Who is Marquess Mosley, and why would he vouch for me?
Although puzzled, Judith pretended to be acquainted with him and left the security force’s office.
Even as she walked away, she racked her brain, trying to recall who Marquess Mosley was. No matter how much she thought about it, she was certain she had never heard of the name before.
As Judith stepped outside, still confused, Henry, who had been waiting for her in front of the security office, waved his hand.
“You’ve had a rough time, Madam. I hope you weren’t mistreated in there.”
“It wasn’t too bad. But what exactly happened, Sir Henry?”
Judith moved closer to Henry and asked him in a low voice.
“Marquess Mosley vouched for me, but do you know him? Are you two acquaintances? He seems like a very powerful person.”
Even if she didn’t know exactly who he was, the fact that a Marquess vouched for her and managed to get an attempted murder suspect released so easily proved he was a person of considerable influence.
“He is a close aide to His Majesty the Emperor.”
Ah, that’s it. Judith tried to recall if she had seen him in the original story, but nothing came to mind.
Did the male protagonist only have one or two aides? She might have remembered if it were someone like that aide who famously described Erne as ‘a madman.’
“And it’s not my connection, it’s Erne’s.”
“Sir Erne? Erne has connections like that?”
Judith’s eyes widened in surprise.
“Considering his personality, it’s already surprising that he has friends. But to think he has connections willing to help him with requests like this… That’s more shocking than when Mr. Cliff coughed up blood.”
“So much for saving you.”
Hearing the voice suddenly behind her, Judith flinched.
When Erne’s eyes met Judith’s gaze as she turned to face him, he ran a hand down his face in frustration.
“My personality may be terrible, but hearing that from you is seriously irritating.”
“What’s so wrong with my personality? I’m the kind of person who can live without breaking the law.”
“Not something you should be saying right after getting out of the security office, don’t you think?”
Although he grumbled, the moment Cliff collapsed, coughing up blood, even Erne had been quite shaken.
For a brief moment, Erne had hesitated, torn between rushing to the fallen Cliff or following Judith, who was being taken away by the security force.
“If you’re arrested on charges of poisoning, how long would it take to get out?”
“At least a month. If Mr. Cliff dies, it would take over a year. And that’s assuming you can prove your innocence.”
If innocence couldn’t be proven, it would mean the death penalty. As Henry explained this, Erne irritably ruffled his hair.
“Go to Marquess Mosley’s residence. Tell them of my death and explain that my wife, who I married just before I died, is in a difficult situation. Ask for their help.”
“Do you really think the Marquess will help?”
“He owes me a debt, so he will.”
After sending Henry to see Marquess Mosley, Erne headed toward the security force. If he had wanted to uncover the secret of his own death, it would have been wiser to go to Cliff.
Even if Cliff was on the brink of death, he should have grabbed him by the collar and demanded to know what he had done.
However, his feet wouldn’t move.
When faced with the body of an assassin, Judith hadn’t batted an eye. But when she was being dragged away by the security force, her face had turned pale, and she had looked completely lost.
After seeing that terrified face, he couldn’t bring himself to go anywhere else.
‘It seems like dying and coming back to life has made me soft.’
He had even waited in front of the security office, worried that something dangerous might happen. And yet, all he got from Judith was, “With that personality, you have connections?” It was infuriating.
“So, what happened to Mr. Cliff?”
“He’s being taken to his estate for treatment.”
“He’s alive, right?”
He’d better be. Judith muttered anxiously.
“He has to be alive if I’m going to get compensation.”
“…….…”
As soon as she heard about Cliff’s condition, Judith started talking about compensation. Seeing this, Erne thought to himself,
At the very least, it seems like laws are absolutely necessary for this one
***
“Ugh… Ughhh…”
The bleeding had stopped, but the burning pain in his throat made Cliff clutch his neck as he writhed on the bed.
“Hold down his limbs.”
“Yes, sir.”
Four servants grabbed hold of Cliff’s flailing arms and legs. A physician, dressed in a crisp white coat, approached. He placed a firm hand on Cliff’s heaving chest and slowly dripped medicine between his parted lips.
“Swallow it. You’ll survive if you do.”
“Ugh… Guhh…”
Hearing the physician’s voice, Cliff managed to gulp down the bitter medicine as it slid down his throat. Not long after, his struggling subsided.
“You may all leave now.”
“Yes, head butler.”
The four servants who had been restraining his limbs quickly left the room. Meanwhile, the physician continued to slowly administer the medicine into Cliff’s mouth, ensuring he swallowed every drop.
After drinking an entire bowl of medicine, Cliff’s groaning finally subsided.
“Take a deep breath.”
As the physician rose from the bed, an elderly butler approached and wiped away the froth of blood that had formed around Cliff’s lips.
“Hah…”
With the pain easing, Cliff’s mind gradually returned to consciousness.
That woman… that wretched woman poisoned my tea, didn’t she?
Cliff turned his head, intending to ask what had happened to Judith.
“Guh… Argh…”
His voice came out as a harsh, metallic rasp. It was only then that Cliff noticed the unfamiliar face of the physician, who was not his usual physician. His brows furrowed in suspicion.
When Cliff’s eyes asked, “Who is this physician?”, the man, having understood the unspoken question, approached with a subtle smile on his face.
“Don’t you recognize me, Mr. Cliff? We’ve met several times before.”
As the physician drew closer, Cliff’s pupils began to quiver as if an earthquake had struck them.
Why is he here…?
“We are always by your side.”
The physician glanced at the elderly butler, who responded with a small nod, as if in agreement.
Are the butler and these people in cahoots?
Overcome with betrayal, Cliff tried to clench his fists, but to his dismay, he couldn’t even move a finger.
Something was wrong. Cliff tried to move his left hand, but it was no use. Realizing he couldn’t even wiggle a toe, his eyes were filled with pitch-black fear.
“If only you had contacted us before things escalated this far, none of this would have happened.”
“Ugh… Ughhh… Ugh!”
“Don’t worry. With treatment, you’ll be back to your old self in no time.”
The physician chuckled as he patted Cliff on the shoulder, despite the man’s feeble attempts to lift himself up.
“Of course, we’ll treat you with the utmost care. After all, you’re still useful to us, Mr. Cliff. That being said, you’ll have to promise us that you’ll keep your mouth shut.”
***
The stream of assassins had stopped, and at the same time, Cliff had also vanished.
“Did you find out anything?”
“He went off to recuperate.”
After several days of tracking him, Erne finally managed to trace Cliff’s movements.
On the day he secured Judith’s release from the security force, Erne had gone looking for Cliff.
Breaking into Cliff’s estate was no challenge for Erne. The problem was waking up a patient who wouldn’t stir no matter how hard you pinched him.
When Erne went to find Cliff again, he had already disappeared. It took Erne several hectic days to track down where Cliff had gone.
“Who in their right mind ‘recuperates’ by fleeing in the middle of the night?”
Judith muttered to herself. He must be hiding something.
Right before coughing up blood, Cliff had definitely been about to confess something.
He might not have known why Erne was resurrected, but for now, Cliff was the only lead they had.
“Are you going to follow Cliff?”
Erne nodded.
After Cliff ended up in that state, no more assassins had come.
No more assassins meant it should be safe to leave Judith alone. Besides, Henry would check in on her from time to time.
“Once I get my forged identification, I’m leaving.”
Erne still had no intention of letting the world know that he was alive. But to follow Cliff, who had gone off to “recuperate” in another territory, he would need identification papers.
In the end, Erne decided to forge an ID. He had assumed it would be a simple matter to get a piece of paper like that within a day. But to his surprise, the supplier informed him that there was a backlog of orders, and it would take at least ten days.
“Can’t you get it done faster?”
“Everyone who came before you is also in a hurry, sir.”
The supplier responded bluntly, leaving Erne with no choice but to wait.
You even have to make a reservation to get a forged ID? What kind of country is this?
In the end, Erne’s schedule was delayed by ten whole days. But that wasn’t a big problem since it would also take time for Cliff’s condition to improve.
The real problem lay elsewhere.
“Miss Harrington, I even pulled some strings and used old connections to get you out of prison. Aren’t you grateful?”
He plopped down next to Judith, who was making candles.
“You must want something.”
Judith, who had a sharp sense for these kinds of things, got straight to the point. So, there was no reason for him to beat around the bush either.
“Yeah, just buy me a horse.”
“What?”
“Cliff went off to recuperate in a carriage. How am I supposed to chase him on foot?”
Judith tilted her head as she poured wax mixed with dye into a glass bottle.
“Hmm, I’m not that grateful, so what should I do? I heard you can rent a horse. Why don’t you rent one instead?”
Her shameless suggestion left Erne boiling with frustration. But despite his glare, Judith remained unbothered. She filled up one basket, pulled out another, and said nonchalantly:
“Hold this basket for me.”
“Now she’s even making me work.”
“If you do, I’ll buy you some jerky.”
“Hmph.”
“I’m being generous here. I’ll even get you a new water bottle.”
***
“……..”
Jerky and a new water bottle.
Admittedly, they were essential for the long journey to track down Cliff. But as he stood waiting for Judith to finish delivering candles, holding a basket under his arm, he felt a strange sense of discomfort.
It wasn’t so much that he felt unpleasant. It was more like…
Am I some kind of puppy following her around hoping for treats?
Erne frowned, his face contorted into a grimace from experiencing a feeling he’d never felt in his life.
Just then, Judith stepped out of Baron Brix’s manor, her face glowing with joy. Judging by her beaming expression, she must have received a tip.
As Erne took a step toward Judith, something unexpected happened.
A tall, young man approached her and called out.
“Hey, excuse me, lady.”
thank you for the translations!!