The Viscountess is Clever [Romance/Kingdom Building]

“So... he was sneaking around the hidden cave last night?” Miller asked, standing with his arms crossed in front of the captured squire, who was now heavily chained up and noticeably bruised from a struggle.

Captain Kory sighed, nodding firmly. “Yes, my Lord. He saw the craftsmen working directly on the cable cart mechanics. The moment we noticed him at the perimeter, we knocked him out cold and brought him straight back to the castle dungeons.”

Miller let out a heavy sigh, rubbing his temples. If Lord Ivan was the one who sent him... how does he even know about the cave's exact location to begin with?

Mulling over the variable, he eventually shook his head and ordered, “The Vassal Council is scheduled to greet Lord Ivan today, so keep this man locked up tight until they finally leave the estate. We will take this security breach directly to Ivan himself the moment today’s formal meeting is over.”

“Understood. I should also notify you that most of the veterans in our troops are currently occupied training the new recruits so they can eventually replace the elite squad guarding His Highness the Third Prince,” Captain Kory reported. “I will keep the perimeter guard numbers at the castle the same as usual. The squire’s baseline infiltration skills aren't really that exceptional anyway, so I doubt anyone else will attempt a rescue.”

Miller touched his brow, his mind weighed down by Ivan's economic trap they found from the night before. “Yeah, let’s go ahead and do that. I need to get cleaned up and ready to receive the council soon.”

Giving one final, cold look to the chained and silent Reafel, Miller turned and exited the dungeon corridor alongside Captain Kory.

Ivan’s Guest Chambers, Lord’s Castle

The moment he finished buttoning up his formal attire, Ivan held a rough, hand-drawn layout map of the castle in his palms, meticulously memorizing the structural corridors.

Albert quietly entered the room, watching him. “Do you truly have to execute this part of the plan yourself, young Lord? I mean... I handled all of the setup till now. I can easily finish the rest of it for you.”

“Yeah. I absolutely have to be the one to do it,” Ivan replied flatly, setting the map down and draining a glass of water.

He extended his right hand forward. Albert reached deep into his uniform pocket, pulling out a dangerously sharp, concealed dagger and placing it into Ivan's palm. “Well... best of luck to you then.” Albert said with a sigh.

Tak... tak...

A firm, rhythmic knock echoed against the wooden door, followed by a clear, smooth voice from the hallway. “Lord Ivan, I am here to escort you down to the main assembly hall to meet with the vassal council.”

Recognizing Kenny’s voice instantly, Ivan's lips curled into a wicked smirk. He looked at Albert and whispered, “Let’s go ahead and get rid of his right-hand man first.”

Opening the door with a bright, welcoming smile, Ivan greeted the aide warmly. “Oh! Sir Kenny! If I recall correctly, you used to serve as the highly decorated vice commander of the Ironwood mercenary corps during the war, right?!”

Ivan stepped into the hallway, walking side-by-side with Kenny down the long stone corridor.

“I used to be during the war,” Kenny replied evenly, keeping his eyes focused ahead. “However, I left that life behind quite a while ago. I am simply an administrative aide to Lord Miller now.”

“Ah... as a personal aide, you must know the names and faces of most of the servants working in this household, right?” Ivan continued casually as they began descending the grand staircase. “You see, a particular maid happened to completely catch my eye during the holiday sermon yesterday. While she was wearing the Goddess’s revealing ceremonial uniform, I found myself completely unable to tear my eyes away from her body. I was hoping you could find a discreet way to set up a private meeting between us in my bedroom tonight? Her name was something like... Stalla? Or Stella, perhaps.”

Kenny abruptly froze mid-step on the staircase. He tightly clenched his fists at his sides, his fingernails digging deep into his palms as he forced himself to maintain a tight, rigid smile.

“I will be sure to convey your enthusiastic admiration... directly to my girlfriend, Lord Ivan,” Kenny replied, his voice dropping into a dangerously low, controlled register.

As they reached the final step of the staircase, a thick, suffocating wave of tense air passed between the two men. Kenny strictly kept his raging emotions in check, his expression turning to stone.

Ivan merely smirked, his fingers subtly fiddling with the hidden knife tucked securely up his silk sleeve. He instantly altered his tone to sound apologetic. “Ah! My goodness, I had absolutely no idea! I sincerely apologize if you felt offended by my casual remarks, Mister Kenny!”

“No offense taken, Lord Ivan,” Kenny lied smoothly, forcing a fake smile as he reached out and pushed open the massive doors to the main assembly hall.

“My, the people of these rural northern territories truly are quite understanding,” Ivan commented with a mocking chuckle as he passed through the threshold. “If we were back in the Capital right now, a highborn gentleman like myself probably would have been punched square in the face by now.”

With those highly provocative parting words, Ivan and Albert confidently stepped into the grand hall, leaving a furious Kenny behind.

For the next several minutes, the grand assembly hall buzzed with activity as the various members of the Vassal Council mingled around Ivan. They drank expensive alcohol from crystal glasses while a few local musicians played soft string instruments in the background.

Ivan took a slow, calculated sip of his wine before turning his focus toward a younger noble. “So, you are Jeckson Libert? I heard you only recently stepped up to become the head of your family.”

“Yes, yes, Lord Ivan. It was incredibly unfortunate that my father passed away just last month,” Jeckson replied, taking a quick sip of his own wine to steady his nerves. He added with a forced sigh, “To be completely honest, the administrative responsibilities of running the estate are a bit too much for my personal liking.”

Ivan nodded understandingly, his sharp golden eyes narrowing slightly. “True that. Now, I happened to hear a rumor that you were actually away in the Capital for your studies prior to your return? What exactly were you studying there, and at which institution?”

Jeckson didn’t show it outwardly, but that simple question instantly shook his noble facade. His heart began to beat wildly inside his chest. However, training his facial muscles to remain completely stone-faced, he smoothly continued, “Herbalism at a small, family-run herb merchant guild, Lord Ivan. I am not particularly proud of it, but our family finances simply weren’t stable enough to send me to a more prestigious or influential institution.”

“Ah. If it’s just a small, family-run herb merchant operation, I suppose I might not have heard of it,” Ivan noted, nodding casually as he traded his empty glass for a fresh one from a passing server.

A profound wave of relief washed over Jeckson when he realized the young lord wasn't going to inquire any deeper into the lie. Eager to cement the cover story, he quickly added a bit of tragic fluff. “I had originally hoped to discover a remedy that would finally relieve my father from his terminal illness... though I certainly wasn’t fast enough to achieve it.”

“What a thoroughly diligent son,” Ivan replied smoothly.

His eyes immediately drifted away, scanning the rest of the room to observe the behaviors of the other lords just as the massive main doors swung open.

The primary herald stood tall at the threshold, his voice echoing powerfully through the stone chamber. “Announcing the arrival of Viscount Lord Miller Ironwood, and Viscountess Lady Francesca Ironwood!”

Holding tightly onto Miller’s steady arm, the sharp, rhythmic reverb of Francesca’s cane hitting the polished floor announced her progress as they walked into the room together.

Both the crimson-haired Viscount and the silver-haired Viscountess possessed a powerful, undeniable presence about them. Smiling elegantly at the gathered crowd, the couple completely commanded the room the absolute second they stepped across the threshold.

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