Quaid was locked in the deepest part of the dungeon, right next to the quarters where the Knights of Leopold were staying.
Of course, they had to keep a close watch on him 24 hours a day, in groups of four, to prevent him from escaping.
Quaid's feet were shackled in chains made of metal said to be as hard as diamonds.
Both his hands were also handcuffed, so he could not move them freely.
Not only was his mouth gagged to prevent him from committing suicide, but a blindfold was also placed over his eyes.
The aim was to block sight, of course, preventing people from seeing the prison's structure, and to maximize the effectiveness of the interrogation.
“Is it silence today too?”
But it didn't have much of an effect on Quaid.
The knights in charge of his watch stood in their respective positions and chatted away.
“The vice-captain personally interrogated him, but he still wouldn’t open his mouth. He’s really vicious.”
“So you killed the lord you were supposed to protect with your life. And that was His Highness the Prince.”
“Even making a small wound on a member of the royal family is a felony, but to kill them? Not only will the family disappear, but the entire family will be beheaded.”
While the knights were talking about how Quaid would die, Quaid sat motionless as a stone statue.
At first glance, he looked like he was already dead.
“He’s not really dead, is he?”
As one of the knights muttered in an anxious tone, his fellow knight next to him smiled and waved his hand.
“He's been in that position ever since he got locked up in prison, so don’t worry about it.”
“That’s right. I’ve been thinking about it for a long time, but you worry too much about useless things.”
“No, it’s delicate!”
“Is your delicate child wearing a shirt with a ripped thread?”
“This is...!”
A cheerful laughter floated around, out of place in the gloomy atmosphere of the dungeon.
The chattering knights all fell silent when they heard someone's footsteps.
The knights all stood on guard and looked in the direction where the footsteps were heard.
“Lord Perdes.”
The knights soon confirmed that the owner of the footsteps was Perdes and bowed in greeting.
After receiving a slight nod, Perdes said.
“I have something to say to the sinner, so please step aside for a moment.”
The knights must never leave their posts under any circumstances, except during shift changes.
Even when Aldor was interrogating Quaid, they stood their ground.
But when Perdes asked them to step aside for a moment, the knights looked at each other in embarrassment.
Among them, the knight with the longest career spoke cautiously.
“I’m sorry, but it seems difficult to leave our seat. There are orders from the young lady not to leave our seat under any circumstances, and it might be dangerous...”
"Dangerous?"
Perdes crossed his arms and tilted his head.
“The criminal is locked up in a prison cell with both hands and feet bound. So what’s the danger?”
Perdes continued speaking.
“And you seem to have forgotten for a moment that I am a Prince.”
The knights jumped up and down in denial.
“Oh, how could that be! Of course, I remember!”
“But why do you put Lady Leopold’s orders ahead of mine? Oh, by any chance.”
Perdes' lips tilted slanted.
“Are you ignoring me because I’m a half-penny Prince?”
“Absolutely not!”
“We truly respect you, Lord Perdes.”
It wasn't an empty promise, it was sincere.
Of course, when Perdes first came to Duke Leopold's residence, there was nothing he ignored.
They were very worried that the 4th Prince, who was rumored to be a fool, would become Duke Leopold.
But not now.
They truly respected Perdes because, contrary to the rumors, they had seen with their own eyes that Perdes was a great and amazing person.
“Well, I can’t believe it when you only say you respect me with your mouth and don’t show it with your actions.”
But they were frustrated because Perdes didn't believe them.
“It doesn’t matter whether you truly respect me. What matters is that I am a Prince and you are mere knights.”
So, when they were pressured to get out, the knights had no choice but to go outside.
Before they left, they warned Perdes never to enter the prison, but he paid no attention.
Not only that, he released the gag that Quaid was holding.
Quaid, who was able to speak thanks to that, asked in a choked voice.
“If I commit suicide, why will you let me go?”
Perdes answered with a pick and a smile.
“If you were going to commit suicide, you should have done so from the beginning. Before you were dragged in here.”
“...”
“But if you didn’t do that, doesn’t that mean you have no intention of committing suicide?”
Quaid shut his mouth as if he had hit the nail on the head.
Perdes stared blankly at Quaid's scarred face and said.
“Since you dared to assassinate the royal family, neither you nor your family will survive.”
“...”
“So, if you tell me honestly right now who is behind this, I will do my best to ensure that at least your family survives.”
“...Your Highness?”
Quaid finally opened his mouth and laughed.
“How can Your Highness, who is ignored even by the knights of the Duke’s household, have the power to save my family...?”
Bam-
Before Quaid could finish his sentence, Perdes struck him in the face with his fist.
The sound of bone clashing with bone echoed loudly in the quiet prison.
Quaid remained motionless with his head turned away, and Perdes glared at him and said.
“How dare you, a mere bodyguard, dare to insult the royal family? I knew it when you killed my brother, but your liver is out of your stomach.”
Although Perdes couldn't control his anger and started spewing out words, Quaid didn't say a word of reflection, such as admitting his mistake.
Because it was all done intentionally.
If Perdes got any closer than he was now, such as by grabbing him by the collar in anger, Quaid was planning to take advantage of that opportunity to kill him.
Because that was the order of the Emperor, Daimon.
Then he would die before being sent back to the capital, but it didn't matter.
Even if he were sent back to the capital like this, he would still die.
Rather, because he failed to properly carry out the Emperor's orders, he will not be able to die in peace and will suffer an even more terrible fate.
So Quaid tried to use all his senses except sight to find a chance to kill Perdes, but it wasn't easy.
'I have to take care of it before the knights return.'
If not now, the chance to kill Perdes will never come.
Quaid, growing impatient, pulled out his last card.
“There seems to be some misunderstanding. The one who ordered me to kill His Highness the Second Prince was His Majesty the Emperor.”
"...What?"
The confusion was evident in his voice.
“Is it really true that Your Highness gave such an order?”
“Yes. And... Cough.”
Quaid stopped talking and cleared his throat as if he had caught a cold.
Since he had cut out an important part, Perdes quickly said he would bring him some water.
“Here is some water. Drink it.”
“Cough, my hands are tied... gulp.”
“Wow, you really are a mixed bag.”
He felt Perdes approaching with a tongue-clicking sound.
'It's now.'
Although his eyes were covered and he could not see ahead, Quaid used his intuition to estimate the appropriate distance and took out the sharp poison dart hidden between his molars.
He didn't notice it because he kept the gag on.
It was originally intended for suicide when things went wrong, but it was also possible to bite the other person and commit suicide together.
He only needs to bite once, no matter which part.
“Here, drink.”
As Quaid pretends to drink water, he bites Perdes' foot.
Shake.
Quaid heard a sound like something sharp cutting through the wind, and then he felt an excruciating pain that he couldn't describe in words.
In his experience, this was a sword.
His ability to accurately hit vital points with one blow was extraordinary.
It was a skill that was hard to believe was done by Perdes.
Then who is it?
There was no one else but Perdes, so who on earth was it...?
“Oh no. Not only is the Second Prince not enough, but you’re even trying to kill the Fourth Prince.”
At that moment, a bright voice that did not match the gloomy dungeon rang out.
Adele Leopold.
It was that woman.
It seemed like it was Adele who stabbed him in the heart.
Since when has she been here...
“He really is a very evil man. Don’t you all think so?”
Listening to what they were saying, it seemed like there were other people besides Adele Leopold.
Even though his vision was blocked and he was focused on Perdes, Quaid still didn't notice it at all.
It was clearly his own fault. He deserved to die for this.
Since he has no regrets about life anyway, he doesn't mind dying like this, but what's a little regrettable is that he wasn't able to deliver the letter that Chernosser sent to the Empress.
Thud.
A heavy silence fell over the prison as the body that had been standing firm like a statue despite all the interrogation collapsed.
Perdes and I looked at the man indifferently, but it was not the imperial knights who had come to receive his new recruits.
It was a very shocked face.
Among them, some turned their heads away, unable to look straight at the man who had collapsed and was bleeding.
They are so-called royal knights, but they are so pathetic.
I looked at them with a look of great pity on the outside, clicking my tongue inside.
“I came all the way here to take the prisoner, but things have gone horribly wrong. What do I do now?”
“...There’s nothing I can do.”
The man standing at the very front of the imperial knights spoke with a slightly dark face.
“His Highness’ safety is more important than guiding the prisoner.”
“Thank you for understanding. Then, please help me retrieve the prisoner’s body and take it with me...”
“Please wait a moment.”
Of course, they had to keep a close watch on him 24 hours a day, in groups of four, to prevent him from escaping.
Quaid's feet were shackled in chains made of metal said to be as hard as diamonds.
Both his hands were also handcuffed, so he could not move them freely.
Not only was his mouth gagged to prevent him from committing suicide, but a blindfold was also placed over his eyes.
The aim was to block sight, of course, preventing people from seeing the prison's structure, and to maximize the effectiveness of the interrogation.
“Is it silence today too?”
But it didn't have much of an effect on Quaid.
The knights in charge of his watch stood in their respective positions and chatted away.
“The vice-captain personally interrogated him, but he still wouldn’t open his mouth. He’s really vicious.”
“So you killed the lord you were supposed to protect with your life. And that was His Highness the Prince.”
“Even making a small wound on a member of the royal family is a felony, but to kill them? Not only will the family disappear, but the entire family will be beheaded.”
While the knights were talking about how Quaid would die, Quaid sat motionless as a stone statue.
At first glance, he looked like he was already dead.
“He’s not really dead, is he?”
As one of the knights muttered in an anxious tone, his fellow knight next to him smiled and waved his hand.
“He's been in that position ever since he got locked up in prison, so don’t worry about it.”
“That’s right. I’ve been thinking about it for a long time, but you worry too much about useless things.”
“No, it’s delicate!”
“Is your delicate child wearing a shirt with a ripped thread?”
“This is...!”
A cheerful laughter floated around, out of place in the gloomy atmosphere of the dungeon.
The chattering knights all fell silent when they heard someone's footsteps.
The knights all stood on guard and looked in the direction where the footsteps were heard.
“Lord Perdes.”
The knights soon confirmed that the owner of the footsteps was Perdes and bowed in greeting.
After receiving a slight nod, Perdes said.
“I have something to say to the sinner, so please step aside for a moment.”
The knights must never leave their posts under any circumstances, except during shift changes.
Even when Aldor was interrogating Quaid, they stood their ground.
But when Perdes asked them to step aside for a moment, the knights looked at each other in embarrassment.
Among them, the knight with the longest career spoke cautiously.
“I’m sorry, but it seems difficult to leave our seat. There are orders from the young lady not to leave our seat under any circumstances, and it might be dangerous...”
"Dangerous?"
Perdes crossed his arms and tilted his head.
“The criminal is locked up in a prison cell with both hands and feet bound. So what’s the danger?”
Perdes continued speaking.
“And you seem to have forgotten for a moment that I am a Prince.”
The knights jumped up and down in denial.
“Oh, how could that be! Of course, I remember!”
“But why do you put Lady Leopold’s orders ahead of mine? Oh, by any chance.”
Perdes' lips tilted slanted.
“Are you ignoring me because I’m a half-penny Prince?”
“Absolutely not!”
“We truly respect you, Lord Perdes.”
It wasn't an empty promise, it was sincere.
Of course, when Perdes first came to Duke Leopold's residence, there was nothing he ignored.
They were very worried that the 4th Prince, who was rumored to be a fool, would become Duke Leopold.
But not now.
They truly respected Perdes because, contrary to the rumors, they had seen with their own eyes that Perdes was a great and amazing person.
“Well, I can’t believe it when you only say you respect me with your mouth and don’t show it with your actions.”
But they were frustrated because Perdes didn't believe them.
“It doesn’t matter whether you truly respect me. What matters is that I am a Prince and you are mere knights.”
So, when they were pressured to get out, the knights had no choice but to go outside.
Before they left, they warned Perdes never to enter the prison, but he paid no attention.
Not only that, he released the gag that Quaid was holding.
Quaid, who was able to speak thanks to that, asked in a choked voice.
“If I commit suicide, why will you let me go?”
Perdes answered with a pick and a smile.
“If you were going to commit suicide, you should have done so from the beginning. Before you were dragged in here.”
“...”
“But if you didn’t do that, doesn’t that mean you have no intention of committing suicide?”
Quaid shut his mouth as if he had hit the nail on the head.
Perdes stared blankly at Quaid's scarred face and said.
“Since you dared to assassinate the royal family, neither you nor your family will survive.”
“...”
“So, if you tell me honestly right now who is behind this, I will do my best to ensure that at least your family survives.”
“...Your Highness?”
Quaid finally opened his mouth and laughed.
“How can Your Highness, who is ignored even by the knights of the Duke’s household, have the power to save my family...?”
Bam-
Before Quaid could finish his sentence, Perdes struck him in the face with his fist.
The sound of bone clashing with bone echoed loudly in the quiet prison.
Quaid remained motionless with his head turned away, and Perdes glared at him and said.
“How dare you, a mere bodyguard, dare to insult the royal family? I knew it when you killed my brother, but your liver is out of your stomach.”
Although Perdes couldn't control his anger and started spewing out words, Quaid didn't say a word of reflection, such as admitting his mistake.
Because it was all done intentionally.
If Perdes got any closer than he was now, such as by grabbing him by the collar in anger, Quaid was planning to take advantage of that opportunity to kill him.
Because that was the order of the Emperor, Daimon.
Then he would die before being sent back to the capital, but it didn't matter.
Even if he were sent back to the capital like this, he would still die.
Rather, because he failed to properly carry out the Emperor's orders, he will not be able to die in peace and will suffer an even more terrible fate.
So Quaid tried to use all his senses except sight to find a chance to kill Perdes, but it wasn't easy.
'I have to take care of it before the knights return.'
If not now, the chance to kill Perdes will never come.
Quaid, growing impatient, pulled out his last card.
“There seems to be some misunderstanding. The one who ordered me to kill His Highness the Second Prince was His Majesty the Emperor.”
"...What?"
The confusion was evident in his voice.
“Is it really true that Your Highness gave such an order?”
“Yes. And... Cough.”
Quaid stopped talking and cleared his throat as if he had caught a cold.
Since he had cut out an important part, Perdes quickly said he would bring him some water.
“Here is some water. Drink it.”
“Cough, my hands are tied... gulp.”
“Wow, you really are a mixed bag.”
He felt Perdes approaching with a tongue-clicking sound.
'It's now.'
Although his eyes were covered and he could not see ahead, Quaid used his intuition to estimate the appropriate distance and took out the sharp poison dart hidden between his molars.
He didn't notice it because he kept the gag on.
It was originally intended for suicide when things went wrong, but it was also possible to bite the other person and commit suicide together.
He only needs to bite once, no matter which part.
“Here, drink.”
As Quaid pretends to drink water, he bites Perdes' foot.
Shake.
Quaid heard a sound like something sharp cutting through the wind, and then he felt an excruciating pain that he couldn't describe in words.
In his experience, this was a sword.
His ability to accurately hit vital points with one blow was extraordinary.
It was a skill that was hard to believe was done by Perdes.
Then who is it?
There was no one else but Perdes, so who on earth was it...?
“Oh no. Not only is the Second Prince not enough, but you’re even trying to kill the Fourth Prince.”
At that moment, a bright voice that did not match the gloomy dungeon rang out.
Adele Leopold.
It was that woman.
It seemed like it was Adele who stabbed him in the heart.
Since when has she been here...
“He really is a very evil man. Don’t you all think so?”
Listening to what they were saying, it seemed like there were other people besides Adele Leopold.
Even though his vision was blocked and he was focused on Perdes, Quaid still didn't notice it at all.
It was clearly his own fault. He deserved to die for this.
Since he has no regrets about life anyway, he doesn't mind dying like this, but what's a little regrettable is that he wasn't able to deliver the letter that Chernosser sent to the Empress.
***
Thud.
A heavy silence fell over the prison as the body that had been standing firm like a statue despite all the interrogation collapsed.
Perdes and I looked at the man indifferently, but it was not the imperial knights who had come to receive his new recruits.
It was a very shocked face.
Among them, some turned their heads away, unable to look straight at the man who had collapsed and was bleeding.
They are so-called royal knights, but they are so pathetic.
I looked at them with a look of great pity on the outside, clicking my tongue inside.
“I came all the way here to take the prisoner, but things have gone horribly wrong. What do I do now?”
“...There’s nothing I can do.”
The man standing at the very front of the imperial knights spoke with a slightly dark face.
“His Highness’ safety is more important than guiding the prisoner.”
“Thank you for understanding. Then, please help me retrieve the prisoner’s body and take it with me...”
“Please wait a moment.”
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