Chapter 34
Cedric’s eyes widened with a reddish glare as he grasped the situation.
“It was you who told father, wasn’t it?”
“I didn’t create a situation out of thin air and lie about it; it was all your doing, Cedric.”
“How dare you…!”
Cedric seethed with uncontrollable rage, as if he were about to lunge at me any moment.
“You’d better watch what you say if you don’t want to end up executed for immediate crimes. Remember there are knights guarding outside the chamber? Control yourself if you don’t want to face immediate execution, Cedric.”
Cedric, perhaps truly considering violence, hesitated.
“Reality often differs from imagination.”
I clicked my tongue disapprovingly and shook my head. When I turned, I saw the meal I had brought laid out on the table.
I picked up the tray of food again, sighing with disappointment.
“Ah, no matter how angry I am, this won’t do. How can I refuse a meal, Cedric?”
At my sudden words, Cedric looked at me as if wondering what nonsense I was talking.
But I continued unabated.
“If I refuse the meal, would you tell me not to bring it in the future? What about my hunger, Cedric?”
“What are you saying now…?”
“As a mere maid, I should follow Cedric’s words, shouldn’t I? Then I’ll take this meal away.”
“What? Hey.”
What a waste of ingredients on such a man.
Ignoring Cedric’s words, I laughed and opened the door.
“Hey. Are you insane? Hey!”
I heard Cedric rushing from behind, but there was no need to look back.
“You cannot leave the chamber without the Duke’s orders.”
It was the knights guarding the door who blocked Cedric’s way.
“Hey, Move aside? Where do these newly appointed knights think they can block me? Move….Move aside!”
Cedric, still not grasping the situation, protested fiercely but ultimately couldn’t pass the threshold.
With the destruction of Hyllos Jaak’s fence, there was no one left to protect Cedric.
Only now would he realize the gravity of his crimes.
Just as I hastened my steps to tell Celly, I was interrupted.
“Where are you going like that?”
The voice echoing through the corridor startled me, and I almost dropped the tray I was holding.
Then, a hand casually approached and gripped my waist.
“Don’t be startled.”
There was only one person in this castle who would treat me like this.
“Milord Duke.”
It was Laches.
Laches held my waist with one hand and lightly took the tray I was carrying with the other hand, handing it over to the butler.
“I told you not to carry things like this around. Don’t overdo it.”
“Pardon?”
“Where were you headed, by the way?”
“…I was taking the meal to Cedric. He refused to eat it, so I was bringing it back to the kitchen.”
“Dispose of it.”
Upon Laches’s brief command, the butler who had taken the tray disappeared to attend to it.
“It seems wasteful to dispose of the ingredients.”
“Better to dispose of them than to reuse ingredients that have been taken to a criminal.”
Laches referred to Cedric as a criminal with certainty.
“…Have you already concluded the investigation?”
“It wasn’t difficult, I’ve known all along what Cedric has been up to.”
“You knew?”
“He’s been crossing lines I couldn’t ignore, and Hyllos has been cleaning up after him and tolerating it. There’s no way I wouldn’t have noticed those rotten roots.”
“Then…”
“But this time, he’s gone too far. Interfering with the employees of Villa Violentus was audacious.”
Audacious?
Laches paused mid-sentence and stared at me intently. It was difficult to discern the emotions reflected in his jewel-like black eyes.
“…Anyway.”
But he didn’t continue. Laches casually changed the subject.
“It was easy to find out who was behind the incident.”
“Why did you just let it go? If you knew who the perpetrator of this incident was, given the Master’s temperament…”
I doubt he would have just let it go.
As I trailed off, Laches shrugged his shoulders.
“I waited because it seemed like you wanted to handle it yourself. I hoped you would do as you pleased.”
Laches lightly brushed off the matter as inconsequential within the estate.
“You seem to have achieved the desired outcome.”
“Pardon?”
“Chasing off that old fox all at once was quite impressive.”
Old fox? I wasn’t sure who he was referring to, and as I hesitated, Laches chuckled dryly.
“I’m talking about Hyllos. He’s become quite the upper hand to think he’s someone the continent would recognize. What else could he be other than an old fox?”
“Ah, I see…”
“Cedric Hyllos has been expelled from the family as of today, I heard it was you who did it.”
“I don’t have the authority to expel anyone. It was Hyllos who expelled Cedric from the family.”
“You must have led to the desired outcome, I thought you came seeking clemency for your son, but you demanded punishment as you pleased. Instead, you asked Hyllos to allow the family to kill Cedric as a final act.”
It seemed that Hyllos had ultimately decided to kill Cedric with his own hands.
“The future is changing.”
Cedric had never died in the future I had experienced. That meant Hyllos hadn’t known that Cedric was the one who killed his family.
But this time was different. I intervened, and Cedric would ultimately die.
It was uncertain what kind of future this change would bring about.
“The reason for the change in attitude can’t be disclosed due to family circumstances, but… I envied that you were with a quite capable and smart person.”
“….”
“So, you solved it in the direction you wanted.”
“I just removed the fog that was covering my eyes.”
“You did remove the fog. If it weren’t for you, Hylos Jajak would still be wandering in the fog without seeing ahead.”
Laches stared at me as if I were something strange.
“You’re versatile, You did something unexpected.”
“Is that a compliment?”
“It’s my curiosity towards you.”
“They say excessive curiosity brings trouble.”
“There’s also a saying that curiosity can’t bear, That’s me.”
This ability has always been a curse to me.
It tormented me and was burdensome throughout my life.
But since coming to the North, this ability has taken on a different meaning for me.
‘Versatile….’
It was a word I heard for the first time. And for the first time, I saved someone with this ability.
It was the first time I realized that this ability could not only torment people but also save them.
“…Hold on.”
It was when I was excited alone. Laches, who was walking beside me, blocked my way.
“You?”
The faint smile that had been on his lips disappeared. His face, looking at me, gradually distorted into one filled with anger.
It was like the scene where lush green leaves of a season suddenly shed, and life turned into a dry tree without breathing in front of your eyes.
“What’s this?”
Laches’s hand cautiously approached my neck. But it couldn’t quite touch me and lingered around.
‘When Cedric grabbed my neck earlier, did he leave a mark…’
Instead of answering, I covered my neck with my hand, and Laches’s pupils quickly flashed dimly.
“Who did this to you.”
This time, his gaze turned to my wrist, precisely, my wrist.
This time, I looked down at my wrist with a sense of disbelief, and there was a swollen mark, red and bruised.
‘Those ignorant Hilos…’
It was the wrist grabbed by Hilos Jajak.
“Cedric? Or…”
Laches, who paused, bent down closer to me.
As his face suddenly approached, I involuntarily tried to step back. Normally, I would have tried to retreat, but today was different.
Laches gently grabbed my waist to prevent me from stepping back.
“…Smell of blood.”
As he approached, he murmured coolly. The glint in his eyes, raw and flashing, was almost savage.
“Hilos Jajak?”
“…It’s already over.”
“Who says it’s over?”
Laches gestured to a passing guard.
“Lock Cedric up immediately, No meals until further notice. Not even a sip of water.”
“Yes, Your Grace.”
The atmosphere was clearly tense, and the article quickly moved.
Having ordered Cedric to be imprisoned, Laches summoned another.
“Ronan.”
At his casual call, Ronan appeared seemingly out of nowhere.
Given his past experience of hiding his presence and guarding Laches, it was clear that Ronan was Laches’ guard.
“Fetch Hilos’s journal again. It departed not long ago, so if you hurry, you should be able to catch up.”
“Yes, my lord.”
As Ronan returned with Hilos’s journal, there was an immediate momentum to imprison.
I don’t hope for this matter to escalate so much.
For the Duke of Violerenthus, Laches, to interfere with Hilos’s journal would surely spread rumors.
Curious minds would wonder how Hilos’s journal had fallen out with Laches, and delving deeper, they might stumble upon my story.
“I’m fine.”
I don’t hope for that.
“I merely startled Hilos’s journal with sudden unbelievable words.”
“You should have understood the situation. Dare not lay hands on anyone knowing where this is.”
“But who am I to dare?”
At my question, Laches furrowed his brow sharply.
“My lord, I am merely a maid working at the Violenthus Castle.”
“Do not speak of your worth as if it were nothing.”
“My worth is determined by the esteemed Violenthus lineage. Because I am currently one of them.”
I still removed Laches’s hand holding my waist and distanced myself.
“Cedric may have been disowned by the Hilos lineage, but officially pressing Hilos’s journal is different. Pressing nobles over the affair of a mere maid would diminish Violerenthus’s reputation.”
“There’s no need for such things.”
“A decrease in Violenthus’s reputation directly diminishes my worth.”
The great Violerenthus, whose attention is not easily gained.
I must remain as such to serve as my towering fence to protect me.
“Rather, hold Hilos responsible for this matter and get what the Duke needs. Hilos is powerful from the upper ranks. Utilizing him, Violentus can secure a commercially advantageous position.”
“Do you really think that’s all I want? I clearly said then. If the same thing happens next time, I’ll handle it my way, regardless of your opinion.”
“I hope this matter doesn’t escalate any further. If it does, it could disrupt my peaceful everyday life.”
Laeches, who had been angry and unwilling to accept my words throughout, finally did not refute my last statement and clicked his tongue without argument.
“Why do you…”
Laeches sighed deeply, brushing his hair back.
“I wish you knew that your body is weaker than you think.”
“My body is stronger than what the Duke thinks.”
“What do I… Ugh, Ronen.”
“Yes, Your Grace.”
“Just leave it.”
“Understood.”
When Laches said he was done, I finally breathed a sigh of relief.
After heaving a sigh of relief, Laeches suddenly turned his head to the opposite side. Then, he irritably glanced at Ronen.
“Ronen, There have been rumors circulating around the mansion lately. Be cautious too.”
If there were rumors circulating around the mansion lately…
‘You knew about that rumor.’
That’s the rumor about me mediating between Laches and Ronen.
‘It’s embarrassing.’
I pressed my lips together and tried to act nonchalant, Denying it would be ridiculous.
Ronen, who suddenly received attention, also seemed flustered, but soon lowered his head.
“I… I will be cautious.”
“That’s enough.”
When Laeches waved his hand, Ronen, sensing the atmosphere, quickly disappeared.
“Since I said your body is stronger than I think, starting tomorrow, you’ll be in charge of my personal maid, in addition to taking care of two dogs. Can you handle it?”
“Yes, Your Grace.”
It was clear that I was trying to punish him for giving unsolicited advice.
Still, it’s fortunate that it ended like this. Advising and expressing opinions to the master could be a fatal act for a mere maid.
“You.”
Laeches walked forward. I followed behind, bowing my head.
“Starting tomorrow, you’ll be my dedicated maid.”
“…Me?”
“From now on, no one can summon you without my permission, and no one can touch you without my consent. Do you understand?”
It was quite a harsh punishment.
