If You Leave Without a Word - Chapter 262

‧₊˚ ☁️⋅♡𓂃 ࣪ ִֶָ☾.

“Starting a few months ago, the number of supply wagons and carts entering Ganam has increased noticeably. Once, we staged a surprise inspection at the city gates. But after checking the cargo in the first wagon, the merchants refused to let us examine the rest.”

“They refused an order from the acting commander of the capital guard? Who would dare be so brazen?”

“As you said, I asserted my authority as acting commander and ordered them to unload everything immediately. But the merchants cited the name of the imperial family and refused to comply.”

“The imperial family?”

“Marquis Durer, sir.”

Marquis Durer. Boudica Durer’s father. Cain’s eyes flashed with sudden menace.

“You mean the Grand Duchess’s father?”

“Yes, sir. When I asked what business Marquis Durer, the Grand Duke’s father-in-law—had in shipping so many goods to Ganam, they clammed up as if by prior agreement and refused to say a word.”

“Hiding something that obviously only makes them look more suspicious.”

“No matter whose father-in-law he is, when military supplies are being shipped into a city bordering the capital, it warrants a formal investigation. The only problem is, to search a convoy under the imperial family’s protection…”

“You’d need the imperial seal—the highest authority in the Empire.”

“Exactly. But the Emperor…”

“…hasn’t left his bed in months. Even if you requested an audience, you wouldn’t get a reply.”

“That’s right. Just as we were at a loss, the Empress provided the seal herself.”

Cain nodded.

An Emperor bedridden for health reasons.

A Grand Duke currying favor with the capital’s great nobles.

A sudden influx of military supplies into a remote city at the border.

And the Empress herself stepping in to authorize the investigation—something she would never normally do.

All four events coincided at the same time. That couldn’t be a coincidence.

For the Empress—who almost never appeared in public or exercised authority—to step in as regent? The Empress, after all, was not on good terms with Grand Duchess Norfolk.

Yet here she was, giving permission to investigate the Grand Duke’s own father-in-law. It could only mean there was a secret in Ganam the Grand Duke was desperate to hide. And the Empress, while knowing something, couldn’t move directly.

As Ethan finished his report, Cain’s mind was racing.

“So, did you investigate Ganam?”

“Yes, sir. Over the past six months, I tracked all military and civilian supplies going into Ganam, along with the comings and goings of every person.”

“And did you find anything suspicious?”

“They’ve covered their tracks well, sir. Nothing obviously incriminating. But when I put it all together, my best guess is that the Grand Duke is raising an army in Ganam.”

Raising an army out of sight of the Emperor, winning over the nobles, growing secret forces. There could be only one word for that:

Treason.

That single, forbidden word flashed through both Ethan and Cain’s minds. But neither of them dared speak it aloud. In the Empire, even thinking about treason was a crime, and accusing a royal of it was a crime beyond comparison.

Just what was the Grand Duke really after? Cain’s expression sharpened, his mind turning quickly.

⚜ ⚜ ⚜

If you travel to the southeastern edge of the capital, you’ll find yourself in the domain of Grand Duchy Norfolk.

For years, the Grand Duke had been pushed to the outskirts, kept at arm’s length by the Emperor’s constant vigilance. When Emperor Vlahova ascended the throne, he purged all his siblings.

The Grand Duke was the only one to escape with his life, but he dared not lay claim to anything more.

Though he retained the bare minimum privileges as a royal, he was often openly slighted by the most prominent noble families. In a way, it was only natural that the Grand Duke’s heart had grown so twisted over the years.

For more than thirty years, he had lived as if he were already dead. But now, he believed he had endured long enough.

With his elder brother suddenly struck down by illness, he knew a window of opportunity like this would never come again. If he didn’t seize his chance now, he would never reclaim the throne.

The Grand Duke was staking everything as he slowly edged closer to the imperial seat.

The Grand Duchess, eager to greet her husband after so long, rushed out to meet him—only to have to compose herself and return to her chambers, cheeks flushed with embarrassment.

After a month away, the Grand Duke completely ignored his wife and made straight for the most secluded wine cellar at the back of the estate. Watching this, the Grand Duchess fumed, convinced her husband must have taken yet another mistress and was now avoiding her.

But if she had seen what the Grand Duke was actually hiding in that cellar, she would have realized just how wrong she was. Deep in the shadows, a woman—hardly fit to be mistaken for a lover—was bound and left dangling in a sorry state.

“So it’s true, then—the brother and the sister both just refuse to die. Is that stubborn will to live part of your wretched bloodline?”

His voice dripped with scorn, but the woman hanging before him barely flinched. She simply stared him down in silence, eyes burning with anger.

Why had she been imprisoned here? In Esther’s eyes were fury towards the vile man. Behind it, lay despair and emptiness.