Because of that, Agnes’s body shook back and forth every time he moved his arm.
“This, this is invalid! The artifacts from there are mine!”
Baron Leslin shouted loudly with a distorted face. It was an ear-splitting scream.
The servants continued to circle around, unsure of what to do.
“Write the contract again!”
“I can’t, ugh, let go.”
The more he pulled the scarf with force, the more she was strangled.
Agnes pushed the Baron with all her might, but he didn’t budge. Her face turned red as her breath became increasingly labored.
“If you don’t rewrite the contract immediately…… ugh!”
A crackling sound was heard. At the same time, the force squeezing her neck disappeared.
“Argh!”
Laslo twisted Baron Leslin’s wrist in the opposite direction from where he was holding the scarf.
“Agh, my hand!”
Baron Leslin howled in pain. He yelled like a beast in true pain.
“Ackkk.”
“Are you okay?”
Laslo ignored him and checked Agnes’s body. Agnes barely nodded her head.
Meanwhile, the Baron collapsed on the floor, still screaming loudly.
“What have you all been doing until Agnes was in distress like this with that man!”
He yelled at the servants around him. The guards, who entered belatedly and learned of the situation, became flustered.
“We, we apologize, Master.”
“What have the guards been doing all this time?”
“That’s…”
The knight hesitated, unable to continue his words. Laslo’s face, which was previously heated, cooled down in an instant.
“We will discuss your punishment later.”
His voice was so low that it sounded like a suppressed growl.
“Take Agnes to her room and call a doctor immediately.”
“Yes, yes!”
One of the servants jumped up and supported Agnes, who was in Laslo’s arms, and went out of the drawing room.
“Ugh!”
Baron Leslin held his broken wrist and writhed on the floor, panting heavily.
“What should I do with the Baron? Master. Should I kick him out of the mansion right away?”
Another servant approached and asked.
“No.”
Laslo didn’t take his eyes off the Baron for a moment.
“Bring him to the private interrogation room.”
“Gasp, Y-Your Grace! I-I made a mistake. I momentarily lost my senses, ugh!”
With a merciless expression, he stepped on the Baron’s foot.
“I will listen to your excuses later.”
ੈ✩‧₊˚༺☆༻*ੈ✩‧₊˚
“Madam!”
As Agnes was being supported by the servants, Ney rushed in with a look of surprise.
“What’s going on?”
The servant, who was next to her, sighed and briefly explained the situation.
“How dare he!”
Upon hearing about the situation, Ney trembled uncontrollably.
“Where is the physician?”
“They are on their way.”
“Quickly, help her lie down on the bed.”
Ney efficiently directed the people around her.
Agnes lay on the bed, breathing heavily and filled with pain. Her forcibly twisted neck was throbbing with intense pain.
“Please, untie this for me first.”
“Yes, Madam.”
Her maid carefully untied the scarf. Another red mark appeared on top of the bruise.
Ney’s eyes blazed with anger as she saw it.
“How dare a baron…”
The physician who had been contacted promptly arrived and examined Agnes’s neck wound.
“You must rest deeply for a while.”
The physician twitched the bridge of his nose and left after administering ointments and medicines.
“Since the inside of your throat may have been damaged, please refrain from talking too much until it heals.”
“Yes, I’ll do that.”
Ney thanked the physician, and as soon as he left, she helped Agnes drink the medicine.
“Ugh, bitter.”
“Should I bring some sweet snacks?”
Agnes nodded with a furrowed brow. Ney quickly left, saying he would be back soon.
As soon as she left, the door opened again.
“Duke?”
Laslo walked steadily towards the bed where Agnes lay.
“How are you feeling?”
“Hmm. It hurts a little, but I’m okay.”
“Let me take a look.”
Agnes lifted her chin at his words.
Her white and thin neck was a mess, with bruised marks from the scarf.
Seeing it, his previously calm heart began to boil.
“It’s a bit sore.”
Laslo didn’t even notice his fingernails digging into his palms.
“What did the physician say?”
“He told me to just rest. It will get better if I take the medicine re…*coughs*… regularly.”
Her throat felt itchy, making her cough involuntarily.
Seeing it, Laslo looked at Agnes with worried eyes.
“Don’t speak if it hurts.”
“What about him?”
“I’m going to ask for a duel.”
“A duel?”
“I want to cut both his wrists…”
He muttered in a low, bitter voice.
“Hmm?”
Agnes looked at Laslo in surprise.
“For now, I’ll send a challenge to the dueling ground to settle it.”
“I’m sorry for causing you trouble.”
“You didn’t cause any trouble. I should have been more attentive.”
Laslo sighed roughly, his face filled with worry and guilt.
“It’s going to be annoying, but as long as you’re in the capital, please let Sir Matron accompany you even inside the mansion. I can’t rest easy otherwise.”
“Okay. Let’s do that.”
Agnes simply nodded her head.
“Then rest.”
After finishing his words, Laslo covered Agnes with a blanket and left the room.
‘Oh, right. I should have asked him what happened at the palace.’
Her thoughts did not last long.
It seems the medicine she had taken earlier had a sleep-inducing effect.
Not long after lying down on the bed, Agnes fell into a deep sleep.
☪︎ ִ ࣪𖤐 𐦍 ☾𖤓 ☪︎ ִ ࣪𖤐 𐦍 ☾𖤓
As soon as Laslo left her room, he called Beller. The knight who was called, quietly opened the door to the office and came in.
“Did you call me?”
“It seems the king is preparing for war.”
“War?!”
“Yes. I had a solo meeting with the king at the palace today; he seemed inclined to have a war with Devon.”
“It’s only been a season since the new king ascended to the throne. The country is still in turmoil inside and out, and now there is war…”
Beller ended his speech with a complicated face.
“Even if we consider the armies the king has, they don’t add up to even fifty thousand. It’s not like the number of standing forces has increased in particular in recent years, so I can’t understand how the war will go.”
“He seemed to be thinking of forcibly recruiting soldiers from noble families.”
“Do you think the lords will just sit idly by and hand over their soldiers?”
“All they need is to create a reason..”
Laslo’s expression turned cold. Beller let out a shallow sigh.
“We need to make some preparations as well.”
“Yes. It seems I will have to go out myself for this war.”
“What?”
Beller jumped in surprise.
“You’re going to war? What do you mean?”
Of course, there are cases where the lord goes directly to war.
However, Arpad is different.
His territory was one where monster incursions occurred several times a month.
Although the line of defense was strengthened due to magic on the wall, the number of beasts crossing the line did not decrease.
Because of that, there has never been a case in which the Duke of Arpad went to war himself.
“The king asked me to prove my loyalty.”
“….is it because of the princess?”
Beller, quick-witted as ever, immediately deduced the situation.
“I hope it turns out well.”
Laslo rested his chin on his hands, his usually stern face now as rigid as a winter sea. His dark green irises were so deeply set that they appeared almost black.
“Because our side also has a reason to prepare for war.”
“Milord.”
Sensing something unusual in his words, Beller stood up straight.
“War is a way for new powers to arise or fall.”
“What you’re saying is…”
“Sir Beller. The king said it was going to be in the fall, but only when the harvest is over will the war begin in earnest.”
“……”
“Prepare diligently until then. Make sure Agnes remains safe even if I am not around in case the king tries something cunning in Sutmar.”
Beller’s face contorted with complexity.
He remained silent for a while, as if trying to find the right words, but in the end, he couldn’t say anything.
“I understand, milord.”
☪︎ ִ ࣪𖤐 𐦍 ☾𖤓 ☪︎ ִ ࣪𖤐 𐦍 ☾𖤓
The news of the duel between Duke Arpad and Baron Leslin spread quickly throughout social circles.
“Isn’t Baron Leslin a person who can’t even pick up a sword properly?”
“I know. What on earth is happening?”
The nobles gathered in twos and threes and talked about the duel.
“This is unfair!”
Baron Leslin complained to everyone he met, claiming that the Duke misunderstood everything and that he had done nothing wrong.
He spun elaborate tales to justify himself.
However, when rumors spread that Baron Leslin had barged into the Duke’s townhouse without an appointment and raised his hand against the Duchess, everyone turned their backs on him.
“How could he do such a terrible thing?”
“Well, you reap what you sow.”
For this reason, not many people showed up at the agreed-upon location for the duel to watch.
It was clear to everyone what the outcome would be.
[How did it go?]
Upon hearing that Laslo had returned to the mansion, Agnes rushed over and handed him a piece of paper.
Due to the physician’s advice to refrain from speaking for a few days because of her neck condition, she had been silent.
“It went well.”
[What does that mean?]
“It means that he reflects and repents of his mistakes.”
Laslo smiled.
