In the study of the Kaest Duke's manor, the flames in the fireplace burned quietly, casting a warm orange glow upon the rows of heavy, hardcover books lining the walls.
This was the Duke's private domain.
Kaest Duke, the younger sister of the late King Alistair II, sat properly behind her desk.
She wore a well-tailored beige open-collar long dress. Her gray hair was coiled behind her head; time had left its marks on her face, yet it had not worn away the authority in her eyes.
Placed before her was the ledger Sir Suffolk had snatched back.
There were only three people in the study.
Aside from the Kaest Duke herself, there was the direct commander of the Grey Top Hats, a middle-aged man with a face as cold and sharp as a knife, codenamed "Butler."
And Sir Suffolk, who stood upright to the side, having just reported every detail.
Suffolk's left arm was still in a sling, but his signature gray top hat had been respectfully placed on the small side table at his hand. The usual playfulness was gone from his face, replaced by solemnity.
"Suffolk, are you certain that Ursus man is related to Wellington and Leithanien?" Kaest Duke's voice was calm, betraying neither anger nor joy.
"Yes, Your Grace." Suffolk bowed slightly.
"Immediately after returning, I verified it with Lord 'Butler.' That eye symbol is an internal marker activated by Leithanien's intelligence department after the new Emperor's coronation. It represents 'High Attention' or 'Await Orders.'"
"As for that Ursus man, according to my observations, his operational logic did not resemble that of a simple arms dealer. He acted more like he was executing a clearance and silencing operation."
"He took the ledger seemingly only to recover evidence."
"Butler" added from the side, "Our people analyzed the entire incident. what Suffolk encountered was very likely a staged criminal double-cross."
"Leithanien intelligence agents disguised themselves as arms buyers, swindled the transaction ledger from Duke Wellington's contact, and then silenced them."
"And that Ursus man was either a hired thug or simply an outer-circle operative developed by Leithanien within Ursus."
"Sir Suffolk's appearance was merely an accident, but this accident allowed us to obtain this thing that we were never meant to see."
"A piece of... evidence delivered right to our doorstep," Kaest Duke said slowly, her gaze profound.
"Wellington..." She pronounced the name.
"Our Iron Duke, the Death Knell of the Gaul Empire, the Guardian of Victoria."
"Making impassioned speeches in Parliament, swearing to exterminate the Thracian rebels, while secretly funneling weapons to them in the dark. Truly... a magnificent drama."
Suffolk lowered his voice. "Your Grace, this evidence is enough to launch an impeachment against him in Parliament! As long as we publish it..."
"Publish it?" Kaest Duke interrupted him.
"Do you think a single ledger, its authenticity hard to prove, can topple a Grand Duke who holds Victoria's most elite legions and boasts distinguished military service?"
"He will say it is a forgery, a smear by his political enemies. How will those wavering fence-sitters choose then?"
"Furthermore..." She picked up the ledger, her eyes becoming increasingly sharp.
"This evidence came too coincidentally. It is like a hunter placing a fat, delicious rabbit on your inevitable path just when you are hungriest."
"Would you not wonder if behind this rabbit lies a trap that has already been sprung?"
Suffolk's expression changed.
He was an excellent intelligence operative, but his thinking remained largely on the level of execution and tactics. Kaest Duke, however, saw the entire chessboard.
"Leithanien..." The Duke softly recited the name.
"That newly ascended Emperor swallowed Siracusa in one week and partitioned Kazimierz in half a month. Now, does he intend to cast his gaze upon Victoria?"
"What does he want to do?" She muttered to herself.
She stood up, walked to the window, and gazed out at the ducal garden shrouded in the night.
"What he wants to do, I fear, is not merely to muddy the waters of Victoria."
"Does Your Grace mean... this ledger was delivered to us by Leithanien on purpose?" Suffolk couldn't help but ask.
"Not possible—it is certain," "Butler" spoke up from the side.
"We replayed the entire event. Duke Wellington's smuggling channels are extremely secretive. Even if Leithanien's Intelligence Department is capable, they could not have pinpointed it so precisely in such a short time and arranged a double-cross that Suffolk just happened to 'accidentally' get involved in."
"It all makes too much sense. It makes so much sense that it looks arranged."
"Butler" paused, then continued, "Leithanien's goal is not to help us."
"They want us to take this evidence and engage in a death match with Duke Wellington. Regardless of who wins or loses, it is a victory for them."
"The Dukes of Victoria will bleed in internal strife, while he only needs to watch the fire from across the river, wait for us to wound each other, and then calmly clean up the mess."
Silence fell over the study once again.
Kaest Duke spoke, "Wellington thinks he can use that group of Deep Pool people to realize his laughable dream of Thracian restoration."
"But at least he is still a Duke of Victoria; his madness is confined to this land."
"But Lacey of Leithanien..." She paused, seeming to search for the right word.
"He is different. He is a lucid madman."
"Annexing Siracusa, carving up Kazimierz—every step he takes is extremely purposeful."
"His appetite will absolutely not be satisfied with just causing civil unrest in Victoria."
Her gaze seemed to pierce through the curtain of night, seeing the distant Leithanien.
"What he wants, perhaps, is all of Victoria."
"Then what should we do?" Suffolk couldn't hold back his question.
"Do we just allow Duke Wellington to continue funding the rebel party? The Aslan orthodoxy..."
"Of course we cannot allow him, but neither can we act according to the script written by the Leithanians." Kaest Duke turned around, a cold glint flashing in her eyes.
She returned to her desk and sat down.
"Stow the ledger away. Classify it as Top Secret; no one is to leak it," she ordered.
"But regarding its contents, you may appropriately reveal a little to the informants of those fellows."
"It does not need to be a complete chain of evidence. Just some clues that will make them suspicious are enough."
"Let them guess, let them investigate, let them test Wellington."
"What we must do is temporarily jump out of the chessboard and become the ones observing the game."
"Butler" immediately understood the Duke's intention. "Let them fight first, while we sit on the mountain and watch the tigers struggle?"
"Not entirely." Kaest Duke shook her head.
"Wellington must be dealt with, but it must be done by us, at the right time, and in our own way. We absolutely cannot be led by the nose by the Leithanians."
She looked at Suffolk. "Your mission, starting now, is to investigate Leithanien."
"Yes, Your Grace!" Suffolk straightened his body.
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