Ch#93
Spoils of War
Duchess
By Lemon Frog
Episode 93
And the next day, Edmund received a visit from Baron Owen.
"What brings you here so urgently?"
Edmund asked.
However, he was no longer armed with the affable smile and polite demeanor as before. After his crushing defeat in the duel with Laslo, Edmund had been mentally on the defensive.
Even knowing Edmund's mood was foul, Baron Owen hesitantly spoke up.
"It's become difficult to keep that maid you entrusted to us any longer."
"Why suddenly?"
"Everyone's caught on that her words were lies. A group of ladies came yesterday and nearly interrogated us. Moreover, they say Count Creaser is searching for the source of the false rumors. At this rate, our house will be utterly destroyed."
Edmund clenched his fist tightly.
It felt like everything he had planned was meticulously falling apart one by one, with Laslo looking down on him and sneering.
"Damn it......!"
"In any case, assuming you agree, we'll dismiss that maid effective today."
"Do as you must. But you know, right? You must never reveal that I was the one who introduced her. Remember that one of the 'Three Great Houses' stands behind me."
"Y-yes, understood. Then, if you'll excuse me......"
Baron Owen was displeased as well, but with House Milton investing 80% of its slush funds in their major venture, he couldn't dare lash out at Edmund.
Edmund watched Baron Owen leave, assuming that was the end of things with Marsha.
However, that night, Edmund received an urgent message from Baron Owen.
「After notifying her of dismissal, Marsha threw a fit threatening to expose everything to Count Creaser, so I placated her by saying to stay home and we'd call her back. What should we do?」
At that point, Edmund's patience snapped.
.
"Why do all things tainted with 'Creaser' have to be so damn irritating?"
Instead of replying to Baron Owen, he donned a mask covering up to his eyes and a hooded robe before heading out. A cheap, common sword hung at his waist.
Edel headed to Laslo's study upon hearing he was looking for her.
As she entered, Laslo glanced down at some papers before indifferently stating,
"Marsha Bohen is dead."
"......?"
"They say it looks like a grudge killing. The body was mutilated to a horrific degree."
For a split second, an image of Marsha's dismembered, blood-soaked corpse flashed in her mind, and Edel unconsciously covered her mouth with her hand.
"Ah, was that too gruesome a story for you?"
Edel swallowed the rising nausea and shook her head slightly.
"The culprit.... Do they have no idea who it is?"
"If it hadn't been mutilated so badly, we might not have known, but now I have a rough idea."
"Pardon?"
Laslo chuckled.
"Butchering a person is surprisingly difficult. Bones don't cleave easily under a swung sword, and blood and fat dull the blade."
"Then....."
"It means the killer wields a sword exceptionally well. Beyond ordinary knight level. Far beyond."
He set the paper he was reading down on the desk.
It detailed information on Marsha uncovered by .
From the ladies who had been humiliated at the party visiting Owen Barony, to Marsha's immediate dismissal that evening, and even eyewitness accounts around the time of her death and the state of the body.
- 3 -
The other details were telling too, but what convinced Laslo of the culprit was something specific.
「…………Witness report of a tall, well-built man (presumed noble) in a full-body robe heading toward Marsha's house. Described as having exceptionally disciplined gait with large strides.」
'Disciplined gait, large strides…… Characteristics of the Imperial Knights Order.
The Imperial Knights Order is deployed for various events and must maintain flawless formations every time, so they receive rigorous training from the way they walk.
At the time, he had only known them as minor investors from Owen house and hadn't suspected, but now he was certain.
Thus, gait was a hallmark difference between Imperial Knights Order knights and other knights.
Only after confirming this did he recall that among houses connected to Owen Barony was 'House Milton.'
Edmund Milton. Whether he acted personally or used a lackey from the knights order…......
It was at that moment the thought crossed his mind.
"Could it be Sir Edmund Milton?"
Edel asked.
Laslo's eyes widened slightly in surprise before he shrugged nonchalantly.
"Who knows. Why do you think that?"
"The one who approached me at the party knew that we couldn't use hot water in the mansion and that I was a laundry maid."
Edel recalled her conversation with Edmund.
"At the time, I didn't think much of it, but upon reflection, Sir Milton couldn't have known those things back then. When he visited the mansion on Imperial Guard business, I was already attending Miss Linia, so he wouldn't have known I was a laundry maid....."
"And even more so that our household staff couldn't use hot water. I only learned of it later myself."
"But if Sir Milton was the one who contacted Marsha, it all fits. It might just be speculation…...."
Laslo chuckled.
"No. My guess aligns. Edmund is highly suspicious."
.
"He wouldn't have left evidence, would he?"
"He's not sloppy enough to leave traces while out to kill. scoured every corner before the Security Bureau arrived, but found nothing!"
The Security Bureau wouldn't pursue the murder of a mere commoner relentlessly, so Marsha's death had a high chance of remaining an unsolved case forever.
"That woman Marsha picked the wrong guy to mess with….. No, no. Like attracts like anyway."
He felt no pity for Marsha whatsoever.
The compensation he owed her wasn't an amount that would drive her to suicide.
She might have accrued some debt, but with hard work and gradual repayment, it wasn't impossible.
But once a person tastes the good life, they can never forget it.
Moreover, revenge probably played a role too. Though he couldn't fathom why the victim harbored such grudge,
"In any case, we can stop worrying about Marsha Bohen now. Weren't you inwardly bothered by her?"
Laslo assumed Edel would be pleased—or at least relieved—by the news of Marsha.
However, Edel's expression was far from satisfied.
"Somehow, I feel a bit sorry for her."
"It's a shame we couldn't drag Edmund down with her."
"No, not that…. It's how Marsha died."
"What? Why feel sorry about that? It was a fitting end for her."
Laslo looked baffled.
Of course, Edel understood what he meant. Among the mansion staff, plenty would cheer at the news.
Edel had no intention of feigning hypocrisy. She disliked Marsha. The incomprehensible malice toward others, vicious selfishness, and victim mentality despite her own wrongs were impossible for her to accept, no matter how she tried to understand.
But separately from that, the manner of her death felt bitter.
"Foolishly used and then discarded once useless. That's what…....."
"Why? She should have foreseen this end when she greedily chased things beyond her station."
"………She couldn't foresee it back then. It was overwhelming enough just choosing the better option among the choices right in front of her."
Only then did Laslo realize Edel was overlaying Marsha's fate with her own past.
True, despite differences in degree, both had fallen into ruin amid power struggles of the mighty.
"No matter what, you're different from her. She ended up like that trying to harm others, while you...…."
Laslo paused, choosing his words carefully before speaking firmly yet cautiously.
"You ended up like that because you lacked ruthlessness."
Edel's mouth closed.
Kindly put, she lacked ruthlessness—but truthfully, it was because she was foolishly manipulated and discarded by family ties until the end.
'How easy is it to sever blood ties?'
Feeling a twinge of injustice inwardly, Edel grumbled to herself, but she knew Laslo wasn't the type to speak so lightly without understanding.
"Good daughter, good wife….... Sure, nothing wrong with that. But more importantly, you must protect yourself. Sometimes that requires being cold and ruthless."
Edel noticed Laslo's gaze wasn't merely stern. Beneath the firm voice lay concern—that was likely his true feeling.
I never knew he was such a soft-hearted person….....
The thought struck her as oddly incongruous, making Edel chuckle softly.
"I'll keep that in mind."
"If you need help in that moment of ruthlessness, don't hesitate to ask. That's courage too. Remember that."
"Yes. Thank you."
Edel nodded, recalling how her lack of that courage had led her to become Duchess Lancaster, and ultimately the traitor's wife and a criminal.
And if such a situation arose again, she vowed never to be bound by appearances or pretenses, even if it meant fleeing barefoot.
.
