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After a moment, Lockeherd picked up an expensive ornament next to him with an unconcerned expression, as if he had never looked urgent.
Startled by the sudden turn of events, the butler, who had been standing blankly, asked with a puzzled look.
"Aren't you going to take shelter, sir?"
Then, Lockeherd burst into laughter and replied,
While carefully examining which one was more expensive.
"There's no need to rush. The Imperial Knights aren't coming right away."
"Yes...? You said earlier that the Imperial Knights were coming..."
"That's a lie. So everyone, take this opportunity to grab something that's worth money."
The servants and the butler looked at Lockeherd with bewildered eyes, as if they still hadn't grasped the situation.
Lockeherd rolled his eyes and looked at them, then explained the situation very kindly.
"His Excellency will soon become a traitor, and everything in this mansion will be handed over to Grand Duke Zahir."
As he had watched all the situations as a close aide to Paytan, he was quick to judge the situation.
"Th-then..."
"It means that we might be caught as accomplices to the traitor, let alone get paid for our work."
At Lockeherd's words, the servants swallowed hard with fear-stricken faces.
"Of course, if you run away right now, you might raise suspicion, so it's best to first smuggle out valuable items and then cooperate obediently with the Knights' investigation."
"......"
"Then, I hope you all survive in your own way."
Lockeherd, who had already filled his jacket inner pocket and both trouser pockets with ornaments, left the mansion's entrance.
The servants, who had been staring blankly at Lockeherd's leisurely receding figure, finally seemed to grasp the situation and hurriedly began to take things from the mansion.
In that way, the Farnese Duchy's townhouse was quickly emptied.
The news that Idris and Leticia, who had been stranded in the forest, had returned alive also reached Grand Duke Zahir's residence.
Elise frowned as soon as she woke up and heard the news.
"Then shouldn't we hurry up and take care of that Paytan guy? Who knows what he'll say if we leave him alive..."
But unlike the anxious Elise, Deon sipped his coffee and replied leisurely.
"That's what people who have something to feel guilty about do, Elise."
It was as if he was finding Elise's anxiety cute, or perhaps mocking her with contempt.
"Did you forget? I didn't do anything in this matter. It's all Paytan Farnese, what that guy did."
Deon had driven Paytan to the edge of the cliff, but it was Paytan's choice to jump off.
So Paytan would also think that this was something he did himself, not something he was forced to do by someone else.
'Of course, I did instruct the mercenaries hired by Paytan Farnese to eliminate the Crown Prince...'
Paytan, unaware that the mercenaries had been double-hired, ordered them to eliminate Leticia.
And the mercenaries were told to confess only about Paytan if things went wrong.
So this incident would end as a love affair that Paytan had committed because he couldn't accept the divorce from his ex-wife.
Although Ludian was unintentionally involved, so the price would be heavy.
'In that situation, it's foolish to get rid of the guy who's going to take all the blame.'
Even though Elise had come up with the idea of using Paytan, she didn't seem to have the guts to wage a psychological war.
'That's why she got her tail caught by Leticia and ended up like that.'
With so much fear, she was definitely not a suitable woman for the Empress.
"So you don't have to worry about that."
Deon clicked his tongue inwardly, but outwardly he wrapped his arms around Elise's waist.
Then Elise laughed gleefully with relief.
"However, the problem is... we failed to eliminate Ludian this time as well."
Leticia Cloel.
Deon's eyes turned cold as he thought of the culprit who had already thwarted his plans twice.
Elise comforted him by picking up a piece of fruit with a fork and putting it in his mouth, then asked.
"Then what are you going to do?"
Deon chewed on the fruit and pondered for a moment, then opened his mouth as if something had occurred to him.
"The same pattern is easy to be seen through, so should we change the plan this time?"
His golden eyes were shining coldly as he muttered.
[Outrageous Affair at the Imperial Hunting Festival]
[The Incident Was Revealed to Be the Work of Duke Farnese...]
I had been reading Paytan's articles, which had been decorating the front pages of all kinds of newspapers for days.
Several days had already passed since the hunting festival incident.
After returning, I told everyone that Paytan was behind this, and even the mercenaries disguised as knights who were caught pointed to Paytan as the mastermind.
And Paytan...
[Duke Farnese, a Strong Suspect in the Hunting Festival Incident, Has Been Missing for Three Days... Difficulties in the Investigation...]
He ran away faster than anyone else. Pathetically.
As a result, public opinion was more focused on Paytan, but I roughly guessed the 'real culprit' hidden behind this incident.
'This incident wasn't committed by Paytan alone.'
The mercenaries who chased after me to kill me that day took the Ludian—a blanket pile disguised as Ludian—from me first.
"We don't know anything. Today's incident will be a case where a wild beast, startled by a forest fire, ran wild and tore the Crown Prince and Lady Cloel to death."
Paytan didn't need to kill Ludian to escalate the situation.
The person who would benefit the most from Ludian's death.
'Whether Paytan was ordered to kill Ludian or not. There's a high possibility that Deon is involved in this.'
But I didn't tell the knights of the Imperial Palace, who came to investigate the circumstances of the incident.
'Deon's forces are already hidden throughout the Imperial Palace.'
There was no point in letting them know that I was suspicious.
Of course, there was also the option of telling only His Majesty the Emperor or Her Majesty the Empress, but before that...
'I want to discuss it with Idris first.'
However, the problem is...
I folded the newspaper I was reading.
Then, I saw Idris, who was sleeping like death.
Idris regained consciousness the next morning, as he had assured me, but soon collapsed again after leading me to the knights.
"He's said to be immune to most poisons, so why can't he detoxify it?"
"If he wasn't immune, his life would have been in danger that night... no, before sunset."
"Then, when he woke up in the middle..."
"Perhaps he was worried about the Young Lady and briefly regained consciousness."
"......"
The court physician said that he had passed the critical point and left, telling me to let him sleep so that he could detoxify sufficiently.
I waited with relief after hearing those words, but as the third day came, I started to feel uneasy.
'He's not going to be unable to wake up forever, is he...?'
Oblivious to the fact that the person waiting was burning inside, I held Idris's hand, who was sleeping peacefully.
"Idris."
"......"
"You said it would only take half a day, why aren't you awake yet?"
"......"
"I have so much to tell you..."
The story about this incident, the story about childhood, and the story about the regression magic.
It was then, when I was complaining to him, who was asleep and couldn't hear me.
"Lady Leticia."
The butler's voice was heard along with a knock.
"What's wrong?"
The butler, who was hesitating for a moment, replied.
"Viscount Cloel has come to see you."
Just the name made my head ache.
But I had no intention of avoiding it.
'I was wondering how to cut it off, but he came to me at just the right time.'
I got up from my seat with a wry smile and whispered.
"Get some rest, Idris."
I'll clean everything up while you sleep.
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