Chapter 33:

The War Room.

After the banquet, Charlo did not rest. Instead, he immediately gathered his core team in a secure conference room.

"Gentlemen, speak your minds," Charlo said, sitting at the head of the table, looking at Lawrence, Davis, and Speer.

"My Lord, our priority is to wash away suspicion," Lawrence began. "I suggest that tomorrow, we order the knights to don traditional plate armor and carry swords and shields for Lady Ophelia to see. Furthermore, when we take her to the lumber camp, the logging teams must swap their mana-saws and logging machines for axes and manual saws."

"But... we cannot hide the massive infrastructure projects along the road!" Speer frowned deeply.

"We must hide them," Davis insisted. "We are only just beginning to rise. If our true capabilities are discovered this early, we lose all strategic advantage!"

"Hmm... Lawrence is right," Charlo nodded, his expression grave. "Although I don't know why the 'Little Princess of the East' is so interested in a squabble between Viscounts, we must cleanse ourselves of suspicion immediately."

"How do we hide it all?" Speer asked.

"We hide the critical, and we reveal the trivial," Charlo instructed. "If we show her a territory that is exactly the same as any other, we won't be able to explain how we defeated Baroque so easily. Therefore, revealing some differences makes us more credible."

"What do we show, and what do we bury?"

Charlo stood up, his finger tracing circles on the large map.

"First: Absolute Secrets. The Industrial Zone is off-limits. The Energy Base (Mana Synthesis Plant), the Magic Research Center in the West District, the Greenhouse Farms, and the Shipyards in the East. She must never know these exist."

"Second: Obfuscation. The Mines, the Porcelain Kilns, the Salt Works, and the Quarries. Hide them if possible. If not, reveal only the surface operations, not the advanced processing techniques."

"The rest doesn't matter."

Charlo withdrew his hand and looked at his ministers. "That covers the locations. Now for specific items: The Mana Engines must not be leaked under any circumstances! The machine guns and firearms must be kept out of sight... And one more thing!"

Charlo's voice dropped an octave. "The existence of Miss Clyris is a secret above even the Mana Engine. Understood?"

"Yes, My Lord!"

___________________________

Late Night. Ironwood Keep.

Clyris sneaked into the castle.

Since Charlo had ordered the electric lights disabled to maintain the medieval façade, she moved easily through the shadows cast by the flickering torches and candles.

She arrived at his bedroom door and knocked lightly.

"Who is it?"

"It's me," Clyris whispered.

"Wh— Come in, quickly!" Charlo sounded startled.

She pushed the door open. Charlo was not asleep. He was still dressed in his casual clothes, sitting at his desk.

" Still awake at this hour?" She closed the door and leaned back against it.

"How could I possibly sleep?!" Charlo glared at her, then sighed and turned back to the papers on his desk, his face clouded with worry.

"Tell me about it. Didn't you have a pleasant chat with that woman tonight?" Clyris walked closer. The papers were covered in symbols she didn't recognize—mathematics and physics equations from another world.

"Didn't I tell you to hide? If you expose yourself, don't blame me!" Charlo didn't cover the papers, letting her look freely.

"Relax. They didn't see me. I was far away, using a telescope." Clyris glanced at the papers for a moment before losing interest. "This Princess came to investigate why Ironwood defeated the Baroque Coalition so easily. I assume Earl Esther is behind this. Otherwise, why would a Grand Duke care about a few Viscounts fighting?"

Charlo sighed. "Exactly. That's the problem."

"So what do we do?" She felt a wave of relief; at least they weren't hunting her.

"We take it one step at a time. Hide what we can, bluff what we can't," Charlo said helplessly. "This girl is completely 'out of syllabus.' Her status and the power of her entourage are overwhelming. Honestly, I'd rather deal with Earl Esther himself."

Clyris looked at his frustrated face. It was... refreshing.

Until now, he had always been confident, proud, and unwavering in front of her—a banner that would never bend. But seeing him despondent made her realize: he was just a local lord. He was just... a human.

"Do you... regret it?" Clyris asked softly.

"Regret?" Charlo looked up.

"If you hadn't been so obsessed with changing things, you wouldn't be walking on thin ice right now."

"Heh! Regret?" Charlo snorted. "No. I will never regret anything I have done. Because this is what a human should do! I just didn't expect to alert Archduke Fokk so soon. The first step wasn't perfect, but I have no regrets!"

His eyes filled with that familiar light again. He didn't look at Clyris; he tilted his head back, his gaze seemingly piercing the ceiling, reaching towards a future she couldn't touch or comprehend.

Clyris stared into his eyes. A flickering fire burned in his dark pupils, a flame that seemed eternal.

"Hmm? What is it? Is there something on my face?"

He suddenly turned to look at her.

Clyris started, realizing she had been staring.

"Uh... haha! N-No, nothing! Hahaha!"

Miss Demon Lord felt like a thief caught in the act. The temperature of her face under the veil spiked rapidly. She frantically tried to deny it.

"Alright, it's late. Go back and rest," Charlo stood up and yawned, stretching his arms. "So sleepy... ah... I need to sleep too."

"Th-then you rest well! I-I-I'm leaving!" Miss Demon Lord fled the room in a panic, her mind a chaotic mess. She didn't even know what she was thinking.

"Hmm? What's wrong with her?" Charlo raised an eyebrow, puzzled by her stumbling exit.

Outside the Keep.

Clyris stood in the cold night wind for a long time before she managed to calm down.

"Why... did I act like that?"

She asked herself. Even when she was a knight, she had never stared at a man like that!

Why was I mesmerized just now?

This is wrong. This is not normal!

Although she had physically become a woman, she was certain her soul was still herself. She absolutely could not be attracted to men!

But why...

Miss Demon Lord pressed a hand to her chest. Even through the layers of flesh and fabric, she could feel her heart pounding.

Thump. Thump.

Why...

______________________________

The Guest Quarters.

"Yes, Father. I did not find any evidence of Viscount Charlo's treason tonight. But I will look harder tomorrow! Please do not worry."

In her bedroom, Ophelia was communicating with Archduke Fokk via a magical projection.

"Hmm... Lia, be careful. If you need anything, notify me immediately," the Archduke cautioned.

"I know, Father!" Ophelia nodded. Then, her eyes narrowed slightly. "By the way, Father... I need to know the exact quota of Ironwood timber and weaponry sold in the markets this year."

"That..." The Archduke patted his round belly. "I don't have that information on hand. Give me some time to collect the trade data. I will tell you tomorrow."

"Thank you, Father. Please be quick."