Chapter 12: The Prince, the Spy, and the Diamond.

The King’s Brother’s eyes seemed to be burning. In fact, it would have been believable even if someone said he was using magic to create fire.

“Surely you don’t think I am the King’s spy as well, do you?”

It was a quite scary expression.

As if the King’s Brother’s emotions amplified not only his expression but also the pheromones dominating the servant and the butler, a look of pain appeared on their previously indifferent faces.

It was a rather eerie sight to see them wearing only twisted expressions, unable to make any sound or appeal their pain with their bodies.

However, I knew that the King’s Brother’s power would not be directed at me.

Before long, the expressions disappeared from the servant and butler’s faces again.

The King’s Brother had withdrawn his power.

“No, I was thinking about how you found out the truth.”

Calming his excitement, the King’s Brother sighed and then wore a bitter smile again.

“I was the one who told you.”

“That is correct.”

I quickly nodded.

It was after I pointed at the servant and called him Count Umbra’s rat that he issued the dismissal order to me.

Which means he had already signaled that the man wasn’t a simple servant.

The emphasis should have been placed not on ‘spy’ but on ‘whose.’

If the person who made the King’s Brother think he should exclude me wasn’t Count Umbra, who else could remain?

“I need coffee.”

To the employer muttering with a tired face, I responded as a servant.

“If you wish to drink, this would be the last cup of the day. Should I serve it?”

“…Never mind.”

The King’s Brother refused in a tone full of lingering regret.

“You truly are an impertinent servant.”

In this remark, the word to emphasize was ‘servant.’

Since it meant he allowed me to remain in this room, I stood attending in front of the employer’s desk as usual.

“Now that I see, omitting the honorific for the King was intentional.”

“Yes.”

“A cunning servant, truly.”

If the King’s Brother and I keep our mouths shut, what happened in this room will not be known to anyone.

The servants are terrified of the King’s Brother and try not to even come near where he is.

Even if the study door were slightly open, there were no ears to hear.

Of course, I was a meticulous servant who checked that the door was completely closed when entering the study.

Though security magic was cast in the first place, as it was a place where the King’s Brother handled work related to various businesses.

Daring not to attach an honorific to the highest power of this country was essentially declaring openly to the King’s Brother, in a place where secrecy was perfectly guaranteed, that I was on his side.

The King’s Brother clearly saw through my transparent intentions, but he didn’t frown like when I flattered him directly by calling him kind.

“Your true master is the King, isn’t he?”

The interrogation began abruptly.

The fellow who claimed to be Count Umbra’s servant moved only his lips with an indifferent face.

“Yes, I am a servant of His Majesty the King.”

“Receiving tasks from Count Umbra?”

“Yes.”

“And you would report the real facts you found only to the King?”

“Everything is exactly as His Highness the King’s Brother said.”

“What was Count Umbra curious about regarding me?”

“He told me to find out if there was a partner who spent the Rut with you.”

“And the King?”

“He instructed the same as Count Umbra, and additionally was very curious about the exact duration of the Rut, all abnormal phenomena occurring in the mansion, and His Highness the King’s Brother’s health condition.”

“Our King Majesty doesn’t change.”

The King’s Brother smiled brightly.

Enough to use the expression ‘flower-like.’

So I could tell he was extremely angry.

“The King gave you an item beyond your station, didn’t he?”

Along with the King’s Brother’s words, I felt magic wavering.

The destination of that power was the King’s spy, precisely near his neck.

It was a power strong enough that even I, who only knew mana breathing techniques, could feel the aftermath of the magic even though I wasn’t the target.

“Yes, if not for this, my identity would have been discovered by Count Umbra long ago.”

The King’s spy put his hand on the back of his neck and started untying the cravat covering up to his chin.

I frowned.

Not because I was surprised by the sudden undressing, but because the fit of his clothes looked very strange.

It looked as if he was wearing a thick gold necklace under his clothes.

Just until a moment ago, I hadn’t felt anything strange about his attire at all.

Not knowing the existence of an accessory with that much thickness, my pride was almost hurt.

What was revealed when the King’s spy untied his cravat and opened his collar wasn’t a common gold necklace but a diamond necklace.

And one with a main stone so large it weighed over 20 carats.

It was truly something magical.

He untied the necklace and politely offered it to the King’s Brother.

“It can block distortion by pheromones and detection magic, and simultaneously exerts cognitive interference magic to hide the user’s presence.”

The necklace was extremely splendid.

It seemed more suited for fascination magic than cognitive interference magic.

Centered around the heavy diamond, melee diamonds (small diamonds with diameters of about 0.9mm to 2.7mm, mainly used as auxiliary decorations around the main stone) of various colors drew an intricate magic circle.

Just by looking, it conveyed enough that it wasn’t an ordinary item.

The King’s Brother had broken through the magic cast on such an item in a single stroke.

“Are you interested in this necklace?”

The King’s Brother’s question was directed at me.

“Yes.”

I answered without taking my eyes off the necklace.

“Come closer and look.”

He readily handed the necklace to me.

The main stone, the diamond, appeared to be of the highest grade, D grade (classified from D to Z based on brightness and saturation, with the most colorless D grade being the highest), not just in size but also in color.

At a glance, I couldn’t find any inclusions or external flaws.

A definite appraisal can only be given after checking with a standard 10x magnifying loupe, but just this much met the standards of diamonds handled by the most famous jewelry shops on Earth.

That jewelry shop where Audrey Hepburn used to go for breakfast.

However, it did not meet the highest grade of the 4C standards established in modern times (the four criteria for diamond appraisal: Cut, Color, Clarity, Carat weight).

Cutting is ultimately a matter of how beautifully it reflects light, and the ones receiving the highest Excellent grade are usually of the Brilliant Cut family.

On the other hand, the main stone of this necklace was polished in a Table Cut.

It was a style I was seeing in person for the first time as well.

Because on Earth, it was a style used a very long time ago, before the Brilliant Cut was born in the 17th century.

While the Brilliant Cut consists of 58 facets, the Table Cut based on an octahedron is very monotonous and cannot draw out light reflection properly.

The cutting of the auxiliary stones was also very simple.

However, the setting that formed the pattern of the magic circle overflowed with persistence.

It couldn’t be said that the skill of the person who crafted this necklace was lacking.

The simple cutting seemed to be an unavoidable limitation of the era.

Since the ruby on the pot I use was made with a much more complex cutting than this.

This necklace means it’s an antique made a long time ago.

In conclusion,

“It must be expensive.”

It was an extremely expensive item.

At the obvious conclusion, the King’s Brother burst into loud laughter.

The King’s spy was waiting for the King’s Brother’s questions in a very polite posture, and the butler had his head bowed deeply with a pale face.

Inequalities came to mind one after another in my head.

‘Count Umbra < King’

If we exclude political power or grip on state affairs and consider only the influence of pheromones, this would be the correct equation.

I looked down at the expensive necklace again.

The King must have sent that spy thinking that even the King’s Brother wouldn’t notice the magic cast on this necklace.

So.

Considering only personal ability, the equation ‘King < King’s Brother’ is established.

“Jay, you would need an item like this too, right?”

“Pardon?”

Even if I bet my chips on the King’s Brother, I didn’t expect a result of this magnitude.

It was too big a bonus to accept immediately, so I asked back, but the King’s Brother snapped his fingers in front of my eyes.

“I’m saying you will come to need an item like this too. Don’t expect too much. It won’t be as expensive as this necklace. In your case, you need something that detects pheromones and alerts you. It will be a much lighter item. The magic circle doesn’t need to be this complex either.”

The King’s Brother seemed to think I was firmly bewitched by this overwhelming necklace.

No, that’s not what’s important.

He’s going to give me a magic item?

So, one made of gems?

“You’re saying you’ll give something like that… to me?”

“Don’t misunderstand. I’m not saying I’ll take you to dangerous places. Since you’re quick-witted, you handle it well even when a guy like that comes into the house, but it’s more convenient if you know in advance. It means work harder.”

Whatever interpretation he had of my stupid expression, the King’s Brother recited a line of the ‘I picked it up on the way’ type that was once popular in dramas.

I can now understand why such characters were popular.

I know the fact that my unique constitution was what the King’s Brother needed.

I also know that I can be of more help to his work in the future.

However, I also know the fact that being treated according to one’s ability is a fantastic event like a fairy tale.

In reality, it was a privilege that only extremely rare people could enjoy.

“This is a treasure that should be in the royal vault. It’s my first time seeing the actual object too.”

The King’s Brother said, looking down at the necklace again.

I got greedy again, and I voiced that greed exactly.

“I would like to capture the necklace in a drawing, if I may.”

The King’s Brother looked up at me with a smiling face. His blue eyes twinkled with mischief.

Just when I wondered if this was a bit excessive greed, the King’s Brother lifted the necklace, a national treasure, and handed it to me.