The Viscountess is Clever [Romance/Kingdom Building]

“That’s...” Miller muttered, his eyes narrowing as he watched Ivan and Jeckson talking in the far corner while the other vassal lords lined up to greet them one by one. Francesca gently tugged at his sleeve, whispering quietly, “What is it? You seem worried about something.”

As Ivan finished his brief exchange with Jeckson and began heading straight toward the two of them, Miller replied in a low, barely audible whisper, “Nothing... Just that your brother was talking with my contact in the council.”

Francesca nodded understandingly, maintaining her composure as she gracefully greeted the next council lord who approached them. Taking a quick look around the room, she subtly raised her voice just enough. “Kenny... check up on Lord Jeckson for me, would you? He seems to have spilled a bit of his wine over there.”

she seamlessly signaled Kenny to discreetly probe Jeckson for whatever information had just been exchanged.

As Ivan arrived directly before the couple with an elegant smile. “Good morning, dear sister, and Lord Miller.”

“Morning, Lord Ivan,” Miller smiled back smoothly, his red eyes quietly observing Kenny as he successfully guided Jeckson out of the hall through the opposite corner exit. Turning his focus back to Ivan, Miller added, “It is good to see you didn’t suffer from a severe hangover today. The council members were truly looking forward to greeting you.”

Ivan nodded, casting a brief glance back at Albert. “They certainly do seem to be a hard-working bunch. But... I recently heard a rather interesting rumor that you have submitted a legal request to dissolve them?” he asked, a polite, mocking smile playing on his lips as usual.

Miller took a calm sip of his wine, matching his tone perfectly. “Lord Edward is rather involved in that specific matter. I am sure he can fill you in on the details of the incident.”

Standing a few feet away in the corner, the bald Lord Edward suddenly choked violently on his drink upon hearing his name. “Y-You see, Lord Ivan...”

Before the panicked noble could even finish his sentence, a sudden wave of irritation swept through the room. One by one, every single individual in the hall began coughing rapidly, experiencing a harsh, stinging itch in their eyes, including Miller.

The music instantly ground to a halt as the entire grand assembly hall began to fill with a thick, suffocating white smoke. Within seconds, visibility plummeted, making it nearly impossible to see the person standing right next to you.

“Ahem... Ahem! There must be a fire! Find the source immediately!” Miller commanded instantly, his military instincts kicking in.

He wrapped a powerful arm tightly around Francesca’s waist to secure her against the growing chaos. “Are you alright?”

Coughing into her sleeve, Francesca simply nodded. Clicking his tongue in annoyance, Miller effortlessly scooped her up into his arms, intending to evacuate her from the room immediately. The smoke was completely overwhelming now, blinding everyone as it swirled through the air. It was difficult to see the banquet tables, let alone Francesca’s face in his arms.

How in the world did a fire manage to start so suddenly? Miller thought grimly. Yet, curiously, absolutely nobody had spotted a single ember or flame.

“Ahem...! Ahem.”

Pressing a silk handkerchief tightly over his nose to filter the air, Ivan navigated the chaotic room. Even though I knew it was coming... I still got caught up in the heavy smoke myself, huh... he mumbled to himself with a dark smirk.

Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out two small, specialized sheets of contact-lens-like objects, expertly placing them over his golden eyes. Instantly, the thick smoke blurred away, allowing him to see the layout clearly as he began walking briskly down the empty corridor.

He marched down the hallway, heading straight toward the hidden entrance of the underground stairs. Pulling a thick cylinder stick with a long fuse out from beneath his coat, he quickly struck a spark and lit it.

Without hesitation, he tossed the lit cylinder straight down the stone steps. It immediately began to billow massive clouds of dark, heavy smoke through the underground dungeon's hallway, mimicking the chaos of the assembly hall above. Within moments, the already low-visibility, dark dungeon was transformed into a pitch-black, suffocating maze.

The distant, frantic coughing sounds of the captured squire and the subterranean guards began to echo up the steps. Ivan's smirk widened. Keeping the handkerchief pressed firmly over his nose and tightly gripping the sharp dagger in his right hand, he rushed down into the darkness.

“Finally... the setup is coming to perfect fruition.”

With those words to himself, Ivan descended the stone steps, seamlessly dodging the disoriented guards who were rushing out of the underground passage in a desperate search for clean air. Completely unnoticed in the blinding haze, he marched straight toward the very last cell where Reafel was being held. Pulling out a small wire, he picked the iron lock with practiced ease and slipped inside the cell, standing directly before the chained squire.

“Reafel...” Ivan called out smoothly.

Hearing the familiar voice cut through the dark, Reafel looked up, his expression a mixture of profound surprise and immense relief. “L-Lord Ivan?! Did you actually come down here to save me?! I knew it! I knew you wouldn’t just let me be abandoned in a place like—”

“Shh... lower your voice, you idiot,” Ivan cut the loudmouth off sharply, his golden eyes narrowing behind his specialized lenses. “First, tell me exactly what you saw at the lake.”

Reafel nodded frantically, lowering his pitch as he began babbling as fast as his lungs would allow. “I-I saw local craftsmen working on something highly secretive inside the cavern... It was rather odd, my Lord. They were modifying old carriages and heavy iron chains... I distinctly saw a complex series of large pulley systems as well, right before the guards managed to catch me.”

“Pulleys... iron chains... and carriage carts...” Ivan repeated lightly, cataloging the technical details in his mind.

Just then, the faint sound of heavy, approaching footsteps echoed from the far end of the dungeon hallway. Panic setting in, Reafel hurried his words. “M-My Lord! We must make haste! Please, release me from these chains right now so we can quickly escape...!”

Ivan instantly snapped out of his deep thoughts, his gaze dropping to the helpless squire. “Yeah...” he replied in a low, chilling whisper. “I suppose I really do need to release you.”

“Yes! Let’s quickly remove these chains...” Reafel was saying eagerly.

But his words vanished into a breathless gasp as a sudden, sharp, burning pain flared violently in his stomach, accompanied by the sickening sound of warm blood gushing out onto the stone floor.

“Argh...!”

Reafel let out a choked, strangled cry as his eyes traveled downward. The swirling dark smoke made it incredibly hard to see, but the horrific reality of the situation was clear as day to him. The sharp dagger was buried deep inside his torso, tightly gripped by the steady, gloved hand of the master he had spent the last month serving.

“Lord... Lord Ivan... but why?” the squire muttered, his vision beginning to blur as Ivan ruthlessly twisted the blade, driving it even deeper into his abdomen as more blood poured from the wound.

“Get your release, Reafel,” Ivan said, his voice dripping with pure, biting sarcasm.

Visit and read more novel to help us update chapter quickly. Thank you so much!