Lelia Artois was a spy.
Why had she become one? The simple answer was that she had suffered an unfortunate upbringing.
Born as the second daughter of the prestigious House Artois, Lelia had many siblings, but she alone was the child of the marquess’s second wife. After losing her mother to a sudden illness, she was raised by her stepmother. Although the woman was cold, she was also sensible enough to ensure that Lelia received at least a basic education.
That modest peace was threatened when Lelia turned twelve. Her longstanding suspicions about her eldest brother’s predilection for young girls were finally confirmed. He waited until their parents were absent and tried to assault her, and Lelia injured him severely while defending herself.
âAs a result, Lelia was expelled from House Artois.
No matter how desperately she explained, neither her parents nor anyone else believed her. Instead, they accused her of having seduced her brother.
(It infuriates me, but I understand why it happened. In public, my elder brother is well-behaved and promisingâthe son Mother and Father are so proud of. No one would believe that he tried to do something to the little sister he supposedly despised.)
And so Lelia was thrown out with nothing but the clothes on her back.
With nowhere to go, she wandered the streets until a specialized division of the Royal Bureau took her in.
In truth, when her brother had attacked her, Lelia had awakened a special ability known as a ăBlessingă.
It was an ability that only rarely manifested in someone of House Artois’s bloodline. Her father and siblings had all failed to awaken one, much to their disappointment.
Lelia underwent specialized training as a spy and quickly distinguished herself. She was nobly born and educated, reasonably intelligent, gifted at magic, and possessed a Blessing besides. A colleague once described her as “a cafĂ© parfait with every possible topping,” which gave Lelia a vague understanding of her position within the organization.
After growing accustomed to the organization, Lelia received her first special solo assignment at the age of fifteen.
ăMarry William Erlanger and destroy House Erlanger from within.ă
That was the mission entrusted to her.
Through the Royal Bureau’s intervention, Lelia was summoned back to her family. As a daughter of House Artois once more, she was married into House Erlanger.
At the time, House Erlanger was prestigious but surrounded by disturbing rumors that it had become involved in activities bordering on criminal. That was why Lelia had been ordered to destroy it from within.
Naturally, when a marriage proposal arrived from such a house, Lelia’s parentsâwho doted on every child except herâwould never have sent one of their beloved daughters. Instead, they frantically searched for Lelia, whose whereabouts had never once concerned them since her expulsion, and forced the match upon her.
(I always thought my birth was unfortunate. But since it proved useful to my mission, perhaps I was fortunate after all.)
Lelia’s long, soft hair carried a sweet lavender hue, while her eyes were the color of emeralds. To put it plainly, she stood out. She had always regarded the need to disguise herself on most assignments as a disadvantage, but for this particular mission, her appearance worked in her favor.
(After all, the plan was to play a foolish wife and tear the household apart. I have occasionally had complicated feelings about my rather fanciful appearance, but this time it was useful.)
And so, exactly as ordered, Lelia spent six months playing the perfect fool.
Her performance was so flawless that she had lost count of how many times her husband William had begged, “Please, I’m asking youâdon’t do anything.”
But if she had obeyed him, she would not have been a true fool. No matter what anyone said, Lelia never stopped playing her role.
(My lord was much kinder than I had been led to believe. I suspect the rumor that Lady Catherine was his mistress was probably false as well. I can admit it now that the mission is over: he was such a wonderful man that I almost felt guilty for wrecking his household.)
Even so, Lelia could not ignore her superiors’ orders, and the suspicions directed at House Erlanger itself remained. Out of guilt, she secretly left behind several parting gifts.
They were things that would surely help her former husband someday. But it would take years at the earliest for them to come to light, by which time they would no longer have anything to do with her.
(I doubt I will ever receive another assignment like this. It contributed to peace, it was unusual, and it was actually quite enjoyable.)
Watching the Erlanger estate recede beyond the carriage window, Lelia savored her sense of accomplishment. At the same time, a small spark of anger toward her heartless family surfaced within her.
(House Artois will never allow their divorced daughter onto the grounds. Perhaps I should make a token appearance at the gate, then vanish again. In any case, I have just completed a long assignment. I would like to take things easy for a while.)
Congratulating herself without a care in the world, Lelia stretched inside the carriage.
âIt was all over now.
Or so she believed.
