# 39
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“Your Highness!”
At the Marquis' objection, the Duke opened his eyes. Walter said in a quick, monotonous tone, as if he did not want to say more:
“Do not force me to repeat myf, Marquis. At this moment, there are no Invisibles inside the Duke of Richmond's castle. Someone killed the maids and tried to wreak havoc on the castle. “I have said clearly that I personally guarantee the identity of Grace and her maid.”
“…And can you prove, Your Highness? Can you prove that Your Highness’s beloved is not one of the “Invisibles” whom Empress Hetepe declared traitors?
The coat of arms of Richmond pinned to the marquis' breast gleamed bright red.
Until that moment, Walter had maintained a frozen expression, but his lips lifted into a slanting smile.
So then.
This man had not forgotten his master, but had changed him.
“I hope you understand my devotion to the peace of Richmond, Your Highness! This is not a matter to be decided emotionally!!”
Walter felt killing intent swirling around his heart.
“You have said it clearly, Marquis.”
«……»
The Marquis did not answer in the end, so Walter moved. If he had stayed longer, he would have felt that the matter might actually reach the point of no return. But he stopped for a moment next to the Marquis and asked him:
“By the way, Marquis. Why can't I see your son?
It was an out of context question, but the Marquis thought the Duke had loosened his grip, so he answered smoothly:
“I could not mention it, Your Highness. Recently Miss Grace Taylor was married to the young Viscount Saxon. My son attended the ceremony as a representative of the Duke of Richmond's household, and was therefore absent. But he will enter the castle soon to pay his respects.”
“So then.”
The Duke left an ambiguous answer and went away.
As soon as he and Joseph disappeared, gasps came from all sides. One of those standing next to the Marquis asked, as if he was waiting for an opportunity:
“What do you intend to do, Monsieur Marquis?”
The Marquis recalled the Duke's reaction, which seemed to him less severe than he expected, and said confidently:
«What should I do? "We will certainly find the traitor who has infiltrated the Duke of Richmond's castle."
Then one of the centrist nobles spoke cautiously:
“But His Highness the Duke ordered the interrogation of his beloved to stop. Do you intend to continue though?
“Do you doubt my sincerity?”
“That's not what I meant...”
“How can you not realize that this is ultimately for Richmond and for His Highness himf? Watch your tongue!
The Marquis shouted irritably, and the nobleman who spoke shrank like a turtle that stuck its head into its shell. The Marquis clicked his tongue angrily, then left the morgue with confident steps as if he were a king.
When he rose to the surface, the redness of the twilight was about to fade. He went straight to his office, where the Marquise was waiting for him.
As soon as he saw her, he whispered in her ear:
“We have to get that woman to open her mouth, no matter what it takes.”
"Don't worry. You will speak. Even while she was besieged to this extent, she did not utter a single name. There is no doubt that it is of fugitive origin. The person I asked you to find, are you still looking for him?”
“Relax.”
“The priority is to catch the escaped maid alive. The Empress’ investigation delegation must prove that that maid is one of the Invisibles, only then can we get a hold of the Duke firmly.”
“Count Lewin said he would find her at the latest before dawn tomorrow.”
“You should keep an eye on the Duke and those around him as well.”
“I told you not to worry. As for the Duke... he was puffy at first, but today I saw him with his tail relaxed. He should have done this from the beginning. “Wait and see. He will end up looking like his grandmother, with limbs cut off and only a faltering breath.”
His face, mixed with malice, was colored red by the twilight light.
＊ ＊ ＊
Count Lewin's knights were searching the castle as carefully as someone searching for a louse in the hair.
“We must find that maid, no matter the cost!!”
All small and large doors leading outside the castle were closed, and the servants' quarters, storerooms, and even the drainage channels were searched. The search continued until deep into the night, but they did not find Jessie, not even her shadow.
Count Lewin's anxiety grew. The Marquis had ordered him to bring her before dawn at the latest, and the vastness of the castle meant that the longer it took, the greater the chance of her escaping.
At that moment, his eyes fell on the annex.
The soldiers were searching here and there, but unconsciously, they did not even set foot on the annex's grass. And so are the knights.
No matter how desolate the place seemed, its resident was Eliza Richmond.
Count Luwin stopped in his tracks and took a slow breath. His palms were wet with sweat, and a feeling stung his throat as if a thorn was stuck in it.
“It's a war. It all depends on who seizes the initiative first!
As the Marquis said, it is war. The House of Luin has already entered this war. The Count strengthened his resolve and ordered his aide:
“Go to the Marquis and ask permission to search the annex.”
Meanwhile, Mrs. Isaacs was watching the movements outside the annex through a slit in the thick curtains. The red torchlight stained her face a bloody color. After a long wait, she quietly closed the curtain and turned around.
“They seem determined to find you.”
«……»
“Don't think about going anywhere. If you go out and they catch you, you will suffer unbearable misery.”
Jessie bit down on the inside of her cheek. As soon as Grace was taken away, the inspection began, and she was unable to get out of the castle in time. She is not afraid of the torture if she is caught. What she fears is that her arrest will ruin Grace's plan.
"…Thank you."
As soon as Jessie whispered her thanks, the sound of the soldiers' boots, which had been far away, suddenly quickened and approached. Mrs. Isaacs stopped going out, and Jessie got up. As the shadows of the torches approached the curtain, Mrs. Isaacs hurried to the window.
She lifted the edge of the curtain slightly, and the veins on her forehead bulged.
“How impudent!”
Count Lewin was advancing with his knights as they trampled the annex's courtyard.
Mrs. Isaacs turned and ran down the corridor, straightening her shoulders and gathering her strength.
Knock knock knock!
A rude knock sounded at the door, accompanied by the clanging of shields. These night bastards seemed to lack patience.
“Open the door!!”
A thick, masculine voice shook the empty annex.
“Open it by force if necessary.”
Mrs. Isaacs' shoulders trembled. Open the door by force?! I rushed down the straight corridor, picked the lock with a rough motion, and opened the door with all my might.
The knights who were about to break it retreated when it suddenly opened. From the open door appeared a woman who maintained a perfect figure even at this late hour. Mrs. Isaacs stood guard at the entrance and stared at them.
“What is this behavior?! Don't you know where you are?!
With her sharp voice, the knights retreated a few degrees. Mrs. Isaacs raised her voice to Count Lewin:
“My lord, Count Lewin! What does this mean? Withdraw your knights immediately!!”
“Step aside, Mrs. Isaacs. “It is very important.”
“Rather, you are the one who should retreat with his knights!!”
But Count Lewin did not back down. Permission has been issued, and he has already set foot in the annex. Climb the stairs with long steps.
“Count Lewin!!”
“I warned you.”
Count Lewin pushed Mrs. Isaacs' shoulder roughly aside.
"Yes!"
As she was falling to the ground, Count Luwin opened the door of the annex wide.
«Search inside! She's here!
The knights hesitated for a moment, then rushed in at once. The few candles in the corridor swayed and went out.
As the last line of intimidation wore off, the knights became more aggressive in searching the rooms in search of Jesse. If they caught her inside the annex, no one would dare blame them.
Jessie jumped up and rushed into the next room. According to the imperial architectural style, all rooms were connected.
“Open all the doors at once!!”
"Yes!!"
I heard the footsteps of knights running down the corridor.
“Stop!! This is where the Grand Lady resides!!”
Mrs. Isaacs' screams rang out. However, the sounds of shoes did not fade, nor did the sound of doors opening violently.
Jessie gritted her teeth and ran into the next room. The door to the room she had just left almost opened and then closed.
Hurry... Hurry!
Jessie jumped onto a huge sofa. It felt like her legs didn't belong to her anymore. She doesn't know how many rooms she passed while running.
When walls that were immersed in darkness began to appear in front of her, a sharp shiver ran through her body, and cold sweat ran down her back.
impasse.
Outside the window torches were dancing, and in the rooms she passed the knights had already entered. Their footsteps coming towards the room where she was hiding rang out like thunder.
Jessie didn't think. She turned, closed the door through which she had entered, and rushed towards the corridor door. With her senses tensed, she felt the presence of a knight behind the door.
At the moment when the knight was about to open the door, Jessie grabbed the handle.