~Chapter 82~
Something felt wrong. The Lucy Dane knew was young, yes, but even when stubborn, she rarely cried so easily.
He rushed outside. In the distance, he saw Lucy surrounded by knights.
“Lucy!”
He ran in a single leap and saw her crying, her hair messy and her clothes ruined.
Her cut hair hung loose, and leaves clung to her dress. She looked nothing like the precious Grand Princess she was.
“O… Brother…!”
Lucy’s voice quivered as she cried.
“What happened, Lucy? Who did this to you?”
“Camilla… Camilla was… taken by a strange person…!”
Dane felt his heart drop.
“Each line on this little girl’s face will make her prettier, won’t it?”
Camilla glared at Ares. That shining, crazed look in his eyes was real.
“You think you can touch the Grand Princess and get away with it?”
“Grand Princess or not, everything I built has fallen. Do you think I care about anything else?”
Ares’s eyes were bloodshot, consumed by madness.
If she provoked him, it would get worse. So for now, Camilla had a plan.
She subtly nudged Esther, who stood quietly beside her, and pointed behind her.
Her gesture said: I’ll distract him—bring the knights.
When Esther hesitated, she stepped back.
“Don’t move!”
“Kyaaa!”
Snip!
Lucy’s hair was cut at the ends. Tears rolled down her tightly shut eyes.
Camilla gritted her teeth.
‘What I have in my hands…’
Only a piece of parchment and a useless vial in her sleeve. No paralyzing agent, nothing.
“Calm down, Ares. What do you want?”
They needed to stall until help arrived. If she could use her words to get this dangerous man away from Lucy, that would be ideal.
“What do I want?”
“Yes. You risked your life to get here, but you didn’t come just to die, right?”
“Ha! Now you’ll listen to me? You shallow woman who betrayed your family and ran to the Grand Duke’s side!”
Even as Ares spat sharp words, his lips twisted into a smile.
“If you want to save this little one, follow me quietly.”
“Is that enough?”
Camilla took a step forward.
‘Quite a weak offer.’
Following him blindly was dangerous, but she counted on the location.
‘Ares came here alone. He won’t leave easily.’
Even if he had made it this far, the head maid was here. Once Lucy was safe, Esther would immediately cause a scene.
‘It’s fine. He isn’t trying to kill me.’
Then he wouldn’t demand she follow blindly. Previously, he had tried to provoke her into death, but what he wanted was her suffering while alive.
“If I go, release Lucy immediately.”
“Fine. I don’t care about the kid.”
“Eep…!”
Lucy tried to speak, but Camilla stepped toward Ares.
When only one step remained, she shouted:
“First, release Lucy.”
Ares twisted his lips, struck the back of Lucy’s neck, and she collapsed.
He threw her onto the grass. Esther screamed in shock but quickly ran to Lucy, holding her.
“Got you.”
Simultaneously, Ares covered Camilla’s mouth and smiled victoriously.
Esther kept distance, holding Lucy.
‘It’s fine.’
Esther had worked as the Grand Duke’s head maid for many years; she knew how to handle such situations.
What surprised Camilla was Esther’s words:
“…What do you think you’re doing? The princess almost got hurt.”
“She’s fine, isn’t she?”
‘…What?’
They spoke as if they knew each other well.
Esther’s usually polite voice was now sharp and cold.
“If this wasn’t the day of the family council and the guards weren’t focused inside, you’d have been caught immediately.”
“Hehe, and you, pretending to be a servant and pulling me in, would have been dead too?”
“…Tch. If not for her orders, I wouldn’t have even touched you, shallow man.”
‘Impossible.’
Had the head maid secretly been loyal to someone else all this time?
‘Her orders…’
There was only one person it could be.
“If you’re going to help, do it properly. The Empress Dowager herself allowed it.”
“Savage man.”
‘The Empress!’
Not just Marie, but even the head maid was working for the Empress Dowager. Camilla had never imagined this.
If so, the situation was extremely dangerous.
Ares whispered in Camilla’s ear and she felt a sharp pain in her neck before losing consciousness.
Lucy, found by patrolling knights, sobbed, saying that Camilla had been taken and only a crumpled parchment was left in the grass.
“Damn it!”
Dane muttered under his breath. He couldn’t believe something like this had happened in the middle of the supposedly secure mansion.
“I’m sorry, Grand Duke. I lost consciousness and couldn’t protect the guest either.”
The head maid, also attacked, pressed her forehead to the ground, claiming she was unconscious.
From Lucy and the maid’s testimony, Dane could identify the kidnapper.
“…Ares. A remnant of Glamis, perhaps.”
It was shocking that no commotion had occurred during such a kidnapping.
Dane demanded the list of everyone who entered the mansion.
Lucy grabbed his pants.
“Brother.”
“Lucy?”
Her usual stuttered voice was gone; she whispered clearly:
“…The maid acted strangely.”
Dane’s expression changed.
“…Grand Princess?!”
Esther panicked, but Lucy continued:
“She didn’t try to protect me and even exchanged glances with the attacker behind Camilla.”
Dane carefully observed both. Esther immediately bowed.
“No, Grand Duke. The princess is still young. Punish me if you must, but I never did such a thing!”
A five-year-old’s words could be dismissed, but Dane scrutinized Esther and Lucy carefully.
Looking at the maid’s white apron, Dane whispered:
“For someone who stayed unconscious until the knights found her, her skirt is surprisingly clean.”
The maid’s apron was mostly dry. Lucy’s dress, however, was soaked with grass stains.
“Interrogate the maid thoroughly.”
“Yes, Your Highness!”
The knights surrounded Esther.
“Grand Duke!”
Now Grand Duke Dane coldly answered the screaming Esther:
“Treat her as a main accomplice and find out everything.”
Swish!
Cold water hit her. Camilla shivered and opened her eyes.
The scene in front of her made her want to close them again.
“Ho, ho, ho. You’re awake.”
Her hands were tied, and wet. On a high platform sat the Empress Dowager, fanning herself.
‘…The Empress Dowager.’
The flashing surroundings confirmed it.
“Our second meeting. Welcome to the Imperial Palace.”
