Chapter 80
“Head of House Lanstein.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
Throughout the entire noble council, Kashimir had been sitting slouched, silent.
His voice, when he finally spoke, was as cold as the frost, baring his displeasure without restraint.
“When will you finally bring the culprit before me?”
“……”
“Forget the mastermind—have you not even managed to bring forth a mere executor?”
“My apologies.”
“Sigh.”
Kashimir’s sigh, sinking low, chilled the atmosphere of the chamber. The nobles glanced at Jonas one after another, silently hoping he would break the tension.
But Jonas sat with an indifferent expression, as though he had no concern for such things.
“I haven’t even the energy to be angry anymore. Today’s council is over.”
Clatter. With a harsh push, Kashimir shoved his chair back and walked out.
Step, step.
The silence in the hall made his footsteps echo as he strode down the corridor.
As the sound grew faint, the nobles began rising one by one and heading for the door.
Graham, too, stood with a sigh and walked out.
In the central gallery leading to the main gate, Graham pressed a hand to his throbbing temple. At that moment, an unwelcome voice approached.
“Head of House Lanstein.”
“Ah… Head of House Nürenbern.”
Seeing Jonas approach leisurely from behind, Graham’s mood soured, though he didn’t show it outwardly.
“Is the investigation going poorly?”
Ahem.
At the blunt question, Graham turned away, clearing his throat. Jonas, who had been smiling faintly, furrowed his brow and spoke with a frosty tone.
“Head of House Lanstein, are you perhaps more of a fool than I thought? I assumed our last conversation made things clear.”
“What did you just say?”
“Hah…”
“I’ll pretend I didn’t hear such insolence!”
When Graham exploded in anger, Jonas gave a quiet sigh and ran a hand roughly through his perfectly kept light-brown hair. Though his face smoothed again, his green eyes gleamed with killing intent.
“Why have you not named Roembec and Pianus as the culprits?”
“How could I condemn the innocent!”
“Hah? Ha-ha! Haa…. Lord Lanstein.”
Jonas laughed behind a hand, then dropped his voice until the weight of it pressed on Graham’s shoulders.
Even facing knights, even facing his grandfather who once served beside the hero Leopold, Graham’s shoulders had never faltered. Yet now they shrank.
“It seems your brain is nothing but muscle. This is not a suggestion.”
“……”
“If you don’t pin this crime on them, I’ll see your son indicted.”
“That’s absurd…!”
When Jonas lowered his hand, his calm green eyes struck Graham speechless.
“Handing over your son won’t be the end of it. You’ll have to hand over your precious title as head as well.”
Graham clenched his fists and glared. Though his physique far surpassed Jonas’s, he felt as though he stood before a beast many times his size.
“Think very carefully this time.”
The leaves in the Pianus garden had all turned brown. At last finding some leisure, Ludiana brought a book outside and sat down.
“Ludi, it’s getting chilly.”
“You’re here?”
Carlos approached and draped a light blanket over her shoulders before sitting across from her.
Ludiana smiled softly, pulling the blanket closer.
“Thank you.”
“Haa—”
Carlos propped his chin in his hand and sighed. Ludiana closed her book and tilted her head.
“What’s wrong?”
“To have to talk about something grim in front of you on such a fine day.”
“Something grim?”
Remembering what Carlos had hinted at during the party, Ludiana leaned forward, eyes bright.
“You’ve discovered something?”
“You’re not even worried that I’m upset, are you?”
“No, that’s not—!”
Squinting one eye, Carlos stuck his lips out in mock complaint.
Flustered, Ludiana raised her brows.
“Pft, I’m joking.”
As Carlos chuckled, a breeze swept through, scattering the crisp autumn leaves piled around them. It was as though the wind moved in harmony with his low voice. Entranced, Ludiana found herself staring at him.
“Ludi.”
“…Yes?”
“If you look at me like that, I’ll get embarrassed.”
“You, honestly—always joking around…”
She scowled, ready to scold him for teasing again—but stopped short when she noticed the tips of his ears glowing red despite his smile.
“Ahem. Peyton Lanstein asked Ivan for the ‘Tears of the Goddess.’”
“Ivan?”
Clearing his throat to cool his ears, Carlos met her gaze. Ludiana’s brows furrowed.
“That Ivan—from back then?”
“Yes. The boy who caught the plague, came to Brno, and eventually left.”
“We were just kids then.”
“Be that as it may.”
Carlos dismissed his own childhood involvement, which made Ludiana smile despite herself.
“So—you’re saying Ivan gave Peyton poison?”
“Mm. I heard it from Peyton’s bodyguard.”
Ludiana’s smile fell at once.
Though long ago, the memory was still sharp. His fierce demeanor, his harsh brown eyes glaring at her mother—they were etched in her mind.
And that child, so young, returned to Emden from Brno alone.
Those unwilling to remain in Brno were not forced, but neither were they given support to go elsewhere. For Ivan to return to Emden at that age meant he had done it entirely on his own.
And now, you say he’s tied to this poisoning?
“They say he’s already left the capital, but multiple witnesses confirmed he belongs to the Emden merchant guild.”
“Which means…”
“Yes—Nürenbern is behind this.”
Ludiana’s eyelids quivered with fury.
At that moment, Michaela rushed in through the garden gate.
“My lady, it’s terrible—something terrible has happened!!”
A flustered knight’s voice rang out at the gates of House Pianus.
“What is the meaning of this! This is the Pianus ducal estate!”
The Lanstein knight commander held up a tightly rolled decree before his eyes.
“This order bears the Emperor’s seal. We are to arrest Duke Allen Pianus as a suspect in Peyton Lanstein’s attempted poisoning.”
“Nonsense!”
Another Pianus knight ran up, shouting in protest.
“Whether nonsense or not will be determined through investigation.”
With an impassive gaze, the commander looked them over and added, brows furrowing:
“This investigation has been entrusted to House Lanstein. Refuse to comply, and I will report that you have defied His Majesty’s command.”
“The Duke has nothing to do with this!”
“Do you wish to see your Duke branded a traitor because of your resistance?”
“Kh…”
The knights glanced at each other, faltering. Sensing their hesitation, the commander’s tone grew harsher.
“If you do not wish to bear the consequences later, stand aside.”
“What is going on here?”
At once, the gathered servants parted and bowed low. Through them, Duke Allen emerged, his expression hard.
His voice, low and steady, hung heavy in the tense air.
The commander bowed slightly.
“My lord, you must come with us as a prime suspect in Peyton Lanstein’s poisoning.”
At his signal, Lanstein knights advanced on Allen.
“My lord!”
But before they could reach him, Carlos—having rushed from the garden with Ludiana—stepped in their way.
“Barging in like this—what do you think you’re doing?”
“Stand aside. This is no place for a commoner. Duke, please come with us.”
The commander frowned in disdain.
Carlos took a step forward, an ominous aura radiating from him.
“Go ahead. Try.”
His low voice rumbled from deep within, pressing down on the ground. He was neither shouting nor frantic, yet his vivid anger prickled in the air.
