Chapter 14
At those words, Barkhan looked toward the maids standing beside Bianca.
Diena was nowhere to be seen.
There wasn’t even time to clear up Bianca’s misunderstanding. A sudden sense of urgency gripped him.
“Where is she right now?”
The maid hesitated, avoiding his gaze. But she couldn’t withstand the icy pressure in Barkhan’s eyes forever.
“…L-Lady Matilda locked her in the solitary cell.”
“What?”
Bianca gasped in shock.
Without another word, Barkhan’s face turned deathly cold as he strode toward the prison wing.
As he approached the solitary confinement area, he heard Matilda’s voice shouting from outside the cell.
“A noble isn’t punished for killing a commoner.”
It was an unbearably arrogant declaration.
Then Diena replied.
“…Then what if someone finds out you tried to kill Lady Bianca?”
“What?”
“Aren’t you trying to starve her to death, just like you’re trying to starve me?”
Barkhan froze.
Did I hear that correctly?
Kill Diena?
Starve someone?
Who?
Bianca?
His Bianca?
“What… is the meaning of this?”
Unable to remain silent any longer, Barkhan spoke.
***
“Answer me, Matilda.”
Barkhan’s voice echoed through the corridor.
“What exactly did you mean by that?”
Startled, Matilda stumbled backward.
How is he already here?
Surely… he didn’t hear that conversation?
Traveling from the Imperial Palace back to the Cardian estate normally took quite some time.
She had calculated everything before making her move.
Yet Barkhan had returned far sooner than expected.
Her eyes darted about before she quickly composed herself.
“I-I was merely disciplining an insolent commoner maid, Lord Barkhan.”
“A commoner maid?”
“Yes. She forgot her place and was becoming a bad influence on Lady Bianca. I simply couldn’t overlook it any longer, so I punished her.”
Her voice trembled, but her mind raced.
Punishing commoner servants is perfectly normal among nobles.
She had plenty of excuses.
The Cardian family only became nobles recently.
They’ll care more about preserving their reputation than making a fuss over something like this.
She was certain of it.
Surely Barkhan wouldn’t punish her over nothing more than disciplining a servant.
But instead of calming down, Barkhan’s expression grew colder.
Then—
He smiled.
A smile devoid of warmth.
“I see. Then that makes this an even bigger problem.”
“…Pardon?”
“The Diena you claim to have disciplined…”
His eyes locked onto hers.
“…isn’t a commoner.”
Matilda’s face instantly drained of color.
“T-That’s impossible. No noble would work as a maid.”
“What about what you said regarding Bianca?”
Ignoring her entirely, Barkhan stepped closer.
His overwhelming presence forced her to shrink back.
“You said you were starving my sister.”
“That’s completely unfair! Lady Bianca simply refused to eat on her own! You know how obsessively she manages her weight!”
“I see.”
“Y-Yes! Exactly! So I—”
“Enough.”
“…What?”
“I’ve grown tired of listening.”
His voice was utterly emotionless.
“I already know reason won’t work with you.”
Matilda opened and closed her mouth in indignation.
“That’s—”
“I’ll decide your punishment myself.”
His words cut her off like a blade.
“So stay here… and keep your mouth shut.”
Matilda bit her lip.
She realized that saying another word would only make things worse.
Ignoring her completely, Barkhan walked to the cell door.
He grabbed the heavy lock.
CRACK!
Before the strength of a top-class combat Esper, the iron lock might as well have been made of paper.
Watching it shatter, Matilda’s face turned ghostly pale.
For a moment…
It felt as though she were the one being broken apart.
The door slowly creaked open.
Barkhan lowered his gaze.
The instant he saw Diena—
His expression froze.
His face became terrifyingly cold.
He slowly turned toward Matilda.
“…You.”
“Y-Yes?”
“What happened to her?”
His voice was rough enough that no one would have believed he was a noble.
“What did you do?”
Too stunned to even react to his tone, Matilda hurriedly peered past his shoulder.
The sight before her left her speechless.
Diena’s face was deathly pale.
Cold sweat soaked her bloodless cheeks.
Her eyes remained tightly shut as she struggled to breathe.
When Matilda had thrown her into the cell, she’d looked perfectly healthy.
How had she deteriorated this badly in such a short time?
“W-What’s happening? Why is she like this?”
“Why are you asking me?”
Barkhan glared at her.
“You must have done something.”
“I-I’m innocent! She was perfectly fine when I locked her in there!”
“Shut up.”
“…!”
That was completely unfair.
He had asked the question himself, only to refuse to let her answer.
Still, Matilda clamped her mouth shut, pale with fear.
Without sparing her another glance, Barkhan addressed the knights behind him.
“Take that woman.”
His voice rang with absolute authority.
“Throw her into the underground prison.”
The knights seized Matilda without hesitation and dragged her away.
Only after she disappeared did Barkhan step inside the cell.
He gently placed a hand against Diena’s forehead.
The moment he felt the burning heat of her skin, his brows twisted violently.
She was burning with fever.
Turning around, he saw the maids frozen in place, trembling like leaves.
“Which room is Diena’s?”
“W-Well…”
“I asked where.”
His low voice made them swallow their screams.
They hurriedly led the way.
When they reached Diena’s room—
An irritated sigh escaped Barkhan’s lips.
His sharp gaze swept over the maids, all of whom stood with their heads lowered, too frightened to meet his eyes.
“What is this room?”
“W-Well… Lady Matilda…”
It was an old corner room that the family had used as little more than a storage closet.
The air was damp and chilly.
The furniture was old, warped, and barely usable.
Diena might possess incredible mental strength—
But physically she looked frail.
Living in a place like this…
Of course she’d fallen ill.
“…Damn it.”
Grinding his teeth, Barkhan carried Diena to his own quarters.
He carefully laid her upon his bed.
A knight who had followed him stepped forward.
“Lord Barkhan. The head maid has been imprisoned in the underground dungeon.”
“How shall we deal with her?”
Still looking down at the sleeping Diena, Barkhan answered quietly.
“Every servant involved.”
His eyes darkened.
“I’ll interrogate them personally.”
***
Barkhan was in a foul mood.
After Matilda had been locked in the underground prison, he immediately began questioning every servant assigned to Bianca’s residence.
The confessions he received were beyond imagination.
Everything Matilda had done as head maid exceeded even his worst expectations.
Skimming off portions of the servants’ wages…
That was among the least of her crimes.
Through carefully crafted lies and manipulative words, she had deceived Bianca for years, secretly ruining her health little by little.
“…She really thought of everything.”
A bitter sigh escaped him.
He was furious.
Not only at Matilda—
But at himself.
He had been so complacent that he hadn’t even realized what his own little sister had been enduring.
Slowly, Barkhan made his way toward the underground prison.
Cold droplets fell from the dungeon ceiling, splashing onto Matilda’s head.
She didn’t even notice.
She was too terrified.
Her entire body shook as she stared at Barkhan standing before her.
“What was your real purpose in entering this estate?”
His cold eyes pierced straight through her.
“What exactly were you planning to do to Bianca?”
