After the Meeting:

"Duke of Offentstadt, might I—"
"I’m sorry, but I have urgent matters to attend to. Could we discuss this later?"
"...Very well."

Theodore politely but firmly dismissed the nobles gathered around him and headed alone to his office.

The calm expression he maintained began to twist into something more sinister as the gazes around him faded.

-Step. Step. Step.

"..."

By the time he reached his office and closed the door behind him, his pent-up emotions burst forth.

"Arrghhh!"

-Bang!

He grabbed whatever was within reach and hurled it in rage.

"Why! Why, why!"

-Bang! Bang!

Theodore had risen to power during the early days of Luise’s reign, when she had shown little interest in governance. Content to appoint new talents occasionally, she had effectively left him to manage the Empire’s affairs through the council.

Aside from his infatuation with her beauty, Theodore had viewed Luise as nothing more than a country girl, believing that becoming the leader of the imperialist faction would easily allow him to claim her.

But as Luise began to actively engage in politics, his hard-earned power quickly waned.

"Imperialist faction, my foot! What a joke!"

The label "imperialist faction," which had once been his source of strength, now clung to him like a curse.

Luise now presided over most council meetings, and any matters brought before the council required her approval. Her recent decisions—on land distribution, territory management, and military expansion—consistently served to consolidate imperial authority.

While these decisions didn’t directly harm him or his allies, Theodore couldn’t openly oppose the Emperor’s will without jeopardizing his position. With Gerhardt rising as the new leader of the imperialist faction and the aristocratic faction unlikely to welcome him back after he had trampled over them, Theodore found himself increasingly cornered.

After venting his anger by smashing furniture, he collapsed into a chair.

"Hah..."

Seeking to calm his simmering rage, he picked up an ornate frame on his desk. It contained a portrait of Luise, painted by an artist he had commissioned after being captivated by her smile during a previous encounter.

"...Heh. Heh heh."

He let out a low, eerie laugh as he gazed into Luise’s painted eyes.

Ever since falling for her at first sight, Theodore had used the portrait to soothe his turbulent emotions. The power he so avidly pursued had always been a means to stand beside her. Her efforts to diminish the influence of the nobles didn’t concern him much—he saw her growing authority as secondary to his own goals.

"..."

No, his anger wasn’t directed at Luise.

"...Victor."

His hatred was entirely focused on Victor, who had monopolized Luise’s attention.

"..."

Gently running his fingers over the portrait, Theodore’s thoughts darkened.

He couldn’t recall the last time Luise had smiled at him. When she addressed him, her tone was as detached as it was with other nobles, while her genuine smiles were always reserved for Victor.

"You’re the problem, Victor. You, you’re the one in the way!"

-Clack.

Even the painted smile seemed to mock him, as if the artist had intended it for Victor rather than himself. Frustrated, he set the portrait down on his desk with a thud.

To Theodore, everything that had gone wrong was Victor’s fault. Luise’s transformation had coincided with Victor’s arrival in the Empire, further cementing Theodore’s resentment.

"This can’t go on. I have to be the one by Her Majesty’s side..."

Yet with Gerhardt blocking his attempts to gain military achievements, Theodore had few options left. And as reason slipped further from his grasp, his gaze turned to the most dangerous card in his hand.

"...I could lose everything. No, I can’t."

He tried to restrain himself, gripping the metaphorical drawer of his rationality.

"...Everything? What do I even have left?"

But jealousy toward Victor and the helplessness he had felt in the council pushed him toward a fateful decision.

"It’s not some commoner like Victor who should stand by Her Majesty’s side—it’s me."

His deliberation was brief.

-Creek.

Glancing between Luise’s portrait and the drawer, Theodore finally opened it and retrieved a sheet of paper.

His resolve hardened, he gripped a pen and began scrawling erratically with his left hand to disguise his handwriting. The letter began with details of Victor’s plans shared in the meeting and included critical information about the Crimson Dragon Legion’s armaments and capabilities.

Despite his trembling hand, Theodore poured himself into writing.

"...Hmm."

After a moment of review, he sealed the letter in a cheap envelope. On the front, he wrote the name of Count Sancho Gonzales of the Kingdom of Esperia, one of his contacts.

He prepared several similar envelopes, stashing them in his coat. After equipping a hood to conceal his face, he turned to leave but hesitated.

"..."

He picked up Luise’s portrait again, staring at it for a long time.

"Hah, hah..."

His breaths grew ragged, and his heartbeat quickened.

Sitting down once more, he whispered, "Luise, this is for you... Yes..."

Five minutes later, his face slightly flushed, Theodore finally left his office.

---

"If the Fifth Legion is to mount an offensive, they’ll need supplies. I’ll provide this much; could you see to it that it’s delivered to their location?"
"...Haha. Thank you."
"Thank me? As the Grand Marshal, it’s my duty to oversee the logistics of the Fifth Legion."

After Gerhardt generously provided an excessive amount of supplies for the Fifth Legion,

"...Hmm."
"Something wrong?"
"Ah, no. I’ll take my leave now to prepare for deployment."
"Very well. I, too, look forward to your success."

Suddenly, my mini-map flashed red. Sitting in my office, I observed the map carefully.

A single red dot moved without any accompanying gray dots.

Knowing the room it had emerged from, I quickly deduced its owner.

"...Theodore."

His earlier behavior—leaving the council chamber alone, abandoning the nobles he had been with—had already seemed suspicious. Now, watching the red dot’s movements, I decided to monitor him further.

From his office, he joined a group of gray dots briefly before leaving the palace alone.

"I’ll step out for a moment to meet some artisans."
"Oh! Then I’ll finish up quickly."
"No need. I’ll be back shortly after observing their progress."

I donned a brown coat to conceal my uniform and prepared to leave.

"Understood. Still, please take this with you."
"...Hmm."

Anna handed me a wheel-lock pistol Dominic had provided for self-defense.

"Would I really need something like this just to visit artisans?"
"You must carry it with you."
"...Very well."

Tucking the pistol into my coat, I left the office leisurely, covering my uniform with the coat as I hurried toward the red dot’s location.

Given the urgency and secrecy of the situation, I didn’t take a horse, but the mini-map’s guidance allowed me to quickly catch up to the red dot.

"..."

As expected, the red dot leaving the palace was Theodore. Though he had disguised his upper body with a hood, his ostentatious trousers and shoes betrayed his identity.

He moved cautiously, pausing every few steps to scan his surroundings as he made his way toward the slums. I followed discreetly.

Despite his efforts to confuse any pursuers, his movements were no match for the mini-map.

Eventually, the red dot slowed and came to a stop in a deserted area, seemingly waiting for someone.

Soon, a gray dot approached him, and the two lingered together for about five minutes before parting ways.

I decided to trail the gray dot before it could merge into the crowd.

"...Hmm? Who—what!"

Thanks to the mini-map’s real-time tracking, I intercepted the gray dot—a scrawny man in shabby clothes—before he could leave the slums.

-Thud!

"Agh!"

Pinning him down, I drew my pistol, using it as a blunt weapon. Since firearms weren’t widely known yet, I figured its menacing appearance would suffice.

"If you make a sound, I’ll crush your skull right here."
"...Hic."

Terrified, the man covered his face with his hands, trembling. Thankfully, it seemed he didn’t recognize me.

"Who did you meet just now, and what did you discuss?"
"...That’s..."
"Must I crack your head open for an answer?"

While pressing him, I kept an eye on the mini-map. Theodore remained elsewhere in the slums, meeting another contact.

"I—I don’t know anything!"
"...I see no choice, then."
"Eek! Mail! I was told to deliver mail!"
"Quiet."
"I—I was paid to deliver letters, that’s all!"
"Stay still if you value your life."

Searching his belongings, I found a cheaply sealed letter and two gold coins. The coins were meticulously prepared, with their minting year and marks scratched off.

"Take whatever you want! Just spare my life!"
"...Is this everything?"
"Y-Yes! That’s all! I have nothing else!"

Seeing his frantic gestures, I tossed the coins back at him, keeping only the letter.

"Leave. And don’t tell anyone about this encounter."
"Ah, my lord! Thank you! Thank you!"

I watched him flee and then opened the envelope to inspect its contents.

"...Hmm."

The letter contained hastily scribbled notes detailing information about the Crimson Dragon Legion, including classified details. It was addressed to one "Sancho Gonzales," likely a contact from the Kingdom of Esperia.

Judging by Theodore’s erratic movements, he was likely delivering multiple letters to different individuals. Each gray dot he met was another courier carrying similar messages.

"..."

While the information could compromise our strategy, Theodore wasn’t a soldier, so his descriptions of the Legion and its weaponry were vague at best. He had written, “new weapons introduced, long-range projectiles,” without concrete specifics. Tactical plans could be revised before execution, rendering much of this moot.

Thus, I decided not to pursue Theodore’s other contacts. For my purposes, the letter in my possession was enough to destroy him. If the letters he distributed reached the Kingdom of Esperia, they would only bolster the evidence against him.

I could even use this situation to gain leverage.

"...Hah."

The thought of turning this betrayal into an advantage pleased me. Theodore would never see it coming.

"Didn’t you say you were visiting artisans? Dirt I can understand, but the smell... You should wash immediately."
"..."

Concealing the incriminating letter securely, I returned to my office, ready to seal Theodore’s fate.