Betrayed By My Fiancé, I Changed My Role From A Viscount's Daughter To A Lady-in-waiting To The Queen

Chapter 26: Chapter 1, Episode 26

Translated by KaiesV

Edited by KaiesV

It’s true that I don’t see anything suspicious if I only listen to what Neil is saying, but that’s only in his story.

To me, it is unconvincing and suspicious. I really don’t know why Ryniel-sama is being carried away by it.

First of all, I haven’t received a gift in 10 years, and suddenly giving one is extremely unnatural. I’m sure there is a reason. But it would never be a courtship.

And I doubt Raul would know that much about the meaning of jewelry. It’s strange that Ryniel-sama knows so much about gem language, but it makes sense that Gaspar and Neil are knowledgeable because of their work. But I wonder if Raul, who looks like a prince on the outside but is a simpleton on the inside, can remember the language of jewelry. As a childhood friend, I know very well that he cannot even remember the language of flowers.

Even though what they are saying makes sense, something isn’t right. I can’t shake the impression that they are trying to forcefully make things add up. It was somewhat like a story, and did not seem realistic. I couldn’t help but feel that I was somewhat mistaken.

What exactly was the beginning?

It must have started when Raul told me that he had given me a necklace but had not received it.

What was I thinking there? What did he report?

Yes. I advised an investigation because of the possibility of being involved in scandals within the royal palace. As a result, no other gifts were missing from the palace.

「Hmm…」

The fact that it wasn’t lost in the palace means that it was lost before it reached the palace.

「Ryniel-sama, is it the loss or theft of a present that you investigated?」

I looked up and asked Ryniel-sama.

「Yes, but why do you ask?」

Something stuck with me. But in an instant, it vanished like a haze, and I couldn’t tell what it was.

Come to think of it, didn’t I mention that Countess Bauer had brought in several other pieces of jewelry with engravings of famous stores?

Nhn?

「Hey, Neil. Did you find any parts missing from the jewelry that Countess Bauer brought to restore, other than this necklace?」

「Eh… yes. Not all of them, but as far as I could see there were some that would be missing…」

「…I see…」

I wonder if jewelry from famous stores, even if it isn’t dated, can break that badly.

As Neil said, even if this necklace was mine, what about the other jewelry owners?

And if it’s Countess Bauer’s personal property, it’s obvious that it’s not hers, since she would have commissioned the engraved jeweler to restore it.

Nhn??

「Hey, Missy?」

「Sorry. Just shut up and don’t hinder me.」

「Eh…」

The three of them looked at me quizzically when I didn’t give them the reaction they were expecting, but I was not in the mood for that.

I feel bad for being so nasty, but I think I can see something that just stuck with me…

「Ah…!」

Suddenly, it occurred to me.

「Hey, perhaps it was stolen?」

「What are you talking about? This was originally stolen from Missy.」

Gaspar says in a dazed voice, but that’s not what I’m trying to say.

「Countess Bauer brought more than just this necklace. Not all of the jewelry could have been a gift to me. Raul made it very clear to me that it was a necklace. If he was giving me more than one thing, he wouldn’t have said it was a necklace, would he?」

And there’s no reason to be given lots of gifts just because it’s my birthday, and I’m not the kind of person who does that.

「As I said before, isn’t it possible that they’ve been stealing gifts for Missy for the past 10 years?」

That’s just not possible.

「You can say that Countess Bauer has been stealing for the past 10 years. She’s just made her debut. I’ve only been in and out of the palace for the past few months. How could she steal a gift for me?」

At 100 paces, it might not be inconceivable if she were my age, but in that case, she would be around 6 years old at the time of the first offense. And it’s not even a royal palace for the first year. It’s difficult, even if you take a million steps back.

「And Neil told earlier. It was a relatively new design. Which means it must be at least a couple of years old.」

Well? I asked, and Neil shook his head.

「All that jewelry needs to be restored, just like the necklace. Why would it break if not because of deterioration over the years? And what does it mean that a part is missing?」

If you believe that all of this jewelry is stolen, there is only one answer.

「They sold it in pieces!」

Gaspar huffed and raised his voice.

「Yes. Just like the green amethyst. If you sell the jewelry as is, it will get traced. But if you took the parts off and sold them, at least you’d have less of a leg up than if you just redeemed them outright.」

I’m not saying that what Neil inferred is wrong. I think it is one of the possibilities.

「What Raul is looking into in the first place may even be a different matter.」

But if this premise were different, the story would be very different.

「What if it’s not a gift, but a lost or stolen piece of jewelry?」

「That changes the scope of the investigation.」

Ryniel-sama raised the bridge of his glasses with his index finger, looking interested.

「I noticed that Raul was looking into it, because the 4th Unit is working on it.」

「Yes. I became suspicious of the 4th and learned what I could about it.」

「Which means that as the commander of the 4th Unit, he haven’t been reported for investigation.」

If the Knights of the Kingsguard decided「none,」there was no obligation to report even if Raul personally was looking into the matter. However, if the 4th Unit is working on it, that’s different.

「If you’re saying that no gifts were lost in the palace, then the matter of the loss of his gift to me happened outside. It’s not the place for a knight of the Kingsguard to make a request to the appropriate authorities.」

————If they are working as the unit commander of the Kingsguard.

「Wouldn’t that mean that there was a reason the 4th had to move in secret?」

Something happened at the palace of the Royal Princess. Can we not take it that way?

「For example, the jewelry was missing from the treasure room of the Royal Princess…?」