Kaien leaned back.
“Actually, it’s half my wish. Suggestions can be quite effective. So from now on, you’ll start loving me.”
His words were filled with conviction.
Kaien took Philome’s hand and kissed the back of it.
“Please do.”
He wasn’t expecting a response, so he released Philome’s hand, even though it was a reluctant gesture.
Kaien spoke lightly.
“I’d like to talk more, but the imperial knights will be here soon.”
He wrapped his arms around Philome’s waist and lifted her.
“D-Duke?”
“It’ll be over in the blink of an eye.”
Then he jumped off the terrace. It was a significant height from the third floor, so Philome couldn’t even scream and just held onto Kaien’s neck, swallowing her breath.
Kaien smiled gently at the hands that clung to his neck.
He landed lightly while still holding Philome.
Then he quickly exited the mansion and got into the carriage.
The carriage didn’t go far before stopping.
“Look over there; can you see it?”
Kaien opened the window.
There, a faint line of lights could be seen extending into the distance.
“It’s the imperial knights.”
“Then could it be… that the third prince came here to capture Ethan?”
In their conversation, they had completely forgotten about Winston. At Philome’s murmuring, Kaien nodded.
“Certainly… the probability is high. He wouldn’t have accepted an invitation from the Kevan Marquis family, with whom he has no usual connections. In the first place, a coward like Ethan wouldn’t dare to invite a prince.”
Soon, they could see knights entering the mansion.
Seeing the considerable number of knights, the two concluded that Winston was likely involved in this matter.
The scale of the operation was too large to simply be about capturing drug criminals. It was the kind of scale that required Winston’s influence.
“Let’s head back. Ken will come to report anyway.”
As Kaien closed the window and tapped on the wall, the carriage began to move.
And as soon as they set off, silence fell.
Philome tried to ignore the awkwardness and thought things over again.
‘So, Kaien likes me.’
Not just the compatible match Philome, but Philome herself.
As Philome stole glances at Kaien, she was startled when their eyes met. Kaien smiled casually, and she turned her head, awkwardly pulling at the corners of her mouth before quickly averting her gaze.
Kaien generally didn’t regret what he had done. However, the sad premonition that Philome would likely avoid him for a while after his confession made him feel regretful.
‘After all, it’s something I have to say someday.’
Whenever he looked at Philome, the desire to kiss her and hold her was hard to suppress, and confessing was even more so. So, he decided again not to regret it this time.
They arrived at the mansion close to midnight.
Upon hearing that Ken had arrived, Kaien and Philome went up to the office together. Ken, who had been standing awkwardly in the office, removed his robe and bowed when they entered.
“You’ve worked hard, Ken.”
“Not at all.”
Ken spoke calmly, even though it must have been tough dealing with Ethan over the past few months.
“What happened?”
“The situation was resolved more quickly than expected.”
The situation relayed to him was as follows.
While the nobles were drinking and in high spirits, the knights burst in. The nobles were confused, but when Winston, who had been hiding his identity, revealed himself, the situation was somewhat sorted out.
Fortunately, because the drugs had been switched in advance, the alcohol consumed by the nobles did not contain any narcotics. Only dozens of barrels of drug-laced alcohol were found in Ethan’s mansion warehouse.
When they tried to find the exact evidence in documents, an unexpected person offered assistance.
“The butler?”
“Yes. He was the only sane person in the Kevan Marquis family. He had been fired today but was gathering evidence to hand over.”
The butler brought all the evidence, allowing the matter to be resolved quickly.
“The Marquis of Kevan and his wife were also arrested on drug charges.”
“What about Emon?”
“Emon Kevan was not at the mansion.”
“…Really?”
Kaien narrowed his eyes.
Then he turned to Philome.
“Philome, the Kevan Marquis title will be passed to Emon Kevan.”
“Did Emon not use drugs?”
“Surprisingly.”
Kaien nodded.
Emon was the only one in the Kevan family who did not use drugs. It was likely for this reason that he wouldn’t be arrested and would inherit the Kevan title.
Even though it was a position stained with debt and disgrace.
“Do you have any plans to bring Emon down separately?”
“I was planning to do so once he became the Marquis of Kevan.”
He thought it would be better for Emon to be trapped in the hope of obtaining what he desired after becoming the Marquis, only to then fall.
Philome seemed to fall into thought for a moment before nodding.
“That seems like a good idea.”
As the conversation wrapped up a bit, Philome stood up.
“I’ll be going now.”
“It’s late, so I’ll walk you to your room.”
“No, it’s just nearby.”
Philome shook her head in refusal.
Kaien was about to make the offer again but, seeing Philome’s face, he nodded instead.
“Alright. See you tomorrow.”
“Yes, good night.”
“…You too.”
As the door closed, Kaien called Sebastian to send a physician to Philome.
Once Sebastian left and he was completely alone, he splashed his face with cold water and let out a deep sigh.
☪︎ ִ ࣪𖤐 𐦍 ☾𖤓 ☪︎ ִ ࣪𖤐 𐦍 ☾𖤓
“It’s all thanks to His Highness the Third Prince.”
Winston smiled at the deputy chief’s words.
“No, I didn’t do anything. You worked hard, deputy chief.”
“That’s not true. If it weren’t for His Highness’s words, we would have missed this opportunity.”
Winston happened to see Count Dephra passionately explaining to the deputy chief. He was insisting that he had evidence of the Kevan family using and distributing drugs, but the deputy chief seemed to be in a difficult position.
There was a reason the deputy chief couldn’t move easily.
It was well-known that the two had a hostile relationship, and the evidence was somewhat lacking.
Still, if this were true, it would be a significant matter, so the deputy chief planned to inform the chief first and then move with only a small group.
‘It seems the Count Dephra’s words have some merit.’
That was before Winston intervened, at least.
No matter how firmly the Crown Prince held his position, Winston was still a prince in his own right, and his influence could not be ignored.
Ultimately, the deputy chief formally reported to the chief. Winston, who had initiated this matter, even offered to help by going undercover himself.
‘Is he trying to gain power?’
Thinking about the political currents, the deputy chief politely bowed to Winston.
“Please leave the remaining tasks to us. It’s getting late, so you should head in.”
“Alright. Don’t overwork yourself, deputy chief.”
Winston maintained a gentle smile until he stepped into the carriage.
And as soon as the carriage door closed, he wiped the smile off his face and let out a sigh, his expression weary. He leaned back against the carriage seat and ran his hand through his hair.
His fine blonde hair slipped between his fingers, becoming tousled.
Winston reached for a mask carelessly left in the carriage. The mask was ordinary, meant to help him blend in seamlessly among the crowd.
A white mask appeared in Winston’s mind.
‘Mel…’
It was a conclusion he couldn’t quite understand himself.
Though there was no resemblance, the thought of Mel crossed his mind.
‘Why have I been thinking of you so much lately, Mel?’
Winston recalled faded memories.
‘Winston.’
That child was the only one who treated him without reservation. At first, it was surprising, but he grew to like it. When he was with Mel, he felt at ease and free.
So, despite the objections from those around him, he stubbornly brought Mel along.
‘You’re living too much of your life wearing a mask.’
Mel was quite perceptive.
In just a few days, he was able to roughly grasp Winston’s condition.
‘I will definitely break this mask for you later.’
Mel’s voice echoed in his mind.
Winston pressed his lips tightly together.
‘…Then why did you disappear, Mel?’
If he had sent her off himself, it wouldn’t have left such a lasting impression. But Mel vanished overnight, without a trace.
