The Crown Princess of the Baluar Empire, Iarim Seraph Baluar. She was the woman who would become the Empress and rise to the top of the empire.
However, the public opinion of Iarin was not good. It was because she lacked the charisma to lead people from a high position. She certainly did not have a dignified and majestic appearance.
But there was nothing she could do about it. That was how she had been raised.
Enoch wanted Iarin to be a well-behaved doll rather than a smart Crown Princess. Iarin, according to his wishes, was tormented by the ghosts of the past for a long time and gradually broke down.
No one offered a helping hand to Iarin. It would be natural to feel pity for the young lady trapped within the high walls of the palace and her unfortunate past, but the reward for causing her pain was too sweet.
The same was true for the servant. Under orders to turn her into a docile doll, he also did not hesitate at all to strangle Iarin.
Everything went perfectly according to plan, and today was no different. However, there was one variable. Countess Targayel, Erzenes, was staying overnight at the Crown Princess Palace. The unexpected guest was a surprise, but the Crown Princess Palace maids acted calmly.
First, as usual, she made Iarin drink tea with Mazehag flowers. She made Erzenes drink tea with Mazehag flowers as well, but she put a sleeping pill at the bottom of the teacup. After drinking a cup, Erzenes would fall asleep without a care in the world while the work was going on.
After being informed that Erzenes had fallen asleep after drinking tea, the servant put on a black mask and entered the bedroom. He then approached Iarin, who was suffering from nightmares.
“I was wrong, I won’t do it again... I’m sorry, I was wrong...”
The Mazehag flower showed Iarin a hallucination of her terrible past. The overflowing ghosts of the past soon turned into nightmares and covered Iarin.
The nightmare's ending was to recreate a moment from the past. To create the perfect nightmare, the attendant strangled her. Iarin's mind would be broken once again by this, and she would become a perfect doll that could not rebel.
The servant skillfully grabbed her slender neck with both hands and applied force, not causing too much pain, but enough to trap her in a hallucination of agony.
He repeatedly squeezed and released his hand, causing her pain. There was a thrilling pleasure in the sight of the most noble woman in the empire gasping and moaning in his grasp.
While the servant was enjoying the time of choking and gasping, the door to the next room suddenly opened with a loud noise, and Erzenes, who was supposed to be asleep, ran out.
The startled servant instinctively tried to run away. But then he heard an eerie voice.
“Don't move.”
His steps as he was trying to run away stopped without me realizing it.
“The moment you run out of here, you’ll scream. I don’t know who your master is...
The servant refused outright.
“It’s difficult.”
Then she fluttered her eyelashes and asked pitifully.
“I’ll forget everything after eating this anyway, right?”
It was true. The bottle contained a concentrated mixture of Mazehag flowers and sleeping pills. After drinking it, she would probably be paralyzed for three days. After suffering from hallucinations for three days, all her memories would become hazy, and she would forget what happened that day, even whether she had come to the Crown Princess Palace.
Erzenes asked his attendant a question, trembling with fear.
“Who would do something like this?”
The servant answered her question vaguely.
“It’s not good to know too much.”
Erzenes nodded heavily and said.
“...I see.”
And she lifted the vial. But she didn't drink the medicine. Instead, she pulled up the neckline of the dress she was wearing and stuffed the vial into her underwear.
“...?”
The servant looked at her in confusion. The woman who had been trembling with fear just a moment ago was nowhere to be found. Erzenes smiled brightly and said,
“Oh, I’ll make sure to use this as good evidence.”
The attempt to dig up the background was just an attempt. But as expected, there was no response.
Elze was satisfied with just collecting the evidence. It didn’t seem like he would tell the truth anyway. As Elze smiled brightly, a gnashing of teeth could be heard from behind the mask.
“This, this bitch...!”
The servant thrust a blue-tipped dagger threateningly at Elze. But he had chosen the wrong opponent, and he had chosen very wrongly. Elze snickered and took a step closer to the servant.
“...?”
From then on, the servant seemed to have sensed that something was strange.
“Anyway, I heard that you picked up a small dagger...”
The servant's eyes widened at Elze's muttering. Elze raised her head and said.
“I just can’t bear to look at your disgusting sense of superiority.”
There was a faint murderous note in her arrogant words. The servant's mouth was tightly shut at the movement of the ominous aura. He asked Elze a question.
“You... What kind of woman are you?”
Elze, of course, answered the question with something he already knew.
“Countess Targayel.”
“...”
The servant was silent. He no longer took Elze lightly. He gripped the dagger tightly with a tense expression, carefully aimed at the distance, and swung it sharply.
Elze's feet moved nimbly in time with his movements. With her feet extending out as if gliding, Elze dug into her opponent's arms.
The servant reacted a beat late. He tried to change the direction of the dagger he was swinging belatedly, but Elze’s hand was faster. Elze grabbed his forearm tightly and pulled him towards her.
"Ugh!"
The servant let out a muffled sound as the evil force that seemed to burst his arm muscles squeezed him. Still, he managed to keep the dagger from falling. However, the tide had already turned to Elze. Elze covered the servant’s mouth with her other hand and then twisted his arm.
“Woof!!”
With a cracking sound, the arm bone twisted grotesquely. The attendant rolled his eyes and screamed, but the scream was blocked by Elze’s hand and could not be heard.
The dagger fell limply. The servant grabbed his dislocated arm and crawled on the floor. Elze looked down at him panting, then grabbed the servant by the collar and lifted him up.
“Ugh, uh-uh!”
The struggling servant drooled in pain. Elze frowned for a moment at the sight. Up until now, he had only caused pain to others, but it seemed that this was the first time he had suffered.
“Save, save, save me..."
“I won’t kill you.”
Elze added kindly to him.
“If you die by mistake, there’s nothing you can do.”
With those words, Elxe mercilessly struck the back of the servant's neck. The servant fell to the floor with a groan. As soon as Elxe confirmed that he had passed out, she ran to Iarin.
Iarin was curled up under the blanket. When Elze pulled the blanket away, Iarin was seen shivering, but keeping her eyes tightly shut and her ears covered as Elze had told her.
She was so frightened that she didn't know whether it was Elze or her maid who had pulled back the blanket. Elze hugged Iarin, who was trembling with extreme tension and spoke quietly.
“Your Highness, it is I, Erzenes.”
Iarin looked up at Elze with a tearful face. She touched Elze's face with her hand as if she couldn't believe it.
“Erzenes, is it really Erzenes? I can’t see very well...”
It seemed that her vision had not fully recovered, perhaps due to the side effects of the medication. Iarin’s voice was hoarse due to her throat being strangled. Elze patted her.
“Yes, it’s Erzenes. So, don’t worry.”
Iarin was still looking at Elze with dilated pupils. Her eyes seemed to be unable to believe anything. Elze sighed and whispered to her.
“The nightmare is over.”
At those words, Iarin collapsed into Elze’s arms and burst into tears. Elze held Iarin in her arms, sobbing like a child. As she brushed away Iarin’s messy hair, she could clearly see the red handprint on her neck.
So this is why she's been covering her neck all this time.
Elze's heart ached. She couldn't understand why Iarin had to go through such a terrible thing. Taking hallucinogens and being strangled in a nightmare was too much for a young lady to bear.
“The past, that terrible moment... I thought it was just a dream, but it became reality...”
Iarin muttered incoherently. She was half drunk and out of her mind due to shock. Elze tried to comfort Iarin and thought about what to do from now on.
It seemed that they had been feeding Iarin the Mazehag flower for quite some time, pretending it was a medicinal herb. If that was true, then it was safe to assume that all the maids of the Crown Princess's Palace were in cahoots. They needed someone they could trust.
But how can one find someone to trust in this vast palace?
The palace was a place where, even if you caught ten people passing by, there was a higher chance that all ten of them would be enemies rather than finding one person to help.
Elze racked her brain impatiently, but no clever idea came to mind.
It was then that footsteps were heard. It was definitely the maid who had come to check the bedroom. Elze cursed inwardly.
First, she picked up the servant's dagger as she felt sorry. Then she stood close to the door. As Elze was quietly trying to silence any noise, the door opened. One of the maids stepped into the room without knowing anything.
Elze grabbed the maid's arm and pulled her inside. She immediately pushed the maid against the wall, gagging her mouth and holding a dagger to her neck as she tried to resist in surprise. She closed the door with her foot and was about to shout in a low voice.
“...!”
Elze opened her eyes wide when she saw a familiar face.
“Count Targayel.”
Shan turned around at the sound of someone calling him. There was Duke Wade with a big smile on his face.
The Duke was usually known as a meticulous and nit-picky old man. However, looking at the Duke's face now, no one would say such a thing. Shan, who knew why he was so cheerful, sighed inwardly and accepted the Duke's greeting.
“Your Excellency, how have you been?”
“An old man’s life is always the same. How has the Count been?”
“It was all right.”
Even with the short, interrupted words, Duke Wade didn’t seem offended at all. Shan sighed inwardly once more and then sat down quietly with Duke Wade.
After ordering the servant to bring out the tea, he dismissed all the subordinates once the tea set was ready. When the two of them were left alone, Shan brought up official business first.
“The innocence of the Count of Epernon seems difficult to prove.”
“Ugh...”
Duke Wade's face darkened at Shan's straightforward words. Shan said to him.
“We have a strong suspicion that it was Duke Seraph’s doing, but there are only a few days left until the trial and it will not be easy to obtain solid evidence.”
“I guess so...”
“Wouldn’t it be faster to take advantage of Duke Seraph’s weakness and make him move from there? Even if he’s not innocent, it might be possible to save his life.”
“I thought about that method too, but as you know, Lord Seraph is a perfectionist.”
Duke Wade recalled the memory of his time following Seraph. He was said to be obsessive-compulsive, but his cleanup was also astonishingly neat. When Duke Wade made a face that said he was disgusted, Shan lifted his teacup and said.
“This is something done by people. How can there be no mistakes?”
Shan continued speaking smoothly, taking a sip of the suitably cooled tea.
“Even if Duke Seraph is perfect, his subordinates can make mistakes.”
"...But."
Duke Wade ran his hand through his mustache and muttered darkly.
“I’m afraid that if I stir things up wrongly, I’ll face a backlash.”
“If we remain silent, the Count of Epernon will be put to death.”
Shan put down his teacup, leaned back on the sofa, and continued speaking.
“Of course, I don’t mind that either.”
“...”
Duke Wade grumbled to himself, "What a beast that is."
“Anyway, we are trying our best from here too... We will do our best to dig up the Duke Seraph as the Count said.”
“Yes. I will organize and upload separately the information I have found so far.”
While Duke Wade was worried about what to do, Shan had already made a decision and was moving on his own.
“...”
Duke Wade looked at him with renewed eyes. When he heard that he had led the Imperial Army to victory in the Hundred Years' War as the second-in-command, he had simply assumed that it was because of his outstanding military skills.
However, after working together on the trial of the Count of Epernon, he was able to realize that Shan Cirxus was a devil in many ways.
In these situations, it was common to discuss with others and try to move forward together. If you make a mistake, you will be held responsible, so it was to reduce your own mistakes even a little.
But Shan was different. He made decisions and moved without any hesitation. He had a quick grasp of the situation, decisiveness, and a fearsome drive.
And crucially, the confidence that he was right. Shan was so sure of his choices that it almost felt arrogant. It was at that moment that he realized why so many people on the battlefield were drawn to him.
Duke Wade was watching Shan, who was unconsciously sipping tea when he suddenly said.
“That... is about the marriage between Mr. Astin and the Princess.”
Duke Wade's face, which had been dark until just now, brightened up again. Shan was astonished to see him.
Shan was amazed at what exactly Astin had done at the Duke's residence that made Duke Wade like him so much.
“The sooner the engagement, the better. Heyla will soon be returning home after her vacation, so how about setting up a meeting for the Countess and Lord Astin then?”
Duke Wade began talking excitedly as soon as the topic of marriage came up.
“Oh, of course, we discussed the specifics in advance. I don’t know what your wife thinks.”
He added with a grin.
“This marriage will be the romance of the century.”
Shan didn't think it would be the romance of the century, but the context was similar. The marriage of House Targayel and House Wade would cause a huge issue.
Currently, the power of Baluar is largely divided into two groups: pro-royal and anti-royal, new and established nobles. Targayel is pro-royal and the representative of the new nobles, while Wade is anti-royal and the representative of the established nobles.
Two families with opposite views are tied together by a marriage. The political landscape that will be shaken up in the future will cause many people to have a headache.
Shan, who had heard the specific plan and conditions from Duke Wade, ended the conversation for the time being. He had to tell Elze about it and hear Astin’s opinion before making a decision.
“Your Excellency, I will send you further details by letter first.”
“Very well, Count Targayel. I will wait.”
After finishing the conversation with Duke Wade, Shan returned to his office. Damn, Raymond had left him with too much work. Since Elze was leaving the palace tomorrow morning anyway, he was holding back, thinking he would wait for her.
Shan sat at his desk in the office, but the papers were not easily visible. Thinking of Elze, he missed her so much. If only he had the will to visit the Crown Princess Palace more than a hundred times.
“Phew...”
Sometimes, at times like this, he would feel doubtful about living as a Count of the Baluar Empire. He couldn't even see his wife's face as he pleased, so he wondered what was the point of working hard under Crown Prince Raymond. In any case, he had to take care of the pending work first. Shan started to process the documents diligently.
When all the administrative officers who were working together had left work, and the night had deepened and dawn had begun, a commotion could be heard outside the quiet office. In front of the office, Liv, who had been brought in as an aide, was standing guard. After a few moments of arguing, Liv came into the office and reported.
“Lord Cirxus. A maid wants to see you. Her expression is not good.”
Liv wasn't one to make useless judgments. Shan nodded and answered.
“Let her in.”
And Shan frowned as he checked the face of the maid who had entered the office.
"You...?"
She was Young Lady Fiora, who had tried to spill a drink on Elze at the banquet the other day.
At that time, Elze covered her up so that she would not feel embarrassed, and thanks to that, Fiora was able to avoid great embarrassment at the banquet.
After that, Fiora sent a letter of thanks to Targayel, and exchanged letters with Elze several times. It seems that she came to the palace as a maid while they were in contact occasionally.
It was common for noble ladies and ladies to work as maids in the palace. Being a maid in the palace was an honorable position, so it was common for women to apply for it in hopes of promotion.
Women from high-ranking families became attendants of the imperial family or took on administrative duties, while women from low-ranking families were assigned to various quarters of the imperial palace and worked.
Fiora, the daughter of a family so poor that her name was not even known, seemed to be working until dawn. In any case, there was no reason for her to come to Shan at this late hour. Shan asked her with narrowed eyes.
“What's going on?”
“Count, Count...”
Fiora began to speak hesitantly, her body trembling slightly as she spoke.
“Erzenes sent me.”
It was a really long night.
It was a blessing in disguise that Fiora was working as a maid in the Crown Princess's palace because she was someone who could be trusted.
After sending Fiora to Shan, Elze waited for contact with Iarin in the bedroom. The wait was impatient. Elze did not let go of the dagger in her hand. In case of any variables, she had already planned out a second plan to take Iarin and escape the Crown Princess Palace.
How long had they been waiting? The knights who followed Shan within the palace secretly came to the bedroom under Fiora's guidance.
They were surprised by the sight of Elze with a dagger, and then by the sight of the attendant lying on the floor with his arms strangely twisted. But the knights calmly dragged the attendant out without asking any questions. The attendant was now going to be thoroughly interrogated and told everything he knew and didn't know.
Elze took care of the glass bottle and flower petals that would be used as evidence. Since they were very important items, she planned to deliver them directly to Shan without entrusting them to anyone else.
Elze, with Fiora's help, cleaned up the bedroom as if nothing had happened, then lay down on the bed with Iarin. Iarin fell asleep, clinging tightly to Elze's arms.
And the morning dawned.
“...”
The maids of the Crown Princess's palace all had stiff faces. They must have known that the servant had disappeared last night. However, it was not something that could be asked directly to Elze and Iarin. It seemed as if their thoughts were clearly visible.
Elxe watched their battle of wits calmly. Iarin, who must have been shocked by last night's events, also acted quite confidently. After breakfast and dismissing all the maids, Iarin was the first to talk about last night.
“I owe you my life again last night.”
Life debt... Elze laughed to herself at the word she had heard so many times and answered Iarin.
“That’s nonsense. I was just doing what I had to do.”
Elze tried to act as if it was nothing serious. What Elze saw yesterday was Iarin’s shame. Maybe she had revealed something she wanted to hide. Elze didn’t want to embarrass her.
Iarin closed her eyes quietly, then slowly opened them again.
“Erzenes.”
And she started off by dropping a bombshell right from the start.
“Enochs Seraph murdered the previous Duke and Duchess Seraph.”
“!!”
In front of the surprised Elze, Iarin continued speaking in an unusually intense tone.
“But no one suspects Enoch. He is a perfect Duke Seraph and a loyal servant of the Empire.”
"Your Highness..."
Elze asked her question cautiously.
“Why do you think that way? May I ask why?”
Iarin grabbed the hem of her dress. She trembled and then let out a word as if vomiting.
“...Because I wasn’t perfect.”
The first time was difficult, but the next one was easy. Iarin continued quickly.
“Because I was not noble enough to be worthy of the name Seraph.”
Elze couldn't understand. It seemed like a story from another world, that something less than perfect and noble could be a reason for murder.
“He does not understand the foolishness and ignorance of others. To be precise, he does not understand humans. And he does not want any stain to be placed on the name of Seraph.”
Iarin, who had been speaking calmly, suddenly stopped talking. Then she whispered in a small voice.
“I am his half-sibling.”
“...!”
Elze didn't know how to react for a moment. Seeing Elze's flustered appearance and unable to say anything, Iarin smiled bitterly.
Iarin didn't continue talking. But even without saying anything, Elze could tell what was in her words.
“Originally, I was destined to die, but Enoch realized that I was useful. And he made me the Crown Princess.”
Iarin fiddled with the collar of her dress. Her fingertips were trembling slightly.
“The former Duchess hated me very much. She hated me no matter what I did, even though she thought I was unfit for being a Seraph. I understand. It’s because I’m not her blood.”
Iarin must have felt her own hands shaking because she clenched her fists to stop them from shaking. Then she spoke calmly.
“One day, the Duchess finally couldn’t stand it anymore and strangled me.”
“...”
“Fortunately, I didn’t die... It’s a memory I’ll never forget for the rest of my life.”
Elze recalled the nightmare in which Iarin had screamed that she had done wrong and begged for forgiveness. Duke Seraph had made her recall that memory in her nightmare.
“Enoch wanted me to relive those horrible memories over and over again until I was completely broken and turned into a doll. So that I wouldn’t even think about rebelling.”
It felt like everything was dizzying. It was something that a human being could not do. Iarin had lived her life enduring such things.
“Erzenes, I have never lived my life. I have been Enoch’s doll from beginning to end.”
“...Your Highness.”
Elze asked with a voice that contained her anger.
“Isn’t His Highness the Crown Prince aware of this fact?”
"Well."
Iarin said with a faint smile.
“Even if he knew... I don’t think he would have thought it was that important.”
The words that came out were dry and without any sense of anticipation. Elze couldn't deny it. Elze clenched her teeth and called her in a suppressed voice.
"Your house."
Elze spoke to Iarin, who was looking at her sadly.
“There are many people in the world who get pleasure from seeing someone scream and suffer.”
“Erzenes...”
“So, if something happens, don’t show fear. The best way is to run away. But if that doesn’t work...”
Elze met Iarin’s gaze and spoke with a firm voice.
“Never give in. Rebel to the end, to the very end.”
“...”
Iarin couldn't say anything. Tears gathered in her eyes and flowed down. Iarin cried silently for a long time. But she was calm. She took a deep breath, collected her emotions, and wiped her tears with a handkerchief.
“Erzenes.”
Iarin's eyes were hard.
“Please help me.”
She spoke to Elze with eyes that were brighter than ever.
“Please help me change... so that I don’t have to live this miserable life.”
However, the public opinion of Iarin was not good. It was because she lacked the charisma to lead people from a high position. She certainly did not have a dignified and majestic appearance.
But there was nothing she could do about it. That was how she had been raised.
Enoch wanted Iarin to be a well-behaved doll rather than a smart Crown Princess. Iarin, according to his wishes, was tormented by the ghosts of the past for a long time and gradually broke down.
No one offered a helping hand to Iarin. It would be natural to feel pity for the young lady trapped within the high walls of the palace and her unfortunate past, but the reward for causing her pain was too sweet.
The same was true for the servant. Under orders to turn her into a docile doll, he also did not hesitate at all to strangle Iarin.
Everything went perfectly according to plan, and today was no different. However, there was one variable. Countess Targayel, Erzenes, was staying overnight at the Crown Princess Palace. The unexpected guest was a surprise, but the Crown Princess Palace maids acted calmly.
First, as usual, she made Iarin drink tea with Mazehag flowers. She made Erzenes drink tea with Mazehag flowers as well, but she put a sleeping pill at the bottom of the teacup. After drinking a cup, Erzenes would fall asleep without a care in the world while the work was going on.
After being informed that Erzenes had fallen asleep after drinking tea, the servant put on a black mask and entered the bedroom. He then approached Iarin, who was suffering from nightmares.
“I was wrong, I won’t do it again... I’m sorry, I was wrong...”
The Mazehag flower showed Iarin a hallucination of her terrible past. The overflowing ghosts of the past soon turned into nightmares and covered Iarin.
The nightmare's ending was to recreate a moment from the past. To create the perfect nightmare, the attendant strangled her. Iarin's mind would be broken once again by this, and she would become a perfect doll that could not rebel.
The servant skillfully grabbed her slender neck with both hands and applied force, not causing too much pain, but enough to trap her in a hallucination of agony.
He repeatedly squeezed and released his hand, causing her pain. There was a thrilling pleasure in the sight of the most noble woman in the empire gasping and moaning in his grasp.
While the servant was enjoying the time of choking and gasping, the door to the next room suddenly opened with a loud noise, and Erzenes, who was supposed to be asleep, ran out.
The startled servant instinctively tried to run away. But then he heard an eerie voice.
“Don't move.”
His steps as he was trying to run away stopped without me realizing it.
“The moment you run out of here, you’ll scream. I don’t know who your master is...
but you don’t want a commotion.”
Those words hit the nail on the head. Instead of running away, the servant turned around. Meanwhile, Erzenes was checking on Iarin’s condition.
The servant quietly took out the dagger from his bosom while watching the scene. Erzenes turned to the servant at the sound of the dagger being unsheathed. She bit her lower lip and covered Iarin’s head with the blanket as she spoke.
“Your Highness, do you trust me?”
Erzenes spoke calmly to Iarin.
“Close your eyes and cover your ears from now on. Until I wake Your Highness, you will not move from under the covers.”
And then she slowly got out of bed.
“If you just wait a moment... everything will be resolved.”
She stood a few steps away from the servant and confronted him. The servant chuckled. As the surprise disappeared and reason returned, he realized that the current situation was funny.
It seemed that she was not able to judge the situation. It would have been much better if she had just let him run away earlier. He was unable to tell right from wrong due to her lack of sense of justice. The servant aimed his dagger at Erzenes and said.
“I don’t want to cause any trouble, Ma’am.”
Then, with his other hand, he took out a small glass bottle from his bosom. Inside the bottle was a dark pink liquid. The attendant handed the bottle to Erzenes, who was looking at him.
“This is a medicine that helps you sleep well and have a few dreams. If you just drink this quietly, nothing will happen.”
Contrary to her confident appearance, she was afraid when she actually faced the sharp dagger. She couldn't say anything.
“...”
Erzenes, who had been silent and lost in thought, soon accepted the glass bottle obediently. She held the bottle tightly in her hand and said.
“Yes. I’ll do as you say... just answer one question.”
Those words hit the nail on the head. Instead of running away, the servant turned around. Meanwhile, Erzenes was checking on Iarin’s condition.
The servant quietly took out the dagger from his bosom while watching the scene. Erzenes turned to the servant at the sound of the dagger being unsheathed. She bit her lower lip and covered Iarin’s head with the blanket as she spoke.
“Your Highness, do you trust me?”
Erzenes spoke calmly to Iarin.
“Close your eyes and cover your ears from now on. Until I wake Your Highness, you will not move from under the covers.”
And then she slowly got out of bed.
“If you just wait a moment... everything will be resolved.”
She stood a few steps away from the servant and confronted him. The servant chuckled. As the surprise disappeared and reason returned, he realized that the current situation was funny.
It seemed that she was not able to judge the situation. It would have been much better if she had just let him run away earlier. He was unable to tell right from wrong due to her lack of sense of justice. The servant aimed his dagger at Erzenes and said.
“I don’t want to cause any trouble, Ma’am.”
Then, with his other hand, he took out a small glass bottle from his bosom. Inside the bottle was a dark pink liquid. The attendant handed the bottle to Erzenes, who was looking at him.
“This is a medicine that helps you sleep well and have a few dreams. If you just drink this quietly, nothing will happen.”
Contrary to her confident appearance, she was afraid when she actually faced the sharp dagger. She couldn't say anything.
“...”
Erzenes, who had been silent and lost in thought, soon accepted the glass bottle obediently. She held the bottle tightly in her hand and said.
“Yes. I’ll do as you say... just answer one question.”
The servant refused outright.
“It’s difficult.”
Then she fluttered her eyelashes and asked pitifully.
“I’ll forget everything after eating this anyway, right?”
It was true. The bottle contained a concentrated mixture of Mazehag flowers and sleeping pills. After drinking it, she would probably be paralyzed for three days. After suffering from hallucinations for three days, all her memories would become hazy, and she would forget what happened that day, even whether she had come to the Crown Princess Palace.
Erzenes asked his attendant a question, trembling with fear.
“Who would do something like this?”
The servant answered her question vaguely.
“It’s not good to know too much.”
Erzenes nodded heavily and said.
“...I see.”
And she lifted the vial. But she didn't drink the medicine. Instead, she pulled up the neckline of the dress she was wearing and stuffed the vial into her underwear.
“...?”
The servant looked at her in confusion. The woman who had been trembling with fear just a moment ago was nowhere to be found. Erzenes smiled brightly and said,
“Oh, I’ll make sure to use this as good evidence.”
***
The attempt to dig up the background was just an attempt. But as expected, there was no response.
Elze was satisfied with just collecting the evidence. It didn’t seem like he would tell the truth anyway. As Elze smiled brightly, a gnashing of teeth could be heard from behind the mask.
“This, this bitch...!”
The servant thrust a blue-tipped dagger threateningly at Elze. But he had chosen the wrong opponent, and he had chosen very wrongly. Elze snickered and took a step closer to the servant.
“...?”
From then on, the servant seemed to have sensed that something was strange.
“Anyway, I heard that you picked up a small dagger...”
The servant's eyes widened at Elze's muttering. Elze raised her head and said.
“I just can’t bear to look at your disgusting sense of superiority.”
There was a faint murderous note in her arrogant words. The servant's mouth was tightly shut at the movement of the ominous aura. He asked Elze a question.
“You... What kind of woman are you?”
Elze, of course, answered the question with something he already knew.
“Countess Targayel.”
“...”
The servant was silent. He no longer took Elze lightly. He gripped the dagger tightly with a tense expression, carefully aimed at the distance, and swung it sharply.
Elze's feet moved nimbly in time with his movements. With her feet extending out as if gliding, Elze dug into her opponent's arms.
The servant reacted a beat late. He tried to change the direction of the dagger he was swinging belatedly, but Elze’s hand was faster. Elze grabbed his forearm tightly and pulled him towards her.
"Ugh!"
The servant let out a muffled sound as the evil force that seemed to burst his arm muscles squeezed him. Still, he managed to keep the dagger from falling. However, the tide had already turned to Elze. Elze covered the servant’s mouth with her other hand and then twisted his arm.
“Woof!!”
With a cracking sound, the arm bone twisted grotesquely. The attendant rolled his eyes and screamed, but the scream was blocked by Elze’s hand and could not be heard.
The dagger fell limply. The servant grabbed his dislocated arm and crawled on the floor. Elze looked down at him panting, then grabbed the servant by the collar and lifted him up.
“Ugh, uh-uh!”
The struggling servant drooled in pain. Elze frowned for a moment at the sight. Up until now, he had only caused pain to others, but it seemed that this was the first time he had suffered.
“Save, save, save me..."
“I won’t kill you.”
Elze added kindly to him.
“If you die by mistake, there’s nothing you can do.”
With those words, Elxe mercilessly struck the back of the servant's neck. The servant fell to the floor with a groan. As soon as Elxe confirmed that he had passed out, she ran to Iarin.
Iarin was curled up under the blanket. When Elze pulled the blanket away, Iarin was seen shivering, but keeping her eyes tightly shut and her ears covered as Elze had told her.
She was so frightened that she didn't know whether it was Elze or her maid who had pulled back the blanket. Elze hugged Iarin, who was trembling with extreme tension and spoke quietly.
“Your Highness, it is I, Erzenes.”
Iarin looked up at Elze with a tearful face. She touched Elze's face with her hand as if she couldn't believe it.
“Erzenes, is it really Erzenes? I can’t see very well...”
It seemed that her vision had not fully recovered, perhaps due to the side effects of the medication. Iarin’s voice was hoarse due to her throat being strangled. Elze patted her.
“Yes, it’s Erzenes. So, don’t worry.”
Iarin was still looking at Elze with dilated pupils. Her eyes seemed to be unable to believe anything. Elze sighed and whispered to her.
“The nightmare is over.”
At those words, Iarin collapsed into Elze’s arms and burst into tears. Elze held Iarin in her arms, sobbing like a child. As she brushed away Iarin’s messy hair, she could clearly see the red handprint on her neck.
So this is why she's been covering her neck all this time.
Elze's heart ached. She couldn't understand why Iarin had to go through such a terrible thing. Taking hallucinogens and being strangled in a nightmare was too much for a young lady to bear.
“The past, that terrible moment... I thought it was just a dream, but it became reality...”
Iarin muttered incoherently. She was half drunk and out of her mind due to shock. Elze tried to comfort Iarin and thought about what to do from now on.
It seemed that they had been feeding Iarin the Mazehag flower for quite some time, pretending it was a medicinal herb. If that was true, then it was safe to assume that all the maids of the Crown Princess's Palace were in cahoots. They needed someone they could trust.
But how can one find someone to trust in this vast palace?
The palace was a place where, even if you caught ten people passing by, there was a higher chance that all ten of them would be enemies rather than finding one person to help.
Elze racked her brain impatiently, but no clever idea came to mind.
It was then that footsteps were heard. It was definitely the maid who had come to check the bedroom. Elze cursed inwardly.
First, she picked up the servant's dagger as she felt sorry. Then she stood close to the door. As Elze was quietly trying to silence any noise, the door opened. One of the maids stepped into the room without knowing anything.
Elze grabbed the maid's arm and pulled her inside. She immediately pushed the maid against the wall, gagging her mouth and holding a dagger to her neck as she tried to resist in surprise. She closed the door with her foot and was about to shout in a low voice.
“...!”
Elze opened her eyes wide when she saw a familiar face.
***
“Count Targayel.”
Shan turned around at the sound of someone calling him. There was Duke Wade with a big smile on his face.
The Duke was usually known as a meticulous and nit-picky old man. However, looking at the Duke's face now, no one would say such a thing. Shan, who knew why he was so cheerful, sighed inwardly and accepted the Duke's greeting.
“Your Excellency, how have you been?”
“An old man’s life is always the same. How has the Count been?”
“It was all right.”
Even with the short, interrupted words, Duke Wade didn’t seem offended at all. Shan sighed inwardly once more and then sat down quietly with Duke Wade.
After ordering the servant to bring out the tea, he dismissed all the subordinates once the tea set was ready. When the two of them were left alone, Shan brought up official business first.
“The innocence of the Count of Epernon seems difficult to prove.”
“Ugh...”
Duke Wade's face darkened at Shan's straightforward words. Shan said to him.
“We have a strong suspicion that it was Duke Seraph’s doing, but there are only a few days left until the trial and it will not be easy to obtain solid evidence.”
“I guess so...”
“Wouldn’t it be faster to take advantage of Duke Seraph’s weakness and make him move from there? Even if he’s not innocent, it might be possible to save his life.”
“I thought about that method too, but as you know, Lord Seraph is a perfectionist.”
Duke Wade recalled the memory of his time following Seraph. He was said to be obsessive-compulsive, but his cleanup was also astonishingly neat. When Duke Wade made a face that said he was disgusted, Shan lifted his teacup and said.
“This is something done by people. How can there be no mistakes?”
Shan continued speaking smoothly, taking a sip of the suitably cooled tea.
“Even if Duke Seraph is perfect, his subordinates can make mistakes.”
"...But."
Duke Wade ran his hand through his mustache and muttered darkly.
“I’m afraid that if I stir things up wrongly, I’ll face a backlash.”
“If we remain silent, the Count of Epernon will be put to death.”
Shan put down his teacup, leaned back on the sofa, and continued speaking.
“Of course, I don’t mind that either.”
“...”
Duke Wade grumbled to himself, "What a beast that is."
“Anyway, we are trying our best from here too... We will do our best to dig up the Duke Seraph as the Count said.”
“Yes. I will organize and upload separately the information I have found so far.”
While Duke Wade was worried about what to do, Shan had already made a decision and was moving on his own.
“...”
Duke Wade looked at him with renewed eyes. When he heard that he had led the Imperial Army to victory in the Hundred Years' War as the second-in-command, he had simply assumed that it was because of his outstanding military skills.
However, after working together on the trial of the Count of Epernon, he was able to realize that Shan Cirxus was a devil in many ways.
In these situations, it was common to discuss with others and try to move forward together. If you make a mistake, you will be held responsible, so it was to reduce your own mistakes even a little.
But Shan was different. He made decisions and moved without any hesitation. He had a quick grasp of the situation, decisiveness, and a fearsome drive.
And crucially, the confidence that he was right. Shan was so sure of his choices that it almost felt arrogant. It was at that moment that he realized why so many people on the battlefield were drawn to him.
Duke Wade was watching Shan, who was unconsciously sipping tea when he suddenly said.
“That... is about the marriage between Mr. Astin and the Princess.”
Duke Wade's face, which had been dark until just now, brightened up again. Shan was astonished to see him.
Shan was amazed at what exactly Astin had done at the Duke's residence that made Duke Wade like him so much.
“The sooner the engagement, the better. Heyla will soon be returning home after her vacation, so how about setting up a meeting for the Countess and Lord Astin then?”
Duke Wade began talking excitedly as soon as the topic of marriage came up.
“Oh, of course, we discussed the specifics in advance. I don’t know what your wife thinks.”
He added with a grin.
“This marriage will be the romance of the century.”
Shan didn't think it would be the romance of the century, but the context was similar. The marriage of House Targayel and House Wade would cause a huge issue.
Currently, the power of Baluar is largely divided into two groups: pro-royal and anti-royal, new and established nobles. Targayel is pro-royal and the representative of the new nobles, while Wade is anti-royal and the representative of the established nobles.
Two families with opposite views are tied together by a marriage. The political landscape that will be shaken up in the future will cause many people to have a headache.
Shan, who had heard the specific plan and conditions from Duke Wade, ended the conversation for the time being. He had to tell Elze about it and hear Astin’s opinion before making a decision.
“Your Excellency, I will send you further details by letter first.”
“Very well, Count Targayel. I will wait.”
After finishing the conversation with Duke Wade, Shan returned to his office. Damn, Raymond had left him with too much work. Since Elze was leaving the palace tomorrow morning anyway, he was holding back, thinking he would wait for her.
Shan sat at his desk in the office, but the papers were not easily visible. Thinking of Elze, he missed her so much. If only he had the will to visit the Crown Princess Palace more than a hundred times.
“Phew...”
Sometimes, at times like this, he would feel doubtful about living as a Count of the Baluar Empire. He couldn't even see his wife's face as he pleased, so he wondered what was the point of working hard under Crown Prince Raymond. In any case, he had to take care of the pending work first. Shan started to process the documents diligently.
When all the administrative officers who were working together had left work, and the night had deepened and dawn had begun, a commotion could be heard outside the quiet office. In front of the office, Liv, who had been brought in as an aide, was standing guard. After a few moments of arguing, Liv came into the office and reported.
“Lord Cirxus. A maid wants to see you. Her expression is not good.”
Liv wasn't one to make useless judgments. Shan nodded and answered.
“Let her in.”
And Shan frowned as he checked the face of the maid who had entered the office.
"You...?"
She was Young Lady Fiora, who had tried to spill a drink on Elze at the banquet the other day.
At that time, Elze covered her up so that she would not feel embarrassed, and thanks to that, Fiora was able to avoid great embarrassment at the banquet.
After that, Fiora sent a letter of thanks to Targayel, and exchanged letters with Elze several times. It seems that she came to the palace as a maid while they were in contact occasionally.
It was common for noble ladies and ladies to work as maids in the palace. Being a maid in the palace was an honorable position, so it was common for women to apply for it in hopes of promotion.
Women from high-ranking families became attendants of the imperial family or took on administrative duties, while women from low-ranking families were assigned to various quarters of the imperial palace and worked.
Fiora, the daughter of a family so poor that her name was not even known, seemed to be working until dawn. In any case, there was no reason for her to come to Shan at this late hour. Shan asked her with narrowed eyes.
“What's going on?”
“Count, Count...”
Fiora began to speak hesitantly, her body trembling slightly as she spoke.
“Erzenes sent me.”
***
It was a really long night.
It was a blessing in disguise that Fiora was working as a maid in the Crown Princess's palace because she was someone who could be trusted.
After sending Fiora to Shan, Elze waited for contact with Iarin in the bedroom. The wait was impatient. Elze did not let go of the dagger in her hand. In case of any variables, she had already planned out a second plan to take Iarin and escape the Crown Princess Palace.
How long had they been waiting? The knights who followed Shan within the palace secretly came to the bedroom under Fiora's guidance.
They were surprised by the sight of Elze with a dagger, and then by the sight of the attendant lying on the floor with his arms strangely twisted. But the knights calmly dragged the attendant out without asking any questions. The attendant was now going to be thoroughly interrogated and told everything he knew and didn't know.
Elze took care of the glass bottle and flower petals that would be used as evidence. Since they were very important items, she planned to deliver them directly to Shan without entrusting them to anyone else.
Elze, with Fiora's help, cleaned up the bedroom as if nothing had happened, then lay down on the bed with Iarin. Iarin fell asleep, clinging tightly to Elze's arms.
And the morning dawned.
“...”
The maids of the Crown Princess's palace all had stiff faces. They must have known that the servant had disappeared last night. However, it was not something that could be asked directly to Elze and Iarin. It seemed as if their thoughts were clearly visible.
Elxe watched their battle of wits calmly. Iarin, who must have been shocked by last night's events, also acted quite confidently. After breakfast and dismissing all the maids, Iarin was the first to talk about last night.
“I owe you my life again last night.”
Life debt... Elze laughed to herself at the word she had heard so many times and answered Iarin.
“That’s nonsense. I was just doing what I had to do.”
Elze tried to act as if it was nothing serious. What Elze saw yesterday was Iarin’s shame. Maybe she had revealed something she wanted to hide. Elze didn’t want to embarrass her.
Iarin closed her eyes quietly, then slowly opened them again.
“Erzenes.”
And she started off by dropping a bombshell right from the start.
“Enochs Seraph murdered the previous Duke and Duchess Seraph.”
“!!”
In front of the surprised Elze, Iarin continued speaking in an unusually intense tone.
“But no one suspects Enoch. He is a perfect Duke Seraph and a loyal servant of the Empire.”
"Your Highness..."
Elze asked her question cautiously.
“Why do you think that way? May I ask why?”
Iarin grabbed the hem of her dress. She trembled and then let out a word as if vomiting.
“...Because I wasn’t perfect.”
The first time was difficult, but the next one was easy. Iarin continued quickly.
“Because I was not noble enough to be worthy of the name Seraph.”
Elze couldn't understand. It seemed like a story from another world, that something less than perfect and noble could be a reason for murder.
“He does not understand the foolishness and ignorance of others. To be precise, he does not understand humans. And he does not want any stain to be placed on the name of Seraph.”
Iarin, who had been speaking calmly, suddenly stopped talking. Then she whispered in a small voice.
“I am his half-sibling.”
“...!”
“Cases like mine are usually referred to as bastards.......”
“My father took me from the belly of a woman he didn't recognize and turned her into a government servant. Giving the noble blood of the Seraphs to the Celestials enraged Enoch and...”
“Originally, I was destined to die, but Enoch realized that I was useful. And he made me the Crown Princess.”
Iarin fiddled with the collar of her dress. Her fingertips were trembling slightly.
“The former Duchess hated me very much. She hated me no matter what I did, even though she thought I was unfit for being a Seraph. I understand. It’s because I’m not her blood.”
Iarin must have felt her own hands shaking because she clenched her fists to stop them from shaking. Then she spoke calmly.
“One day, the Duchess finally couldn’t stand it anymore and strangled me.”
“...”
“Fortunately, I didn’t die... It’s a memory I’ll never forget for the rest of my life.”
Elze recalled the nightmare in which Iarin had screamed that she had done wrong and begged for forgiveness. Duke Seraph had made her recall that memory in her nightmare.
“Enoch wanted me to relive those horrible memories over and over again until I was completely broken and turned into a doll. So that I wouldn’t even think about rebelling.”
It felt like everything was dizzying. It was something that a human being could not do. Iarin had lived her life enduring such things.
“Erzenes, I have never lived my life. I have been Enoch’s doll from beginning to end.”
“...Your Highness.”
Elze asked with a voice that contained her anger.
“Isn’t His Highness the Crown Prince aware of this fact?”
"Well."
Iarin said with a faint smile.
“Even if he knew... I don’t think he would have thought it was that important.”
The words that came out were dry and without any sense of anticipation. Elze couldn't deny it. Elze clenched her teeth and called her in a suppressed voice.
"Your house."
Elze spoke to Iarin, who was looking at her sadly.
“There are many people in the world who get pleasure from seeing someone scream and suffer.”
“Erzenes...”
“So, if something happens, don’t show fear. The best way is to run away. But if that doesn’t work...”
Elze met Iarin’s gaze and spoke with a firm voice.
“Never give in. Rebel to the end, to the very end.”
“...”
Iarin couldn't say anything. Tears gathered in her eyes and flowed down. Iarin cried silently for a long time. But she was calm. She took a deep breath, collected her emotions, and wiped her tears with a handkerchief.
“Erzenes.”
Iarin's eyes were hard.
“Please help me.”
She spoke to Elze with eyes that were brighter than ever.
“Please help me change... so that I don’t have to live this miserable life.”
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