She’s as old as she looks, and her memory is getting weaker.
“Recently?”
“Yes, Ministry of Imperial Household? I think that’s what it’s called.”
“Don Oates?”
“That’s him!”
Twitch
I felt my eyebrows shoot up.
“Don’s seeing someone in the middle of the night?”
“Yes. Well, I don’t know who the other person is, but the people in this mansion don’t sneak out at night like that to meet with outsiders.”
“…… I see.”
I nodded.
As I had asked, Dylan did his research, and now we have circumstantial evidence that Don is a spy.
“I understand. Here.”
I took the dozens of remaining reens out of my pocket and handed them to Martha.
“Good to know. Here’s your reward. Keep it.
“Thank you, sir.”
“Don’t tell anyone about it. Not even your daughter.”
“I-I understand.”
Martha walks out of the study, holding the money I gave her in both hands.
…… I need to move.
☆
In the darkness of the moonless night, the back entrance of the 13th Prince’s residence.
As usual, Martha came out of the mansion to fulfill the work that she does every day without fail.
She approached the back gate, step by step, with slowly paced steps befitting her age.
She closed the gate, which she had left open until then.
“—-MUGU!”
Someone clutched her from behind and covered her mouth.
Martha tried to resist, but she couldn’t shake it off.
That person did something to Martha.
She jerked for a moment, cramped up, and then collapsed like a stringless puppet.
As Martha fell to the ground, that someone checked her breath through her nose and placed an ear to her heart.
Satisfied with that, it quickly left the scene.
–I watched the whole thing from the shadows.
“Saved from that.”
“……”
“……”
There were two women behind me who were speechless.
Zoe and Martha, mother and daughter pair.
“M-Mother was targeted, you mean?”
Zoe asked cautiously.
“That’s right. And they probably did it to make it look like a natural death. There’s no sign of trauma.”
Just as I said this, the figure of Martha, who had been killed at a distance, flickered and came back to the ring on my finger.
Then Fuwawa slowly flew in.
Martha witnessed Don communicating with an outsider.
I predicted that the Don would find out and try to silence her, so instead of Martha, I sent a materialized Fuwawa to take her place.
It was Fuwawa who was murdered, and since she was materialized by the Armor Ring, she was able to replicate human bio-reactivity, making it look like she was killed.
“Wow, …… the person who was my mother just now, ……”
Zoe marveled.
“Zoe.”
“Y-Yes.”
“For now, take your mother’s body with you back to your hometown, Dosso. It would be better to lay down in a familiar place.”
“Uhm, ……?”
“After all. At this rate, you’ll be a target.”
“Ah, …….”
Unlike the merchants and aristocrats who always deceive others with evil spirits of rivers and mountains, I spoke straight to Zoe, who is a maid.[TN: 魑魅魍魎 (chimimoryo) evil spirits of rivers and mountains are a**holes, although I don’t exactly know what that means, it should be something like deception, looking like human but is a monster, kind of, anyway here’s the Wiki link, do help me if you know]
“I understand.”
“Martha, I’ll call you back when it’s over, rest for a while.”
“Thank you very much! Thank you so much!”
Martha worshipped me over and over again for saving her life and for being so kind to her.
“Um, Master? I don’t mean to be rude, but are you sure you shouldn’t be keeping an eye on that man?”
“I’ve already thought of that.”
“Eh?”
“Don’t you realize that there’s something missing?”
“Eh? Well, ……, Master’s new subordinate is missing.”
Zoe noticed that Fuwawa had disappeared for some time.
“Actually, she’s right there with you. Fuwawa, touch her shoulder.”
“Eh? –Uwaahh”
Despite my warning, Zoe was surprised.
She couldn’t see anything, but she was surprised when she felt a touch.
“Th-This is”
“Just show her your face.”
“Whoa!”
She was surprised to see a head floating in the air.
“She can disappear like this. Fuwawa, make yourself invisible and keep an eye on that guy.”