Chapter 38: Revealing the Hidden

We went back to the third floor since it was where my brother’s office was situated. My reason for visiting him? I just wanna check out what he was up to.

He was quite warm in his welcome, I expected he would be thrilled by my visit, but I didn’t expect he would suddenly squeeze my adorable cheeks. He was overly happy it seems.

It seemed all his stress stemmed from the stacks of papers on his desk. He didn’t even work that long yet, it baffles me why he was already too stressed about this sort of thing. Well, I guess that was the reason why he chose to become a knight.

My eldest brother has yet to even come home, he might have been more efficient in this type of work, I wonder when I can personally meet him...

Of course, I immediately had an interest towards the stack of papers. There lies information. But the question was, how much information? How valuable? It would be agonizing if most of it was worthless and would lead me to nothing.

Well, it wouldn’t hurt to scan. And information was information.

I acted all sweetly to my brother, until I finally shifted my attention to the other servant.

“Oh, it’s you.”

I knew this person, I learned about him from Estelia’s memories. He was mostly my brother’s personal attendant, whenever he required assistance, he would always summon this servant named Oryn Iruhen.

I smiled broadly at him, my eyes sparkling with innocence and sweetness.

“Hello.”

I leaned my body towards him just slightly while tilting my head as I spoke to him with a gentle and sweet voice. Then the muscles by his eyes stiffened and halted, he was about to frown it seems. Why? I was the princess. Should I be treated as such?

I am liked by everyone here, right? What reason could he frown at my interaction with him?

Hm.

He might be annoyed. Perhaps he saw how I looked or acted unsightly in his eyes.

Perhaps he didn’t mean anything bad with it.

Oryn smiled with warmth as he spoke with me.

“Greetings, Princess. It’s been a while since the last time we met and spoke.”

“Indeed, Oryn. A long time, I sort of missed you.”

A slight twitch on his lower lip. Amusing.

“Please, I don’t deserve such words from you, your highness.”

“Is that so? But please allow me to thank you for helping my dear brother.”

He bowed his head at my words.

I have been analyzing his voice, the tension and such, even the slight trembling if there would be. Every little detail was important. I have been trained in the organization to be like this since basically the beginning of my education. Enhancing our observation ability, analysis, assessment and so on. But it rather focused more on humans and the environment, maybe for the reason that we were intended to be sent on the field than the office.

All graduates in the organization had these skills. However, there will always be those who exceed others. No one was equal. And, the skilled were always the ones to be favored.

As for why I was scrutinizing this person behind my innocent eyes. He was my brother’s personal attendant, the royal prince.

As I said previously, enemies tend to be closer than friends.

Keep your friends close and your enemies closer. It was reminiscent of that phrase. It can have different meanings. But in this context, keep close to your enemies, learn, observe, know everything about them.

Being an undiscovered infiltrator and a spy can freely do such actions.

You think of them as your closest aide, friends. And yet, all that was a ploy to catch you off guard.

They squeeze you of everything they need from you.

In short, a trickster, a liar, a pretender, tricks, lies, they are all of it, and they do all of it.

It was one of the very basics. Even us use such a method. And yet, commonly used, not many victims realized it. Human emotion might have something to do with it. But I possess no such type of emotional attachments.

For all I know, even Mera herself, who was close to me, could be a traitor. She had done some suspicious actions which I noted, like how she decided too quickly to be my personal maid. It may be because she liked me and was happy to serve me like she said herself. However, was it really the case? Why made it the truth? It could be a lie.

Even everything you could have been told could be a lie. Whether they be words... or their stories.

I turned my attention to the stacks of papers.

“Can I take a look?” I asked my brother who was sitting on his chair.

“Go ahead.”

I sat on a chair as I scanned the room. The windows were shut, I could feel draft coming in from where I was. It seems to be windy in this part of the palace at this time.

Hm.

I took a few pieces of paper. I’m surprised they were able to make this much paper in this age. Agh, don’t compare this world to the last one, me! Anyways, I read the contents. I noticed my brother staring at me with that proud smile of his.

“Brother, you ought to go back to work, time is gold.”

“Hehehe, very well.”

Estevan returned to studying the paper in his hand.

I also read mine. This one was about the knights. Their family, their social status, finance, territory, even attitudes. There were also a few backgrounds about the person and their family. Often one person took two or three pages.

“I didn’t know the knights require such a staggering amount of information before one can join.”

“It’s not, we personally and secretly had those information gathered, not only for the knights, but so that we would know more about other nobles.”

“... I see.”

I also see Oryn helping my brother to his side. I immediately returned my eyes to the paper. From Estelia’s memories, there was a bit of information that was interesting about this guy.

He had long hair, but his ears were always hidden, rarely one could see them. But Estelia never saw them. I didn’t manage to ask my servants. But what could he be hiding exactly? What can I do? Often exposing one’s deepest secrets exposes their character, and sometimes breaks their facades even for just a moment.

I can’t just straightly ask him about that, too inconvenient, might have some risk, like him being guarded when I ask him, another one was him refusing. Also, a sudden occurrence was always the best in this sort of thing, after all. Like attacking an unguarded target.

What to do?

I waited for an opportunity to come.

I read several papers, it would be a waste not to take in this information. My servants were both standing by the wall all this time, just standing, I wanted to act all kind and do some kind things, but they will be fine. It wouldn’t be good for servants to sit leisurely in here when everyone else was working.

Several minutes later, I heard my brother sigh, rubbing his forehead.

“Something the matter?” I asked.

“Um, no, hehe, it’s just a bit tiring. There’s not much useful information here. Or I can’t see it deeply enough.”

“... You look awfully stressed, brother,” I giggled. “You won’t last long at this rate.”

“Hehehe, but I have to do this.”

“Hmmm… Ah! I know what to do!”

I suddenly stood up and went to the window, just by Oryn.

“Having some fresh air would help you, brother,” I opened the door in an instant while saying those words.

Wind immediately entered the moment they had an entrance, I also turned around at the same time. Everyone’s hair waved in the air. But I looked only at one person for a moment.

Oryn. I saw his ear as his hair fluttered. I wondered what he was hiding, but now I know. His ear was cut by a blade. Not entirely though, just around the edges. I could tell it was a blade because of how clean the cut was. Straightly and cleanly sliced.

“Ah!” I exclaimed as I saw what happened next.

Estevan and Oryn held down the papers to the table in the wake of the wind. Sudden realization came to my face, with regret, I immediately closed the windows.

“I’m sorry!” I said with guilt as I looked at my brother. “I… I didn’t think it through.”

A few of the papers already flew in the air and landed on the floor.

“I-I’ll pick them up!” I immediately said and moved forward.

“You don’t need to, the servants will handle it.”

Estevan nodded towards my two servants. Understanding what he was gesturing, they went to pick up the stacks of papers.

“Ah before I forget, you two,” my brother said. “Don’t tell anyone about the papers, understand?”

““Understood.”” They replied.

“Good.”

The servants then returned the papers on the table.

I held both my hands as I returned limply to the chair.

“I’m sorry.”

My brother smiled.

“A minor accident, no need to look so guilty as if you committed a major crime.”

He said so with a chuckle.

“Okay…. I’ll help big brother then.”

How kind and sweet was my dear beloved brother. However...

Oryn… I wondered what his story was.

Tearing_Sanctuary

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And damn, the competition is drawing to a close. And I'm in imminent danger. I'm doomed XD