Please Save My Child

It was fortunate that it was an ancient artifact. If I hadn’t done that, the whole person would have been brainwashed. Anne-Marie added.

 

“Artifact…”

 

“Yes, artifact. I’ve talked to other people while you’ve been locked up for one reason or another.” Anne-Marie frowned. “On the first day, Count Embron gathered his servants. I was away from the mansion at the time because of other errands.”

 

And at that time, everyone who spoke with Count Embron took his side. Anne-Marie told Reina the information she had gathered in that short period of time. Reina just listened to her story with a bewildered expression. Such a description did not even appear in the novel. The only story was that Estelle awakened as a true princess against Count Embron, who had taken control of everyone. Reina couldn’t close her mouth due to the unfamiliar information, so she looked at Anne-Marie. Bonita couldn’t understand half of their conversation, so she just kept looking at it in turns and putting her finger in and out of Reina’s mouth.

 

“It is certain because the master ordered the knights to search. The idea of daring to use such a brainwashing artifact in the duchy was probably not Count Embron’s alone.”

 

Anne-Marie was like that in front of her. She said and squinted her eyes at Reina who nodded.

 

“Anyway, let’s eat first. You look like you’ll break if I hit you.”

 

“Yes, Thank you.”

 

Anne-Marie was lost in her thoughts as she watched Reina take care of her daughter more than herself.

 

“But if you activate such an artifact, don’t you usually brainwash the group that is most likely to be useful?”

 

She recalled those who had sided with Count Embron. They were all people who were either somewhat familiar with Estelle or who met her often. Since the power of any artifact would not work on Fineke, it was a vicious plan to use people around her to brainwash Estelle. The reason Anne-Marie wasn’t brainwashed was simple. When Count Embron arrived at the mansion on the first day, Anne-Marie had just left her mansion to run an errand.

 

‘If I start the spell often it will arouse suspicion, so I would have done it on the first day.’

 

But if you think about it this way, there was something strange. Therefore…

 

‘Why is Reina Borton okay?”

 

Why didn’t the artifact’s magic work on Reina Borton?

 

* * *

 

As Damian guessed and Anne-Marie told Reina, an artifact was found in the Count’s luggage. The magical power had already been used up, and the magic stone embedded in the center had lost its light and was transformed into a cloudy, pitch-black stone.

 

“After looking through the data, it is indeed an artifact of brainwashing magic, Your Excellency.”

 

Damian looked at Count Embron, who was kneeling in front of him, rolling the artifact in his hand with a deadpan expression.

 

“You’re ugly old.”

 

“Go, Your Excellency.”

 

“They said he was a loyalist who served the former Duke and Duchess, but I never thought he was a fox who cleverly hid his teeth.”

 

Damian looked at the cloudy, pitch-black stone for a long time and spoke.

 

“Who is behind it?”

 

“Well, I don’t know anything.”

 

“Are you going to claim that you too were under a brainwashing spell?”

 

Count Embron opened his eyes wide and nodded his head.

 

“Well, it’s that woman’s trick! Isn’t it strange! If I had used the artifact, I would have brainwashed that maid first! Everyone is being fooled by that woman’s cunning tricks!”

 

“If she did that, she wouldn’t know when I’d be back, so there’s no need to put on a show like that.”

 

If Damian’s return date hadn’t changed, he might have been a little suspicious, but he had returned much earlier than originally scheduled. And according to another maid’s testimony, Reina had been locked in the warehouse for two days before Damien arrived.

 

“For some reason, the brainwashing magic didn’t work on Reina Borton, and you must have been wary of Reina Borton. And while I was away, you probably tried to scare my daughter and take her place…”

 

This was truly a deceptive act. Damian looked at Embron without even spilling a word.

 

“If you knew how I came to this position after the former Duke and Duchess passed away, it wouldn’t have happened.”

 

Count Embron trembled at those words and lowered his head.

 

“At that time, I was foolish to believe that you were one of the few people who took my side. It was right that the whole thing should be destroyed. You will lose your life because of your foolish greed, and all of the earl’s titles that originally belonged to Duke Turnite will be confiscated. And your family will have to live the rest of their lives paying for what you have done. You will feel fortunate. They too. I won’t pay you back with your life. I ask again, who is behind it?”

 

“…No such thing exists.”

 

Count Embron lowered his head and answered while trembling. Damien, looking at him, narrowed his eyes.

 

“Does not exist.”

 

Damien waved his hand and told him to pull him out. Count Embron was dragged away without even protesting. It was quite different from that ugly struggle not long ago.

 

“There is no way Count Embron could obtain an artifact of this magnitude. Even if he is so worn out that he can only use it once.” said Damian, who was left alone with his aide, Peter.

 

And he was a cautious man. It was clear that his true nature had never been discovered in recent years.

 

“Are you saying that the reason he did this was because he had some credibility?”

 

“Yes. There must be someone behind it.”

 

Damian roughly threw the artifact on the office desk and continued.

 

“Someone who has power comparable to mine and is more cruel.”

 

Damien said he would spare Count Embron’s Gasol. Perhaps he will continue to live a life that might be better off dead. If Count Embron had judged that his rear was less of a threat than Damian’s, he might have attempted to strike a deal. However, his statement that it did not exist until the end meant only one thing. He said after that he wouldn’t be able to handle the storm. It meant that he would leave the world alone because he didn’t know what harm the unknown mastermind would cause to his family.

 

“Even if we investigate the black market, we won’t be able to find out who purchased it. By this point, it would have gone through many places.”

 

“Still, shall we investigate?”

 

“Yes.”

 

Damian pressed his tired eyes.

 

“Let’s quickly announce Reina Borton’s innocence, and…”

 

Damian stopped talking.

 

“I guess I should give you a gift too.”

 

“Ara-ara.”

 

As soon as Peter arrived in the Holy Kingdom, he thought of Damian buying various things for the children.

 

“Shall we order the servants?”

 

“I’ll tell you about it myself. Estelle, as well as mother and daughter, are probably quite depressed and exhausted. It’s better for me to go.”

 

Rather than saying through someone else’s mouth that it’s okay now. It was more reassuring if the person at the highest level of this mansion spoke.

 

“This place is really boring. I don’t know who I can entrust Estelle’s education books to.”

 

“I’ll look into it again.”

 

“This time, I’ll have to take a look before I meet Estelle.”

 

He felt like he was making a mistake by choosing it without seeing it in person.

 

Damian mumbled and got up.

 

“Your Excellency’s work will increase.”

 

“It’s better than hurting the child again.”

 

He wanted to be a good parent, but it seemed like he was only creating more wounds since he brought her to the mansion.

 

Damian stroked his hair with his stern face.

 

“…I don’t want to be hated by my daughter.”

 

* * *

 

Estelle locked herself in her room and didn’t think about getting out of bed. No, it was more like she couldn’t.

 

“Reina must have been hurt.”

 

And she was going to hate her now. That’s because she didn’t help Reina. Reina always tried to help her, but she couldn’t. If her father hadn’t come quickly, Reina might have really died.

 

Death.

 

Just putting those words next to her made her feel like her heart was sinking. If that’s the case, what happens to Bonita? Because of her cowardly actions, she almost lost two precious people forever.

 

Tears began to fall from the child’s big pink eyes again.

 

At that time, a knock was heard.

 

“Estelle.”

 

It was Damien. It wasn’t a friendly voice like others, but it was a familiar and dependable voice.

 

“Can I come in?”

 

“…”

 

“If you say it can’t happen now, I’ll wait until it does.”

 

Estelle stirred in her bed and eventually lifted her head and looked toward her door.

 

“It’s okay.”

 

She answered so softly, would it be heard? She was worried, but fortunately Damian didn’t miss that small voice. Then, the door was opened quite carefully, saying that he would go in.

 

“Estelle, are you okay?”

 

Estelle wiped away the tears that were about to flow, held back them, and nodded her head. Damien looked at his daughter.

 

“Can I come closer?”

 

Estelle nodded her head again. Damian walked over and sat down next to Estelle.

 

“Can I stroke your head?”

 

His voice trembled a little when he asked this question. The great Duke seemed frightened.

 

“…yes.”

 

When Estelle responded softly and nodded her head, Damian carefully reached out his hand and touched Estelle’s hair. And he answered.

 

“I was wrong”

 

Estelle’s eyes widened at that apology. Estelle had apologized to adults many times, but she had rarely received an apology from adults.

 

“Wrong?”

 

“Yes.”

 

“What did you do wrong?”

 

“I left you alone in this mansion.”

 

Estelle and Damien’s eyes met. Estelle read sadness and pain in her father’s eyes.

 

“Having an unproven person as your teacher, not being able to properly form your own side, and complacently believing that you would be safe. It’s all my fault that you’re having such a hard time right now.”

 

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Translator Note: