Brian, who had been silently staring at Britia, finally managed a faint smile.
“Lady, what information are you trying so hard to extract from me? The identity of the person targeting your life?”
Brian closed his eyes and sighed, pretending to ponder, though he had no intention of revealing everything he knew.
“I’ll tell you everything I know. Although it might be disappointing because it’s not much.”
He planned to give only enough irrelevant information to placate her.
“According to the staff at the Slandford estate, the maid who targeted your life seems to be an orphan raised in a temple.”
He offered a seemingly significant piece of information, which hinted at something but was ultimately too vague to trace back to the mastermind.
“I looked into orphans from the temple who matched that description, but unfortunately, I found nothing.”
Brian looked regretful as he said this, indicating that he had hit a dead end.
“All I have is this unhelpful information. I swear by my name as Raiders.”
He feigned sincere regret for not being able to provide more useful information.
Britia was exasperated.
“If you’re truly sorry, then perhaps you should do something about that wagging tail of yours.”
“Your Grace, you have lost the Count and your name. You have nothing left.”
Britia said coldly and stood up.
“It seems you think I won’t act on this. Sorry, but you’re mistaken.”
Recalling what she had learned while enduring the Emperor’s disdain, Britia’s eyes grew sharp.
“More! I will tear you apart with my resentment!”
The Emperor’s voice seemed to echo in her mind.
“I’ve come close to death twice, so I fear nothing.”
As Britia turned her back, Brian was taken aback but held his ground.
“Lady, even if I wanted to tell you, I genuinely have nothing more to say.”
If she kept silent, the mad dog would be defeated, and the palace would soon be engulfed in flames. Kyra, now the Empress, would meet a tragic end as well.
At that time, he planned to comfort and take care of the grieving Harty. Already vulnerable to loneliness, Harty was slowly becoming more dependent on him, so it wouldn’t be long before he fell.
“I can’t tell you what I don’t know.”
Brian spoke to Britia’s back as she walked towards the door, not noticing his own voice trembling.
Harty tended to trust Britia’s words more than his own. What if Kyra really did die as she said?
If Brian planned to kill him for revenge, that might be preferable. But he had already noticed that what hurt him the most was Brian’s disregard.
Being treated as an invisible person forever. Unable to even be near him.
Brian felt his insides growing cold.
“Alright, Lady. I concede.”
As he declared his surrender, he considered how much to reveal to avoid disrupting his plans. But with Britia not stopping, rational thought became difficult.
“Lady, Lady!”
He had been so happy caring for Harty, who relied on him in Kyra’s absence. Being close to him felt like heaven. And now he was being cast into hell?
“Duke Camelon.”
Brian blurted out the name, realizing he had no time to recover the situation. It was over. Brian was overwhelmed by a sense of defeat.
The seemingly unstoppable Britia came to a halt.
“I am so proud of you, Miss.”
The vice-captain, who had been about to open the door for Britia, lowered his hand and spoke in a quiet voice. It seemed odd to receive praise for such a thing, but on the other hand, Britia felt a strange satisfaction.
“Do you think I have a talent for intimidation?”
The deputy, with a grin, glanced at Brian, who had completely crumbled.
“You are truly excellent, to the point that it seems you are to be the mad dog’s wife.”
Was it really praise…?
Britia’s emotions were conflicted, but she had done what needed to be done.
“Then where did the missing Flu go?”
She asked while looking back at Brian, who, with sweat dripping and breathing heavily, looked as though he had aged considerably.
“…Can you protect me?”
“Only if you stop lying to me.”
Brian sighed at Britia’s cold response. With Duke Camelon’s name now mentioned, there was no turning back.
“I haven’t been there myself, but you must have been.”
Britia tilted her head at the mention of having been there. She couldn’t immediately recall the place.
“Do grapes grow well around this time in that foreign land?”
The mention of grapes made Britia struggle to remember. Where had she seen grapes?
Suddenly, she recalled going there with Crave to acquire a new grape variety.
“Vigilen!”
At Britia’s exclamation, Brian blinked quietly.
The vice-captain finally realized why they hadn’t found it despite scouring the empire from the east. It was hidden in the west, beyond the borders.
“It seems the Duke was contemplating what wedding gift to give His Majesty, but that’s resolved now.”
The vice-captain rubbed his hands together and grinned.
* * *
Nancy watched the surprised guests from the second floor of the banquet hall. Although a maid shouldn’t have such leisure on a day as busy as this, she didn’t mind.
“Don’t you feel any regret, young master?”
Nancy asked Rutherford, who was glaring at her disapprovingly. Rutherford remained silent and refused to converse with her.
“I would love it if everyone down there burned to a crisp tonight.”
The crazy woman. Rutherford muttered. Nancy chuckled at his horrified expression.
“Young master, are you still afraid of me?”
Nancy taunted as Rutherford avoided eye contact, and he glared at her with gritted teeth. But it didn’t last long, and he turned his head away first.
A cowardly man who, despite being told to show loyalty, embezzled his father’s money and ended up as a destitute fool after being caught and expelled from his family.
“Still, congratulations, young master.”
Nancy smirked and gave Rutherford a wry smile.
“Your sister will soon become the Crown Princess, after all.”
“Are you mocking me now?”
“Oh, did you catch on to my sarcasm?”
Nancy laughed heartily, as if surprised he had figured it out.
“We don’t have time for this. The Duke is waiting.”
When Rutherford urged her to hurry, Nancy sighed in annoyance and stopped observing the crowd, moving towards the door.
“It’s late.”
As the two entered the room and closed the door, Duke Camelon showed his displeasure.
No matter how quickly they arrived, he would have been irritable.
Nancy found him bothersome and slightly bowed her head. He had been increasingly sensitive recently. It was understandable, given how rarely things went according to plan.
The Emperor often spoke of the throne as a heavy burden, showing signs of fatigue.
‘When the time comes, I will entrust this heavy burden to the person I trust most and live out my remaining days in peace.’
Duke Camelon firmly believed that the “most trusted person” referred to him.
Though he had a son, the Emperor seemed to harbor a strong aversion to him, who resembled the Empress. In contrast, the Emperor showed him exceptional kindness and reliable trust.
However, the situation changed after the hunting tournament. Rumors began to circulate that the Emperor had grown closer to the Empress.
Duke Camelon initially disbelieved the rumors, but as the Emperor increasingly avoided requests for audiences with him, he grew anxious. Meanwhile, the Emperor’s surroundings gradually filled with supporters of the Crown Prince.
‘Now he has changed his mind!’
Seeing his master genuinely feeling betrayed, Nancy thought he was quite foolish. If he truly hated the Empress, why had he kept her around instead of deposing her all this time?
She was relieved he had finally come to realize the reality and decided to seize the throne from the Emperor himself.
The operation seemed to be progressing smoothly. At least until Rutherford’s attempt to use a stalker to kill Harty failed.
If Harty died, the plan to use a false illegitimate child to seize Nir was thwarted. Moreover, Allen Dino, who had promised to keep the mad dog in the North for at least three months, was wiped out within this week.
Returning to the capital, the mad dog seemed to sense something and began stirring up trouble.
‘Duke, please let me handle it once more.’
In his growing agitation, Duke Camelon found Rutherford stepping forward confidently.
What could a destitute coward possibly do? Would he use a stalker again?
Nancy, believing he wouldn’t be able to do anything, mocked him. Yet, he committed an even more foolish act than she had anticipated.
He had a grand dream of drugging the mad dog, but, of course, it failed. He left behind various traces, leading Brian to capture him.
‘I’ll make sure Nir can be opened when needed. Then you won’t have any reason to attack your allies, right?’
Brian, who supported the Crown Prince, proposed negotiations first, suggesting that he would mix false information into Rutherford’s actions to mislead Sig’s pursuit in exchange for Harty’s safety.
Rutherford’s actions were incredibly foolish, but ultimately, he managed to draw in the valuable catch, Raiders, to their side. As a result, Duke Camelon valued Rutherford greatly.
“She was dilly-dallying, so we’re late.”
Rutherford gave Nancy an apologetic glance. Nancy barely suppressed the urge to gouge out his eyes on the spot.
“I haven’t been like that, but it seems that’s how you saw it, young master.”
Nancy glared at Rutherford, and Duke Camelon struck the armrest with his fist. Nancy lowered her gaze, finding the coward’s arrogance, bolstered by the Duke’s favor, detestable.
What did he have to be proud of after nearly getting them all killed with his stupidity? Raiders were just a stroke of luck.
“Don’t show rebellious behavior in front of me.”
Duke Camelon warned, pointing out Nancy’s displeased expression.
“I have overlooked your mistakes until now because you were competent. But you failed to bring the mad dog’s woman.”
Nancy bowed her head in apology, but her eyes remained defiant. Though she served Duke Camelon, she held him in no respect, finding him rather laughable.
“Don’t think I have the mercy to forgive you a second time.”
Hmph. Rutherford had failed far more times, yet he didn’t seem to keep count.
In any case, it was fortunate that the Duke hadn’t discovered the cursed gem Nancy had hidden in the palace as a test. If discovered, it would have been a second major blunder.
“If you understand, return to your duties.”
Nancy, who had been chuckling internally at Duke Camelon’s command, fixed her expression and lifted her head. Her face had transformed into someone else’s.
Her short blue hair had changed to long, curly red hair, and freckles had appeared around her nose. It was the face of a maid who had relayed a message to Sig, saying the Emperor was looking for him.
