Chapter 236
‧₊˚ ☁️⋅♡𓂃 ࣪ ִֶָ☾.
More than a hundred knights disappeared without leaving a trace. Was that even possible?
“To say they defeated them… maybe they didn’t need to fight at all.”
“What? No need to fight?”
“It’s just a theory. To return to what we were discussing earlier: who would kill immediately upon realizing the people in Arta were foreigners?”
“Someone loyal to Nikephos.”
“Yes. Not only loyal, but someone with enough military power to massacre an entire village.”
“A high-ranking noble. Or higher.”
“Everyone in the capital knows Arta is Kristin property. So the suspects should be among those hostile to the Duchy.”
“And they’d have enough power to stand against Kristin without losing.”
“The person who calls the refugees traitors and rebels likely doesn’t just owe loyalty to Nikephos, but believes the empire belongs to them.”
“…A member of the imperial family.”
“Also, the imperial family who can freely command knights and leave the capital.”
Though no names were spoken aloud, the name passed between Agatha and Cain’s gazes.
Grand Duke Norfolk
He fit all the criteria.
But why was he here?
Lost in thought, a gust of wind blew through a broken window, snuffing out the candle flame. Darkness suddenly filled the room.
Just like in Agatha’s mind.
⚜ ⚜ ⚜
Cain Vernat had planned to take a fast ship to Arta. That alone was reason enough to inspect Arta. The Grand Duke who intercepted the ship Cain had reserved headed straight to Arta without stopping.
Being a port city, the ship’s quality was excellent. Nobles who owned small villages and took boats once or twice a year had likely never ridden such a fine vessel.
The sea breeze, brushing his face, was surprisingly pleasant.
The Grand Duke arrived much earlier than expected in a small western port city near Arta.
It was an unremarkable, quiet rural town.
“Why would that Vernat bastard stop at such a backwater?”
He wondered. Surely there was a reason, but none was apparent.
“Well, half the Kristin Duchy’s lands are his now.”
Administratively, Arta belonged to the Kristin Duchy. Though officially owned by the Duke’s daughter, Vernat appeared to be exercising actual control.
“Well, he’s the one who rejected the princess’s hand in marriage and chose this marriage instead, so he’d have to claim that much property.”
Having arrived earlier than expected, the Grand Duke decided to rest before setting out again. But since he was hiding his identity, he couldn’t stay in luxury.
“Why am I supposed to sleep in such a filthy place?”
The Grand Duke’s temper flared despite his guard’s explanation that they had arranged the best available lodging in the area.
Demanding a woman to warm his bed, the Grand Duke insisted on having a courtesan brought to him. The guards hurried to find one.
Learning that a group of wandering gypsies stayed in Arta, the knights found and dragged a young gypsy woman with red hair before the Grand Duke.
The woman, confused and terrified, was ordered to undress and enter the Grand Duke’s room. She protested fiercely, but was met only with brutal kicks.
When the courtesan refused to obey, the knights vented their frustrations and anger onto her, threatening to break her limbs and throw her on the bed. The woman resisted stubbornly.
Then a large man appeared and charged at them. Despite his strength, the knights quickly subdued and forced him to kneel.
He shouted that the gypsy woman was his wife, begging them to release her. He had chased after the men who took her, and insisted she was not that kind of woman.
They struck his head so hard blood trickled down his forehead. Begging over and over to free his wife, the knights remained unmoved.
In desperation, he revealed a startling truth:
“Do you know who she is? If you knew who her brother was, you wouldn’t do this! You’d regret it. My wife, my wife…”
Feeling powerless to save her alone, he resorted to his last option:
“She is kin to a great person, highly favored by the Emperor of this land!”
Unaware of the consequences that statement would bring, the man kept speaking the Emperor’s name.
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