Chapter 89
Upon returning to her room, Raylenne sat on the bed, waiting for time to pass. Despite the considerable amount of time that had elapsed, she had not dozed off at all.
Raylenne lifted her gaze to check the clock. The hands were nearing 3 o’clock, the time when the guards stationed at Aiden’s quarters would start their rounds. Once they discovered that Aiden was missing, the duchy would undoubtedly be thrown into chaos.
As Raylenne anxiously watched the clock, someone tapped lightly on the window. Turning her head, she saw a bird fluttering outside.
‘What is this…?’
When Raylenne approached and opened the window, the bird perched on the window sill. On closer inspection, she saw that a note and a small pouch were attached to the bird’s ankle.
Raylenne unfolded the note tied to the bird’s leg.
<Sorry for being late. Here is the magical tool you requested. —From Tantaan.>
So it was from Tantaan…!
Raylenne quickly untied the pouch from the bird’s leg. Inside was the magical tool she had ordered.
‘It’s here…!’
Raylenne swiftly hid the magical tool under her sleeve. Just as the clock struck 3, the sounds of activity echoed through the corridors of the estate.
As expected, within a few minutes, the lights in the corridor were turned up. The clattering of knights’ armor reverberated throughout the hall, and other staff members, curious about the commotion in the dead of night, seemed to have emerged from their rooms, rubbing their eyes.
The knights would now be following Caverion’s orders to search for Aiden.
‘It’s been two hours since Aiden left the estate…’
By now, he must be quite far from the castle. Now, it was up to Caverion to keep his promise not to pursue Aiden. If he did, it would severely disrupt Raylenne’s plans.
Closing the door behind her, Raylenne sat back down.
‘Now it’s my turn.’
Soon, the furious Duke Ergen would summon her and Caverion. She needed to use this magical tool effectively. Perhaps she could even bring Duke Ergen to his knees.
Knock, knock!
Someone pounded loudly on the door. When Raylenne opened it, she saw a breathless servant of Duke Ergen, as if he had rushed to deliver the message.
“Miss, you’re being summoned.”
* * *
When Raylenne arrived at the Duke’s office, she was greeted by a scene of utter disarray. Bookshelves had been overturned, vases shattered, and papers scattered across the floor.
*’This is disastrous…’
In the midst of the wreckage stood Duke Ergen, whose appearance was as chaotic as the room. Blood trickled from his hand, and his upper body was barely covered by a robe. The most unsettling aspect was the Duke’s bloodshot eyes.
Raylenne had seen the Duke angry before, but this was the first time he appeared to be completely out of control.
It would have been better if Caverion had been present, but it seemed that Raylenne had been summoned alone.
Raylenne swallowed hard.
“Raylenne.”
“…Yes.”
The Duke’s voice was harsh and strained.
“Aiden has escaped.”
The Duke’s menacing gaze fixed on Raylenne.
“Wasn’t it your responsibility to keep watch over Aiden?”
“…I’m sorry.”
The Duke leaned on his desk with his arm, his eyes unfocused as if he had been drinking heavily.
“I thought you might prove useful. Yet, you couldn’t even keep track of a single prisoner, leading to this mess.”
When Raylenne remained silent, Duke Ergen slowly approached her and stood directly in front of her.
“Why, have you gone mute? Speak as you did when you defied me last time.”
“…I didn’t expect Aiden to escape.”
“According to reports, he slipped out through the window. Given that he jumped from the third floor, he must have prepared well in advance. Were you unable to notice anything?”
“…”
“You’ve messed up even the Prince’s affairs. Whenever you’re involved, everything falls apart.”
The Duke mumbled to himself, his head bowed.
“I was foolish to think you might be of some use eventually.”
The Duke raised his head again and approached Raylenne closely. As Raylenne backed away, her back hit the wall.
“What do you think I should do with you and Caverion?”
The Duke’s hand reached out, slowly brushing through Raylenne’s hair. His touch sent chills down her spine.
“Tell me, how will you take responsibility for this?”
“…”
“You’d better give a good answer. Depending on your response, I’ll decide how to treat you.”
The Duke tugged at Raylenne’s hair. The sharp pain made her bite her lip as she slowly began to speak.
“If I say I can’t take any responsibility…”
The Duke stared at Raylenne with a blank expression. She met his gaze without flinching.
“Will you kill me too?”
Raylenne’s voice was clear and firm.
“Just like you killed my mother?”
Her heart was still racing, but faced with the immediate threat, the fear had somewhat dissipated. Instead, anger began to swell within her.
Her life had been on the edge because of this man. Moreover, Nadia had also lived a life of hardship before dying, all because of this wretched person before her.
“Will you accuse me of making absurd statements again? But this time, it won’t be so easy to dismiss. I have evidence.”
Mentioning evidence, Raylenne saw the Duke’s expression falter for the first time.
Before the Duke could respond, Raylenne quickly continued.
“I read my mother’s diary.”
The Duke’s mouth opened and closed as if searching for words before he spoke.
“Another diary? Didn’t you yourself say that diary was a fabrication?”
“No, the diary does indeed exist.”
Raylenne smiled wryly.
“It’s definitely written in my mother’s handwriting. If my grandfather, who loved and cherished me dearly, were here, he would surely recognize it.”
Duke Ergen’s eyes widened.
“What do you think my grandfather would do if he knew that the person who killed my mother was my father?”
“…Do you think a mere diary could turn me into a murderer?”
“Even if it weren’t the diary, there are witnesses who remember that day.”
At the mention of witnesses, Duke Ergen stood upright. Observing the Duke, Raylenne spoke clearly.
“You strangled her to death.”
“…”
“Although you cunningly disguised it as an accident while ‘saving’ me.”
Despite the truth being revealed calmly, the Duke remained tight-lipped, like a clam.
“Do you still intend to deny it?”
When Raylenne pressed further, Duke Ergen removed his hand from her hair and gradually lowered his gaze. Eventually, a weak voice emerged.
“Yes, I killed Nadia.”
Raylenne studied the Duke’s subdued demeanor, wondering if he felt any guilt. But she quickly realized how foolish that thought was.
“She was someone who deserved to die.”
Raylenne ground her teeth in frustration.
“Be careful with your words. Before she was your wife, she was my mother.”
Though Nadia wasn’t her real mother, Raylenne was fed up with the Duke’s audacity.
The Duke stared at Raylenne with unfocused eyes, as if looking past her.
“You resemble Nadia greatly—her face, voice, mannerisms, and even her character.”
The Duke’s vacant eyes slowly moved to focus on Raylenne.
“It’s not just that. You mirror not only Nadia’s appearance and behavior but also her disdainful gaze and tendency to meddle in my affairs.”
“…”
“That’s why I despised you.”
The Duke’s gaze darkened with a hint of malice.
“Raylenne, do you know what I most regret now?”
The Duke leisurely walked over and locked the door. This was an unexpected turn of events.
‘Is he planning something right here and now…?’
Duke Ergen was meticulous. He had put much effort into killing Nadia, waiting for the right moment, and seizing the day of the accident. Therefore, Raylenne had not anticipated that he would do anything to her right now. He knew that harming her would make him the prime suspect.
The Duke was clearly not thinking rationally at the moment. Nadia must have been his Achilles’ heel.
Raylenne glanced towards the window.
She had to find a way to escape immediately. It would be easier to flee through the window than to deal with the locked door.
“What are you staring at?”
In the brief moment Raylenne’s attention wavered, the Duke swiftly approached and grabbed her wrist.
Raylenne struggled with all her might.
“Let go of me!”
The Duke looked at Raylenne with indifferent eyes and continued his earlier statement.
“Do you know what I most regret now?”
“…”
“It’s that I strangled Nadia with my bare hands.”
He shouldn’t have left any trace.
The Duke lowered his eyes and murmured quietly before lifting his gaze to stare at Raylenne.
“Another regret is that I didn’t kill you sooner.”
This chilling man.
Raylenne scanned her surroundings.
‘Damn it…’
If only she could get out of here, everything would be resolved…
At that moment, a loud noise came from the direction of the door.
Clang, clang, someone was forcefully turning the doorknob.
But since the door was locked, the doorknob merely rattled violently.
Raylenne’s eyes shifted towards the door.
Could it be Caverion coming to report on the situation?
On the other hand, the Duke seemed barely aware of who was outside the door.
No, it seemed he had lost all focus.
Raylenne glared at the Duke.
“If you kill me here, later on… it will be uncontrollable.”
However, the deranged Duke appeared to be completely unfazed.
“I’ll hide your body well and later claim it was found after searching for your runaway self.”
“…”
“I’ll say that we discovered the body late while searching for you after your disappearance.”
The Duke’s plan was ridiculously flimsy, but he seemed to be reassuring himself.
He then slowly reached out towards Raylenne’s neck.
Raylenne looked at the Duke’s approaching hand and thought of Aiden.
How would Aiden react when he learns about her death?
She felt deeply sorry for Aiden.
She hoped that Aiden would forget her and live happily…
He had suffered enough already; it was time for him to be happy.
Aiden’s face lingered in her mind.
‘Aiden…’
It was somewhat surprising to Raylenne that, facing death, her feelings were dominated by regret for another person.
It seemed that Aiden had settled deeply in her heart.
As she swallowed her bitterness inwardly, suddenly,
Bang—!
The sound of the door slamming open and a gust of wind swept through the room.
The startled Duke’s hand recoiled. Instinctively, he turned his head towards the door.
There stood a man in the armor of the Ergen family.
Although it looked like a knight, the unhelmeted face was unmistakably familiar.
It was none other than…
‘Aiden…?’
Aiden’s expression as he looked at Duke Ergen was terrifying.
“Get your hands off her immediately.”
A black aura surged around Aiden’s body.
