Ch#37
At that, Laslo’s chilling gaze fixed on him.
“What, does the vice-captain want to gawk at the woman too?”
“I have no such improper intentions. Since they dragged the Imperial Knights’ name into this, I’m just fulfilling the bare minimum duty.”
“No need. Dragging a sick person here would be even more of a nuisance. I’ll pass on your apology.”
Edmund’s suspicions deepened at Laslo’s somewhat dismissive attitude.
*Now I’m even more curious.*
He barely suppressed a smile that threatened to break out and nodded.
*Spoils of war*
*Duchess*
“If that’s your stance, Sir Criserus, then there’s nothing to be done. I’ve conveyed the Knights’ position fully, so I’ll take my leave. Do you have any further requests or matters to discuss?”
“No, none. Safe travels.”
As they exchanged farewells signaling the matter was settled, Terry, his eyes bloodshot, suddenly yelled.
“You’re the one who told us! That if we asked the Imperial Guard Captain for a sparring match, we’d get invited! That then we could go inside and see that woman!”
Truly written by Lemon Frog
Angelo didn’t stay silent either.
“If you hadn’t said that crap, we wouldn’t even be here! We were just joking around…!”
Laslo’s interest piqued at the claim of Edmund’s involvement in the incident.
Of course, Edmund could defend himself adequately.
“Sir Criserus, you must be misunderstanding. Didn’t I clearly say? ‘Don’t go thinking you’ll gawk at women—go learn a thing or two.’ Should I bring the witnesses who heard me say that all the way here?”
“But...! But...!”
- 2 -
.
Terry and Angelo realized they’d fallen into a pit they couldn’t escape.
The kind and gentle Edmund Milton everyone knew was no longer there.
Yet ironically, Laslo alone believed the two men.
“Sister! The Count is calling for you.”
*Pushing around idiots to do idiotic things is child’s play for a sly fox like that.*
On the third day since that incident, Daisy came to fetch Edel.
Edel had been expecting it and felt nothing, but Daisy’s face was full of worry.
*That doesn’t mean the idiots who fell for the fox’s tricks are innocent, though.*
In the end, Edmund offered them no help and left, and the two bound knights were dragged off to the imperial prison.
“I heard those two knights who tried to do awful things to you are being sent to military trial. They’ll probably get kicked out of the Imperial Knights and fined too.”
Returning to his study, Laslo asked Nathan, who had stayed by his side.
“Did someone from the Imperial Knights come?”
“Yes, yesterday. But they didn’t stay long and left right away. Well, even if they’re fellow knights, it’d be hard to cover for them, right?”
“Do you think this was a coincidence?”
“Considering everything Sir Milton has done so far, the odds are low.”
Edel nodded as she straightened her attire. But things had progressed faster than she’d thought.
“If those guys had actually assaulted her, they would’ve made an issue of it. Perfect scandal fodder.”
“Plus, getting dissed by lowly subordinates would’ve been great for humiliating their captain too.”
*Count Criserus must be furious—not just ordinarily so.*
“Yeah, probably. He’s a genius at punishing bad deeds without dirtying his own hands.”
He might have orchestrated this to clearly show ‘ignore me at your peril’ as a warning.
On top of that, Edmund Milton always left himself an escape route. No matter the suspicions, Laslo couldn’t interrogate him rashly, leaving him seething inside.
As expected, Daisy revealed that his anger had also been directed inward at the mansion.
“Oh, and I was the one who escorted Sir Milton here, right?”
“The day before yesterday, I heard Miss Linia and Head Maid Marsha got severely scolded by the Count. It must’ve happened while I was here bringing your meal, sister.”
“And?”
“He kept looking around the mansion the whole way in. Was he planning to steal something?”
For defying the master’s orders, Linia was grounded for two weeks, and Marsha docked two weeks’ pay.
Edel figured some punishment would fall on her too. Nobles often punished underlings to save face after such incidents—even if the underlings were blameless…
It was an absurd suspicion, but it left Laslo uneasy for no reason.
“Maybe he was looking for her. Good thing I kept her out of sight.”
“Then I’ll be off.”
“Sister!”
“Don’t worry too much, Daisy. I’ve...”
Nathan tilted his head slightly, watching Laslo click his tongue in annoyance.
*The old captain would’ve let them meet to catch them in the act... The captain’s been acting really off lately.*
Edel stopped herself from saying she’d endured far worse, just smiling instead. It wasn’t something to say in front of Daisy, who’d likely suffered more.
After a faint smile, Edel took a deep breath and headed to Laslo’s study.
Nathan sighed softly, recalling Edel, pale as a white plaster statue, and Laslo gazing at her with an odd look in his eyes.
.
