#105

Duke Orban fell to his knees in remorse, and the atmosphere in the room turned frigid.

Only Ivan, still unaware of the full situation, looked around in confusion.

“Duke Orban? Why are you suddenly acting like this?”

“……”

“Please stand up. The floor is cold.”

Despite Ivan’s urging, Duke Orban didn’t move.

Instead, he pressed his forehead to the ground, repeating the same plea:

“Kill me.”

Ivan, completely thrown off, turned to Zerakiel, searching for an explanation.

Duke Orban was a respected elder in Jabis—why was he suddenly behaving like this?

At that moment, Zerakiel drew his sword and pointed it at Duke Orban’s neck.

The intensity of his actions made Ivan instinctively step back.

“I’ll kill you after I find Victor Orban. There’s no need to rush.”

“…Young Master.”

“Where did you hide him?” Zerakiel’s voice was unnervingly calm.

“If you tell me the truth, I’ll grant you a painless death—out of respect for our history.”

His empty, lifeless gaze held no hesitation, proving just how serious this matter was.

Duke Orban’s lips trembled as he stared at the sword pressed against his throat.

Learning that his own son had committed such treachery was already a heavy blow.

“I didn’t hide him. The Orban family has nothing to do with this.”

“So Victor acted alone?”

“…Even if that’s true, the fact that I failed to control my own son is my fault. I will accept whatever punishment you decide.”

His voice was filled with exhaustion as he lowered his head.

No matter what, Victor was still a direct descendant of Orban—and he had been chosen as the next chief physician of Jabis.

His betrayal had far-reaching consequences.

The tension in the air was suffocating when Zakari finally stepped in.

“That’s enough.”

Zerakiel’s eyes remained cold.

“What do you mean by ‘enough’?”

Zakari replied, “We’ve already confirmed that Duke Orban had nothing to do with this. There’s no need to push further.”

“Even if Duke Orban himself isn’t guilty, this happened within Orban. Shouldn’t they be held responsible for failing to manage their own?”

Zakari let out a deep sigh. His son was right—but that wasn’t the issue.

“I’m not saying we should let this go. I’m saying it’s not in our best interest to make this public yet.”

“…You mean just like how you hesitated before—and let Victor Orban escape right under your nose?”

Zakari ran a hand over his face, exhaustion creeping into his expression.

He had no excuse.

No one had expected that Victor would drug Erhardin just to create a diversion.

By the time they realized Victor was the true mastermind, he had already fled.

The search parties were only just now being sent out.

The fact that Victor had taken such a bold risk meant that someone had promised him protection.

Zakari scoffed. Fool.

If he were Victor’s backer, he would’ve lured him outside only to eliminate him.

Victor, thinking he had secured his safety, was nothing but a walking corpse.

Of course, dying outside would be a mercy compared to what would have happened had he been captured in Jabis.

If he had been caught here, he would have already been torn limb from limb.

“We need to capture Victor before word spreads. If the elders find out, there will be an uproar.”

“No, more importantly, we need to catch him before his backers realize we’re on his trail.”

“Obviously.”

As Zakari and Zerakiel continued sorting out the situation, the room remained tense.

Finally, Ivan, who had been holding back his frustration, spoke up.

“Can someone please tell me what the hell is going on?”

His face screamed, I’m going insane not knowing.

Zakari turned toward him.

“There is a traitor in Orban.”

“…A traitor?”

“The wedding incident—it was all orchestrated by Victor.”

Ivan froze in shock.

“…What?!”

He immediately turned to Duke Orban, his mind reeling.

The chaos at the wedding had caused massive unrest throughout the continent.

And now they were saying the one responsible was from Orban?

“This… this is huge.”

This was enough to justify an emergency elder’s meeting.

“But how did you find out? Do you have proof?”

Zakari’s gaze sharpened.

“The one who drugged the fox—it was Victor.”

“…Excuse me?”

“It was the same drug he used on me.”

Victor had planned to be discovered from the start.

That meant he had been desperate to escape Jabis—no matter the risk.

“…I am sorry,” Duke Orban murmured, bowing his head.

Not only had his son betrayed Jabis, but he had attempted to assassinate the current head of the family.

The realization sent a cold chill down Duke Orban’s spine.

“I will take responsibility and step down—”

“You think you can just walk away?”

Zerakiel’s voice was ice-cold.

“…That’s not what I meant.”

“Then why would you even suggest it?”

Zakari’s voice remained level, but his warning was clear.

“Orban and Jabis are tied together. If Orban pulls away, it creates an opportunity for our enemies.”

And Orban knew too much to be allowed to step away.

It was safer to keep them close than to risk them becoming a threat.

“And I’ll decide what punishment you deserve. So drop the nonsense about stepping down.”

“…I spoke carelessly. Please forgive me, My Lord.”

Duke Orban lowered his head in acceptance.

Zakari exhaled, then turned to Zerakiel.

“And how did you find out Victor was behind this?”

Zerakiel smirked.

“Took you long enough to ask.”

He withdrew a small object from his coat and held it out.

“A rabbit beastman in Hebel found this. Victor dropped it.”

Zakari examined the object.

“…The same drug.”

“The beastman also gave a testimony, confirming that he saw Victor drop it himself.”

“Is he a reliable witness?”

Zerakiel’s smirk widened.

“He volunteered to drink Jabis poison as proof of loyalty. Do you think he’d lie?”

Zakari let out a dry chuckle.

“Well, that’s a first. Hebel actually helping Jabis.”

He took the evidence and finally noticed something.

“…Wait.” His brows furrowed.

“Why are you even here? I got word that Cersia was on her way here—I assumed you were traveling with her.”

Zerakiel’s expression darkened slightly.

“If I had known you already had this information, I wouldn’t have rushed over.”

Zakari smirked.

“So you were worried about me.”

Zerakiel didn’t even blink.

“I wasn’t concerned about you. I was concerned because this involves Orban.”

“…No sense of charm at all.”

Zakari let out a quiet laugh, then turned toward Herman, who had been waiting nearby.

“From this moment forward, no one from Orban is allowed to leave Jabis territory until this is resolved.”

“I will see to it,” Herman responded immediately.

The order was final.

Now, all that remained was hunting Victor down.

* * *

The search party, led by Ivan and Ayla, was dispatched.

By the next day, an unspoken tension had settled over Jabis Castle.

Though not openly discussed, a chilling atmosphere lingered within the estate.

The Orban family manor was placed under surveillance, restricting movement in and out.

Meanwhile, Duke Orban remained confined within Jabis Castle.

Those who were unaware of the full situation were left puzzled, but no one dared to speak openly about affairs within Jabis.

As the search for Victor’s whereabouts continued, another issue arose.

Cersia’s expected arrival time had long passed, yet there was no sign of her.

Growing anxious, Zerakiel pushed past the borders of Jabis territory, searching for any sign of her.

Then—

“Kkiiiing!”

From a distance, a pink rabbit came bounding toward him, a bundle strapped to its back.

Zerakiel frowned, confused by the sight.

Just as he registered who it was, the rabbit suddenly transformed back into a human with a soft poof sound.

Ella, now in her human form, gasped and shouted in alarm—

“Lady Cersia is in danger!”