The Whereabouts of Lars 「Olivia POV」
A young maid brewed tea from newly acquired leaves, and a gentle aroma spread throughout the room. It was a leisurely afternoon. As I gazed out the window, I heard the sound of the tea and cookies being placed on the table. There was a faint clinking noise as porcelain touched porcelain, and I turned my eyes to the maid who had brought the tea set.
「I-I'm s-sorry...!」
The young girl gasped, her voice breaking as she deeply bowed her head. She was a young lady with striking blonde hair, the second daughter of a baron's family. She was still young and likely confused by the complete shift in her lifestyle. Unaccustomed to being scolded, she was unusually fearful of reprimand from me.
Watching her like this was quite pleasant.
「... You may leave.」
「Y-Yes.」
With just a single word from me, the baron's daughter straightened her back and bowed her head before exiting the room. How wonderful it was. I didn't want to hand this position over to anyone.
The biggest obstacle, Lars, had already been removed. He was likely assassinated somewhere in the forest at the edge of the territory. A lone child like that, given a chance, his life would be snuffed out in an instant. No one would suspect anything outside the count's household.
Once that was accomplished, it would only be a matter of time. Johanson was desperate to make a name for himself, so his attention was not on the affairs inside the house. In essence, I could do as I pleased.
I controlled the count's house from the shadows. Just thinking about it sent a thrilling shiver through me.
「... Excuse me, lady Olivia.」
With a knock, a man's voice followed. Upon my response, the door opened from the outside. The one who appeared was the cook who had been assigned to Lars as a servant. He had acted as the eyes and ears within the count's household for over five years. Since his early teenage years, I had deliberately not elevated his position, keeping him employed as a kitchen hand. In reality, I compensated him the same as those in high positions.
「You've returned quickly? Did you have an opportunity along the way?」
I inquired, but the man stood silently. A bad feeling crept over me at his demeanor.
「... Did you fail, perhaps?」
I asked again. The man opened his mouth with a troubled expression.
「N-No... he should be dead without a doubt, but we couldn't confirm the body...」
「What do you mean by that?」
I realized my voice had hardened. The pleasant mood I had felt earlier was ruined. Despite the fact that I had put effort into him, he turned out to be such an unreliable man.
Restraining my irritation, I waited for the man's report. He, with trembling shoulders, looked down, avoiding my gaze as he began to speak.
「Th-The thing is... just before reaching the destination, we were attacked by a young earth dragon. Even though it was young, it was larger than the carriage, and the mercenaries didn't stand a chance, resulting in everyone retreating in disarray. During that time, we succeeded in drawing the earth dragon's attention to Master Lars, but into the forest with the carriage... In the end, we returned without Master Lars.」
「I see... doesn't that child have any subordinates? If he's left alone in the forest, he'll surely perish, but if a few mercenaries were with him...」
Even as I spoke, I thought there was nearly no chance of survival. Ideally, this man would have assassinated him, but if he had fled deep into the forest with just a carriage, he would likely never emerge.
If he did come out, I could simply send someone to the nearby village. However, I couldn't afford to be complacent. I would prefer to confirm his death with my own eyes, though that would be difficult.
Perhaps sensing my thoughts, the man, breaking into a cold sweat, replied.
「Since the earth dragon pursued Master Lars, we all managed to escape safely. The only one we couldn't confirm was a young beastman girl named Irinya...」
「Ah, Lars' personal attendant... well, with two powerless children, there shouldn't be a problem. Send someone to the village near the forest. If there's no one there, you will go yourself. Understand? Do not neglect your surveillance, and ensure you report any trail of Lars.」
「Y-Yes...! I'll select someone right away!」
Having said that, the man hurried off.
Most likely, Lars would not have survived. However, it was necessary to be thorough. There should have been a mercenary band that I used to acquire beastman slaves; perhaps I should get in contact with them.
As I thought over these things, I suddenly remembered Johanson.
「Oh, I forgot... He'll soon hear about the unfortunate events that have befallen Lars. Perhaps it would be just right to accidentally break something in surprise? Ah, come to think of it, there was a cup I'd grown tired of. I suppose I'll break that.」
Saying this, I picked up a white cup I'd used for more than two months. The pattern was too plain, so it was a good opportunity.
When I was prepared and seated for dinner, Johanson reported that Lars' whereabouts had become unknown.
With a natural motion, I let the cup I was holding fall to the floor, raising my voice to feign surprise. To which Johanson simply said, "It's not like a body has been found yet. I plan to have the knights search for him.」
His expression betrayed no emotion, leaving me with no choice but to agree.
-------------= Author's Notes -------------=
If you found yourself curious about 'what happens next,' it would make me happy if you could press the ☆ button at the bottom of the page!
It motivates the author!・:*+.\(( °ω° ))/.:+
-------------= Clacky's Corner -------------=
The fucking kitchen hand threw the pan!
I thought it would just be glossed over.
Also, kudos to this bitch Olivia, I don't like her, but she's using her everything to kill Lars. Seeing that she's not just a superficial villain improves the story. And it will also make her downfall extremely satisfying.
【ദി(⩌ᴗ⩌ )】