Chapter 138
She wasn’t strong enough to defeat the Orhelin knights, who threatened Killian.
Though she had recently made a name for herself in society, she was neither as influential as Lady Chanelia nor capable of opposing the Empress.
She didn’t possess the special abilities she had so longed for.
As an extra, her abilities were minimal, and there were limits to how much she could protect Killian.
Therefore, she had to rely on the strength of others.
Sophia faced a kind, beautiful, and strong person who could help her.
And she responded as Sophia had hoped.
“Thank you for coming to me when you needed help.”
Estelle said she was honoured to be the friend Sophia turned to in difficult times.
She nodded as if she were always ready to listen.
Sophia felt tears welling up.
Perhaps because of Killian’s situation, she found herself emotionally fragile over small things.
Struggling to control her emotions, Sophia cautiously began to speak.
“I want to tell you everything I know. Of course, you might not believe me. You might think I’m crazy or making up lies to defend the Grand Duke…”
“That’s not true. The Sophia I know is brave and honest.”
Estelle believed in Sophia.
Although they hadn’t known each other long, relationships are not necessarily proportional to time.
Although she helped out at the ball, defeated the demons, and attended the tea party, Estelle remembered only the minor details.
Straightening her tangled skirt and ribbons when she was uncomfortable in her dress and heels, or pouring her tea when her teacup was empty, or smiling at her with eyes that showed complete trust in her.
These unique and unexpected gestures and words were new and delightful, and for some reason, felt as comfortable as an old acquaintance.
Estelle found Sophia special.
“Tell me, Sophia. I’m ready to listen to any story.”
Estelle calmly settled the atmosphere.
The morning sunlight gently illuminated the table.
In this seemingly peaceful setting, Sophia began to speak the words she had rehearsed dozens of times in her mind.
“Estelle… I know who the Black Moon is.”
* * *
Meanwhile.
“You punched an Orhelin knight?!”
Benedict clutched his neck and leaned back into his chair as if he might fall.
In front of him stood Ian, wearing his usual expression of innocence.
“Do you think you can beat up anyone just because you won against the Grand Duke Rivelon in the match?!”
Benedict pounded his chest, unable to control his rising anger.
It was because Ian had visited the underground prison yesterday and struck Sir Reuter of Orhelin in the chest and then hit him several more times.
Though he seemed to have focused on the torso and legs to avoid visible injuries, violence was still violence.
No matter how famed Ruchtainer was as the empire’s best, provoking the Orhelin knights, who guarded the imperial family, was unacceptable.
“He deserved it.”
“What reason did Sir Reuter have to deserve a beating from you?”
“He said he would conduct a fair investigation but was actually torturing him.”
“What…?”
Benedict furrowed his brow, wondering if he had heard wrong.
Torture?
It was a term he hadn’t heard in a long time. It had been many years since he last encountered it.
And Orhelin torturing the Grand Duke?
While torturing a traitor might be possible, the subject was still Killian.
He was practically the imperial family’s foster son and had been so loyal that he was called the imperial dog.
Torturing him seemed unimaginable.
There might have been some coercive investigation, but Ian must be exaggerating.
‘Since when did he care so much about the Grand Duke Rivelon?’
He had always been eager to fight, so why was he now defending Orhelin over a bit of tough interrogation?
Or was it because he had won against Killian in the match and now mistakenly thought of him as his subordinate, reacting violently when Orhelin touched his subordinate?
Or was he already looking out for his future brother-in-law?
No. But wasn’t it Ian himself who put the Grand Duke in that situation?
“Regardless of how the investigation is conducted, it’s not your place to intervene, Sir Ian.”
“Those bastards have corrupted the Black Moon investigation.”
Ian clenched his teeth.
The thought of it made him angry again.
Recently, he found it hard to control his emotions.
He constantly felt a vague displeasure, irritation, and occasional bursts of anger.
Though known for his temper, he had never felt such emotional turbulence as he did now.
‘Are you blaming me now that the Grand Duke became like this?’
How can I make Sophia believe me? How can I lift the veil that blinds her?
He felt like his head would explode from thinking about it all day.
Killian was the one who had committed a crime, yet he felt wrong that he was the one earning Sophia’s hatred.
What puzzled him more was why Sophia’s misunderstanding affected him so deeply.
Despite Lady Chanelia’s extra edition turning public opinion against Killian, there were still a few who speculated that Ian might have framed Killian.
But Ian didn’t care about such nonsense.
Because he was confident and certain of his righteousness, he didn’t need to be shaken by the mindless stories fabricated by idiotic worms.
But he couldn’t tolerate Sophia misunderstanding him.
“Whatever the case, your act of violence against the Orhelin knights is a serious problem.”
Benedict said to Ian, his face stern.
In response, Ian raised his eyes, a more contemptuous look than usual tainting his expression.
“Did that bastard run off crying to tattle on me? He should be ashamed.”
Ian muttered, and Benedict rubbed his forehead.
Well, Ian wasn’t entirely wrong.
If any Ruchtainer knights would when about being beaten, Benedict would think about striking them from Ruchtainer’s list immediately.
A knight getting beaten and then whining about it?
It was distasteful even to imagine.
It was more in line with Ruchtainer’s code to hit back rather than take a beating.
But that didn’t mean it was acceptable to go around beating people up.
“There will be no getting away without discipline this time, Sir Ian.”
“……”
Benedict spoke in a very official tone, but Ian remained indifferent.
His expression suggested he didn’t care about any punishment. He wasn’t even interested in what Benedict was saying.
“A disciplinary hearing will be held this afternoon. You might be excluded from this year’s monster hunting mission.”
Despite Benedict’s stern warning, Ian made no response.
Under normal circumstances, Ian would argue against being removed from a mission or insist on receiving a different punishment. But he was unusually compliant today.
“Sir Ian?”
Are you even listening to me?
Benedict called his name, unsettled by Ian’s unusually quiet reaction.
Ian then looked at him.
“Understood.”
“Understood…?”
Benedict blinked, astonished.
Was this the Ian he knew?
Ian seemed to be in a bad mood today, and his unusual calmness made Benedict even more uneasy.
* * *
During the disciplinary hearing, Ian continued to think about Killian and Sophia.
When the decision was made to exclude him from the monster hunting mission, he thought:
‘In any case, Sophia needs to break off the engagement.’
She couldn’t stay engaged to that dangerous bastard any longer. This decision was also for the good of the Fraus family.
His parents were probably already planning the breakup.
The imperial family would likely be more than willing to agree to the annulment.
As he organised his thoughts, the sun set, and Ian rode towards the Fraus estate at his usual time.
‘Once the engagement is broken, it won’t be hard to keep Sophia away from Killian.’
As long as Sophia didn’t go to see Killian during the investigation.
Ian thought about Sophia.
Come to think of it, the early morning departure…
‘Did she go to see Killian?’
Ian bit his lip.
If she returned home at dawn, it meant she had left the estate before sunrise, a dangerous time for a young woman to be out alone.
It didn’t seem like she used the count’s carriage. Even if she rented a carriage, it would still be risky.
If she had a reason to go out at that hour, Killian was the only one he could think of.
Could she have asked Crown Prince Mikhail for a visit? Did she bring him medicine or something?
‘Just how far are you willing to go, Sophia?’
Ian was worried that Sophia might really end up in the hands of that murderer.
Unless he forcibly kept her at the estate…
At that moment.
“It’s the Black Moon!”
A near-screaming voice echoed through the deserted night street.
Ian’s head snapped up.
‘The Black Moon?’
It was a word that made him extremely sensitive, almost to the point of neurosis.
The Black Moon, but Killian was captured, so it couldn’t be?
