If You Leave Without a Word - Chapter 198

‧₊˚ ☁️⋅♡𓂃 ࣪ ִֶָ☾.

However, after that, something strange happened. No one in the capital had seen Marchioness Vernat, and it seemed suspicious that there were no signs left of her, even though she was supposedly living quietly and taking care of things in seclusion.

If she was still alive and residing in the capital, there should have at least been some signs of her existence, however minimal…

Had she vanished into the sky, or disappeared into the earth? The gossip in the social circles had been that the Marquis and his wife were having marital issues, but the Grand Duke suspected that there was something more to it.

The Marchioness went missing. A Marquis wandering outside the capital without any official imperial order. Was this truly just a coincidence?

A man who earned the Emperor’s favor by flawlessly handling his duties, passing on all responsibilities to his subordinates, and leaving the capital behind. This could only mean one thing. He had decided to abandon everything and take on something personal.

If it had something to do with the woman he loved, the one he cherished so much that he even turned down the Emperor’s daughter, then it might make sense.

According to the information he received just before communication with the servants was cut off, it seemed that Cain no longer treated his wife with the same care. He had given up his love for her, and that didn’t seem to suggest that he still loved her….

The Grand Duke, pondering these thoughts, suddenly realized the next piece of the puzzle in Pahel.

Whether it was a change of heart or a shift in circumstances, something must have happened for Cain to treat his wife so coldly. Whatever the cause, it made sense that his wife had left, unable to bear the mistreatment.

The wife who had left, and the Marquis who had followed her out.

When the Grand Duke reached this point in his reasoning, he realized that his thoughts were getting too speculative, so he stopped his assumptions.

Nonetheless, what mattered now was that the two people who had been bothering him were now in a rural village far away from the capital.

And not just any village — it was in his own territory…

This was a golden opportunity.

In the capital, there was an Emperor who was always looking for the chance to get rid of him. In such a place, he couldn’t move recklessly, and all he could do was plant a few spies.

But here, the situation was different.

Cain Vernat. A man who the Grand Duke was constantly looking for a reason to eliminate him.

Now, conveniently, Cain had stepped out of the Emperor’s shadow and had come directly into his influence. He couldn’t afford to miss this opportunity. The Grand Duke had all the servants around him dismissed.

Only the Count and the Grand Duke remained in the dimly lit parlor, where a couple of candles illuminated the surroundings.

“Perhaps this is the perfect opportunity.”

“Pardon, Your Grace? What opportunity do you mean?”

“I don’t know exactly why Vernat came here, or what he knows about the Duke’s death. But there is one thing I do know for certain.”

“What…?”

The Count blinked in confusion. He had been lost in thought, trying to make sense of the Grand Duke’s muttered words and the strange expressions he had shown. Now, he struggled to understand what the Grand Duke was implying.

“It’s the perfect opportunity to silence him.”

“To silence him, you say?”

“If we don’t know what he knows, we can simply shut him up for good, and we won’t have to worry anymore.”

“…Meaning?”

The best way to silence someone is to eliminate them. It was only then that the Count fully understood the Grand Duke’s intentions, and his face turned pale almost immediately.

“If this was in the capital, it would have been difficult. No, it would have been impossible. Even if it was possible, it would have immediately raised suspicions, and I wouldn’t have been able to attempt it recklessly.”

“Your Grace…”

“But here, it’s a different story. Isn’t it? This place is the furthest point from the capital. In other words, it’s a place where the Emperor’s influence can’t reach.”

“That may be true, but…”

“We can come up with any excuse we want. We can easily spread the word that Vernat was on a mission and something went wrong, and he ended up dying. No one will suspect anything.”

Cold sweat trickled down the Count’s back. Listening to the Grand Duke, it didn’t seem impossible, but the risks involved were far too high. After all, the man they were talking about was the Emperor’s most trusted knight.

The Count, unaware that Cain had recently begun to fall out of the Emperor’s favor, could not shake the thought that following the Grand Duke’s words blindly would be too risky.

“This is frustrating. Why are you hesitating? No matter what, it will take at least three months for what happens here to reach the capital. And this opportunity to get rid of him without raising suspicion will never come again.”

“It is, but…”

You indecisive fool. The Grand Duke glared at the Count, clearly irritated. This fat guy takes everything for free but can’t earn his keep. The Count, feeling the Grand Duke’s growing anger, straightened his posture.

“It would be a mistake to think I’m making a suggestion. I’m not suggesting anything; I’m giving an order.”

For those who can’t seem to understand, threats work much better than persuasion or coaxing. As the Grand Duke’s expression shifted to one of intimidation, the Count immediately adjusted his posture.

“Your Grace… please, just give me a few days, no—just a little time to think.”

“I’ll give you one day. No longer.”

With that, the Grand Duke leaned back in his chair as if it was now the Count’s turn to respond. The flickering candle between them burned dimly and dangerously.