Timid and Shy - Chapter 71

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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71.

Oberon appeared to have abandoned his conspiracy when circumstances grew unfavorable and fled.
Sophia spoke.
“Could we enter Oberon’s office? If any documents remain there, we might find a list of people who traveled to and from Saturn, or at least some clue. I’m also curious how Oberon managed to devise such a foolish plan in the first place.”
Gunter replied.
“We’re still searching. The acting baron’s official office contained nothing unusual. It seems he must have prepared a separate, secret location for his true work.”
Gareis spoke as he walked.
“Oberon will know. Go.”
Helen turned to Gunter.
“Be careful. Don’t let your guard down for a moment. In times like these, someone might resort to underhanded tactics.”
Gunter’s face flushed. He nodded, gathered a few men, and headed straight up to the second floor.
Philip spoke with a sneer.
“Ha! Even at a time like this, romance!”
Helen moved to rebuke Philip, but Sophia stopped her. Regardless of anything else, he was of House Wiscom. Though Ariel and Pina’s Residence, as marriage relations, could hardly expect favorable treatment from Wiscom, there was no need to invite direct enmity. It was only because Robert was present that they could even stand against the Wiscom Ducal House at all; Ariel’s strength alone would have been insufficient. Given the current situation, they would not be able to bring down Wiscom through Oberon’s affair.
Parma, Sophia, Helen, and Pina remained together. Sophia longed to depart for Ariel as soon as possible, but she had to restrain herself.
There might still be remnants of Oberon’s conspirators yet undiscovered in the vicinity. Moving now would be dangerous.
The facts established so far were that Oberon had been found dead, and his acting proxy had disappeared.
‘Does Oberon crumble so easily? The rebellion simply concludes with the disappearance of the two people who knew everything?’
Sophia didn’t think she would sleep properly tonight. She felt as though Saturn might sweep across Titania Mountain Range and advance on Ariel at any moment.
‘Something’s wrong. This is far too wrong. What has Philip Wiscom done? Or has Saturn’s plan changed?’
Soon Gunter came seeking Sophia.
“A message from Robert. We’ve found the baron’s true office. If you wish to examine it, you may come at once. However, it appears the baron was killed there. So once the scene is properly secured, we can——”
Sophia rose immediately.
“I can tolerate the smell of blood. Time is critical.”
Parma and Helen also stood. Gunter looked at the two women rising to follow.
“Both of you as well?”
Parma spoke.
“I can read, you know. I may be of some use. Besides, I doubt anyone will sleep tonight anyway.”
“I can too. I can read as well, so I’ll be helpful. Perhaps we can find some evidence.”
Pina followed behind them as if standing guard over the three women. Before Pina could even open her mouth, Gunter sighed and gestured his permission for her to join.
Pina followed along eagerly. As the four of them set out toward the baron’s secret office, excitement rippled through them.
Secret doors and hidden corridors…. Pina and Helen made no attempt to hide their thrill. Sophia had no leisure for such excitement—anxiety consumed her.
Parma was inwardly delighted, but she suppressed it, mindful of the eyes around her. Yet this moment was far more fascinating than any party she had attended before.

Sophia spoke.
“So this is where the real work was conducted. Did the killer murder Oberon to push forward with the plan? Or to stop it?”
Gunter replied.
“Gareis is currently speaking with Oberon. Though they presented the elder son as the acting baron, it was the baron himself who conducted all business. As for why the baron feigned illness and hid himself—even Oberon isn’t certain. He suspects it was due to his connection with Saturn. According to him, it began after a woman from Saturn appeared. The woman bore the baron a child. He sent both the woman and the child to Saturn.”
Helen spoke in shock.
“How old was Oberon? I heard he was infirm and could barely move about.”
Gunter replied.
“Well over sixty.”
“And the woman?”
“Currently in her mid-twenties. The child is now six years old.”
Helen, Sophia, and Parma all frowned deeply.
Sophia approached the desk and began examining the documents upon it.
“All routine administrative work was handled here as well. The acting baron truly was nothing but a façade. Was the plan to shift all responsibility onto him later?”
Following Sophia’s lead, the others began searching the room. Pina excitedly flipped through the books on the shelves.
“These books don’t seem to have been opened much. Why keep decorations in a secret place like this——?”
Parma spoke.
“Those are expensive books. Most are leather-bound with illustrations. No matter how many books flood the market, rare editions and handmade volumes command high prices. They’re hidden wealth.”
Pina’s face flushed as she spoke.
“I see. You are truly perceptive, Ariel.”

Helen nudged Pina at her side with a grin. Parma pretended not to notice. Sophia began sorting through the documents by category.
“There’s quite a lot of routine work here. It’s possible the Baron’s deputy really did murder the Baron. At this point, the deputy might as well be a puppet. The port taxes would be routine too. A shipping manifest? Hmm? Is that a ship’s name? Elena? A woman’s name? Would you ask Baron Oberon to look into whether it’s Elena, a woman in Saturn? Or it could genuinely be a ship’s name.”
Parma moved to Sophia’s side. Sophia showed her the documents and explained.
“He’s been sending money each time. But there are no letters. Since it’s not official business, perhaps he kept the correspondence in his bedroom? … Gunter!”
“Yes?”
“Are Oberon’s family really in the South?”
“Yes. It’s been confirmed they’re in the South.”
“So is the woman and Oberon’s young son hostages in Saturn? Or was this woman a Saturn spy from the start? Did Saturn employ a honeypot scheme as Oberon said? Is that why Baron Oberon began making such foolish moves?”
Helen asked.
“So Saturn drew in Baron Oberon from the beginning? Oberon didn’t draw in Saturn?”
Sophia spoke while her hands and eyes moved busily.
“From the moment Saturn became involved, Oberon crossed a point of no return. Every contact becomes a weakness. If the Baron himself suggested drawing in Saturn, then he’s truly foolish. But no—being deceived is foolish either way. What reason would one country have to help another country’s domain? Unless it meant to swallow it whole.”
Ariel said.
“Isn’t the old man simply senile? Did the eldest son really kill him? Somehow I think I would have wanted to kill him too. In the end, he obsessed over a young woman and dragged his family toward death.”
Sophia found Parma’s explanation reasonable. The Baron had lived in a state of sufficient comfort with his own kind of satisfaction. Though the domain was small, he’d enjoyed a prosperous life.
Sophia spoke.
“If Saturn had deliberately set out to seize Oberon, it wouldn’t have ended with just an invasion of Ariel. Breaking through the Titania Mountain Range by force would exact a heavy toll, and the port would prove far more useful than crossing the mountains. Saturn likely planned to seize Ariel first through Oberon, then use both Ariel and Oberon as a foothold to target all of Uranos. It seems someone in Saturn is brimming with ambition… Gunter, can you look into that?”
“I understand. I’ll gather more information on influential figures in Saturn.”
Parma spoke.
“Please share that information with the Duke as well. He’s quite interested. He was also very curious about the domain called Anselladus. He was keenly interested in the Titan Knights there—saying they might soon come to Ariel.”
Gunter hesitated for a moment, and Sophia gave him a nod. Only then did he respond.
“Understood, Miss Ariel.”
Parma spoke while looking at both Gunter and Sophia.
“What is it?”
Sophia spoke.
“I received compensation from the Emperor for returning to Ariel from the Capital. The Emperor’s Inspector is offering full cooperation.”
Parma made no effort to hide her interest as she spoke.
“Ah…! Is that so? I think we’ll need to visit Ariel next. I’m all the more curious now about what sort of place Ariel is.”
Sophia spoke with a bright smile.
“Ariel welcomes the Duke’s daughter and suitor with open arms.”
Parma smiled as she spoke.
“To bring the Duke to Ariel, you’ll need an even more compelling persuasion than that.”
Sophia expressed gratitude for Parma’s goodwill. She also understood that persuading the Duke to come to Ariel wouldn’t come cheap.
‘What does House Gareis want? Breaking the engagement is far too obvious… What else do I need to offer?’
Even after thoroughly searching the office, nothing remarkable emerged. Baron Oberon had conducted his duties with vigor; the Baron’s deputy had been a mere figurehead; and every month he’d sent money to Saturn’s woman. That was all.
Sophia believed that with each monthly transfer of funds, specific plans and people would have crossed paths. Yet she found no evidence of it. Even the bedroom, which she’d investigated, held not a single letter exchanged between Saturn’s woman and Baron Oberon.
Oberon had come forward offering full cooperation, but the information he could provide held little of value. The Oberon estate had been searched exhaustively, yet evidence remained scarce. His long, careful management of information and evidence was evident.
Sophia emerged from Baron Oberon’s office empty-handed and thought.
‘To flee while erasing evidence so thoroughly… Does he have another plan?’
Moreover, when the taverns and inns at the port were searched, all that turned up was over three hundred people who had been asked to stay at the port for unspecified work requiring extra hands.
Piecing together their accounts, it appeared he had deliberately kept people anchored to the port. He’d done nothing but artificially crowd the harbor just enough to invite suspicion.
The Duke and Prince Robert laughed incredulously at these investigation results.

***

Though Sophia’s handling of the Oberon matter was progressing, she remained plagued by worry and suspicion.
Evidence had emerged that Oberon had maintained secret correspondence with Saturn. There were the regular shipments to Saturn, the money transfers, and Oberon’s own testimony.
Yet she could find no concrete details about Saturn’s movements, its plans, or any correspondence that would serve as proof of rebellion. In short, she had no idea what Oberon’s plan was after his attack on Ariel.
Evidence alone seemed insufficient to prove that Oberon had decided to attack Ariel.
There were soldiers who had been disarmed by Oberon’s command, but they claimed to have received only orders to stand by; they’d heard nothing about where they were supposed to go.
Even the secret office had been investigated for days, yet nothing related to Saturn was found. It hadn’t been hastily cleared—it appeared to have been meticulously organized over time.
Both Sophia and Prince Robert found this point deeply suspicious.
Sophia thought.
‘Is Saturn’s hold over Oberon stronger than expected? Or was there an exceptionally skilled spy at work?’
A background investigation began on the ships and people that had crowded the port. Even with control measures, smaller vessels couldn’t be completely prevented from entering and leaving. The shortage of personnel remained the problem.
Fortunately, there had been no sign of any force moving against Ariel. Yet Sophia remained uneasy. Beyond the fact that Oberon had maintained secret correspondence with Saturn, she’d obtained nothing concrete.
Prince Robert and the Duke agreed there was nothing more to be gained by remaining in Oberon. Preparing against Saturn’s attack took priority.
Philip Wiscom stepped forward saying he would keep watch while investigating Oberon, but they did not accept his offer. Oberon was also refusing to meet with Philip Wiscom.
Philip Wiscom showed displeasure at the Duke’s pressing questions and the Prince’s suspicious gaze. Yet he refrained from leaving without permission, always keeping himself under the eyes of either the Duke or Prince Robert.
It seemed as though he were displaying his own integrity. Sophia, too, was watching Philip Wiscom with a suspicious eye.
‘Someone fed her information. Oberon? Or from the Capital? Who? Who summoned Philip Wiscom to Oberon? Or sent him? To a place where Wiscom would obviously be suspected of secret correspondence with Saturn? If Philip knows of Oberon’s or Saturn’s schemes but isn’t part of them…….’
Sophia didn’t think Wiscom was foolish enough to commit treason. So then…….
‘If it’s a trap……. It’s a trap that requires knowing that Robert and Ariel will come to Oberon, and that I’d suspect the connection between Wiscom and Oberon. Information is leaking. From me, Gunter, the Emperor, Robert, or where?’

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