Hiltine was silent.

Kalian with a terrifying momentum opened his mouth once again.

“Something you’re hiding from me. I asked if there was, Hiltine.”

Hiltine hid something from Kalian? 

The Crowd Knights thought it was ridiculous because Hiltine used to report thoroughly even the smallest details to Kalian. That’s why they thought it wouldn’t be possible, but Hiltine’s reaction was strange.

“…I apologize.”

“Ugh?”

One knight took a sharp breath. It sounded loud because it was quiet around.

Without any doubt, the people around him gave him scolding glances, and the knight stuck his neck in like a turtle. 

But Hiltine and Kalian didn’t care.

“Do you remember what I said when I took you?”

“Yes.”

“Say it.”

He said it seven years ago, but Hiltine could say it clearly as if he just heard it a moment ago.

“You will be my eyes and ears from now on. Don’t betray me no matter what. You must obey my orders.”

“You remember it very well.”

Kalian’s fist cut sharply through the air and hit Hiltine’s abdomen.

“Kugh.”

Hiltine’s body staggered violently at the tremendous force that hit his abdomen in an instant. 

Seeing that, they all screamed in silence. 

Hiltine, who took a couple steps back, stood upright right away as if nothing had happened, with two hands clasped behind his back.

“Then why didn’t you report what happened in Hutton?” 

The document Noah had investigated contained all of what Leila had been through in Hutton.

From Leila almost getting raped by Aldor, until she tried to go through the sacred trial to prove her innocence.

Kalian had never received any reports of the incident from Hiltine, despite ordering him to report everything that happened to Leila.

“Answer me, Hiltine.”  

If it had been a trivial matter, he wouldn’t have been so angry, but it was an attempted sexual assault. She even almost faced the sacred trial. 

“Why didn’t you report it?”

That’s how angry he was. Leila had gone through such a hard time and the fact that he had no clue about this like a fool made him angrier. 

“…I have been asked.”

“Asked?”

“She asked me to keep it a secret because she’s going to tell you herself.” 

His blue eyes that pierced through Hiltine harbored question and displeasure.

“It seems that Leila’s request takes precedence over my order.”

“No, it’s not.”

“Then why did you prioritize her request over my order?” 

“The first order Your Majesty gave me is to escort Leila Aster so that she has no inconvenience in carrying out the schedule of the diplomatic mission.”

Hiltine, who raised his head, continued as he stared at Kalian with his unshaken eyes.

“At that time, I decided it was right to do so because if I didn’t keep my mouth shut, I would be breaking that order.”

Hiltine placed his hand on his chest and bent one knee.

The cold wind blew over his head. His cold silver hair fluttered gently.

“If I offended Your Majesty with my wrong judgment, please punish me. I will gladly accept any punishment.”

He was displeased, but Hiltine wasn’t wrong.

In the case of conflicting orders, it was the principle to carry out the priority first. And Kalian seemed to understand why Leila told Hiltine to keep it a secret as she was going to tell him herself.

It must have been to prevent the rumors from spreading everywhere.

When a man and a woman were caught up in an unsavory scandal, it was always the woman’s side that suffered the most. No matter how wrong the man was. 

It was clear that Marquis Hutton and Aldor knew this, and so they reached out to Leila with their black hands. Also, how to do it and how to get away from it.

That’s why he was able to shamelessly ask Leila about this even after everything was revealed.

They underestimate me, huh? 

Otherwise, they couldn’t have done such a thing to Leila, who was my aide and the emperor’s agent at the time.

The thought of it made his blood boil. His blue eyes were filled with terrifying murderous intent. 

He wanted to go down to Hutton right away and smash them in the head, but if he made it big, it was going to hurt Leila. He didn’t want her to get hurt anymore.

But I can’t bury it like this.

Is there any way to take care of it quietly so that it doesn’t harm Leila?

Kalian then thought about a good way and smiled. It was an eerie smile that gave chills to his viewer. The knights even trembled at the chills running down their spines.

Leaving Hiltine still kneeling, Kalian headed straight to the outer palace. 

“Your, Your Majesty!”

At the sudden, unannounced arrival of Kalian, the outer palace was turned upside down. 

Everyone who greeted Kalian was stunned.  

Either way, the place where Kalian was headed was the Marshal Department, which oversaw military affairs.

Philen, the head of the Marshal Department and commander-in-chief of the Empire, was currently on long leave as a reward from the long war. So, instead of him, the deputy commander-in-chief, Count Grace, was in charge.  

“Your Majesty!”  

Count Grace, who was working, saw Kalian and stood up in bewilderment.

Kalian approached Count Grace’s desk and checked the document he had just been reading.

It was a document on the agenda of wiping out pirates who used Khan as a base jointly with the Natsha Kingdom. 

“Have you decided who will participate in the joint sweep-up operation?”

“Yes. Here is the roster.”

Kalian’s eyebrow rose slightly after reading the list given by Count Grace.

“No one from the Marquis of Hutton participated?”

“Yes. Marquis Hutton, the commander-in-chief of the Navy, had to be away for too long to come out in person, so Count Maximum decided to step up from this side.”

“Isn’t Count Maximum not as good at sea combat as Marquis Hutton?” 

“Yes, but since it is a joint operation with the Natsha Kingdom, I think it will be enough for Count Maximum to come forward.” 

“That is your opinion.”

Kalian thought for a moment before continuing.

“I remember Marquis Hutton having grown-up sons.”

“Yes. The first son was called by God early and became a priest, and the second son is receiving training as a successor to take over the family.”

“Yeah, the second son.”

A fishy smile appeared on Kalian’s lips for a moment, then disappeared.

“I wonder how well the second son takes his successor class.”

At that one word, Count Grace noticed what Kalian wanted and immediately asked.

“Shall we have Marquis Hutton’s second son participate in this joint sweep-up operation?” 

“That’s a good idea.”

Count Grace said that he would revise it immediately and post the report.

Only then did Kalian turn around with a satisfied smile, and as if he remembered something, he turned his head to look at Count Grace.

“What happens if a person dies during the joint sweep-up operation?”

*****

It was not enough to just listen to the butler’s story, so I went around asking other servants about that day.

The words they said were slightly different, but the main part was the same.

That day, for some reason, Misa brought Cecily’s snacks in person, and not long after that, Cecily’s labor began. The labor lasted all night and continued until early morning, but in the end, the baby was born stillbirth.

Shocked by this, Cecily repeatedly fainted and woke up, and the servants also said that they were greatly bewildered. To the extent that they didn’t notice they didn’t see Misa.

Two days later, Philen returned and conducted an extensive investigation, and only then was it revealed that Misa was dead. Also, the facts of the case. 

The more I investigated what happened that day, the more it seemed like Misa was the one who had done it.

It was no wonder for Philen to be convinced that Misa was the culprit.

But I believe you, Misa.

That you didn’t do that.

That you, who even left me a letter saying you wanted to give me a birthday present, wouldn’t have done such a reckless thing.

So, I want to prove your innocence, but… I don’t know.

“I don’t know where to start and how to reveal it, Misa…”

All the circumstances indicated that Misa was the culprit. Even if a clue might appear that revealed Misa was murdered, not suicide, it was still difficult. 

When Misa died, her room was completely closed.

Everyone testified that they thought someone had committed the crime with the master key, but it was absolutely impossible. 

The master key was kept in the safe in Philen’s room, and only the butler and Philen could open the safe.

And when Misa died, the butler was still with the funeral director to prepare for the funeral of the stillbirth baby. 

The butler didn’t have time to kill Misa. Above all, there was no sign of rebellion in Misa.

That’s why everyone thought that Misa committed suicide after giving Cecily the abortion drug. And it was naturally related to me because the abortion drug I used to have was there.   

I repeatedly reviewed the stories I heard today while writing them down on paper, but no matter how much I looked, I couldn’t find a clue.

“Huu.”

I let out a long sigh and gently pinched my nose bridge. My body was as heavy as wet cotton. Even moving my arms was difficult.

It was because I wandered around and investigated when I still hadn’t fully gotten rid of my fatigue from the trip. 

It would be better to rest today and investigate tomorrow, but my heart and mind didn’t allow it. 

I wanted to reveal the truth of the incident as soon as possible and go back.

To the capital, to my seat.

And…

Tok tok-

The sudden knocks woke me up.

I answered, hurriedly putting away the paper on which I wrote my investigation.

“Come in.”

The one who opened the door was the maid who took over the chief maid position after Misa died.

After Misa, she was the longest-serving maid in the Williot mansion, and I knew her quite well, too. 

I’m sure her name is…

“What’s the matter, Lauren?”

Lauren bowed politely and then told me why she came.

“Master asked you to have dinner with him.”