MHM 11

 "The bridge over the Lona River is now flooded."

At the scout's words, Iana looked at the head maid with relief.

"……!"

The head maid's eyes widened in surprise.

It seemed she was quite astonished that Iana had accurately predicted the knights would not be able to leave.

Charles greeted Iana with a bow.

"Thanks to the countess, our knights avoided a pointless journey. Thank you."

Iana replied with a proud smile.

"My father, who was a grand mage, once had to cross a flooded bridge on his way back from a battle."

"A similar thing happened to him?"

"Yes! I remembered that story and mentioned it, so I'm glad it helped."

At that moment, everyone's attention turned to Karion.

Karion, looking displeased, spoke reluctantly.

"Your Highness, we would appreciate it if you could stay in our castle for just one more day…."

"We are indebted to you once again, Count Dietrian."

Charles quickly accepted Karion's suggestion as if he had been waiting for it.

‘It will be not just one day but three,’ Iana thought briefly and decided it was the right time to say her prepared words.

"The head maid must have had insight. She insisted on preparing extra provisions, thinking the knights' schedule might change due to the heavy rain."

Iana gave the credit for the pre-prepared provisions to the head maid.

"It just seemed like an unusual rain, so I secured as many supplies as possible."

The head maid responded modestly.

Charles continued to praise, taking Iana's words into account.

"The Dietrian family seems to have keen judgment, just like a scholarly family."

"You flatter us, Your Highness."

Karion didn't seem to dislike the compliment to the family.

Then, Iana signaled the head maid with a look. The head maid cautiously spoke up.

"Master, I have something urgent to tell you."

Noticing the unusual expression on the head maid's face, Karion raised an eyebrow knowingly.

"Your Highness, I will take my leave first. I have urgent matters to attend to."

"Please do. I will finish overseeing the wagons and join you shortly."

With Charles's permission, Karion gave a short bow and entered the inner castle with the head maid.

Iana watched them leave, thinking, 'My plan is finally beginning.'

---

The head maid followed Karion into his office.

Knowing her young master's temper better than anyone, her face was tense with nervousness.

Karion leaned back in the chair before his desk, looking annoyed. He roughly unbuttoned his collar, seemingly stifled, and swore.

"Damn it! Why did the bridge have to flood today?"

"……."

The head maid stood silently before the desk.

"Anyway, you did well. It would have been a disgrace to the family if we hadn't been able to properly host the royal knights."

At that moment, the head maid recalled Iana's words.

"Speak up after the master praises your judgment."

"I only followed the master's instruction to ensure there was no lack in hospitality."

"So, what's the issue?"

The head maid, checking around cautiously, approached the desk and spoke in a low voice.

"It's about the statue."

Karion's eyes sharpened instantly.

"Did you catch the culprit? Who dared to damage my statue?"

The head maid hesitated, pretending it was difficult to speak, then spoke with difficulty.

"On the morning the statue was damaged, someone visited the gallery alone."

Karion asked with a look as if a thought had just struck him.

"Is it the maid Iana brought? I saw her snooping around the gallery late at night."

"It's not Liel."

"Then who?"

The head maid lowered her voice further and whispered.

"It's the madam."

"What?"

Karion was speechless at the unexpected answer.

"I saw it myself. Only you, the butler, and the madam have the key to the gallery, do you not?"

"……."

"But the madam said she had only visited the gallery with noble guests."

The head maid revealed her grounds for judgment one by one.

An agitated Karion stood up abruptly.

"So, what? Iana did it and lied about it?"

"……."

The head maid remained silent.

Karion paced back and forth, his face filled with disbelief.

"People need a motive for their actions. But Iana has no reason to damage the statue."

"When one can't confront their opponent, they might take it out on what the opponent values most."

Bang-.

Karion slammed his fists on the desk in anger.

"Speak clearly! Stop beating around the bush."

"I understand the two of you quarreled. Over Lady Chloe."

"So, you're saying Iana damaged the statue out of spite because of Chloe?"

"That's just my opinion."

The head maid replied in a dry tone, causing Karion's anger to explode.

"If it's just your opinion, you should have brought solid evidence! I'll ask Iana myself, so you better brace yourself."

Karion angrily started to leave, but the head maid spoke firmly.

"But Master, if this matter becomes public, it will be disastrous for the family's reputation."

"Ha……!"

Karion stopped in his tracks.

"‘The Countess of Dietrian destroyed a family heirloom out of jealousy.’ What will people think if such rumors spread?"

"……."

"That's why I didn't investigate further. I was worried odd rumors might spread if I looked into it too much."

"Shut up!"

Karion threw the hourglass on his desk into a glass cabinet.

Crash-.

The stone hourglass shattered the glass cabinet.

As the head maid had expected, Karion acted like a madman. The young master was obsessively concerned with the family's honor.

"How could she act so childishly and take it out on the statue? No, did you see wrong?"

Karion clutched his head and asked the head maid again.

"Say that Vera tried to take the blame for me. For the family's sake."

The head maid spoke as Iana had instructed.

"I wasn't the only one who saw it. Vera, who cleaned the gallery, saw it too. That's why she didn't argue even though she was falsely accused, for the sake of the family."

Karion, lost in thought, finally gave a stern order.

"First, silence all the servants. This matter ends here."

"……Will you really let it go?"

The head maid asked, and Karion replied in a cold voice.

"No. I'll investigate it myself. Quietly and secretly."

---

‘Karion will hate me now.’

Iana thought as she watched the busy wagons at the entrance of the inner castle.

She hoped for Karion's hatred.

She wanted him to completely ignore her because of this incident.

If he demanded a divorce, she would accept it and find another way to take revenge on Liel.

At that moment, she saw people in gray robes, symbolizing mages, unloading from a wagon.

Among them, a young mage, who still looked like a boy, came towards the entrance of the inner castle with a dog on a leash.

The dog was large, about the size of a seven-year-old child, with pitch-black fur.

As befitting a military dog meant for battle, it exuded a sense of ferocity. However, its eyes were covered with a white film, and they had no focus.

"Is it a magic dog?"

Iana muttered as she saw the approaching dog.

Magic dogs were military dogs that could detect and fight monsters.

Born with magic, magic dogs were blind. As their magic grew stronger, they could even lose their sense of smell and hearing.

However, magic dogs could read the terrain and identify monsters and mages using their magic.

Swoosh-.

A cold wind blew as the rain began to pour heavily again.

As the rain intensified, she tried to enter the inner castle.

Bark! Bark! Bark!

The military dog suddenly started barking fiercely.

"Khan! What's wrong?"

The young mage holding the leash was flustered and tried to calm the dog, but it wouldn’t listen.

At that moment,

"Catch Khan!"

The knights' urgent voices were heard.

The leash snapped, and the dog charged towards Iana at a terrifying speed.

"Madam!"

The maids behind her screamed.

"……!"

Iana was so startled that she froze on the spot.

As the dog charged ferociously towards her,

Thud-.

Charles stepped in front of Iana, grabbed the dog by the neck, and pulled it close, shielding her with his arm.

"Stay still!"

Growl-.

The excited dog bared its sharp teeth and struggled violently.

At that moment,

"Argh!"

As Charles subdued it forcefully, the dog bit his left shoulder.

"Your Highness!"

Everyone around them gasped in shock.

Blood flowed from Charles’s shoulder. Yet, he didn’t falter, pressing down on the dog’s body to subdue it.

The once fierce barking dog whimpered pathetically.

For some reason, to Iana, the sound seemed pitiful and sorrowful.

"Khan, it's okay. It's okay."

As Charles soothed the dog, it gradually calmed down.

"What on earth……."

People watched the strange scene in disbelief.

As Charles slowly released the dog and a mage approached to reattach the leash,

"No!"

The dog charged at Iana again with frightening speed.

"Madam!"

"Countess!"

The moment the dog's paws touched Iana's body, an intense pain surged through her.

"Argh!"

An unfamiliar sensation she had never felt before coursed through her entire body.

Thud-.

Iana collapsed on the spot, unconscious.