Chapter 3
Episode 3
“The emperor's order was to bring the women of the Lancaster Duke's family as prisoners.”
As soon as the man finished speaking, two knights beside him approached and lifted Edel to her feet.
Fortunately for her, they were not the type to toy with women.
“We'd prefer to escort you as gentlemen if possible, so please don't do anything foolish, Madam.”
Edel had no intention of mounting a futile resistance. But she couldn't gauge the emperor's true intentions in ordering the duke's women brought back alive, and a chill ran down her spine.
It took half a month from the Lancaster Duke's territory to the Capital Terju. It was usually just over ten days by carriage, but transporting the artwork and treasures swept from the duke's residence, along with the prisoners, took more time.
During the journey, jostled in a shabby carriage, Edel learned several facts.
*Spoils of war*
*Duchess*
First, as might be expected, the Lancaster Duke's family had been utterly destroyed. All the men bearing the Lancaster name had been executed, and the duchy had been annexed into the emperor's domain.
Second, her own family, the Canian Count's household, had suffered as well, but the Canian Count had apparently avoided extermination by pleading that he too had been used and by handing over important information. And he had denied any relation to Edel, relinquishing all rights to her.
Third, the purpose of the Lancaster women, whom the emperor had ordered brought back alive and unharmed, was as spoils of war. To be distributed among the war's meritorious contributors, it seemed.
Of these, the worst news was undoubtedly the last.
*Written by ruly lemon frog*
Spoils of war...
Edel squeezed her eyes shut.
Those distributed as spoils of war were essentially slaves.
Though the slave system had long vanished from the empire, no one seeing them mounted on that platform as spoils would fail to think of slaves.
*I never imagined something worse than death could happen.*
At that point, Edel gave up trying to fathom divine will. She felt only resentment.
Was begging for a clean death such an exorbitant greed?
.
Everyone would be drunk on liquor by now, and the guards would surely slacken, thinking the job was done. After all, the aftermath of any banquet followed a similar pattern.
If she'd known it would come to this, she wouldn't have lived so foolishly.
Edel planned to seize that moment.
She regretted a life in which she had never once lived by her own will.
Yet she did not cry. No, she could not cry. She wasn't dead yet, and the situation requiring her to comport herself as a duchess with dignity was not over.
The posture of life forced upon her since childhood bound her like shackles, but the women across from her, unaware of this, only found Edel loathsome.
“Where are they taking these women?”
“North Prison! Hand them over tomorrow. His Majesty the Emperor ordered it personally—keep strict watch!”
“What a grand lady she fancies herself. Holding out all alone with that lofty act.”
Edel snapped out of her gloomy reminiscences upon hearing the guards' conversation, which differed from her expectations.
It was the duke's eldest daughter, Lauren. Then the second daughter, Daria, beside her glared daggers and chimed in.
*The emperor personally ordered strict surveillance? Why?*
“She can't grasp reality. She's been a bit off since the marriage. Sold off, yet acting like she's the real duchess.”
Edel couldn't fathom the emperor's intentions at all. She had thought they were merely means to publicize the Lancaster Duke's family's downfall.
The women, who had spent days weeping, now seemed eager to blame their misfortune on someone and vent their resentment. Even though it wasn't Edel's fault they had fled the castle leaving her behind and gotten caught.
*We were just auctioned off like slaves in the banquet hall, so isn't our role over? Then why order such thorough surveillance?*
“I heard the Canian Count spilled everything? We never should have let that lowborn's daughter into our home in the first place!”
“That woman must have helped her father too. Who gave her the duchess's seat anyway? Ungrateful wretch.”
But no one would give a clear answer to her questions.
The guards, tensed by the mention of the emperor's command, showed no laxity as they dragged them to the North Prison.
Being scorned and mocked wasn't a new experience for her, but hearing such vulgar abuse was a first for Edel. The fact that they were baring their true colors suggested Lauren and Daria had given up on everything too.
Edel spoke calmly to her stepdaughters, who glared at her with hollow eyes.
The North Prison, where nobles guilty of light crimes were held, had decent facilities.
It was fortunate, but strictly speaking, the reason women classified as serious criminals like them were in such a good prison wasn't particularly pleasant.
“You should get some rest, Lauren. You too, Daria.”
*It's because our status changed from serious criminals to gifts bestowed by the emperor.*
Her indifferent response only seemed to anger Lauren and Daria further, but Edel had no desire to waste energy on pointless vitriol. She needed to preserve enough strength to take her own life when the guards grew careless.
*The use for young female prisoners is ultimately as playthings. Better to die than survive like that.*
As the words spoils of war and gifts suggested, Edel and the duke's daughters were already beyond being treated as people.
But that was tomorrow's problem. For now, Edel decided to be grateful for a clean, safe place to rest after so long.
Her body screamed from extreme tension, her muscles aching, and her mind refused to function properly.
Suicide might be an unforgivable sin to God, but she had no intention of following a God who had never once cared for her suffering.
*For now, sleep. Something will come to me after rest.*
But that was easier said than done. Even if she wanted to die, there were no convenient means.
The moment she lay down on the hard but blanket-covered bed, Edel fell asleep as if fainting. It was a deep sleep without dreams.
*The victory banquet is surely underway, and the spoils will be distributed there. Once that event ends, there'll be a moment when surveillance slacks.*
Yet despite her exhaustion, her eyes opened at 6 a.m. the next day. The terror of habit.
The thought that she would be handed over to Laslo today immediately upon waking kept sleep at bay.
.
