Chapter 10

Act 2 – The Young Man with Enamel Eyes

Juju had dreamt of Albert.

She couldn’t quite recall the details, but the vivid memory of Albert being present was clear. The thought of killing him made her head throb, and she woke up with a start.

Juju felt a pang of disappointment. Her misplaced anger shifted to irritation.

‘How many more times will I have to wake up feeling like this?’

This wretched connection would never end until she severed it.

Then, a pleasant, low voice echoed from above.

“Are you tired? You keep dozing off in the carriage.”

Juju’s eyes widened momentarily, blinking in surprise. Come to think of it, the sensation beneath her ear was firm.

“Count Kaitel, explain to me why my head was resting on your lap.”

She sat up, and the blanket that had been draped over her shoulders slid off.

She dimly remembered leaning against the carriage window and endlessly dozing. But Ruslan, who had been sitting opposite her, had moved to sit beside her and had even offered his lap as a pillow.

Ruslan shrugged.

“You looked like your head was swaying uncomfortably.”

“You only have to be considerate of your contract partner in front of others, Count.”

“To deceive the enemy, you must also deceive yourself. Your identity is a top secret known only to Semyon, and even he doesn’t know the nature of our relationship. It’s best we play our parts to the fullest, don’t you think?”

“Such a doting fiancé. If you laughed at me while I was asleep, I would have broken your neck.”

“Such games aren’t really my taste, I’m afraid. More importantly, is your current body preventing you from being as sharp as you used to be?”

Ruslan suddenly turned serious as he asked.

“It’s strange that someone with your skills wouldn’t notice my approach.”

“…It’s because my Dantian hasn’t fully recovered yet.”

Juju let out a soft sigh. The events of a few days ago involuntarily came to mind.

As the carriage reached a secluded path in the Gunt Mountains at the northern border, the group paused for a brief rest at Ruslan’s instruction.

Juju seized the opportunity to beg to see the view from a high vantage point. She selected the stablehand as her guide. She turned away all the maids who were going to accompany her.

‘How clueless. Can’t they tell that I want to be alone?’

One of the maids blushed crimson. What they were imagining was obvious. They probably thought a count who had discovered the pleasures of the flesh was trying to have a steamy rendezvous with his lover.

The stablehand wore a lecherous expression too. He even made an irreverent joke about being good at keeping watch.

In the past, Juju wouldn’t have let it slide, but since the guy only had twenty minutes left to live, she let it be.

Then, after a few interrogations in a secluded forest, shuk.

There were no doctors in the depths of the mountains. The stablehand’s death was passed off as an accident from a venomous snake that had emerged from hibernation.

Using aura had caused fatigue even after she had woken up. Her body still could not catch up to Charlotte’s soul.

Ruslan asked,

“Was suddenly going to the east also to secure some recovery time?”

“That’s part of it. But there’s a more important matter at hand.”

Beyond the carriage window, seagulls flew, cawing.

This was Obenhafen, in the northeast part of the continent. It was one of the main port cities of the empire, but it was somewhat removed from the capital.

To get to the capital from the north, it’s fastest to travel overland through the central region. However, Juju had specifically asked to go this way.

Ruslan hadn’t opposed her request. He’d simply dismissed it as, ‘The young lady just wanted to look at the sea.’ and changed direction accordingly.

“That stablehand admitted to applying poison to the Grand Duke’s riding gloves, for money. The one who provided the money and poison was a masked man who wore a rat mask. As I said, that’s an assassin from the Emperor.”

Originally, it had been an organization that Charlotte had commanded. Albert, who had become the emperor, had granted the organization an official rank, reorganizing it as a division under the Imperial Household.

Looking back, that had been a ploy to weaken her position, but Charlotte, naive to the machinations of politics, hadn’t understood Albert’s dark motives.

“I’ve never seen a poison that permeates the skin and damages the Dantian before. It must be a new type, and now that a Grand Duke has been successfully taken out, they’ll use it the same way when the next target comes up.”

Now that there weren’t going to be elite assassins like Charlotte by his side.

“From my experience in the field, this kind of thing mostly comes from the East and spreads out from the eastern ports. It just so happens that a doctor I know lives in Obenhafen. He may have information on this even if his info is from five years ago.”

Obenhafen was a thriving port where most of the eastern goods flowed in and out. Moreover, the North and East were in a precarious situation due to refugee problems. There was a high possibility that they were involved in providing the poison.

“So, you want to learn the poison’s source through that doctor first?”

“You catch on quick. That’s the idea if things go smoothly. First, I want to get the doctor on our side. It would be good to have a doctor to look after me.”

“Weren’t you about to behead the Emperor right away?”

“I thought so when I was leaving the dungeon. But looking at the Count…I don’t think that’s the solution.”

Ruslan had been playing the villain to protect the child of his benefactor.

His sudden trip to the East would probably be perceived by outsiders as a playboy count being led around by his maid lover. He was willing to sacrifice his reputation for a greater goal, which touched Juju’s heart.

‘And, Dorothea, too.’

The Grand Duchess Dorothea was an unfortunate girl who had been dragged into this mess.

For Juju, the maid, she had been like a younger sister. The original body owner’s clear memories were even moving Charlotte’s heart, the one possessing this body.

Or rather, Charlotte also felt sorry for Dorothea. If she hadn’t put Albert on the throne, Dorothea might not have lost her mother.

At least the current Juju wanted to choose a method that ensured the Grand Duchess’s safety. In that, she definitely agreed with Ruslan.

Originally, the revenge Juju envisioned was to storm the Imperial Palace, create chaos, and kill everyone.

However, after calming her boiling heart and thinking rationally, she realized it was very unrealistic.

If she did as she imagined, she’d probably be captured again. Facing the Emperor and the Four Heroes all at once would be difficult even with Charlotte’s body at her peak. Besides, since the body she was borrowing was a maid from a Grand Duke’s family, she didn’t know what kind of impact that would have on the people around her.

‘The best way is to take them on, one by one.’

And then, reveal her identity to Albert, who had lost everything, and stab him.

That was also a pretty good idea. She had endured for five years, she could hold out for a little longer.

After hearing her explanation, Ruslan was silent for a moment. After pondering, he came to a conclusion.

“A wooden tower game, then.”

Juju was confused since he abruptly mentioned a board game. Ruslan explained,

“Unlike you, I’m new to the capital, so I was calculating what method would have the highest chance of success. The best course of action that you have judged is a game where you chip away at the Emperor starting at his feet.”

As Juju nodded, Ruslan raised his fingers and gently stroked her hair behind her ear.

“You’re far from being a villainess of all time. I know. You’re just a very compassionate person. That’s why your loyalty to the Emperor was so extreme.”

“…I don’t really like being talked down to like you know everything at the age of twenty-two.”

“My apologies. You look eighteen now, though.”

Ruslan apologized lightly and opened the carriage door, which had stopped at their destination.

“Alright. It’s beneficial to have more people with shared goals. I’ll help you as much as I can with your plans. So, how are we going to find this problematic doctor?”

“I’ll go see him when the sun goes down. He’s nocturnal.”

Juju stepped out of the carriage with Ruslan’s escort. She squinted at the sun as she looked up at where they had arrived.

There was a multi-storied building, styled like a noble’s estate. It was a luxury hotel that could not be compared to the taverns and inns in the back streets. When they entered the lobby, the manager came out himself to greet them in a flurry.

Ruslan glanced at Juju and said,

“Please give us the best room. The lovely blonde was having a hard time in the carriage.”

Couldn’t he come up with a more creative nickname? Juju barely managed to keep her mouth straight as she played along.

“Count, I’d like a room with a sea view. I’m going to stay in bed until nightfall.”

“I told you to call me Ruslan. Do you want to go somewhere at night?”

After the farcical charade, they were led to their room. It was a lavish room decorated with furniture from an overseas land across the sea. As soon as she saw the bed, Juju immediately collapsed onto it.

“Count Kaitel, the contract lover idea is good, but it’s really hard to pull off. What should we do?”

“…I guess we just have to improve our acting skills.”

Ruslan also seemed embarrassed by the scene from earlier, looking uncomfortable.

Juju took a deep breath. Her Northern style dress was starting to feel stuffy. Since she was going out tonight, it would be alright to take it off. When she unbuttoned it and pulled it off, she felt relieved.

When she also took her legs out from the skirt, Ruslan’s expression didn’t look too pleased.

He stiffened his lips and turned his back. He pretended to look at the furniture and approached the dressing table.

“If you wanted to change, you should have called a maid first.”

“I can take it off myself. Why bother? You’ve already seen me changing into my gown before, haven’t you?”

“That was necessary, I’m not the type who stares intensely at a lady’s undergarments….”

Ruslan trailed off and searched for the teapot. Juju thought it was strange that he was drinking lukewarm water.

‘If we’re going to pretend to be lovers, it would be good to get used to it.’

She hadn’t even stripped naked. She had a camisole on top and a petticoat underneath. But still, Ruslan looked awkward.

‘He really gives off the impression of a virgin.’

Juju was chuckling to herself when it suddenly occurred to her that she would have to sleep in the same room with this man.

Only then did she realize it. Until now, their journey had taken them through the mountains and fields of the north. When it was time to sleep, she had slept with the maids in a travel tent.

Formal accommodation was different. To all appearances, they were a passionate couple. It was only natural that they would have to share a room, and of course, only one bed.

Her mind suddenly became fuzzy.

She imagined the man coming in and out of the bathroom, changing into his pajamas, and lying next to her if similar situations were to arise in the future.

If necessary, Juju could even be kissed on the nape of her neck. But to pretend to be lovers even when there was no purpose to it, was no easy task.

‘… What am I even saying? He’s five years younger than me.’

But still, he was a handsome young man, and older than the girl she had borrowed this body from.

Juju concentrated on aura breathing to clear her mind. This body was smaller and less muscular than the original Charlotte. She didn’t have the constitution to become stronger through exercise, so the priority to return to her prime condition was to train her Dantian.

Then, she glanced at Ruslan.

He was sitting on an armchair, reading a book. His hands, characteristic of a grown man with prominent knuckles, turned the pages.

His red eyes, which concealed a hint of blue, had a smooth, enamel-like surface. His gaze rolled like beads as he quickly scanned the sentences.

Then he happened to look her way, and Juju quickly turned her gaze to the window.

After having dinner at the hotel, they finally set out.

Semyon had followed them to the entrance to see them off.

“Are you sure it’s alright to go without an escort?”

“If I travel with an entourage of servants, it will just be an advertisement for everyone to watch out for us. Besides, even if something happens…”

Ruslan glanced sideways. As Juju nodded, Semyon, understanding, bowed deeply.

The two borrowed a hotel carriage and set off for their destination. It was a back street market where goods coming into the port were sold directly.

“Do you really have to go there? The atmosphere there is quite bad at night.”

“If you’re scared, you can let us off and turn back. Come back in the morning.”

They shut up the hotel coachman who protested. The coachman sighed deeply as he drove the dissolute noble and his lover to their nighttime destination.

The actual location they had arrived at had a degenerate atmosphere even in the middle of the night. The floor was wet as it was near the docks.

“Here’s something for you to know. If a fight breaks out, do I have to protect you?”

Juju pulled down the hood of her cloak. It was better to hide her distinctive face for now.

“I have what it takes to protect myself. If necessary, I guess. I could even use magic.”

“You have skills that can help you in a fight?”

“They’re useful for running away. What about you? You don’t have a weapon. In case of an emergency, I suppose you can use this staff?”

Ruslan held up the staff in his right hand. Juju immediately knew it was a disguised sword. Its center of gravity was a little different from an ordinary cane.

She shook her head.

“I’ll borrow it if I need to. But there are more times I won’t need it.”

Carrying weapons makes you stand out. It was also a nuisance to keep carrying them. That wasn’t Juju’s preferred way of fighting.

“So, where are we going to start looking in this vast marketplace?”

“There’s no need to search. I know his hiding habits like the back of my hand.”

Juju strode forward without hesitation and opened the door of a certain apothecary.