**********

Time rewinds a bit.
The night before the garden party, Deanna and the rest of the court were running around with their hair in a mess.

In a part of the capital where the commoners live, there is a building that is just a little larger than a normal house, but with a slightly different structure. On the front door of the building, a signboard that read "Kiesen's Locksmith" waved. As it was midnight, the store was naturally "closed".
The first and second floors were quiet, but in fact, further down, in the basement, which was off-limits to all concerned, three men were huddled together with their foreheads shouting.

This month is going to be tough.
It's going to be a while before we can develop a new key.
"We can't afford to be complacent. The thieves are getting better and better every year.
But we're going to have to spend a lot of money if we're going to prototype what we're working on.

Ronald, the youngest son, pats Hans on the shoulder, who is staring alternately at the plans and the ledger. John, the second son, the safekeeper, chuckled.

"Give it up, Hans. Unless we get some backroom work in, we'll have to put off the prototype.
"'Behind the scenes' work, huh? Maybe they'll come in tomorrow, huh?

The men in the basement, the three Keesen brothers, suddenly heard a third person's voice echoing from above them and took a moment to brace themselves. But they soon realized that it was someone they knew well.

"Sir Edward. How did you get in here?
"That skylight there, the clasp is loose.　You're a locksmith, you should take better care of your own house.

As he said this, Edward, the intruder, quickly landed beside the three brothers.

"Oh, so this is the blueprint for the new lock. That's interesting, I'll have mine made.
"We don't accept orders for keys from the nobility. I'm sure you know that.
You should be more flexible.

The three brothers' gazes pierced Edward's smile. Hans spoke up for him.

"So, Sir Edward. What's the 'backroom' order that's coming in tomorrow?

Isn't that what you came here to talk about?　The eyes eloquently urged him on, and Edward laughed lightly.

I'm glad to see you're all still the same. --There is a high probability that someone will come here tomorrow afternoon to ask you to pick the lock.
What's the nature of the request?
I'm guessing it's to sneak into a certain house and steal the real one.

What Edward pulled out of his pocket was this.
--What Edward pulled out of his pocket was a sparkling, lifelike imitation of a tiara.



It's no lie that the Locksmiths of Kithen are the third generation of locksmiths in King's Landing.
However, they are the descendants of a family that has been working for the privileged class as locksmiths long before they set up store in King's Landing, and they truly belong to the "underworld".

The Keesen family of locksmiths - whether it was in the old days when they were wandering around taking jobs or now that they have a base of operations, they are still widely known in the underworld as experts in breaking and entering.
There is no nobleman who orders a key from Kiesen's Locksmith. Since its establishment, the family has maintained a policy of "no aristocrats" and will not make keys for aristocrats, no matter how much money they have.
The family has always been, and still is, determined to accept only 'backdoor' requests from the privileged class. This is the proof that they define themselves as "behind-the-scenes" people even now that they have learned to mend their public face as ordinary people.

"Very well done. This is the crown of the Queen, right?

They were momentarily rendered speechless by the glare, but switched gears very quickly. Ronald looked at the fake crown on his desk and said with a smile.

I asked the old man at Bucks. There's no one like him when it comes to reproducing jewelry.
"But if you want me to steal the real thing, does that mean I have to break into the palace?

Serious John crossed his arms. There are things you can do and things you can't do in this world, it says on his face.

I know, it's hard for me to sneak into the palace.
"No, there's no need to go to that cave. It's probably just some stupid nobleman's mansion.
So that's where the real one is. ...... Haha.

They have been living in the underworld for a long time and are rarely surprised. This time, they were not surprised at all. --They just had a dumbfounded look on their faces.

We don't know much about it either, though. We don't know much about it, but isn't the real thing a national treasure?
It's a national treasure, no doubt about it. And it's a venerable treasure that's been with the nation since its founding.
...... Whoever stole it, whoever sold it, whoever bought it. They're all idiots.
I've been telling you for a while, 'stupid aristocracy'.
If you know so much, wouldn't it be faster and more reliable for the Dark Side to come out than for us?
If we could do that, we would have done it by now.

Edward sighed and cautiously touched the imitation crown.

If I could do that, I would have done it by now. They were trying to reduce the number of people involved in this case to a minimum so as not to leave any evidence. We worked as hard as we could, but all we could find out was that the national treasure in his hands was a crown, and when it was sold. We couldn't find out who he sold it to or what he did with it.
......, so that's where we come in, huh?
You guys are relatively well known in the underground. If you're looking for a job that involves swapping out the real thing for a fake so that the person you're selling it to doesn't find out, you'll definitely get a request from us.


"That may be true, but there's also the possibility that you could conspire with the person you sold it to to secretly restore the real thing?
"Not likely.

Edward grinned.

The old man from Bucks, who made this, said that the yakuza people who specialize in imitating and selling stolen goods to the aristocracy are extremely busy these days.
Ah ....... They've been busy making fakes, of course.
That's what I'm talking about. If you honestly say that you want to return the crown because it became inconvenient, then of course you will be asked to return the money you paid. I don't even want to think about how much money I'll get in return for selling the national treasure, but if I don't have that much money on hand, or if I can't afford to pay it back, the only way is to get it back without being noticed.
I don't want to think about it.　The king hasn't decided on a queen yet, and the crown won't come into play for a long time.
It's necessary. --"It is necessary, because Deanna knows of his misdeeds.

The three brothers all looked at each other with a look of satisfaction.

The three brothers all looked convinced. "By the way, Diana is in the palace now, isn't she?
I'm sure you'll be able to understand that I'm not the only one.
I'm not sure what to make of this, but I think it's a good idea.
"The head of the ladies, I guess. The head of the ladies.
"No, that's a very high position.

Ronald mixes it up, while the two brothers look ashamed. I'm sure they think it's the end of the world for a chief lady to be messing with a national treasure of all things.

I'm sure you're not the only one who thinks this is a bad idea.
Oh. Almost certainly, yeah. And for the record, there's a good chance that it's the chief lady herself who's coming here.
Why?
Switching the real and the fake is the whole point of this plan.　To be sure, you don't leave the request to others. If you did, you'd have done it a lot sooner.
What do you mean?
I have not been able to confirm the contents of the item that those yakuza worked on, but I heard that it was completed a few days ago and delivered to the residence where the chief of police is secretly hiding out.

There's also a person in that mansion who is being used like a hand and foot by the chief lady. Since that person has not moved, it is natural to assume that the chief lady herself is trying to get here.
I've been listening to Edward's explanation with a nod of the head, but then John tilted his head.

But why tomorrow afternoon?　Usually, clients come to us at night.
"Oh, that's .......

After letting out a breath, the heir to the Crester family smiled a truly beautiful smile. Only the people behind the scenes know that this smile is the smile of a predator who has caught its prey.

I'm going to the garden party tomorrow afternoon.



**********

There were several hidden purposes to this garden party.

The first was, of course, the "Get a grip, King" scheme, by the side chambers for the side chambers. The success rate was much higher than expected, judging from the king's behavior before and after the party.

With so many nobles in attendance, it was no surprise that behind the smiling faces there were espionage activities going on. The Peony Faction was desperately trying to find out what was going on with us, and the Cresta family, who were checking on all of the Red Rose Faction's concubines, were no different in that they were making the most of the special environment of having only the concubines and their families there.

--And....

...... truly, ladies and gentlemen.

In the event that you have any questions concerning where and how to use the internet, you can call us at the web site. The palace maids, faithful to their duties, quietly left to get hot water.
The only ones left in the room are Deanna, Rita, Mia, Keith, Hans, and the mysterious woman. After taking a breath, Deanna stood up from the sofa and bowed to the mysterious woman.

Thank you, Mrs. Magnum. Thank you, Master Magnum.
Thank you, Mrs. Magnum," she said, "I'm sure Sirrah - Master Maris would have misjudged the timing of your departure. You don't have to thank me.

The first time she heard the name "Madame Magnum", her mouth broke into a smile.

I was wondering what was going on when Fiona suddenly said, 'Would you do something for my niece? ...... So that's what this is all about.
I'm sure you'll be happy with the results.

You'll be able to find a lot more than just a few of them. Master Magnum nodded softly.

If Fiona asks, I can't refuse. Besides, we can't leave the palace in this state.
Thank you.

Yes, she is the one that Fiona has been looking for to take over. It was Sharon Magnom, a woman who had come to the royal court at the same time as Madame Maris and had served with distinction as a lady's maid, but who had resigned her position after her marriage and had eventually withdrawn from society, and was now forgotten even by the nobility.
She was smiling, but her expression suddenly tightened.

I'm sure you'll be pleased to know that I'm not the only one who's had it.
I'm not sure what to make of it.
"Thank you, Assistant Manager Hi-Zed. --Thank you very much, Assistant Director Hi-Z. - Master Red Rose, I'd like to start looking into this immediately.
I'd like to start looking into it right away, but until I get an official letter of appointment, you'll have to be very careful.
Thank you for your concern.

After taking a perfect bow, Madame Magnum quickly turned her gaze to Mia.

"Mia Meltrois. I need your help.
"Yes, .......

Mia rolls her eyes. For whatever reason, Mia had been a part of the wrongdoing under the former headmistress, and after all was said and done, she was prepared to be on the receiving end. --And yet...



I've heard about you. You were closest to Mrs. Mallis, and your testimony will expedite our investigation.
...... You believe me?
It's hard to say at this point. I've heard about you, but I've never met you before. I would like to find out if you are worthy of my trust as we work together.

The tone of her voice and the words she chose were gentle, but the content of her words could not have been more harsh to Mia. The tone of her voice and her choice of words were gentle, but the content was more severe than Mia had ever heard.
Mia paled for a moment, but then quickly looked up.

"Master Diana?
I don't mind. Have a good day, Mia.
Yes, sir.

The room became even quieter as the two women withdrew after saying their goodbyes. After waiting for their presence to disappear, Deanna finally turned to the person who had done the most for her.

"I'm sorry for all the trouble, Hans.
"It's no trouble at all. And it's not every day you get to enter the palace in broad daylight. It's a good thing for us, too, so don't worry too much about it.

Hans, who smiled as he said this, had completely shed the skin of the "good little citizen who is scared of being surrounded by nobles" that he had just been. He was originally a "backroom" man who could stand toe-to-toe with the nobility, and he didn't have the nerve to be afraid of the royal court or the king.

It's not our fault that we've gotten you into trouble.
"It's a bad habit of the Cresta family. We've been relying on you for a long time, so if there's anything we can do for you, you should feel free to tell us, like this time.
"I agree with you.

I agree with you." Keith nodded his head in a low voice, but with real feeling. Deanna and Rita looked at each other and laughed at the sight of these dependable collaborators.

--The Cresta family, including Deanna, had no idea that Madame Maris was selling not just art, but also national treasures, until that night of direct confrontation. Unless there were a number of distribution channels in between, they must have been very careful in handling the goods. He was so thorough that he did not even leave a written document to prove the transaction.
Deanna, who had gotten the word from the chief of the women's guard, was trying to act like she had a lot of time on her hands, but in reality she was in a great hurry. If it were to become public knowledge that the national treasure had been diverted, it would be more than just a mere outburst of the Chiefess. If it became public knowledge that the national treasure had been sold, it would be more than a mere outburst by a female official.
--If we're not careful, this could lead to an all-out war between the conservatives and the revolutionaries. That's what Deanna was thinking at that moment.

The Cresters, who received the report from Deanna, had the same conclusion. In order to get the national treasure back as soon as possible and avoid a massive search by the royal court, they launched an investigation by mobilizing all of Darkness. ......, but the results were not good at all.
Finally, after risking a last-ditch attempt to break into the national treasure vault, they discovered that the national treasure that the headmistress had touched was the crown.

At this point, the most expedient method, which was to find out to whom the lady-in-chief had sold the crown, and to get her to return the crown voluntarily, was almost impossible to implement. There was simply not enough time this time to go through several back channels to find the buyer.
From the report from the "darkness" that had been watching the chief lady, it was known that she was trying to cover up at least the diversion of the national treasure by having a fake of the national treasure made and replacing it with the real one. Unable to find the location of the crown they wanted to get back, they decided to take a gamble on her plan, even though there were still many uncertainties.

With the Red Rose and House Crestor watching her warily, there was only one day when the High Priestess could move. If there was only one day that the headmistress could move, it would be the day of the garden party, when both Diana and the Cresters would remain in the palace. The family, seeing this, gave a single word of instruction to Diana through the darkness. On the day of the garden party, the head mistress must be set free.
In response to the instruction, Deanna deliberately placed the headmistress in a backstage, low-profile position, surrounded her with her cronies, put the Red Rose's maids and maids of honor in a busy position to finish the job (a byproduct of which was the creation of the most efficient coordination for the party), and set the stage for the headmistress to move easily. The stage was set for the chief lady to move easily. The only gamble I had was whether or not she would make a move, and perhaps because of my impatience, she did just that.

I was really worried about whether the lady would actually come to our store or not.
"You don't need to worry about that, do you?　"A dry well on the outskirts of King's Landing leads to the lock-pickers' lair," ...... is a rather well-known rumor.
It's not like we're advertising anything.

In the event that the chief of staff asks for a job with no time to spare, it is likely to be the Unlocker of the Dry Well, who has been handed down through the generations with a proven track record. King's Landing is the Kiesen family's territory, and there are no other lock-pickers.
And the Keesens have been close friends with the Cresta family for a long time. Edward asked for their help in this operation because he knew that they would have the skill, character, and courage to help him.
There were two things he wanted. The first was to switch the fake with the real as requested, and then hand over the imitation prepared by the Crester family to the headmistress.
--When I give the signal, I want you to bring the real one to the palace gate.

I was wondering what would happen if I brought the treasure to the palace. The outer court room ......?　You're pretty good at that.
"We can't let this opportunity pass us by to hunt down Master Maris. We've got a lot of work to do.

It was no coincidence that Mia's brother, Claude, passed by the gate at the exact moment Hans brought in the crown. It was no coincidence that Mia's brother, Claude, walked by the gate just as Hans brought in the crown. He looked into the package Hans had brought, and immediately took him to the outer court. On the way, he passed a knight of the king's bodyguard and told him that the missing national treasure had been found.
In the short time it took for the palace to pick him up, she told him the "ostensible story" that Hans was holding the crown. Hans, a seasoned actor, understood the role that the Cresters had given him and performed beautifully in front of the king without any hesitation.

--Hans, who understood the role House of Crestor had assigned to him, was undaunted in front of the king. To this end, the Cresters and the Outer Court have been working frantically from before the garden party until today.
Incidentally, the only thing that Diana was told by her family was to "free the chief consort". She knew before the confrontation with the chief lady that the outer court was going to drop a fishing line against the juke, but the rest was completely improvised. I'm not sure if you've heard of this, but I'm sure you've heard of it.

As for .......

I'm sure you've got some idea of what I'm up to, but I can't believe you're using the garden party itself as a giant decoy.
"Duarisse said it would be better for her mental health if she didn't inform Diana.
That's part of it, but it's not the main reason. In order to keep the headmistress on her toes, it was absolutely necessary for me to work on the preparations for the garden party without knowing anything about it.

The closest and most dangerous enemy to the High Priestess is Diana herself. If Deanna had been informed of the plan to frame the headmistress at the garden party, it is doubtful that she would have let her off the hook so carelessly. To tell the truth, Deanna was so overwhelmed at that time that she was even worried that she didn't have enough manpower to send to the headmistress at the garden party. The fact that Deanna didn't have that much time on her hands is the reason why the Master-in-Chief was caught off guard and did exactly what the Cresta family wanted.



I can't believe I'm saying this to my own family, but the strategy you're using is uncanny.

I'm sure you've heard of it, but I've never heard of it. It's a great way to make sure you're getting the most out of your vacation.

I'm glad it all ended well.
I'm sure you'll be happy to hear that.
I'm sure you'll be able to get the chief maid dismissed for other crimes, even if you don't mention the national treasure. ...... We should probably get back to it.

I'm not sure if you've heard of it, but I've heard of it. Deanna nodded.

I'll have Yuri take you home so you can go out of sight.
Thank you.

When Yuri's voice returned to normal and said, "Excuse me," Deanna realized that she had finally, finally, gotten over the hump.