I Thought It Was a Common Transmigration

‘Therefore… Did he leave me trapped there to die?’

 

A hollow laugh flowed out. No matter how much she thought about it, she couldn’t understand it. If they considered her a member of the Rigelhof family, they should have dragged her in and cut off my head. Otherwise, they should have rescued her.

 

‘They don’t think I participated in this incident, but they also didn’t want to save me…?’

 

She could only think that way because they left her behind even after seeing her tied up and assaulted like a prisoner. If they left her there and claimed they didn’t know, the Ludwig family wouldn’t be responsible for her death.

 

‘Killian… Is this something you agreed to?’

 

In the original work, Cliff’s rescue mission was something both Duke Ludwig and Killian knew about. Because after careful planning, Cliff decided to go.

 

‘Then Killian must know about this operation, and I’m sure he knows about my disposition…’

 

While thinking about the original, she stood there for a while looking up blankly at the sky, which was half covered with light gray clouds.

 

‘It’s winter again… It was around this time when I married Killian… Edith’s appearance lasted exactly one year.’

 

She thought many things happened during that year, but when she tried to recall them, the only thing that came to mind was Killian’s face.

 

“…The person who used your billboard best was Killian Ludwig.”

 

What Sophia said confused her mind. The fact that Killian was nice to me was something he did to show off to those around him… They said they’ve already completed the background investigation.

 

‘Was the fact that you were nice to me even when others weren’t looking, just to completely deceive me?’

 

She wanted to believe it wasn’t the case, but negative imaginations continued to arise one after another. If Killian really accepted her as his wife, there’s no way Cliff would have abandoned her, no matter how much he hated her. Because he wasn’t an older brother to ignore his younger brother’s will. But the meaning of abandoning her in this way was clear.

 

‘Therefore… mean you don’t need me anymore?’

 

She remembered herself desperately trying to win over a piece of Killian’s heart, and suddenly felt defeated. However, even in despair and despair, humans were animals that felt hunger and cold.

 

“Wow, it’s cold.”

 

As her body trembled in pain here and there, she thought about what she should do.

 

‘Let’s think positively, be positive. Anyway, you’re still alive, right?’

 

‘Plan B’, which was to be kind to the extras, ended up saving her life. If it weren’t for the mercenaries who loosened the rope, she would have starved to death or frozen to death while trapped in that dark underground warehouse.

 

‘Now I can finally use the money I deposited in the bank.’

 

This meant she had to quickly get the money before the Ludwigs blocked withdrawals from her safe. Although she opened the safe using an assumed name, it seemed like Duke Ludwig would be able to find out everything easily.

 

“If you are lucky enough to survive, untie the rope and run away. This is Wellesley, south of the capital, so when you leave, you have to run north.”

 

She remembered what the mercenary said. She looked at the sun obscured by hazy clouds and her own blurry shadow, roughly decided on north, and started walking blindly. Even going from here to the center of the capital was not a safe task right now, so she decided to focus only on that task.

 

* * *

 

The results of the territorial war between Duke Ludwig and Count Rigelhof came out faster than people expected. It was a great victory for Duke Ludwig. Even those who expected Duke Ludwig to win didn’t expect it to end so quickly.

 

“I was too proud to face Archduke Langston, Count Rigelhof, Duke Ludwig, and His Majesty the Emperor.”

 

“It’s foolish to attack the enemy without properly understanding them…”

 

“Don’t say something you don’t know. It’s not that Archduke Langston and Count Rigelhof were lax, but that Duke Ludwig and His Majesty the Emperor were completely hiding it.”

 

The forces that supported Archduke Langston in social circles suddenly disappeared, and changed their stance as if they had supported the Emperor and Duke Ludwig from the beginning. That’s because all of the representative families that supported Archduke Langston were on the verge of extinction.

 

“Attempting to assassinate His Majesty the Emperor… Isn’t this treason that can’t be denied?”

 

“Not even Archduke Langston. I heard it was his son who did it.”

 

“Hey, be careful what you say. Even if it was his son who did it, how could it be that the Archduke didn’t know about it?”

 

As soon as the assassination attempt failed, the imperial family, as if they had been waiting, arrested the Archduchy Langston and all five families that supported him. Those who ran away were wanted, but the family head and heirs had all been caught, so extinction was almost certain. In particular, the Duke of Ludwig was unusually allowed to dispose of the Count Rigelhof, who first provoked the war and even carried out a kidnapping. While Rigelhof was holding captives in the prison outside the duke’s residence and preparing for execution, Duke Ludwig and Killian returned to the capital to a welcome that seemed like a triumphal ceremony.

 

“Thank you for your hard work, father. Thank you for your hard work, Killian.”

 

Cliff, who was waiting at his mansion, greeted his father and brother upon their return. As soon as Duke Ludwig got off his horse, he strode over without saying a word and embraced the Duchess, who was standing behind Cliff, supported by his maid.

 

“I’m sorry for troubling you, Jocelyn.”

 

“I’m OK. Don’t worry, honey.”

 

Killian, who was happily watching the warm reunion between his father and mother, got off his horse and looked around. It seemed like everyone in the Ludwig family had gathered, but no matter how hard he looked around, he couldn’t see the face he was looking for.

 

“Brother, where is Edith?”

 

Killian asked, continuing to search for Edith’s reddish-brown hair. But there was no answer from Cliff.

 

“Brother…?”

 

“Killian, that woman helped kidnap mother and Lise.”

 

“What…?”

 

As Killian asked again, Duke Ludwig’s head turned.

 

“Are you sure? Please explain in detail, Cliff.”

 

“It looks like they were originally planning on attacking the mansion. Lise said she looked suspicious as the woman walked around the residence.”

 

The Duke knew this, but it was Killian’s first time hearing it. His brows frowned grimly.

 

“It looks suspicious? What happened?”

 

“She said that every night she checked the door locks and she was walking around the mansion. I think she was trying to do something to the back door of the mansion. She has a maid who was seen opening the door in front of him and fiddling with the lock.”

 

“It’s just a guess, right? Or do you have any proof?”

 

“That’s not all! They say he wandered around places where there were no doors to check. And every corner.”

 

Cliff said it as if it were some kind of great evidence, but Killian snorted.

 

“You can’t just be suspicious about something like that, right?”

 

“Killian.”

 

“And who saw Edith looking at every corner like that?”

 

“This is what Lise saw.”

 

“So, you’re saying that Lise also wandered around every corner like Edith? But you don’t doubt Lise, yes?”

 

Not only Cliff, but even Lise looked surprised.

 

“Lise is like our family.”

 

“Edith is our family too! I’ve been married for almost a year, how long are you going to treat me like a stranger?”

 

Killian was able to understand, to some extent, the injustice and frustration that Edith must have felt while living in this house. Just because she was the daughter of the Rigelhoff family she was presumed that all her actions were for some conspiracy. But this time Cliff was also stubborn.

 

“When we went to rescue her, Edith was no longer there. It seems like they brought her somewhere, but they haven’t given a proper answer as to where they stole it from.”

 

At that time, Lise also carefully opened her mouth.

 

“When I woke up there, it was just me and the duchess and those people. I haven’t seen Edith since I was taken away, Killian.”

 

“The maid said that she brought Edith away.”

 

Killian’s eyes sparkled at Cliff’s further explanation.

 

“That housemaid? Are you talking about that maid named Sophia?”

 

“Yes. She is the maid that Edith had.”

 

Killian felt a subtle sense of discomfort there.

 

“Tell me in detail what the maid said.”

 

“‘Did you say that a place like this would suit our young lady’?”

 

“Is that it?”

 

“Yes. Do I need to say anything else?”

 

What Cliff meant was, ‘What else is needed to prove that Edith is a spy over there?’ But Killian felt that there was something strange about her.

 

‘Sophia, that maid tried to save Edith? She was staring at Edith as if she were going to eat her, is she that woman?’

 

The maid named Sophia came close to hating Edith. Edith’s back, still bruised and speckled from Sophia’s beatings, was vivid in her memory. Even if Edith did decide to become loyal to her family again, Sophia did not seem loyal enough to her to let her escape alone.

 

“Nonsense…”

 

“Killian. I understand that feeling of not wanting to believe. But this isn’t something I can forgive out of sympathy or affection.”

 

Then Duke Ludwig, who had been listening to Cliff nearby, came forward.

 

“So, did the person solve it?”

 

“Yes. We haven’t been able to solve much for the defense of the mansion, but now that all the knights have returned, we plan to increase our search force.”

 

Cliff and the Duke seemed to believe that Edith must have helped Shane, but Killian could not. Just in case, Edith really wanted to hear from Duke Ludwig herself, even if she had turned against Killian and betrayed him. Killian said with a cold face.

 

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