Chapter 20
"Now that things have turned out this way, let's just enjoy the moonlight together. I've wanted to talk to Crowley for a while now."
"...Please call me Robert."
"Why? Don't you like your last name?"
"It's not that..."
"The ties of blood are truly cruel. To hate even being called by your family name, yet become a dog to save them."
Robert, who had been looking down, unable to meet Rebecca's gaze, lifted his head at her words.
What did I just hear?
Rebecca smiled softly, seeing the turmoil in Robert's eyes.
Robert felt goosebumps rise on his arms and clenched his fists.
Rebecca, with her cold smile, seemed like a different person.
Robert suppressed his impatience and slowly asked again.
"What do you know?"
"I don't know much. Just that your family is from the ancient Kadir Order. And that your family is in Zeppelin's grasp."
No one knew about the weakness Zeppelin held over Robert. Publicly, he was known to have grown up as an orphan.
Rebecca enjoyed his flustered expression for a moment before opening her mouth deliberately.
"And one last thing... I'm going to save you."
"You're going to save me? You, Rebecca?"
Robert inadvertently scanned Rebecca.
Rebecca had bandages wrapped tightly around both legs.
Canna frowned.
"Where do you think you're looking? I'll pluck your eyeballs out before you keep staring with those filthy eyes."
"It's alright, Canna. I don't exactly look trustworthy right now, do I?"
At Rebecca's dissuasion, Canna pursed her lips.
But her blazing gaze remained fixed on Robert.
Perfect timing. Rebecca reached out to Canna.
"Could you give me paper and a pen?"
Canna handed over a small pen and paper.
Rebecca wrote something on the paper, folded it neatly in half, and waved it in front of Robert's eyes.
"This contains a clue to the location of your family, whom you've been searching for so desperately. I wish I knew exactly, but unfortunately, this is all the information I have. But you're capable, so you'll find them someday, right?"
At Rebecca's words, Robert scoffed.
"You expect me to believe that? I've seen you for a long time, Madam. I've been searching for over twenty years and haven't obtained even a sliver of information."
What am I supposed to do with this naive Madam?
Robert sighed deeply. And smiled rather kindly.
"Madam. The Devonshire Earl is enough for that kind of threat. Don't try to imitate him clumsily. I will help you as much as I can, so you don't have to make such threats."
"No. I don't want unconditional help. I'm sick of being indebted. Instead, let's make a deal. I'll give you this information first. Be my eyes and ears."
Rebecca handed the note to Robert.
Robert, with trembling hands, checked the contents of the note and his eyes widened.
"Why would you give me the information first, when I could betray you?"
"Because I trust Robert. You're from the Kadir Order, aren't you? I know that Kadir Order followers don't lie or betray."
Robert burst into a hearty laugh, looking at Rebecca blinking her pretty eyes.
Now he understood this absurd situation a little better.
Canna must have given her all sorts of advice based on information she overheard.
It was quite high-quality information, but as the Countess, she could have obtained that much more easily than he could.
Tens of thousands of stories are bound to be exchanged in a couple's bedroom.
But this clumsy Madam didn't seem to know how to handle that valuable information.
She must believe that everyone is as kind as she is.
Of course, Rebecca was Rebecca.
Robert cleared his throat and said seriously.
"Rebecca, you shouldn't trust people so easily. Even if they are Kadir Order followers, there are plenty of bad people. And do you see this scar? It's proof that I tore off the tattoo myself in front of my father when I was fifteen and left the family. I no longer believe in God."
But Rebecca simply smiled.
"But you're not just a Kadir Order follower, you're Robert Crowley. The heir to a family that has been in charge of the Kadir Order's high priests for generations."
"Still, nothing will change."
"No. Robert always wears only achromatic clothes, right? When other people look for God, you rub your scar. And when someone gets hit or dies, you look at the sky. Crowley, you haven't abandoned the Kadir Order. And yet, you've managed to remain as Zeppelin's Hounds."
Robert's face flushed. Rebecca was rattling off habits that he thought were shameful.
And apart from that fact, Rebecca's perceptiveness was astonishing.
To nobles, a lowly commoner like himself would be nothing more than furniture.
Could it be that she had been keeping a close eye on him for this very moment?
Rebecca continued to speak.
"It's not just because of that. I know that Robert has been helping me in small ways all along. Even if you betray me, it doesn't matter. I'll just think that I've repaid the favors you've shown me with this information."
In her previous life, he was the cause of her death.
Therefore, even if she couldn't bring him over to her side, Rebecca thought this was enough.
"Is that really all you want?"
"Yes. I like to settle accounts properly. But can you really do it? Can you watch the Devonshire Earl, who committed such cruel acts against you, live happily?"
Rebecca twisted her lips crookedly.
A madness-like quality flickered in her eyes.
"Robert. I absolutely can't watch it. Let's get revenge. Let's utterly ruin him. Until he begs to die from the torment. It's not impossible if we all join forces."
Robert stared silently at her smile, which bordered on wickedness.
Had she been deliberately hiding her true nature and living quietly all this time?
The Saintess he had been trying to save was instead extending a hand of salvation to him.
'No, maybe she's not a Saintess, but a villainess.'
The long years spent trapped in a pit where no light could enter.
Finally, someone had reached out their hand.
Robert wanted to grab that hand, no matter who it belonged to. If only he could escape from here.
On a night when the lilacs poured out their fragrance, not wanting to be outdone by the bright moonlight, Robert knelt before Rebecca.
And he accepted her outstretched white hand and kissed it carefully.
"Robert Crowley. I pledge my loyalty to you."
* * *
Early in the morning, Danae woke up on her own.
She had been losing sleep for days because of the work Rebecca had proposed to her, and her eyes were sunken.
Danae hurriedly finished her preparations in a rough manner.
And after glancing at Theo, who was still sound asleep, she opened the bedroom door.
"Madam, you're up early?"
Catherine, the only maid, greeted her happily.
Danae took a moment to scrutinize Catherine's face.
'Mother, Catherine is Zeppelin's minion.'
Rebecca had explained in detail to Danae how Zeppelin had destroyed the Obelia family.
And she also told her about Zeppelin's Hounds around her.
Danae felt resentful towards Catherine.
She was a child who had endured well even with a meager salary and was almost considered like family.
She wanted to slap her across the cheek right away because of the betrayal, but she endured it, thinking of Rebecca's face.
"I'm going to the market for a while."
"Really? Then I'll go with you..."
"No, it's alright. Make sure to take care of breakfast properly when your husband and children wake up later. Oh, and I might be late because I'll be chatting with the market women, so prepare lunch as well."
Danae shook off Catherine and left the house.
And after checking again to see if anyone was following her, she headed to the place Rebecca had told her about.
A carriage was prepared in a secluded alley as promised.
Danae smiled slyly when she saw the basket full of vegetables and fruits in the carriage.
They were all things her family enjoyed eating.
'As expected of my daughter. She's thorough.'
"Then let's depart!"
The sound of the coachman cracking his whip was heard.
Danae suppressed her overwhelming emotions and turned her eyes to the scenery outside the window.
The road to Duke Johannes's castle was peaceful throughout.
* * *
"Hmm, I wonder if she's arrived by now."
Rebecca said, lying in bed and reading the bundle of documents Robert had brought.
Canna poured hot tea back into the cold teacup.
"Yes, she probably has. I've attached trustworthy children as escorts, so don't worry."
"Thank you. By the way, Robert is amazing. To know the information of the Hounds in such detail."
"Well, it's because he's been a Hounds for a long time."
The first thing Rebecca asked Robert to do was to investigate Zeppelin's Hounds.
If she could find out the identity of the leash Zeppelin was holding, she could turn the Hounds to her side.
It didn't have to be Rebecca's side. Just leaving Zeppelin's side would be a great help.
Rebecca carefully examined the Hounds' personal information and weaknesses.
But the information Rebecca wanted most was missing.
Head Maid Grace Duncan.
She had been here since the time of the previous Devonshire Earl, and she was not Zeppelin's person, but the Devonshire family's person.
She knew more of the Earl's family secrets than Zeppelin did. And she was also the person who had the keys to all the rooms in the Earl's family.
Therefore, she was the person who needed to be targeted first.
But she was purely loyal to the Earl's family.
Grace seemed to be moved only by her loyalty to the Devonshire family.
So there was no way she would willingly follow Rebecca's plan to destroy the Earl's family.
Rebecca sighed.
Grace didn't have any particular weaknesses that Zeppelin had caught.
Even her only daughter had passed away, leaving her alone without any remaining family.
She couldn't read the price or purpose she wanted at all.
'But why?'
What was the reason for showing loyalty to such an ugly family?
Judging from her background and history, she could have transferred to other excellent families.
There was no reason to stay in a place where abuse of employees continued every day, no matter how much she thought about it.
She thought about it carefully, but it only made her head hurt.
Rebecca put her hand on her forehead and handed the documents she had received from Robert to Canna.
"I've seen them all, so get rid of them."
