112. Capture
After leaving the palace, Hardius headed straight for Kramwitz. The villa was unusually quiet and eerie.
"Master?"
The butler looked surprised. It was natural, since the young master, whom he thought was always in Eringer, had suddenly appeared.
“...Please wait a moment. I will notify Madam immediately. He has been feeling unwell for the past few days...”
Looking at the flustered butler, Hardius could confirm that the letter was taking effect.
Leaning against the terrace railing, he waited leisurely, enjoying the warm sun.
The tide had already turned. It was not he who was impatient, but the woman.
It took an hour before Kaitlyn came out to greet her son. She was dressed perfectly from head to toe as usual, but that didn't hide the dark circles under her eyes.
“You’re back sooner than I thought, Hardy.”
Kaitlyn greeted her son with a wide smile. The two embraced each other expertly.
“What’s wrong?”
Hardius asked, pretending to be worried.
"Huh?"
“Your complexion doesn’t look good.”
“Really? Nothing happened?”
Kaitlyn smiled wider and ran her hand over her face.
“I heard that you called the last board meeting but didn’t attend. You delegated the responsibility to a proxy.”
"Ah..."
A long laugh, like a sigh, escaped Kaitlyn's lips.
“Now there is no need to go into such trivial details.”
She answered, looking up at the high, blue sky and pretending to exclaim in admiration.
“You handled the No. 2 steel mill incident very well, didn’t you? You are now the head of Meyer Steel. It’s not nice to see me stepping up again.”
The hand that had been scanning the terrace railing came up to Hardius's shoulder. She patted her son's shoulder, and to anyone who saw her, she looked like an affectionate mother.
“By the way, your birthday is coming up soon. I was thinking of having a public ball in Tobaro... to coincide with your engagement party.”
“That’s a good idea. I used to think it was ridiculous to expect birthday wishes even as an adult.”
“Yeah, you didn’t really like that kind of thing when you were little.”
The two of them were showing off their more normal appearance than ever.
“Anyway, I plan to stay away from social circles for a while. I’ll just quietly prepare for the wedding. After the wedding, I’ll immediately petition His Majesty the King to allow you to inherit the title.”
The title of Duke was hereditary, so it did not require the King's permission. The problem was that it could only be granted if the father died.
With the current Duke of Meyer still alive, any heir to the title would need the King's permission.
Of course, the king did not wield real power to decide whether to accept or reject the order. It was merely a formality following a long tradition.
“There is no reason or pretext for Joseph not to allow the succession.”
“Yes, we clearly documented that part during the break-up negotiations.”
"Yes."
Kaittlin smiled with satisfaction.
“The award ceremony will be held at the Ricardi Palace. I should tell Rats to prepare the soil in advance.”
Although the award ceremony was also a formality, the ceremony of bestowing a lump of earth symbolizing the fief was observed ceremonially.
“While we’re on the subject, I think I should go to Rats. What if Boris is working hard to embezzle my money through his back door?”
Kaitlyn looked at her son, joking.
“You should come with me. You haven’t been there since you were a kid. Now it’s yours, so you should take a look around.”
Rats was a family estate passed down through generations in the Meyer family.
When Kaitlyn Meyer abandoned the crops and wool produced on the fertile land for new businesses like steel and finance, the estate was left in the hands of a professional manager named Boris.
Of course, even if she was the actual head of the family, the expression 'my property' was not appropriate. After all, it was all owned by the Duke of Meyer.
“Let’s take it slow, Meyer Banks. It would be burdensome if you inherited too much at once.”
Kaitlyn pretended to speak for her son's sake, but Hardius was never fooled.
Meyer Bank is the family's lifeline, which means it will hold onto what's most important until the end.
“Thank you for your consideration.”
“Thank you. I feel bad when you keep saying that.”
Kaitlyn said again, as if joking, pressing her hand to her temple.
Her expression took on a completely different tone than what she had been saying so far.
“I plan to visit Tobaro on Saturday.”
"Yes?"
“I plan to meet with Grand Duke Leichnen and begin serious negotiations. Since both sides have formed negotiation teams, it is time to start seriously discussing the stakes...”
“Hardy.”
Kaitlyn suddenly interrupted.
“You figure that out yourself.”
A deep fatigue settled over her face.
"...All right."
“I hope you spend some time with Bianca while you’re at it. Even if you pretend not to, she’ll definitely be upset. You didn’t even visit her when she was sick... Do you understand?”
"Yes."
“You must be busy, so go quickly. I have plans in the afternoon, too.”
She was the one who said goodbye to her son, who had come to visit her for the first time in a while without even offering him tea. However, Kaitlyn pushed her son away without even realizing it.
“I will see you again.”
“Yeah, always take care of your health.”
An empty terrace where Hardius disappeared.
Alone again, Kaitlyn untied the straps of her dress that were squeezing her chest and flopped down on the chair.
She pretended like nothing happened, but as they talked, she was sweating coldly and her head was buzzing with bees.
Marriage and succession were not the issue at this time.
I know what you did to Kanoa and her bastard.
I would rather have William Richard...
I hope Jetson finds the evidence and returns triumphantly...
Kaitlyn put her hand to her forehead and gasped for breath.
For the past three days, William Richards' carriage has not strayed far from its simple route between his home and the Capitol. It has not even visited the clubhouse or gambling hall it used to frequent.
Jetson was rather suspicious of it.
'If you're having trouble tracing William Richards's footsteps, go find them, Jetson.'
The master had given word in advance. By 'them' she meant the errand boys who had worked for the master and her maternal family for generations.
It was a place full of assassins and hitmen, as well as counterfeiters, conmen, smugglers, and thieves, and it was also the place Jetson visited when he was ordered by his master to deal with prostitutes and illegitimate children.
'They'll help me this time too. We have to dig up the trail by any means necessary, whether it's planting someone in William Richard's house or bribing his servants. William Richard has already used his informants to try to screw me over. Even if he wasn't the one who sent the letter, I have to dig up that at least.'
Jetson, who had been watching William Richards' carriage disappear into the mansion, immediately turned the carriage around.
After running for half a day, they arrived at a slum not far from Mondio, Nowak.
Shantytowns were crammed together along stinking streams and damp wetlands. Jetson clutched his pistol tightly as he passed beggars and drunkards overflowing from street to street.
After a while, he stood in front of a door made of several layers of planks.
It was an old building with its paint peeling off and on the verge of collapse, but large men were keeping a tight guard as if it were a large jewelry store in Nowak.
Jetson handed them a note, which Kaitlyn Meyer had prepared in advance. One of the big guys narrowed his eyes at Jetson and then opened the door.
Exactly an hour later, Jetson came back out, carefully retracing his steps with the gun in his pocket.
He was just about to board the carriage that had been parked in a secluded place.
Puck!
There was a strong shock and a flash of light before his eyes.
Jetson's hand unconsciously reached for the back of his head, where a dull pain was coming from. But before he could reach it, he lost consciousness and fell to the ground like a rag doll.
“Finally caught it.”
The one who dropped the long iron club while muttering as if chewing was Hutton, the chimney sweep of Kramwitz.
He tied Jetson's body with a rope he had prepared in advance and put him in a large bag. Just before tying the bag tightly, he did not forget to put a gag in his mouth and take away his pistol and dagger.
Wouldn't it be a disaster if someone woke up and started causing a ruckus while riding in a carriage?
“You fucking son of a bitch...”
He had been cleaning the chimneys of Kramwitz's cottage for months, looking for Kaitlyn Meyer's henchmen. There was no way the noble Duchess would kill anyone with her own hands.
It wasn't easy to find a confidant among dozens of employees.
Everyone seemed like her confidants.
The workers at the villa all praised Kaitlyn Meyer and showed utmost loyalty. There were more than a few servants brought from her parents' house.
Because she was very cautious, she did not use butlers or ordinary servants like other nobles, nor did she seek out notorious criminal organizations like Harel.
Grojean did so.
Kaitlyn Meyer is said to be a very reserved person who never treats her employees rudely.
They said that she never made people like him, tutors, and bodyguards do anything bad while using them to watch over her son. She made sure that everyone was faithful to their roles and only extracted information, so she didn't even realize that he was acting as a spy.
That's how Kaitlyn Meyer wrote people.
But finally, they found the key figures and evidence.
That old man named Jetson is the one who will bring revenge to Hutton and the key to freedom to his master.
Hutton carefully loaded him into the carriage.
A few hours later, Jetson woke up with a splitting headache, his whole body tied to a chair, and his eyes covered with a hood.
In front of him were Hutton and Grojean. Far away, Hardius was staring at them coldly with his arms crossed.
At the same time, Harel's messenger was meeting William Richard. He had failed to spy on the elm forest, but he had something quite interesting to tell.
After leaving the palace, Hardius headed straight for Kramwitz. The villa was unusually quiet and eerie.
"Master?"
The butler looked surprised. It was natural, since the young master, whom he thought was always in Eringer, had suddenly appeared.
“...Please wait a moment. I will notify Madam immediately. He has been feeling unwell for the past few days...”
Looking at the flustered butler, Hardius could confirm that the letter was taking effect.
Leaning against the terrace railing, he waited leisurely, enjoying the warm sun.
The tide had already turned. It was not he who was impatient, but the woman.
It took an hour before Kaitlyn came out to greet her son. She was dressed perfectly from head to toe as usual, but that didn't hide the dark circles under her eyes.
“You’re back sooner than I thought, Hardy.”
Kaitlyn greeted her son with a wide smile. The two embraced each other expertly.
“What’s wrong?”
Hardius asked, pretending to be worried.
"Huh?"
“Your complexion doesn’t look good.”
“Really? Nothing happened?”
Kaitlyn smiled wider and ran her hand over her face.
“I heard that you called the last board meeting but didn’t attend. You delegated the responsibility to a proxy.”
"Ah..."
A long laugh, like a sigh, escaped Kaitlyn's lips.
“Now there is no need to go into such trivial details.”
She answered, looking up at the high, blue sky and pretending to exclaim in admiration.
“You handled the No. 2 steel mill incident very well, didn’t you? You are now the head of Meyer Steel. It’s not nice to see me stepping up again.”
The hand that had been scanning the terrace railing came up to Hardius's shoulder. She patted her son's shoulder, and to anyone who saw her, she looked like an affectionate mother.
“By the way, your birthday is coming up soon. I was thinking of having a public ball in Tobaro... to coincide with your engagement party.”
“That’s a good idea. I used to think it was ridiculous to expect birthday wishes even as an adult.”
“Yeah, you didn’t really like that kind of thing when you were little.”
The two of them were showing off their more normal appearance than ever.
“Anyway, I plan to stay away from social circles for a while. I’ll just quietly prepare for the wedding. After the wedding, I’ll immediately petition His Majesty the King to allow you to inherit the title.”
The title of Duke was hereditary, so it did not require the King's permission. The problem was that it could only be granted if the father died.
With the current Duke of Meyer still alive, any heir to the title would need the King's permission.
Of course, the king did not wield real power to decide whether to accept or reject the order. It was merely a formality following a long tradition.
“There is no reason or pretext for Joseph not to allow the succession.”
“Yes, we clearly documented that part during the break-up negotiations.”
"Yes."
Kaittlin smiled with satisfaction.
“The award ceremony will be held at the Ricardi Palace. I should tell Rats to prepare the soil in advance.”
Although the award ceremony was also a formality, the ceremony of bestowing a lump of earth symbolizing the fief was observed ceremonially.
“While we’re on the subject, I think I should go to Rats. What if Boris is working hard to embezzle my money through his back door?”
Kaitlyn looked at her son, joking.
“You should come with me. You haven’t been there since you were a kid. Now it’s yours, so you should take a look around.”
Rats was a family estate passed down through generations in the Meyer family.
When Kaitlyn Meyer abandoned the crops and wool produced on the fertile land for new businesses like steel and finance, the estate was left in the hands of a professional manager named Boris.
Of course, even if she was the actual head of the family, the expression 'my property' was not appropriate. After all, it was all owned by the Duke of Meyer.
“Let’s take it slow, Meyer Banks. It would be burdensome if you inherited too much at once.”
Kaitlyn pretended to speak for her son's sake, but Hardius was never fooled.
Meyer Bank is the family's lifeline, which means it will hold onto what's most important until the end.
“Thank you for your consideration.”
“Thank you. I feel bad when you keep saying that.”
Kaitlyn said again, as if joking, pressing her hand to her temple.
Her expression took on a completely different tone than what she had been saying so far.
“I plan to visit Tobaro on Saturday.”
"Yes?"
“I plan to meet with Grand Duke Leichnen and begin serious negotiations. Since both sides have formed negotiation teams, it is time to start seriously discussing the stakes...”
“Hardy.”
Kaitlyn suddenly interrupted.
“You figure that out yourself.”
A deep fatigue settled over her face.
"...All right."
“I hope you spend some time with Bianca while you’re at it. Even if you pretend not to, she’ll definitely be upset. You didn’t even visit her when she was sick... Do you understand?”
"Yes."
“You must be busy, so go quickly. I have plans in the afternoon, too.”
She was the one who said goodbye to her son, who had come to visit her for the first time in a while without even offering him tea. However, Kaitlyn pushed her son away without even realizing it.
“I will see you again.”
“Yeah, always take care of your health.”
An empty terrace where Hardius disappeared.
Alone again, Kaitlyn untied the straps of her dress that were squeezing her chest and flopped down on the chair.
She pretended like nothing happened, but as they talked, she was sweating coldly and her head was buzzing with bees.
Marriage and succession were not the issue at this time.
I know what you did to Kanoa and her bastard.
She bet Jetsons are keeping up with William Richards, right?
No, she shouldn't just wait for Jetson; she should prepare for the case where he isn't the culprit.
If not Richard, then who?
She must approach it with an open mind to all possibilities.
When she actually looked into it, there were more than one or two suspicious people. It was impossible to build Meyer Steel without making enemies.
Could it be Joseph? Or Leichnen? Or maybe... Hardius?
No, she shouldn't just wait for Jetson; she should prepare for the case where he isn't the culprit.
If not Richard, then who?
She must approach it with an open mind to all possibilities.
When she actually looked into it, there were more than one or two suspicious people. It was impossible to build Meyer Steel without making enemies.
Could it be Joseph? Or Leichnen? Or maybe... Hardius?
I would rather have William Richard...
I hope Jetson finds the evidence and returns triumphantly...
Kaitlyn put her hand to her forehead and gasped for breath.
***
For the past three days, William Richards' carriage has not strayed far from its simple route between his home and the Capitol. It has not even visited the clubhouse or gambling hall it used to frequent.
Jetson was rather suspicious of it.
'If you're having trouble tracing William Richards's footsteps, go find them, Jetson.'
The master had given word in advance. By 'them' she meant the errand boys who had worked for the master and her maternal family for generations.
It was a place full of assassins and hitmen, as well as counterfeiters, conmen, smugglers, and thieves, and it was also the place Jetson visited when he was ordered by his master to deal with prostitutes and illegitimate children.
'They'll help me this time too. We have to dig up the trail by any means necessary, whether it's planting someone in William Richard's house or bribing his servants. William Richard has already used his informants to try to screw me over. Even if he wasn't the one who sent the letter, I have to dig up that at least.'
Jetson, who had been watching William Richards' carriage disappear into the mansion, immediately turned the carriage around.
After running for half a day, they arrived at a slum not far from Mondio, Nowak.
Shantytowns were crammed together along stinking streams and damp wetlands. Jetson clutched his pistol tightly as he passed beggars and drunkards overflowing from street to street.
After a while, he stood in front of a door made of several layers of planks.
It was an old building with its paint peeling off and on the verge of collapse, but large men were keeping a tight guard as if it were a large jewelry store in Nowak.
Jetson handed them a note, which Kaitlyn Meyer had prepared in advance. One of the big guys narrowed his eyes at Jetson and then opened the door.
Exactly an hour later, Jetson came back out, carefully retracing his steps with the gun in his pocket.
He was just about to board the carriage that had been parked in a secluded place.
Puck!
There was a strong shock and a flash of light before his eyes.
Jetson's hand unconsciously reached for the back of his head, where a dull pain was coming from. But before he could reach it, he lost consciousness and fell to the ground like a rag doll.
“Finally caught it.”
The one who dropped the long iron club while muttering as if chewing was Hutton, the chimney sweep of Kramwitz.
He tied Jetson's body with a rope he had prepared in advance and put him in a large bag. Just before tying the bag tightly, he did not forget to put a gag in his mouth and take away his pistol and dagger.
Wouldn't it be a disaster if someone woke up and started causing a ruckus while riding in a carriage?
“You fucking son of a bitch...”
He had been cleaning the chimneys of Kramwitz's cottage for months, looking for Kaitlyn Meyer's henchmen. There was no way the noble Duchess would kill anyone with her own hands.
It wasn't easy to find a confidant among dozens of employees.
Everyone seemed like her confidants.
The workers at the villa all praised Kaitlyn Meyer and showed utmost loyalty. There were more than a few servants brought from her parents' house.
Because she was very cautious, she did not use butlers or ordinary servants like other nobles, nor did she seek out notorious criminal organizations like Harel.
Grojean did so.
Kaitlyn Meyer is said to be a very reserved person who never treats her employees rudely.
They said that she never made people like him, tutors, and bodyguards do anything bad while using them to watch over her son. She made sure that everyone was faithful to their roles and only extracted information, so she didn't even realize that he was acting as a spy.
That's how Kaitlyn Meyer wrote people.
But finally, they found the key figures and evidence.
That old man named Jetson is the one who will bring revenge to Hutton and the key to freedom to his master.
Hutton carefully loaded him into the carriage.
A few hours later, Jetson woke up with a splitting headache, his whole body tied to a chair, and his eyes covered with a hood.
In front of him were Hutton and Grojean. Far away, Hardius was staring at them coldly with his arms crossed.
At the same time, Harel's messenger was meeting William Richard. He had failed to spy on the elm forest, but he had something quite interesting to tell.
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