After the Wicked Wife Leaves

“What are you doing here?”

 

Bianca glared at Xenon with hostility, but Xenon responded with a smile.

 

“I came for a visit since I have some business here.”

 

With an impatient gesture, Xenon signaled the guard, who nodded and stepped back.

Xenon looked up and down at Bianca, frowning.

 

“You don’t seem well.”

“Well, what can you expect in a prison?”

 

After a brief moment of sneering, Bianca glared sharply at Xenon.

Xenon Reiner was a fictitious identity created to secure his employment as a duke’s aide; his true name was Evan.

He had originally been hired with money from the largest mercenary guild in the Empire, the Blue Wolves, to protect Erich.

He was also the one who reported to Bianca the last traces of the real Erich.

 

<It’s my mistake. I will definitely find the Duke.>

 

With a desperate heart, she had entrusted the request to them, and Evan and the Blue Wolves had tracked the real Erich’s traces without asking for money.

 

<Someone reported witnessing a man who resembled the Duke being dragged around by the barbarian chieftains. However, due to the high risk of the journey and the lack of volunteers, we require financial assistance.>

 

She couldn’t afford to miss her son now that he was so close.

So Bianca signed a formal contract with them, saying she would pay for everything.

But as time went on, the amount they demanded kept increasing.

 

‘Since I paid them in advance this time, they shouldn’t be asking for money, right?’

 

It must be related to Erich. There might be updates regarding Erich’s location or a comparable event.

 

“So, what’s the business, mercenary?”

 

At Bianca’s question, Xenon lowered his voice and spoke in a whisper.

 

“We need more money to bring the real Duke.”

“What? I’ve already given more than enough money! What are you talking about?”

 

Without hesitation, Evan shrugged and replied.

 

“Have you forgotten the terms of our agreement, where you said you would pay for the cost of finding the real duke?”

“Yes, but I clearly paid the fee for bringing Erich to the capital last time! That amount was enough to buy a castle…”

“Yes, but transporting the Duke requires additional funds. So, when can we expect the payment?”

 

Bianca bit her lip.

There was no way she could provide money while in prison.

Evan smiled and spoke to Bianca, who was clenching her fists.

 

“Well, it was unreasonable to ask a prisoner for money.”

“Y-yes! If you bring Erich here first, my son will pay you…”

 

At that moment, Evan extended his hand.

 

“Instead, how about leaving collateral?”

“Collateral? What are you…”

“The ring that belongs to the head of the Blant family, the one the Grand Madam has.”

 

Bianca’s face hardened at his words. She then glared at Evan.

 

“I told you that the Duke is a fake, but I never mentioned anything about the ring. How do you know about it?”

 

Then, the Grand Madam raised her voice, almost shouting.

 

“Could it be that you planned this from the beginning…?”

 

Evan lowered his head deeply and began to tremble.

A faint sound of chuckling drifted through the air.

 

“Oh, I got caught.”

 

Evan reached through the bars and grabbed Bianca by the neck.

 

“Ugh! You… what have you done to my son!”

“Oh, your son? He’s probably dead.”

 

Bianca, choked and enraged, shouted.

 

“What… what do you mean? You were supposed to find traces of that child!”

“Oh, that? I just manipulated the information found by the fake Duke.”

“What?”

 

Evan whispered to the shocked Bianca.

 

“In fact, I was concerned because your fake son was diligently searching for the real one. But he kept failing, so he didn’t share that information with you. He was foolishly searching for someone who was clearly dead. Even until now.”

‘Why didn’t I realize? That child always cared for his brother so much…’

 

Bianca’s eyes grew warm with tears at the thought of her son’s unwavering actions.

Bianca soon began to cry, her face contorted with grief.

 

‘I was so foolish.’

 

At that moment, Evan continued.

 

“Well, you may have hated him so much, but thanks to that, I was able to manipulate the evidence and pass it on to you.”

 

Throughout this ordeal, while extorting money by holding someone’s desperation hostage, there was not a trace of guilt on Evan’s face.

Bianca glared at Evan with eyes full of rage.

 

“You bastard, how dare you deceive me?”

 

As Bianca tried to claw at Evan’s arm with her nails, he tightened his grip.

 

“Grand Madam, do you still not understand the situation? Your neck is in my grip.”

“Gah! If I die, the guards…”

“Yes, the guards will arrest me. But I have no intention of killing you. I just want to silence you, so don’t worry.”

 

Bianca’s breathing became increasingly labored. As she gasped in pain, Evan poured a colorless liquid into her mouth.

Once the liquid had flowed down her throat, Evan released his grip.

 

“Cough, cough!”

 

Bianca tried to cough up the liquid, but a significant amount had already gone down her esophagus.

It was strange. Her vision grew hazy, and her head pounded with unbearable pain.

Her emotions became uncontrollable, and her memories began to whirl chaotically.

It felt as though she might become someone else if she lost consciousness.

 

“What did you feed me…….”

 

As Bianca weakly questioned him, Evan shrugged.

 

“Oh, it’s nothing special—just a drug to drive you insane. When you wake up, a new world will be waiting for you.”

“You… damn mercenary…”

 

Bianca tried desperately to hold onto her consciousness, but it was no use.

As images of her son appeared, she reached out into the void.

 

‘Ah, I need to warn you about these people…’

 

Thud!

As Bianca collapsed, Evan searched her body.

But soon, he furrowed his brow.

 

‘Damn it, has she already hidden it away?’

 

The duke’s seal was the very purpose behind Evan’s ridiculous charade.

But upon discovering that the seal was not in the possession of the Grand Madam, he quickly began to think.

 

‘She couldn’t have handed it over to the Duke; could it be hidden in the mansion?’

 

He clicked his tongue.

He had thought he would be free to leave the duke’s residence once this matter was over, but this was an unexpected complication.

 

‘For now, I must report to my master.’

 

☪︎ ִ ࣪𖤐 𐦍 ☾𖤓 ☪︎ ִ ࣪𖤐 𐦍 ☾𖤓

 

Meanwhile, Marquis Arzen was shaking with clenched fists.

 

‘The Emperor dared to bring such disgrace upon me…’

 

Up until the trial, he had been confident that the Emperor would trade with him and that he would not be abandoned.

However, the Emperor demanded a permanent banishment from the capital as retribution for the crimes committed by Medelin.

 

<Marquis Arzen, I thought I had given you much, considering you are the Empress’s brother, but you did not stay within your bounds and acted out of greed.>

 

Unable to contain his anger, Marquis Arzen slammed his hand on the table.

Bang!

A permanent banishment from the capital did not simply mean exile.

It signified a complete removal from power.

The Marquis, who had been trying to wield power as an influential behind-the-scenes figure controlling Fritz, was crushed by this act.

 

‘How did I build this family…’

 

However, the problem was more than just the Emperor’s interference.

The real problem was that Jade, whom Marquis Arzen had considered insignificant, was rapidly rising in influence.

And at that moment, the suppressed contract with the Blant family came to mind.

 

“If only that contract had gone through, I would have been benefiting by now. At the very least, if Mercedes, that fool, hadn’t handed the mine over to the crows…”

 

At that moment, someone entered the room where the marquis was.

It was Evan, disguised as Xenon, Erich’s subordinate.

The marquis’s face hardened as he looked at the intruder.

 

‘Why would the Duke of Blant’s aide be…?’

 

Just then, someone spoke.

 

“I see my subordinate surprised you.”

 

Turning his head, the marquis saw someone standing at an angle.

It was Reinhardt Adolf Tarrant, whom Marquis Arzen had been waiting for.

Under normal circumstances, the marquis would never have met Reinhardt.

This was because he is the maternal uncle of Fritz, and Reinhardt is some talented guy who threatened Fritz’s position.

Yet he had come, prompted by the letter Reinhardt had sent.

 

[If you come to my residence, I will inform you of the best way to quickly return to the capital.]

 

Marquis Arzen asked directly.

 

“Your Grace, what exactly was the intention behind sending me such a letter?”

 

Although he expected an answer, Reinhardt ignored the marquis and stared at Evan, Duke Blant’s subordinate.

 

“Evan, you took care of that woman well, I assume?”

“Yes, I administered the drug, so she will forget about us.”

Reinhardt smiled satisfactorily.

 

“Good. Did you bring it?”

“That… due to an unexpected variable, there have been complications… It seems I will need to stay longer at the duke’s residence.”

 

At that moment—

Thud!

The sudden impact on his solar plexus made Evan collapse.

 

“Guh!”

 

Reinhardt, who had thrown the punch at Evan, spoke calmly.

 

“I’ve said it time and again: I despise incompetence. So next time you come to see me, you’d better have achieved perfect results.”

 

Hearing Reinhardt’s cold voice, Evan quickly kneeled and bowed his head.

 

“I will keep that in mind, my lord.”

 

The marquis, witnessing the abnormal master-servant dynamic, furrowed his brow as he tried to assess the situation.

 

‘So the Archduke has been monitoring the Duke of Blant’s household. I should inform the duke and negotiate for the Jade Mine in exchange…’

“Seems like you have a lot on your mind, Marquis?”

 

Reinhardt approached Marquis Arzen and placed a hand on his shoulder.

 

“But you might want to avoid having any foolish thoughts.”

 

With that, Reinhardt tightened his grip on the marquis’s shoulder.

 

“Unless you want to reveal that you used poison to make the Emperor sick.”