TPWTM 24

“The empress will pin the blame for masterminding this attack on the imperial family and the eastern rebellion that overthrew Enenberg on one side. Because they, too, need to be absolved of suspicion.”

“Surely, ha…”

“Yes, Karon. You are right. Who do you think would be a suitable candidate? The house of Chevinelle.”

“What!”

“It is closest to power, and as nobles, they come from the gentry, which is the easiest to dispose of. In addition, they have become a thorn in the side of the empress’s faction. By pretending to help the empress’s faction while not actually being of any help.”

Karon clenched his jaw. Not a single one of Radzwell’s words was wrong. That was right. The current situation was being steered in that direction. From the moment Karon refused the marriage to Young Master Graham, perhaps it was already foretold. Karon ran his fingers through his hair, feeling miserable. Radzwell stared at Karon with a hardened face.

“So, Karon, confirm it.”

“…”

“As a sacred object, find the empress’s weakness.”

Karon could not bring himself to answer.

• ~ *

In the deep of dawn, unable to stay at the Prince’s Palace any longer, Karon secretly contacted his mansion and summoned a carriage. From the arriving carriage, Ash, the butler of the newlywed mansion, and Yurik’s butler, Philip, disembarked. The two of them showed signs of having moved in a hurry due to the sudden summons.

“H-He was injured, you say?”

“Oh, dear God.”

Yurik’s butler, Philip, staggered on the spot. Ash supported him as he was severely shocked. Karon sighed and relayed Yurik’s situation. Philip, who was quite old, could not control his emotions and spoke with trembling hands.

“Th-Then the young master is…”

“He has not woken up yet. Before that, we must leave the imperial palace. So please make the preparations.”

“Yes, yes… Heavens, how could something like this…”

The two butlers, flustered, moved about, contemplating how to explain the situation to the servants they had brought with them. While they were preparing, Karon sat by the side of the bed where Yurik lay and gazed at him silently. Yurik’s face, seen with the curtains drawn, was bloodless and deathly pale.

His breathing was so faint that it was hard to tell if he was breathing at all, and sometimes, out of sheer fear, he would place a hand by his nose. Karon carefully traced the back of Yurik’s hand with his finger. A cold hand. Yet a warm hand. Karon then intertwined his fingers with Yurik’s and pressed his lips to them. Please… please, Yuri. I never thought something like this would happen. His stomach churned with a surge of emotion.

After preparing to move him quickly, Karon carefully transferred Yurik to the carriage via a stretcher. He was concerned about every little thing, worried that he might suffer even the slightest shock, but just the bumpy rolling of the carriage wheels made Yurik’s body shake, and Karon was afraid something might happen to him.

When they arrived at the mansion, the family doctor was waiting. After instructing the servants to keep their mouths shut, they moved Yurik to a room, and the doctor examined him again and proceeded with treatment. The wound had burst open on the way, and blood had seeped out. Karon watched Yurik receive treatment with a gloomy face.

“Young Duke, please get some rest. I will watch over him.”

“…Uh, no. I am fine.”

“Your complexion is terrible.”

“Does it look that way?”

At butler Ash’s words, Karon wiped his face with his hand. The rough texture made him realize that his complexion was indeed not good. Karon let out a sigh. He had not slept a wink since the riot suppression operation. He did not think he would be able to sleep even if he tried to rest now.

Karon said he would just wash up for a moment, then left Yurik’s room and returned to his own. All sorts of thoughts were jumbled in his mind, and it felt like his brain was running endlessly. Karon decided to wash first and then think.

After neatly shaving and washing up, he came out to find Duke Canes waiting in the room. Karon flinched but pretended to be unfazed and lifted the corners of his mouth.

“What brings you here?”

“Have I come somewhere I should not have?”

“Of course not.”

“I heard the news.”

Karon’s smiling face froze for a moment before he sat down opposite Duke Canes. With the Duke’s swift channels of information, there was no way he would not know. Most of the high-ranking nobles with quick access to news probably knew that Yurik had been injured in Radzwell’s place.

“Is Yuri all right?”

“He has not woken up yet.”

“This is a big problem. It seems problems always come in layers.”

“…What is the matter?”

Duke Canes smiled bitterly. At his hesitant gaze, Karon furrowed his brow. Something felt ominous. Canes opened his mouth.

“The empress has struck us.”

“What?”

“Since dawn, there has been talk of the Blue Rampart Knight Order being dispatched. I looked into it, and it was passed in the noble council in one go.”

“Ha… already?”

“You noticed too, did you? It seems the empress has decided to abandon the house of Chevinelle. Some of the captured rioters have falsely confessed that the mastermind behind the eastern rebellion and the recent attack on the imperial family is the house of Chevinelle.”

“That is absolutely ridiculous. What does a central noble have to do with the eastern rebellion…”

“I was a long-time acquaintance of the Lord of Enenberg. So I had been providing separate support because of the recent drought, but they say the documents regarding that support have been altered to look like they were for supporting the rioters and are being kept as evidence. A military officer who had been planted and has access to top-secret information gave me the news first.”

“Good heavens, Father…”

Karon clutched his forehead. Things were getting tangled up in a mess. It was blatantly obvious who had orchestrated this, even without hearing the details. The empress.

“It was probably a piece to be discarded from the start. I had anticipated it to some extent from the moment I was given the dukedom. A duke from the gentry, it does not make sense.”

Duke Canes chuckled with a solemn face. It was his own great success story, but it was an undeniable fact that luck, influenced significantly by the winds of power, had also played a part. However, although he had thought a day like this might come, it was not supposed to be like this. Karon thought back to the previous evening when the empress had held him back. The empress, who had nonsensically insisted that he stay until the princess woke up.

“…No wonder she pulled that stunt yesterday.”

“That stunt?”

“Even while Yuri was undergoing surgery after being injured, she forced me not to leave the empress’s palace. Perhaps that was the final warning. Or maybe she intended to arrest me on the spot.”

“She has done some ridiculous things.”

“Right?”

Karon grinned at Duke Canes’s displeased response. Even thinking about it now, the empress’s actions made no sense. To ask him to wait for a princess who was merely asleep and receive her thanks, while his husband was in a critical condition. Duke Canes stood up from his seat.

“For now, get to safety. The Blue Rampart Knight Order will be sent to the Windsor estate as well, so refrain from sending Yuri there.”

“What about you and Mother?”

“I have already sent the slush fund and Munez away separately. By now, they should have abandoned the carriage and switched to a train.”

“…Will you be staying, Father? Can you handle it alone?”

“If no one is here, they will keep targeting and chasing after us. Someone has to stay. The truth must be revealed, must it not.”

Duke Canes silently patted Karon’s shoulder. Karon kept his lips tightly sealed before lifting his head.

“The empress will look for me too. In the end, I am the one who provoked her the most.”

“Karon.”

“I will stay with you.”

“Think of Yuri.”

“…That way, just as you thought of Mother’s safety, Yuri will be safe too.”

Duke Canes swallowed a groan. Karon was right. The empress’s army would pursue them relentlessly, and it would be safer for their families if the key figures remained in the central capital. It was impossible for them to escape the capital together anyway. Right now, Yurik was injured and could not escape any faster. Karon stopped Canes, who was about to leave.

“…The next time we meet, it will likely be in a courtroom.”

“Take care of yourself.”

Duke Canes looked at his son, smiled faintly, and quickly turned away. Karon squeezed his eyes shut.

• ~ *

“Special report! Special report!”

“Extra! Extra!”

“The truth behind the fall of the house of Chevinelle!”

“A rebellion has occurred!”

The streets of the imperial capital, Latreille, were a chaotic mess of all kinds of newspapers. People were shocked as they looked at the flyers being distributed as special reports. It was because the truth behind the attack on the imperial family during the recent rain-making ritual and the fact that the mastermind supporting the eastern rioters was the ducal house of Chevinelle were recorded in detail.

All the content was a leaflet created by the empress’s side with a mix of facts and falsehoods, but the newspaper sold like hotcakes. People chattered on, saying they knew the house of Chevinelle would be like that.

“Of course. A nouveau riche’s habits die hard. I predicted it when I saw them hoarding wealth like that!”

“Is this not treason? Good heavens, just because they were given power, they coveted the imperial throne too?”

“This is why the gentry cannot be trusted.”

“To think a noble would do such a thing!”

People’s gazes were fixed on the Chevinelle mansion. The Blue Rampart Knight Order and soldiers openly paraded through the capital’s streets, creating an atmosphere of intimidation, and newspaper companies poured out articles like ‘Was the House of Chevinelle the Final Mastermind?’ by adding ridiculous incidents while claiming to dig into scandals and belittle the Chevinelle family.

The nobles gathered in their respective homes or salons, whispering and discussing the incident.

“Somehow, I always felt uneasy whenever their power grew too large. I suppose Her Majesty the Empress also thought it was time to cut them down.”

“I cannot help but feel that it is a bit too soon. Has the drought in the east even been resolved yet?”

“Well then, what is going to happen to the house of Windsor?”

“They are a business partner, so this is a huge problem. My husband is flipping out right now.”

“This is a disaster. All business has come to a halt. If the house of Chevinelle falls, we fall too!”

Everyone whispered and paid close attention to the incident. Because the house of Chevinelle was the wealthiest in the empire and had the most business partners, the repercussions were enormous. Businesses began to close one after another, and most nobles were thrown into a state of emergency. Even those who were not involved looked at the house of Chevinelle with anxious faces.

“Is it really treason?”

“Well…”

“Hmm…”

The connection to the eastern incident and the rain-making ritual incident. Various circumstances were made public, but few people believed them completely. Everyone just thought that the empress had begun a purge, that she had started to consolidate her power. A chaotic and anxious day was passing by.

• ~ *

The capital is in chaos. Since the resolution had not yet been passed in the noble council, the Blue Rampart Knight Order had not been dispatched. He had to move quickly at a time like this, but his head was as hard as a rock, and his thoughts would not turn. Karon wiped his face with his hands.

Which of the noble families connected to the house of Chevinelle is safe? Where can I entrust Yurik so that he will not be dragged to prison with his sick body? All sorts of thoughts flowed, centered around Yurik. Ash, who was watching from the side as Karon agonized, took a step closer with a worried face.

“Young Duke, are you all right?”

“Huh? No… I am not.”

“You must start moving now. We do not know when the resolution will be passed.”

“Right… You are right.”

If he was going to move, it had to be now. He also knew that if he was going to smuggle him out, it had to be now. But to where? Karon, unable to organize his thoughts, first instructed Philip, who was fidgeting restlessly, to take care of Yurik.

A black carriage was already waiting outside. Yurik was still hovering between life and death, so is this… is this right? Karon wiped his cheek with a troubled face. A sigh escaped him at the feel of his already rough cheek.

There was nothing important to pack from the newlywed house. His father at the Chevinelle estate must have taken care of it. However, the concern was the Windsor estate. If Yurik were here, he could move the important items from the estate, but since he was not…

But Windsor was a family of meritorious retainers, so they would not be able to touch it too much. Karon calmed his continuously rising worries and went down the stairs.

The lobby was bustling with servants. The servants, having packed their respective belongings, began to leave the mansion one by one under the guidance of the butler and the head maid. If they were caught, it would only lead to troublesome matters, so it was right for them to leave the mansion before that. Letters of recommendation had already been distributed. As he stood there blankly for a moment, watching them, butler Philip approached and spoke.

“Young Master… no, Young Count has been moved to the carriage. I have assigned two trustworthy servants to accompany him. Young Duke, you should leave as well.”

“…You have worked hard. And you two?”

“I plan to return to the Windsor estate. I am worried, you see. I also need to look after the mansion…”

Ash answered in turn.

“I will accompany the Young Duke…”

“No. You should rather go with Philip to the Windsor estate.”

“Young Duke.”

“Ash, please. At times like this, listen to me.”

“Young Duke…”

“Philip, I entrust Ash to you. He will be a great help with the work there as well. The situation is what it is, but… I ask this of you.”

Philip nodded with a somber face and opened his mouth.

“I understand. Young Duke, our Young Count… please, I ask you to take good care of him.”

At Philip’s request, Karon turned his head to look at him and smiled faintly. It was different from his usual confident smile, but his gaze was endlessly serious and infinitely heavy.

“I will cherish him more than my own life, so do not worry.”

Philip and Ash bowed their heads. Karon left them behind and exited the lobby.

The carriage prepared at the back of the garden was a black carriage with its windows covered. Two servants saw Karon, bowed their heads, and boarded the carriage. The man who appeared to be the coachman was someone who had been with the house of Chevinelle for a long time. Karon, after meeting his eyes and giving a nod, checked on Yurik, who was lying inside the carriage.

His deathly pale complexion made Yurik’s condition look even worse. Karon clenched his jaw tightly. Somehow… he had to protect Yurik. He could not trust any noble. If that was the case, where should he go?

Karon came out again and explained the destination to the coachman. The coachman’s eyes widened upon hearing the destination. The carriage door closed, and with a lurch, the carriage started off.

The carriage moved quickly through the streets. Karon, who was looking outside through the black-curtained window, once again checked on the lying Yurik. As if the shaking was causing him pain, groans mixed with moans occasionally escaped his lips. But, funnily enough, why was he relieved by that? Karon, with a face on the verge of tears, squeezed Yurik’s hand tightly and smiled.

It was at that moment. With a jolt, the carriage suddenly came to a screeching halt. Karon urgently held Yurik to keep him from shaking. When the carriage came to a complete stop, Karon flung open the door.

“Why did we stop?”

“It is because of me.”

As he looked at the coachman, Karon froze at the voice that came from the front. It was a voice he had heard somewhere before. Karon furrowed his brow and got out of the carriage. Knights on horseback were blocking the front of the carriage, and in front of them, a middle-aged gentleman in a fedora jumped nimbly from his horse. Karon glared at him with a frighteningly hardened face.

“…Marquis Getanil.”

The empress’s dog, said to be the most outstanding in her faction after the house of Chevinelle. It was him. Marquis Getanil took off his fedora and clasped his hands in front of him. He looked at Karon with an expressionless face.

“You seem to be in a hurry to get somewhere.”

“…If you know that, I would think it is proper etiquette not to block the way.”

“It is because I have no choice but to block you.”

Karon glanced at the coachman. The coachman, with a tense face, was subtly tightening his grip on the reins. But they had not even left the townhouse street yet. They could not shake them off here.

What should I do? Karon, with a blank expression, placed his hand on the hilt of the sword at his waist. Marquis Getanil, who was watching him silently, let out a sigh and took a step closer.

“I have something to say, Young Duke.”

“Were we on terms that required a long conversation?”

“I am certain it will be of help to the house of Chevinelle.”

Karon’s cheek twitched. Marquis Getanil, with a strangely static face, took another step closer to Karon and whispered.

“You, what are you willing to do for what is precious to you?”

“…What?”

“I am asking something very important right now. Please answer carefully.”

The corner of Karon’s mouth twitched. It was a question that was quite out of place in the current situation, but Marquis Getanil’s gaze was somehow strange. Karon, without taking his hand off the sword hilt, gestured towards the carriage with his chin.

“I am prepared to protect it, even if it means becoming a murderer, to the point of resolving to kill you and everything behind you right now.”

“Ha, by sacrificing your life?”

“What does life matter.”

Karon tilted his head to the side. His expression held a question, as if asking what choice the other would make. Marquis Getanil looked at Karon’s face as if in thought for a moment, then soon opened his mouth.

“How much do you know about the Uzhal Kingdom?”