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Scanning the office with cold eyes, she spoke.
“If you required my assistance, why did you not wake me? Had it been Your Highness's command, I would have risen immediately, even if I had stayed awake for four nights.”
“The command was already given. I suppose the Duchess simply forgot, as she is so preoccupied with work.”
A deep sense of disappointment flickered across Duchess Illyn's face.
“It is entirely my fault. It seems I have appeared somewhat unreliable to Your Highness. It would have been better if Oksana had at least provided you with some reassurance. I am merely regretful that she failed to do so.”
She reprimanded Oksana along with me.
Seeing her scold the daughter she loves so dearly in front of me, it seemed she wasn't entirely shielding Oksana. Conversely, it meant she was that incredibly angry—both because I had entered the office without warning and because I had used Oksana in the process.
“First, I apologize for using the office without permission, Duchess. I am well aware that this is where Horgan's confidential documents are kept. The blueprints I peeked at were part of those secrets. I am sorry for startling you.”
It is very important to uphold a parent's prestige in front of their children. At least, assuming that parent is a valuable asset to me.
At my polite apology, devoid of any pretense, the other woman's stiff expression softened ever so slightly.
“As I mentioned, there is a grave matter I wish to convey to the Duchess. Before that, I would like to clear up some misunderstandings, so I intend to offer a somewhat pathetic excuse for my position. Will you listen?”
“Your Highness, there is no need to humble yourself so before me. Please, speak freely.”
Yes, between people, communication is more important than anything. This was a realization I had reached deep in my heart while suffering through all sorts of delusions regarding Ivan.
I opened my mouth slowly, without rushing.
“I reviewed the 160 blueprints you handed me twice each over the past two days. However, I could not find a single candidate for Libertan's stronghold. Isn't that strange?”
“One cannot review all 160 pages in a mere two days. I have heard that Your Highness possesses an exceptional memory, but there must surely be parts you overlooked. The volume is simply too vast.”
“In a mere two days, I memorized a hundred portraits, Duchess.”
“One hundred and sixty is a strictly different number from one hundred. Furthermore, comparing blueprints and memorizing them are entirely different tasks, are they not?”
“No, to me, they are the same. It's not a matter of analyzing the structure piece by piece; it's more like copy-pasting.”
Duchess Illyn looked as if she couldn't comprehend my claim at all. It was a common reaction. Had the opponent been Ivan or Sergei, I would have shouted, 'Shut up and accept that I'm a genius, you mediocre peasant!' but since it was her, I did not lose my kind smile.
“When I memorized the portraits, I made sure to get six hours of sound sleep every day. But this time, I stayed up all night.”
“…….”
“I do not make mistakes. Never. Not once have I misremembered a text or a drawing. Perhaps that is why this thought occurred to me. Since I didn't make a mistake... the Duchess must have.”
Duchess Illyn's eyes narrowed.
She had intentionally handed me fake blueprints. However, there was no need to point out the opponent's intentions or point fingers in a setting like this.
To save Duchess Illyn's face and convey my pure goodwill, I defended her.
“It's not surprising, considering you've been pushing yourself ridiculously hard for several days. Moreover, there are no proper servants here, and Oksana, who should be helping you, has been busy attending to me, hasn't she?”
“……No matter how busy I am, I would have come running immediately had Your Highness called.”
What a silver-tongued liar. If that were true, she would have sent me away just now, claiming my abilities were flawed. Even if I had boasted of my great memory and insisted 'you made a mistake,' it wouldn't have been much different.
In the end, I would have been forced to assert my authority as a Princess and forcibly seize the blueprints from Duchess Illyn. That would not have been a very wise judgment.
“The reason I didn't wake you was half out of sympathy and half out of childishness. I didn't want to wake someone who had fallen asleep from exhaustion just to demand my share.”
“……Is that so.”
“Well, to some extent... there was a part of me that wanted my abilities to be recognized by the Duchess. I have no excuse for such immature thoughts.”
An attitude of admitting one's mistakes mixed with a bit of flattery. Duchess Illyn viewed me as Oksana. The disappointment that had filled her face began to melt away little by little.
“Either way, now that you're awake, it's all the same, isn't it?”
No, it's different.
Once you crush someone with power and make them realize their mistake by telling them 'you are wrong,' the relationship cannot be restored. Because the experience of having one's pride and face trampled upon is remembered for a lifetime.
However, the act of quietly confessing after secretly causing a stir is different.
Today's events would be remembered by Duchess Illyn as a small happening caused by an immature Princess who wanted to be recognized by an adult.
“Hmm... come to think of it, you're right. In the end, it looks like I just harassed the Duchess. Still, please laugh it off. Because I've found the answer.”
As I waved the real blueprints with a smile, the expressions of Duchess Illyn and Chenko froze coldly.
“The answer?”
“The Party Orphanage.”
“…….”
“Additionally, the Redestcha Orphanage, the Skopin Orphanage, the Romoscope Orphanage, and the Dlinst Orphanage. Those five are the answer.”
“……I find it difficult to understand what you are talking about.”
“Duchess, are you familiar with the 'Good Child Rules' of Kashlain?”
“No, this is the first I've heard of them.”
“From a young age, they are taught that they must wash their hands and feet at least twice a day. Thanks to that, they grow up with relatively few minor illnesses and have a lower probability of contracting infectious diseases.”
It was a fact I had learned while volunteering at orphanages over the past four years.
“But the people of the Empire have no such tradition. In the orphanages of Makhachkala that I saw with my own eyes, most of the children always suffered from mild colds or skin diseases. Since they were difficult to treat, they became chronic conditions that lasted for years... and once, I even caught something while volunteering.”
“…….”
“At thirteen, while suffering from a lingering cough, I—quite brilliantly—decided to supply soap to all the orphanages. So that all the children could wash their hands and feet cleanly. Do you know? Actually, soap had been supplied to the orphanages for a long time. It just wasn't being used properly. Most of it was secretly resold to expand the orphanages' budgets.”
“How unscrupulous.”
“But at the time, I was a thirteen-year-old Princess with nothing to do... and my job was to visit the orphanages twice a week to check what state the soap was in. They didn't dare resell the soap I sent. That's how the children started using it properly.”
I didn't intend to brag in front of Duchess Illyn, but she looked quite surprised. However, she soon regained her composure and asked calmly.
“You did a truly wonderful thing, Your Highness. So, what is the point of this story?”
I answered without hesitation.
“Libertan's final stronghold is in the orphanages. These blueprints are identical to the structure of the old chicken coops where the soap was stored. In all five orphanages.”
“…….”
“It's strange. How can all five be exactly the same? Now that I think about it, they all had old chicken coops installed. It was strange that they hadn't been torn down despite being so dilapidated, but since they were used as warehouses for soap, I never specifically pointed it out. I wonder if they are all connected like an ant colony?”
For a moment, Duchess Illyn and Chenko remained frozen with disbelief.
“……Hah.”
Chenko let out a short, breathless laugh and clapped loudly.
“Haha, as expected... our Princess is so amazing it's staggering, isn't she? This time, I am genuinely impressed... Ah, Duchess? I'll be heading back to the Captain now. I want to deliver this precious information with my own mouth as soon as possible. I need to get ready to kiss that bastard Libertan right on his face.”
Without waiting for an answer, he dashed out of the office.
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