A Mastermind? No, I'm just the Live-In Son-in-Law-Chapter 105: Hunting the Lioness (2)
“No way.”
“Come on, Lady, please let go.”
“I said no.”
Well, honestly, I could admit my phrasing had been more than a little misleading.
Still, wasn’t it a bit much for Lady Meredia to grab me by the hair and start a scuffle in front of the place where the Emperor was supposed to show up?
“Do you seriously think I’ll allow this?”
“No, but if you’d just listen to me—”
“And the target is the Emperor? You crazy bastard...”
From her perspective, it was understandable, I suppose.
“...Oh my, a lover’s quarrel?”
“Definitely the man’s fault. Cheating on a woman that scary? Unbelievable.”
Naturally, we became a public spectacle for all the pleasure district’s passersby.
“Wait, isn’t that a women-only club?”
“Yeah...? Maybe the guy’s secretly a woman?”
“...Doesn’t look like it, but— eek!”
Of course, the moment Lady Meredia’s eyes flashed blood-red as she glared at them, the gawkers quickly averted their gazes and scattered like roaches.
“Hmph, they scatter like house bugs.”
“They’re back-alley folk. If nothing else, they’re quick to run.”
“...Hey. You think you know more about back alleys than I do?”
Lady Meredia, still frowning in displeasure, turned her sharp gaze back on me.
“Don’t get cocky just because you know one hidden place. I know several times more hidden spots than you do—”
“...Such as the Sunday-only black-market auction where treasures from around the world gather?”
At my bold interjection, she flinched slightly and began quietly staring at me.
“The information guild known as the best in the world but actually staffed entirely by your loyal agents. The orphanage that’s actually a covert assassination training facility. I know those too.”
“......”
“There’s also a shop that’ll ‘do anything’ for money, and a flower shop that seems ordinary but actually deals in poisons from all over the world. And then—”
“...Enough.”
In a panic, she stretched out her hand and clamped it over my mouth.
“Mmph, mmph.”
It wasn’t the first time Lady Meredia had silenced me like this — but this time she was a little rougher.
Or maybe, until now, she had always been holding back her strength when dealing with me?
“...The flower shop doesn’t sell poisons to just anyone. How the hell did you even figure that out?”
“Haha, just a lucky guess?”
“......”
“I’m serious.”
Sensing that this conversation could drag out forever, I decided to wrap it up with a vague excuse.
After staring at me suspiciously for a long while, Lady Meredia finally sighed and lowered her hand.
“...Fine. I’ll admit you’re just as knowledgeable about the back alleys as I am.”
“Haha.”
Hearing that, I thought she was finally going to approve my plan — but then—
“But just knowing things and actually stepping into a brothel to entertain guests are two completely different things. Don’t you agree?”
Of course, she wasn’t going to let me go in so easily.
“First of all, you really think no one will recognize you? You’re not some nameless count’s son anymore. You’ve been in the newspapers several times.”
But I wasn’t completely unprepared.
Instead of answering, I simply pulled out a mask from my pocket and waved it in front of her.
“What’s that?”
“All the hosts inside wear masks. They only take them off when meeting a client one-on-one after being selected.”
Lady Meredia studied the mask and replied with clear disbelief.
“What kind of ridiculous system is that?”
“Well... I imagine the noblewomen think it’s more thrilling to gamble rather than just choosing outright.”
Of course, the mask didn’t cover the whole face.
It was like a masquerade mask, lightly covering only the upper face — but importantly, the eyes were hidden behind black cloth enchanted with a clairvoyance spell.
Thanks to that, my slit eyes were completely concealed.
If the masks here hadn’t been designed this way, I wouldn’t have even considered this plan.
“...And where did you even get that?”
“Bergen was kind enough to swipe one for me.”
“But even so, isn’t there still a chance you’ll get caught inside?”
“No need to worry. I had someone arrange for one of the scheduled hosts today to... take a sudden vacation.”
I didn’t know the exact details since I had left it to Lunelle and Bergen, but I was sure they handled it well enough.
Right now, the bigger issue was convincing my bodyguard.
“...Put it on.”
“Huh?”
“Try it on. Now.”
Scratching my head at her sudden demand, I obediently slipped the mask over my face.
“How do I look? Completely unrecognizable, right?”
“......”
“With my most charming feature — my eyes — hidden, I’ll need you to help hype me up inside, Lady. So—”
I was energetically explaining the plan when I noticed her reaction was... not normal.
“What is it, Lady...”
“......”
If I had to describe it in modern terms, it was the look of someone who just swallowed a red pill.
Anyway, Lady Meredia, staring at me with a dazed expression, mumbled in a low voice:
“...You were handsome.”
“...Huh?”
“It really was the eyes that ruined it.”
And just like that, she casually reached out and cupped my chin, lightly stroking it — turning my mind completely blank.
‘I’m ridiculously weak to this kind of thing...’
Suddenly getting touched while being complimented — that had to be cheating.
Worse yet, she didn’t even seem aware of the effect she was having.
“...We’ll have to make sure our child doesn’t inherit those eyes.”
“Eh?”
“Ah, nothing. Never mind.”
Frozen stiff from the surprise, I completely missed whatever she mumbled next, and could only tilt my head at her strangely flustered reaction.
“Anyway, going in like this, you’ll...”
“......?”
“...Seems like you’re going to attract a lot of bugs.”
Changing her expression as if nothing had happened, Lady Meredia continued speaking.
“Come on, no way. Even if my upper face is covered, I’ll be a complete new face in there.”
“...Is that so?”
“That’s why I need you to hype me up, Lady!”
“...Hmm.”
She still looked unconvinced, but compared to her earlier deadly aura, it seemed she had softened a little.
“...Am I the one blinded by love, or does he really not realize how he looks?”
“......?”
“...Haa. Fine. Let me ask you just one thing.”
Muttering quietly to herself, Lady Meredia finally sighed deeply and asked:
“After you somehow get selected by the Emperor, what exactly do you plan to do?”
“Well, once we’re in a private room, I’ll blackmail her with the information we have.”
“That’s it? No backup plan if it fails?”
I understood her reaction, but in this ⊛ Nоvеlιght ⊛ (Read the full story) case, there was only one way I could answer.
“No, there’s no backup.”
“.......”
“Because it’s the Emperor. It’s all or nothing.”
Hearing my answer, Lady Meredia slowly asked:
“What do you mean, all or nothing?”
“...Like rolling dice. Either a one or a six. That kind of thing.”
After a moment’s thought, Lady Meredia curved her lips into a faint smile.
“So, it’s a gamble.”
“Haha...”
“...Well, I do like gambling.”
And thus, I finally managed to convince Lady Meredia.
“We’re in the same boat anyway. I’ll bet my life on it too.”
“...Ah, my life alone should be enough though.”
“Idiot. This is where you’re supposed to just say thank you.”
Anyway, with the persuasion complete, I was just about to walk toward the entrance with my mask on when—
“...Still, there’s one last thing bothering me.”
“Huh?”
“Just listen carefully. It’s something I have to ask.” freeweɓnovēl.coɱ
Grabbing my arm, Lady Meredia asked in a strangely sluggish voice:
“You’re not going to flirt with the noblewomen, right?”
I had to bite my lip and pinch my thigh to suppress the laughter building up inside me before I answered in a low voice:
“...With you right here, Lady?”
“W-Words alone aren’t convincing...”
I thought that would be enough, but apparently, it wasn’t.
‘Well, no helping it.’
Honestly, I’d rather not risk getting poisoned by her later, and besides — I had been thinking it was about time to increase the amount of physical affection anyway.
And a little payback for that earlier unsolicited affection wouldn’t hurt either.
“Wait, what are you—”
Maybe it was my train of thought.
Maybe it was the moonlight draping the early morning sky.
Whatever it was, the next moment—
“......!”
I pressed a kiss to Lady Meredia’s cheek.
If there hadn’t been people around, I honestly would’ve aimed for the lips. A shame, really.
“...What are you doing?”
“You said you couldn’t trust just words. So I showed you with actions.”
Still, there was one silver lining —
I got to see Lady Meredia make that utterly dumbfounded expression again, the same one I had seen back in the carriage.
“Well then, shall we head in?”
“.......”
“You go in through the front entrance, Lady. I’ll slip in through the employee entrance at the back...”
And this time, her stunned expression lasted quite a bit longer.
“...Can you hear me, Lady?”
“.......”
“Meredia?”
In fact, it lasted so long that it almost jeopardized the mission.
***
About an hour later—
Inside 「Pro Domina」, known (through Whitney’s intel) as the Emperor’s secret getaway spot.
“Is... is she coming again today?”
The manager of the establishment nervously glanced around, then hurriedly moved into a secluded corner.
“Sigh... Feels like I lose a year off my life every time I open this damn door...”
Muttering, he pulled a key from his pocket and unlocked the only door in the shop that was ever kept bolted.
“Hmm.”
“Ah, p-pardon me! I mean, I am honored, Your Majesty!”
The moment he opened the door, someone was already waiting inside — despite the room supposedly having been sealed since its last use.
“Lower your voice.”
“...Hick.”
“Planning to advertise to the world that the Emperor is sneaking around here?”
The person sitting there, despite being publicly known to be bedridden in the palace, was none other than the Emperor — Lilia Winter Clouds.
“Thank you for visiting our humble establishment once again...”
“...That fake smile is written all over your face. Cut the crap and bring today’s catalog.”
“Y-Yes, ma’am!”
Flinching at her cold voice, the manager hurriedly handed over the compiled profiles of today’s hosts.
“Let’s see if anyone manages to entertain me tonight...”
“Uh, excuse me, but... if I may...”
“Hm?”
Gathering his courage, the manager asked a trembling question:
“Forgive my boldness, but... why do you always browse the catalog and the showroom but never actually... select anyone...?”
The Emperor narrowed her already slit-like eyes even further and smiled brightly — but her voice carried a chill.
“Do you really want to know?”
“N-No, not at all!”
Feeling the cold murderous aura in her words, the manager quickly bowed his head, backing away in a panic.
“Coward. Anyway, today won’t be any— hmm?”
Returning her gaze to the catalog with a slightly cold expression, the Emperor suddenly paused.
“...Hahaha.”
“W-Why do you laugh, Your Majesty...?”
A moment later, she burst out laughing and slapped the catalog down onto the table.
“Today’s going to be interesting.”
Her gaze was fixed on a newly listed host at the very bottom of the catalog.
