# 68
---
Eliza, accompanied by Mrs. Rexton and Mrs. Isaac, was coming down from the corridor and approaching.
Grace and Jessie instinctively knelt down to greet her when they saw her wearing a black dress and a fur shawl like a crow.
Meanwhile, Flora's gaze turned to the Marquise Rinko. As the Marquise, who had been staring at Eliza approaching with cold eyes, knelt in a bow as if she had no choice, Flora and the ladies followed suit, lowering their bodies.
The hem of the black dress, which had been swaying softly, settled heavily. Marquise Rinko, who had lifted her eyes slightly, met the gaze of deep, black eyes.
Eliza Richmond did not glare fiercely or utter abusive words. She simply gazed silently at the Marquise. The silence she created was like a deep sea. A breathless pressure tightened around her entire body. Just as the corners of her forced, wide-open eyes trembled, Eliza called out softly.
“Emily.”
"……yes."
I see you worked hard managing the castle alongside the Marquis while I was resting.
“…….”
You worked hard.
Marquise Rinko, who had only been moving her lips, clenched her fist and answered.
Yes. I am simply grateful that you think so.
Mrs. Isaac and Mrs. Rexton's expressions instantly turned fierce, but Eliza merely stared at them coldly. Then, she turned elegantly.
The Queen was a man of few words, neither coming nor going. As Grace immediately followed Eliza's footsteps, the Queen glanced at her and scolded her.
I waited for quite a while and you didn't come, so I came here myself, didn't I?
Did you do that?
“I have a hunch it’s going to be biting tomorrow, so I’ll stay outside for a while today. It’s cold around this time of year, Taylor, isn’t it?”
It's getting chilly.
The eyes of the ladies behind the Marquise grew wider at their conversation.
Eliza Richmond, what? Waiting for someone, and even going so far as to come pick them up?
They called Grace not a noble, shameful, and brazen, but Eliza Richmond was treating Grace as if she were at least her niece.
Andrew, who was following behind Grace and the Godmother as if guarding them, grinned, baring his teeth, upon seeing the bewildered and flustered expressions on the ladies' faces. Then, Mrs. Rexton, who was standing nearby, nudged his arm.
“What did they say to the young lady? Seeing her standing there earlier, I hurriedly informed the Grand Madam. I told her she needs to come over.”
It was a whisper that was more like lip-syncing, but Andrew understood every single word she said. The boy gave a thumbs-up and, avoiding the ears of Grace and Eliza walking ahead, tattled as if he had been waiting for this moment. The quick-witted Mrs. Rexton also understood immediately.
“Shame, shamelessness?”
Mrs. Rexton turned around, muttering in disbelief.
Who are you to say such things to whom?
Her cold murmuring melted into the winter sunlight.
* * *
Several nobles lingered in the corridor for quite some time. Their complexions were as dark as the black stone pillars lining the corridor, and their expressions looked as anxious as fallen leaves barely hanging from the tips of tree branches.
“I heard that the Demon estate was destroyed yesterday. The mistress and daughters went to the monastery, and the sons and the Baron went to the Wall of Death.”
“I knew this would happen to Daemon. We knew, too, that he had embezzled a considerable amount of money sitting in the Treasury for ten years. Do you remember when he even siphoned off relief funds during the Great Famine five years ago?”
“What are you going to do?”
The nobles' expressions hardened at the question, asked in a heavily lowered voice. The one who had asked the question whispered, almost mouthing the words.
It seems Marquis Rinko's side is also making secret moves. It looks like almost everyone who was going to side with the Marquis has already done so.
"They are all going to die if they don't side with the Marquis, so what choice do we have?"
“Besides, we are all inside the castle right now. With Your Excellency having seized control of the garrison and the Knights, aren't we all like rats in a trap? If Your Excellency sets your mind to it, couldn't you kill us all?”
Just then, as the ominous sound of boots was heard from beyond the corridor, the nobles' eyes followed the sound in unison. There stood knights clad in black armor and red cloaks. Their presence was so formidable that it made everyone involuntarily hold their breath.
However, even those knights with such a formidable presence were nothing compared to that man.
Black eyes that seem devoid of even a speck of humanity, and a mask-like expression that feels not just heartless, but cruel.
This silence is even scarier.
“Yes. Really…….”
“I heard you were called the Iron-Blooded Duke at the Wall of Death; it’s seriously driving me crazy.”
At that moment, they were not the only ones who thought of the phrase "Iron-blooded Duke."
The official who had come to visit the Duke with the documents Grace had selected was also muttering that word to himself.
The Duke merely slowly turned the documents with his long fingers. However, perhaps due to the black knights surrounding him, it seemed as though a pungent, metallic smell of blood and swords was emanating from him.
While the official swallowed hard, Ares rose from his seat holding the documents. If documents were piled high on Grace's table, a detailed map of the Duchy of Richmond was spread out on Ares's table.
Ares stopped at the spot where the Steel Canyon was depicted and scanned the documents. The words "Steel Canyon" were nowhere to be found. So why had Grace asserted it was that place?
He placed the documents and maps together and fell into calm contemplation. Before long, the reason Grace could assert it and the reason the gold bars inside the castle could slip away silently became clearly visible.
The common thread among the nobles to whom Marquis Rinko had granted permission to touch the gold bars was none other than the Steel Gorge. They were lords living near the Steel Gorge, and as such, they would not have aroused suspicion even if they went straight from the castle to the Steel Gorge.
Ares let out a hollow laugh. It felt ridiculous that he had said to let the vassals of the Duke of Richmond handle the internal documents themselves.
He roughly ran his hand across his face, slammed the documents down on the table, and gestured for Crimson to come over.
"Has there been no contact from the reconnaissance team yet?"
“Yes. We are closely monitoring the troops in the territories of the Marquis faction nobles, but there are no unusual movements.”
Nevertheless, Ares, who was frowning as if something felt off, pointed near the Duke's castle.
The Samer tunnels extend from outside the duchy. Just in case, send scouts to this area as well.
"yes."
“Arm yourselves and stand by. We will blockade the city gates soon.”
Crimson, who had paused for a moment, nodded with a determined expression.
I obey your command.
Then he gestured to Joseph.
“Take your knights under your command and go to the Iron Gorge secretly right now. Secure the gold bars inside. I authorize the immediate execution of anyone who tries to stop you.”
Joseph paused and stared at Ares. The statement that it was acceptable to summarily execute those who tried to stop him meant that armed conflict within the territory was acceptable, and this meant that he would start a war with the Marquis's faction.
I obey your command.
Joseph answered quickly and vanished, creating a gust of wind. The official was also just about to leave, carefully gathering the documents Ares had set down.
“What about Grace?”
Startled by the chilling question, the official hurriedly turned to look at the Duke. Inhuman black eyes were staring at him silently.
Are you still looking at the documents?
“Ah, um—the Grand Madam just called me…”
“Madam?”
"yes."
Ares suddenly turned around. He walked unhesitatingly toward the massive floor-to-ceiling window. Standing by the window where the cold air from outside could be felt, Ares's gaze turned straight down.
A few people were visible through the gaunt gaps of the huge garden trees that must have been lush and green just a few months ago.
Ares furrowed his brow slightly and muttered grumpily.
“It’s cold, and you’d go out of your way to be there. … You certainly have unique taste.”
A woman with long blonde hair was smiling sweetly next to Eliza, who was wearing a black dress.
* * *
“I heard you left breakfast, left the finger food between meals, and left lunch too. Does the food at the Duke of Richmond not suit your taste?”
Grace shook her head with a troubled expression.
“No, Madam. There is nothing that isn’t excellent from start to finish.”
Then why leave it?
At the overbearing Queen's stern questioning, Andrew Isaac felt as though he were going to choke on nothing, so he buried his head in like a turtle.
Eliza instructed Mrs. Isaac to take responsibility for Grace's three meals a day, and Mrs. Isaac rolled up her sleeves to prepare her meals. The breakfast served as soon as she woke up was, frankly, as plentiful as the meal offered to Ares.
The problem was that it wasn't just the mornings. From the finger foods eaten between breakfast and lunch, to lunch itself, the snacks in between, and even the late-night snacks in the evening, it was truly a feast of delicacies.
Grace opened her mouth, feeling that it was actually for the best.
“Madam… it is not that I have no appetite and am leaving leftovers, but that there is too much to eat.”