Chapter 70: An Eye for an Eye, a Tooth for a Tooth
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 70: An Eye for an Eye, a Tooth for a Tooth
“I don’t know exactly! They were wearing a hood, so I couldn’t see their face!”
At those words, the knights flinched and exchanged flustered glances.
Was he really hired to do this?
As Loik narrowed his eyes, signaling for him to continue, the man began to pour out words in a frantic rush.
“I met them while I was drinking in Wanton. Ah, it was probably four days ago! I was drinking and, well, complaining a bit about my life, and then…”
The man struggled to choose words appropriate for use in front of the Grand Duke before continuing.
“They suddenly sat down next to me and said it was all because of the Grand Duchess… no, Her Highness the Consort. So, well, in my drunken state, I agreed with them just a little, and then they made me an offer. They said they’d give me two hundred Danir if I threw eggs at Her Highness. They said there would be a huge crowd at the scene, so I wouldn’t be easily caught.”
The man’s face crumpled into a pathetic, pleading expression.
“They even said they’d give me a down payment… For a guy like me, that’s more money than I’d ever see in a lifetime of work. So…!”
“Did they tell you the location in advance?”
Loik cut him off, his voice chillingly cold.
“A note came via a messenger about an hour before. It said Her Highness would be appearing in front of Cafe Delitar, so I should get ready.”
Loik already knew the rest of the story.
The man babbled on mindlessly, explaining that he had only intended to throw one egg, but he was worried he wouldn't get the full payment if he didn't hit her properly. He had thrown the second egg and missed his chance to escape.
“Is that all?”
Loik’s voice sank low.
The man, sensing the lack of hope in the air, rolled his eyes anxiously before letting out a sudden cry as if something had just occurred to him.
“There were others at the pub who took money besides me!”
He speculated that there were several other customers who, like him, had been living on credit but suddenly started spending money freely on drinks. He suggested they were likely the ones who had insulted the Grand Duchess at the scene.
“Round up everyone who’s been hanging around that pub,” Loik said, turning to Teor.
“I’ll move immediately.”
Teor, who had been tense because they hadn't been able to interrogate the prisoner properly until now, hurried to give orders to the knights behind him.
“Wh-what’s going to happen to me?” the man asked desperately as Loik prepared to leave the dungeon. “I—I really had no intention of truly harming Her Highness. I sincerely repent for my sins, so…!”
Loik stared coldly at the man, who was wringing his hands in desperation.
“You’d better pray hard. Whether your head stays on your shoulders depends entirely on the Grand Duchess’s mercy.”
*
The next morning, I woke up feeling quite refreshed.
Was it just my imagination?
Perhaps the Grand Duke’s massage had been quite effective, as my entire body felt brimming with energy.
When I turned my head, the flowerpots lining the windowsill were glowing brilliantly in the morning sunlight.
Things have changed so much.
When I first arrived at the Grand Duke’s Castle, I was a loner who didn't know a single soul.
Now, there are people who send me flowers to comfort me when I’ve had a hard time outside.
There’s a maid who gets angry on my behalf as if it were her own problem.
And there’s a husband who massaged my hands all night to help me sleep.
For a brief moment, the fact that my relationship with them was temporary crossed my mind, but I quickly brushed the negative thought away.
So what if I leave in a year?
That doesn't mean the time I spent here never happened. I just have to do my best while I’m here.
That way, I won’t have any regrets a year from now.
I don’t know when I’ll ever get to live as a Grand Duchess again, so shouldn't I enjoy this moment?
Since I woke up early, maybe I should go see my husband’s face.
He’ll be happy to know I’ve recovered my strength.
It happened to be before Cecilia started her shift.
Getting out of bed without hesitation, I headed toward the Grand Duke’s room with a light step, only to be slightly taken aback when I saw his face, which was shadowed with dark circles.
“…Grand Duke? Did you not sleep?”
Unlike me, whose face was full of color, the Grand Duke’s complexion was pale.
Rubbing his face awkwardly, the Grand Duke led me to a table, saying he had something to tell me.
“The culprit was hired?”
“You don’t seem very surprised. Did you expect this?”
“I did think it was a bit strange. The atmosphere and the sudden egg-throwing felt a bit out of nowhere. At first, I suspected the Association President, but it wouldn't benefit him to have a disturbance at an event he invited me to, would it?”
“I agree.”
The Grand Duke bowed his head, saying that while they had captured the rest of the people who caused the commotion, it would take some time to uncover the mastermind.
“I’m sorry. I wanted to have the matter resolved by morning.”
“No, what do you mean by morning? Did you stay up all night because of this?”
When I suddenly grabbed his sculpted face with both hands, the Grand Duke gripped the armrests of his chair in surprise.
“G-Grand Duchess?”
“No wonder. Look at your face.”
“Is something wrong with my face?”
Well, no, it wasn't actually "wrong."
If anything, because his eyes were a bit unfocused, he had a more mysterious aura than usual.
And with his sleeves rolled up like that…
Seeing the veins bulging on his forearms as he gripped the armrests, I found myself swallowing hard.
“…It’s a mess,” I said, forcing down my fawning thoughts and intentionally glaring at him more. “So, please get at least a little sleep before breakfast.”
“Why do you look so happy when you’re telling me my face is a mess?”
When I scolded him for the slight upward curve of his lips, he let out a fake cough.
“By the way, have you thought about what to do with the criminals?” the Grand Duke asked cautiously. “There is the Territorial Law, but I intend to give them whatever flogging you desire.”
“Of course they need to be taught a lesson.”
I exhaled sharply through my nose.
Whoever it was, it would be satisfying to see them get about ten hits on the backside in front of everyone.
I asked, imagining the corporal punishment of this world, which I had never seen before.
“What happens according to the Territorial Law?”
“The crime of harming the Imperial Family carries a minimum of the death penalty.”
“That’s too extreme!”
The minimum is death? Then what on earth is the maximum?
“Are you trying to turn me into a real villainess?”
When I arched an eyebrow in disbelief, the Grand Duke instinctively shrank his shoulders.
“Th-that’s just what the Territorial Law says. I will carry out whatever punishment you dictate.”
“…I’m not sure about that.”
I confessed my honest feelings.
Perhaps because a day had passed, or because I knew the culprit was just acting on orders, I didn't feel as bothered as I had yesterday.
Since there are noble protocols, it wasn't a matter that could be punished lightly, but I wasn't sure what would be appropriate.
“But I don’t want to give them an excessive punishment.”
“You don’t need to concern yourself with people like them.”
“It’s not exactly because of that.”
Seeing the Grand Duke’s brow furrow slightly, I added, “I just don't want to have bad dreams. I don't want to keep wasting my energy on this unnecessarily.”
Besides, the guillotine was the future I wanted to avoid most.
I don't want to hear people saying I reaped what I sowed later on.
Did that sound too irresponsible?
I stole a glance at him, but the Grand Duke simply nodded with a reliable expression.
“I will handle it as I see fit.”
“Thank you, Grand Duke.”
I smiled at his low, resonant voice.
“And you don't need to look for the mastermind anymore.”
“Why do you say that?”
“Because I think I can handle that myself.”
“Do you have someone in mind?”
The Grand Duke’s eyebrows shot up.
“Don’t worry.”
I gently shook my head at his gaze, which seemed to be asking me to tell him.
“I plan to deliver the perfect punishment.”
A punishment that would be the most painful for the person involved.
*
“Did you find anything out?”
It hadn't even been thirty minutes since I’d given Reta the task.
Seeing Reta return with a strangely confident face, it seemed the harvest wasn't bad.
“There was no record of the Head Maid entering or exiting through the main gate.”
Reta pulled a folded piece of paper from her pocket.
“Instead, I brought the entry records for the goods passage on the west side.”
“The goods passage?”
“It’s the gate primarily used for bringing in food supplies.”
On the paper, which looked like it had been roughly torn from a ledger, were the names of those who had entered and exited, along with the details.
Reta added that while it was a rule for servants to use the central gate when going out, they often slipped in and out through the goods passage when they were just going down to the village or had an urgent matter.
“Since you have to pass through another gate to enter the inner castle anyway, the security there isn't very strict.”
“But Marzella’s name isn't here?”
Marzella’s name was not among the handwritten records. At my words, Reta pointed to another name in the ledger.
“Benet?”
She was one of the high-ranking maids who had given me the invitation for the inn’s ‘Couples’ Night Package.’
“The Head Maid uses the names of other maids even when she uses the goods passage.”
Reta explained that while using the goods passage was a long-standing custom among servants that the guards didn't make much of a fuss about, Marzella likely didn't want to leave evidence that she, as the Head Maid, had broken the rules.
“Looking at the time, it matches up.”
When the Grand Duke had apologized, saying it might take time to find the mastermind, two very strong candidates had come to my mind.
Marzella and Meisel.
It stood to reason, as the ‘egg-throwing incident’ was too small in scale to be the work of someone with a true, deep-seated grudge, yet too much effort had been put into it for it to be a trivial prank.
Publicizing slander in a place where people are gathered, and insulting me by throwing eggs.
It was exactly the kind of thing a noble lady or a head maid would orchestrate—something that didn't require them to get their own hands dirty to torment me.
And the one I suspected more was Marzella.
It’s very suspicious that she sought out Tiern at that exact time.
“But will this be enough evidence?” Cecilia asked with a worried look.
She was asking if the mere fact that Marzella had left the castle at the same time I went to meet the Merchant Association President was enough to pin her as the culprit.
“I don’t need evidence.”
I folded the paper and set it down on the desk.
“I only needed certainty.”