The Poisonous Princess Who Successfully Infiltrated the Enemy as an Employee - Chapter 53

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————

Episode 53.

***

When I returned to the duke’s residence after entrusting the commission to the Vincenta Guild, Glen was waiting in the courtyard behind the kitchen.
“You’ve returned, sir.”
“Thank you for your hard work, Glen. Everything went smoothly thanks to you.”
I climbed down from the carriage and brushed the wrinkled cloak off hastily.
“Oh, and soon you should receive word that someone has been found on your behalf.”
“……I beg your pardon?”
Glen’s expression flickered with rare surprise.
I beamed at him, letting my trust shine through.
“I traded on your name a little.”
“…….”
I waved my hand dismissively.
“Don’t worry too much. Would I really drag you into something dangerous? We’re comrades in the same boat, after all.”
“…….”
“In any case, when word arrives, report it to me at once.”
Glen then nodded reluctantly.
“……Yes, I shall do so.”
I gave Glen’s shoulder a light pat before hurrying upstairs to my bedchamber.
Varcan still hadn’t returned, they said.
‘I’d better sleep before he gets back.’
I finished my preparations and slipped quickly under the covers.
‘Ah, what a rewarding day this has been!’
I pulled the quilt up to my chin and smiled with satisfaction.
I’d obtained a magical artifact, and the deal with the information guild had gone through beautifully.
‘Though encountering that mad tower master wasn’t part of my plan…….’
That part did leave me uneasy, but there was no reason I’d meet him again.
‘For the next artifact, I should find a different mage.’
Quality magical artifacts mattered, certainly, but it was more important right now that whoever crafted them had their wits about them.
I closed my eyes tight and rolled onto my side.
‘From tomorrow onward, I should keep my head down for a while.’
Of course, that was something tomorrow’s me would have to reconsider.

***

Several more days passed.
Alexis returned from investigating the thunder in the Lacrion Mountain Range.
He unfolded a black cloth across the desk in the study.
“What is this?”
Alexis answered in a grave tone.
“Fragments discovered some distance west of the entrance to the Lacrion Mountain Range where the two of you had ventured.”
“Fragments?”
I bent forward to peer at the small fragments hidden within the cloth.
Several shards lay scattered, each roughly twice the size of a thumbnail.
They resembled metal, but lacked the characteristic luster of any metallic substance.
Across the blackened silvery surface ran thin, blue-tinted patterns arranged in peculiar geometric shapes.
Because the fragments were broken into many pieces, those intricate patterns were splintered as well.
‘……What?!’
The moment I recognized what those fragments were, my breath caught.
‘This is……a Stigma, isn’t it?!’
Stigma.
In the original work, it was a magical device used to seal powerful magical beasts or demons that could neither be killed nor destroyed.
‘This is strange. I’m certain it didn’t appear until the latter half of the original story.’
In the original’s final arc, the Evil God appeared as the last antagonist, and at that time, Crown Prince Cain and Floria had used a Stigma to seal that Evil God together.
But why would a Stigma be here in the Archduchy?
‘And in such a shattered state at that…….’
That thunderous sound back then—it might have been the noise of the Stigma shattering.
‘Or perhaps something that caused that deafening boom was powerful enough to break it.’
The thought sent a chill down my spine.
Surely there wasn’t some colossal beast sealed away beneath the Grand Duke’s lands?
I stared intently at the fragment for a moment, then shook my head.
‘No. If it had awakened, there would already be chaos.’
As I continued scrutinizing the Stigma Fragment, Varcan asked me a question.
“Do you know what this is?”
To Varcan’s question, I nodded without the slightest hesitation.
“It’s a Stigma.”
“A Stigma?”
Not just Varcan, but Roan and Alexis as well seemed to be hearing the term for the first time.
‘It hasn’t been revealed to the world yet.’
I nodded again.
“As far as I know, it’s a device used to seal creatures that are too powerful to kill—like formidable beasts, demons, and dragons.”
I answered honestly.
I saw no reason to conceal this information here.
After all, I no longer needed to play the role of the mad princess before Varcan.
Moreover, if this Stigma truly had been used to seal something, it made sense to share this knowledge and prepare accordingly.
I shrugged slightly.
“I only glimpsed it in a book somewhere, so I don’t know the fuller details.”
It wasn’t a lie.
A book is still a book, after all.
I turned to Alexis and spoke.
“I think we should examine the location where this fragment was found more carefully. My suspicion is that there’s more than just this one.”
“You mean there could be others like this?”
“It’s only a guess, but yes. Stigmas don’t occur naturally. They’re artificially created by someone with a purpose. Naturally, someone would have buried them in the ground as well.”
I continued, looking down at the Stigma Fragment.
“In other words, there’s a strong possibility that traces of someone who regularly approached and tended to or inspected this Stigma remain nearby.”
When I finished speaking, Varcan nodded.
“Roan.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
“Check the area again with Alexis.”
“Understood.”
Alexis and Roan immediately rose and left the office.
The door closed, leaving only Varcan and me in the study.
A heavy silence settled over the room.
My mind too was muddled by the sudden appearance of the Stigma.
‘A Stigma at this point, when we’re still searching for Ellenor’s old nursemaid…’
Now that I thought about it, who created the Stigma, and who maintained it?
Since it wasn’t explained in the original work either, I had no way of knowing.
Only…
‘If it’s a tool to seal the Evil God, wouldn’t the Temple be managing it?’
Considering how the original story ends with the Crown Prince, who possessed the Holy Sword, and the Holy Maiden Floria sealing the Evil God once more using the Stigma, it certainly seemed plausible.
‘The Temple, then…’
I swallowed an inward sigh.
No matter how I thought about it, the Grand Duke’s House had far too many enemies.
To lighten the heavy atmosphere, I leaned forward slightly toward Varcan and asked.
“Your Highness, when will my personal workshop be completed?”
Then Varcan’s gaze shifted from the fragment to me.
“It should be finished by the time you return from the Capital.”
“…What? The Capital?”
Where did the Capital suddenly come from?
As I blinked in confusion, Varcan answered with a composed expression.
“We’ll depart for the Capital in four days.”
“…But why the Capital all of a sudden—”
Then it suddenly occurred to me.
“Oh, …the Marriage Oath Ceremony?”
Varcan nodded curtly.
“Yes. This morning, word came from the Temple setting the date.”
“This morning? No, no—if something this important came up, couldn’t you have given me a heads-up beforehand……?”
“That’s precisely what I’m doing now.”
“…….”
Varcan tilted his head as though confused about what could possibly be wrong.
Sigh.
Never mind.
‘What could I possibly expect from that man?’
I should count myself fortunate he hadn’t sprung this on me only four days hence, as I climbed into the carriage.
I shook my head firmly.
Still.
‘Am I really going to marry that man?’
I’d steeled myself somewhat, but now that the date was set, my heart lurched.
‘And I haven’t found a single clue about Helbane yet.’
Ever since I’d been granted access to the Duke’s study, I’d visited it whenever time allowed.
I’d combed through every book on plants—especially poisonous ones—but not a single line mentioned anything called Helbane.
What exactly it was as a parasitic plant, how it took root in the body’s organs and what effect it had on its host, which medicinal herbs needed to be combined to remove it completely—
I needed at least basic information to synthesize either a sedative or an antidote.
‘Will I really just grow old and die as the Duchess of this place?’
Actually, growing old as the Duchess seemed the better alternative.
If I followed the original story’s path, I would’ve been abandoned by Varcan and taken my own life.
Of course, I had no such intention.
As I fell silent, turning over thoughts of Helbane and the original narrative, Varcan apparently misread my silence as reluctance about the marriage and ventured to speak carefully.
“In the future, I will consult with you beforehand.”
“……I beg your pardon?”
I looked up at him.
“I’m simply not yet accustomed to it. ……To discussing and sharing schedules with another person.”
“…….”
Fair enough.
At his station as Duke, whatever he said became law, plan, and schedule in one.
I had no idea how long I’d be living here, moving in rhythm with him.
‘This is going to be a long road. A very long road.’
As I regarded Varcan and let my gaze soften, he made me a proposition.
“If you have no pressing engagements, would you care to take an outing with me today?”
An outing?
I stared at him, eyes wide.
“You don’t mean a date?”
“…….”
Varcan answered with silence.

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————