Chapter 75

“Rescind the order? What do you mean...?”

Grace trailed off in surprise.

For one thing, no one had ever told her to rescind one of her commands before.

Unless it was a formal objection raised during a council meeting, refusing an order from royalty was a serious crime.

Yet Calypse, who had just committed that serious crime, was not even looking at her.

His gaze was fixed directly on the window, and the intensity with which he stared at something beyond it was anything but ordinary.

“...Aisha definitely took Kyle with her...”

He was even muttering to himself.

“Duke Calypse.”

For a moment, Grace wondered whether Calypse had lost his mind.

“If Kyle knows what is happening...”

“Calypse.”

“Then the monsters’ sudden movement may be Kyle’s doing...”

“Duke Calypse! What are you talking about?”

At last, Grace could bear it no longer and raised her voice.

“Your Majesty. Evacuate the nobles, but please rescind the order to attack the monsters. I will take full responsibility for everything.”

Once again cutting her off without hesitation, Calypse abruptly ran off somewhere.

Grace stared after him in disbelief.

“Hah.”

That bastard?

She was dumbfounded, but judging by what he had said, he did not appear to be insane.

There had to be a reason.

But why? This is a man who normally looks ready to carve any monster to pieces on sight.

That was when the knight who had been watching them spoke cautiously.

“Your Majesty. Then we will proceed with eliminating the mon—”

“Did you not hear him? Duke Calypse said he would take responsibility for everything himself.”

“Pardon?”

“Focus solely on protecting the people. And place the city under lockdown. The lockdown is not to be lifted until the culprit behind this disturbance is found. Do not allow a single person to escape.”

Grace changed her orders with a sullen expression, then hurried toward the banquet hall.

“Y-Yes, Your Majesty!”

Once the flustered knight hurried after Grace—

“......”

Only King Argen remained in the corridor.

“Damn it. What in the world is happening all of a sudden...?”

Clutching his waist, Argen ground his teeth and kicked an innocent pillar.

“No, why did monsters that had behaved themselves for years suddenly escape today of all days? Why?!”

And that was not all.

Earlier, he had been bitten by some strange beast that could transform into a person. Then the knight who had come to report to him suddenly started obeying Grace instead.

Every last thing happening today was strange and infuriating.

“If Duke Pose’s operation goes wrong as well...”

Crunch. Crunch.

Growing increasingly anxious, he began biting his nails without realizing it and paced in circles.

If that happened, he would have no way out either.

First, I need to prepare an escape route for myself.

Having reached a conclusion, Argen hurried toward the banquet hall.

***

Meanwhile, at that very moment—

“What? The monsters suddenly escaped?”

“Yes. Apparently nothing like this has happened once in the three years since they were brought here... It does seem somewhat strange.”

“Of all days, misfortune had to strike on one this important... Tsk.”

Duke Pose clicked his tongue from where he sat inside the carriage.

But the truly unfortunate event was still to come.

Creak—

The carriage, which had been moving smoothly, suddenly came to a halt.

Then the door opened after a polite knock.

It was the coachman.

“Your Grace. We have a problem. Every gate leading out of the city has been sealed.”

“What?”

“Monsters appeared inside the royal castle. They say the lockdown will remain in place until the person responsible for bringing them there is found.”

Unbelievable.

“Damn it!”

Duke Pose cursed before he could stop himself.

He had good reason.

He wanted to return to his own estate as soon as possible.

Now that he had captured Aisha, Calypse would go anywhere to save her.

Duke Pose wanted that destination to be the Pose estate.

If I am going to dispose of him anyway, I wanted to watch him die inside my own castle...

To him, Duke Calypse was an eternal rival.

During the war over territorial disputes, monsters had suddenly descended upon them.

Because the Kreutz family of the Frozen Kingdom had been the one to stand against that threat, the Kingdom of Doctia had been forced to declare a ceasefire.

At the same time, they had been required to send regular financial support to the Frozen Kingdom.

It was payment for Calypse keeping the monsters at bay.

If the Kingdom of Doctia had already occupied the north... the Pose family would be receiving those payments instead.

It was only natural.

The reason the Kreutz family could conduct monster subjugations was their power of ice.

But the Pose family possessed powers of its own.

Damn it. I need to crush that arrogant pride of his as soon as possible...

With all manner of thoughts suddenly filling his head, he pressed a hand to his forehead.

But he had to calm down.

Losing his temper simply because the situation had turned unfavorable would accomplish nothing.

In any case, if I kill Duke Calypse and the Pose family takes over monster subjugation, I can unite the two kingdoms.

His mind raced as he gave an order.

“It cannot be helped. Head straight for Ritaisha’s Jewelry Shop.”

“Yes, Your Grace.”

Ritaisha’s Jewelry Shop was one of the Pose family’s secret bases in the central city.

It served the same purpose as Perkus’s Bookshop in the north.

Rattle—

At Duke Pose’s command, the carriage turned back toward the city.

After passing through the town square and entering an alley, they reached a street lined with luxury shops selling expensive goods.

“Ariana.”

“Yes, Your Grace.”

“Go into the jewelry shop first and tell the staff to close for the day. If customers are present when we carry the sleeping Lady Aisha inside, they may find it suspicious.”

“Understood.”

When the carriage arrived, Ariana bowed and disappeared inside.

A short while later, she returned.

“The shop has been cleared. Since the noble customers are all attending the annual royal banquet, I do not believe there will be any complications.”

Ariana had returned quickly, just as he expected of her.

“Good work. Then let us go.”

There had been a brief disturbance, but Duke Pose eventually allowed the corners of his mouth to rise.

This was where Calypse’s grave would be built.

***

While unconscious, I dreamed.

“You came back from the ducal estate with something quite amusing.”

It was the dream that had tormented me ever since I awoke at Ahili’s Circus.

Before, I had only been able to hear fragments of the conversation through the darkness.

But this time was different.

When I opened my eyes, I found myself inside Duke Pose’s office at the Pose estate.

Seated on the sofa, Duke Pose rested his chin on his interlaced fingers.

He gazed at the blonde woman with open interest.

“There were only two objectives, were there not? One seemed insufficient, so I decided that two would be enough to bring Duke Calypse down completely.”

“......”

“But what is that infant?”

“I apologize.”

She offered no further excuse.

She was acknowledging her mistake.

“Shall I dispose of her immediately?”

Despite the emotionless question, the infant in her arms was smiling brightly.

“Kyahaha!”

The toothless baby burst into laughter, wriggling her tiny fingers.

Blonde hair and red eyes.

The eye color was different, but that baby was me.

Aisha.

“Do not dispose of her.”

“Pardon?”

“This may become quite entertaining later.”

Shaking his head, Duke Pose leaned back against the sofa.

“For now, you have worked hard these past four years. I will assign you another mission in a few years. Until then, rest well.”

“Thank you, Your Grace.”

“Yes.”

Duke Pose gestured for her to leave and lowered his gaze to the documents on his desk.

Ariana finished her bow.

Yet for some reason, she did not leave.

“What is it?”

“This may be an impertinent question...”

After hesitating, she carefully continued.

“What do you intend to do with this baby?”

Her voice sounded as businesslike as ever, but there was a faint tremor beneath it.

Watching her, Duke Pose thought—

She has not escaped her role yet.

He could tell at a glance.

Among spies who returned from missions lasting several years, there were occasionally some who became so deeply absorbed in their assigned identities that they longed for the lives they had lived during the mission.

Most spies like that were disposed of.

Should I dispose of Ariana as well?

Duke Pose considered it briefly, then shook his head.

Duke Calypse loved Ariana.

Now that Ariana had disappeared while carrying his daughter, he was likely raging like a madman.

Ariana still had value.

And so Duke Pose put on a kindly smile and began to speak.