The Marquis' Daughter, a Research Enthusiast, Fails to Notice Her Junior's Devoted Feelings After Her Engagement is Broken. - Chapter 1.16

The cultural festival had ended, and classes had returned to their normal schedule.

After finishing my lessons for the day, I headed to the research lab, where Peter had a report for me.

“That radar you asked for should be ready by the weekend at the latest.”

“Oh…!”

“Well, to be honest, the radar was already almost complete. I originally designed it for tracking criminals, so it was nearly finished anyway. This actually works out since I could use some test data.

“By the way, there’s something odd about Baroness Everett’s mana pattern. It’s like there are two different waves overlapping—almost as if they’re fused together. I can’t quite explain it.”

“Could it be some kind of congenital condition?”

“Maybe. I haven’t studied mana patterns in sick individuals yet, so I can’t say for sure. But it’s a possibility.”

“Any issues with the radar itself?”

“Nope, none at all. In fact, because her mana pattern is so unique, tracking her is actually easier than normal.”

“That’s a relief.”

✳ ✳ ✳

Before I knew it, the weekend arrived, and Peter’s radar was complete.

The device was shaped like a pocket watch, with a tracking range of one kilometer. This was more than enough for use within the academy.

“Let’s test it out.”

“Doubt it’ll pick up anything here, but go ahead.”

The radar screen was green, and any detected targets would appear as red dots.

A few moments later, a red dot appeared on the edge of the screen.

Peter and I exchanged glances.

“No way…!”

“Let’s go!”

We immediately took off, following the red dot while hoping it wouldn’t disappear.

As we left the Ministry of Magic and headed toward the indicated location, the dot continued moving, but we were gaining on it.

Eventually, when we were about a hundred meters away, I spotted a girl with pink hair.

“That’s her?”

“Yes… I’m fairly certain it’s Baroness Everett.”

She wasn’t alone.

Walking beside her was a silver-haired young man.

“Who’s that?”

“Wait… isn’t that the son of a high-ranking official from the Ministry of Magic?”

“I’m starting the recording!”

“Hold on. Use the regular device. If we use the high-performance one with sound enhancement, the Ministry might notice the magic fluctuations.”

“Got it.”

Activating the recording device, we trailed the pair while maintaining a safe distance.

“I’m pretty sure that’s William Hansen. That silver hair is a dead giveaway.”

“Ah, one of His Highness’s potential advisors.”

Based on my previous research, William Hansen was known for his striking silver hair and handsome features.

He was the son of the top-ranking official in the Ministry of Magic, and much like his father, he was exceptionally skilled in magic.

At the academy, he was recognized as the best in practical magic.

He also frequently visited the Ministry, where he was quite popular among women.

However, he was known for his mischievous nature, making him a bit of a problem child.

It was rumored that he and Lord Nathaniel didn’t get along at all, likely due to their opposing personalities.

“Looks like a date.”

“Definitely a date.”

Even from a distance, I could see them holding hands as they walked.

“Pretty bold of her, considering she has a fiancé.”

“Yes… I believe she’s engaged to Lady Linden, the daughter of an earl.”

“Figures. A guy like him wouldn’t be without a fiancée.”

As they entered the bustling shopping district, they continued their casual date, eating snacks from street vendors.

Taking the opportunity, I bought a pair of sunglasses and a hat from a nearby stall to disguise myself.

“Man, I wish I had a date too,” Peter sighed wistfully.

Eventually, the pair entered a high-end jewelry shop on the main street.

“I’d like to see what’s happening inside.”

“You’re too recognizable. I’ll go in instead. Hand me the magic tool.”

I handed over the tile-shaped recording device.

Peter eagerly strapped it on and strolled into the shop.

Judging by his excitement, he was enjoying this far too much.

While waiting, I took a seat at a café across the street, keeping a close eye on the store.

As I scanned my surroundings, I noticed a small figure also watching the jewelry shop.

They were taking notes in a small memo pad.

The person wore a deep-brimmed hat and loose clothing that concealed their body shape.

Were they following those two as well?

If they moved the moment William and Baroness Everett left the shop, it would confirm my suspicions.

Would it be possible to cooperate with them?

It was a gamble, but I decided to take a chance.

I grabbed a napkin and wrote down my contact information, along with a short note offering to collaborate if they were tracking the same person.

Almost an hour later, the two finally exited the store.

The mysterious observer also moved.

No doubt about it.

I quickly followed them and deliberately bumped into them.

“Oh, my sincerest apologies. Are you alright?”

I offered my hand to help them up, discreetly slipping them the napkin.

Their eyes widened in surprise.

“Please don’t make a scene. I believe we have the same objective.”

I gave them a reassuring smile.

They were probably suspicious, but if I had read the situation correctly, they would reach out to me.

The individual nodded quickly before hurrying away.

Shortly after, Peter emerged from the store and rejoined me.

“Wow, that girl’s something else. She tried on nearly every accessory in the shop. And then, she casually made him buy the most expensive one. Right in front of the shop staff, she kept flirting with him. I got it all on tape.”

“Great. Let’s review it later.”

I flipped open the radar.

The red dot had stopped near a restaurant.

“Should we follow them?”

“We already got footage from the jewelry store. If we go in, we might attract attention.”

“True. Let’s wrap it up for today.”

We returned to the lab and reviewed the recorded footage.

“Perfect. The quality’s good.”

The footage clearly captured everything inside the shop.

Peter had posed as a customer looking for a ring for his lover, allowing him to observe them up close.

William had been enthusiastically picking out accessories for Baroness Everett, urging her to try on more and more expensive pieces.

She had hesitated, claiming, “I can’t accept something this costly…”

Which only made William insist on buying her something even more extravagant.

In the end, she walked away with a diamond hair ornament, which William placed in her hair—sealing the moment with a kiss on her head.

“So, she’s a gold-digger, huh? Taking what she can and running?”

“That would be a problem. Ideally, she should set her sights on becoming the official wife.”

“Prince Ernest, Nathaniel, William… She’s targeting only high-ranking nobles.”

“Don’t forget Simon. Simon Bowditch—the knight commander’s son.”

From what I had observed before, Simon had feelings for Baroness Everett, even if he tried to hide it.

“So basically, every potential advisor to the Crown Prince is entangled with her. This kingdom’s in serious trouble.”

“We’ve had peace for a long time, but this is too much. How is every one of them caught in her web?”

“What if she’s a spy sent by another nation?”

“That would be problematic. It wouldn’t help in breaking Frederica’s engagement.”

“Well, at least we have leverage. If she’s a spy, we have evidence. If not, we can sell this to William’s fiancée.”

“Hopefully, we’ll find something that forces Prince Ernest and Frederica to break their engagement…”

I sighed, furrowing my brows.

Peter chuckled and playfully poked my forehead.

“Relax. The radar worked perfectly. We’re making progress.”

And so, we spent the rest of the evening discussing ways to improve our magical tools.