“This is an imperial order to bring in the women of the Duke of Lancaster as prisoners.”
As soon as he finished speaking, the two knights next to the man approached and helped Idel up.
Fortunately for her, he was not the type of person who will do something molest to a woman.
“We want to treat you as gentlemanly as possible, so please don’t do anything unnecessary, ma’am.”
So Ethel, had no intention of engaging in hopeless resistance. However, a shiver ran down her spine as she could not guess what the emperor’s intentions were when he told her to bring back the women of the dukedom alive.
It took about two weeks from the Lancaster Duchy to the capital, Terju. Although the usual journey by carriage would have taken about ten days, the transportation of art, gold, and the prisoners from the duchy extended the time.
During the dreary carriage ride, Ethel learned a few unsettling facts.
Firstly, it was expected – the Lancaster Duchy had fallen. The men who held the Lancaster Castle were all dead, and the duchy had been annexed into imperial territory.
Secondly, her maternal home, the Canyan County, also faced repercussions. Through pleading and providing crucial information, the count of Canyan managed to mitigate their situation. He disowned any connection with Ethel, relinquishing all rights.
Thirdly, the purpose of bringing Lancaster women, as ordered by the emperor, was distressingly clear – they were to be distributed as spoils among the heroes of this war.
The most devastating news among them was undoubtedly the last.
‘To be treated as spoils…’
Ethel tightly shut her eyes.
Those given as spoils were essentially slaves.
Although the imperial slavery system had long disappeared, seeing them presented as spoils brought the idea of slavery to everyone’s mind.
‘It’s worse than death.’
At that moment, Ethel abandoned any attempt to fathom the divine will. She was left with resentment.
A clean death—a mercy that now seemed like an extravagant wish.
‘If I had known it would come to this, I might not have lived like such a fool.’
A life where not a single moment unfolded according to her will felt regrettable.
However, she didn’t cry. No, she couldn’t. As she wasn’t yet dead, and being the Dowager Duchess required her to maintain composure.
The posture enforced upon her since childhood clung to her like an invisible chain. Yet, the women on the other side, oblivious to this fact, regarded Ethel with disdain.
“Quite the remarkable duchess, acting so dignified until the end.”
It was Lauren, the eldest daughter of the duke. In response, the second daughter, Daria, joined in, her eyes narrowed.
“Seems like she has trouble grasping reality. Ever since she was married off, her mind seemed to have wandered. Selling herself and pretending to be a real duchess or something.”
After days of sulking, these women now seemed eager to blame someone for their misfortune. Despite it not being Ethel’s fault that they were caught while fleeing, they wanted to shift the blame onto her.
“They say Canyan count’s estate is all burned down. Why bring a daughter of such a family into our house in the first place!”
“She must have used her father’s influence to secure the position of the Duchess! Shameless woman.”
While being looked down upon and mocked was not new for Ethel, hearing such harsh words was a first. Judging by their resentful comments, it seemed Lauren and Daria had given up on everything.
Ethel, with a steady gaze, responded calmly to her stepdaughters who glared at her with hostility.
“Perhaps it’s time to reflect on your own situations, Lauren, Daria, you too.”
Ethel’s composed reaction seemed to further infuriate Lauren and Daria, but she didn’t want to waste energy engaging in meaningless banter. She needed to conserve strength for the opportunity to end her life, taking advantage of a moment of lax surveillance.
‘The fate of young female captives ultimately leads to being pawns. Rather than enduring such a life, death seems preferable.’
Suicide was considered an unforgivable sin, but a god who had never bothered to look back on her pain had lost any hold on her.
However, it was challenging at the moment. Even if she wanted to die, there wasn’t a readily available means.
‘Certainly, there will be a victory celebration where spoils will be distributed. After the event concludes, there will be a moment when surveillance becomes lax.’
Everyone would likely get drunk, and the guards would relax, thinking the job was done. The atmosphere after any celebration tends to be similar.
Ethel had her sights set on that moment.
***
“Where should these women be taken?”
“To the northern prison! Transfer them tomorrow. It’s a direct order from His Majesty the Empror, so keep a close watch!”
Ethel woke up from a melancholic reverie upon hearing the guards’ conversation, which was different from her expectations.
‘The emperor ordered direct surveillance? Why?’
She couldn’t fathom what the emperor was thinking. They only considered themselves as a means to publicize the downfall of the Lancaster Duchy.
‘Our role should be over since we were just auctioned off like slaves at the recent banquet. But why the explicit order for strict surveillance?’
However, there was no one to provide a clear answer to her questions.
The guards, with a heightened sense of alertness at the emperor’s command, escorted them to the northern prison without negligence.
The northern prison was a facility where nobles involved in minor crimes were incarcerated, so the conditions were relatively good.
Fortunately, although it could be argued that they were classified as moderate offenders, the reason they ended up in a decent prison wasn’t exactly pleasant.
‘Thanks to the emperor’s decree, our status changed from moderate offenders to bestowed belongings.’
As indicated by the terms ‘loot’ or ‘bestowed belongings,’ Ethel and the daughters of the duke were already in a degrading state.
However, that was something to face tomorrow. Ethel decided to be grateful for the fact that she could rest in a clean and safe place after a long time.
Due to extreme tension, her muscles seemed to scream, and her mind wasn’t working well.
‘Let’s rest for now. After sleep, things might look better.’
Despite the uncomfortable bedding, Ethel fell asleep as soon as she lay down. It was a deep sleep without any dreams.
However, despite the exhaustion, she woke up at 6 the next morning. The tyranny of habit.
As soon as she opened her eyes, the realization that she would be handed over to Rasto today prevented her from falling back asleep.
‘When will he come?’
From now on, she had to be vigilant, looking for an opportunity. An opportunity to end her life.
Ethel felt her consciousness gradually becoming clearer and discreetly observed the situation outside the cell.
She was imprisoned with Lauren and Daria, and there were two guards outside the window.
‘Security here is too strict. Whatever I try, it’ll be quickly detected.’
Unable to find any feasible plans within the prison, Ethel decided to seize the opportunity after leaving the prison. With that decision, time seemed to pass in a blur.
Leaning against the wall, she quietly watched as the sky’s color changed, seeming smaller than ever.
‘This will probably be the last morning I see alive.’
Perhaps because it was the last, the sky’s colors were truly beautiful.
The light, originally tinged with navy blue, gradually gained intensity. The clouds, resembling gray patches, revealed a vibrant appearance, and a soft orange hue delicately tinted the sky. At some point, the sun had fully risen, turning the sky into a watercolor palette.
‘I never knew the sky could undergo such diverse changes…’
Feeling a pang of sorrow at this realization, a guard suddenly appeared, banging on the bars with an iron rod and shouting.
“It’s mealtime!”
At the sound, Lauren and Daria jumped up in surprise. For them, who usually didn’t wake up before 10 a.m., having breakfast so early was probably a first in their lives.
Fortunately, they considered being awakened at an early hour a blessing because they were hungry.
Moreover, the prison meal was better quality than expected. Each had a piece of white bread with cheese and lightly cooked ham, along with a cup of water. Considering the meals on the way to the palace were much worse, this seemed like a luxurious last meal for a sinner.
‘For a criminal’s final meal, it’s quite extravagant.’
Despite the sadness, Ethel gratefully chewed on the bread.
Lauren and Daria, too, didn’t hesitate to eat the prison meal. However, perhaps to suppress their own anxiety, they began to pour out disparaging remarks to Ethel.
“The noblewoman has hit rock bottom. Handed over to some mercenary trash.”
“Probably won’t even last a month before becoming a rag, right?”
“Thankful we’re only used as slave maids. Mercenaries get pleasure from cruelly torturing and playing with people before deliberately killing them.”
In doing so, they tried hard to convince themselves that their situation was better.
“Well, at least the Emperor considered our circumstances. Being under Antes and Caber isn’t too bad.”
“Right. They’re knights, after all. The punishment isn’t that harsh either.”
In response, Ethel gave a slight nod.
‘Is that so? The guys who were so eager to get young female slaves didn’t seem very gentlemanly.’
Still, she hoped their words were true. Despite their unkind treatment towards her, she felt sorry for these girls who had fallen into slavery during a crucial time in their lives.
‘Yes, I hope you two can live comfortably without facing any harsh treatment.’
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