Chapter 05
Reinhardt responded in a sharp, cutting voice:
“You’re not the filthy one. The real filth is His Majesty—who did something so disgusting.”
Claudel blinked, stunned.
It was the first time.
The always gentle and composed Reinhardt…
showing such fierce emotion—it was something she had never seen before.
“I’ll never… let you go through something like that again.”
Unable to contain the rising anger, Reinhardt clenched his teeth hard.
His strong jaw tightened with tension.
“No matter what it takes… I will protect you.”
In that moment—
Claudel threw her arms around Reinhardt’s neck with all her strength.
That night.
Claudel came to understand something she had never known before:
That a night spent with a man… could be something joyful.
Something welcome.
Throughout their intimacy, Reinhardt paid careful attention to how she was feeling.
He moved gently, making sure she felt no pain.
No one—not a single man in her life—had ever treated her that way.
No one had ever shown her that kind of kindness.
She had never even dared to hope that kindness like that could be given to her…
“……”
Something about it made her feel like she would cry.
So Claudel burrowed into his arms and hid her face.
But Reinhardt didn’t push her away.
Instead, he quietly smoothed her tangled silver hair
and pulled her into a firm, warm embrace.
Claudel found herself wishing—just this once—
that this night would never end.
But fate had never been on her side.
One day, a horrifying message arrived at the Duke’s residence.
“A report has been filed at the royal capital!”
A vassal of House Valdemar burst into the room, face pale with panic.
“They’re saying House Valdemar is plotting treason!”
“T-Treason?!”
“What nonsense is that?!”
The gathered retainers broke into anxious murmurs.
“And the one who filed the accusation…”
Bloodshot eyes turned to Claudel, who stood beside Reinhardt.
“Was the Duchess herself.”
It felt as if the ground beneath her feet collapsed entirely.
Claudel’s vision went dark.
“……”
“……”
A silence, heavy like death, filled the room.
“Viscount d’Autriche himself went to His Majesty and filed the accusation!
Did you really not know about this, Duchess?!”
The vassal shouted at Claudel, veins bulging in his neck.
“I-I didn’t know. I swear, I didn’t…”
“I understand that you recently dismissed one of your maids! That maid testified!”
“…Griet?”
All expression drained from Claudel’s face.
Griet.
The maid that Viscount d’Autriche had assigned to her.
The one who had handed her the silver dagger on her wedding day.
She had asked recently to leave and return to her hometown… and Claudel had given her permission.
“No… no, that’s not true.”
Claudel forced strength into her legs to keep from collapsing—
But her mind was going completely blank.
“I didn’t do it. I… I didn’t…”
“I believe you, Claudel.”
At that moment, a calm voice gently cut in to support her.
It was Reinhardt.
He spoke plainly, as if stating a simple truth.
“You didn’t betray me.”
He repeated it again—firm and unwavering.
It seemed the King had decided from the beginning to frame House Valdemar for treason.
Without giving them a chance to explain, the royal army marched in immediately.
Reinhardt chose to stay behind with a few knights and buy time,
while making sure the important figures in the duchy escaped safely.
Claudel was among those he insisted on protecting.
“You need to leave this place for now. I’ll hold them off.”
“But… Your Grace…!”
“I’ll follow right behind you.”
Reinhardt looked ready to stand his ground unless Claudel agreed to escape first.
“Have I ever lied to you?”
Claudel, her eyes full of tears, looked up at Reinhardt—
And quietly shook her head.
Then, Reinhardt smiled softly at his wife.
“Please believe me.”
A large, warm hand gently brushed Claudel’s cheek,
then adjusted the hood over her head.
Finally, Reinhardt placed a kiss on her forehead, like sealing a promise,
and whispered tenderly:
“Let’s meet again soon, Claudel.”
With those words—
Reinhardt pushed Claudel into the hidden passage behind the wall.
Thud!
The door closed.
Claudel stared blankly at the sealed door.
She could hear the clamor of knights rushing through the halls.
“You have to go now, my lady!”
The maid urged Claudel frantically.
But Claudel stood frozen, like she was rooted to the floor.
‘Can His Grace really keep his promise…?’
Of course, she knew Reinhardt would try his best to keep it.
But sometimes, no matter how much effort one gives—
there are things in the world that can’t be avoided.
And in Claudel’s eyes, right now…
‘It’s too dangerous.’
Even now, soldiers were pouring in without end.
Buying time while the key figures escaped was practically suicide.
So then—
What was the only way to ensure Reinhardt could escape safely?
‘Someone has to act as a decoy until he gets out.’
And the only person who could become that decoy…
…was Claudel.
‘I can do it.’
Claudel clenched her fists tightly.
She had spent her whole life tossed around by others,
living like drifting weeds on water.
But Reinhardt—
He had given her solid ground to stand on.
Air she could finally breathe.
So now, in return—
‘I want to protect him.’
Her mind was made up.
Claudel turned to the maid.
“I need you to do something for me.”
“Huh?”
Claudel took off her cloak and held it out to the maid.
“Put this on. And give me your robe.”
“What… what are you saying, my lady…?”
“You’re going to disguise yourself as me and escape.”
The moment the maid heard those words—
The maid realized what Claudel was planning.
“His Grace will stay behind until he confirms that I’ve escaped safely.
So we have to deceive him first.”
“B-but…”
“Think carefully. Between the King’s forced mistress… and the Duke of Valdemar, the pillar of this house…”
Gone was her usual timid demeanor.
Claudel’s face, as she looked at the maid, was strangely calm—almost unnaturally so.
“It’s obvious who must be saved, isn’t it?”
The royal army surged like a tidal wave.
It seemed they were fully intent on crushing the Duke’s estate.
“The Duchess has escaped safely!”
At long last—after what felt like an eternity—
the long-awaited report arrived.
Reinhardt, with the few knights who remained, broke through the King’s forces.
But the royal soldiers, driven by desperation, chased them relentlessly.
“Bring me the Duke’s head!”
“His Majesty has promised a great reward!”
The enemy soldiers pursued Reinhardt without mercy.
‘This can’t be happening.’
Reinhardt tasted blood in his mouth but ignored it,
gripping the reins tighter with bleeding hands.
‘I promised… I’d see Claudel again.’
Even with the famed strength of the Valdemar knights,
they couldn’t hold out much longer against such overwhelming numbers.
Reinhardt felt like his whole body was soaked and heavy, like waterlogged cotton.
If even he, the greatest knight in the kingdom, felt this way,
he could only imagine how exhausted his men were.
‘She’s someone who’s already endured so much pain…’
Swish!
Reinhardt swung his sword with a gasp.
A royal knight in front of him toppled from his horse like a rotted sack of hay.
‘She acts like she’s fine, but deep down, she’s so lonely…’
Whizz!
An arrow grazed Reinhardt’s cheek.
A stinging pain flared as a drop of blood trickled down.
Lowering his body as much as he could, he spurred his horse faster.
‘That’s why… I have to stay by her side.’
His vision blurred.
He was at his limit.
‘I have to stay with her…’
And just then—
the enemy lines loosened.
The knights used their last ounce of strength to break through the weakened formation.
Finally—
silence.
They had successfully escaped.
“Your Grace!”
Reinhardt’s aide rode up beside him, breathless.
“Some of the enemy forces are retreating!”
It was a miracle.
More than half the soldiers who had been chasing Reinhardt’s group
had suddenly turned back toward the Duke’s estate.
Only then did the Valdemar knights begin to catch their breath.
But Reinhardt felt a strange sense of foreboding.
‘Why?’
It didn’t make sense.
Logically, why would the enemy ease up when their prey was cornered?
That could only mean one thing—
Something even more important than pursuing them had been left behind…
The vile king