Chapter 39
37
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“Your Grace!”
The Duke opened his eyes at the Marquis’s protest. Walter spoke quickly and monotonously, as if he didn’t want to say any more.
“Don’t make me say it twice, Marquis. Right now, there are no Unseen Ones in Duke Richmond’s castle. There are only those who seek to murder the maids and wreak havoc on the castle. I have assuredly guaranteed the identities of Grace and her maids.”
“…Can you prove it? Can you prove that Your Grace’s lover is not one of the ‘Unseen Ones’ declared a traitor by Her Majesty the Empress?”
The Richmond vassal insignia on the Marquis’s chest flashed red.
Walter’s lips, which had maintained a cold expression until now, twisted crookedly.
That’s right.
This man had not forgotten his master, but had changed masters.
“Please understand my loyalty to the peace of Richmond, Your Grace! This is not something to be resolved while swayed by emotions!!”
He could feel murderous intent circling his heart.
“I clearly said it, Marquis.”
“……”
The Marquis ultimately did not respond, and Walter moved his feet. He felt that if he stayed any longer, he might really do something irreversible. Then, he stopped briefly beside the Marquis and asked.
“By the way, Marquis. Why is your son not seen?”
It was a question that deviated from the context, but the Marquis, thinking that the Duke had lowered his tail, readily answered.
“I haven’t had a chance to tell you, Your Grace. Recently, there was a marriage between Princess Taylor and Viscount Sachsen. He is absent, attending as a representative of the Duke Richmond’s family, but he will be entering soon, so he will greet you shortly.”
“Is that so.”
The Duke left with an ambiguous answer.
As he and Joseph disappeared, sighs erupted from various places. The person standing beside the Marquis asked as if they had been waiting.
“Marquis, what will you do?”
The Marquis recalled the Duke’s relatively mild reaction and said confidently.
“What do you mean, what will I do? I will definitely find the traitor hiding in Duke Richmond’s castle.”
Then, one of the moderate nobles cautiously raised his voice.
“Your Grace ordered you to stop questioning his lover. Are you saying that you will continue despite that?”
“Are you insulting my loyalty?”
“Isn’t that not what I mean?”
“How can you not know that this is ultimately for Richmond and Your Grace?! Watch your mouth!”
The Marquis shouted as if having a seizure, and the noble who had spoken retracted his neck like a turtle and closed his mouth. The Marquis clicked his tongue as if dissatisfied, then left the vault with a dignified gait, like a king.
As he ascended to the surface, the red twilight was fading. He headed straight to his office. The Marchioness, who had already arrived and was waiting, greeted him.
As soon as the Marquis saw her, he whispered in her ear.
“We must open that girl’s mouth.”
“Don’t worry. She will open her mouth. And even though she’s been driven into such a corner, she still hasn’t revealed her origins. She must be a runaway. Are you finding the person I told you to find?”
“Don’t worry.”
“Capturing the missing maid is the top priority. Her Majesty the Empress’s investigation team needs that maid to provide proof that the ‘Unseen Ones’ are certain, so we can completely catch the Duke.”
“Count Lewen said he would find her by dawn tomorrow at the latest.”
“You must also monitor the Duke’s surroundings.”
“I told you not to worry, didn’t I? And the Duke, I mean. He was so high and mighty, but today he lowered his tail. He should have done that from the start. Just watch. Soon, he’ll be like his grandmother, with all his limbs cut off and barely clinging to life.”
The red rays of twilight stained his face, mixed with malice, in blotches.
＊ ＊ ＊
The knights under Count Lewen were literally combing through the Duke’s castle.
“We must find that girl, we must!!”
All the large and small gates leading out of the castle were locked, and they searched everything from the servants’ quarters and warehouses to the sewers flowing outside. The search continued late into the night. But they couldn’t find Jessie, let alone her shadow.
Count Lewen became increasingly anxious. The Marquis had told him to capture Jessie by dawn at the latest, and because the Duke’s castle was so vast, the longer it took, the greater the possibility that Jessie would escape.
Then, the detached palace came into his sight.
The soldiers were searching here and there, but unconsciously, they didn’t even step on the grass of the detached palace. The knights were the same.
No matter how desolate it was, it was because the person living in the detached palace was Eliza Richmond.
Count Lewen stopped blankly and slowly took a breath. Sweat broke out on his palms, and his throat felt prickly as if a thorn was caught in it.
‘This is war. It depends on who seizes the initiative first!’
As the Marquis said, this is war. The Lewen family had already stepped into this war. Count Lewen hardened his resolve and ordered his adjutant.
“Go to the Marquis and get permission to check the inside of the detached palace.”
Meanwhile, Mrs. Isaac was peering at the movements outside the detached palace through the gap in the thick curtains. The red light of the torch dyed her face red. After watching outside for a long time, Mrs. Isaac quietly closed the curtains and turned around.
“It seems they’re determined to find you.”
“……”
“Don’t think about going anywhere and stay here. If you go out and get caught, you’ll suffer hardship.”
Jessie, who was hiding in the darkness, chewed on the soft flesh inside her mouth. As soon as Grace was dragged away, the search began, and she couldn’t get out of the castle. She wasn’t afraid of being caught and suffering hardship. What she feared was ruining Grace’s plan by being caught.
“…Thank you.”
It was when Jessie quietly greeted her.
The sound of military boots, which had been heard from a certain distance away, rapidly approached. Mrs. Isaac, who was about to go outside, paused, and Jessie also rose from her seat. As the shadow of the torch on the curtain gradually approached, Mrs. Isaac hurriedly ran to the window.
A blood vessel bulged on Mrs. Isaac’s forehead as she slightly lifted the end of the thick curtain.
“How dare these rude people!”
Knights, led by Count Lewen, were trampling on the front yard of the detached palace and approaching.
Mrs. Isaac quickly turned around and ran down the hallway. Then, she straightened her shoulders and put strength into her stomach.
Knock knock knock!
The clanging of armor and the rude knocking echoed through the hallway. The thugs of the night seemed impatient.
“Open the door!!”
A thick male voice shook the desolate detached palace.
“Open it by force.”
Mrs. Isaac’s shoulders trembled slightly at the unbelievable words. Open the door by force?! She ran down the straight hallway. Then, she unlocked the door with rough hands and threw the door open with all her might.
The knights who were about to open the door from the outside were surprised and stepped back as the huge door suddenly opened its mouth. Through the opened doorway, a maid who maintained a perfect appearance even at this late hour appeared. Mrs. Isaac stood guarding the door and glared.
“What is the meaning of this!! Do you not know where this place is?!”
At her sharp voice, the knights who were trying to open the door staggered back down the stairs. Mrs. Isaac raised her voice towards Count Lewen.
“Count Lewen! What is going on? Take your knights and retreat immediately!!”
“Retreat, Mrs. Isaac. This is a very important matter.”
“You should take your knights and retreat, Count!!”
But Count Lewen did not retreat. The Marquis had given permission, and he had already set foot in the detached palace. Count Lewen strode up the stairs.
“Count Lewen!!”
“I warned you.”
Count Lewen pushed Mrs. Isaac’s shoulder aside, who was protesting fiercely.
“Ah!!”
While Mrs. Isaac was pushed aside and fell, Count Lewen threw the door of the detached palace wide open.
“Search the inside of the detached palace! She will be inside.”
At his command, the knights, who had hesitated for a moment, poured into the detached palace all at once. The few candles in the hallway flickered precariously and went out.
The moment the precarious boundary disappeared, the knights began searching the room for Jessie more actively than ever. If they caught Jessie inside the detached palace, no one would be able to point out their rudeness.
Jessie jumped up and ran to the next room. All the rooms were connected in the imperial architectural style.
“Open all the doors at the same time!!”
“Yes!!”
She could feel the knights running down the hallway.
“Stop!! This is where the Grand Duchess is!!”
Mrs. Isaac’s desperate cry was heard. Nevertheless, the sound of military boots did not subside, and the sound of doors being opened and slammed shut continued.
Jessie gritted her teeth and ran towards the next room. The door of the room she had narrowly disappeared into was opened and closed.
Faster, faster!
Jessie jumped over the huge sofa. Her burning legs felt like they weren’t hers. How long had she been running and jumping over rooms like that?
The moment she began to see the wall that had been hidden in the darkness, a chilling sensation ran down her spine along with a cold sweat.
It was a dead end.
Torches flickered beyond the window, and knights had already entered the rooms she had passed. The sound of footsteps approaching the room she was in was as loud as thunder.
Without thinking any further, Jessie turned around. After locking the door she had just passed through, she ran towards the door to the hallway. She could feel the presence of the knight with her heightened senses.
And the moment the knight tried to open the door, Jessie latched the doorknob.
