Duke, please let go of my ankle!

＊ ＊ ＊ ＊

However, the aide’s fears were realized.

─Dorororok.

“Uh-oh.”

“Huh!”

“…….”

The corridors of the ducal palace were noisy with the morning squeal of wheels.

Audrey looked terrified.

“Oh, Father!

As soon as she stepped into the castle, a knight in full armor approached her, carrying her on something made of flimsy wood.

I recognized the familiar sight of grates everywhere. It looked like…….

“Chu, it’s a wooden prison with no ceiling!

It looked like a wooden cart used to transport prisoners.

But this odd conveyance had been designed according to scientific principles.

Derek didn’t want his precious dodo to get hurt. Even the flying and crawling Peacock could not escape the laws of inertia. So, to prevent the feathery dodo from being thrown off, he built safe railings all around it.

‘That’s enough. We must push them carefully.

“Where do we escort them?

‘To the office on the fourth floor. Not a hair on his head is to be touched.

“Honour!

The knight who received the order voluntarily armed himself before carrying it out. it was evident from the appearance of the cart that they were escorting a criminal.

The sight of the criminal’s face almost weakened him, but…….

‘Criminal. Captured. Death.’

He managed to steady himself. At the same time, his face contorted into a grimace.

Even he, a veteran knight, was almost blindsided. How many crimes must she have committed, using that gentle face as a weapon?

‘A very dangerous sinner.’

He marched majestically through the corridors of the ducal palace, his chest puffed out majestically.

─Road to road.

His eyes glittered with bravery and pride as he looked around.

Audrey, meanwhile, sat dead in her wooden chair. The clattering of the wheels and the stinging stares did not affect her now, for she was as good as dead.

‘Do you know when a person dies?

“When their heart stops beating.

‘Wrong.

“Huh?

‘Once when the breath is gone, once when the soul leaves, and once when…… is embarrassed. Only then do you die.’

One day Hans was not wrong.

The Duke of Frit lived up to his reputation as the ‘Bloodbath of Creant’: a man who could truly kill.

The ripe old age of 20. Audrey’s cause of death was shame.

＊ ＊ ＊ ＊

“Hmph!”

“Here they come.”

The fourth-floor office arrived on a wooden cart.

Upon opening the door, the first thing I saw was a light pink frill like a curtain. No doubt a hideous face awaited above it.

Audrey bowed her head deeply, afraid of making eye contact.

“Pfft, I have the honor of meeting His Highness, the Duke of Frit-”

“Enough with the greetings.”

“…….”

Duke Frit stared at the cute little white head for a long moment, and then, instead of stabbing it to death, he turned on his heel. His steps were quicker than usual as he strode to his post.

‘Dodol is here! Dodol is here!

But Audrey, alone, was still standing in the doorway. She didn’t know what to do, as she was neither invited in nor told to leave.

Meanwhile, Derek, sitting alone in his seat, was hurt by the sight.

“Are you telling me you don’t want to be in the same room with me?

Derek’s mood quickly sank.

Dodoi stood stiffly, not taking a step forward. As if he didn’t want to cross this line.

‘Mm.’

Again. My heart clenched tightly in my chest. Even the briefest flicker of an expression on Dodoll’s face made my chest ache like a knife had been pierced.

Derek groped my chest. His harshly contorted face showed a faint sadness that only he could recognize.

But the look was unintentionally misleading.

“Da, I’m going to throw a dagger!

For he looked as if he were rummaging in his inside pocket.

Audrey shuddered, her face pale.

Yes, it’s no surprise that the Duke of Fritz carries a collection of weapons inside his clothes, and a sharp dagger would easily cut off her breath.

“Go ahead, stay there.”

“……!”

“…….”

But instead of swinging the dagger, Duke Fritz gestured to the chair across from him.

“Does he want me to sit there?

Audrey, who’d been watching him intently, crept over, not wanting to catch him off guard, but not showing her back.

From Derek’s point of view, it was a good thing. He could look at her cute face a little longer.

“Doesn’t look like a torture chair.

Audrey eyed the fumbling chair with a wary eye on Duke Fritz. It was suspiciously lumpy, with no desk.

But the unusually plush cushions and the crystals around the armrests seemed too much for the blackmailer.

‘Bird, is this a thinking chair?

Is this where I’m supposed to sit and confess my sins?

All the while, his blood-red eyes remained fixed on Audrey with an unforgiving intensity.

Some time later.

A desk was finally placed in front of Audrey.

“Young Lady Kevelson, this desk was sent to you by the gentleman over there.”

“Why, why, why are you doing this?”

“Please, just take it……. If it saves a man’s life, please.”

Lucas, dressed in a strange tuxedo, put the desk down and disappeared. He looked very embarrassed.

Duke Fritz, seated far away, arrogantly raised his eyebrows as their eyes met. His face oozed material wealth and generosity.

“Why, why is he looking at me like that?

But Audrey, frightened, ducked her head down.

The Duke of Fritte’s visit did not end there.

“My dear Kevelson, where are you going?”

“I forgot to pick up my supplies yesterday…….”

“Oh, I see.”

Just then, a gruff voice interrupted.

“You’re going to the south wall.”

“……!”

It was Duke Frit, and he glared at my aide like he was going to kill him. Lucas stood there dumbfounded, demanding to know what the hell he was doing, but he didn’t know.

“No, I mean, why are you going to the south wall? What the hell are you doing there?

Frowning in frustration, Derek finally gave direct instructions.

“The carriage.”

“Aha! ……?”

He’s asking me to prepare a carriage, now? A carriage just to get from the east castle to the south wall?

Lucas rubbed his ears, hoping he’d heard wrong, but those eagle eyes were serious. Instantly, the skin on his arms prickled.

If it weren’t for the Lord, I would have kicked him in the tongue for being so stupid.

I should have known from the start whether it was wholemeal or rye bread, but it was right around the corner. It was a five-minute walk. Well, five minutes literally, but a minute or two when you take out the time to walk down the stairs.

“Lucas.”

But there was nothing I could do with that deadly glare.

“Hmph! Keh, my dear Kevelson. I’ll have the carriage ready in a moment.”

“What? But it’s right in front of me.”

How clueless.

Derek fidgeted and finally blurted out.

“……legs, you want to break them.”

“……!”

Dodol must have a heart of gold. He’s going to walk five minutes on those wholemeal feet, and what if he snaps his fragile ankle?

Audrey, on the other hand, was shaking differently.

‘Ma, if you don’t listen to me, I’ll break your leg!’

The unexpected threat sent shivers down my spine.

Lucas, who had been alternating between the two temperatures, shrank away.

“I’ll be right back!”

Twenty minutes passed. Lucas returned, looking exhausted.

“I’ve got a carriage, heck, downstairs, ready for you.”

“Thanks…….”

Good to hear. Audrey ran out of the office like she was running away.

Waiting for her was a carriage bearing the duke’s seal, its trusty black horses brushed their manes and looked ready to gallop away.

“It is an honor to serve you, Lord Kevelson. This way, please.”

“Go, thank you.”

The coachman was overly friendly, too. He’d been told where we were going, but it was professional that he didn’t show any sign of panic.

“What the hell is this…….”

Audrey was still puzzled as she climbed into the carriage.

Why would the Duke of Frit give her a carriage?

Was he trying to say, “You don’t have one of these at home, do you?”?

Of course, it was a fine carriage, one that he wanted to show off. But I don’t think he ordered it for this purpose. It’s a carriage that’s only a nose’s length away if it falls over……. The muscles of the black horses bulged in embarrassment.

Audrey closed the curtains carefully, afraid of prying eyes.

“Let’s go.”

At the coachman’s signal, the carriage set off at a slow pace, but the journey was not long.

─Diverse. Diverse. Diverse. Diverse. Diverse.

“You’ve arrived.”

“…….”

The horse stopped moving only five paces away.

Audrey was too embarrassed to open the door.

Ding.

“Youngae?”

Oh, to be in a carriage to make these five steps easier!

The carriage door didn’t open for a long time. Audrey’s face was burning as hot as the wholemeal bread that had just come out of the oven.

＊ ＊ ＊ ＊