Chapter 107……………………………………………
Roland glared at Viscount Kainber.
“What a pointless struggle….”
The knight commander approached Roland.
“Now that I think about it, why are the former Duke Cassius and the young lady here?”
“I was on my way to a villa nearby for my granddaughter’s recuperation and merely stopped by for a moment.”
The lie rolled off his tongue smoothly.
“I ran into Viscount Kainber on the way here. I heard he was about to wage a territorial war with the family of my former granddaughter-in-law, so I thought I might try to mediate.”
“Is that true?”
“Are you doubting me right now?”
Viscount Kainber suddenly shouted at the top of his lungs.
“That’s a lie! He came to me first and told me to start a territorial war, seize that mine, and then present it to him! He said he’d give me a huge sum of money and even back me up!”
Roland looked down at the viscount as if he were a bug and clicked his tongue.
“You commit a crime you can’t handle and now try to drag anyone down with you like a drowning man.”
The old man spread his arms wide, insisting on his innocence.
“Investigate all you want! I’ll cooperate with any investigation!”
Seeing how confident he was, it seemed Roland had left absolutely no evidence.
Well, he’s not a fool.
One of the reasons he had put Viscount Kainber forward was probably to cut off the tail if things went wrong.
“For now, please come with us to the capital. You will need to undergo an investigation at the Imperial Palace.”
As the knight commander spoke, he guided Roland toward the carriage brought by the Imperial Knights.
“Tch, it can’t be helped.”
Roland was heading to the carriage relatively obediently when Riena called out to him.
“Grandfather!”
“It’s alright, Riena. You go to the villa first with my subordinates. I’ll finish the investigation quickly and join you.”
“But I’m worried about you. You’re already old—how will you endure the investigation process…?”
Anyone listening might think they were going to torture him.
Even though he had stepped down from the position of duke, Roland still possessed enormous influence in the Cassius family and remained a high-ranking noble.
I’m the one who should be worried.
Roland would likely be released with no charges, and then he would probably side with his granddaughter and continue interfering with me.
I was wondering if there was any way to deal with this when suddenly the Imperial Knights took a defensive stance.
“They’re coming…!”
Another group was galloping toward the village along the same road the knights had taken.
Riding horses and kicking up clouds of dust, the newcomers were people I knew well.
“The Cassius Knights.”
At their head was Duke Edmund Cassius.
When the duke reached the entrance of the village and stopped his horse, the Imperial Knight Commander asked cautiously,
“Duke Cassius, what brings you here as well? Have you come to take your family back?”
He seemed worried that the duke might demand Roland be handed over.
“My father can end up however he likes.”
Edmund’s answer was completely unexpected.
“I only came to take my daughter. If there’s no problem, I’ll be taking her with me.”
“Ah… since the person Viscount Kainber accused as the instigator was only the former duke, the young lady may leave.”
“You unfilial brat!”
Roland growled as if he might leap forward and kick his son, and the Imperial Knights quickly restrained him.
“I’m not going!”
Riena shouted at her father.
“Quietly follow me. You’ll be under house arrest for a while.”
“No! I’m going to Grandfather’s villa!”
Reheim, who stood beside the duke, got off his horse and grabbed his sister’s shoulder.
“Riena, don’t do this. Let’s just go home.”
“I said no! Forcing me to go when I don’t want to is violence!”
“I’m begging you. Please come.”
“You brat! Didn’t Riena say she doesn’t want to? Let go of her hand right now!”
“Grandfather, please stay out of this.”
Riena resisted for a while, but with Roland unable to intervene and no one present willing to actively rescue her, she eventually had no choice.
Finally she stepped back.
“Fine. I’ll go with Father. But assign Maxim from the knight order as my escort. I’ll feel safer if he’s beside me.”
Maxim was a member of the Cassius Knights whom Riena cherished dearly.
At the same time, although I had no real connection with him, he had left me with a very negative impression.
Thanks to him, the trial almost collapsed.
The head butler once told me that during my divorce trial, the Cassius knight who had detained him and refused to release him was Maxim.
Thankfully Terrence had rescued the butler in time. Otherwise, a crucial witness might not have appeared at the trial.
If Maxim handles it, he might help Riena slip away midway.
It was a fairly convincing suspicion. Maxim served Riena more than the Duke of Cassius.
But the duke shook his head.
“That won’t be possible.”
“Why?”
“Maxim was dismissed a few days ago. Along with several other knights who followed him closely.”
“What?! Who decided that?!”
“I did. I’m the duke.”
“Maxim is someone I personally brought into the family!”
“That doesn’t mean I can’t dismiss him as the head of the house.”
“Father!”
“Riena, please follow me quietly. I don’t want to drag you away by force.”
In truth, I was watching their argument in shock.
Why is the duke being so firm…?
The Duke of Cassius I knew was endlessly soft toward his daughter. Unless Riena was putting herself in danger, he usually granted all her requests.
I thought he had come to his senses somewhat after reading his late wife’s letter from the time capsule and reconciling with the head butler—but I never expected this level of change.
Did something major happen within the Cassius family without my knowledge?
Riena appearing suddenly with her grandfather seemed connected to that change.
It felt like something I needed to seriously think about.
Before long, Riena reluctantly gave up and boarded the carriage brought by the Cassius Knights, staring intensely in our direction until the very end.
I realized that gaze wasn’t directed at me—but at Terrence.
“Idel.”
Duke Cassius approached and spoke to me.
“I’m ashamed. I don’t know the details, but it seems my father and daughter have caused you trouble.”
“If you know that, please keep your daughter under control.”
“I was planning to. If there’s anything I can help with, tell me anytime.”
With that, the duke quickly departed with his knights, apparently not wanting to cause unnecessary friction with the Imperial Knights.
The situation was more or less settled now.
“Your Highness, are you unharmed?”
The knight commander respectfully addressed Terrence.
“To think Viscount Kainber’s men dared to point weapons at Your Highness—what treason!”
“Ah, about that. Go easy on the soldiers.”
“Pardon?”
“They didn’t know who I was. The real problem is their master, who knew exactly who I was and even knew I was responsible for the Andalla mine, yet still initiated the territorial war.”
The knight commander looked quietly moved by the prince’s generosity.
“Yes, Your Highness!”
The soldiers’ punishment would be lighter now—but not Viscount Kainber’s.
“So, Viscount, do you still intend to proceed with the territorial war?”
Terrence had clearly given him a final chance.
Even if Roland had instigated it, the one who made the greedy choice was the viscount.
Terrence looked at me and gestured to the Imperial Knights.
“Well then, would you grant them the honor of seeing your mine?”
“Of course.”
Stopping the territorial war wasn’t the only reason they had come all the way to this mountain village—they also needed to confirm the mine.
The knight commander said to me,
“Our engineers have also been dispatched here. You can discuss the technical details with them.”
“If they plan to stay for a while, we’ll need larger lodging. As you can see, this is a small village.”
“No need to worry. Skilled workers are coming along as well.”
“This quiet village is going to become quite lively.”
At that moment someone asked cautiously,
“Um… what exactly is happening here…?”
It was the village chief, who seemed dazed from the constant arrival of strangers.
The other villagers behind him looked just as stunned.
I smiled.
“I have a favor to ask of all of you. Of course, it won’t be unpaid.”
For this place, where life was so harsh that even a falling meteor wouldn’t attract attention, it was finally time for things to change.
After finishing a rough explanation about the mine to the villagers, I called the knight commander aside and made a personal request.
“You want to meet Roland Cassius?”
“Would that be a problem? I’d like to talk to him.”
“Well, he’s still detained in our carriage, so it’s not impossible.”
Now that I was the owner of a top-grade magic stone mine, even the knight commander was trying to accommodate me.
Nice.
Smiling contentedly, I followed a knight toward the carriage where Roland was being held.
“I have nothing to say to you.”
A moment later, Roland stepped out of the carriage with a frown.
“I have plenty.”
Watching the Cassius family quarrel earlier, a certain hypothesis had crossed my mind.
Now it was time to confirm it.
A Few Days Later — In Front of the Imperial Palace
Duke Cassius stood at the palace gate with his son and daughter, waiting for Roland to be released.
Today was the day Roland’s investigation would end. Riena had insisted on coming to greet her grandfather.
“He’s being released anyway—why bother greeting him?”
“But I want to see Grandfather!”
Just then Roland trudged out through the gate, and Riena ran toward him.
“Grandfather!”
As usual, she tried to throw herself into his arms.
But—
“Ah!”
Roland shoved her away, and Riena fell onto the ground.
“Grandfather…?”
Roland brushed off the shoulder she had touched, his face filled with disgust.
“You lowly thing—how dare you touch me?”
