NOVPUB
Chapter 235: The Traitor inside the Rivas Family
Outside the guild master’s room, the secretary was still arranging papers for her work. While doing so, she wondered why the envoy from the first prince was there. However, she kept her thoughts to herself, knowing she had no right to question her superior’s business. After 20 minutes, she saw the envoy emerge from the room. His handsome face made her cheeks flush as he glanced at her and offered a warm smile.
"The guild master will be busy for a while, so I hope you won’t disturb him. Please feel free to take a rest for now, miss."
Hearing his soothing voice, she felt her heart calm instinctively and nodded without much thought.
"Alright, Your Excellency."
After that, Aldrian walked away from the guild master’s room. As he made his way toward the exit of the guild, he pondered over the information he had gained during his "conversation" with the guild master of the Information Guild. His face was tense with a frown, reflecting his displeasure. The revelation of a mole in the Rivas family was troubling, especially since it seemed to involve someone his mother would least expect.
When Aldrian thought about how his mother would feel if she discovered the identity of the mole, he felt as though the pain were his own. Yet, it was better to address the problem now than to let it fester and risk greater harm to her in the future.
"First Finger, meet me in my room at my new place immediately," Aldrian sent a voice transmission.
Without hesitation, the First Finger responded, "Yes, Master."
Aldrian sighed deeply. Even if it would hurt his mother’s feelings, it was something that had to be done.
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After Aldrian returned to his room inside the mansion, he waited for an hour before the First Finger finally appeared, kneeling before him. 𝓷ℴ𝓋𝓅𝓊𝒷.𝒸𝓸𝓶
"I apologize for keeping you waiting, Master. I just returned from a surveillance mission in the northeast of the Doria Empire, in the Gouvard Grand Duchy," the First Finger said.
"At ease," Aldrian said. "I called you here because I need you to deliver this to the Rivas Grand Duchy. Hand it directly to Grand Duke Rivas."
Aldrian retrieved an information crystal and a letter attached to it from his storage ring.
"Also, deliver this to Irene Rivas, the young lady of the Rivas family," Aldrian said as he took out another letter and handed them to the First Finger. "Make sure to deliver it in secret. Don’t let anyone know you were there. Ensure that each of them receives their message."
"Understood, Master," the First Finger replied before vanishing.
Aldrian paused for a moment, lost in thought, before leaving his room. He headed toward one of the benches in the garden, where someone was already seated, seemingly captivated by the serene beauty of the surroundings. Sensing his approach, she turned to him and greeted him with a warm smile.
"Enjoying the fresh air?" Aldrian asked as he sat down beside her.
She responded with a nod. "Just clearing my mind after a cultivation session, young master," Eleine replied.
After that, they fell into a comfortable silence, appreciating the beauty of the garden. Although the area was surrounded by hidden formations, Aldrian had already dealt with them, so he felt no concern.
After a few moments of quiet, Aldrian turned to Eleine and asked,
"Eleine, does Mother have another retainer besides you?" Aldrian asked.
Hearing his question, Eleine looked at him with a puzzled expression.
"Actually, yes. Lady Irene has other retainers besides me. We were personally chosen by her when she wasn’t well-known. At the time, we were just normal cultivators of the Rivas family, but Lady Irene magnanimously selected us as her retainers, raising our status. Ever since then, we have truly felt honored and grateful." Eleine said with a smile as she gazed at the sky. Her eyes seemed to reminisce about the past, when Irene had chosen her to be one of her retainers.
"Her name is Cecile. She’s a cheerful person and loves to joke around with me or Lady Irene. Because of Lady Irene’s status, she doesn’t have many friends, but we, as her retainers, can be said to be among the few she truly considers friends although we are much younger than lady Irene. She often enjoys talking to us. In front of us, Lady Irene isn’t the cold and aloof person she appears to be in front of others."
Aldrian, also gazing at the sky, imagined how his mother and her two retainers lived before his existence—how harmonious their relationship was, how they supported each other, and how his mother cared for them, just as they cared for her in return.
"Eleine, in your opinion, can Cecile change? I mean, could she develop harmful intentions toward Mother after all this time?" Aldrian asked.
Eleine frowned upon hearing this. The fact that Aldrian suddenly brought up the topic meant that he had either discovered something or was investigating something related to it.
"From the last time I saw her, before I was trapped in the Everlasting Silent Forest, there was something strange about her, but I couldn’t quite put my finger on it. We didn’t have much time at that time, as we were separated—she stayed at the mansion while Lady Irene and I traveled to the Heavenly Direction Church’s territory. Even so, I can’t imagine her having any intention to harm Lady Irene. I know just how much she respects and adores Lady Irene, especially since she was chosen by her." Eleine said, her gaze fixed on Aldrian’s profile.
"Tell me, young master, why are you suddenly asking me this question? Is something wrong with Lady Irene or Cecile?" she asked. She didn’t know why, but she felt a tightness in her heart as Aldrian brought up this question.
After a few seconds of silence, Aldrian opened his mouth.
"After my investigation, I found some information about someone in the Rivas family..." Aldrian stopped, his gaze meeting Eleine’s. He wasn’t sure how she would react to the news, but he decided to continue.
"There is someone in the Rivas family who became a spy for the devils. Because of this, the Lust Devil was able to reach Mother’s location at that time....and I’ve just found out who the spy is."
Eleine’s frown deepened. "There’s a spy in the Rivas family? Who is it—" She stopped mid-sentence as something clicked in her mind. Aldrian’s sudden question about Irene’s retainers, despite never having asked about them before, made her realize the connection. She then turned to Aldrian, her voice trembling.
"Did... did you say that Cecile betrayed Lady Irene?"
Aldrian didn’t say anything further, but for Eleine, that was enough of an answer. Her body trembled, and she closed her mouth. She felt her chest tighten, making it hard to breathe. How could that be?! They had such a close relationship, and she couldn’t imagine her friend—someone she had considered a sister—being the one to harm Irene.
They had always shared the same mind and determination when it came to Irene. How could her friend become a traitor?
"No way. There must be some mistake, young master. There’s no way she would betray Lady Irene! No, there’s no way! She’s the one who truly adores Lady Irene. How could she betray—no, no way." Eleine’s eyes began to water.
Aldrian looked at Eleine, his heart aching as he saw the tears welling in her eyes, and without thinking, he pulled her into a tight hug. Sniffling sounds of her crying echoed softly, and he could feel the wetness on his clothes. He could only imagine how painful it would be if someone he trusted betrayed him—it would hurt so deeply that he might go on a rampage. From the way Eleine spoke about Cecile, it was clear they were like family to each other. Aldrian felt guilty for asking her about this, but he knew he had to in order to learn more about the other retainer.
From the information Aldrian gathered from the Information Guild master, the guild has its usual official contacts within the Rivas family. However, there is another informant, one unknown to the Rivas family, who secretly relays information to the guild. This informant directs some of the information toward the devils.
The first problem in all of this was the Information Guild, which was already under the influence of the devils. They had been gathering information about his mother’s retainers and taking advantage of it.
Aldrian sighed again, though he had lost count of how many times he had done so. His heart felt heavy. If Eleine broke down upon hearing this, what would happen when his mother finally learned the truth?
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Later that night, at the Rivas family’s mansion, Grand Duke Rivas had just entered his study when he saw something outside the window. He frowned, and upon focusing his gaze, he recognized it as an information crystal. He scanned the room carefully, extending his senses to detect any anomalies, but found nothing out of the ordinary.
He decided to approach it and take it. He carefully inspected the crystal and the letter attached to it, wary of any possible traps. After deeming it safe, he opened the letter and began reading its contents. As he read, his expression shifted from a frown to one of shock. He then looked at the information crystal and immediately checked its contents. What he saw was the confession of the Information Guild Master during Aldrian’s interrogation.
"After he finished looking at the crystal’s contents, a visible bulge appeared on his forehead, and his face turned red with anger. He then took out a communication artifact from his pocket.
"Bring the Iron Fist order here."
