The Court Jester of the Grand Duchy.

I thought it was a strange title from the first time I heard it. The Grand Duchy of Ulfheim and the Court Jester. It was truly an incongruous combination of words. However, Delina Floren was a lady who had received sponsorship from the Grand Duchy. So, upon arriving at the Grand Duchy, I approached her.

The first impression was just that. Except for receiving sponsorship from the Grand Duchy, she seemed like an ordinary lady with nothing particularly special. I thought she was just an ordinary young lady who performed as a jester and handled a sword well. However, unexpectedly, Delina Floren turned out to be a very annoying presence.

If you serve sensitive nobles, you should quickly notice even their subtle mood changes. Thanks to that, I became sensitive to the emotions of others while working as a servant.

So, I could tell. The feelings of the five people toward Delina Floren. They had more than just a simple liking for her. I confirmed it during the scarf incident.

Drinking it in deeply immediately elicited a physical response. You couldn’t easily escape the effects of the drug. However, Zen easily recovered from the drug. I could understand the reason right away.

Delina Floren…!

I wondered if the existence of Delina Floren was so strong that she could wake up from the drug. If it continued like this, the drug would be useless. If the drug didn’t work, it would be difficult to execute the plan.

But the plan couldn’t go awry. So, there was only one conclusion. Eliminating the cause that made the drug ineffective. Therefore, I decided to kill Delina Floren.

Subduing Jarvane Yongsik was easy. He was already drunk, and his body and mind were in shambles, making it even easier. However, I used the drug too hastily, and Jarvane Yongsik’s resentment against Diamond Gongja was greater than I expected.

So, I almost couldn’t kill her, but fortunately, the poisoned bullet grazed Delina Floren’s body, and she collapsed.

“So, Delina is in critical condition now?”

“Yes, that’s correct.”

“Okay, got it. You can leave.”

Even a slight touch was dangerous because it was a poisonous substance. Moreover, it would be difficult to get an antidote in the Helium Empire. In the end, Delina Floren was destined to face death soon. There would be no more elements to disturb us once she died.

However, there was something a bit strange.

Originally, I planned to approach the five people after Delina Floren’s death. However, the five people changed surprisingly after she collapsed.

Was it because of the shock of Delina Floren’s sudden change? Or maybe…

The handkerchief necklace containing Feroz powder.

It was said that it was a powder that attracted people when carried around. According to what I heard from Emperor Runen, the effect would only be significant if it was held on the body for quite a while. Perhaps the effect appeared faster than expected.

One thing was certain: it wasn’t smoke.
If not, they wouldn’t have listened obediently to my words to lead the army and head to the border, nor would they have sent away the knight from the Grand Duchy who came to arrest me.

In any case, my goal was clear.

Whether Hwang Tae-son ruined the empire himself or the Runen Empire destroyed the Helium Empire, it didn’t matter.

As long as the Helium Empire disappeared like my village did. For that purpose, I led the Hwanggung army to the border. Considering Emperor Runen’s personality, he would naturally come here.

“L-Lady Grand Duchess! I’m sorry, but it seems you need to come out!”

When the five of them clung to me, the knights’ gazes changed as well. They searched for me for anything related to the five. It couldn’t have been a more delightful situation.

“Why, again. What’s going on?”

“Well, it’s because right now, they are causing a disturbance in the main tent… and there’s no one else but Lady Grand Duchess to stop them.”

“Okay, then. Lead the way.”

The knight quickly opened the door of the main tent. Outside, there were knights trembling and the five individuals. Just by looking at their backs, I could feel how desperate they were. At that sight, a smile naturally bloomed on my lips.

“Is it here?”

“Glug!”

Delina, who got off the horse, took out a map from her pocket and examined the terrain. After parting ways with the group, Delina had been moving according to the map. And she arrived near the destination.

‘But there’s something strange in the air…’

I thought the place where the Hwanggung army was located would be a vast plain, but when I actually saw it, it was quite overgrown with bushes. The sky was gradually darkening, making the atmosphere eerie.

“Alright, shall we go take a look?”

“Glug.”

“Now that it’s come to this, we’ll die together if we have to. Got it, Jewel?”

“…Glug, glug?”

“Yeah, there’s no one else but you.”

“Glug!”

While Jewel enthusiastically nodded, Delina tied the horse to a tree and moved along with Jewel. Since these guys reacted sensitively to even the slightest sound, I had to be careful.