Chapter 28
An ordinary maid moving too quietly might arouse suspicion. Someone might hear the footsteps and look, but they would likely assume it was just an unfortunate servant who couldn’t sleep.
Sian remained vigilant of her surroundings while naturally crossing the corridor, heading first towards the castle lobby.
From the lobby at the front of the castle, stairs led to the second floor, and from there, stairs to the third floor. The guards were positioned at the approach to the third floor, where the Prince’s quarters were located.
Although she had never been to the second floor, Sian tried to act as naturally as possible, recalling the floor plan Carl had etched into her memory.
Ascending the stairs on either side of the lobby led to another corridor. The offices of the vassals, such as the Chief Administrator, Administrator, and Secretary, were clustered there.
Fortunately, the vassals’ residences were either in mansions outside the inner castle or in separate annexes away from the castle, so there was no need to worry about encountering them at this late hour.
The problem was the lower-ranking individuals who couldn’t leave the castle, but thanks to their well-chosen timing, there were no signs of anyone.
There was no need to make loud noises at a time when most would be sound asleep, so Sian walked on the second floor, muffling her footsteps as much as possible.
Past the branching path that split in two, then past the corridor that bent at the far right end of the castle, and right again.
After winding around, the stairs leading to the third floor were finally deep in the central part of the castle’s second floor. Sian inadvertently swallowed a short breath when she discovered the guards visible as soon as she turned an unfamiliar corner.
Two soldiers stood like figures in a painting, dressed in armor and holding long spears, exactly as one might imagine gatekeepers.
…Has Carl arrived yet?
The sleeping gas Sian had prepared didn’t have a very long duration of effect. At most, it was close to an anesthetic that would create a drowsy state for 10 to 20 minutes. So, she needed to time it well with Carl.
“What brings you here?”
Although the third floor’s owner, the Prince, was absent, the guards’ demeanor was flawless. The two guards crossed their spears in the air to form an ‘X’ and addressed Sian in her maid’s attire.
The servants’ passage is a shortcut, so he should have arrived by now.
Sian calculated in her head as she curtsied to the guards, lightly grasping her skirt.
“I apologize for the late hour. I was cleaning the third floor and I think I dropped something precious.”
Her act was flawless. At least, that’s what Sian thought.
But the guards didn’t clear the way so easily. After exchanging cautious glances with each other, one guard looked back at Sian.
“But why come at such a late hour? It will be too dark to see properly.”
“…Well, it’s a precious keepsake left by my grandfather who raised me after I lost my parents early. When I realized I had lost it, I couldn’t sleep.”
Sian covered her cheeks with both hands as if embarrassed.
“I could look for it in the morning, but I have to work then, so I wanted to find it as soon as possible…”
“Then I’ll accompany you to look for it.”
However, things don’t always go as planned in this world. One of the guards on the left stepped forward, standing his spear upright.
Sian hadn’t expected the guard to offer to accompany her. Flustered, she waved both hands.
“Oh no, I couldn’t. I can’t trouble the soldiers who are doing such difficult shift work. Couldn’t I just go quickly by myself to find it? I think I know roughly where I dropped it, so I can come back quickly.”
“But the third floor is very dark as the lamplighters haven’t lit it.”
What unnecessary concern when I said it’s fine. Sian grumbled inwardly while carefully fidgeting with her apron.
“I have good night vision, so it’s okay. I appreciate your kindness. I’ll just find the item and come right back!”
If they absolutely wouldn’t clear the way, she had no choice but to resort to forceful measures, regrettable as it might be. Since the sleeping gas took some time to take effect, she planned to use the sleeping needles for a quick knockout.
“Are you sure you’ll be alright?”
The guards exchanged glances once more before asking for confirmation. Sian nodded up and down, keeping her hand on her apron.
“Then please return as quickly as possible. If you don’t come back after 30 minutes, I’ll come up after you.”
Just as Sian grasped the sleeping needles in her apron pocket, the kind guard raised his spear to clear the way and spoke.
“Thank you!”
Sian smiled brightly like an innocent maid. Then she passed between the two guards and ascended the stairs shrouded in pitch darkness.
Although she was accustomed to dangerous situations, her lips felt dry with tension as she unavoidably passed between the long spears.
After deliberately making noise climbing about ten steps, Sian took out the sleeping gas instead of the sleeping needles from her apron pocket, gauging it by feel.
Matching the sound of her feet hitting the stairs, Sian carefully dropped the sleeping gas down the stairs. The gas, crushed by her fingertips before dropping, emitted a pale smoke as soon as it hit the floor. Sian briefly turned back to confirm the smoke spreading, then tightly covered her nose with her sleeve.
Thanks to the pitch-black surroundings where not even lights were lit due to the absence of the owner, the pale smoke screen of the sleeping gas wasn’t too noticeable.
Satisfied, Sian hurriedly climbed the stairs and watched the situation below. The guards, facing forward, didn’t seem to have noticed the smoke spreading at their feet yet.
Sian leaned her back against the wall, hiding her body in the darkness, and calmly counted to 10 in her mind.
10, 9, 8, 7…
Only a moment after the reversed count reached 1, the tips of the spears the guards were holding began to waver subtly. The sleeping gas was taking effect.
From that point, feeling a bit anxious, Sian chewed on her lips.
As this was Sian’s first time in Ivarid Castle, even the corridors were unfamiliar. No matter how well she had memorized the floor plan from Carl, it was impossible to memorize all the servants’ shortcuts. She had guessed that there would be a servants’ shortcut somewhere in the corridor she had passed through, but Carl was nowhere to be seen.
It was unclear whether he was cautiously waiting for the guards to become more drowsy, or if the timing had simply not aligned. If it was the former, that would be fortunate, but if it was the latter, things would inevitably get complicated.
…Why isn’t he coming?
Just as Sian’s anxiety reached its peak, the previously straight tips of the guards’ spears noticeably wavered and tilted greatly.
And that’s when it happened. Suddenly, a black figure appeared from somewhere, moving silently and quickly along the corridor wall towards the stairs.
It was Carl.
…Wow.
As anxious as the waiting time had been, Sian couldn’t help but inwardly admire Carl’s movements, which were low, silent, and agile in a way that was hard to believe of a prince.
What kind of prince is this? Anyone would see him as an excellent assassin.
Thanks to the sleeping gas working brilliantly, despite the figure crossing the stairs, the guards only swayed their bodies without blocking the way as they had with Sian.
Carl, who had bounded up the stairs three steps at a time with his long legs, quickly arrived in front of Sian.
“…This is too easy?”
Carl muttered with satisfaction in a nasal voice, his nose covered.
“Indeed. The consideration of the Chief Administrator and Administrator, who were smitten with Karen, who looks just like His Highness the Prince, is really paying off.”
The male mercenaries who hadn’t received the consideration of Ivarid’s vassals all used the barracks outside the inner castle. If they had to infiltrate from the outside, it wouldn’t have been this easy.
Sian agreed with Carl in a very small voice and then nodded.
“Lead the way.”
Carl nodded and crossed the darkness-engulfed corridor with large strides. Lest she lose sight of him in the darkness with his all-black attire, Sian followed closely behind, carefully not making any sound.
At first, she struggled quite a bit as her eyes weren’t accustomed to the darkness, but after some time, she could distinguish her surroundings. The third floor, which Prince Carlston had reportedly used alone as both his office and quarters, was more luxurious and cleaner than any other part of the castle.
From the sparkling marble tiles in the corridor to even the unlit wall sconces, everything looked expensive with sophisticated decorations.
“Your taste is really refined… Those candleholders look expensive. Are they also the work of some race?”
“It goes without saying.”
Carl answered proudly. Sian shrugged. Her expectations for the Prince’s secret funds they were about to encounter suddenly skyrocketed.
“This way is the office. The bedroom is connected to the office.”
“You don’t need to guide me. It’s not like I’ll be coming here twice.”
Carl explained in front of the grand double doors at the end of the corridor, with even the door frames decorated. But Sian dismissed Carl’s words.
“Don’t be so sure about that. You never know what might happen.”
Carl, who had briefly pulled on the handle, raised an eyebrow at Sian. The office door was locked.
“Well, I agree that we can’t know what might happen. But if I do happen to come here a second time, I hope it won’t be for such a clandestine purpose…”
Sian was about to ask how they were going to open the door. But before she could voice the question, silver magic flickered in Carl’s hand as he gripped the door handle.
At the light rising like a lamp, Sian habitually scanned her surroundings without realizing it. Naturally, there was no sign of anyone around.
After emitting magic from his hand for a moment, Carl pulled the handle again, and the office door opened with a click.
Because everything around was so quiet, even the small click of the lock disengaging sounded like a thunderclap.
Sian unconsciously lowered her posture and stuck close behind Carl as he opened the door. Her hand instinctively touched the weapon inside her skirt.
Fortunately, the door of the luxurious office opened silently, without even the sound of creaking hinges. It was unclear whether it was due to Carl’s skill in opening the door or if the door hinges were well-maintained.
Either way, thanks to this, Carl and Sian were able to reach the inside of the office without any unexpected events. After closing the door they had opened to enter, the inside was much darker and pitch-black compared to the outer corridor with windows. Even eyes already accustomed to the darkness couldn’t distinguish the surroundings.
“Now I can breathe a sigh of relief.”
In the pitch-black darkness where it was difficult to distinguish front from back, a sigh of relief was heard.
Soon, a bright light rose, cutting through the darkness. Carl had extended his hand, and above his outstretched palm, a silver light floated like a lamp.
