DSMBL Chapter 61

Chapter 61

As long as the tip of that sword isn’t pointed at the people of the North, having them with them would be a great advantage.

However…

Cassius narrowed his eyes.

Should they take the risk to defeat the massive enemy before them? Or would it be better to avoid the risk and suffer the consequences instead?

After carefully considering numerous possibilities, he finally spoke.

“For now, let’s wait and observe. We’ll decide on supplying weapons based on the progress of combined training.”

“Yes, Your Excellency.”

“Do the Snow beasts seem intelligent enough to use weapons?”

“Yes. They should be able to learn. They’re already quite good at using tools.”

“I’ll leave the judgment on them entirely to you.”

“Yes, Your Excellency!”

Giverny straightened his shoulders, feeling the weight of responsibility. His heart pounded with tension.

Cassius added with a hint of unease,

“If the Snow Beasts show any signs of betrayal, immediately raise the alert level to the highest. And then…”

“I understand, Your Excellency,” Giverny answered in a heavier tone. They couldn’t afford to have trained Snow Beasts to become enemies.

“You’re working hard.”

“It’s nothing, Your Excellency. I will do anything for the North. Please leave it to me.”

It was because of people like him that the North had survived. Because some loved it and took pride in it. Cassius smiled.

***

Meanwhile…

Janice secretly sneaked out.

Pretending to check on the household affairs of the duke’s estate, she took advantage of the servants’ break time to slip away.

These days, security became tight after sunset, making it impossible to leave at night. This was her only chance.

Janice knocked on the door of the Mers Count’s residence. After a while, the butler opened it.

“…Is the Count inside?”

“Yes. He has been expecting you.”

Janice’s eyebrow twitched.

She quickly stepped inside and shut the door.

He didn’t try to contact her or come to her—he just waited. That meant something had gone wrong.

Of course, the fact that Charlotte was alive was already a problem.

“If you wait in the drawing room, the Count will come shortly.”

“Did something happen to the Count?”

“It would be better for you to hear it from him directly.”

Soon, Janice met Count Mers. His face was pale and slightly bluish.

And…

“Did you hurt your leg?”

“More like, it’s broken.”

The Count sat down with a grimace, muttering curses under his breath. His pitch-black eyes locked onto Janice.

“Tell me what happened that day.”

“Phew. I successfully kidnapped that woman and thought it was all over—until those monsters showed up.”

“Monsters…?”

A strange look crossed Janice’s face.

Mers, unaware of her expression, muttered darkly.

“Snow beasts.”

He clenched his teeth and gripped the armrest tightly. His dilated pupils reflected the memory of that day.

He had never imagined he could run for his life with a broken leg, but he did.

Even the doctor called it a miracle.

“They killed all my men and broke my leg. Then that woman—was carried away like she was some kind of precious treasure.”

“…The Snow beast took Charlotte?”

“Yes. Janice, that wretched witch ruined me!”

At the word “witch,” Janice’s face turned ice-cold.

“She tried to kill me! You never told me she had that kind of power! I won’t rest until I rip her apart!”

Count Mers spat out his fury, his face red with rage and humiliation.

Janice bit her lip slightly.

‘The Snow beasts helped Charlotte?’

That would explain why they secured the mansion so tightly that day.

If Charlotte returned with the Snow Beasts, they would have needed to keep her hidden.

Misunderstandings such as the one experienced by Count Mers would be unavoidable otherwise.

But this could be turned into an opportunity.

“We could spread the rumor that Charlotte is a witch using the Snow beasts to attack people.”

“I thought the same! But the problem is getting testimony. Who will testify? If I step forward carelessly, I’ll be accused of kidnapping the duchess.”

Whether that was true or not didn’t really matter.

Janice rubbed her lips with her fingers, thinking.

They needed a safe and credible witness.

Her gaze fell on Count Mers.

‘He’s still useful.’

What if Lorencia testified?

She was an outsider with no ties to the Duke’s power.

On the surface, she even seemed to get along with Charlotte.

If Lorencia testified, people would see her as an objective witness.

‘It would be better if Lorencia had a way to gain trust first.’

Janice parted her lips.

“Stay quiet until your leg heals. Like you said, if you act now, you might be accused of kidnapping. Charlotte isn’t stupid. If she saw your injury…”

“She saw. There’s no way she didn’t hear that awful sound. Before I escaped, our eyes met.”

“Then the Duke already knows that the culprit is injured. For the sake of the future, you must be patient.”

“…Fine.”

After offering Count Mers a few words of comfort, Janice left the mansion.

She turned and glanced back at the Count’s estate.

“Yes. He’s still a valuable piece.”

There were still plenty of pawns left to use.

***

For the past few days, Luna had been bringing accounting records, and Charlotte had been thoroughly reviewing them.

Unlike before, Luna no longer held any suspicion or wariness toward her.

She now did anything Charlotte asked.

That’s how Charlotte was able to go through years of the Duke’s estate’s financial records.

What she found was evidence of embezzlement and tax evasion.

“…Now, how do I find the connection between the nanny and these people?”

That was difficult.

She grabbed her hair in frustration. Should she assign someone to investigate?

Why is it that in romance-fantasy novels, there’s always some useful information guild? There must be one here too, right? Should she go outside and try to find one?

Or maybe she should ask Luna to put someone on the job? Maids often played the role of secret helpers in these kinds of situations.

She pictured Luna’s emotionless face.

“Hm.”

Wandering around searching for an information guild like looking for a needle in a haystack seemed pointless. Asking Luna might be the better option.

There was one last choice.

She could take the accounting records to Cassius and ask him to investigate these people.

That would be the easiest solution, right?

Why bother acting in secret?

It wasn’t about earning Cassius’s favor or gaining merit for the North. She just wanted to get rid of those who could cause trouble in the future.

“I’ll tell Cassius.”

With that decision made, she headed toward him, holding the accounting records close.

But when she entered his office, there were already visitors inside.

Lorencia and Janice.

Lorencia turned her head and smiled sweetly at her.

Cassius looked at Charlotte and spoke in a quiet voice.

“Charlotte, you should hear this too. You came at the right time.”

He tapped the seat next to him on the sofa. She sat down beside him.

“What’s going on?”

“We’re about to find out. Miss Lorencia says she has something very important to tell us.”

Lorencia’s lips curled into a smirk.

Her glassy eyes shimmered with subtle jealousy as she looked at Charlotte.

“That’s right. The Duchess should hear this too. It’s about the criminals of the North.”