EEBT CHAPTER 6 :  What Are You Plotting?

Father, I’d like to bring in a new lady-in-waiting.”

 

“Hmm. Did the current ones make a mistake?”

 

“No. It’s just that I’ve found someone I’d like to have by my side.”

 

At Adelaine’s words, the Duke gave her a momentarily flustered look.

 

“…Is this about your preferences?”

 

“No, Father.”

 

Adelaine handed the Duke the resume she had secretly kept aside a few days ago. The Duke let out a faint sigh of relief, skimmed through the document, and then spoke.

 

“Hmm. Now that I think about it, I’ve heard about a commoner girl who stood out at the academy. So, you want to take her in as a lady-in-waiting?”

 

“Yes, that’s correct.”

 

The Duke looked at Adelaine.

 

“You know this, but the current ladies-in-waiting are from families closely tied to ours. And there are four of them. It won’t be easy for a newcomer to fit in.”

 

His gaze seemed to ask if she had thought of a way to persuade them. Adelaine quickly continued.

 

“Since we’re spreading the story that I’ve lost my memory, I thought showing a changed appearance would be more effective.”

 

“Hmm. Not a bad idea. But is there a reason it has to be this person? You could temporarily promote some servants to ladies-in-waiting and then demote them later.”

 

Adelaine shook her head at the Duke’s suggestion.

 

“If we do that, people won’t believe it easily. A completely new face would make the effect much stronger. And…”

 

She leaned in close to the Duke’s ear, whispering as if revealing a great secret.

 

“This person is the sister of Sergeant Lake, who was part of the Rifle Brigade.”

 

After hearing that Naya Lake had graduated from the academy, Adelaine had sent a letter to gather more information about her. While it would have been impossible for an ordinary person, it became feasible as the only daughter of the Lopitz Ducal House.

 

As expected, Naya Lake had an older brother named Andrei Lake, her only family.

 

Adelaine even went the extra mile, requesting information from a reputable guild, and learned that a non-commissioned officer with the same name had been medically discharged from the army hospital and was discharged at the end of the month.

 

“Her only family.”

 

“Hmm.”

 

The Duke closed his eyes and thought for a moment.

 

“If it were just a non-commissioned officer, it might not matter, but his superior, Captain Alex Manningham, is a different story.”

 

Adelaine was startled to hear Alex’s name from the Duke but hid her reaction and nodded.

 

“That’s precisely why I made this decision.”

 

“He might think you’re using his subordinate to manipulate him. That could turn him into an enemy.”

 

“We could make him an ally. If we handle it well.”

 

“Hmm…”

 

The Duke seemed to think her reasoning had some merit.

 

“This Andrei Lake won’t talk about how he got injured. He wouldn’t want to worry his only family. So, winning over Naya Lake should be easy.”

 

The Duke nodded at her words and pulled the resume closer.

 

“You’ve thought this through. I was worried you were wasting time, but unlike your mother, you’ve planned ahead.”

 

He looked satisfied.

 

“I’ll contact her immediately. But remember, if things don’t go as planned, it could get messy.”

 

With the Duke’s approval, Adelaine cheered internally.

 

It was the first time since arriving here that she had successfully carried out her own plan.

 

* * *

 

“…….”

 

“…….”

 

The two men clinked their glasses in silence and then drank.

 

The tavern on a Friday evening before the weekend was lively, but their table was somber.

 

“You didn’t tell her, did you?”

“How could I tell her? She’d definitely cry and make a fuss like she did during the last deployment. I just told her I got injured during training.”

 

Andrei poured rum into Alex’s glass as he spoke.

 

“Damn it…”

 

Alex clutched his head.

 

He knew it was hard for a commoner woman to find a job… He also knew that she had submitted her resume to the employment agency to get any job she could…

 

“Can’t we delay this a bit?”

 

“The Ducal House said they want her to prepare as quickly as possible and come…”

 

Alex let out a deep sigh. Seeing his gloomy expression, Andrei changed the subject with a question.

 

“How’s the atmosphere at Army Headquarters these days?”

 

“I don’t know, but it’s not exactly peaceful. The Imperial Guard, which was created just to guard the palace, keeps crossing the line and trying to interfere with logistics. They’re meddling with the rank system and personnel matters too.”

 

“That’s… serious.”

 

Having been stationed at the palace for the past few months, they had come to realize the true nature of the Imperial Guard, which people vaguely thought of as “loyal and powerful protectors of the imperial family!” They let out deep sighs.

 

Their assessment was simple.

 

Incompetent idiots.

 

These incompetents were now overstepping their bounds, trying to interfere not only with the military administration of the Army Ministry but also with the command authority of Army Headquarters. From their perspective, as direct subordinates of the Army Headquarters commander, it was more than just annoying—it was downright infuriating.

 

“How’s your knee?”

 

“It hurts less since I don’t have to run around.”

 

“Be careful. It could give out in an instant.”

 

“I know, man.”

 

He drained his glass and stood up, speaking to Andrei.

 

“Let’s head out. Naya will be worried.”

 

“Sure.”

 

Andrei also stood up, wincing slightly as his uncooperative leg caused him discomfort. Alex paid the bill first, then left the tavern with Andrei.

 

“Is your pension coming next month?”

 

“Yes. I’ll have to live off my savings for a month. I’ve saved up some money. It’s been a bit easier since Naya graduated.”

 

“That’s good to hear.”

 

The capital’s night was slightly warm, signaling the full arrival of summer.

 

Alex accompanied Andrei to his house.

 

“Well, I’ll head in now.”

 

“Alright. Take care of yourself and rest well. You’ve been through a lot.”

 

“Thank you.”

 

As Alex turned to leave after seeing Andrei off, he heard the sound of a salute—not from Andrei, but from Sergeant Lake.

 

“Loyalty!”

 

His face was filled with complex emotions as he performed the salute he could no longer give. Alex stopped in his tracks, turned around, and returned the salute.

 

“Loyalty.”

 

Unable to look Andrei directly in the eye, Alex turned back and began walking away.

 

Even though he had lost a good subordinate due to his own mistake, he couldn’t let that subordinate be exploited.

 

Alex adjusted his hat and muttered to himself.

 

“I need to figure out what they’re plotting…”

 

* * *

 

“H-Hello! I’m Naya Lake, the new lady-in-waiting! Please take care of me!”

 

The Duke’s handling of the matter was faster than expected.

 

The Duke immediately assigned Naya as his personal lady-in-waiting. Though the other ladies-in-waiting shot her disapproving looks, the Duke’s influence quickly silenced any complaints.

 

“Alright. I look forward to working with you.”

 

When Adelaine first saw Naya, her first impression could be summed up in one sentence.

 

‘She’s someone who’s lived diligently.’

 

Unlike the other ladies-in-waiting, Naya’s eyes were free of makeup, and her face had a few freckles, making her appear less glamorous compared to the others.

 

However, the determination and sincerity in her eyes were incomparable to those who worked as ladies-in-waiting for other purposes. It was the kind of resolute gaze that only someone who had endured and overcome hardships could possess.

 

Having juggled university and part-time jobs before her transmigration, Adelaine couldn’t help but feel a sense of kinship with Naya.

 

“I’d like to take a walk. Would you come with me? I’ll show you around the estate.”

 

“I’ll handle the new recruit training, my lady.”

 

The lady-in-waiting who had dismissed Naya as a commoner after seeing her resume stepped in front of Naya and spoke.

 

Already trying to assert her authority as a senior, huh?

 

If Adelaine wanted to make Naya her own person, she’d have to keep dealing with such interference directly.

 

“No, it’s fine. I’ll take a walk and personally introduce her to the estate. The rest of you, carry on with your tasks.”

 

Adelaine grabbed Naya’s wrist and practically dragged her out of the room. After walking for a while, they reached a garden adorned with flowers and ornamental trees.

 

Now that they were alone, Adelaine looked at Naya and spoke.

 

“Alright. You probably know my name, so I’ll skip that. What did you study? I saw on your resume that you graduated from the academy.”

 

“Ah, my original major was literature. But I also found math interesting, so I tried to get a degree in that… but it ended with just attending a few lectures and helping a professor a couple of times.”

 

Adelaine wondered inwardly if annotating papers was just a matter of “helping a professor a couple of times.” Then, she asked a question that might have been slightly rude but fitting for a noble lady.

 

“Why didn’t you get the math degree? It seemed like you had talent in that area too.”

 

As expected, Naya looked slightly uncomfortable at the question.

 

“Family circumstances… I only managed to get the literature degree.”

 

Family circumstances?

 

Adelaine sensed the weight behind the term “family circumstances.”

 

If she could resolve those circumstances, she could speed up the process of making Naya her own person.

 

“Can I ask what those family circumstances were?”

 

“…….”

 

Conflict flashed across Naya’s face. Even if Adelaine was her superior, was it appropriate to share her family’s troubles, especially difficult ones, with someone she had just met?

 

Sensing her hesitation, Adelaine gently took Naya’s hands in hers and spoke in a kind voice.

 

“You’re my person now, someone I’ve hired. If you have personal matters, you don’t have to share them, but if I can help, I’d like to.”

 

After a moment of thought, Naya began to speak.

 

“My only family, my older brother, was an army sergeant. Or… he was. He’s been discharged now.”

 

She spoke with a slightly gloomy expression.

 

“Discharged? What happened?”

 

“He was seriously injured during training and couldn’t continue his military service, so he was medically discharged. I don’t know the details, but at least he’ll receive a pension.”

 

As Adelaine had expected, Sergeant Lake hadn’t told his sister the truth.

 

“So, was that why you couldn’t continue your studies?”

 

“No. I graduated last spring, and my brother was discharged less than half a month ago.”

 

“Less than half a month… Then was there another reason you stopped your studies?”

 

Naya nodded.

 

“Last summer, my brother’s unit was redeployed to the capital, and he came to see me. At first, I was happy. It was the first time we could live together since he left the orphanage and joined the army long ago.”

 

She made a bitter expression and shook her head.

 

“But that was my mistake.”

 

“What mistake?”

 

Adelaine leaned in, listening intently. Once the floodgates opened, Naya’s story began to pour out.

 

“He was so busy with work that he only came home about once a month. He always looked tired, and sometimes it was obvious he was injured, even though he tried to hide it.”

 

“…I see.”

 

“Then, around last November, before I graduated… I was cleaning the house and opened the bag with his uniform inside. And there…”

 

“The uniform must have been badly damaged.”

Naya nodded with a distressed expression. Adelaine couldn’t help but empathize with her.

 

Even though she thought she knew a lot of information others didn’t because she had read the novel, she knew nothing about Alex and his subordinates. How could Naya have known?

 

How shocking must it have been to learn that her only family had endured such hardships to pay for her education?

 

Adelaine held Naya’s hand and spoke in a gentle voice.

 

“…If you ever have a hard time, tell me. I’ll help you.”

 

Tears began to fall from Naya’s eyes as she spoke.

 

“Thank you… Thank you……”

 

“Come here, let me hug you.”

 

Somehow, Adelaine felt so sorry for Naya that she instinctively stood up and hugged her, patting her back.

 

Ah, I didn’t plan to get this close.

 

Well, it’s fine.

 

Adelaine closed her eyes, feeling Naya’s shoulders gradually grow damp, and continued to pat her back.