Chapter 66
Chapter 66
Translation: godsn
'The Minister's bedroom is on the third floor, facing east.'
The mansion, thoroughly imbued with the Minister's cheap tastes, was so dazzlingly gaudy it hurt the eyes.
Gold-plated walls and candlesticks, along with bizarre paintings that could hardly be called art, appeared every ten steps.
Hearing the voices of passing servants, Medeia pressed herself against the wall.
The darkness concealed her form.
"Still no contact with the master?"
"Yeah, even the butler was kicked out of the royal palace immediately. The Dowager said we must prepare for the worst and ordered us to bring all the deeds for the mansion and lands. Even the petty bribes he received."
"To think she's prioritizing her own survival over saving her son, tsk... Like mother, like son, I suppose. Anyway, we should start looking for another place ourselves, don't you think?"
The chattering voices gradually faded away. Holding her breath, Medeia moved again.
The maze at the very back of the garden was connected to the mansion.
The garden lights didn't reach here, leaving the surroundings pitch black.
Tap, tap.
Medeia melted into the deserted hallway.
The mansion's third floor, where the study was located. She succeeded in slipping inside without a sound.
The study was empty.
It was past midnight, a time when everyone except a few attendants was fast asleep.
Medeia scanned the interior of the study.
'The magic circle is supposed to be in front of the third bookshelf, right?'
Beyond the grotesquely shaped couch that showcased Etienne's vulgar taste, she spotted the third bookshelf positioned behind the marble desk.
Just as Medeia was about to step toward the magic circle—
The moonlight, sneaking in through the window, cast a faint glow over the interior.
The moment a long shadow stretched beneath the curtains by the window, Medeia froze.
There was someone else in this room.
The realization struck instantly. Medeia quietly adjusted her grip on the weapon hidden beneath her sleeve.
"......."
A few seconds of silence, broken only by the sound of breathing.
The figure hiding behind the curtains lunged at her.
Medeia, too, used the couch as a foothold and leaped toward the window.
She needed the momentum to drive her blade downward into the assailant's neck. A slender flying dagger was already in her hand.
But the opponent was faster than Medeia.
"Tch."
A kick to her waist sent Medeia crashing into the wall.
Her right shoulder and back throbbed from the impact, colliding mercilessly with a dull thud.
As a dark hand snatched at her throat, Medeia swiftly kicked at his leg.
Then, she drove the flying dagger into the assailant's shoulder, trying to break free from his grasp.
No—trying to break free.
Even though the thin blade was buried so deep only the hilt remained visible, the assailant didn't so much as blink before seizing the back of Medeia's neck again.
The masked figure possessed overwhelming physical strength and combat prowess. The outcome was obvious.
But Medeia, who had faced countless opponents larger and stronger than herself in her past life, refused to despair. Instead, she raised her head.
'The third bookshelf.'
Her emerald eyes flashed as she gauged the distance.
Twisting her body, she kicked the same shoulder she had attacked earlier. As the assailant staggered, she threw herself toward where the magic circle was drawn.
'If I can just reach the magic circle—!'
She could escape from this man.
But the assailant, as if anticipating her move, blocked her path and refused to let her go.
Pursuer and pursued tangled together, rolling across the floor.
And in that moment, the magic circle activated.
Streaks of blue light flared up like a sphere, enveloping both of them.
The Ducal House of Claudio.
"What do you mean, transferred?!"
Duke Claudio slammed his fist down on the table violently.
The news of Etienne's isolation had reached the ducal household belatedly.
"Yes, Your Grace. It appears he has been sent to the special prison where first-class prisoners are held."
"Not only are visits prohibited, but even approaching the prison where the Minister is held requires a thorough search, regardless of one's status. Father, we can't even send secret messages like before. Right now, we have no way of discerning the Minister's intentions."
"Damn it all, that bastard Siseo is finally making his move against me...!"
"Your Grace, that's not the case. According to reports, this was the Queen Dowager's command, not the Prime Minister's."
At his subordinate's report, the Duke's neck stiffened with tension.
Was humiliating him before the palace gates not enough for them?
"Mother, truly! Am I not your own flesh and blood born from the same womb? How could you treat only me this way!"
With his powerful ally facing execution, and his own mother not only refusing to aid his grand scheme but actively tightening the noose around him, the Duke's fury erupted.
"Your Grace, as of yesterday, the Minister has also been stripped of his position. They say he'll be executed without trial."
That an execution date had been set meant the contours of this incident that brought down Minister Etienne were now clearly defined.
How? What did Siseo discover?
At that moment, Samon voiced the suspicion that had been weighing on his mind.
"Father. There's a chance Etienne has betrayed us."
What else could explain this sudden shift in circumstances? Something must have changed in the case.
"Nonsense. You don't know Larc Etienne. Do you really think that greedy bastard would collapse so easily?"
The Regent immediately dismissed the idea.
"Yes, I don't know him. But he's in prison now. We have no way of knowing who he's met or what he's said."
Samon pointed out.
"Father, you haven't forgotten he possesses the Signature Document, have you? The moment that's revealed, we're finished. If he so much as opens his mouth..."
"......"
"Which is why we must act."
"You mean kill him?"
The Duke hesitated.
"The verdict isn't even out yet. Things might resolve favorably on their own. Killing him is out of the question."
He shook his head.
"Do you think it's so easy to find someone who knows when to restrain both his ambition and his greed? And what of his faction?"
His father's stance was quite firm. Samon took a step back.
"If that's your decision, then we must at least secure the Signature Document."
Though the Duke agreed with his son's point, another problem presented itself.
"...But without Etienne, how do we enter that space to retrieve the document?"
They'd hidden the document too well—that itself was now the problem.
In their zeal to eliminate any possibility of intrusion, they'd chosen an excessively dangerous location.
"If we can't retrieve it, we must destroy it. If the Count's mansion burns, the magic circle connected to the Signature Document will naturally disappear as well."
"What?"
"It's an ownerless mansion now. Who knows when it might be breached? We must burn away the root of calamity."
"Would the Minister agree to this? If he later learns of this matter..."
"He'll understand eventually. That we couldn't leave any traces behind. We can't throw away our necks just to spare the Minister's feelings, can we? If that document is discovered, we're all dead."
Samon's words were irrefutable. They could hesitate no longer.
The Regent grimaced, rubbing his temples as he acquiesced.
"...Ha, fine."
Though clearly displeased, permission was granted.
"Young Duke."
When Samon returned to his office, a Shadow awaited him.
"Father has given his permission."
"A relief. Then we simply set the fire?"
"No, we must eliminate all sparks within as well. Kill them all. Leave no survivors."
The subordinate hesitated.
"...Even the household staff?"
"Yes. Burn them all. The flames will erase the evidence."
Samon was not one to remember favors, but he never forgot a slight.
"That filthy trash must pay for the humiliation he poured over me."
The memory of how the Minister had lewdly mocked him at the last banquet made his teeth grind.
At the time, he'd been forced to swallow his rage silently, having to consider Virna's tantrum and the Minister's mood.
Now that the Minister had fallen, Samon wouldn't miss this chance to unleash his fury.