters into his own hands.

“What exactly are you planning to do?”

“If possible, I’d prefer to handle this through others, but given the situation… that may not be enough.”

“Surely you’re not thinking of harming Count Diang Oulad?”

Raion didn’t answer. He simply kept staring at the parchment he’d been reading a moment ago.

The sun was setting over the royal capital.

Inside a carriage, Count Diang Oulad sat facing Sophia.

“Hahaha! I had no idea Miss Sophia was so interested in state affairs.”

“It’s not exactly interest—since my father works at the royal palace, I naturally came to learn about such things.”

“That’s not an easy feat. Most women tend to be more interested in household matters. Ah! I don’t mean that as an insult to women, of course.”

Waving his hand as if afraid of offending her, Diang Oulad laughed awkwardly.

“I wouldn’t take it that way. In fact, it’s nice to meet someone with an open mind.”

“I’m truly honored that you think so, Miss Sophia.”

Pitter-patter! Pitter-patter!

As the two conversed, the sound of rain began drumming against the carriage.

“It seems it’s started raining.”

Fortunately, the carriage had already arrived in front of Sophia’s house.

“I’ll head in now.”

“Thank you for spending time with me again today.”

After saying her farewell, Sophia stepped down from the carriage and went inside.

The rainfall grew heavier.

From the carriage window, Liang Oulad’s face slowly appeared.

His once-pleasant expression was now completely blank, his gaze cold and chilling.

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