Chapter 172

Nerys woke up feeling refreshed for the first time in a while. She no longer had to waste hours talking nonsense with imperial investigators.

After a few days of stalling, the Elandria family would cross a point of no return—and then it would be goodbye forever.

The Elandria name wouldn’t be erased entirely, of course. The Imperial family loved flaunting the legend of the three heroes, so they’d likely preserve the name for formality’s sake.

But Camille alone could ensure they never raised their heads again. If the entire Imperial family stepped in, it was already a foregone conclusion.

‘I wonder who Nellusion will try to marry this time.’

Even the Duke must have noticed how overly kind Nellusion had been to her. He might be overwhelmed by current circumstances, but he was a sharp and observant man.

To escape this crisis, the Duke would likely arrange his son’s marriage. Probably to a family with wealth and connections but lacking noble status—someone who would eagerly accept such a match.

And if the young lady wasn’t to Nellusion’s liking, the engagement could be broken anytime.

It would be dishonorable—but since when had the people in this household ever cared about honor?

‘But the Duke’s downfall will be faster than any engagement could be arranged.’

It wasn’t as if betrothals were settled overnight. Once the Imperial family took action against the Duke, no respectable house would agree to a match… Nellusion and Valentin might both be forced to marry into some insignificant collateral branch sanctioned by the crown. And the Elandria name might end up something like So-and-so Elandria… How dull.

It was a lovely vision.

On the side table sat a meal brought by Alice. Nerys reached for it, ate, and dressed herself.

Then she headed toward the door for a morning stroll.

Click. Click.

The door was locked.

Nerys frowned and kept turning the handle. Sensing she wouldn’t give up easily, a threatening voice came from just outside the door.

“It’s locked.”

She knew that voice. Nerys recognized it as Joseph.

“May I ask why it’s locked?”

“You might disappear again.”

“Is there any reason I would suddenly disappear?”

“You’ve already caused enough damage to this house. Your work here is done, isn’t it?”

His voice was thick with grief and anger. Nerys, knowing him well, could picture his expression even through the door.

She smiled. How curious… Was his dislike of her the result of a surprising level of insight?

“What do you mean I ruined this house?”

“You seduced Lord Nellusion, clouded his judgment, and continuously caused disorder in the family. All while secretly despising us.”

“You’re saying strange things, Sir Caron. If I just stayed quiet, I could enjoy the Duke’s protection and be respected wherever I go. I’d be safe and well-treated. Why would I hate this house? Everyone’s been so kind to me.”

“I don’t know why. I don’t need to. But if you truly cared about this family, you wouldn’t have hurt Lady Valentin. You wouldn’t have gotten Delma kicked out. Most of all, when trouble came to House Wells, you would’ve turned to Lady Moriah for help. If you had the family in mind, you would never…”

Everything he said was perfectly reasonable. Nerys laughed aloud.

There were plenty of things she could’ve been caught for. And if Joseph was talking like this, the mind control she placed on Nellusion was likely nearly broken. The suggestion implanted with the Jeweled Eyes could unravel if someone strongly questioned the premise.

Her clear, carefree laughter in this situation made Joseph growl in outrage.

“The Duke is furious. He said there was a rat in the house and that he should just sell you off. At least then, there might still be room to negotiate with the crown.”

The Duke had planned to use the Jeweled Eyes, but now that Nerys had proven uncooperative, she had become a threat.

So if he handed her over to the Imperial family, who clearly wanted her, the problem would be solved. And he could claim loyalty by offering them a useful tool.

Still smiling, Nerys found it all too ridiculous.

In both her past and present lives, this family had always been eager to sell her to the Imperial family. As if she were born solely for their gain.

In her previous life, she had let herself be sold. She’d served her owners—both those who sold her and those who bought her—with doglike loyalty, just as Valentin once described. Even though she had the power to avoid all of it.

And yet, in the end, she’d been treated like a filthy rat.

“If His Grace believes that, then he may do as he pleases. But we’ll see if it goes his way.”

“The Grand Duke won’t help you. A discovered spy is worthless.”

Joseph must have thought Cledwyn had planted her here as a mole.

Ah, he saw us yesterday… Nerys let out a bitter smile. What a stroke of bad timing for someone to witness that encounter.

“Sir Caron, if that’s how you see it, act accordingly. Stop with the long threats. If you’re going to kill me, open the door and do it.”

“There’s no need to kill you. You’re the Duke’s property.”

“Surprisingly, Sir Caron, in Bistor, a free person owns themselves.”

She’d heard enough. Nerys stepped away from the door and walked to the center of the room.

“Dora.”

She whispered quietly. No response.

Then Joseph’s voice came again, almost as if the thought had just occurred to him.

“Last night, we searched the house and found another rat. She was badly injured—probably died in some dirty alley by now.”

“So she got away.”

No wonder. Even the Elandria family’s soldiers were skilled. If they made up their minds to track someone down, it wasn’t strange that Dora—who didn’t belong to the house—got caught.

Her heart thumped. But Nerys pretended to stay calm and sat on the bed. She needed to think.

❖ ❖ ❖

It was just before noon. In the silence, Nerys thought she heard a commotion outside.

This household prided itself on grace and decorum. Loud noises were never permitted. But the shouting of several voices could now be clearly heard.

Nerys slowly approached the window. Thunderous sounds came from beyond the terrace.

The window wasn’t locked, so she stepped out onto the terrace. Though guards were nearby and escape was impossible, she had a clear view of the scene.

A man who looked like a minor noble, a crying woman, an elderly man in shabby clothes… people in all kinds of outfits, holding torches, stormed through the broken front gate of the Elandria estate. There were at least a hundred of them…

Their chaotic shouting was at first unintelligible. But as they drew closer to the main residence, it became unmistakable.

Furious cries:

“Make the murderer pay!”

“Give me back my husband! My baby was barely six months old, you bastard!”

Nerys realized who they were. The families of those the Duke had killed or framed.

The Elandria knights rushed out to stop them. But this was the capital, not the duchy, and the guards here were fewer than the intruders. Even so, untrained civilians couldn’t easily get past professional soldiers.

Blocked by swords and shields, the crowd grew angrier. Chaos erupted. Even the knights flinched momentarily.

Then, despite the daylight, the torches proved their purpose.

Crack! The first torch thrown hit the ground and ignited some plants. The second lit up a tree. The third smashed into the knights, breaking their formation.

Clank! Nerys’s door was thrown open. Several knights rushed in and tightly bound her.

Looking more like a criminal than ever, Nerys was dragged out and thrown into a barred carriage waiting behind the estate.

“Try anything and you’ll die.”

The commander of the Elandria knights threatened her. But Nerys’s eyes were fixed on the smoke rising from the estate.

‘It’s burning.’

This house that once seemed unshakable.

Now, it was crumbling in flames.

Such perfect timing—this must have been Cledwyn’s doing. And knowing his methods, the Elandria estate would be gone before morning.

The carriage surrounded by knights began moving. With each jolt, Nerys felt her heartbeat race.

None of the guards were Cledwyn’s men. They were newly hired after the Delma incident, just regular servants. Which meant… she had to escape before reaching the Imperial Palace.

The carriage took a dark alleyway, likely as a precaution. They’d gone about halfway to the palace when—

“Whoa!”

The coachman abruptly stopped. The knight commander snapped.

“What is it?”

“Something’s wrong with the horses, sir. I need to check.”

Cursing, the commander stepped toward the coachman. Then a commotion rose outside.

“A tree! It’s falling!”

“Move!”

Crash! A loud impact followed.

It was all too staged. The sudden stop, and now a tree falling right in front?

Nerys braced herself. Had Camille sent the Silver Moon instead, unable to trust the Duke? If Camille didn’t know about the Jeweled Eyes, Nerys could escape using them. But if she didn’t have the time to activate them… what should she do to inflict maximum revenge before dying? She was glad her mother wasn’t here…

Clack. The carriage door opened, and a knight from the Duke’s household peeked inside. Without a word, he cut her bindings.

That didn’t seem like Camille. Hope flickered in Nerys’s chest. Was it Cledwyn?

“Let’s go, Lady. Someone’s waiting.”

That didn’t sound like something a Shadow would say right now. Nerys gritted her teeth and stepped out. They’d drag her either way.

As they vanished in the confusion, she thought she’d locked eyes with a few Elandria knights. But no one shouted or followed.

The identity of her kidnappers grew clearer.

When they arrived at the house after a long ride, and she saw the man waiting, Nerys wasn’t surprised.

“Nerys!”

Surrounded by pine trees, the property was concealed from view, but with nothing between the house and the fence, it was ideal for spotting intruders or escapees.

Standing in front of a clearly purpose-built hideaway, Nellusion embraced her.

Disgusted, Nerys tried to push him off. But he didn’t seem to care and held her tightly.

“Let… go of me!”

“Hold still. You’ve had a rough day. Don’t waste your strength.”

Just as he said, her struggling had no real effect. But that didn’t mean she would stay in his arms.

So she stomped on his foot. He finally let go, but to her dismay, he was smiling.

“You made it safely. Good job, Sir Kilshion. You may go.”

“Yes, young master.”

The knight who’d brought her disappeared behind the house.

Nellusion dragged Nerys inside. As the door closed behind her, she thought it sounded like a death sentence.