PERSONAL

Chapter 8: Offing the Offreys Part 1

"Angelica, I would like to ask once more before we continue. Are you confident that the information you received from Carla Fou Wayne is legitimate?"

"Of course, Deirdre. Carla was quite eager to offer up information. It turns out that dear Stephanie and her family have been quite naughty behind the scene, conspiring with pirates and the Fanoss Principality. It would explain how a merchant family has staved off the Black Knight's advances."

How easy it was to turn the girl too. Carla was a survivor and would follow the master who would ensure her future. When faced with either the daughter of a Duke or a Count, Carla would no doubt side with me. It didn't help that Stephanie notoriously tossed aside her lackeys.

"It would certainly explain things. Though I believe you speak truthfully, I doubt I can convince my father to rally the troops to arrest the Offreys. The word of a Baronetess is not enough to justify launching an inquisition."

"I would not expect you to rally the Roseblades for something so flimsy. I'm asking you to have prepped a few ships to prevent them from escaping once I procure sufficient evidence."

"You know where you can find this evidence? I hardly believe anyone would be foolish enough not to burn evidence of working with the Principality," Deirdre asked with a shocked face.

"Not with the Principality. The involvement with sky pirates is a crime worthy enough of an inquisition. And while the Offreys would not be foolish enough to leave evidence behind, I doubt the sky pirates would burn any messages. They might even keep a record for blackmail purposes. And if the Offrey's land being suspiciously clean of pirate activity was a boon granted from a working relationship, could it be possible that the lack of sightings of Principality soldiers was another backroom deal?"

"Clever. I'm starting to rather like you. I must admit that I was not expecting you to present me with such enticing entertainment when you sought a meeting with me, though it certainly made up for your tardiness."

"You were expecting me?"

"Of course. As women of similar interests, I had thought you would have approached me long before the end-of-term banquet."

She was not wrong in her assessment.

"I planned on meeting you earlier, but a friend needed me."

"Considering how inconsolable Clarice had been, I suppose such a delay was expected. It's good to see her lively again. Classes had been drab when her sunny disposition disappeared during the affair."

"I'm just glad everything resolved itself nicely."

"Quite, but back to the matter at hand. I must ask, what do I get out of following your script?"

"The removal of a traitorous rival family and satisfaction of cutting them down with your hand."

"... It's a shame that you are a woman. What fun we could have had together."

"Pardon?" I stammered as I realized what she said.

"Nothing to worry your pretty little head about. As much as my family would love to partake in eradicating the Offreys, it is we who are putting our lives on the line for your plan. Do you plan to raise ships from the Redgrave family to assist us?"

"Unfortunately, I cannot raise a force, or our ruse will be revealed too early. The Offreys would suspect something if the Redgraves mobilized."

"And that is where our problems lie. You undertake no risk, while my family will risk life, limb, and reputation. There must be something you will put up to convince us of your sincerity."

This a problem. I had hoped the opportunity to remove the Offreys would have been enough reward to convince the Roseblades to aid us. I needed a powerful standing force to ensure the traitors could not escape.

"I suppose I could speak to my father about allying with the Roseblades."

"Such an agreement is worth less than the paper it would be written on," the girl said with a laugh.

"Excuse me?" I said heatedly.

"You misunderstand me, Angelica. It wasn't a comment against you or your family's honor. I'm simply saying that such an alliance is meaningless. We are alike. Our families mostly coincide in our stances regarding running the kingdom. And if we ever do come to heads, we both know we would prioritize our respective families over a piece of parchment."

"I see... I apologize for my outburst. It was unbecoming of me," I said as I settled back down. My temper cooled quickly as I remembered I needed a better handle on it.

"No need to apologize. As I said, we are alike. I would have reacted the same as a first-year."

"No, I need to be better. I can't allow my temper to get the better of me."

"Wise of you."

"But returning to the topic of payment. I'm not sure what I can offer to convince you. Perhaps you could tell me what it is you desire?"

"What indeed. Oh, I know. Last I recall, you have a reputation for matching students. So much so that I often hear the Barons and Viscounts praising your philanthropy as a blessing from the Saintess."

"A common misconception. I merely wrote a list of women of even temper but of shy nature," I said as my smile became plastic from hearing that I was being compared with the Saintess.

"But you are beloved for your help with regards to romance. This leads to my family's issues. My older sister has graduated without a suitor of her own. Despite being highly sought out, she has found all the boys lacking. It's a pressing concern since the pool of available suitors becomes depressingly lacking outside the Academy."

"You want me to find your sister a suitor?"

"Nothing so drastic. But I would find it helpful if you could procure a list of people who she might find acceptable."

"I mean... I could write up a list. I would need to know what exactly your sister is looking for."

"That's the thing. Father and I have no idea what dear Dorothea wants in a man. The suitors she has met covered quite the spectrum."

"That is a bit problematic. I have details on the personalities of many of the students, but I can't recommend anyone without knowing what I'm trying to recommend."

With the rural nobles, it was simple enough. They all wanted the same thing. Dorothea sounded to be much more of a challenge. The Roseblades' exasperation made it seem to be a more complex issue.

"That's fair. You can't know what Dorothea wants without knowing Dorothea."

"I could meet with her. Perhaps a fresh perspective might give better insight into finding someone suitable," I reasoned to keep my one bargaining chip on the table.

"That would do nicely."

"I can't guarantee anything beyond the list, though."

"I wouldn't ask of it. You can't force love, after all. And your reach as a first-year can only extend so far."

"So we have an accord then? In exchange for your aid, I'll meet and help your sister find people she may be interested in."

"Yes, we shall prepare our ships. I'll set up a meeting between Dorothea and you after all the Offrey business is done."

To think the romance of the heiress was enough to send countless men to battle baffled me. Weirder things did happen, but it was still unimaginable to me.

....

Side Story

"You're the girl Angie ghosted away," the newly promoted Viscount said.

"My Lord, I'm Carla Fou Wayne. I've come bearing news that you may wish to hear," I said courteously to make a good impression.

Out of all the nobles above me, he was the least terrifying. He also had the ear of Ms. Redgrave. As much as the girl promised to look out for me, she terrified me. So long as I could ingratiate myself to Lord Bartfort, I could ensure my safety. So long as I aided the commoner, I was safe.

"Right..." he awkwardly said. He must not be used to being addressed so formally. He was of similar rank to me not too long ago but did not have the benefit of being born the privileged gender. I also saw how the other girls tried to court him.

"My family's suzerain, the Offrey's, has taken exception against your friend Olivia."

The boy didn't immediately respond. He was likely confused. I, too, was initially confused why Ms. Redgrave thought Stephanie would take issue with the commoner. Yet Ms. Redgrave proved quite knowledgeable about how Stephanie's mind worked. A word here and there sparked a rage I had never witnessed before. It was then the answer became plain as Stephanie angrily screamed her frustrations.

When I did not receive a response, I said, "I was as surprised as you. I, too, thought she would have targeted the Lafan girl instead."

"But why, Livia?"

"I believe it is because Olivia has found friendship with higher nobility while Stephanie struggles. But that is neither here nor there. What matters is that she expects me to set up you and your friend in a fake raid."

"And how does Angie factor into all of this? It's no coincidence she whisked you away before."

"It is true that she is involved. She does not trust the Offreys and their allies on principle. Seeing me approach you was enough for her to interrogate me. But she allowed me to flee servitude from Stephanie. Ms. Redgrave said I need only do the right thing. That is why I have come to you tonight. Ms. Redgrave has made plans with the information I provided. I have come here so that you may look out for your friend."

There were other details, of course. I did not believe explaining my involvement in setting up the commoner would go well, nor would pitting Ms. Redgrave against Lord Bartfort be a viable move.

"And you don't believe Angie would consider Livia's safety?"

"I am unaware of the specific details of the plans, but it is well known that she does not think highly of Olivia. Why this is the case, I cannot say. I have no doubt Ms. Redgrave will come to you with more specific details soon, but by then, it may be impossible for you to make contingencies with Olivia in mind. Out of concern for Olivia, I believed you should, at the very least, be informed for her sake."

"I see. Thank you for the concern, but you've missed the mark about Angie. She may not like Livia, but she would never let any harm come to her."

I tensed. Did I overplay my hand? My attempt to prove my 'sincerity' could have been misconstrued as an attempt to place a divide between Lord Bartfort and Ms. Redgrave. I was a suspicious Baronetess actively speaking of betraying my suzerain. I was an untrustworthy individual, and doing anything to jeopardize this man's relationships would cement the suspicions he may have.

"I apologize for my offense then," I said hurriedly.

"No, it's understandable. I should be thanking you for coming to me with this information."

I relaxed. He must have realized I was stating my speculations and nothing more. Lord Bartfort has accepted me as one of his own. Judging how he treats the commoner, I would not have to worry about my family's fate.

AN:

1) I finally worked up the willpower to write a chapter instead of a one-shot for my compilation.

2) With this chapter, we now have Angelica as an active player. It's about time.

3) Probably the last chapter from Carla's perspective since she does not instigate situations herself. She may be utilized again to hint at plans without outright stating them, as she will be a lackey. The short story does highlight her prerogatives, as shown in the mainline and Marie route. She is undoubtedly more cunning here but does still stumble here and there.

4) I'm not sure I got Deirdre right. She appears so infrequently that it is hard to pinpoint how she would react. I've stuck to something along the rich Ojousama with a bloodthirsty streak. Hopefully, it works well enough, though I have altered a lot of characters a little bit to fit the story better or attempt to make them make more sense in the context of the setting.

5) Please leave a review of things you like, think could be improved, etc. It gives me a better idea if my writing is interpreted how I want.