"Security has been breached!"
He heard the sound of footsteps running behind him.
“Tsk.”
Then the rope that was constricting his neck was loosened. The man jumped up the floor wall and disappeared into the darkness.
“Кео-о-о-о-!”
The minister, who had barely been released, took a deep breath.
When he returned from halfway through the threshold of the underworld, his eyes were bloodshot.
He was relieved to be alive for a moment, but then he pounded both fists on the floor several times out of frustration.
The red-hot eyes looked as if they were shedding bloody tears.
"Claudiooooo!"
In the dark prison, evil shouts echoed like echoes.
***
Next day.
Etienne gritted his teeth without even looking at the rough, dusty bread.
The guards came to serve lunch and managed to call the Princess's maid.
"Her Highness won't meet you. She told me to tell you that being deceived once is enough."
"Ask to see her just once, just one more time. I tell her that I know Claudio's very dirty secret and that I will never let her down. Yes? Only once! Hurry!"
And that evening, the Princess came to visit the minister.
"Your Highness!"
Etienne was almost out of his mind.
With a thinner appearance that had never been seen in his life, he greeted Medea as if he had met a savior.
His bloodshot eyes showed that he hadn't slept all night.
"Minister, this is ridiculous."
The Princess glanced down at him and said something.
She was speechless. This prison was hell. She didn't give him any convenience.
It was a harsh life for a tired old man like him.
'Things that don't even have a father!'
The minister cursed under his breath and nodded repeatedly.
"So, you said something strange about my uncle."
The Princess got straight to the point as if she had no intention of staying long.
"Yes, Your Highness. Your Highness must know the ugly truth that Duke Claudio is hiding. That is why, I, Etienne wanted to see you again, despite the inconvenience."
"The ugly truth? My uncle's?"
"Yes. Your Highness. During this time, the Duke's power was so strong that no one dared to open his mouth."
"..."
"But I am a loyalist who eats away Valdina's rust, only for Valdina! I am determined to tell the truth!"
The minister, who was lying down on his stomach while shouting as if he was vomiting blood, slowly raised his head and looked at the Princess's reaction.
"Your Highness, please protect me. If you will protect my life and prevent the Duke from killing me, I will tell you the truth about Duke Claudio that you believe in."
The Princess princess still had an expressionless face. Etienne became anxious.
"If more time passes, it may be of no use."
"... Good. I accept it."
The Princess gave her consent.
"Well, then, if you provide an escort first..."
"You are the one who lost trust. If you don't believe me, I'll just leave."
The Princess coldly tried to turn her back.
Etienne suddenly came to his senses. If the Princess goes away, he will truly be dead!
"No! There is something I have done, so it's no wonder Your Highness doesn't believe me. Oh, it's okay."
He nodded repeatedly. It seemed like he was trying to rationalize Medea's attitude.
"Let's play out our cards first."
"But-"
He couldn't speak out before receiving a confirmation. As Etienne muttered, Medea's eyes grew cold.
"You seem to be mistaken, but I make the decision, Etienne. Not you."
Gulp.
Etienne e swallowed.
There is no more place to run to. The Princess was the last lifeline left to him.
It was dangerous tonight as well, so he didn't have time to think about everything.
"Since I took charge of the palace affairs department, many people have come to see me."
He finally opened his mouth.
"Some wanted a position, some wanted wealth. Me too... I confess. I forgot the severity of my position and satisfied my own self-interest."
"..."
"They were all the Duke's people, and they passed on the palace's interests to the dukedom. It's not just one or two people. Duke Claudio's power extends throughout the royal palace."
Instead of being surprised, Medea snorted.
"Is that all? It's surprising. It's not been a day or two that I've been surrounded by my uncle's people."
"No! Please listen a little more. I have something important to say to you now."
Etienne became anxious because the Princess seemed to get up and leave at any moment.
He forgot his initial caution.
"The greed of the Duke and those who followed him did not stop at accumulating power and wealth using Her Royal Highness. Those ruthless people dismissed His Majesty the Young King's bravery as an insult and in the end, they even harbored thoughts that should not have been entertained."
"What do you mean by feelings that should not be harbored? Be precise."
The Princess did not allow Etienne to add even the slightest extraneous material.
Etienne looked around anxiously.
It felt like Duke Claudio's dart would jump out from the darkness at any moment and strangle him again.
Gulp.
Etienne swallowed his saliva and answered.
"That's true."
Reverse mind.
At that moment, the temperature in the prison became cold, as if it had dropped even further.
"They resolved to overthrow Valdina, revolt, and dethrone His Majesty the King. And, I have the report that plotted the rebellion."
Weightlifting certificate.
There was silence. The Princess was speechless.
Because they were serious, Etienne bit his lip and endured the silence.
"I..."
"Yes. Your Highness."
"How can I believe that? Etienne, this time you are conspiring with my uncle to lure me into a trap. Even the bugs crawling around here know that you are my uncle's closest friend and ally."
The Princess shot back coldly.
"You will be in that report too. Now you're going to pretend it's not true and trust me when you voluntarily accuse me?"
"No! You are wrong! He is not my friend! The Duke wants to get rid of me!"
Etienne forgot that he was unsightly and knelt down, almost clinging to the childish Princess he had ignored.
He was surprisingly servile as if he had been pressuring the Princess at a banquet not long ago in his past life.
"This is to eliminate me before their existence is revealed. How can I call someone close to me who immediately abandons me as soon as I am in danger? I finally realized this here. We must never leave Claudio, who harbors ungrateful and rebellious feelings, alone."
In the meantime, the minister did not stop defending himself.
But he won't even dream about it.
The Duke had no intention of getting rid of him and was struggling to free him from outside the prison.
Medea raised the corners of her mouth.
"I can't believe everything you say. Just wait. I also have to check if it's true, so it'll take some time."
"Well, then what should I do..."
Etienne's face became thoughtful.
"Please save me, Your Highness. Next time you might see me as a corpse."
"Don't worry. I'll change all the guards. If you guard it with people who can use swords, no assassin will be able to easily infiltrate it."
Medea answered calmly as if that was nothing to worry about.
She didn't forget to express her concerns to Etienne in a slightly more friendly tone.
"How stressed are you? The look on your face is ridiculous. I told Saya to take care of you so you wouldn't be inconvenienced, but I guess I wasn't good enough."
Etienne's chin, which had never fallen out even though he had become thin, was trembling.
What she said felt so warm that the minister almost burst into tears, holding on to the Princess, who was about his granddaughter's age.
"My life depends on you, Your Highness. Please, save this body."
"So we need to check as soon as possible. Tell me."
Medea moved closer. Green eyesight flashed.
"Where exactly is that report?"
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