As I left the palace, no one held me back.
It was the same when I walked through the streets of the capital.
While walking on the quiet early morning street, some people were surprised to see me, but no one reported that the Duke of Baloa, a traitor, was walking around.
A few days after my arrest at the pier, I thought my name as a high-ranking aristocrat who betrayed the empire would have been left on the front pages of every newspaper.
“Hmm.
Well, it was good for me.
Even though Cardan released me, it would be good in many ways for me to leave the empire as secretly as possible.
I took a carriage to head to the Duke’s castle and paid with my remaining earrings.
“Maid, it’s me.”
When the maid didn’t recognize me in the dim dawn light, I called her in a hurry.
“Oh! Are you really the lady? What’s going on?”
The maid was worried as she squeezed my hands while crossing the still dark porch to the bedroom.
“How worried we were when the Duke was dragged like that.”
I sighed deeply.
“I’m sorry that I’m not good enough as the family head and made you guys suffer even though you are innocent.”
“Suffer?”
The maid tilted her head.
“Yes, you guys must have been locked up in a dungeon for a few days and were finally released.”
When the maid had no answer, I began to look around in amazement
“Did you get tortured?”
“No, we were all released that day.
It was surprising that Cardan didn’t drag her employees with her, given the guilt-by-association system in place in this world.
“How’s the situation? I’m sure everyone has heard of my arrest by now.
The tyrant’s right-hand man was arrested, and for a while, the nobles would be reluctant to be involved with me.
“No.
“Oh, that’s right.
It was only then that I remembered the excuse I had put around to hide my whereabouts for a few days after the banquet.
Kyiiik—
The head maid, who had barely turned on the bedroom lamp, noted the wine stain on her dress.
“Oh, miss……!”
The maid began to look around me with tears in her eyes.
“Oh, I didn’t believe His Majesty would touch a lady, but I didn’t expect you to be severely tortured.”
She hurriedly dragged me to my bed, helping me.
“Hang in there, Miss.
“Maid, I’m fine.”
“But…!”
“These are all wine stains.”
“…….”
“Only the stone floor was a bit uncomfortable.
“…….”
“The dungeon was warm because His Majesty brought a big brazier in front of me to practice execution.”
“E, execution……?”
The maid’s eyes trembled mercilessly.
“No, he’s not really intending to execute me.”
I hesitated.
The more I thought about it, the more I couldn’t understand Cardan.
All of the Duke’s employees, who should have been arrested and interrogated together, have been released.
And most of all…….
“His Majesty has freed me.”
I touched the back of my neck.
“I’m sure he would have twisted my neck.”
“Oh, don’t say such a terrible thing.”
I laughed when the maid freaked out.
“Why? Doesn’t the maid think so, too? I’ve done a very terrible thing to His Majesty.”
The maid also dropped her eyes awkwardly as if she couldn’t deny it.
“That’s enough.
I tried to smile nonchalantly.
“Prepare me a bath.
Although my plan to take of all my wealth and play and eat in the East continent for the rest of my life went awry.
My plan of escaping the empire remained unchanged.
There’s nothing more important to me than that.
“Absolutely not!”
The maid who was taking off my dress hardened her face.
“You’ve been in prison for a while and here you go, planning on going around here and there! For the time being, you need to take a rest and take care of yourself.”
I was intimidated by the maid’s frightening face which I had never seen before.
“No, I’m really fine.”
“What do you mean you’re fine? No matter how warm it was, prison is a prison.
The maid sighed deeply and diligently peeled off my clothes.
“It’s the same as before and now you don’t care about your body and just stick to your work.
“Haha, is that so…….”
In a strange mood, I blurred my words awkwardly.
I wonder if Cardan thought the same thing.
The Duke of Baloa was still the Duke of Baloa.
***
He stood in front of the prison for a long time.
All that was left was broken earring and a broken handcuff, but Cardan couldn’t take his eyes off the empty space.
It was just as he predicted.
So he couldn’t turn back nor take his eyes away.
Duke Baloa remained Duke Baloa until the end without changing.
He pity himself who thought she had changed for a moment.
Nevertheless, he could see what she had left behind.
A despondent smile broke out.
“Kaaa!”
Before he knew it, the crow that followed him rushed as soon as he found a diamond stuck in a corner of the prison.
He flapped excitedly, wondering what a nice thing this was, and quickly snatched the earring.
“Kkaa~ Kkkaa~”
The bird, with the earring on its chest, jumped as it watched itself in a puddle of water on the floor.
When he tilted his head while acting cute, he seemed to like the earrings a lot.
Just when he was about to leave him with his prized trophy.
“Here you go.”
He took it in an instant.
“Kkkaa!”
The crow was furious and pecked at Cardan’s hand, but Cardan only stared at the earrings as if he couldn’t feel his sharp beak.
“Damn it.”
When the rim of the earring shrank from Cardan’s grasp, the crow stepped back in an instant.
The crow burst into anger when he saw Cardan putting the earring in his inner chest pocket after destroying it with his own hands.
You destroyed it.
However, Cardan’s face twisted to the point that it trembled, so the crow could not protest and just stamped its feet.
With his long experience of being with Cardan, the crow had a hunch.
That dreadful energy was sure to last for a long time.
“Kkkaaa……Kaaa…”
The crow couldn’t understand at all.
It was regrettable that he could no longer steal pigeon food, but for Cardan, who hated the Duke more than anyone else, it would be good news that she left.
Why was Cardan making such a terrible expression when the Duke stole Eleanor from him and threatened him?
He couldn’t understand him.
***
The maid kept me, fed me and put me to sleep in the Duke’s castle for a week.
It was not until my face and cheeks became chubby, which had always seemed sunken, that I was finally released.
Upon my release, I headed to Count Linoa in the capital.
Count Linoa, who was in the capital, welcomed me greatly.
“Duke, welcome.
I cleared my voice.
“Well, it’s not a big deal.
Count Linoa sighed.
“I heard the news.
It seemed that the eyes of the count could not be avoided since the ships in question are within the Empire.
“I felt sorry for everything.
Of course, Count Linoa seemed to have no idea that I was trying to defect to the East continent, not to do trade business.
“News travels fast.”
When I answered with an uncomfortable expression, Count Linoa looked at me carefully.
“Haha, I’d like to give you a new ship, but unfortunately, I can’t afford it.”
“Don’t mind it.”
I didn’t even have the money to buy a replacement ship anyway.
“I’d like you to find a ship going to the East.
“East? Of course, I can get you a ship easily, but…….”
Count Linoa’s face became quite dark.
“When will you come back when you go out to the East continent?”
For a moment, my body stiffened with tension.
Did the Count notice anything about my asylum?
“Why do you ask that?”
Count Linoa wiggled his fingers.
“Of course, I know that the Duke is officially on vacation, but…….”
After that, I eventually lost my patience and questioned the count.
“Is there a problem?”
The count grabbed my hands with a desperate look.
“We’re all looking forward to the day the Duke returns!”
“…… what?”
Count Linoa almost cried and continued his words with difficulty.
“The atmosphere in the palace is crazy these days.
“What does that mean?”
The count looked around the office, where we were the only ones present, then he leaned toward me and lowered his voice to the fullest.
“His Majesty has become a demon.”
As I left the palace, no one held me back.
It was the same when I walked through the streets of the capital.
While walking on the quiet early morning street, some people were surprised to see me, but no one reported that the Duke of Baloa, a traitor, was walking around.
A few days after my arrest at the pier, I thought my name as a high-ranking aristocrat who betrayed the empire would have been left on the front pages of every newspaper.
“Hmm.
Well, it was good for me.
Even though Cardan released me, it would be good in many ways for me to leave the empire as secretly as possible.
I took a carriage to head to the Duke’s castle and paid with my remaining earrings.
“Maid, it’s me.”
When the maid didn’t recognize me in the dim dawn light, I called her in a hurry.
“Oh! Are you really the lady? What’s going on?”
The maid was worried as she squeezed my hands while crossing the still dark porch to the bedroom.
“How worried we were when the Duke was dragged like that.”
I sighed deeply.
“I’m sorry that I’m not good enough as the family head and made you guys suffer even though you are innocent.”
“Suffer?”
The maid tilted her head.
“Yes, you guys must have been locked up in a dungeon for a few days and were finally released.”
When the maid had no answer, I began to look around in amazement
“Did you get tortured?”
“No, we were all released that day.
It was surprising that Cardan didn’t drag her employees with her, given the guilt-by-association system in place in this world.
“How’s the situation? I’m sure everyone has heard of my arrest by now.
The tyrant’s right-hand man was arrested, and for a while, the nobles would be reluctant to be involved with me.
“No.
“Oh, that’s right.
It was only then that I remembered the excuse I had put around to hide my whereabouts for a few days after the banquet.
Kyiiik—
The head maid, who had barely turned on the bedroom lamp, noted the wine stain on her dress.
“Oh, miss……!”
The maid began to look around me with tears in her eyes.
“Oh, I didn’t believe His Majesty would touch a lady, but I didn’t expect you to be severely tortured.”
She hurriedly dragged me to my bed, helping me.
“Hang in there, Miss.
“Maid, I’m fine.”
“But…!”
“These are all wine stains.”
“…….”
“Only the stone floor was a bit uncomfortable.
“…….”
“The dungeon was warm because His Majesty brought a big brazier in front of me to practice execution.”
“E, execution……?”
The maid’s eyes trembled mercilessly.
“No, he’s not really intending to execute me.”
I hesitated.
The more I thought about it, the more I couldn’t understand Cardan.
All of the Duke’s employees, who should have been arrested and interrogated together, have been released.
And most of all…….
“His Majesty has freed me.”
I touched the back of my neck.
“I’m sure he would have twisted my neck.”
“Oh, don’t say such a terrible thing.”
I laughed when the maid freaked out.
“Why? Doesn’t the maid think so, too? I’ve done a very terrible thing to His Majesty.”
The maid also dropped her eyes awkwardly as if she couldn’t deny it.
“That’s enough.
I tried to smile nonchalantly.
“Prepare me a bath.
Although my plan to take of all my wealth and play and eat in the East continent for the rest of my life went awry.
My plan of escaping the empire remained unchanged.
There’s nothing more important to me than that.
“Absolutely not!”
The maid who was taking off my dress hardened her face.
“You’ve been in prison for a while and here you go, planning on going around here and there! For the time being, you need to take a rest and take care of yourself.”
I was intimidated by the maid’s frightening face which I had never seen before.
“No, I’m really fine.”
“What do you mean you’re fine? No matter how warm it was, prison is a prison.
The maid sighed deeply and diligently peeled off my clothes.
“It’s the same as before and now you don’t care about your body and just stick to your work.
“Haha, is that so…….”
In a strange mood, I blurred my words awkwardly.
I wonder if Cardan thought the same thing.
The Duke of Baloa was still the Duke of Baloa.
***
He stood in front of the prison for a long time.
All that was left was broken earring and a broken handcuff, but Cardan couldn’t take his eyes off the empty space.
It was just as he predicted.
So he couldn’t turn back nor take his eyes away.
Duke Baloa remained Duke Baloa until the end without changing.
He pity himself who thought she had changed for a moment.
Nevertheless, he could see what she had left behind.
A despondent smile broke out.
“Kaaa!”
Before he knew it, the crow that followed him rushed as soon as he found a diamond stuck in a corner of the prison.
He flapped excitedly, wondering what a nice thing this was, and quickly snatched the earring.
“Kkaa~ Kkkaa~”
The bird, with the earring on its chest, jumped as it watched itself in a puddle of water on the floor.
When he tilted his head while acting cute, he seemed to like the earrings a lot.
Just when he was about to leave him with his prized trophy.
“Here you go.”
He took it in an instant.
“Kkkaa!”
The crow was furious and pecked at Cardan’s hand, but Cardan only stared at the earrings as if he couldn’t feel his sharp beak.
“Damn it.”
When the rim of the earring shrank from Cardan’s grasp, the crow stepped back in an instant.
The crow burst into anger when he saw Cardan putting the earring in his inner chest pocket after destroying it with his own hands.
You destroyed it.
However, Cardan’s face twisted to the point that it trembled, so the crow could not protest and just stamped its feet.
With his long experience of being with Cardan, the crow had a hunch.
That dreadful energy was sure to last for a long time.
“Kkkaaa……Kaaa…”
The crow couldn’t understand at all.
It was regrettable that he could no longer steal pigeon food, but for Cardan, who hated the Duke more than anyone else, it would be good news that she left.
Why was Cardan making such a terrible expression when the Duke stole Eleanor from him and threatened him?
He couldn’t understand him.
***
The maid kept me, fed me and put me to sleep in the Duke’s castle for a week.
It was not until my face and cheeks became chubby, which had always seemed sunken, that I was finally released.
Upon my release, I headed to Count Linoa in the capital.
Count Linoa, who was in the capital, welcomed me greatly.
“Duke, welcome.
I cleared my voice.
“Well, it’s not a big deal.
Count Linoa sighed.
“I heard the news.
It seemed that the eyes of the count could not be avoided since the ships in question are within the Empire.
“I felt sorry for everything.
Of course, Count Linoa seemed to have no idea that I was trying to defect to the East continent, not to do trade business.
“News travels fast.”
When I answered with an uncomfortable expression, Count Linoa looked at me carefully.
“Haha, I’d like to give you a new ship, but unfortunately, I can’t afford it.”
“Don’t mind it.”
I didn’t even have the money to buy a replacement ship anyway.
“I’d like you to find a ship going to the East.
“East? Of course, I can get you a ship easily, but…….”
Count Linoa’s face became quite dark.
“When will you come back when you go out to the East continent?”
For a moment, my body stiffened with tension.
Did the Count notice anything about my asylum?
“Why do you ask that?”
Count Linoa wiggled his fingers.
“Of course, I know that the Duke is officially on vacation, but…….”
After that, I eventually lost my patience and questioned the count.
“Is there a problem?”
The count grabbed my hands with a desperate look.
“We’re all looking forward to the day the Duke returns!”
“…… what?”
Count Linoa almost cried and continued his words with difficulty.
“The atmosphere in the palace is crazy these days.
“What does that mean?”
The count looked around the office, where we were the only ones present, then he leaned toward me and lowered his voice to the fullest.
“His Majesty has become a demon.”
