The Obsessive Male Lead Is Actually Scary
Chapter 47: The Game Begins

Chapter 47: The Game Begins

The morning sun had only just begun to stretch across the eastern horizon, casting pale gold over the sprawling Wittelsbach estate. Yet already, the residence stirred with a sharp, purposeful energy. Servants rushed through the halls with arms full of scrolls, documents, and garments. Crates and trunks were being hoisted onto carriages, while stable hands polished saddles and fed restless horses. Even the kitchens buzzed with doubled effort as staff prepared travel rations and the duke’s personal provisions.

News had broken that Duke Marius would be departing on an overseas trip the following week. The announcement was sudden but not unexpected. With him, unpredictability was often the only certainty.

Inside the manor’s grand study, a soft flutter of wings broke the stillness. A white-feathered messenger bird swooped through the open window and landed on the edge of the oak desk, its claws tapping softly against the polished surface.

The duke, seated with an untouched decanter of dark wine that had been sitting there since the night before, raised a brow at the sight. He rose, his heavy boots echoing across the stone floor, and strode over to the bird.

With gloved fingers, he untied the thin scroll attached to its leg.

Unfurling it, he read the brief contents in silence. Then, with a low scoff, he lowered the parchment and turned toward the door.

"What a bunch of deadweight fools," he muttered, his voice sharp with irritation.

The message was simple: of the knights sent to Baron Slovene’s estate, half had remained behind to investigate, while the other half had changed course and were now en route to the villa near Eldham Vale, where Alessio was said to be.

* * *

Johann and Enosh, the two knights assigned to lead the mission, had decided to split up their forces. It was a strategic move that might allow them to uncover more ground without drawing too much attention.

"I’ll take half the men and follow the lead toward Eldham Vale," Johann said, tightening the strap of his cloak. "The baron gave me a map to the villa where Alessio stayed while looking after his grandmother."

Enosh nodded. "And I’ll keep the rest here to quietly investigate the baron’s household. If he’s hiding something, we’ll find it."

The two stood at the edge of the estate’s grounds, exchanging a look of mutual understanding.

"Then we’ll separate from here." Johann’s expression was grim but focused.

"Yeah. Be careful on your way. The Duke instructed us to avoid drawing attention. We’re supposed to blend in as ordinary knights," Enosh replied, clapping a hand on his comrade’s shoulder with a tight-lipped smile.

Johann gave a curt nod before turning on his heel and leading his group toward the distant tree line.

Enosh watched them disappear for a moment, then turned his gaze back to the estate looming behind them. Even from this distance, its elegant facade remained calm and undisturbed.

He exhaled slowly. All that remained was to wait.

Meanwhile, inside the estate, behind the thick curtains of the upper floors, Baron Slovene stood at the window, having observed the exchange below. A slow smirk crept onto his lips.

"They’re moving just as expected," he murmured.

A knock tapped on the polished door behind him.

"My lord," the elderly butler called softly, "the preparations are complete."

The baron turned, eyes gleaming with restrained amusement. "Good. Then let’s begin the game."

By the time midnight arrived, it came cloaked in silence.

The moon, veiled behind drifting clouds, cast only the faintest light on the shadowed grounds. Enosh and his team had waited for hours, lying low until the manor fell quiet.

Now, crouched just beyond the estate’s rear gardens, Enosh whispered final instructions.

"You two, search the west wing. Look for private studies or family rooms. Anything that might hold letters or records."

"Aye, sir."

"You, take the eastern storage halls. Focus on old records or documents that could reveal something about the family’s background."

"What about the third floor?" asked one of the younger knights.

"That’s your job," Enosh said, nodding toward him and another. "Go through the bedrooms, wardrobes, and drawers. Look for anything personal, like jewelry with family crests, hidden compartments in furniture, or correspondence. You’re looking for anything that might raise suspicion or warrant closer scrutiny from the duchy."

"Understood."

"And remember," Enosh added, his voice firmer now, "we don’t take anything. No paper leaves the estate. Read and memorize. Put everything back exactly as you found it. We’re here to verify whether this family is a threat to the Duchy of Wittelsbach. If there’s nothing, then we leave without a trace."

The knights dispersed with silent steps, weaving into the shadows like ghosts.

Within the manor’s cold stone walls, everything was deathly quiet.

But inside the rooms they searched, a trail of carefully placed lies awaited them.

In the west wing, the knights found an old study, lined with dusty tomes and neatly shelved records. Several letters lay atop the desk in plain sight, including correspondences between the baron and minor nobles, most of which were benign exchanges about harvest yields and land disputes.

"This one says he donated grain to a village near the border," one knight murmured.

"Here’s another about horse breeding," said another.

There was nothing unusual. Just the sort of correspondence and records expected of a noble house.

In the storage halls, similar records were tucked into ledgers. Exports, imports, tax payments all appeared perfectly in line. Even the handwriting was neat.

The knights moved quickly, noting details in their minds, memorizing dates and names. Still, nothing pointed to suspicious activity.

On the third floor, they found old family portraits, worn heirlooms, and a few children’s toys stored in one of the rooms, perhaps a nursery long since unused. One knight did spot a letter addressed to a duchy’s administrative office, but it was dated two years ago and simply asked for support in repairing a collapsed bridge. _{freew\ebno\vel..(c)om}

After two hours of searching, they regrouped just outside the estate’s walls.

"Anything?" Enosh asked quietly.

"Nothing. Everything looks clean," one replied, frustrated.

"Seems clean," one of the knights muttered. "Nothing out of place."

Enosh frowned. "We don’t fabricate suspicion where there is none. We’ll report it truthfully to the duke. There are no signs of a threat, and nothing that suggests we should be concerned."

The knights nodded. In disciplined silence, they melted into the trees, moving like shadows as they made their way back toward the road.

At the same time, behind the walls of the estate, the baron stirred in his bed, the sheets rustling quietly in the dark.

He hadn’t been sleeping.

When the soft knock came at his door, he was already sitting upright.

"It’s done?" he asked.

The door creaked open. The elderly butler stepped inside and bowed lightly. "They’ve left. Not a single scroll touched, just as you said."

The baron chuckled, the sound low and rich. "Perfect. And the documents?"

"All were replaced, my lord. The forged ones are still in place. No originals remain on-site."

"Good." He stretched his arms and rose to his feet. "Let them report back. Let them tell their master there’s nothing unusual here. The longer they remain convinced, the better for us."

The butler nodded. "Shall I inform the men in the forest to maintain observation?"

"Yes, but discreetly. We’ll need to know if they return."

"And the villa near Eldham Vale?"

"Ah, yes..." The baron’s smile deepened. "Let’s hope they enjoy the little performance we prepared there too."

* * *

Elsewhere, miles away from the city, Johann’s group made steady progress along a narrow path that curved gently toward Eldham Vale.

The road ahead was quiet, bordered on either side by low hills and scattered thickets, and the sky overhead had begun to pale with the approach of dawn. The air was cool and still, holding that strange in-between silence that came just before the world fully woke.

"We should reach the outskirts of the forest by midday," Johann said, his voice steady as he glanced over his shoulder at the riders trailing behind.

A knight riding beside him narrowed his eyes, his expression uneasy. "You really think we’ll find anything? That villa the baron mentioned doesn’t even appear on our maps. For all we know, it could be abandoned. Or a dead end."

"Which is exactly why we have to see it for ourselves," Johann replied under his breath. "The duke wants answers. We need to give him something solid. Anything we can confirm with our own eyes."

Neither of them spoke for a moment after that, letting the rhythmic clop of hooves and the soft rustle of wind in the grass fill the space between them.

What Johann didn’t know was that just beyond the trees ahead, tucked away near the edge of the vale, unseen eyes were already watching. Hidden among the shadows and branches, members of the imperial family’s covert team remained still and silent. Their movements were minimal, their presence nearly imperceptible. Each one was trained for this kind of mission... meticulous, disciplined, and ready to act without hesitation if the situation demanded it.

The forest ahead looked calm, but another game had already begun.