The three members of the royal family in conversation soon noticed Shade. The two princes of Delarion, Marius Cavendish and Derick Cavendish, wore expressions of surprise before speaking in turn
"Look, it's Hamilton of Reged."
"Good morning, Knight. Are you awaiting your father's summons?"
They were all able to recognize who Shade was simply by his face, and they shook hands with him quite warmly. Lacia, of course, also greeted Shade, but she merely referred to him as "Knight Hamilton" and did not shake his hand, maintaining the poised demeanor of a lady.
"Good morning, Your Highnesses."
Shade also removed his hat and bowed to the successors of the kingdom.
"Who is Father speaking with now?"
Marius Cavendish, who was twenty-eight years old this year, asked the eunuch attendant, who replied respectfully
"Marquess Cornell is inside."
Marquess Cornell was currently presiding over the kingdom's Ministry of Foreign Affairs; Shade had seen him in the newspapers.
"I suspect it must be regarding the upcoming visit of that Margaret of Anjou," said Derick Cavendish, who was small in stature, even slightly shorter than Lacia. "I received word that she originally planned to visit by train, but now Carsonrick has changed its mind."
"Will she take a ship and land at Coldwater Harbor or another port?" Lacia asked. When she had returned in the summer, she had departed Carsonrick by ship.
"I heard that for a high price, they borrowed a steam airship from the Church of Creation," the bespectacled Derick Cavendish told his sister. "This kind of diplomatic visit is also a matter of competition; the other party likely wants to one-up you."
Lacia's expression remained unchanged. "Considering the political factors, it seems she is coming with a political mission and wants to apply pressure in advance. Those Southerners truly are naive."
"Knight Hamilton, what does Father want with you?" the eldest, Marius Cavendish, asked Shade again. The other two also looked at him with curiosity. Shade shrugged
"Apologies, I do not know either."
He looked toward the eunuch attendant in the red coat, who shook his head slightly.
"Knight, I read the latest issue of *The Hamilton Detective Stories*. Navigating the streets and alleys of a city permeated by steam and smog to fight evil and maintain justice—a detective's life is truly rich and interesting," Marius Cavendish added, patting Shade's arm. "When you have time, you should attend a literary salon I'm hosting and share some of your stories with my friends. We are all quite curious about you."
If Angelina's salon invitation was simply a young princess wanting to show off her connections to her friends, then this prince's invitation certainly carried political connotations. The outsider was no fool, so he nodded with a smile
"If I have the time, I will certainly go."
"She" chuckled in Shade's ear.
"Knight, our sister Mona is getting married next week. Did Great-Aunt Galina give you an invitation?" Derick Cavendish also asked warmly. "If not, I can give you one. It will be very lively."
"The Duchess has already invited me," Shade responded again. In truth, Miss Galina had not mentioned it yet; it was Lacia who had told him.
"Then we shall see you at the wedding. Great-Aunt trusts you deeply; I believe we can become friends as well."
The two princes exchanged a few more pleasantries with Shade. During this time, Lacia did not initiate any communication with him. Prince Marius Cavendish explained with a smile
"Lacia is usually this solemn and cold toward strangers. Please do not take it to heart."
"Of course I don't mind," Shade said, trying his best not to look at Lacia. Prince Derick then joked
"In that regard, she is very much like Great-Aunt Galina."
Even without looking at Lacia, Shade knew the princess was certainly annoyed.
Seeing that the meeting between the King and the Marquess showed no sign of ending, the princes took their leave with their servants. Before turning to go, Lacia gave Shade a helpless smile and followed behind them, departing along the red-carpeted corridor.
Watching Lacia's retreating figure, Shade wondered what image he projected among the nobles of Tobesk due to the rumors of being the "Duchess's lover." He then thought that Miss Galina had never been linked to any man in a romantic scandal since reaching adulthood, and since her association with Shade began in the summer, she seemed to have ignored all other men.
"They couldn't actually think of me as Miss Galina's marriage prospect, could they?"
Shade thought hesitantly, looking again at the eunuch attendant, who gave him a humble smile
"Knight, His Majesty may need to speak with the Marquess for a while longer. I believe we must continue to wait."
The outsider nodded, recalling in his mind how he had been miraculously drawn, step by step, into the political center of the kingdom over the past six months.
After waiting for another full hour, the door to the King's study finally opened. The white-haired old gentleman who stepped out was indeed Marquess Cornell.
He held a document folder in his hand and, upon seeing Shade at the door, actually recognized him. While the eunuch attendant entered the study to ask if Shade could enter, the Marquess politely exchanged a few words with Shade about the recent weather, then patted his shoulder meaningfully. Finding Shade's muscles firm and his stance steady, he praised
"Young people today are not at all inferior to those of my youth."
"How does everyone know me? I recall that no frontal photos of me have been leaked," Shade thought.
He was quickly granted permission to enter the study. After straightening his collar, he stepped inside.
This was the same room where Shade had been summoned in the summer after blocking a bullet for Queen Diana on the street. The study was vast, with the desk placed in the center. The King stood with his back to the colorful floor-to-ceiling windows, making the room feel empty yet intensely oppressive.
Although the outsider had shown no special reaction when he last met Larus III, this time he inexplicably felt unable to lift his head. This was not because Shade was intimidated by worldly power after coming to this world; it likely had to do with the intimate relationship he shared with the King's daughter.
"Long time no see, Hamilton of Reged. Have you been waiting outside for long?"
"Long time no see, Your Majesty. No, only for a short while."
Whether because of Lacia or because the man paid him a monthly salary, Shade behaved with extreme deference
"I wish you good health."
"Let us get to business."
The King, who was slightly shorter than Shade and wore a crown, signaled the eunuch attendant by the desk to move a stack of documents to the bookcase against the wall. He capped his gold fountain pen before finally looking up at Shade.
It had to be admitted that this series of movements made him appear very majestic
"Sir Anlos recommended you to me, believing you to be an exceptionally outstanding agent of MI6. Now, there is a very troublesome task that needs to be handed to you. This task allows for failure, but it does not allow for leaks."
"Please trust my loyalty," Shade said, and for some reason, the Grey Glove organization's motto, "Eternal Loyalty," popped into his mind.
"Yes, Hamilton of Reged, your loyalty is indeed not in doubt. The Duke of Saradil can vouch for you."
The King nodded slightly, took the documents handed back by the eunuch attendant returning from the bookcase, and set them aside. In truth, besides Shade, the King, and the red-clad attendant, there were two armored guards inside the door, but the latter two were no different from statues.
"The intelligence you obtained regarding Midhill Fort during your time as a player in the Great City was very accurate. MI6 almost caught a big fish... almost."
Larus III frowned slightly, as if recalling an unpleasant memory.
Shade knew the King was very dissatisfied with MI6's operation in Midhill Fort. It seemed MI6 had eventually figured out which person from Carsonrick had appeared at the Midhill Fort train station that day.
Coincidentally, the one who had distracted the MI6 agents at the station to allow that foreign princess to leave in time was actually him. Likely because Shade had obtained that precious intelligence and proven his value, this mission was being given to him.
"I wonder if the Grey Gloves will have the 'Grey Hawk' do something during the princess's visit," Shade thought silently. Almost the next instant, Larus III behind the desk actually mentioned the "Grey Hawk"
"The latest intelligence—intelligence known only to me and Anlos—suggests that Margaret of Anjou may establish contact with the Grey Hawk during her stay in Tobesk..."
Shade was stunned. Amidst "her" laughter, he thought
"How come I didn't know?"
"...You need to encounter Margaret of Anjou in social settings. During her visit to Tobesk, find out exactly who she has contacted."
This work was, of course, not being done by Shade alone; his colleagues in MI6 would certainly be working hard as well. But only someone like Shade—who was superficially unrelated to MI6, could appear in social circles, and seemed to have a way with ladies—was suitable for executing this operation in the open.
If MI6 agents were caught secretly contacting the Princess of Carsonrick, it would be an international scandal. Therefore, the King had personally delivered this mission to Shade. Likely, besides himself and Director Anlos, not many people knew of Shade's task.
"I understand," Shade nodded.
Larus III emphasized once more
"We believe the Grey Gloves of Carsonrick will also act during this period. You may discuss the specific arrangements and the assistance you require with Sir Anlos. Duchess Galina speaks very highly of you; I trust you will not disappoint us."
"Yes," Shade nodded again, calculating whether "arresting himself" was a viable plan.
Thus, Shade's second private meeting with Larus III ended simply. He accepted verbal encouragement, a weighty mission, and a verbal promise that "if you perform well, you can be promoted after this matter is concluded."
A series of plans and conspiracies would unfold around the "Visit of Princess Margaret of Anjou to Tobesk City." And the outsider, residing in St. Delan Square with a direct view of Yodel Palace, was swept into the waves of politics because of that generous salary.
PS1: A clarification is needed here: aside from the personal servants of Angelina and Lacia, no one knows about the relationship between Shade and Lacia. Therefore, in the eyes of outsiders, Shade is currently merely the lover of the "Duchess of Saradil."
PS2: Double monthly tickets are still active! Please vote, please vote!
(End of Chapter)