19. I Thought This Time Would Be Different
To mess it up right at the finish line.
As he galloped toward Waynes Castle, Leofric couldn’t help but think that.
They had been so close.
Yes, shutting down the illegal gambling den was important in itself. But truthfully, eight out of ten reasons for pushing through this mission—even altering the honeymoon schedule—had been because of the Tear of Isolde.
That jewel, considered a treasure of the royal family, symbolized abundance and prosperity and was even said to represent the very virtue of emperors and empresses throughout the ages.
It had always been securely stored without issue—until a few months ago.
The empress had gone to retrieve it from the royal vault to wear at a palace banquet, only to discover that it had vanished.
And the vault could only be accessed by members of the royal family or those who held an official permit issued by them.
So how had a national treasure disappeared from such a place?
His mother, the empress, had rushed to the emperor in secret to report the missing gem.
The emperor had comforted her, but behind the scenes, he ordered a complete gag order on any talk regarding the Tear of Isolde after the palace banquet.
And so, a discreet investigation had been ongoing for months to locate it.
Leofric had finally believed he could place the precious gem back in his heartbroken mother’s hands.
Until now.
“We’ve been expecting you, Your Highness.”
As soon as Leofric arrived at Waynes Castle, he was escorted straight to the lord’s office.
There, he was met by the somber-faced Lord of Waynes, a few knights, and his escort, Daon.
Though they had carried out most of the mission’s objectives, the one thing they had failed to secure—the Tear of Isolde—weighed heavily on everyone’s mind.
This wasn’t how it was supposed to go.
With a slight frown, Leofric stepped inside.
He waved off their bows and sat down in the empty chair.
“How could this happen? They say the only item not recovered was the Tear of Isolde?”
“I deeply apologize, Your Highness. We confiscated every item in the auction house, but that one gem was nowhere to be found…”
The Lord of Waynes responded with a pained expression.
So they had gathered everything… and still, it wasn’t there?
Leofric leaned back in his chair, deep in thought.
“Could someone have taken it during transport?”
“No, Your Highness. Everyone involved in the transport has worked in the castle for years. Even Sir Daon was present the entire time.”
“Are you sure?”
“Absolutely. Even if someone harbored suspicious intentions, there’s no way they could’ve anticipated today’s events and prepared for it in advance.”
Leofric gave a slow nod.
This wasn’t a long-planned mission. The auction house raid had only happened after his sudden arrival with Amelia. It had been impulsive.
The Lord made a valid point.
Still… who could’ve done it? And how?
“What are the odds that the Tear of Isolde wasn’t there to begin with?”
“…From the beginning? But we were told everything had been gathered!”
“And who told you that?”
Leofric’s calm question made the Lord frown.
He insisted that none of the personnel were suspicious.
And Daon Hendrick, who Leofric had personally sent, was too upright to ever betray him.
Then maybe the jewel hadn’t been there from the beginning?
The Lord fell silent at Leofric’s probing.
As he watched the man stammer, Leofric shifted his gaze to Daon.
Daon looked just as confused.
“I was present during the search. Everyone assisting was from Waynes Castle. We checked multiple times. Several of them confirmed nothing was left behind…”
It had been a long time since Leofric had seen the ever-meticulous Daon look this flustered.
But he didn’t have time to appreciate this rare sight of his long-time subordinate.
Even if Daon was trustworthy, relying solely on matching testimonies wasn’t enough.
“All of you were in plain clothes during the operation. Are you sure you didn’t just assume everyone wearing a sword was a knight?”
“…That was my mistake. I didn’t have enough time to familiarize myself with all their faces, so I assumed everyone was one of our knights. I responded to a critical task with carelessness. I deserve punishment.”
As Leofric pointed out a possible blind spot, Daon rose and dropped to his knees with a thud.
Stubborn old man.
Ignoring the shocked expressions around him, Daon bowed deeply, forehead nearly touching the ground.
Leofric clicked his tongue.
“Get up. It wasn’t just your mistake.”
“But Your Highness, I received the order. I should’ve been more careful. No punishment would be too harsh—”
“I don’t have time to waste punishing you. Get up. If any disciplinary action is needed, we’ll deal with it after this is resolved.”
Leofric sighed heavily at Daon’s continued groveling.
Only then did Daon realize what he was doing and hastily stood up.
“I’m sorry, Your Highness.”
“Enough with the apologies. Let’s talk about what to do next.”
Someone had known about the auction raid ahead of time.
They disguised their own men as knights, sent them in, and stole the most valuable item—the Tear of Isolde.
“Then the culprit must’ve known our plan in advance.”
“Exactly. But only you and I knew about it. I only sent you in my place, Sir Daon.”
“The knights weren’t told anything until just before the raid. They were only ordered to change into plain clothes and wait discreetly.”
“And once at the auction house, you briefed them.”
“Yes.”
Leofric reviewed everything aloud, trying to organize his thoughts.
The Lord helped him, adding details and confirmations.
And in that moment, a theory began forming in Leofric’s mind.
If he couldn’t trust anyone involved—who was the first person he should suspect?
And as if it had been waiting all along, one face appeared in his thoughts.
…The face he most wanted to trust, but couldn’t.
“…For now, continue the investigation. Report anything new.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
“Then I’ll be heading back. Sir Daon, I’d like you to stay here and assist with the search.”
“As you wish, Your Highness.”
Thinking of his wife—still unreadable, always smiling—Leofric let out a long sigh.
Even in private, she had never shown her true self. A perfect poker face honed in high society.
He had hoped this time would be different. That they could walk in the same direction.
But as he stepped out of the Lord’s office, Leofric wondered—
…Maybe the one who needed to change wasn’t her.
* * *
“…And that’s everything that has transpired so far.”
“You’ve done well. Everything was handled thoroughly.”
“You flatter me.”
As soon as we arrived at the Waynes branch of the Janet Trading Company, I headed straight for the branch manager’s office.
It seemed she was familiar with the layout, as I followed Betty’s confident steps. But I kept sensing suspicious eyes on me.
I quickly looked around—but no one was there.
Still, the feeling lingered as I followed Betty.
For now, I had to finish the job on time. That took priority.
Even while receiving updates on today’s events and ongoing matters in Waynes, the uncomfortable feeling of being watched wouldn’t go away.
Was there a spy inside the branch?
“Oh, and may I ask one more favor?”
“Of course, anything you need, milady—ah, no, Your Highness.”
The branch manager, Jennifer, bowed deeply with an overly respectful tone for a first-time meeting.
She kept calling me “milady,” and her excessive courtesy made me suspicious.
We were supposed to be meeting for the first time.
So why was she acting like she’d met her idol?
I watched her for a moment before speaking.
“I’d like you to discreetly start storing all grain and food substitutes that come through Waynes port. Make sure it doesn’t draw attention.”
“Grain…? Are you asking us to stockpile food?”
“Yes. It’s best to begin stockpiling. Northern yields have been declining. It’s manageable now, but soon there may be unrest.”
“But Your Highness, the north’s production decline isn’t new.”
Jennifer tilted her head in confusion.
“With population also decreasing, it hasn’t been a significant issue so far…”
True, that was accurate.
But if a natural disaster struck on top of that—things would change drastically.
I knew that in a few years, a sudden disaster and several uprisings would devastate not only the north but the entire empire.
So I had to prepare now.
Jennifer stared at me, puzzled, and I smiled gently.
“I’ve received a reliable tip. Don’t ask anything more—just follow my instructions. This won’t bring any harm to the Waynes branch.”
“O-of course, Your Highness. Forgive my foolishness. You needn’t worry.”
She frantically waved her hands and bowed again.
“We’ll discreetly begin purchasing and storing all grains, fruits, and any preservable foods coming through Waynes.”
“Thank you.”
I then instructed her on several precautions to take while stockpiling the food.
And I repeatedly emphasized security.
“If anyone becomes suspicious, just say you were acting on orders. Say you know nothing else. Understand?”
“Yes, Your Highness. You can count on me.”
Once everything was relayed, it was already time to go.
I spotted Betty tapping her feet and glancing at the clock nervously.
