A noble family’s boy seems to have recognized a girl as Agnes and called for help.

“You, have you ever been to that place?”

“Never”

“Huh? You must be kidding. Have you never been there?”

“No.”

That’s the finest entertainment place in the capital.

“Don’t you know Adeline Burgeau-Ducdre?”

“Who?”

“It’s a beauty famous around here, called the queen flower of the country.”

Frustrated by Ernesto’s long blabbering, he hurries to move on to the main subject.

“Yeah, yeah, so rumors were spreading that there seemed to be a new girl at the inn that would shake Adeline Bourgaux-Ducdre’s position.”

“That is the former Duke’s daughter, Agnes Berges?”

“Yes”

He also has money to spend in entertainment if he wanted, but he insisted on leaving the investigation to Bernard.

“Why don’t you take care of this matter?”

“What?”

“This money will be enough for the cost.”

A leather bag was placed on the desk with a heavy noise.

Bernard doesn’t have words to answer Ernesto as he can’t understand what is he thinking.

He grew up looking at his strict father and mother’s back.

He knew that Agnes was the first and last strange woman he would live with, and that even having a lover would be impossible for him.

Even though this story was surprising, Ernesto made a statement that would further neglect Bernard’s feelings.

“Only you can investigate this.”

“Why? Maybe you are not good with women?”

“That doesn’t matter”

“That’s weird.”

“Why do you care so much about Agnes Berges in the first place?”

“She’s an interesting person.”

“Interesting?”

“Yeah, how many years ago was she staring at us in the garden party? Apparently she didn’t seem to be interested in me.”

Ernesto laughs heartily.

“This is the first woman who is not interested in me.”

“But have you asked for a dance to be sure? Maybe she didn’t look at you but was interested anyway.”

“Nah, that’s not it. Have you noticed where was she looking whenever there was a party?”

Bernard doesn’t understand his meaning.

“Well, that’s why you must go.”

Bernard is tired of Ernesto’s helpless story. Standing up, he tries to leave.

“Thank you. I’m glad you accepted the mission.”

He turns his back to Ernesto, who is lightly thanking him, grabs the money and invitation on his desk, and leaves the room.

First of all, he quickly went to the captain’s office to talk to.

◇◇◇

“I can only say that it is terrible.”

Bernard spoke everything he had heard from Ernesto.

“But there is something good about it.”

“?”

He places the documents from the drawer on the desk.

It was a statement of today’s mission.

“It seems apparently that the place is being investigated.”

“Maybe that girl, the new found Agnes, is a lead to solve the case.”

The operation has a sole objective, infiltrating the inn, and looking for the evidence.

“Infiltration during the day?”

“Oh, it seems so.”

Bernard listens with a wrinkle between his eyebrows.

“So, it’s a sneak survey”

In such a case, a person who is good at acting is selected. But this time, Bernard was chosen.

“Oh, everything is an experience.”

Bernard himself has no experience of infiltration surveys and can say that he does not have the ability to act while reading the situation there.

“If you go as a paying customer, regardless of acting ability, you can surmount it.”

“I understand”

“This is an invitation to the inn.”

The invitation was exactly the same as the one received from Ernesto.

The disguise was also handed over. Wig, Beard, Clothes, etc.

Bernard heads straight for the mission.

“You should wear the wig while in the carriage.”

“Yes”

Other members were gathered, and a strategy meeting began.

Three hours later, the strategy is settled.

He gets into a high-class carriage for infiltration and starts moving with a rattling noise. The disguise is on and the window curtains closed.

He wore a dull blonde wig and a mustache over his mouth. The captain says that his eyes must be almost hidden by his bangs, so no one will be able to read his emotions there.

The wand in his hand was a sword, and he had more weapons in his boots.

“I know the room of the false earl daughter. Stand on guard nearby, if I give a signal you must take me out of here.”

“Roger that”

Bernard was checking once again to make sure the strategy was correct.

He wears a well-tailored coat as he arrives at the inn.

Laughter suddenly erupted in the quiet tense carriage.

“It’s like you’re another person”

“?”

A mirror is handed over, and Bernard looks stupefied and satisfied at the result.

He looks at the disguise and understands the meaning of being laughed at.

“Yes …. If you look closely, you look a lot like your father.”

“Really?”

The conversation was meaningless, but Bernard’s tensions were a bit less.

The carriage arrives at the inn, and it is time to execute the operation, so the infiltration begins.

“Hey, there’s something new in you.”

“what is it?”

“Love”

“Take this with you. A souvenir that can be useful sometimes.”

What was handed over was high-quality liquor.

Hearing those words, Bernard thought he had an encouraging ally.

The red-light district’s buildings are fully decorated.

Of these, the inn had a particularly luxurious appearance.

“Show your invitation to the gate at the entrance and you will be guided inside.”

A mistress is waiting at the entrance and welcomes everyone. He handed the invitation and was immediately taken to the room.

“Relax. Everything will go well.”

<It was surprisingly easy to get through to the room.>

He knocked on the door and immediately heard a reply.

“Please enter”

The room was unexpectedly bright.

Immediately after entering, it looked like a living room, with tea and sweets on the table.

<I think there is a room in the back, and there is a bedroom there.>

The window was opposite the door. I guess there are others waiting there.

After confirming the situation, a woman appeared from the back of the room.

“–Nice to meet you”

The woman greeted him with a loud voice.

As expected, she called herself Agnes Berges. Bernard was surprised at her courage of impersonating her.

The woman who claims to be Agnes Berges was very similar to the real Agnes.

“Let’s enjoy tea first”

“… Oh, yes.”

He sits down and observes carefully.

<If you look closely, you can see that the impostor has thick makeup, looks like Agnes, but is not very similar>

The atmosphere and her way of talking are just like the aristocracy.

These behaviors can’t be learned immediately. She must be treated as a noble aristocratic daughter from young and for a long time to acquire it. It can only be naturally acquired.

He is suspicious that Agnes bad rumors may be due to the woman in front of him.

“This candy is a scone from a cafe popular in the city. It’s very delicious, so if you like it, please.”

“–Ah”

“What did you do?”

“No, no, just the other day-“

<It was a sweet that Carol and Celia had said they wanted to eat.>

“If so, take it home as a souvenir. Come on-“

The fake Agnes wraps the four scones on the plate in a cloth and gives them to Bernard.

“Thank you very much for your kindness.”

She began to speak often, as if she was in alert after hearing the story about the twin servants Celia and Carol.

Bernard listens patiently.

On the way, she invites Bernard to drink sake, the one Bernard brought as a souvenir.

As time passes, the fake Agnes became more talkative.

And the story touches the heart of the mission.

“I don’t like this kind of life anymore.”

“What is this kind of life?”

“To deceive people, rob big money, and do bad things …”

She trembled and cries. The effect of the liquor was enormous.

Without saying anything, she takes a box out of the shelf and threw it on the floor.

White powder came out of the box.

And before Bernard could understand the situation, she knelt in front of him, with her face full of tears and said.

“… Please, please help me, please”

She was born in a poor home and hunger was deeply engraved in her from the moment she was aware she was alive.

One day when she turned ten, people said that she resembled Agnes and was invited to take over this role.

From there, for seven years, she learned about the culture and behavior of aristocratic daughters.

If you become a perfect aristocratic daughter, you will take a leap in the social world.

“Has this been happening until now?”

“Yes, yes.”

She says that she has done a lot of bad things.

“I want to see my sisters. I haven’t seen them for years … I want to eat and give them delicious scones.”

Bernard looks down at the unhappy woman.

“–I see. I’ll help you.”

With that said, he opens the room window.

A cold wind was blowing, and the white powder spilled on the floor was flying in the air.

At that moment, the entrance of the inn is destroyed and a forced rush begins.

◇◇◇

After all, it wasn’t just the fake Agnes who was involved.

Arrested people were detained one after another, like potatoes that were harvested in large quantities.

After a major job, Bernard goes home on his last carriage ride.

It was a really difficult day, he returned home while massaging his wrinkles.

At the entrance, Agnes was waiting. The inside of the house is warm, and his fingertips, which had been exposed in the cold until now, ache.

Looking at Agnes, who smiled quietly, he was relieved.

<I heard a miserable story and thought that this world was filled with malice.>

“Welcome home, master.”

Listening to Agnes, he felt relieved and relaxed.

For the first time, Bernard returned those words with “I’m here”

Translated by djurasico (dot) home (dot) blog

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