Ch#35
Even playboys would know that what they were doing now was dishonorable, and with their noble pride, they wouldn’t dare invoke their family names.
So she hoped they’d come to their senses and stop at this point.
“Do you still think I’m the duchess?”
The man named Terry suddenly shoved Edel toward the wall.
“I heard you didn’t even catch Count Criserus’s eye, so we were trying to give you a chance, but what?”
“Do you even know your place right now? No one here will take your side no matter what we do to you.”
Edel had heard many times that even untitled lesser nobles ignored the law because the previous emperor had turned a blind eye to noble crimes.
But she’d never imagined experiencing it firsthand—let alone from members of the Imperial Knights, who were supposed to uphold law and order.
Edel glared at them sharply with eyes full of contempt.
*Spoils of war*
*Duchess*
“It seems the knights don’t know, but what you’re trying to do right now is insubordination. You’ll not only be expelled from the Imperial Knights but also have to pay reparations to House Criserus.”
“If I stay silent, it might all blow over, but I won’t. As you know, I’m a maid who won’t be fired. So why don’t you stop here?”
“Hmph! Ridiculous! If you do that, you’ll...!”
Only then did the two men realize Edel’s situation was different from an ordinary maid’s.
Truly written by Lemon Frog
Lowly maids kept silent after assaults out of fear of losing references, but Edel had no such worry. She was bound to this house for life unless Count Criserus handed her off to someone else.
“Th-this...!”
But their egos were too inflated to back down now.
“Let’s see if you can stay so haughty after we’re done with you!”
“Come on!”
Wounded in their pride, they tried to drag her off without regard for who might see.
- 2 -
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She struggled with all her might and screamed. No matter how big the mansion, someone had to hear her voice.
The sword blade gleamed coldly in the winter sunlight.
“Let me go! Aren’t you ashamed of yourselves!”
“Wh-what are you doing, sir!”
“Are you insane! Shut up!”
“Heh, don’t be so scary—let’s talk it out...”
It was then that they grabbed Edel’s arms from both sides, covered her mouth, and tried dragging her toward the men’s washroom.
They kept backpedaling and trying to weasel out like foxes, but Laslo didn’t sheathe his sword.
“Is this it? The reason you wanted to see her at my house.”
“Answer me. Can you stake your necks on it?”
“O-of course! Why would we lie to you, sir?”
A thick, low voice echoed through the quiet hallway. It wasn’t even an angry tone, yet the two men froze on the spot.
Edel seized the moment of their panic to wrench her arms free and quickly stepped back, bowing her head to the voice’s owner.
They had insisted it was just Laslo trying to scare them and dug in their heels.
Laslo chuckled.
“You’re here, Count.”
“To end up beheading the very first guests I invited to my home—what a pity.”
Without warning, Laslo was there, staring at them with cold eyes.
“Pardon?”
The two men, coming to their senses, suddenly waved their hands and started making excuses.
“From where did I seem to start watching?”
“It’s a misunderstanding! That woman seduced us first!”
At those words, the two men’s faces turned pale.
“It’s true! She clung to us begging to be taken out of here, but now that you’re here, she’s playing the victim!”
Even Edel felt a slight chill. She hadn’t sensed any other presence.
“A woman with nowhere left to fall is scary, huh!”
“C-Count Criserus...”
Two of them against one Edel. No witnesses.
“No, that’s...”
The men brazenly insisted, banking on that.
But Laslo’s gaze remained fixed on the two knights.
The sharp tip of the sword Laslo held pointed at the two men.
“Was what you just said true?”
“Words spoken as knights must be upheld. It’ll be quicker and less painful if you bare your necks obediently. What’ll it be?”
“Of course!”
“Can you stake your necks on it?”
At that, the two men immediately dropped to their knees and began begging with clasped hands.
“Y-yes...?”
“I asked if you can stake your necks!”
“Forgive us, Count Criserus! Please spare us just once!”
“We must have lost our minds for a moment! It’s our first time seeing such a pretty woman up close. Please have mercy on us. Please?”
Laslo slowly drew his sword from his waist and asked.
.
There was no trace of pride as Imperial Knights in their demeanor.
The men prostrating themselves then brazenly doubling down had thoroughly irked Laslo.
At that moment, Laslo suddenly turned his gaze to Edel.
“Remember what this woman said earlier? You’ve just committed insubordination. Lowly knights insulting the Imperial Guard Captain—you can be punished for that.”
“You there, victim. What should be done?”
“No way! P-please call Vice-Captain Edmund Milton! He’ll judge this situation objectively!”
“Oh, so that bastard Edmund is your backer?”
Edel was a bit surprised he’d ask her opinion, but seeing the two men who’d groped her look relieved somewhere filled her with indignation.
Laslo’s eyes grew icier.
*You think I’ll ask you to let it slide leniently? But I’m no longer the duchess.*
She’d heard the name Edmund Milton before. Hailed as a genius knight and the next Imperial Guard Captain, he was popular in high society too.
So she wasn’t in a position to swallow the injustice for future connections or her reputation.
Was it okay to insult the second son of the Milton count family—and in front of knights, no less?
It was ironic that her lowered status let her speak freely, but Edel answered as dryly and curtly as possible.
The kneeling men seemed to share the same doubt as Edel, but they were more shocked that Laslo didn’t care about Edmund at all.
“Since you’re the Imperial Guard Captain and they’re Imperial Knights members, I think it’s right to handle it by military law.”
Laslo smirked and sheathed his sword.
“I don’t have the military code memorized.”
“It qualifies as insubordination and violation of Imperial Knights dignity, so expulsion is a given, and flogging plus reparations would be added.”
“Then, as you wish, I’ll fetch Edmund Milton. I’m curious about that guy’s reaction too.”
The knights gaped in shock at her words, but Laslo frowned in dissatisfaction.
Having deferred judgment on the men, Laslo finally turned to Edel with an annoyed expression.
“That’s it?”
“Then why are you out here? I clearly said not to come out until I ordered.”
“I’m sorry. We seemed short-handed.”
Edel thought his displeasure was justified.
“Did Linia call you?”
He was already clashing daily with nobles who looked down on him, and now Imperial Knights—practically his subordinates—had insulted him inside his own home.
Edel added it in hopes the knights would fear more.
“.......”
Edel hesitated, unsure what to say, and that became the answer.
“There was a case where an Imperial Knights Captain once cut off the arm of a knight who insulted his daughter, but I’m not sure if such punishment would apply here.”
“Hmm. The right arm...”
“Go back to your room. I’ll deal with these guys and decide your punishment too.”
As Laslo’s gaze shifted to the two men’s arms, they clutched them as if already severed and screamed.
Edel bowed obediently without protest and returned to her room.
Laslo watched her retreating figure, recalling her screams as they’d roughly dragged her. His fist clenched tight, creasing the leather glove on his hand.
“I-if we suffer anything here, the Imperial Knights won’t stay silent!”
“Right! Even as Imperial Guard Captain, you can’t punish Imperial Knights arbitrarily!”
- 6 -
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