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<Duchess Illyn Contributes to State Secret 'Intelligence Operation'>.
The photo was quite impressive as well. Clad in an elegant ballroom gown and standing among soldiers, Duchess Illyn looked incredibly valiant. Words like bravery, sacrifice, and boldness were easy to find throughout the article. Thanks to this, public attention shifted away from *what* kind of intelligence operation it was and focused instead on the ball in Shaharansk hosted by Duchess Illyn.
'As a result, the ball was a huge success.'
The timing was also perfect.
Those gathered in Makhachkala for the debutante schedule were all busy talking about the Shaharansk ball. The attendees of that ball became popular figures, receiving invitations to this and that gathering, and some were even invited for magazine interviews.
The testimonies of the attendees gradually became exaggerated, inflating the story until it seemed as though Duchess Illyn hadn't just been accidentally caught up in it, but had been cooperating from the very beginning.
However, no one bothered to step forward to correct the cleverly twisted truth. On the contrary, the Imperial Family announced that on the eve of the debutante ball, Duchess Illyn would be personally invited to the Imperial Palace to be awarded a medal.
Overnight, she was hailed as an elegant hero who had protected national security.
"Our little kitten has become quite clever."
Tatyana glanced at my face and turned the page of the newspaper. I stared at the main headline of the paper she was reading intently. <Duchess Illyn, State Secret...> Right. That was the headline I had mentioned earlier.
"Yes, Lara. Everything is flowing exactly as Father planned. By willingly granting a medal to Duchess Illyn, he diverted people's attention in another direction. It means the identities of the spies captured that day are that important... or in other words, quite shocking. A few answers come to mind."
Tatyana took off her glasses and drank some freshly poured milk tea. The steaming milk tea flowed into the mouth of Tatyana, who seemed oblivious to the heat. Just watching her made my own tongue curl.
"If you mean an answer... are you talking about the rebels?"
"The probability is quite high. Even if they were all wiped out, the roots remain. But, well. If it were the rebels, it wouldn't hurt to exaggerate and publicize the mopping up of the remnants. There seems to be no reason to hide it this diligently."
"If not the rebels, then who?"
"I think it would be more certain to ask the person next to you rather than me, Lara."
At those words, I turned my head to check the seat beside me. Ivan, who had been focused on reading the newspaper just like Tatyana, had his mouth wide open in a yawn.
Today was exactly one week since the Shaharansk incident.
Only my family, Valentin, and Sergei knew that the Genevieve Magnola who attended the ball that day was actually me. However, after the truth was revealed, Tatyana was the only one who scolded me for going down to Shaharansk in disguise. This meant the rest of my family, including my mother, had already known.
Tatyana had, for the first time, slapped Vasily and Ivan across the cheeks for carrying out a dangerous operation while completely deceiving her (and me).
[Ha! You haven't forgotten that I am the successor to the throne after Vasily, have you? No matter how 'optimal' or 'best' the move was, to pull something like this while leaving me out just because you thought I would strongly oppose it!]
[Tanya.]
[Apologize to her this instant! Whether you cut off your fingers or fast for ten days, pay the price for using a child who isn't even an adult to hunt those bastards!]
Because Tatyana flew into such a rage, I—the actual bait—couldn't even vent my own frustrations and had to awkwardly receive their apologies.
It was a sign of how much Tatyana loved me, and perhaps a reason to emphasize her own ignored rights, but...
'I volunteered to attend the ball myself.'
I didn't mind. If anything, I felt relieved.
They were people who had been stealing information on Tatyana and me for several months. This meant there was a hole in the security of the Imperial Family and Ohala, so it was only right to weed them out as quickly as possible.
As a member of the Imperial Family, protecting the nation from a crisis was my duty. The duty of royalty, which had been drilled into me by my father and mother until my ears were sore.
Ivan dismissed the thought with an expression that said 'here we go again.'
"I'll say it once more, I was simply following Brother's orders."
"What? Taking Lara to Shaharansk behind my back? Or using Lara as bait to catch stalkers instead of the incompetent soldiers? You really have no backbone."
"Stop using that word 'bait.' Wasn't this argument over? Are you going to keep getting on my nerves like this?"
"If you had a conscience, you wouldn't be irritable in front of me, would you? I wonder if Brother Vasily or I would have been used as bait. It couldn't have been an operation Father proposed himself. I wonder whose head this plan came from?"
I didn't have the courage to say it was Valentin. Tatyana already disliked Valentin's very existence; I couldn't let his image be tarnished further. And the fact that I was used as bait wasn't because I was the youngest... I could never say that either.
"I'm sorry, but that 'head' thought Lara was you. He used her as bait because he thought it was you."
But it seemed Ivan had the courage. The courage to say such a thing.
Far from being angry, Tatyana stroked her chin with a look of slight interest. She really is peculiar.
"Hmm. He thought it was me?"
"Yes. He said that if it were you, you're the type who would survive by using others as shields just to get revenge."
"Aha, I see. Quite the insight. A talent with that level of insight, who would suggest using a member of the Imperial Family as bait..."
"Ah, I'm stuffed! The black tea felt even more fragrant today. I'm busy, so I'll head out first."
"Alright, Lara. You know the social season starts in two days, right? Take thorough care of your skin. Don't let it get dry by staying out in the cold wind for too long."
"Okay."
I left the dining room as if escaping.
In truth, saying I was busy wasn't even an excuse. There were a few things I had to handle before the social season began. One of those was personally checking and organizing the support supplies to be sent to the orphanage.
Well, not me, but my maid, Fedora.
"You've arrived, Your Highness? You finished your meal early today. The product check is mostly done. Now all that's left is the sorting."
"Good work, Fedora."
The moment I entered the room to receive the payment statement from Fedora, someone pressed close behind my back and whispered.
"I feel like it's increasing as time goes by. Weren't there clearly only a couple of boxes at first?"
Startled, I spun around to find Ivan standing there, hunched over and peeking at the papers. *Sigh.* I clutched my chest.
"You scared me!"
"Then who told you to run away and leave me behind? Are these things for the orphanage?"
"If you're not going to help, stop bothering me and go away."
"You heartless thing. Who is the person who took you to the orphanage once a year?"
"Vasily took me four times a year, and Tanya took me twice. Isn't it heartless to brag about taking me only once or twice?"
Ivan ignored me and opened a box to check the items. For him to come find me without a word and interfere in my business—it was a sight unthinkable five years ago, but not anymore.
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