.jpg)
"You son of a bitch."
The inside of the box, which should have been full, was empty. Duke Spelman slammed the lid shut.
Was a week too long?
Or was that bastard too quick on the uptake? Duke Spelman gritted his teeth.
What was inside was gunpowder that could blow up the entire museum site.
In the Empire, gunpowder is treated as a prohibited item that only the state can possess. Even Duke Spelman would be killed immediately if it was discovered that he possessed gunpowder.
Even the imperial family cannot freely import or export gunpowder, and if caught, they will be removed from the imperial register.
But there was nothing else that could cover up Veronica's death so effectively. It was excessive to cover up the death of a member of the imperial family.
Duke Spelman slowly ran his hand through his hair. The Crown Prince had Spelman's gunpowder.
"Damn it."
He was very much looking forward to seeing how that snake would use it. The evidence and witnesses of smuggling the gunpowder had already been neatly taken care of.
'I won't get caught.'
The only regret was that gunpowder with no eyes and no owner had fallen into the Crown Prince's hands. He gave up Augustine and failed to protect anything.
He couldn't believe this situation where he had been completely backstabbed by Cerden.
"Feels like I've been bitten by a dog I raised."
He let him loose on the battlefield and raised him freely, and he only learned how to bite his owner. The box twisted under Duke Spelman's hand strength.
Few people know about this. Duke Spelman looked around with cold eyes. Except for the museum director, everyone here was in on it.
Could it be that the museum director, who was on the verge of death, had regained his strength? He could be a witness. He must die even if he is alive, and he must die even if he is dying.
He was bothered that he had put off dealing with it a little.
"Your Grace."
"I need to use my connections inside the Imperial Palace."
The aide waited for orders.
"The museum director must be killed. Kill him by any means."
Duke Spelman gritted his teeth and left the scene. It was truly a defeat with nothing gained.
As Duke Spelman looked around the museum, a warehouse built outside caught his eye.
It was the place where Princess Veronica should have been buried according to the original plan. But that day, it was not Princess Veronica who was captured, but Evelyn, that child.
Duke Spelman slowly retraced his thoughts. About his daughter, who ruined Augustine's crude actions, and furthermore, ruined his plans.
Something he had never doubted before was now bothering him.
'Daddy, Daddy, save me! Waaaaah!'
What was Evelyn like that day? Was there anything different from the Evelyn he knew?
Duke Spelman narrowed his eyes.
He had excluded her from everything because he thought she was a foolish child who couldn't do anything. Everything must be a coincidence. There was no way Evelyn could have judged and acted on her own.
What if all of that was prejudice?
'No, no.'
She was a child he had tamed for a long time. He had personally confirmed Evelyn's abnormality.
He had confirmed the doctors' opinions several times that she could never return to normal. How many doctors had visited Evelyn?
Based on the doctors' opinions that Evelyn was in a state where it was difficult for her to make decisions on her own, he had even taken over all of Evelyn's inherited property.
All of it was property that came to her from Evelyn's maternal family.
'They diagnosed her with irreversible brain damage.'
Duke Spelman pressed his rough lips tightly.
'I'm just worrying when I could just check it.'
Duke Spelman gripped his cane and moved his feet.
* * *
"...Thanks to you, I was able to get something interesting."
Cerden said in a low voice. He swirled the glass in his hand.
It was strong liquor.
Cerden was a man who had been through many wars. Perhaps that's why he drank strong liquor like water.
Even now, he was drinking something like poison, but he had a nonchalant expression.
Since our sincere conversation, we had been spending time alone like this more often.
Julia and her people were still the only ones left in the Crown Princess's palace, and it was as if only Julia was commuting from the Duchy.
Perhaps that's why I had become a little more free.
"What interesting thing?"
Did he get something from the Natural History Museum? Well, he did have a very guilty look on his face.
Gold and silver treasures? Um, or... another corpse...? Is it because I've been dealing with people like Duke Spelman so much? My thoughts are branching out in all directions.
"It was gunpowder."
Cerden smiled crookedly.
"Even I can't possess gunpowder carelessly. Amazing Spelman."
Gunpowder? Gunpoooowder?
Did he think about blowing up the museum? Wow, that's really on a different scale. Isn't he a psychopath? Shouldn't he be isolated from society?
Goosebumps rose all over me. Evelyn, who lived in the same house with such a person, was really amazing.
"...Did you confiscate it all? Then what happens to the gunpowder?"
"It's not something with eyes, and it's not an item with an owner's name tag, so it's mine."
"You can't sue Duke Spelman with that?"
"I can't because there are no witnesses."
Tsk. If this were modern society, the forensic team would have revealed everything. They would have dusted for fingerprints and tracked credit cards and bank accounts.
Is this what it feels like to be robbed blind?
"I need to think about how to use this card."
"...You look happy, Cerden."
He had been smiling the whole time, considering he was someone who couldn't do anything even though he had evidence. Cerden nodded lightly.
"I should have seen his face when he confirmed it was empty."
Ah, I have to admit that.
Duke Spelman always had a relaxed expression. As if he knew everything in this world. It was very annoying.
Imagining that expression distorting was quite enjoyable.
He had given a blow to the cruel king who had dominated Evelyn. I was proud that I had contributed to that.
"But you have to be careful, Evelyn."
I blinked.
"Duke Spelman is a sensitive person. He might suspect you because of this."
Suspect me...?
I really don't know about that. The look of joy in Duke Spelman's eyes when he looked at me.
The expression that he believed he was completely dominating me. He was proudly boasting about the history that had been built up between Duke Spelman and Evelyn for a very long time.
"It might be the opposite."
I was confident that I wouldn't get caught.
"He might try to use me. Just like he's always done."
He will become more cunning, and he will become more insidious.
It might not be as easy to stop him as when he was letting his guard down on me.
"Don't do anything dangerous."
Cerden put down his glass.
The blue eyes staring at me were firmly fixed. Cerden intertwined his fingers with mine.
Cerden pulled me in and faced me. Cerden's breath became close again.
It felt like an electric current was running through my body.
"I, I won't do anything dangerous. I promised."
I answered in a whisper. Cerden turned his head and grabbed my cheek to get out of the situation.
Both cheeks were gently pressed.
Cerden, who met my gaze again, narrowed his eyes.
"Julia will be your helper. Julia is more thorough than you think."
"Has Julia been told about it?"
"Yes. It's almost done."
No wonder she's been looking at me with thoughtful eyes these days.
If that happens, our secret will be shared by me, Julia, and Cerden.
That made me excited, but also a little scared. What if I let my guard down? Or what if Julia let her guard down?
What if my secret is leaked somewhere?
Cerden had withdrawn his suspicions towards me. But my future was still uncertain. Cerden's future was the same.
Cerden added.
"Don't worry. I'll protect you."
Cerden smiled softly. It seemed... I had entered Cerden's fence.
Someone saying they would protect me, that was sweeter than I thought.
.jpg)