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Chapter 23: The Perfect Start of 'Trouble'

Janice and Raymond informed the old lady that they would visit the Imperial Library for their "assignment." Though she initially hesitated, she eventually granted permission on the condition that they take their governesses, maids, and ten bodyguards.

Janice's face went blank for a moment at this news.

"Even if it were 130 instead of 13, we'd still win. It's fine."

Raymond reassured her with unnecessarily confident bravado.

"How?"

"I made some preparations in advance. You might know Fifth Street better, but this is my specialty."

Raymond gave a meaningful smile and shrugged. Then he discreetly showed Janice the smoke bombs, snap-pistols, and glass marbles hidden in his bag.

He said he'd set off the smoke bombs in the carriage, scatter the glass marbles under the feet of the bodyguards chasing them, and fire the snap-pistols at the hands of anyone trying to grab them.

Janice's expression grew dazed at the sight of these clearly suspicious items.

"Where on earth did you get these?"

Janice asked out of pure curiosity.

Raymond proudly refused to answer.

"Secret. We're not that close yet."

You're still my 'enemy,' Raymond replied, implying he wasn't foolish enough to reveal his secrets to a temporary ally. Janice twisted her lips slightly.

Secrets, my foot! Those must have been procured by your 'friends'!

The Grand Duchess worried that Raymond had no "friends," but it wasn't that he had none—he just didn't have the type she thought of. He had plenty of his own kind of "friends."

Composed of the children of high-ranking nobles in the capital—dukes, marquesses, counts—they'd spent their time fighting with Raymond until a year ago, but for the past six months, they'd been bonding over causing trouble together, calling each other brothers.

Uprooting all the flowers in the Empress's garden, setting fire to the Zachary kitchen, sneaking up to military horses and getting kicked in the leg by a hind hoof!

Recalling the Empire's delinquents who caused trouble every other day, Janice shook her head.

"What's with that look?"

"Nothing. It's nothing."

"..."

"Just excited about the cavalry parade. I wasn't cursing you. Don't jump to conclusions."

Inwardly, she scoffed at them as childish brats—but to get to the Bakers' house, she needed to cooperate with Raymond for at least five hours.

Janice put on a fake smile, and Raymond muttered "phony" under his breath. But he also needed Janice's cooperation.

Even if bread were made from flour, a troublemaker like Raymond—whom no one around him trusted—needed to collaborate with the so-called "good child" Janice.

After that silent agreement:

"But do we really have to go all the way to the Imperial Library? Couldn't we just say we're buying books?"

"I don't remember the book titles well. I think I'll remember if I see them in person."

"Grandma, I'll take good care of Janice and bring her back. Don't worry."

The two had become accomplices.

Janice and Raymond gave the old lady their kindest smiles, as if to ask her to trust them, even as she couldn't let go of her worry until the very end.

And with their efforts, the old lady waved her handkerchief and sent them off to the Imperial Library.

It was the perfect start of 'trouble.'

---

"Have a good trip, my little ones! Studying so hard—how lovely."

The old lady, ever kind, saw off the two accomplices. Her send-off was so sweet that Janice was overwhelmed by a terrible guilt—but it didn't last.

The further they moved from the Ducal residence and the closer they got to the Bakers' house, the sight of her accomplice and the clinking of the tools in her pocket blurred that guilt away.

Tap.

Tap-tap-tap.

Tap-tap.

With the agreed-upon signals, Raymond announced that the moment of crime was near.

Hearing his signal, Janice firmly grabbed the bag of tools and slid her bottom forward.

And seeing Janice ready—

"Ow!"

—Raymond finally began executing the plan.

"What's wrong, Young Master?"

"My stomach hurts."

Raymond's governess looked at him with concern and placed her hand on his belly.

"Should we go back to the Ducal residence? Or maybe a hospital..."

"No, not that belly!"

"Pardon?"

"You know. That thing!"

Raymond subtly glanced at Janice, obliquely hinting that he had an urgent need to relieve himself.

Hearing this, his governess first worried, then grew suspicious.

"Do you really need to get off right now? Can't you hold it a little longer?"

Right in the middle of a busy street, packed with people! Moreover, according to a tip from the bodyguards, a cavalry parade was scheduled nearby—Raymond's favorite!

It was impossible not to be suspicious.

His governess eyed him with a look that said he was definitely up to something. But just then, Janice spoke:

"Madame Marie, my stomach hurts too."

"Your stomach?"

"It started when I ate the ice cream earlier—and it's getting worse."

Janice eagerly expressed her need to go, and Madame Marie, her governess and chaperone, ordered the coachman to stop without a hint of suspicion.

She called the head bodyguard and asked him to check the area for an upscale shop where they could borrow a restroom.

Seeing this, Raymond's governess partially dismissed her doubts.

It was a bit coincidental that both children had stomachaches—but there was no way Janice and Raymond, who were sworn enemies, would join hands.

Since both had stomachaches, the problem must have been the ice cream they'd eaten before departure.

"Sigh! I was uneasy when they each ate two scoops... Young Master, you must only have one from now on. Understood?"

Ignoring the governess's nagging, Janice and Raymond exchanged glances.

A moment later, as Madame Marie prepared Janice, Raymond's governess also began to move.

The first to step out of the carriage was Madame Marie, followed by Janice, then Raymond, then...

"Run!"

That was when Raymond and Janice started sprinting.

Still holding a bodyguard's hand as she stepped down, Raymond's governess sensed trouble and shouted "Stop them!"—but at that moment, a smoke bomb went off among them.

"Ah!"

"Ugh!"

"Who's there!"

"Where did that smoke bomb come from!"

"Oh my! Lady Janice, where are you?"

Screams filled the air, one of them likely belonging to Madame Marie, still struggling to accept the situation.

"Young Master!"

—Raymond's governess's shriek was unmistakable.

"Find them!"

"Stop them!"

—The bodyguards' gnashing voices were clear.

And leaving those adult voices behind, Janice and Raymond ran hard.

They knew better than anyone that the smoke bombs wouldn't last long. They had to escape before the smoke cleared.

Janice used her small size to slip between a man's legs ahead, while Raymond squeezed through the stalls and gave a wooden pile beside him a gentle push.

The large pile of firewood collapsed with a loud crash.

"Ouch!"

Raymond tossed a gold coin to the screaming merchant.

"Sorry."

The merchant, who had been cursing, quickly pocketed the coin.

"Th-thank you!"

It's just firewood, not fruit or bread—easy enough to stack again! The merchant beamed.

Having reached a smooth settlement with the victim, Raymond started running again.

"Ow!"

"Ugh!"

He ignored the screams from behind.

...Sorry. I'll apologize after I've seen the cavalry parade.

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