IARMDH - Chapter 63



“Although I wasn’t a romantic child, I was an ambitious child.”

“What were your ambitions?”

“The ambition to become rich.”

At that time, my dream was to become one of the top ten richest people in the country. Now, I only want to earn a moderate amount of money and own a small amount of real estate, so I guess you could say my dream has become smaller.

“It was consistent.”

Erne muttered as he took the map out of the inside pocket of his jacket that was hanging on a hanger. Now, Erne was not surprised by my ambition.

He spread out a map on the table.

“Is this a map of the capital?”

“Yes. The area marked here is the Marquis of Ferney’s capital villa. It’s a great location for a getaway. There’s no separate fence, so you can escape in any direction.”

Moreover, it is in the forest. It is difficult to catch enemies running away in all directions even in an open area, so how much more difficult would it be in the forest?

Erne explained that he planned to surround the villa in two layers and then pursue the men.

“When?”

“Two days later.”

“Why two days later?”

Two days later, the regular training schedule for the Capital Police Force was set. At that time, all soldiers of the Capital Police Force gathered together for joint training.

“It would take at least fifty soldiers to surround this place. Some people might find it strange if Marquis Mosley personally mobilized fifty soldiers.”

“Does that mean information might leak?”

Erne nodded. Information had been leaking to Roam all along. There was no way it could not happen this time.

“I heard that the commander of the Capital Police Force is directly under the Marquis of Mosley.”

That meant that Marquis Mosley was also participating in the regular training. Cain said that on the training day, he planned to make a surprise advance into the southern forest with fifty soldiers.

This plan was known only to the Marquis of Mosley and Erne. Now there were three, including me.

“But Erne, isn’t hiding a traitor also a felony?”

“If he gets caught, he’ll be put to death. His title, property, and family name will all be confiscated. His family members will be taken away as slaves.”

“Then what will become of the Marchioness of Ferney?”

“The Marchioness Ferny will also have a hard time avoiding punishment. She may not be sentenced to death as a foreigner, but she will still be punished.”

As long as the system of collective punishment existed in the empire, there was nothing she could do. My worries deepened.

When I heard the story of Roam from Caroline, I vaguely assumed that she would be free once they were wiped out. I didn't think about the guilt-by-association system.

If Caroline was captured, the Kingdom of Penco and the Lopree upper class would respond, but this was not a simple crime, it was treason, so she would not be able to escape easily.

Even the Lopree upper class is not an empire but a kingdom with enemies. Even if they lobby with huge capital, Caroline will be locked up and subjected to numerous investigations.

I didn't think Caroline could handle it.

“I don’t think the Marchioness of Ferney would be foolish. If she goes around telling people that she knows Roam is alive, it’ll throw a wrench into our plans.”

“Don’t worry. I’ve already discussed it with the Marchioness.”

While I planned to get her out of the Marquis's palace, Caroline continued to pretend to have strange dreams.

“It is also a crime to steal the Marchioness of Ferney.”

I know. But that doesn't mean I can give up two thousand gold. Above all, Caroline wasn't a sinner. She was just a woman on the verge of going crazy after meeting the wrong man.

“You can go to jail for two thousand gold.”

I hesitated for a moment at Erne's warning before opening my mouth.

“What if it wasn’t stolen? I’m going to pick up the Marchioness’s brother at the port where he’s arriving, and that’s in two days?”

“You know.”

“The only person who knows that I know that operation is Erne.”

If Erne had just kept his mouth shut, I would not have known about the plan and stolen the Marchioness.

“Are you lying to me?”

“Hey, are you saying this so that I can eat well and live well by myself?”

I twisted my body around and tapped Erne's forearm with my shoulder.

“Why are you like this?”

“Hey, honey.”

Erne frowned as he looked at me, who was stretching my tail.

“You only call me honey when you do things like this.”

But even though I kept hitting him from the side, asking him to close his eyes just once, and even though I grabbed Erne's arm and shook it, he did not avoid it. Even though he could have easily gotten me off if he wanted to.

“What will you do for me if I close my eyes?”

“Tell me what you want.”

I, who thought that what he wanted was at most expensive liquor, readily agreed to the deal.

“Grant me one wish later.”

“Not alcohol?”

“Ha, you thought I could handle just one bottle of alcohol, but I’m afraid not.”

Humans are evolving animals. Erne was like that. If it were the previous Erne, he would have been dismissed with a bottle of expensive alcohol.

Although stealing the Marchioness was against the law, Erne was not a particularly law-abiding person.

However, Erne changed while living with me. Without realizing it, he began to consider profit and loss rather than immediate pleasure. It was a regrettable change for me.

“Still, it’s a wish. Erne, you’ve shown me many new sides of yourself today.”

I pouted.

“Why don’t you exercise in the morning? Why don’t you just run around for no reason?”

“Whose fault is it?”

Erne couldn't stand it anymore and said something. He was already in good health, but wasn't it embarrassing to be stuck next to me and caressed since morning?

“Tch, why is it because of me? Are you perhaps asking for all the money from the sale of the mansion later?”

“I’m not as unscrupulous as some people. I’ll use my wish to the extent that you can grant it.”

Suspicious, I weighed what Erne would gain by helping me and the Marquise de Ferney.

How big of a wish could Erne make? The scales tipped in favor of the Marchioness of Ferney.

"Great."

I held out my hand. Erne took my hand. The deal was done.

“Then go to sleep now. I have a lot to do tomorrow, so I have to wake up early.”

“It feels so natural to lie down in someone else’s bed.”

It was so natural that I was confused as to whether it was my bed or not. Erne just stood there and watched me using his bed as if it were my own.

“Don’t be like that, come quickly. Erne, you’ll be fine if you sleep with me.”

I crawled into Erne's bed, placed my pillow next to Erne's, and motioned for him to lie down.

“Me? Me? What’s good about me?”

“Isn’t it nice not being lonely?”

What kind of nonsense is that? Erne was speechless. Erne had no choice but to lie down next to Judith, needing to get rid of the damp steam or something.

After holding hands and sleeping together all day, the act of holding each other became much more natural.

“Did you ask Tan exactly how many days it would take for the steam to all go away?”

“...”

“Hey, Miss Harrington, I asked you if you had asked... Are you asleep already? Already?”

Judith, still tired from not sleeping for several days, fell into a trance as soon as she closed her eyes. Erne was shocked. How could she have no sense of crisis?

“Either you trust me or you don’t see me as a man.”

Erne touched the tip of Judith's nose while she was sleeping soundly. She wrinkled her nose in her sleep and then bit into Erne's side.

Judith's arms crossed Erne's chest, and her legs wrapped around his thighs.

Erne swallowed dryly as the warm, soft body wrapped around him. His manly throat rippled loudly up and down.

Why on earth are her sleeping habits like this...?

“Damn, this is already difficult.”

A heaving sigh escaped his lips. It looked like tonight would be another long night.

***

Erne started his day again by running. He held Tan and asked how long he would have to sleep with Judith, but Tan said.

“Wouldn’t it be possible to find out if Miss Harrington sleeps alone for a week? If she doesn’t have that dream then the damp steam has gone out, or else you’ll have to sleep with her more?”

Anyone could make such an irresponsible remark. Erne, who was furious, took Tan for a few more laps around the garden. Tan, not knowing what was going on, was exhausted from the morning.

When he came out of the cold shower, he saw a man named Illure, who had no spiritual powers but was very knowledgeable about witchcraft, his godmother, and Judith putting their heads together to devise a plan.

Judith's original plan was for Caroline's younger brother to wait for the Empire to arrive and then make contact. But now there was only one day left.

So Judith made a bold change of plan. She planned to sneak Caroline out of the Marquis's residence the next day, at the same time that Erne and Cain were attacking the Marquis' summer residence.

The biggest problem here was how to get Caroline out without attracting the attention of the Marquis' servants.

And surprisingly, the answer to the problem was found by the godmother.

The godmother handed Judith a box wrapped in layers of old cloth.

“There are insect eggs inside. If we use these, we can sneak the Marchioness out of the Maquis’s residence.


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