Side story 2
“Your Excellency the Duke.”It was the time when the blue dawn was breaking. Damien, who was standing by the window in the northern study, turned his head toward Weiss, who had appeared without warning.
“What's going on?”
“The Marchioness Isabella is dead.”
"Yes?"
There was no hesitation in Damien's voice as he asked back. Weiss hid his surprise at the fact that Damien had guessed the truth. He had followed the order to keep a close eye on Isabella, but he had not expected to come face to face with the body.
“Yes. A suicide note was found next to the body, but I guess...”
“Isabella is not the kind of woman who would take her own life. The palace probably wants to declare war on me.”
Weiss continued, confirming Damien's words.
“It is clear that the royal maid brought here did it, but there is no evidence. It seems like she prepared meticulously before coming here.”
"Maybe."
The maid would have been under orders from the King. If Isabella failed to take Damien to Winsbury, she would have been killed and her death made into a suicide.
“If it becomes known that it was a suicide, the kingdom will be in turmoil for a while. A scandal of love affairs is dangerous in a situation like this.”
Weiss lowered his voice and took on a grave expression. What the King wanted was to tarnish the Duke’s reputation and bring him into a scandal.
“He had a chronic disease that meant his heart wasn’t in good condition, so how about we just let him die a natural death?”
"No."
Damien twisted his lips and shook his head.
“The King has laid the groundwork for us, so we cannot just let it slide. We must repay him properly.”
“...How do you say that?”
“If there is no evidence, just make it.”
Weiss watched the Duke instructing him to tamper with evidence with an indifferent expression, and was once again grateful that he had joined hands with him instead of backing down.
“Let’s decorate the first page of ‘The Red Veil’ with a flashy scene where the government attaches itself to the Duke and watches him, only to have her brutally killed.”
“Yes, then I will go see my doctor.”
Damien's plan had been in the works for a long time. He felt a little better when he imagined the cornered King finally lying flat at his feet. Damien's eyebrows twitched sharply as he returned to the window. In the darkness, someone limping toward the castle caught his eye. Chloe was walking diligently across the castle, an old blanket draped over her shoulders. Damien's eyes lit up as he guessed who it belonged to.
"...Weiss."
Weiss, who was about to open the door and hurriedly step out, stopped in his tracks.
“Yes, Your Excellency.”
“Weiss, why did you swear allegiance to me?”
It was a random question.
“Because you saved my life in battle.”
“Do you think the same hypothesis would apply to women?”
Weiss hesitated to answer, not understanding what he meant. The Duke walked over and took something out of a hidden secret place. Damien put the blue vial in his pocket and spat at Weiss.
“I think I need to change my plans a little.”
Chloe, who was walking breathlessly through the dawn, did not know until later that the person who could most easily enter her bedroom that night was her husband.
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