WPVMVA Chapter 61

“So you threw away your father and our comrades’ lives like trash just for money?”

“Just money? That money was as desperate for me as my own life! I wanted to enjoy everything a nobleman is entitled to! My foolish father was loyal like a dog for a pittance of a salary, but-”

“Hah, now I see I had a traitor right by my side and was barking up the wrong tree.”

Ashid said coldly at Cyril’s words. He had blindly trusted this man, thinking he was the son of his benefactor, and almost lost Daniella because of it. Ashid deeply regretted his misjudgment of not trusting Daniella’s words from the very beginning. He felt like he should go back and apologize to her again, as she was probably in his bedroom, sleeping on his bed. At the same time, he thought he had to set things right. With appropriate revenge.

Ashid put the sword he had been pointing at Cyril back into its sheath with a chilling sneer. He then approached Cyril. A terrified Cyril hugged his pathetic body and screamed, “D-don’t come closer! You damn murderer!”

“That’s not something a man who pushed his own father to his death for a few coins should say.”

“I told you it was all because of you! You cursed man! You’ll fall into hell!”

“I’m sure I will.”

Ashid calmly countered Cyril’s curse and stopped about a step away from him.

“But you’ll be in hell before me.”

“…!”

He then strongly jabbed his sword sheath into Cyril’s solar plexus. At that moment, Cyril’s body was pushed out of the window and plummeted to the ground. A gruesome sound of something soft hitting a hard surface was heard, and then silence.

Ashid put his sword sheath back on his waist. He then turned his back to the window and said to his knights, “Count Cyril Olven will be recorded as having committed suicide after it was discovered that he used mercenaries to cause a false disturbance and tried to harm the Grand Duchess. Even if the imperial investigators or the Royal Guard investigate this matter later, make sure they cannot come to any other conclusion.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

The knights all bowed in unison. Ashid continued, “And one more thing. Search this mansion thoroughly and collect all of our knight uniforms that Count Cyril Olven has.”

“Does that include the one Count Cyril Olven is currently wearing on his body?” Dare asked with a calm expression. Ashid immediately nodded and replied, “Of course. We cannot allow a traitor to wear our uniform.”

“…”

“Besides, I have a special use for it.”

He didn’t take Cyril’s last words as the absolute truth. But he was sure that Duke Lodion and Adrian’s other confidants were involved in this matter.

‘I can’t directly touch those who are protected by the Emperor and Adrian, but I can at least make them pay an appropriate price.’

Ashid thought, a cold smile on his face.

Asilard Empire’s capital, Marquis Cadogan’s townhouse.

The vast garden of the mansion was bustling with dozens of carriages. It was because of the ball being held in the mansion’s ballroom today. All the invited guests were influential nobles who sided with Crown Prince Adrian or young, beautiful ladies from prestigious families selected by Duke Lodion.

Having been disappointed at the last party held at Duke Lodion’s mansion, they got out of their carriages, hoping that Crown Prince Adrian would attend this time. It was at that moment that Marquis Cadogan, the owner of the mansion, was standing at the entrance with his butler to welcome the guests.

A splendid carriage, adorned with gold and amber, stopped in front of him. A woman was escorted down by the coachman. It was Lady Claire Blackwood, the Marquis’s fiancée. She was wearing a red dress and ran toward the Marquis, her long blonde hair swaying.

“Davis!”

Marquis Cadogan lovingly hugged Claire, who was embracing his neck. Just then, Duke Lodion, who had just arrived at the mansion, approached them.

“Welcome, Uncle.”

“Yes.”

Duke Lodion replied benevolently and gave a slight wink. It was a signal that he had something important to say to him. Marquis Cadogan gently pulled Claire away from him and said, “Claire, the butler has prepared some high-quality rose tea and cinnamon cookies for you in the drawing-room.”

“Oh, really? Then I must go! You should come with me!”

“I’m so sorry, but I have to greet the guests here. So you go ahead. I’ll be there soon.”

“Okay.”

Claire gave Marquis Cadogan a quick kiss on the cheek and went into the entrance hall with the butler. Duke Lodion looked at her retreating figure with a pleased expression and said, “Isn’t she a lovely woman? She’s perfect for you as a companion.”

“I agree. She has just the right amount of wealth and power we need. Although her looks are a bit lacking.”

Marquis Cadogan shrugged and replied in a voice so low it was almost inaudible. Duke Lodion chuckled in agreement and said, “You can’t have everything. But more importantly, has Crown Prince Adrian arrived yet?”

“…Yes.”

“He’s not going to be absent again, is he?”

“Since there has been no word from him this morning, I believe he will attend. If he didn’t want to come to the ball today, he would have sent a letter of refusal much earlier.”

“Good. That’s good.”

The Duke nodded in satisfaction after hearing the Marquis’s answer.

“Eek!”

“W-what is that!”

At that moment, the nobles suddenly screamed. The Duke and the Marquis turned their heads in the direction of the screams. It was in the garden to the left, which led to the ballroom.

The two of them quickly went down the stairs from the entrance to the central garden and ran to the left garden. Many nobles and servants had already gathered there.

They pushed their way to the front, and at that moment…

“…!”

The two men witnessed a horrific sight.

In the garden right in front of the ballroom, three wooden crucifixes had been set up. And on those crucifixes were a knight’s uniform drenched in blood, an unknown black outfit, and a butler’s uniform.

The disgusting sight, smelling of blood and dripping with blood, left Duke Lodion and Marquis Cadogan speechless, staring blankly.

Duke Lodion, who regained his composure first, shouted at the servants nearby. “Hey, why are you just standing there! Don’t you dare bring the guests to the main building!”

“Ah, yes. Duke!”

The servants hastily bowed their heads and took the nobles who were there to the main building. When everyone was gone, Duke Lodion snapped at Marquis Cadogan.

“What on earth is that! Don’t tell me this is your doing?”

“Of course not, Uncle! I have no idea about this! It wasn’t here even an hour ago!”

“Damn it! Then who would do something so vulgar!”

The enraged Duke panted and glared at the crucifixes. At that moment, the Duke realized that the blood-stained uniforms weren’t completely unfamiliar. The Duke momentarily stopped his rage and examined them carefully.

A moment later, the Duke, who recognized them, mumbled with a dazed expression. “…That’s Ashid’s knight uniform! And that black outfit with the faint weasel crest is from the Roansi Guild…!”

“The Roansi Guild…! Isn’t that the assassin guild you introduced to Count Cyril Olven?”

“That’s right! Then… that knight’s uniform is also…!”

Duke Lodion’s face turned white as he couldn’t finish his sentence. There was no doubt about it. That knight’s uniform belonged to ‘Cyril Olven.’ And the blood that drenched the uniform must be his as well.

If so, it was not difficult to guess who the culprit behind this was. The Duke muttered in a growling voice. “Ashid Alberich, that madman…!”

That madman Ashid must have found out that Cyril Olven had betrayed him and that they were behind it, and that’s why he did this.

Duke Lodion trembled all over, feeling a mix of anger and strong fear. It would have been better if Ashid had led his knights to kill him. Then he could have used it as a pretext to bring Ashid to the Imperial Court of Justice. Even if the kind-hearted Adrian tried to stop it, it would have still served to solidify Ashid’s negative reputation.

But with such a cunning threat, he couldn’t do anything. It would be difficult to prove that Ashid did this, and even if it were possible, to punish Ashid, he might have to expose what he had done to him first.