Please Kill Me - Chapter 107
“I recently learned that some people can be utterly clueless about the ways of the world. I found it strange when she showed no reaction to any luxury items I gave her. Then, she handed me two cores, each the size of a child’s fist, apologizing for not being able to give me more.”
Even if he collected everything he bought her, it wouldn’t amount to the price of one core. Leonid’s voice carried a mix of disbelief and bitterness, making Sergei’s brow furrow deeply.
“Are you saying—”
“I thought she was simply accustomed to luxury, hence her lack of reaction. But it turns out she didn’t even know their worth. It was as if she had lived isolated on a mountain for twenty years. But do you know the most absurd part?”
Leonid’s smile twisted, looking more like a grimace than an expression of amusement.
“If I hadn’t overheard your conversation that day in the tent, I would have spent my entire life misunderstanding her.”
He would have thought she was just someone raised in a wealthy family, unaware of the world’s realities.
As Leonid finished speaking, Sergei’s face contorted in fury and shame. It was clear he understood exactly whom Leonid was referring to.
“You wretched—!”
With a roar, the attendant behind Sergei hurled a sharp dagger, aiming at the figure cloaked in a robe a few steps behind Leonid.
The horse reared, narrowly avoiding injury as the rider pulled the reins just in time. However, the sudden movement caused the rider’s hood to fall back, revealing long silver hair blowing in the wind.
The face, previously hidden under the hood, was now exposed. For the first time, Leonid’s attendant spoke up.
“Goodness… throwing dangerous things like that.”
The face had slightly upturned eyes and a smattering of freckles across the nose, giving it a feline appearance.
“Honestly, does Offenbach fear that being less treacherous would be the end of them? The Miss was never like this.”
“Enough talking, Olga.”
“I almost got hit by a dagger, you know!”
The disguised figure was none other than Olga, wearing a silver wig.
* * *
Just before the selected hunters set out for the hunting grounds, in the Rostislav camp,
“So, what you’re saying is—”
“You need to act as Yekaterina’s double, Olga.”
Olga’s mouth dropped open. She had wondered why they dragged her, a retired elite soldier, to a hunting event typically reserved for knights, and now she understood.
“But I’m larger than the Miss.”
“It’s not a huge difference, and with the robe, it won’t be noticeable.”
“And my face?”
“We’ll cover it with a hood and a mask. The key is the wig.”
Leonid produced a silver wig that closely matched Yekaterina’s hair color. Once Olga donned the wig and the robe, she could easily be mistaken for Yekaterina from behind, especially by someone desperate to find her.
“Will this really work? What if they figure it out….?”
“That’s why your role is crucial. Just remember one thing: act like you have something to hide.”
By doing so, they’ll catch their attention, and when they do, subtly reveal the silver hair. The enemy, blinded by their obsession with Yekaterina, won’t scrutinize too closely.
“And given that it’s Rostislav, they’ll likely take the bait without thinking twice.”
From there, the plan was straightforward. Leonid’s goal was to provoke an attack from Offenbach against Rostislav.
Initially, he had considered having Yekaterina herself provoke the attack, but it wasn’t necessary.
The key was provoking Sergei Offenbach. Based on what he had heard at the imperial hunting ground, he knew how Sergei would react to a runaway daughter.
Leonid decided it was better to use a double.
“When they take the bait, lead them into the deep woods where no one can detect their presence. Then provoke them again and lead them out to the edge of the forest. That way, it will look like we were chased down, creating the perfect scenario of Offenbach attacking Rostislav.”
However, there was one flaw in this otherwise perfect plan.
“Won’t they realize that we have the lady with us?”
“…Yes, they probably will.”
Offenbach was desperate to find Yekaterina, and if Rostislav provoked them in this way, it would inevitably reveal that they were sheltering her.
In the past, Leonid might not have seen this as a problem. After all, he had planned to return Yekaterina to Offenbach once everything was over. It was something that would eventually come to light anyway, and he had heard that Yekaterina was someone Sergei cared for deeply.
But now that he knew the truth, things were different.
