“Who told you about these two people?
If you find another informant other than me, then do you want me to leave?”
Hans said this with a serious expression, but they both knew he didn't mean it.
Theodor knew that Hans would never leave his side, not because he trusted Hans, but because he was the only one who could grant his wishes.
“As you instructed me, I researched the matter.
I followed the hunting grounds ranger as he went in and out of the gambling den.”
Hans looked through the papers he had left in the corner of the car and began his report.
It was about investigating the keeper of Theodor's hunting ground.
“He has a lot of gambling debts.
When you're not hunting, Your Highness, he seems to always be hanging out with gamblers.”
“I go fishing once or twice a month, which means he goes there almost every day.”
Hans recited in detail the amount of debt the hunting ground keeper had recently owed and his family connections.
Theodore was laughing awkwardly while listening to the messy details.
Theodore didn't care whether or not the old man in the hunting grounds was gambling and ruining his life, nor was the personality of the hunting site manager the problem.
“He's been stealing and selling your things, Your Highness.
I found some of your weapons in a nearby pawn shop.”
Theodore closed his eyes.
The words that Hans was reading and the words that Annette was saying overlapped in his head.
“One of those who has access to Your Highness’s horse will later betray you and sell important information about you.”
Annette said that there were people around Theodore who needed to be let go.
Of course there would be traitors around those involved in political interests, so Theodore thought she would name a high-ranking noble, but even so, Annette pointed out a shabby character that he had never imagined.
Theodore thought her words were ridiculous, yet he doubted the veracity of what she said so he ordered Annette's words to be verified.
As someone who took care of horses, he simply thought of the stable, but his search was in vain.
Theodore was somewhat relieved to know that there was nothing wrong with the stablemaster, it would have been interesting if it had been revealed that Annette had been right.
He wanted to stop the investigation, but suddenly realized that there was someone else taking care of his horse.
The person who looks after the horses while they eat and sleep on the hunting grounds.
The person Annette was talking about was a hunting grounds ranger.
The old man was wasting his life in a gambling house and abandoning his original mission.
If he simply neglected his work, it would be enough to get rid of him, however, Annette said that he would play an important role in the future.
Theodore was more cruel and brutal compared to other times when he hunted, so he would sometimes act as a friendly person with a good personality to the old man and talk to him privately.
He was someone who would become a nuisance if he became an enemy.
The result of the test was Annette's victory.
Gambling can cause financial problems, and if a bouncer is talking to a group of gossipers, you never know what information he might inadvertently spread.
The small fact that his horse loves wet hay could turn out to be a life-threatening threat if the ears of an assassin heard it.
In preparation for such an event, Theodore, of course, took care of the people around him, but he was unable to reach the hunting grounds.
It was a mistake to overlook the fact that there were enemies everywhere you went.
Annette made that point sharply by talking about the ranger of the hunting grounds.
“How did you know what that old man was doing outside the hunting grounds?”
“Because I found a useful pawn.
A little pawn that can even discover the future.”
Hans tilted his head in confusion, still not understanding.
“Take care of the old man moderately.”
“Yes, I understand.
The next thing I said...”
Hans did not read the document this time, but handed it to Theodor.
“Do you really want to bring him to the palace?”
The document contained a brief biography of a specific person.
It was trivial content, just the name and place of origin, and the fact that he held a low-level position at the top of the current province.
"He's just a crazy guy from the countryside.
He doesn't know how to do anything, and his relationship with women is messy."
“Do you mean this person really exists?”
"What do you mean?
Did you tell me to find someone who might not exist?"
Hans was puzzled, and looked again at the papers in Theodor's hands.
According to what his master said a moment ago, this meant that Hans was busy searching for traces of someone who might not have existed in this world.
Hans frowned and showed his frustration.
“Why are you acting like this?
Even I became a little afraid.”
“Hans.”
"Yes."
Hans swallowed his saliva and answered while wondering what was wrong.
This was the first time Theodore had called him softly like that.
“You will get a four-fold increase in your weekly salary.”
"Sorry?"
Hans had expected harsh words, but warmer words echoed around.
“Is this severance pay?
After all, it seems that you really have found someone other than me.
You previously told me that you would fire me when my usefulness ran out, but I didn’t know that you would abandon me so quickly.”
“Where do you want to run to?
There is still a long way to go before I pay you severance pay.”
“So what’s the matter?
Is it so easy for my weekly wage to suddenly rise like this after I tried to convince you to increase it countless times but failed?”
Hans has been asking for a raise for a long time, but Theodor never listens to him.
His statement wasn't entirely honest, since Hans was already receiving a lot of money, but Hans wondered what had changed Theodor's mind, who had remained unmoved for years.
“Annette said to be nice to you.”
“Miss Annette?”
“From now on, call her Grand Duchess.
She is the one who raised your salary.”
Annette told Theodore who he should fire, who he should hire, and who he should keep.
The fact that he had to let go of his hunting range guard was certain, and he had a feeling that the new talent he had sought out would be great.
The third piece of information was useful, very useful, but not to the point of having to discover it through a deal with Annette.
“Be kind to Master Hans.
He will not betray Your Highness to the end.”
The third person Annette refers to is Hans.
Theodor knew very well that Hans would not leave his side, but he was not entirely sure of that.
If there was a problem, he would suspect it without hesitation.
However, the story is different if there is someone else who confirms this belief.
Annette's words were simple, but they removed one of the most confusing variables from Theodore's future.
Since he decided to take care of the two people at the front – the hunting ground guard and the new talent he was going to hire – he had to also treat Hans appropriately as Annette said.
So, Theodore decided to do what he thought was best, which was to increase the salary.
“The Grand Duchess has taken care of your wallet, but are you still opposed to Annet being in the palace?”
“I'll admit she's beautiful, but she's not the kind of person worth using the Emperor's Necklace for.”
Fortunately, Hans came to his senses and complained.
Annette, who he looked at romantically, was starting to seem like a decent person, but Annette, who he looked at rationally, was still a losing deal.
Theodore showed the former Emperor the pendant to make Annette the Grand Duchess.
For her sake he had given up the greatest weapon he had to hide, a weapon far more important than all titles.
No matter how much Hans thought about it, Annette was not worth giving up Theodore's powerful weapon to fight the Emperor in order to protect her.
His master had been thinking the same idea until recently, but something changed his mind.
“The dead are the past, but that woman is the future.”
“Do you really trust her?”
“Is she trustworthy in your opinion?”
Hans visited the villa instead of Theodor to check on Annette's condition, and talking to her greatly changed his mind.
Honestly, Annette looked very different from the person Hans had heard of.
She didn't feel like an aristocratic woman, but more than that, she was an elegant and sophisticated woman.
It was difficult for him to see her as a member of a central family with an arrogant personality and the excitement of unrequited love for the Crown Prince as it was known in the social world.
Hans gave Annette a brief summary of the results of his lengthy observations.
“Of course I don't think so.
I know she's not an ordinary person.
I forgot to mention this but...”
Shortly after giving Annette a rather generous assessment, Hans was once again immersed in the thoughts tying his head.
This was because Annette's behavior was completely unexpected.
“At some point, she shows more agility than His Highness in dealing...but at some point, I start to question her intelligence to do the right thing.”
"For example?"
Hans said with an expression that said he didn't want to bring it up because he was too embarrassed.
“Miss Annette...no, I mean Her Highness the Grand Duchess does not know how to read letters.”
"What?"
Theodore was rarely genuinely surprised.
“I can't believe it either.
There's no way a young woman from the Marquis Scheringen's family can't read.”
Hans felt frustrated because there was no way to express the sadness he felt.
What kind of Marquis's daughter cannot read a line of a book?
Women may have had a low level of education, but not knowing how to write was an entirely different problem.
The two men remained silent for a moment.
Theodore suppressed his ridiculously confused mind and asked another question.
“Apart from that, what are the other problems?”
"None.
She eats well, sleeps well, and behaves well."
“This is unique.”
"Yes?"
Hans looked at Theodor's expression to see what he meant.
“It's the strangest thing she can live with without getting into accidents.”
Annette seemed the type of person who would tend to do things if she rebelled too much or complained constantly, but she controlled her temper and waited for Theodore's decisions with a docile face.
In their current situation, Theodore became more hesitant as Annette remained calm without any resistance.
Is she really behaving well?
The verification is over, so it's time to go see the Grand Duchess and find answers to new questions.