Chapter 3
My hands were shaking. It was because of the shock and fear from being suddenly attacked.
“…And you hit me? You did?”
“You’re a criminal lower than anyone in the world.”
“Hah.”
There was only one reason I quietly stayed locked up here all this time.
I was stupid.
Stupid enough to still trust those people. I actually thought they would kneel and apologize one day.
All those years of friendship and feelings blinded me and made me into a fool who couldn’t do anything.
I grabbed Calix’s chin hard and pulled his face close to mine.
“You should’ve never raised your hand to me, Calix.”
“Mm! Mmph!”
“You don’t even have the guts to kill me.”
That’s right. There was a reason they kept me alive.
I pushed another paralyzing potion into Calix’s mouth. He tried to resist, but it was already down his throat.
“Okay, now get lost. I need time to think. And fix the ceiling before you leave. Otherwise, I might just die from getting rained on. Got it?”
“Mmgh! Hrk!”
I rolled his huge body over to the door and pushed him outside. It was hard, but I managed.
“Tell Rigretto I said hi. And that I don’t even want to see him in my dreams.”
All the lingering emotions I had — gone. Just like that. It felt like I was finally cured of an incurable disease, something even my perfect potions couldn’t fix.
After getting some sleep, my body and head felt much better. I couldn’t sense anyone nearby.
Lying on my bed, I looked at the now perfectly repaired ceiling and mumbled,
“No wonder. He wasn’t yelling as much as usual. Calling me a traitor, huh.”
Now that I knew I was innocent, I had no reason to play along with their games anymore.
Why did they frame me? Why did they want me to suffer like this?
I didn’t know the full reason. But there was one thing I did know for sure.
There was something they could only do if I was locked away like this.
All they had to do was show me a little fake affection, and I’d give them rare potions and priceless materials like a golden goose. And for that, they had to cut me open.
They knew I’d get in the way if I stayed around. But still, they didn’t kill me. There had to be a reason for that too.
“I see. That’s how it is.”
I forced myself to smile.
“Then I guess it’s time I really betrayed you all.”
I’m getting out of here.
After two years, I finally made up my mind.
I had done enough. I had kept my end of things.
I was falsely accused of a crime I didn’t commit, so what does it matter if I commit a few actual crimes now?
Compared to being accused of attempted murder or royal assassination, escaping from exile was nothing.
This time, I’d be the one to throw them away.
I got up and rushed outside the cabin. Before escaping, I needed to test the power of the barrier that was keeping me trapped here.
But then—
“Urgh…”
“…What was that?”
I heard something I shouldn’t have heard. A voice.
I wasn’t supposed to hear another human voice. No one else should be able to come in here without permission.
But the voice was nearby.
“Ugh… mmgh…”
Not far away, a man with black hair was lying on the ground, soaked from the rain.
Was it Calix again?
“You jerk. Stop pretending and get—”
…Wait a second.
Calix’s hair is dark green.
Then who is this?
“…Who are you?”
“Your Highness. The Empire says they lost the criminal.”
“So?”
“They think the criminal escaped into the eastern forest of the Duchy.”
“And?”
Harun, the only assistant to the Duke of Wintergarten, was starting to feel the weight of aging every day.
He sighed in frustration looking at the cold expression of his lord.
“What do those imperial fools ever do right, huh?”
“Why are you asking me?”
“Well, Your Highness is half-Imperial… uh-oh.”
Harun quickly shut up when he saw the Duke’s sharp glare.
His master was usually calm, but anything involving the Empire made him sensitive. And it was understandable.
“So you’re finally planning to quit? I’ve been waiting for this.”
“No way. Serving the Duke of Wintergarten is my lifelong career.”
“You sure talk a lot for someone saying that.”
Harun made a zipping motion over his lips with his fingers. The Duke sighed and nodded for him to continue.
“The criminal’s a murderer. Over ten victims.”
“Crazy.”
“The Empire is asking for our help.”
Duke Cedric tilted his head slightly.
“That’s not all, is it?”
Harun hesitated, sighed, then hesitated again.
Cedric’s expression grew annoyed. A small tear mole under his left eye twitched slightly.
If Cedric had stayed in the Empire, Harun was sure half the noblewomen there would’ve lost sleep over him.
“Just say it. Don’t dance around like a nervous dog.”
“You’re not going to get mad?”
“So, you do have something to tell me that’ll make me angry.”
“I’m ready now. Go ahead.”
Harun finally finished his report.
“…They said they’ll pay us if we capture the criminal. One chest of gold bars. And two if you go personally. Insane, right?”
“Payment, huh.”
Cedric’s voice lowered.
“They’re trying to hire me like a mercenary… Should I send a reply?”
“What kind?”
“What else? Tell them to get lost.”
But Cedric just smiled a little and waved his hand.
“No, no. I don’t want to see your head roll.”
“Lord Cedric!”
“We should be thankful they’re offering money to this poor land.”
Harun made a pained face, like he’d just heard a nightmare.
“Are you serious?”
“And what if I am? It’s not like we have any options.”
Cedric sighed, rubbing his forehead.
It had already been ten years since Wintergarten became an independent duchy, and his name changed from Cedric Esteban to Cedric Esteban Wintergarten.
The Duchy of Wintergarten lived up to its name — cold, dry, and harsh. Nothing grew well there.
“Send them a reply. Say we’ll cooperate.”
“Pardon?”
“What about the wanted poster?”
“Your Highness… are you feeling okay?”
Cedric smiled politely.
“Then why don’t you go?”
“I’d rather do that!”
“Relax. Two chests of gold? Generous.”
This was something the Duke had to do himself.
For a lord ruling over a poor land, pride was a useless thing.
“But what if you get cursed or something out there—”
“At least if I go out, I might bring back something. Otherwise, we’ll all starve.”
He muttered, “I have a lot of mouths to feed,” and Harun lowered his head.
And so, the Duke left. The sky looked like it would rain any minute.
That day, he never returned to the castle.
A handsome man suddenly collapsed in front of my house.
It had been so long since I saw anyone besides the supply team like Vanetta, I was still shocked. Maybe… two years?
I didn’t know how he got past the barrier, but I couldn’t just leave him there. If I did, I’d be dealing with a corpse soon.
