Author: 冬瓜茶仙人 / Winter Melon Tea Immortal

Translator: Kinky || https://kinkytranslations.com/

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Chapter 25

Infiltrating the palace.

Actually, this task wasn’t as difficult as it sounded.

On any continent, the extravagant and vain behavior of the nobility was universal, which led them to employ many inexplicably large amounts of manpower and resources when they gathered.

Dwight had seen with his own eyes a noblewoman who wore a dress to a court ball that required four maids to drag its train—it was at least twenty feet long. Additionally, two other maids had to watch the people around her to prevent them from stepping on the lavish train as the lady turned.

Mokwen’s current king, Tifa, undoubtedly excelled in this pomp; he had people polish the palace ornaments and lay sod and trim hedges two months in advance. He also unnecessarily decorated the fig trees along the main street leading to the palace with colorful metalwork.

Of course, these magnificent decorations set in public places often mysteriously disappeared during the unguarded nights, forcing the officials in charge of external palace decor to exhaust themselves filling in the gaps. Even additional night guards proved ineffective—but that wasn’t the point.

The point was that from two months ago, all sorts of craftsmen and servants had been coming and going from the Mokwen palace. Even the best guards couldn’t possibly keep an eye on every unfamiliar face all the time.

They also disdained remembering the faces of common folk.

For anyone working in the palace, remembering the faces of nobility that one couldn’t afford to offend, under the right circumstances, was a demonstration of capability.

Clerk Lopez was one such capable person.

From a young age, his photographic memory made him stand out among his father’s numerous illegitimate children. Not only was he exceptionally recommended to the Senate as a junior recorder, but he also got many unexpected opportunities.

Like standing at the palace gate to welcome each noble who didn’t reside permanently in the capital during the king’s birthday celebrations.

Although it was a rather respectable job, standing at the palace gate to welcome nobles for several consecutive days was indeed exhausting.

Lopez tried not to think about his swollen, painful feet and made an effort to appear energetic as carriages drove through the gates.

“My Lord,” Lopez greeted as a servant laid down a footstool. “His Majesty the Wise said that his arms would return at the first light of dawn, and he sent me here—”

Perhaps his bow was too perfect. Before he could finish speaking, his glasses, which should have been securely on his nose, slid off suddenly and fell under the carriage.

Silence ensued. The ceremony officer standing guard with him, who was nearly blind, had no idea what had happened. Lopez froze, forgetting even to straighten up.

It felt like half a century passed before a gentle female voice said, “I haven’t seen glasses of that color before. Is it the latest fashion in the capital?”

Lopez snapped back to reality and quickly said, “Some craftsmen from the east came with a type of light tea-colored glass. They say it’s clearer than ordinary glasses.”

“Your eyes are beautiful. I wouldn’t want them to be obscured by anything,” came the voice from above Lopez, seemingly indifferent.

“I’m just asking. I wouldn’t want to be embarrassed in front of other ladies at the dinner…” As the woman spoke, she passed by Lopez and entered the palace gate with the count, followed by servants hurrying behind.

Lopez straightened up, knowing he had made a mistake. If the noble pursued the issue, he might end up building walls the next day.

But the young lady beside him, who had no need to, still spoke up for him.

What a gentle and understanding lady…

Lopez dared to look back but saw only the broad back of a tall man disappearing around the corner, accompanied by a swath of light golden hair.

With ten days until the king’s birthday, the arriving nobles had already lit up the great houses of the capital. Invitations to upper-class social dinners were being distributed relentlessly to all influential nobles, and madams and ladies were painstakingly preparing their gowns and jewels. Gentlemen were discreetly exchanging various pieces of information and rumors. Daily gossip filled all pages of the tabloids… It was as if the social season had arrived early.

But not everyone was enthusiastic about this.

“My Lady, you don’t look very well.” A lady with a very low-cut neckline, which fully displayed a complex and beautiful opal necklace, looked concernedly at the woman beside her. “Is it too stuffy here?”

The woman, who had been absentmindedly staring at the candlelight on the table, came to her senses and smiled, shaking her head. “It’s a bit colder here than in the south, but I’m not so delicate. I just saw the branches of the laurel tree outside moving. The wind tonight is quite strong.”

A few exquisitely made-up women were silent for a moment, then all chuckled in unison, as if they were in a perfume-filled henhouse.

“I don’t think it’s the wind, but someone trying to check their petticoat under the cover of the laurel.” A woman with a high hair bun casually stroked the lace on her skirt. “As far as I know, half the men in the royal city are at Viscount Mori’s tonight, so who could be outside?”

“Oh dear. I wouldn’t know, but I did notice a handsome coachman earlier…” someone teased, dragging out the tone, but only got halfway through.

Half a sentence was enough. Whether it was ‘handsome’ or ‘coachman’ that hit these ladies’ funny bone, they all burst into laughter again.

The garden of the banquet had always been a traditionally agreed place for secret affairs. After the laughter, the topic quickly turned to news of several mages entering the palace.

“It’s not entirely mages. At least three young men are apprentices.” A lady who lived in the capital lowered her voice. “And I heard… they didn’t come for His Majesty’s birthday celebration.”

Her dramatically lowered voice indeed caught the attention of those around her, bringing the gossip circle closer together.

“Strange things have been happening in the palace,” the lady said, covering half her face with her fan. “His Majesty is using the excuse of his birthday to have some mages investigate thoroughly.”

“Lady Mary, what kind of strange things could be happening in the palace?” the lady revealing much of her chest asked dismissively.

Lady Mary lifted her fan slightly. “There are rumors that the king has a new mistress.”

The atmosphere suddenly cooled.

Amid the music and laughter, the sudden silence in their little corner went unnoticed by others.

The young lady, who had been daydreaming, softly spoke up. “Her Majesty the Queen’s beauty makes even the stars in the sky shy away from shining. I believe there must be some misunderstanding.”

Everyone knew this was just polite flattery. There was only one queen, but the king’s number of mistresses had always been limitless. If anything, several of those in this cozy sofa group by the wall had had their flirtations with the king—hardly novel gossip.

The lady’s aim was merely to break the silence, and her bright eyes turned to Lady Mary, clearly waiting for her to continue.

Lady Mary seemed slightly annoyed by the lack of encouragement, but if she were wise, she wouldn’t discuss the king’s private matters openly at such a gathering.

Still, she couldn’t help but retort, “I am a cousin of Her Majesty. Would I speak without confirmation? It’s normal to have one or two mistresses, but what’s odd is that no one knows where these women come from—His Majesty’s bedroom often has unfamiliar long hairs and different scents of perfume, yet even the servants who sleep by the king’s bedroom door haven’t noticed anyone who could have been with the king. Even though there are guards in every corridor at night, no one has seen anyone enter the king’s room. Yet, during the quiet of the night, sounds of playful joy can be heard.”

“The queen has investigated all the maids in the palace, but to no avail. There are no outsiders entering the palace, yet unusual traces are often found in the king’s bedroom. It’s almost like…”

It was almost as if an invisible specter, taking the form of a seductive woman, slipped through the king’s window in the moonlight, disappearing at the first light of dawn.

Royal affairs of the heart could only be discussed ambiguously in dimly lit salon corners. Thanks to the strong-willed Lady Mary, a little prodding was all it took for her to unwittingly provide more details.

For instance, the king’s bedroom actually had a secret compartment behind the bed, covered with light green wallpaper painted with ivy in gold paint. At first glance, it seemed ordinary, but a careful touch could reveal the subtle texture that was the switch for the secret compartment. Those emerging from it could easily lift the king’s bed curtains.

Another detail was that the compartment was only the size of a standard closet, the only piece of furniture being a handmade cashmere carpet from Minicia—ensuring silence when walked upon. Another exit led to a hidden staircase, known to no more than three people in the entire palace…

Although the entire palace was decked out in festive decor, the old and quiet tower on the west side of the palace remained grim and dilapidated even after its moss was scrubbed away and new candles were placed. She ascended the slightly damp steps, fine moss, as delicate as down feathers, stubbornly emerging from the square stone wall cracks, seeming to glow green in the dim air.

The area was deserted, silent as the earth before dawn. She couldn’t hear her own footsteps, but her heart throbbed relentlessly, stimulating her brain.

Fifty-seven, fifty-eight… She counted her steps carefully, making sure not to sway the lantern in her hand. Noblewomen surrounded by jeweled satin rarely had to walk or climb like this, and before long, she felt her corset squeezing her organs. She paused to let a wave of dizziness pass and rested briefly before continuing upwards.

One hundred and sixty-four.

A turning point appeared on the stone steps, along with an undecorated pine door.

She stopped and listened intently for a while, but silence prevailed. She then pushed open the pine door, and a wave of warm air and fragrance from inside briefly relaxed her tense facial expression.

Behind the pine door indeed lay a small room, and there truly lay a large Minicia handmade carpet, luxurious in pattern and color, a rarity even in the empire.

The only difference from the rumors was that besides the carpet, there was a wooden box in the room, beautifully carved but unlocked.

She set the lantern on the floor and gently touched the box, barely exerting force when the lid lifted slightly.

A low, melodious sound of a Soltrey lyre flowed from within.

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