Chapter 179 - 2-61
A day after Sarah and the others arrived, Lady Aurelia reached the royal palace. I thought we would have an audience immediately, but after a private meeting with the King of Orta, the Queen secluded herself in her room, claiming she had fallen ill from the long journey.
Then, three days after Lady Aurelia’s arrival, another person entered the Kingdom of Orta.
“Prince Alberic, thank you for your long journey.”
I called out from behind Prince Alberic, who was stroking his favorite horse in the stable. Prince Alberic adjusted his glasses and turned toward me.
“Rachel-jou, thank you for coming to meet me.”
“Not at all. I didn't know you were entering the Kingdom of Orta, so I apologize for not being able to give you a proper welcome.”
“Please don’t worry about it. I left the Kingdom of Dutoit as soon as I received the entry permit from the Kingdom of Orta, so my notification to my brother and you was delayed.”
“Louis-sama was also surprised, having only found out a few hours ago. But I’m sure he’ll be happy to see you, Prince Alberic.”
Prince Alberic entrusted his horse to the knight he had brought as an attendant and brushed the dust off his cloak at a slight distance. Then, he lined up beside me as I guided him to Louis-sama’s room and began to walk. However, Prince Alberic’s expression was somewhat tense.
“So, how is my brother...?”
“Did you receive a letter from Louis-sama?”
“Yes. Officially, it’s been announced that he lost his footing in an accident, but he was actually caught up in the succession struggle of the Kingdom of Orta, wasn't he? I heard his life was in danger at one point.”
“I see... So Louis-sama did speak honestly with you, Prince Alberic.”
Seeing Prince Alberic’s somewhat somber expression, I realized he must know that Louis-sama harbors some kind of suspicion toward Lady Aurelia. Unlike Louis-sama, who was raised by wet nurses and tutors, Prince Alberic was raised by Lady Aurelia’s own hand in the Detached Palace from the time he was born. If so, he must be in a complicated state of mind, as the brother he admires most suspects their own mother.
“...I wonder what my brother sees in his head, what he considers dangerous, and what he suspects. To someone ordinary like me, my brother’s thoughts are hard to understand.”
“Even so, you are cooperating with Louis-sama, Prince Alberic.”
“Of course. My brother said he needs my knowledge.”
Prince Alberic’s expression as he said that without hesitation looked somewhat refreshed and even proud.
♢
“Alberic! I hadn't heard you were coming.”
“Yes, I rushed here by express messenger after finishing my work. I sent a letter in advance, but it seems I arrived sooner.”
When we entered Louis-sama’s room, Louis-sama and Theodore-sama were facing each other at the table with difficult expressions. But when he saw Prince Alberic, who had entered with me, Louis-sama’s face lit up with joy.
After confirming that there were no abnormalities during Prince Alberic’s journey, Louis-sama urged him to sit at the table where he had been sitting. Once all four of us in the room were seated, Louis-sama took a breath and turned his gaze toward Prince Alberic.
His eyes had lost the intimacy and casualness of a brother and now wore the face of the Crown Prince at work. Everyone in the room sensed the change, and the peaceful atmosphere from moments ago instantly turned brittle and tense.
“...Since you’ve come all this way, I assume you’ve found it.”
Found it? I wonder what he means.
Prince Alberic nodded solemnly, as if he understood what Louis-sama meant by those words.
“Yes. For now, I’ve investigated the plants of the Higgins family with the cooperation of the current Marquis Higgins.”
“Louis-sama, did you ask Prince Alberic to investigate the Higgins Marquis family?”
“Yeah. The noble my mother is most involved with in the Kingdom of Dutoit is the Higgins Marquis family. Also, the Higgins family faced calls from the House of Lords to have their peerage demoted following the incident with Katrina Higgins. However, since the Marquis title had been passed to the son and the former Marquis had retired, it was settled by maintaining the status quo.”
“...The current Marquis Higgins was famous for having a very poor relationship with the former Marquis. It makes sense that he would be cooperative with the royal family.”
“Yeah, he’s a man of high aspirations who wants to create a new Higgins family. He said he wouldn't turn a blind eye to his father’s dark side.”
I heard that Katrina-sama’s brother, the current Marquis Higgins, is a frugal and righteous man. He might be able to clear the long-standing darkness of the Higgins family. The Higgins family is a great noble family with a long history. It would be much better for the future to establish a cooperative relationship with the royal family rather than clumsily crushing them.
“I see. ...Theodore-sama told me before that there were rumors of the former Marquis Higgins being involved in drug trafficking. Was that what you were investigating, Prince Alberic?”
Prince Alberic nodded, pushing up his glasses with his left middle finger.
“Yes. Plants are my specialty, after all.”
“Alberic, let’s hear the results. Was there any cultivation of illegal drugs?”
“No, there were no such traces left in the Higgins house. Nothing was found in the townhouses in the capital, the territory, or among relatives.”
Louis-sama placed his hand to his mouth and twitched his eyebrow at Prince Alberic’s words.
“No traces were left? Does that mean there were some originally?”
“...I can’t say for sure since no evidence was found, but likely. And I’m not sure if it’s related to that matter, but... according to the Marquis, there was a merchant the former Marquis was close with, but he apparently vanished at the same time the former Marquis retired.”
“Were you able to hear details about what kind of things he was procuring from that merchant?”
“It seems the list was entirely disposed of before the former Marquis withdrew to his territory. However, he apparently handled many rare items. Magic stones, magic tools, personal items, medicinal herbs, various teas, and so on.”
All nobles collect magic stones and magic tools to some extent. That in itself isn't suspicious. But he disposed of everything before retiring?
“Disposing of evidence... it’s like he’s asking to be suspected.”
Theodore-sama let out a sigh, giving voice to the doubt everyone was feeling.
“Do you know what that merchant looked like?”
“Well... a small, middle-aged man with an eastern accent and a birthmark or bruise above his left eye. Apparently, the former Marquis never allowed the current Marquis or any servants to be present when he met with that merchant.”
“...Eastern accent... birthmark... above the left eye.”
Louis-sama tapped his finger on the table as he murmured Prince Alberic’s words to himself, as if confirming something.
An eastern accent and a birthmark above the left eye... those words triggered a memory. I felt like I had seen those characteristics somewhere before.
I remember! The apothecary Katrina-sama told me about... Yes, the characteristics of the man from whom I bought the poison to harm Anna-san... they match.
Louis-sama, noticing that I had looked up in realization, gave a single nod while gently placing a reassuring hand on my shoulder.
“...Did something happen?”
When Prince Alberic asked Louis-sama curiously, Louis-sama looked up, his brow furrowed and his sharp gaze fixed ahead.
“No, thanks to Alberic’s investigation, my suspicion has turned into certainty. ...It seems there is no mistake that Marquis Higgins was involved in that incident. And the one pulling the strings from the shadows was surely...”
By 'that incident,' he must mean the truth behind my death in the first timeline.
And seeing Louis-sama’s grim expression...
He must be trying to say it was his mother, Lady Aurelia.
It’s been a long time since the last update! To those who have been waiting, thank you so much.
I will be resuming the updates, so I hope you continue to follow along.
Also, an announcement regarding the book version of "The Villainess Who Traveled Back in Time~".
Volume 6 will be released by Tsugikuru Books on July 10th!
I’ll write more details in the activity report.
Volumes 1-3 of the manga adaptation are also on sale from Flos Comic.
I hope you continue to enjoy the Narou version, the book version, and the manga version.