『 Kill Walter?』
Edith stopped in her tracks and froze in place.
If only she had entered the secret passage a little earlier and overheard Elizabeth and Aizen’s conversation, she might have been able to grasp some context.
But having only heard the latter part of it, it was impossible to even guess why they were trying to kill Walter.
Aizen spoke without realizing that Edith was listening from beyond the wall.
“The Viscount had cast an imprisonment spell on that man to prevent him from escaping the manor.”
“Yeah. No matter how many times I searched the Viscount’s office, I couldn’t find the release spell.”
Elizabeth confessed without any hesitation what she had done.
Her attitude came as yet another shock to Edith, who was having a hard time after hearing the conversation about having to kill Walter.
“It’s a shame, but there’s nothing we can do. It would have been quite lucrative if we had found out which bloodline he belonged to and sold him.”
“That’s true, but… There’s no way to do it now. If only we could find the release spell for the Viscount’s imprisonment spell, we could have kidnapped him and kept him alive.”
“Now that the Viscount is dead, once the funeral is completely over and people start leaving, we should also take care of Walter. Have you gathered the assassins we need?”
Edith listened to Aizen and Elizabeth’s conversation with her mouth tightly closed, as if afraid that her breathing might give her away.
The more she listened, the more information she gathered.
What scared her was that the man named Aizen was actually the commander of Count Gerturk’s secret assassination squad, based in the capital.
But what made her even more scared was that these two people were fully prepared to ensure that Walter took his last breath.
“First, I plan to bring in about 40 assassins disguised as servants.”
“We also need to take care of anyone who might assist Walter. If there’s anyone with exceptional skills, keeping them alive could lead to trouble.”
In addition to this, the two of them discussed in detail which poison to use, how to kill him, and how to dispose of the body.
When the conversation turned to burying the body in Fortrion and carrying only the wrists to the capital for identification, Edith’s face turned pale with horror.
Aizen agreed with her in a voice full of regret.
“If I had thought that the death of the Viscount would make things easier, I would have rushed the attack and killed Nicholas Fortrion long ago.”
“…!”
Edith couldn’t believe her ears.
What was even more surprising was that Elizabeth responded with a nonchalant “Exactly!” without showing any sign of surprise.
『 Did Elizabeth know who attacked the Viscount when I was kidnapped?』
Until she overheard the conversation, Edith had thought that Sophia and the butler had conspired to murder the Viscount.
However, the mastermind turned out to be someone completely different, and it seemed that the capital’s influence was deeply involved in this matter.
Edith, feeling dizzy for a moment, lightly touched the wall.
As she did, a brick crumbled and fell to the ground, making a noise.
She quickly withdrew her hand and stood up straight, but from beyond the wall, a sharp voice was heard.
“Elizabeth, didn’t you hear anything just now?”
“What sound? It’s probably just the wind.”
Edith took slow, cautious steps, holding her breath as much as she could.
As it was a secret passage made of bricks, Aizen couldn’t break through the wall, but it was still wise to confirm and quickly get out of there.
She was extremely nervous, and her whole body became stiff, but she continued to move forward without making a sound.
As she reached the end of the long secret passage, she saw a cylindrical wooden box neatly placed on an elegant shelf.
『 This pattern engraved on the lock, it’s definitely…』
She picked up the wooden box and then checked the layout of the secret passage structure that she had taken from the album.
Suppressing any signs of her presence, she moved her legs and was able to reach the room of the deceased master.
After confirming that there was no sound coming from inside, Edith slipped out through the secret passage and peered around the Viscount’s desk.
His belongings, which should have been placed in the chapel, were neatly arranged on cushions.
『 This is it.』
She picked up a ring.
Apart from having Fortrion’s emblem engraved on it, it was a ring that the Viscount wore until the moment of his death.
As she aligned the pattern on the ring with the lock on the wooden box, a clicking sound was heard.
“…!”
What was inside was a document that looked like it had been written by a mage.
It was pristine, high-quality parchment, and it was written in the language of the magicians, using ink that gleamed with a golden hue.
As Edith saw the not-too-large and not-too-small handprint of a boy stamped in the center of the parchment, she was certain.
This is a spell that can lift the imprisonment spell that the Viscount cast on Walter.
──────────✿◦•
Edith returned the ring to its original position, went back to the secret passage leading to the library, and then went to her room.
Vivian, who had been tidying up only the clean bedroom out of concern when Edith didn’t return, was understandably startled.
“M’lady? Goodness, what happened?”
Edith’s dress and hair were all messed up with cobwebs and dust.
But what was even more pitiable was her large eyes filled with accumulated tears and her tightly clenched jaw.
“Vivian, thank you for waiting. You can go now.”
“But…”
Vivian wanted to take Edith for a bath, serve her, and listen to what had happened to her.
However, Edith’s complex expression, which seemed like she could burst into tears at any moment, indicated that she needed some time alone.
“If you need any help, just pull the bell rope anytime. I’ve prepared hot water in the bathroom just in case, so use it before it gets cold.”
“Thank you, Vivian.”
After Vivian left, Edith left her dress on the floor and entered the steaming bathtub.
As she quickly washed off the dust-covered body, she pondered.
『 Could obtaining the release spell at this moment be the will of the heavens to save Walter?』
She needed to send him to a safe place as far away as possible, somewhere like the Militia Force where Helen was, for instance.
Questions were rushing through her mind as she roughly dried herself, got out of the bathroom, and put on the thin nightgown dress Vivian had prepared for her.
Having overheard the conversation about killing Walter, if he listens to the advice to escape quietly, would he understand and leave?
What if he finds out who Elizabeth and Aizen are and tries to ruin their plan?
Edith knew that Walter was smart and strong, but the situation was different when dozens of assassins were coming to kill just one person.
Why is Walter’s suggestion to escape the manor together right now coming to mind?
『 For now, just in case, I should hide this dirty dress.』
Edith turned the messed-up dress inside out, rolled it up, and tucked it away in a corner of the dressing room.
As she was about to leave the dressing room, the jewelry display case caught her eye.
To be precise, her eyes were focused on the bluish jewel necklace placed in the center.
⋙“You must have been upset to starve on a day like today.”⋘
This was her necklace he found in the attacked carriage.
The moment he hung this necklace on the liquor bottle and presented it to her, she was so happy that she felt like crying at the thought that Mrs. Leah’s gift had created another fond memory.
“…”
After touching the necklace, Edith pulled herself together and took out an outdoor cloak.
She then left the room, hiding the spell that would lift Walter’s imprisonment spell within the cloak.
Most of the servants, who were already very few servants compared to what they needed for the size of the manor, were mostly tired and had returned to their quarters after the funeral.
Even the few guards deployed were half asleep, so Edith left the mansion without difficulty and started running.
She got scratched by the dry bushes, and her toes hurt when she tripped on the rocks, but she couldn’t stop.
After passing the stables, she saw the cabin where Walter was supposed to be living.
The lamp was still on, which meant that Walter must still be getting ready to go to sleep. Suddenly, the shadow of him drying his hair with a towel reflected in the window.
“… Walter.”
Somehow, being with him made her feel at ease.
In this manor where there seemed to be no one else to lean on but Vivian, she felt like she had found another person she could trust.
She didn’t want to be separated from him.
Instead of running away, the words ‘stay with me’ were on the tip of her tongue.
The reason Edith had such selfish thoughts is probably that Walter felt like salvation in this barbaric place.
So Edith made a decision. She had to find a way to get him out of the manor so that he wouldn’t lose his life at the hands of unknown forces.
Although she called his name in a very soft voice, Walter immediately turned his head.
Aware that the outside air was chilly, he opened the door as soon as he saw Edith.
“What are you doing here at this time…?”
However, as she removed the cloak she was wearing, he forgot to guide her inside and got distracted.
The nightgown, thin and soft to avoid making any noise when she moved in her sleep, clearly revealed her silhouette.
The moment he laid eyes on her slightly wet, disheveled hair and cheeks reddened by the cold air, he was once again possessed by the strong urge that had always boiled over whenever he looked at Edith.
Edith looked at his Adam’s apple twitching and his eyes darkened with desire.
Whenever he looked at her with such intensity, time seemed to pass slowly with a strange enchantment.
There was no playfulness in the persistent gaze that always chased her. She understood the meaning of that gaze. Right now, he wanted everything of hers.
If he wanted it, then yes, there was nothing she wouldn’t give him, even for the last time.
If that’s how she could imprint herself in his mind.
“Walter.”
Edith turned off the lamp he had moved.
Then, she gently touched his face with her fingertips.
“You’re still the diligent servant who doesn’t shy away from dirty work, right? So you don’t mind serving me personally?”
“…”
Even in the absence of lighting, thanks to the unusually bright moonlight, she could see him greatly agitated.
Edith slowly slid her hand down to his neck; she felt his rapid heartbeat, which felt like it could explode at any moment.
Feeling her touch, Walter nodded in case she puts a deadline on such a proposal.
After checking his answer, Edith smiled to shake off the feeling that she was about to cry.
And then she whispered in a low voice.
“Well then… undress.”
T/N: 🫣🫣
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