But Binka suppressed her anger. She knew it would be embarrassing if she raised her voice in a place like this and someone caught her.
"If you say so, I can't help it. But you know what happened between us is a secret, right?"
"Of course. I'm not that talkative. I'll take this to my grave."
The maid in charge of cleaning the prison nodded at Binka's warning. It was a satisfactory response. Of course, he had no intention of sending her back alive just because she kept quiet.
"It was a difficult request, but thank you so much for accepting it. I prepared this as a token of my sincerity, so please accept it."
Binka smiled faintly and took out the glass bottle she had prepared in advance. Inside was a liquid of unknown origin.
“What is this?”
The maid accepted the glass bottle with a somewhat uneasy expression. She didn't seem particularly pleased with the sudden gift.
"It's lemonade. There's a famous shop in the Fountain Square in front of the palace. I waited in line there to buy it."
Binka smiled as harmlessly as possible, as if she had no ulterior motives and the drink was simply a gift of goodwill.
"Really? They only sell ten bottles a day there. It must have been hard to get..."
The maid, who had been looking dubious, looked at the glass bottle, as if intrigued by Binka's words. It was a famous restaurant among the palace employees, but she had never tried it before.
“I waited in line from dawn and barely managed to buy it.”
“You worked so hard to buy it, so it would be rude to refuse it... I’ll drink it gratefully.”
She blurted out something she didn't mean and started drinking the liquid from the bottle without any hesitation.
Binka watched the scene with a trembling heart.
How could the broker who died yesterday be so completely free of suspicion? He, too, was fooled by the lie that "it's a nutritious tonic" and drank the drink Binka offered him, only to end up like that.
"Well, there's a reason why famous restaurants are famous. It's unique and delicious."
The maid spoke, smacking her lips as if savoring the taste.
At her words, Binka had to suppress a sneer. Her claim that she'd bought it from a famous store was, of course, a lie.
“Hmm, hmm.”
And after a while, the maid began to cough, her throat feeling scratchy. The poison was starting to take effect.
“...Why, why are you doing this?”
The maid, who had been writhing in pain as if struggling to breathe, soon collapsed to the floor. With a slightly nervous expression, Binka searched through the maid's body and took out an ID card that allowed entry into the prison.
Still, perhaps she had gotten used to it since it was the second time. Her body didn't tremble like it did the first time.
Binka hid the maid's body behind the bushes. It wouldn't be hidden forever, but it would at least keep her from being discovered for a while, buying her time to meet her father in prison.
She nervously passed through the security checkpoint and entered the prison.
At the sound of footsteps, Byron, who was sitting in his cell, rose and approached the bars. It seemed he was just waiting for his daughter to visit.
"Father!"
"Yes, my daughter. You've come. I hope you bring good news for your father."
Byron spoke in an expectant voice. Apparently, he hadn't heard the news that Capella had been captured or that she had taken her own life.
“That is... I did meet Capella and deliver a letter to her...”
Binka thrust Capella's letter through the bars, her expression perplexed. How should she deliver this sad news?
Byron, who read in his daughter's expression that something unusual was happening, narrowed his eyes and asked.
“What’s going on?”
“Actually...”
She sighed and talked about the current situation.
A look of despair spread across Byron's face at the news that Capella had been captured and had even committed suicide in prison.
He had no idea that Capella, his last hope, would go so vainly.
Moreover, the last letter left by Capella did not contain any useful information.
"Requesting foreign help? If Cloud Air had spoken, we would have already taken care of it... "
Is there really no way now?
A feeling of emptiness washed over him, but Byron didn't show it and asked.
“Has Capella left anything for you?”
“Uh... She gave me poison so I could make sure to clean up after myself.”
Binka took out a small vial from her bosom and showed it to him.
'Poison... poison.'
He knocked on the iron bars, lost in thought.
He was destined to die here anyway. If he was going to die anyway, wouldn't it be better to take those who usurped his place with him?
The younger brother who usurped the Emperor's throne, the old friend who took Ophelia's place, Ophelia's lover who chose someone other than himself. And even the hunting dog, Aila Weishafen, who fearlessly tried to tear her master apart.
“...There is something you must do with that poison.”
“What is that, Father?”
"Kill the Emperor, the Crown Prince, the Duke of Weishaffen, and their families. Since you work in the palace, you should be able to do things like poison food."
Byron said, one corner of his mouth turning up in a sly smile.
At her father's command, Binka gasped in fear.
She had already killed two people, but wasn't poisoning the Emperor a different matter than killing a mere maid or a back alley criminal?
“Wouldn’t that be difficult?”
"...This is your father's last hope. Even if Capella is dead, won't the reinforcements she summoned arrive soon? To make it easy for them to enter, we need to create chaos in the empire. Only you can do that."
Byron blurted out the lie without blinking.
Even if he told Binka, "It's unfair to die alone, so I'll take as many enemies as possible with me," there's no way she'd listen to him.
"Still..."
"Binka. Are you okay with your father falling apart like this? If I fall, you'll have to continue living a difficult life like you are now."
Byron pleaded with a most pitiful expression.
“...”
Perhaps his earnest persuasion had taken effect, Binka closed her mouth with a complex expression. Looking at her face, Byron was certain of his victory.
“If I get the chance... I’ll try.”
And as Byron had expected, Binka soon gave him the answer he wanted.
“Yes, my daughter. After all, there is no one else but you.”
He smiled contentedly. It was a devilish, eerie smile.
Winfred waited nervously for the carriage to arrive at the Duke of Weishaffen's residence. It was his first time seeing Aila since their outing with her family.
Today, he was planning to visit Debbie and Scott's safe house with her. The sentences for the arrested criminals hadn't been handed down yet, but he felt they were now truly safe.
Even though they say it's for a purpose, the two of them are riding in a carriage and going to a manor together. Doesn't it feel like a date?
He fanned his face, which was flushed with excitement for no reason.
Going out alone with Aila was nice, but there was one more thing he was looking forward to.
As the work was almost over, he was hoping that perhaps Aila would tell him the secret she had promised.
The carriage carrying Winfred, who was filled with such excitement, arrived at the Duke's residence.
As he got out of the carriage with light steps, Aila was there to greet him, as if she had already finished preparing to depart.
“Hello, Aila! Oh, but your hair is...!”
Winfred, who had been cheerfully greeting her, exclaimed in surprise at the sight of Aila's short hair. The long hair that had covered her back was gone.
“I tried cutting it once. Was it bad?”
When Aila asked, stroking her short hair, Winfred flinched violently.
“Oh, no! You’re really so pretty! Short hair suits you, too!”
It wasn't an empty promise. Aila looked great with her short hair. The fresh, active vibe suited her perfectly.
'Well, no matter what Aila does, she'll still be pretty. She'd probably be pretty even with her head shaved.'
Winfred, thinking to himself, escorted Aila onto the carriage. She was already in a critical condition.
The carriage carrying the two departed for the manor. Alone with her, the air felt somehow warm, but Winfred forced a composed expression.
What should I say? What should I say to get Aila interested?
He pondered these thoughts as he gazed blankly at her profile, as she gazed out the window at the scenery.
However, it was not Winfred but Aila who spoke first.
“You know, by any chance... is there any news from Cloud?”
"Oh, you mean Cloud Air? He's still unconscious. He lost so much blood that they don't know if he'll wake up."
At his answer, Aila's face looked somehow lonely.
She hadn't completely forgiven Cloud. Still, it was true that she felt bad that something like that had happened to him, someone who had helped her so many times.
“...It seems like you’re worried about that person.”
Winfred spoke cautiously, unsure how to comfort her.
He was her enemy who tried to use her, but at the same time, he was her benefactor who helped her return home safely.
It was because he couldn't say that he understood Aila, even in empty words.
“...I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have done this when I think about you.”
"What?"
Winfred blinked blankly at her sudden apology. He couldn't figure out why she was apologizing.
"He's the one who tried to kill you. You shouldn't be worried about someone like that in front of you."
"If you say so, I can't help it. But you know what happened between us is a secret, right?"
"Of course. I'm not that talkative. I'll take this to my grave."
The maid in charge of cleaning the prison nodded at Binka's warning. It was a satisfactory response. Of course, he had no intention of sending her back alive just because she kept quiet.
"It was a difficult request, but thank you so much for accepting it. I prepared this as a token of my sincerity, so please accept it."
Binka smiled faintly and took out the glass bottle she had prepared in advance. Inside was a liquid of unknown origin.
“What is this?”
The maid accepted the glass bottle with a somewhat uneasy expression. She didn't seem particularly pleased with the sudden gift.
"It's lemonade. There's a famous shop in the Fountain Square in front of the palace. I waited in line there to buy it."
Binka smiled as harmlessly as possible, as if she had no ulterior motives and the drink was simply a gift of goodwill.
"Really? They only sell ten bottles a day there. It must have been hard to get..."
The maid, who had been looking dubious, looked at the glass bottle, as if intrigued by Binka's words. It was a famous restaurant among the palace employees, but she had never tried it before.
“I waited in line from dawn and barely managed to buy it.”
“You worked so hard to buy it, so it would be rude to refuse it... I’ll drink it gratefully.”
She blurted out something she didn't mean and started drinking the liquid from the bottle without any hesitation.
Binka watched the scene with a trembling heart.
How could the broker who died yesterday be so completely free of suspicion? He, too, was fooled by the lie that "it's a nutritious tonic" and drank the drink Binka offered him, only to end up like that.
"Well, there's a reason why famous restaurants are famous. It's unique and delicious."
The maid spoke, smacking her lips as if savoring the taste.
At her words, Binka had to suppress a sneer. Her claim that she'd bought it from a famous store was, of course, a lie.
“Hmm, hmm.”
And after a while, the maid began to cough, her throat feeling scratchy. The poison was starting to take effect.
“...Why, why are you doing this?”
The maid, who had been writhing in pain as if struggling to breathe, soon collapsed to the floor. With a slightly nervous expression, Binka searched through the maid's body and took out an ID card that allowed entry into the prison.
Still, perhaps she had gotten used to it since it was the second time. Her body didn't tremble like it did the first time.
Binka hid the maid's body behind the bushes. It wouldn't be hidden forever, but it would at least keep her from being discovered for a while, buying her time to meet her father in prison.
She nervously passed through the security checkpoint and entered the prison.
At the sound of footsteps, Byron, who was sitting in his cell, rose and approached the bars. It seemed he was just waiting for his daughter to visit.
"Father!"
"Yes, my daughter. You've come. I hope you bring good news for your father."
Byron spoke in an expectant voice. Apparently, he hadn't heard the news that Capella had been captured or that she had taken her own life.
“That is... I did meet Capella and deliver a letter to her...”
Binka thrust Capella's letter through the bars, her expression perplexed. How should she deliver this sad news?
Byron, who read in his daughter's expression that something unusual was happening, narrowed his eyes and asked.
“What’s going on?”
“Actually...”
She sighed and talked about the current situation.
A look of despair spread across Byron's face at the news that Capella had been captured and had even committed suicide in prison.
He had no idea that Capella, his last hope, would go so vainly.
Moreover, the last letter left by Capella did not contain any useful information.
"Requesting foreign help? If Cloud Air had spoken, we would have already taken care of it... "
Is there really no way now?
A feeling of emptiness washed over him, but Byron didn't show it and asked.
“Has Capella left anything for you?”
“Uh... She gave me poison so I could make sure to clean up after myself.”
Binka took out a small vial from her bosom and showed it to him.
'Poison... poison.'
He knocked on the iron bars, lost in thought.
He was destined to die here anyway. If he was going to die anyway, wouldn't it be better to take those who usurped his place with him?
The younger brother who usurped the Emperor's throne, the old friend who took Ophelia's place, Ophelia's lover who chose someone other than himself. And even the hunting dog, Aila Weishafen, who fearlessly tried to tear her master apart.
“...There is something you must do with that poison.”
“What is that, Father?”
"Kill the Emperor, the Crown Prince, the Duke of Weishaffen, and their families. Since you work in the palace, you should be able to do things like poison food."
Byron said, one corner of his mouth turning up in a sly smile.
At her father's command, Binka gasped in fear.
She had already killed two people, but wasn't poisoning the Emperor a different matter than killing a mere maid or a back alley criminal?
“Wouldn’t that be difficult?”
"...This is your father's last hope. Even if Capella is dead, won't the reinforcements she summoned arrive soon? To make it easy for them to enter, we need to create chaos in the empire. Only you can do that."
Byron blurted out the lie without blinking.
Even if he told Binka, "It's unfair to die alone, so I'll take as many enemies as possible with me," there's no way she'd listen to him.
"Still..."
"Binka. Are you okay with your father falling apart like this? If I fall, you'll have to continue living a difficult life like you are now."
Byron pleaded with a most pitiful expression.
“...”
Perhaps his earnest persuasion had taken effect, Binka closed her mouth with a complex expression. Looking at her face, Byron was certain of his victory.
“If I get the chance... I’ll try.”
And as Byron had expected, Binka soon gave him the answer he wanted.
“Yes, my daughter. After all, there is no one else but you.”
He smiled contentedly. It was a devilish, eerie smile.
***
Winfred waited nervously for the carriage to arrive at the Duke of Weishaffen's residence. It was his first time seeing Aila since their outing with her family.
Today, he was planning to visit Debbie and Scott's safe house with her. The sentences for the arrested criminals hadn't been handed down yet, but he felt they were now truly safe.
Even though they say it's for a purpose, the two of them are riding in a carriage and going to a manor together. Doesn't it feel like a date?
He fanned his face, which was flushed with excitement for no reason.
Going out alone with Aila was nice, but there was one more thing he was looking forward to.
As the work was almost over, he was hoping that perhaps Aila would tell him the secret she had promised.
The carriage carrying Winfred, who was filled with such excitement, arrived at the Duke's residence.
As he got out of the carriage with light steps, Aila was there to greet him, as if she had already finished preparing to depart.
“Hello, Aila! Oh, but your hair is...!”
Winfred, who had been cheerfully greeting her, exclaimed in surprise at the sight of Aila's short hair. The long hair that had covered her back was gone.
“I tried cutting it once. Was it bad?”
When Aila asked, stroking her short hair, Winfred flinched violently.
“Oh, no! You’re really so pretty! Short hair suits you, too!”
It wasn't an empty promise. Aila looked great with her short hair. The fresh, active vibe suited her perfectly.
'Well, no matter what Aila does, she'll still be pretty. She'd probably be pretty even with her head shaved.'
Winfred, thinking to himself, escorted Aila onto the carriage. She was already in a critical condition.
The carriage carrying the two departed for the manor. Alone with her, the air felt somehow warm, but Winfred forced a composed expression.
What should I say? What should I say to get Aila interested?
He pondered these thoughts as he gazed blankly at her profile, as she gazed out the window at the scenery.
However, it was not Winfred but Aila who spoke first.
“You know, by any chance... is there any news from Cloud?”
"Oh, you mean Cloud Air? He's still unconscious. He lost so much blood that they don't know if he'll wake up."
At his answer, Aila's face looked somehow lonely.
She hadn't completely forgiven Cloud. Still, it was true that she felt bad that something like that had happened to him, someone who had helped her so many times.
“...It seems like you’re worried about that person.”
Winfred spoke cautiously, unsure how to comfort her.
He was her enemy who tried to use her, but at the same time, he was her benefactor who helped her return home safely.
It was because he couldn't say that he understood Aila, even in empty words.
“...I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have done this when I think about you.”
"What?"
Winfred blinked blankly at her sudden apology. He couldn't figure out why she was apologizing.
"He's the one who tried to kill you. You shouldn't be worried about someone like that in front of you."
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