Chapter 95: Come on, Sister!

AFTER LEAVING the meeting room, Rishe hurried down the hall. Really, she wanted to sprint, but she couldn't exactly do that in the imperial palace. Trying to stuff down her panic, she listened to Theodore's rundown of the situation.

"He threw off all of his tails," Theodore murmured as he walked beside her. "He was last seen in a seventeenth-district alley in the southern part of the capital. That was three hours ago. We're searching the area now."

"Under what circumstances did they lose him? Even if he noticed the tail, for him to escape people from the slums is just…"

"Apparently, they smelled something sweet right beforehand."

Theodore explained the effects, and Rishe recognized the "scent" as an anesthetic derived from a type of mushroom.

"They entered the alley, and that's the last thing they remember. When they woke up, two hours had passed and their target was missing. In other words…"

Theodore lowered his voice even more. "We no longer have eyes on Michel Hévin."

Rishe's lips closed in a thin line.

Several days ago, she'd asked Theodore for a favor. "I want you to watch Professor Michel and tell me what he does. If he tries to get near Prince Arnold, stop him."

Theodore's people from the slums knew everything there was to know about the capital, boasting an impressive information network and methods for reaching any corner of the city. Additionally, Theodore's surveillance network within the palace kept tabs on Arnold's activities. Michel had evaded all of them.

"Just in case, please have the affected people drink plenty of water. If there's anything else you can tell me—"

"They reported that he was carrying a different bag than usual. A sturdy-looking metal case. He handled it very delicately."

Rishe gasped.

"My operatives report whenever targets make a change to their usual routine." Theodore smirked.

At times like this, he really resembled Arnold.

"As soon as I received word, I mobilized all my contacts in the slums. I have scores of people searching outward from the seventeenth district right now."

"Wow, Prince Theodore…"

"The report on losing Michel Hévin didn't get to me for about two and a half hours. Once they find their target, they'll do exactly what you told them to do. They're sending me regular updates."

Rishe's eyes widened in surprise. She hadn't expected him to be that on top of things. She hadn't told Theodore about the gunpowder, and she was hiding Michel's desire to give it to Arnold.

True, she'd given him steps to take when engaging the "target," but Theodore didn't know any details. Rishe had simply said, "Keep an eye on this foreign man, do this if he acts in a certain way, and report back to me." She hadn't expected him to be so good at improvising.

"Why do you look so surprised? Did you think Arnold's little brother could only mindlessly follow orders?"

"O-of course not! I'm just shocked you trust me. I haven't even told you why I want you to follow him."

Running next to her, Theodore gave her an exasperated look. "Someone innocent wouldn't attack the people tailing them. They'd just try to lose them or seek help from the proper authorities. A man who knocks out his pursuers with some weird drug is obviously planning to do something crazy."

Rishe couldn't respond. Her gaze dropped as she sped through the halls.

Theodore had all sorts of ruffians from the slums—practically criminals—under his command. His words rang true.

Theodore glanced back at the knights following them and lowered his voice. "I made the call to pull you out of a meeting with my brother because I judged the situation an emergency. I've tipped our hand to him, so he'll certainly probe into this; I apologize for that in advance."

"It's all right. Thank you, Prince Theodore. Let me just confirm: Have Michel and Prince Arnold had any contact?"

"I think it's safe to say they haven't. I don't think he's approached Oliver either. One thing does bother me, though."

"You mean how you gained entry to the meeting room?" Rishe also found it strange.

He nodded. "Even if I am the younger prince, they wouldn't let me barge in on a conversation between my brother and Prince Kyle. Yet Oliver didn't even try to stop me."

"And Prince Arnold barely reacted. He wasn't surprised."

Maybe his surprise simply hadn't shown on his face. Or perhaps he'd seen through it all and had been expecting something like this.

Or maybe it was more convenient for Prince Arnold for me to leave…

She could be overthinking, but if Rishe didn't interrogate every idea that came to her, she'd never figure out Arnold's behavior. In any case, she had ample reason to be wary.

"Tell me, what's the state of the search—"

"Excuse me, Prince Theodore."

A knight appeared from down the hall and whispered something to Theodore in a practiced manner. The large man was one of Theodore's imperial knights, as Rishe recalled.

"Got it. Come on, Sister! This way!"

"You've already found him?!"

"Whose brother do you think I am? Besides, he returned to a place where it's easy to get eyes on him!"

Theodore left the palace with Rishe chasing after him, running out into the courtyard with her skirt hitched up. It was easy enough to guess what he meant.

"Ugh…"

Rishe was out of breath, having run for so long. When she finally arrived at their destination, shoulders heaving, the man they sought was there looking utterly relaxed.

"Hey, Rishe."

Michel wore a composed smile, standing in the flower-filled garden. Four knights loomed behind him, their uniforms bearing a slightly different design than that of Arnold's imperial knights. Surrounded, Michel sat down on a white bench in the garden, smoke from his herbal cigarette rising from his lips.

"You're a brilliant student, but you need some lessons on how to treat your lab rats. Cornered animals can be unpredictable, you know? If a cat has no tree to climb, it'll attack the dog chasing it. Rowr!" Michel swiped his right hand like a cat's paw.

"Not that I need to alter my behavior much, even if I'm being surveilled." Michel tilted his head to the side, shoulder-length hair swaying with the movement.

Theodore was just as out of breath as Rishe, but he casually stepped in front of her as if to protect her.

"What's this guy's problem? Aren't you acting a little too familiar with my brother's fiancée?"

By this point, Rishe's knights had caught up as well; Rishe sent them a look, telling them to hold. After that, she studied the knights surrounding Michel.

"Prince Theodore. The knights behind the professor…"

"I know. You all can leave."

A knight bowed awkwardly.

"I apologize, Your Highness. We are not able to follow that order."

"What?" Theodore frowned his displeasure.

The knights flinched but seemed to have no intention of leaving.

Watching this exchange, Michel blinked slowly. "Hey, Rishe, why do you want to get rid of the knights? I don't suppose it's out of consideration for me, is it? That's very kind. Thank you." With an impish smile, he added, "But there's no need for that."

This presence…

Rishe whirled around at the sound of boots on grass. She didn't need to see him to know who was coming; she had memorized his tells just the other day to avoid running into him.

It's Count Lawvine!