While Karina and Jeremiah were fighting fiercely, Mikhail, who was actually imprisoned, was lying on his bed humming a tune.
The guard clicked his tongue at the sight.
“This is the first time in my life that I’ve seen a guy who’s been imprisoned this calmly.”
“Because I didn’t do anything wrong.”
'Ha, don't get sick. If I get sick, only I will be sad.'
Karina squatted down and thought blankly.
She had a compulsion not to get sick.
In the past, before she became a villainess, Karina didn't receive proper treatment even when she was sick. This was because Caroline had already taken care of the Grand Duke's doctor.
Naturally, the doctor was afraid of getting on Caroline's bad side and was reluctant to treat Karina. And Jeremiah, who Karina wanted to be by her side the most.
'Jeremiah. Can you stay by my side just tonight? At least until I fall asleep.'
'I'm busy. I don't have time.'
He was always away from her because he was busy.
At times like that, she would cry while lying in bed, groaning in pain.
It wasn't tears from the pain, but tears from sadness.
She felt so lonely and desolate that no one was there to worry about her and be by her side.
'It's the same now.'
Karina pulled herself together.
'How long will I have to stay in this damned Grand Duke's house?'
A question suddenly occurred to her. All she had left of the Grand Duke's house were bad things.
The guard clicked his tongue at the sight.
“This is the first time in my life that I’ve seen a guy who’s been imprisoned this calmly.”
“Because I didn’t do anything wrong.”
“Nothing wrong? This escape. You said it was your doing? If that’s not wrong, then what is?”
“If it was my fault, then I just happened to protect you.”
“Everyone who’s imprisoned here says things like that at first. Misunderstanding, feeling wronged.”
“Just wait. You’ll all find out tomorrow.”
“Huh. Let’s see if that really happens. Here, eat.”
“I’ll eat well.”
Mikhail happily accepted the plate the guard offered him.
The guard clicked his tongue and left the prison.
After he disappeared, a crow flew into Mikhail’s cell.
As if it wasn’t afraid of people, the crow sat down on the bed and tilted its head as if it were looking at Mikhail as a strange animal, then opened its sharp beak.
“Your fate is ruined.”
Surprisingly, what came out of the crow’s mouth was not an unpleasant cry, but a human voice.
It should have been surprising, but Mikhail was calm.
“See? You saw it well.”
After finishing his meal, Mikhail lay down on the bed.
Although the bed was made of hardwood, he felt comfortable as if he were lying on a cloud.
“Ah, it’s comfortable.”
“Is that something that a prisoner would say?”
“I think I heard something similar before.”
“Why did you come out and cause misunderstandings?”
“If you’re going to nag, then stop. More importantly, what happened?”
The crow’s posture straightened at his question.
“If it’s the wizard who helped the escapees cause the explosion in the city, I’ve already secured him.”
Mikhail’s eyes narrowed.
“What kind of guy is he?”
“He’s a guy who escaped after completing basic training at the Magic Tower a few years ago.”
“That sloppy guy caused such a big explosion?”
“We’ve confirmed that he used illegal chemicals together.”
“It seems a bit crude.”
“It seems like he’s running out of money and is doing this... How should we handle it?”
The crow’s voice became even lower.
“Should we follow the rules of magic?”
“No. Just take care of him appropriately and throw him in front of the main gate of the Grand Duke’s house.”
“You’re going to hand over the problems of the magical world to the Grand Duke’s house? May I ask why?”
“I have my reasons. Don’t argue and do as I say.”
“...Understood.”
The crow nodded and flew out of the bars.
Mikhail, who confirmed the crow’s flight, supported his head with his clasped hands.
Suddenly, he remembered what had happened during the day.
The sight of Karina suddenly entering his arms...
'It definitely felt familiar.'
He couldn't figure out why he felt that way about her, whom he was seeing for the first time.
'Well, I'll find out soon.'
Mikhail hummed again, feeling that something fun was about to happen.
At that moment, the tightly closed bars opened with a creaking sound.
Mikhail's eyes widened as he turned his head absentmindedly.
"...You."
Karina.
She nodded outside the door in front of the wide-open bars.
"Come out."
"How did you get here?"
Mikhail asked, jumping up.
"Can't you see it? I came to get you out."
"...My charges have been dropped?"
Mikhail asked with a puzzled expression.
"The interrogation hasn't even started, so there's no way the charges have been dropped."
“If it was my fault, then I just happened to protect you.”
“Everyone who’s imprisoned here says things like that at first. Misunderstanding, feeling wronged.”
“Just wait. You’ll all find out tomorrow.”
“Huh. Let’s see if that really happens. Here, eat.”
“I’ll eat well.”
Mikhail happily accepted the plate the guard offered him.
The guard clicked his tongue and left the prison.
After he disappeared, a crow flew into Mikhail’s cell.
As if it wasn’t afraid of people, the crow sat down on the bed and tilted its head as if it were looking at Mikhail as a strange animal, then opened its sharp beak.
“Your fate is ruined.”
Surprisingly, what came out of the crow’s mouth was not an unpleasant cry, but a human voice.
It should have been surprising, but Mikhail was calm.
“See? You saw it well.”
After finishing his meal, Mikhail lay down on the bed.
Although the bed was made of hardwood, he felt comfortable as if he were lying on a cloud.
“Ah, it’s comfortable.”
“Is that something that a prisoner would say?”
“I think I heard something similar before.”
“Why did you come out and cause misunderstandings?”
“If you’re going to nag, then stop. More importantly, what happened?”
The crow’s posture straightened at his question.
“If it’s the wizard who helped the escapees cause the explosion in the city, I’ve already secured him.”
Mikhail’s eyes narrowed.
“What kind of guy is he?”
“He’s a guy who escaped after completing basic training at the Magic Tower a few years ago.”
“That sloppy guy caused such a big explosion?”
“We’ve confirmed that he used illegal chemicals together.”
“It seems a bit crude.”
“It seems like he’s running out of money and is doing this... How should we handle it?”
The crow’s voice became even lower.
“Should we follow the rules of magic?”
“No. Just take care of him appropriately and throw him in front of the main gate of the Grand Duke’s house.”
“You’re going to hand over the problems of the magical world to the Grand Duke’s house? May I ask why?”
“I have my reasons. Don’t argue and do as I say.”
“...Understood.”
The crow nodded and flew out of the bars.
Mikhail, who confirmed the crow’s flight, supported his head with his clasped hands.
Suddenly, he remembered what had happened during the day.
The sight of Karina suddenly entering his arms...
'It definitely felt familiar.'
He couldn't figure out why he felt that way about her, whom he was seeing for the first time.
'Well, I'll find out soon.'
Mikhail hummed again, feeling that something fun was about to happen.
At that moment, the tightly closed bars opened with a creaking sound.
Mikhail's eyes widened as he turned his head absentmindedly.
"...You."
Karina.
She nodded outside the door in front of the wide-open bars.
"Come out."
***
"How did you get here?"
Mikhail asked, jumping up.
"Can't you see it? I came to get you out."
"...My charges have been dropped?"
Mikhail asked with a puzzled expression.
"The interrogation hasn't even started, so there's no way the charges have been dropped."
"But you're saying you're going to let me out?"
"Because I don't want to see the wrong person being accused of being the culprit and suffering."
"How can you be sure that I'm not the culprit?"
Karina looked at him and asked back.
“Are you the culprit?”
“No.”
“Then what’s the problem?”
“But...”
“There’s no time to waste. Unless you enjoy torture, get out now.”
Karina said, trying to hide her impatience.
She sneaked in during the guards’ shift change, so she didn’t have much time to spare. She didn’t know when the guards would come back.
“What about you if you let me out? You’ll be in a difficult position.”
It was true, but Karina didn’t care at all.
“It’ll be a bother for a while. But I’m still the Grand Duchess. I’ll just get a warning and it’ll end there.”
‘If this leads to divorce talk, that’s even better.’
To Karina, it was something like that.
But this man was in a different situation.
If he was falsely accused and the real culprit wasn’t caught, he would inevitably be framed as the culprit. He might even be tortured...
‘And if he’s unlucky, he might really die.’
She couldn’t just let the person who saved her suffer that.
“You don’t have to worry about me. So for now, just think about getting out of here safely.”
“...”
“When you get back, don’t wander around for a while. If you don’t want to get caught again.”
Karina added just in case.
But Mikhail didn’t think of running away and just stared at her.
“Hurry up. Don’t forget what I said.”
“I won’t go out.”
“I thought well. Stay in the house and never come out.”
“No. I won’t go out from here.”
“...What did you say?”
“What is this guy talking about?”
“There’s no time to joke around. You have to go quickly.”
“I won’t go. I’ll stay here until the real culprit is caught.”
“Are you crazy?”
A sharp voice came out of Karina.
But Mikhail was relaxed.
“There’s nowhere to go back to anyway. If I go out, I’ll just wander around the mountains and get caught again.”
“Nowhere to go back to?”
“Didn’t I tell you that I’m a wandering magician?”
Mikhail shrugged.
“At least here, there’s a roof and something to cover me with. Food will come out after a while. It seems much better than on the street.”
“Ha. That’s what you’re saying.”
Karina let out a dumbfounded sigh.
“Do you think he’ll leave you alone when the interrogation starts tomorrow? You’re going to stay here even though you don’t know when the real culprit will be caught?”
“Yes.”
Karina’s voice was low.
“You could really die. Do you think this situation is a joke?”
“I don’t think it’s a joke. But I didn’t do anything wrong, and I don’t want to escape like the criminals I saw earlier this afternoon.”
Karina felt frustrated.
“Are you really not going to leave?”
Mikhail shook his head firmly.
“Yes.”
“If you don’t want to, then don’t. I’m fine with it.”
Karina had no choice but to close the door and leave.
She didn’t know when the guard would come back. She couldn’t stay here any longer.
“Don’t blame me later. I definitely gave you a chance to escape. You’re the one who refused.”
Karina turned around as she warned him.
Mikhail’s voice followed her as she left the prison.
“If I’m proven innocent, will you come see me again?”
Karina pretended not to hear him and ignored him.
When she woke up in the morning, her stomach churned.
Her body felt heavy like wet cotton, and she had a headache that felt like it would burst with nausea.
“Oh, why is this happening? Have I been this sick before?”
She thought about her memories, but she didn’t remember being particularly sick at that time.
Karina waited, face down on the bed until her stomach calmed down a bit.
“Is it because of the explosion yesterday?”
However, thanks to Mikhail’s protection, she wasn’t directly affected by the explosion.
“Maybe it’s just because I have too much to worry about.”
She looked for a water bottle on the nightstand next to her bed, thinking that drinking water would help her feel better.
"Because I don't want to see the wrong person being accused of being the culprit and suffering."
"How can you be sure that I'm not the culprit?"
Karina looked at him and asked back.
“Are you the culprit?”
“No.”
“Then what’s the problem?”
“But...”
“There’s no time to waste. Unless you enjoy torture, get out now.”
Karina said, trying to hide her impatience.
She sneaked in during the guards’ shift change, so she didn’t have much time to spare. She didn’t know when the guards would come back.
“What about you if you let me out? You’ll be in a difficult position.”
It was true, but Karina didn’t care at all.
“It’ll be a bother for a while. But I’m still the Grand Duchess. I’ll just get a warning and it’ll end there.”
‘If this leads to divorce talk, that’s even better.’
To Karina, it was something like that.
But this man was in a different situation.
If he was falsely accused and the real culprit wasn’t caught, he would inevitably be framed as the culprit. He might even be tortured...
‘And if he’s unlucky, he might really die.’
She couldn’t just let the person who saved her suffer that.
“You don’t have to worry about me. So for now, just think about getting out of here safely.”
“...”
“When you get back, don’t wander around for a while. If you don’t want to get caught again.”
Karina added just in case.
But Mikhail didn’t think of running away and just stared at her.
“Hurry up. Don’t forget what I said.”
“I won’t go out.”
“I thought well. Stay in the house and never come out.”
“No. I won’t go out from here.”
“...What did you say?”
“What is this guy talking about?”
“There’s no time to joke around. You have to go quickly.”
“I won’t go. I’ll stay here until the real culprit is caught.”
“Are you crazy?”
A sharp voice came out of Karina.
But Mikhail was relaxed.
“There’s nowhere to go back to anyway. If I go out, I’ll just wander around the mountains and get caught again.”
“Nowhere to go back to?”
“Didn’t I tell you that I’m a wandering magician?”
Mikhail shrugged.
“At least here, there’s a roof and something to cover me with. Food will come out after a while. It seems much better than on the street.”
“Ha. That’s what you’re saying.”
Karina let out a dumbfounded sigh.
“Do you think he’ll leave you alone when the interrogation starts tomorrow? You’re going to stay here even though you don’t know when the real culprit will be caught?”
“Yes.”
Karina’s voice was low.
“You could really die. Do you think this situation is a joke?”
“I don’t think it’s a joke. But I didn’t do anything wrong, and I don’t want to escape like the criminals I saw earlier this afternoon.”
Karina felt frustrated.
“Are you really not going to leave?”
Mikhail shook his head firmly.
“Yes.”
“If you don’t want to, then don’t. I’m fine with it.”
Karina had no choice but to close the door and leave.
She didn’t know when the guard would come back. She couldn’t stay here any longer.
“Don’t blame me later. I definitely gave you a chance to escape. You’re the one who refused.”
Karina turned around as she warned him.
Mikhail’s voice followed her as she left the prison.
“If I’m proven innocent, will you come see me again?”
Karina pretended not to hear him and ignored him.
***
When she woke up in the morning, her stomach churned.
Her body felt heavy like wet cotton, and she had a headache that felt like it would burst with nausea.
“Oh, why is this happening? Have I been this sick before?”
She thought about her memories, but she didn’t remember being particularly sick at that time.
Karina waited, face down on the bed until her stomach calmed down a bit.
“Is it because of the explosion yesterday?”
However, thanks to Mikhail’s protection, she wasn’t directly affected by the explosion.
“Maybe it’s just because I have too much to worry about.”
She looked for a water bottle on the nightstand next to her bed, thinking that drinking water would help her feel better.
Her hands were so weak that it was difficult to even hold the bottle. She poured water into a cup, but more than half of it spilled.
However, her head hurt so much that she couldn’t even think about it. She barely managed to pour water while enduring the dizziness. She barely managed to drink the cup, but her condition didn’t get any better.
“Ugh...”
Karina jumped out of bed as she suddenly felt a surge of nausea.
After going to the bathroom and vomiting, she finally felt better.
“Whew.”
After washing her face with cold water, her headache went down a bit.
However, her head hurt so much that she couldn’t even think about it. She barely managed to pour water while enduring the dizziness. She barely managed to drink the cup, but her condition didn’t get any better.
“Ugh...”
Karina jumped out of bed as she suddenly felt a surge of nausea.
After going to the bathroom and vomiting, she finally felt better.
“Whew.”
After washing her face with cold water, her headache went down a bit.
'Ha, don't get sick. If I get sick, only I will be sad.'
Karina squatted down and thought blankly.
She had a compulsion not to get sick.
In the past, before she became a villainess, Karina didn't receive proper treatment even when she was sick. This was because Caroline had already taken care of the Grand Duke's doctor.
Naturally, the doctor was afraid of getting on Caroline's bad side and was reluctant to treat Karina. And Jeremiah, who Karina wanted to be by her side the most.
'Jeremiah. Can you stay by my side just tonight? At least until I fall asleep.'
'I'm busy. I don't have time.'
He was always away from her because he was busy.
At times like that, she would cry while lying in bed, groaning in pain.
It wasn't tears from the pain, but tears from sadness.
She felt so lonely and desolate that no one was there to worry about her and be by her side.
'It's the same now.'
Karina pulled herself together.
'How long will I have to stay in this damned Grand Duke's house?'
A question suddenly occurred to her. All she had left of the Grand Duke's house were bad things.
The past Karina had been terribly lonely and alone.
That's why she clung to Jeremiah more, begging for his love.
'It was all useless.'
Karina clicked her tongue internally.
She didn't know why she had returned to three years ago.
The important thing was that she absolutely had no intention of repeating the same unfortunate past.
'Is there no other way to get out than divorce?'
However, she couldn't just immediately insist on a divorce without any preparation.
In order to end this marriage and properly divorce Karina wanted, she needed the Emperor's approval.
However, this marriage was a marriage that the Emperor had personally ordered and semi-forcibly made happen.
It would have been impossible to divorce for such a trivial reason.
When Jeremiah first expressed his intention to divorce in the past, the Emperor also strongly opposed it.
'In the past, I was so crazy that I was socially ostracized in the high society, and eventually got divorced.'
It meant that there had to be a big flaw or fatal reason.
Otherwise, the royal family would have prevented her and Jeremiah from getting divorced, but they would never have allowed it.
So Karina had to find a reason to get permission for the divorce.
And there was another reason why she couldn't get divorced right away.
It was because of Karina's parents, the Marquis of Milliner.
Karina wasn't treated well there either.
To the Marquis of Milliner, Karina was just a trading tool that he could use for the family.
She felt that deeply before her return.
In the past, right after Jeremiah forcibly divorced her, calling her a villainess.
Karina, who returned to the Marquis, suffered all kinds of harsh words from the Marquis.
'What a stupid woman! I married you into the Grand Duke's family! And now you're being kicked out after being divorced for your wickedness?'
The Marquis repeatedly slapped Karina's cheek and went wild.
'You've disgraced our family like this! Do you even know how much of a mess you've made me!'
Karina had to hold her swollen cheek and chapped lips and apologize all night in front of the Marquis's door.
'Father. I was wrong. Please forgive me.'
Although she was a vicious villainess to others, she was no different from a trembling child in front of her father, who had been an object of fear since childhood.
Karina frowned at the memory that came to mind.
It didn't matter if she didn't return to the Marquis's house after the divorce.
However, she couldn't sit on the street without a single gold coin and with nothing.
'I need strength. I need to prepare a plan in advance for the divorce.'
Anything was fine.
Whether that strength was money, power, or people, Karina needed something of her own.
The easiest and most reliable of them all was money.
Karina considered how much money and wealth she had in her possession.
As a Grand Duchess from a Marquisate, Karina had no shortage of money and wealth.
On the surface.
However, in reality, Caroline had taken away all the management authority that the Grand Duchess originally had, making up various excuses.
This management authority included various things, including the authority to manage various living expenses assigned to the Grand Duchess.
'I don't need anything else, but I must at least regain the authority to manage the funds.'
And there was another reason besides this.
The Marquis of Milliner and the Grand Duke of Colesberg.
Since she had decided to completely break away from their influence, there was no point in using the wealth or money of those two families.
To completely escape their sphere of influence and become free, she needed another independent source of funds.
'I need a source of funds that I can use as I please, without being tracked.'
Karina, who had made up her mind, got up from her seat.
At that moment, she felt an unfamiliar presence at the door.
'...What is it?'
Karina slowly approached the door and opened it.
That's why she clung to Jeremiah more, begging for his love.
'It was all useless.'
Karina clicked her tongue internally.
She didn't know why she had returned to three years ago.
The important thing was that she absolutely had no intention of repeating the same unfortunate past.
'Is there no other way to get out than divorce?'
However, she couldn't just immediately insist on a divorce without any preparation.
In order to end this marriage and properly divorce Karina wanted, she needed the Emperor's approval.
However, this marriage was a marriage that the Emperor had personally ordered and semi-forcibly made happen.
It would have been impossible to divorce for such a trivial reason.
When Jeremiah first expressed his intention to divorce in the past, the Emperor also strongly opposed it.
'In the past, I was so crazy that I was socially ostracized in the high society, and eventually got divorced.'
It meant that there had to be a big flaw or fatal reason.
Otherwise, the royal family would have prevented her and Jeremiah from getting divorced, but they would never have allowed it.
So Karina had to find a reason to get permission for the divorce.
And there was another reason why she couldn't get divorced right away.
It was because of Karina's parents, the Marquis of Milliner.
Karina wasn't treated well there either.
To the Marquis of Milliner, Karina was just a trading tool that he could use for the family.
She felt that deeply before her return.
In the past, right after Jeremiah forcibly divorced her, calling her a villainess.
Karina, who returned to the Marquis, suffered all kinds of harsh words from the Marquis.
'What a stupid woman! I married you into the Grand Duke's family! And now you're being kicked out after being divorced for your wickedness?'
The Marquis repeatedly slapped Karina's cheek and went wild.
'You've disgraced our family like this! Do you even know how much of a mess you've made me!'
Karina had to hold her swollen cheek and chapped lips and apologize all night in front of the Marquis's door.
'Father. I was wrong. Please forgive me.'
Although she was a vicious villainess to others, she was no different from a trembling child in front of her father, who had been an object of fear since childhood.
Karina frowned at the memory that came to mind.
It didn't matter if she didn't return to the Marquis's house after the divorce.
However, she couldn't sit on the street without a single gold coin and with nothing.
'I need strength. I need to prepare a plan in advance for the divorce.'
Anything was fine.
Whether that strength was money, power, or people, Karina needed something of her own.
The easiest and most reliable of them all was money.
Karina considered how much money and wealth she had in her possession.
As a Grand Duchess from a Marquisate, Karina had no shortage of money and wealth.
On the surface.
However, in reality, Caroline had taken away all the management authority that the Grand Duchess originally had, making up various excuses.
This management authority included various things, including the authority to manage various living expenses assigned to the Grand Duchess.
'I don't need anything else, but I must at least regain the authority to manage the funds.'
And there was another reason besides this.
The Marquis of Milliner and the Grand Duke of Colesberg.
Since she had decided to completely break away from their influence, there was no point in using the wealth or money of those two families.
To completely escape their sphere of influence and become free, she needed another independent source of funds.
'I need a source of funds that I can use as I please, without being tracked.'
Karina, who had made up her mind, got up from her seat.
At that moment, she felt an unfamiliar presence at the door.
'...What is it?'
Karina slowly approached the door and opened it.
Comments
Post a Comment