Chapter 216
Rubens rubbed his temple as if his head truly ached.
Nicholas couldn’t fathom how Anna and Macy left and how they found her location.
And Dia helped Macy too—someone he never imagined would betray the Krygen household. Dia’s ancestor had served the Dukes for generations and knew their mansion inside and out.
Why would she betray Rubens? No matter what was said about being a fake, he was the head of the family.
It seemed odd she grew attached to Macy after only a few months. Nicholas knew Dia wasn’t so sentimental, nor the type to betray the family for that.
The most surprising was Rubens himself.
“Macy won’t live even a year without me and the Name treatment. I couldn’t have stiffness yet. If she dies, I’ll find the next Name master then. It’s nothing to make a fuss about.”
Rubens had been obsessively possessive enough to imprison Macy. Though confinement was partly because of the Name treatment, wasn’t he emotionally involved as well?
Yet now, he acted as if nothing was wrong.
Telling Nicholas not to fuss was unfamiliar. Had something happened to worsen their relationship without his knowledge?
Rubens took a sip from a cup prepared some distance away after removing his mask.
Running his sweat-damp hair back with one hand, his refined appearance shone. There was no sign of despair or sadness over losing the woman he loved.
Except for a slight frown from a brief headache, he looked refreshed and relieved.
“Let’s start again.”
“Yes.”
He put his mask back on and moved his saber with precision.
* * *
“Then how about halving the rent on this eastern territory?”
“That sounds good. The unprecedented rainy season has caused many grievances among the residents. With the labor shortage, fallow lands have increased, so we’d appreciate it.”
“But didn’t Viscount Filrain get a grain price discount last year? Shouldn’t he pay normally this year?”
“Why exclude us just because we’re in the east too?”
“The east isn’t all the same. This time, with the discovery of the Fenoman mine, you’re not in a situation where you can’t pay rent?”
“If you’re jealous, just say so. It looks bad to throw petty digs about the mine.”
“Did you call it petty?”
Harsh voices quickly erupted as the nobles argued. The assembly hall was full of aristocrats dropping all pretenses of civility, spitting and vying for their own gain.
Rubens averted his gaze from the muddy chaos and looked out the window. Thick white snow was falling.
‘Just like the day Macy left.’
That day, Rubens came out through the secret passage, but all that awaited him were footprints in the snow. The tracks, apparently from multiple people, ended at the carriage house.
“Last night, the coach of Count Werfel family requested entry, saying they had an appointment with the Duke. Since they said they’d come out briefly with Your Grace, we had no choice but to let them in…”
When asked for the access list, the guard replied as such.
Though it was late and suspicious, a single guard could not refuse a carriage bearing the coat of arms of the great Count Werfel.
Since Lady Werfel and Rubens were still officially engaged, they allowed the entry despite feeling uneasy.
Moreover, a while ago, the estate was thrown into turmoil when Kronen entered the basement without permission.
Since then, all the estate’s servants were strictly forbidden to enter the basement while Rubens was down there—even in the event of a war.
So the guard who should have reported immediately was helpless and restless while Dia and Anna took Macy away.
Since Dia had been a servant of the previous Duke, she knew all the secret places in the Krygen household and used the secret passage.
But how did she find Macy’s room? Why was Rubens still asleep?
No matter how deeply one sleeps, opening the secret passage door would require moving the wall.
That question was answered by Kronen’s report the next day.
“Ronya Schilling, the doctor who cared for Macy, has disappeared. Sleeping pills were found in the water from the basement.”
Discussion
0 CommentsNo comments yet.