Chapter 176.

“What …… what?”

All the men (including the Duke) had shock on their faces.” The maid is dead ……?”

The butler spoke with a grim face.” Yes, bit her tongue.”

“Now, auto-declaration ……?” Leonard. The Duke inquired of his second son, who was in charge of the interrogation.

“He, it can’t be! Obviously don’t even need to go to the penal code, obediently stated, how …….”

With a look of incomprehension, Winter grunted as if in defense.

The maid claimed to have only done what Penelope told her to do, and the situation of being dragged here was stressful in itself. There was no hint of falsehood on that face. But it was customary for assassins to kill themselves when they failed in their mission.

The atmosphere became serious all at once. A strange silence hung over the living room.

“…… First, carefully investigate the whereabouts of the dead maid.” After a considerable amount of time, the Crown Prince ordered in a deep voice.

“Where did the poison come from, what happened in the Duke’s house during the week, what did he do before the Bar Mitzvah, and how much contact did he have with the Duke’s daughter during this time.”

“Was it really the Duchess who ordered it, I tried to inquire about it in the same way I used in battle, but unfortunately I was killed.” Shrugging his shoulders like he was joking, Callisto’s face was not smiling at all. Looking at him, the Duke felt rushed, as if he was still concerned that someone was trying to kill the Duke’s daughter.

“That child …… is Ibn’s maid.”

“Then you’d better include that girl in the investigation.”

“Your Highness!”

“Isn’t it the stage where it’s determined to be the biological daughter?”

“That, that ……” The Duke couldn’t go on. That was true, but there was a law for everything. The prince spoke about extremely sensitive matters within the family as if nothing had happened, and the duke’s face bit in humiliation.

Regardless, the crown prince made his conclusion.” Great, check the commoner by the way, Duke.”

“The Marquis said that he knew Penelope was poison and drank it?” At that moment, someone asked a raw rhetorical question. Callisto turned his head abruptly. It didn’t say the Duchess, it was the young Duke.” Ah, right.”

The Crown Prince nodded gently and turned his eyes suddenly from Derrick to look at another person.

“So it would seem, Marquis Belldandy. What makes you think the Duchess is not a self-directed farce?” The Crown Prince who remembered what to say before the butler came in asked.

“That’s ……” Winter didn’t answer right away, his lips trembling. Definitely not a farce through the dead maid. Because she commissioned me to top the poison through her exclusive maid. Moreover, before she lifted the glass, she locked eyes with herself. Knowing full well that the color of the necklace changed to its original color. Maybe she didn’t know that it was different from the poison I gave her, or what she drank.

Either way, he couldn’t fathom her mind at all. In this state, it would do him good to tell what he knew.

“…… Marquis?”

Not answering as strange as he might have been, the Crown Prince cocked his head and called. Wynter bit on the marvelous Crown Prince’s words and finally spoke.” …… Doesn’t the Duchess already have an exclusive maid.” Flowed out that kind of excuse.

“Why did you let go of the specialized maid and let another person, also favoring the one in charge of Iben-sama’s temporary maid, do such a secretive thing?”

“It’s so hard to think alike. That’s what I’m talking about.”

The Crown Prince turned his bright red eyes to Derrick again.

Derrick retorted again.” Why was the antidote found if not the Marquis? Why did Penelope drink when she knew she was poisoned?”

“So let’s investigate, young Duke.” The Crown Prince said with a wink.

“Who poisoned the Duke’s daughter, or did she really want your attention before she ate the Duke’s own poison.”

“…… Or maybe it was another male female who sensed the farce someone was planning and wanted to stop him.”

“That, that ……!”

“Let’s find out together, eh?”

His words caused three pairs of blue eyes to slowly grow wide. That side didn’t seem to think about it at all, reading thick skepticism in those eyes.

Penelope, as Callisto knew her, was a woman smart enough to make such a choice. In the meantime, the Duke knew what a silly, silly child the family regarded her as.

“Check one by one, Duke.”

Callisto looked at the three men in turn, gritting his teeth.

“Before I, not an eyewitness, but as royalty intervene directly.”

***

Callisto left the Duke’s reception room, moving quickly on his feet. The talks had been attended in order to learn about the poisoning of the Duchess, but much time had been lost. In that time, fearing what had happened to the unconscious woman, his feet were busy. Almost running, he passed through the corridor and was about to climb the central staircase.

“Your Highness.” Someone sitting in the center hall jerked to their feet when they saw him running.

Stopping, Callisto turned around in a thousand directions.” What.”

If it was like any other time, the Crown Prince who greeted wryly stared with a creepy expressionless look.

The face of his superior seen a few days later was rough. The more times like this, the more careful you have to be with your words and actions. Cedric swallowed dry saliva and spoke.” His Majesty the Emperor asked me to bring His Highness.”

“Why.”

“The Cronian rebels have taken over the North.”

“Ha……”

Letting out a loud laugh the Crown Prince quickly and roughly turned to the stairs.” Too busy to go, let the others go.”

“Set up camp in the north, colluding with the remnants of the other defeated kingdoms and gradually being rented out!” Cedric shouted sharply. His yelling face was also covered in confusion.

“A few days ago, the Order of Queen Kate was occupied. Order the men to suppress it immediately.” The Marquis of Cate Order belonged to the side of the northern border that had strong barriers and well-trained soldiers. If it was overrun there, it meant that the rebel leaders were already quite numerous.

“Fuck ……”

Gripping the stair railing the Crown Prince turned to the Auxiliary Officer once more. His eyes glowed red as he came down the toothed steps.” Is there no one else in the country but me? Make it a speed bureau and just feed it to the front of your nose, do you even have to clean up all the wrapped shit?”

“Nearly 10 years rolling like a dog on the battlefield. But I’m supposed to play fucking war when the woman I love doesn’t know when she’s going to die? Me!”

“Your Highness…!”

“Right!” Cedric, who had his eyes tightly closed on the large hand that had climbed up, suddenly shouted.

“His Majesty said that after completing this mission, we will actively explore the issue of betrothal with the male daughter.”

Then opening his eyes he convinced the Crown Prince with an earnest voice.

“Don’t you know, Your Highness ……. Without His Majesty’s influence, the betrothal cannot succeed.”

It was true. It was useless for the duke to refuse any more of his proposals. Before that, it would have been useless to say that the Duchess hated it, but he had confidence. Now I know what she wants. Whatever that was, he had the power to enter. Assuming the engagement worked, of course.

“Shit!” Giving Cedric a slap in the face, his raised fist ended up getting lost and tangled in the stair railing.

Quaon″! On the railing, a circular decoration carved out of wood was dented. Cedric shuddered in horror as he imagined it might turn out to be the head of a self-immolation.

The beginning of puberty. He’d been herded into battle knowing nothing, thrown into the fray, and then he’d rolled over like a dog, bewildered that he’d survived. Returned to the capital with victory, vowing never to be played by the Emperor again. To accept it now would be to know that once again the wooden bar had been given to him by hand. But . . .

“…… Wait.”

He said slowly breathing down as if chewing something.” Your Highness. The situation is urgent.”

“Damn, wasn’t that supposed to come when we said goodbye!”

Huffing, Callisto turned and walked up the stairs before he could grab Cedric. The red cloak that fluttered like blood pouring behind him like that, Cedric didn’t end up catching.

Up on the second floor Callisto opened the door to the male daughter’s room straight away. The male daughter’s exclusive maid, who was now accustomed to his presence, didn’t look surprised and hurriedly dodged away.

Low buck, low buck. Smooth footsteps across the room. Soon a pair of huge leather shoes stopped high in front of the needle table.

Smoke from antidote candles burning and spewing out filled the area around the bed. Between the aroma of poisonous herbs, the palace eunuch’s eyes remained closed in death.

Her pale face, which gave off the odor of poison, her pale lips, her pink hair that had lost its light and become matted, resembled that of a corpse.

The day I came to the Duke I was tricked into dressing up stiffly was not like this. The look of hypocrisy that stretched over the vibrant face and lips and the comical look of black paint over the eyes.

“Really …… cute.” The abominable woman who dresses up on the grounds that she is afraid to meet with herself. But Penelope Eckhardt was beautiful even in that look.

“…… Penelope Eckhardt.”

The Crown Prince reached out and brushed the lips of the white, stomach-churning woman. It had been three days since she had taken the poison and collapsed. He hadn’t slept for a few seconds for three whole days. During that time he was afraid she would die.

It had thankfully stopped now, but every time he saw her eyes shut tight and the corners of her mouth kept bleeding, he thought about it dozens, thousands of times. Who did this to her. Thinking about that made the heart catch fire and the mind burn. The Crown Prince chanted silently, looking down at the male daughter with eyes boiling with inexplicable emotion.

“…… Who poisoned you, or do you want to die and eat directly from your hand. Don’t care about that other one right now.”

“Anyway, you can’t die as long as I live with my eyes open.”

“Wait a minute. I’ll shoot anyone you do that to. Freeze the heart with magic so it doesn’t die, and tear the limbs apart one by one like the blood you’re spilling in that guy’s mouth …….” The rosy-cheeked Crown Prince suddenly stopped talking and made a gradually escalating noise.

“Saying such cruel things, always with a sad face. If you want to do it, go do it without me.”

It seems like I’m about to get up and smash me. But the cold body without warmth didn’t even move once.

“No, no ……”

It was then that the crown prince slowly broke down.” I didn’t mean to say something like that.”

Kneeling beside the bed he used both hands to feel Penelope’s face.” Just pretend you didn’t hear me just now, male daughter. Say hello, come say hello. I desperately need to go and see now.”

“I’ll be right back. So when I return, greet me with open eyes. I want to say that word. That word …….”

The babbling prevaricator Callisto’s face suddenly contorted in eagerness. He lowered his upper body coldly. It was to give the lovers a kiss goodbye.

Rough lips touched. Without heat, he pressed his lips dryly against mine. As if trying to convey my breath.” …… I’ll do it right.”

Then whispered. It was words no one heard. So it was only for her to hear.

“If you want to get out of here, I’ll get you out of .”

“Love or whatever the fuck it is, I’ll do whatever I want ……”

“It’s dead, but don’t.”

He swallowed his dry lips again, pleading miserably, begging.” Though dead, Penelope.”