Hunter and Mad Scien Chapter 81

The silence was long. The thoughts grew lengthy. She could help. But if they asked her to kill, it wouldn't be easy to comply with that much.

When she looked back at Cider, he drew a long line on the back of Esperanza's hand with his fingertip, his face stern. But he too knew. They had co in too deep. Since they had sent the invitation with such fanfare by royal decree, there was no way not to enter.

...They probably did it on purpose. Damn royals.

Esperanza blinked briefly. Cider shook his head. The silent conversation finally ended with Cider drawing a circle on the back of Esperanza's hand.

"Since we've co this far, there are no other options."

Those 'people' would already recognize Esperanza as an enemy. They might have started investigating her background. She could only hope that Duke Galliston had exercised his information network here too and covered things up appropriately.

"There is one thing I want, Your Majesty. I am looking for a certain object. An object that can eliminate dungeons..."

For the first ti, the queen smiled faintly.

"I know. No one else in this country knows except

and the duke."

As expected, they had not been walking down the wrong path. Cider's hypothesis was correct. At least it was certain that whoever was creating dungeons possessed the Golden Claw.

Now if she accepted the queen's proposal, everything would beco easy, but.

"However, I cannot say I will kill them. Bluntly speaking, I don't want to bear the responsibility of murder for sothing that doesn't concern ."

The queen's eyes flashed. Esperanza was certain that in that brief mont, the queen had read her aversion to murder. It couldn't be helped. Cider let out a weak sigh and urged the queen.

"Your Majesty."

"Miss Hunter ca from Paolun, so that's understandable. But Avondale, your loyalty as my subject... Never mind. I didn't expect it anyway."

Cider smiled broadly.

"I'm glad you understand."

Esperanza glanced at Cider. To think even the queen had given up. Just how had he been living? However, nothing could be read from Cider's smile.

'Right, even if I had just lived like this with him...'

It was understandable.

The queen glared at Cider with narrowed eyes, then nodded toward Esperanza.

"I thought I wouldn't get a definite answer. I'll call for you again soon. Since our interests align, I hope for a good answer."

In the end, she was saying she wouldn't accept either refusal or negotiation. It was truly arrogant, and the fact that she couldn't completely refuse this situation was unpleasant, yet... to so extent, she had to understand.

The queen, who had dabbed around her eyes with a handkerchief, looked no different from when they first t except for the redness around her eyes. The queen rang a bell. Instead of a lady-in-waiting, the Duchess of Sherbury entered.

"Aunt, please guide Miss Hunter around Augustum Palace. I heard you also handled the tour of Pinent House."

The Duchess of Sherbury turned pale and spoke stiffly. Esperanza had no good feelings toward the Duchess of Sherbury, but nonetheless felt a strange sympathy seeing her being pushed around like a deflated ball.

"Miss Hunter. If you don't have other appointnts, please tour Augustum Palace before leaving. And Avondale. The Grand Duke has invited you five tis already, yet you haven't responded to a single one? I hope you'll at least attend to the Grand Duke while Miss Hunter tours the palace."

"Your Majesty. I'm sorry to say this, but."

The mont Cider tried to speak, the queen raised her hand to stop him. No matter how reckless Cider Claiborne might be, the queen was his monarch. At least nominally.

"There won't be any incidents like last ti. The Duchess of Sherbury has reflected on her actions too. Isn't that right?"

The question, devoid of any courtesy toward the elder relative, was itself a warning. The Duchess of Sherbury turned pale and bowed her head in response.

"Yes, Your Majesty."

"This should ease your concerns?"

Since she was going this far, there was no choice. Esperanza waved to Cider, who kept looking back as he followed the attendant.

She felt that the situation had ended strangely. Today's plan had only been to observe the other side's movents without falling into their hands, but she hadn't expected the other side would also only engage in reconnaissance.

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"Hey."

While walking down the corridor, the duchess asked abruptly. It was a casual attitude completely opposite to the extre courtesy the queen had shown.

"When are you going to return my necklace?"

Ah. She had forgotten.

"If you don't return it within this month, I'll have to pay compensation. If they find out you have it, you'll be arrested as a thief this ti, you know? Hm?"

"I don't have it."

"Don't lie. We turned Pinent House upside down after you left and still couldn't find it. Hmph, do I look like a fool to you? You must have used so trick. You're Avondale's ward, after all."

The duchess made threats that weren't very threatening at all. Her tantrum was like that of an immature child.

Still, having a simple conversation with the simple duchess made her feel like she could breathe a little. She thought even this might have been intended by the queen and duke, but it didn't matter.

"Your Grace, the garden on the opposite side of the lake has been opened."

The attendant at the palace gate bowed and spoke. The duchess snorted as she passed. Then she glared at Esperanza and said.

"...Are you happy that I'm being ignored?"

So she did know she was being ignored.

"I didn't say anything."

"You're actually happy though. I know everything."

Since there was probably no one watching anyway, Esperanza decided to be honest.

"I'm not that interested in Your Grace."

"Really... how infuriating!"

The duchess stomped her feet as she went ahead, then glanced around nervously and approached stealthily.

"Why aren't you following

quickly?"

Yet she subtly matched her stride, as if she really didn't want to go ahead alone. Or perhaps she had been scolded by the queen to treat her properly. While showing obvious displeasure, her explanations about what this was and what that was flowed naturally like water.

The grass, even greener than what she had seen at Pinent House, and the lush tree leaves swayed in the wind and leaned to one side. Esperanza, who had been half-listening to explanations that were half familiar and half unfamiliar, suddenly asked.

"If I return the necklace to you, what can you do for ?"

"What? I knew you had it!"

The duchess, who had approached with large strides, gripped Esperanza's collar tightly.

"Where is it? Give it back!"

"That's up to . Your Grace, I asked what you could do for ."

"I'll do anything, so give it back!"

Shh. Esperanza, who had placed her index finger on her lips, lowered her voice. The duchess unconsciously let go of her hand.

Edmund had said this woman was dangerous. That she was valuable because she was dangerous. She had pretended to understand but completely failed to comprehend what that ant, but now she seed to know. The well-sharpened blade-like glint that suddenly appeared in her peaceful and indifferent face.

"Anything?"

"Y-yes, anything."

Even after saying the words, she realized her mistake. To say anything—such words that would inevitably bind her feet. But it wasn't a situation where she could take it back. Just by lowering her body slightly and holding her breath, the woman had transford from a lady to a predator, and she couldn't bring herself to speak.

"Duchess of Sherbury, Your Grace. I trust you'll do your best."

Sunlight struck the cold jewel. Clearly, the necklace was now on her hand, which had been empty just monts before. The duchess's eyes widened.

"What did you do? How?"

"What kind of tricks would Avondale have?"

"Such things are possible with magical engineering? I thought all magical engineers were just swindlers who fiddle with slly machines asking for money!"

It was too cheerful to be offended by, even though she should have been. Esperanza struggled to suppress the laughter that was about to burst out. The duchess had already started reading the room.

"Did I say sothing wrong?"

"I'm glad you realize it."

"Um, but what do I need to help with? You're not asking

to help with sothing that would be troubleso if Edmund found out, are you?"

"Would you refuse if I asked for such a thing?"

The duchess was startled and shook her head vigorously. Her well-arranged hair looked precarious, as if it might co undone.

"No! Hey, why do you talk like that? I'm just, worried... Um, the fact that I agreed to listen to you has to be kept secret from Edmund, okay?"

"Your Grace shouldn't ntion it either."

"I'd be crazy to tell him."

The duchess sighed deeply, lanting her pitiful situation of being pushed around everywhere. From Esperanza's perspective, it was self-inflicted. At least in this matter. If she hadn't frad Esperanza in the first place, none of this would have happened from the beginning.

"I know you dislike , but when you help, please do so properly."

The duchess didn't seem like she would break her promise. If she showed signs of breaking it... there were many ways to tornt soone without killing them. There was no need to worry about that.

Esperanza placed the necklace on the duchess's hand. The duchess touched the jewel with blank eyes, then raised her head.

"Why do I hate you? I'm not interested in you either, hey. I just thought Edmund seed to dislike you... Oh, you can't go around telling people I said this!"

"Where would I have to tell?"

Was the duchess quick-witted, or had Galliston trusted the duchess and shown his weakness? Could the duchess be used in her relationship with Galliston as well?

"Absolutely not, ouch!"

The duchess, who was about to get another promise, suddenly scread as a pinecone that ca flying hit her face. A bright red mark remained on her face.

"Who is it!"

"It's a witch, go to your house!"

The little boy who had thrown the pinecone like a grenade with great solemnity was actually hanging from a tree. It was quite a distant tree, but he had such good strength that the pinecone thrown from that distance didn't lose its force until it hit the duchess's face.

"Go! Go away!"

He was a doll-like boy with bright blonde hair. His age seed older than expected. Looking at his slightly better developnt than Jack, he seed to be around the sa age. So around ten years old. The child smiled mischievously and filled his hands with pinecones again. The duchess cowered.

"Just try throwing it! I'll tell Mrs. Fitz!"

"Mrs. Fitz doesn't believe you, you witch!"

Actually, guessing the child's identity wasn't difficult. Among children of this age, a blonde boy who could freely climb the palace trees.

That child was Prince Louis, who would beco Nine Holder's most popular figure thirteen years later.

'The grown-up Prince Louis... wasn't like that.'

Who would have thought he'd be such a troubleso brat throwing pinecones at elderly noble ladies and calling them witches? Esperanza unconsciously frowned.

"Prince Louis, where on earth are you!"

"Oh, it's Mrs. Fitz!"

A figure who seed to be a nanny or lady-in-waiting was running around on foot looking for the child. The child waved the pinecone toward the duchess as if telling her to keep quiet, then hid among the tree leaves. Of course, it wasn't threatening at all. The duchess would report the boy's location as soon as this Mrs. Fitz appeared before her.

Perhaps trying to hide his body more properly upon hearing Mrs. Fitz approaching, the boy who had been wriggling on the tree branch finally lost his balance. His body slipped backward.

"Ah, aaaah!"

The duchess held her breath. Before her eyes, the first in line to the throne was falling from a tree.

'Even if he's a naughty brat, a child is still a child.'

She couldn't let him get hurt. The mont she kicked off, the air beneath her feet spun rapidly. She jumped up and grabbed a tree branch, while with her other hand she caught the falling child's collar. The child, dangling from her fingertips, looked up at Esperanza with a terror-stricken face.

Esperanza silently set the child down.

"Hey!"

Prince Louis, who had barely regained his balance and was standing, grabbed her sleeve, but she gently brushed it off. And she returned without looking back.

"Wait, hold on a mont!"

"Your Highness, there you are. Co back quickly! Goodness, what a sight this is."

Mrs. Fitz, who had heard the voice of the person she had been desperately searching for, swooped down on the child like a hawk. No matter how hard he struggled with his legs, he could do nothing with his waist caught in the strong Mrs. Fitz's arms.

"Let

go, Mrs. Fitz!"

The young voice gradually grew distant. Esperanza returned to where the duchess had been standing. The duchess's eyes looked like they might pop out.

"Just now, what was that just now?"

"The reason I'm dangerous."

"You do look a bit dangerous. A little. Really just a little. Yeah."

The duchess answered blankly. She seed not to know what she was saying. The strength naturally left her subsequent words. They walked around the garden and entered the palace interior again.

As the two won's dress hems disappeared through the door, the reception room curtains also closed silently.

The duchess, who had been holding her shoulders straight outside the palace, started looking around nervously and shrinking again once inside.

"Your Grace, where are we going?"

"To His Royal Highness the Grand Duke's reception room. I don't know if he'll let us in though."

Was that the extent of being ignored? Everyone watching felt frustrated, and she was about to say sothing.

"Hey?"

Shh. Esperanza, who had covered the duchess's mouth, stopped in place. At the far end of the corridor, two pairs of shoes passed over the red carpet. Long black riding hoods covering from head to toe.

Two suspicious figures who had appeared suddenly.

"That direction, it's toward Her Majesty's reception room, isn't it?"

After the two people disappeared, Esperanza asked. The duchess nodded absentmindedly.

"Do you know who they are?"

"They seem to be guests Her Majesty has been eting lately. I'm seeing them directly for the first ti too. Who are they?"

She didn't know. Yet even without knowing, she could tell.

Those two people. The 'enemies in the labyrinth.'