Chapter 199: Chapter 200

Another tragedy unfolded at Viscount Ida’s estate.

The Baron’s wife, moved by pity for the adopted son whose life had been ruined by a single mistake, secretly visited him. However, her visit ended in catastrophe.

Her reasoning for undertaking such a perilous visit can be surmised through the testimony of a maid who accompanied her.

“After all, he was family. When the Viscount passed away, the only person left to share her grief was Lord Dieter. Perhaps she hoped to speak with him to find some relief from her suffocating sorrow.”

It seems she wanted some sort of explanation from the man who had killed her husband.

While her motive was deeply pitiable, from an objective standpoint, her choice was undeniably foolish.

Her visit was interpreted quite differently by Dieter, who had just begun to regain his senses as a criminal.

Dieter, waking on the cold floor of the underground cell, struggled to accept what had transpired while he was unconscious.

At first, he denied his father’s death, then his own guilt, and finally concluded that the entire situation was a conspiracy aimed at framing him.

The mastermind, Dieter surmised, was none other than the Viscount’s wife, who stood to inherit everything in his absence.

Seizing an opportunity when the Viscountess let her guard down, Dieter assaulted her maid and snatched her pocketknife.

With it, he attacked the Viscountess, slashing her face nearly ten times before being startled by his own actions and fleeing.

As the visit had been made at dawn, when few were around, Dieter managed to evade capture and escape.

“Lord Dieter believed the Viscountess had conspired against him.”

“My word, how could something so horrifying happen?”

“He wasn’t in his right mind. He had no memory of the incident and seemed even more confused because of it. The Viscountess, trusting the Dieter she had always known, made the mistake of unlocking the door….”

Amaia, speaking in a somber tone, trailed off and lowered her gaze.

Her face bore fresh scratches, a testament to the struggle she had endured with Dieter.

The abrasions, as though caused by a fall, hinted at the ordeal she had faced the previous night.

Onlookers watching her testimony were filled with pity.

Though they had heard whispers of the tragedy that morning, the detailed account was far more shocking than anticipated.

“The Viscountess is very frightened of visitors, so we plan to restrict access to the servants’ quarters for now. I will personally bring her meals upstairs for the time being.”

As Amaia spoke, the gathered staff nodded in unison as though rehearsed.

When Amaia entered the kitchen, the entire staff crowded around her, leaving the once-busy cooking area eerily empty.

Amid the focused listening, someone accidentally burned the dough left on the pan. Despite the growing smell of burning, no one returned to their station, leaving the culprit unidentified.

“Well, is there anything else we need to be mindful of?” the head chef asked in a reassuring tone, stepping forward as the group’s representative.

Amaia maintained her professional demeanor as she conveyed a few precautions.

“The Viscountess is having difficulty swallowing solid food, so please prepare light, mildly seasoned meals. Mealtimes will remain the same as before.”

“That won’t be a problem. But what about you? After what happened, perhaps you should rest.”

Amaia politely thanked him for his concern, brushing off his suggestion as unnecessary.

Her calm and straightforward response left no room for further insistence, and the head chef, sensing the end of their discussion, sent his staff back to their stations.

The dough, now charred black, was on the verge of catching fire.

Just as the head chef was about to leave, a thought occurred to him, and he asked, “By the way, how should we handle the Duke and Duchess’ meals? I heard they were planning to leave this morning, but with everything that’s happened…”

“They mentioned they’d leave before dinner, so you’ll only need to manage lunch.”

Amaia bowed respectfully before taking her leave.

Leaving the bustling kitchen behind, Amaia climbed the stairs and returned to the bedroom—once the shared space of ViscountI da and his wife, now solely hers.

Upon entering, Amaia respectfully announced, “I’ve delivered your instructions and returned.”

Waiting inside were not just Carmen, but also Iona, seated a reasonable distance away.

Under the guise of comforting the bereaved Viscountess, the Duchess had taken charge of managing the household affairs, issuing orders since morning.

In reality, Carmen appeared unscathed, contrary to the grim rumors surrounding her.

It was Amaia, not Carmen, who bore the marks of the physical altercation with Dieter.

“As for the Viscountes’ son… well, there’s no need to elaborate.”

Even Dieter’s escape unfolded quite differently from the officially released account.

It was true that Dieter couldn’t believe he had killed his father, but looking closer, it was completely natural for him to feel that way.

In truth, he had merely passed out under the influence of drugs and hadn’t laid a finger on his father.

When the Viscountess came to visit, contrary to the rumors that he had threatened her, Dieter pathetically begged for mercy.

“Madam, I truly don’t remember anything. How could I—how could I possibly do something so monstrous? Please, get me out of here. Please?”

Dieter was a coward.

He was utterly overwhelmed by the horrifying act he was accused of committing—or presumed to have committed.

Sobbing like a child, Dieter continued to deny his guilt until he saw Carmen silently shedding tears. At that point, he finally began to plead for forgiveness.

“I was wrong. Everything is my fault… But, madam, you must believe me—it wasn’t intentional. That much, at least, you should know. I respected my father more than anyone.”

To this, Carmen muttered under her breath in Bardemian, “Honestly, you didn’t really respect him.”

Amaia shot her a sharp look and smoothly revised the statement.

“The Viscountess does believe it wasn’t intentional. However, that doesn’t mean you can avoid punishment, young master.”

Dieter, refusing to accept reality, muttered repeatedly, as though trying to convince himself, “This is a dream. It’s just a ridiculous dream…”

Yet, the fact remained—Dieter was imprisoned on the charge of killing his father. He needed to come up with a way to escape the consequences of this crime.

After a long pause, Dieter finally looked up and said the words they had been waiting for.

“Madam, could you not help me escape? Please, help me flee in secret. You know what will happen to me if I stay here… Please, I beg you, out of pity.”

After a long, agonizing hesitation that visibly tormented Dieter, Carmen finally agreed to his plea.

And so, Dieter’s escape was carried out in a calm and mutually satisfactory manner.

Through tears and snot, Dieter left behind heartfelt thanks as he mounted the horse prepared for him.

The generous travel funds Carmen provided played no small part in hastening his departure.

Though no one could guess what Dieter might think upon hearing the distorted rumors about himself later, one thing was certain: he could never return to the Viscounte’s estate on his own accord.

****

“Amaia, come over here. Can you check if I’ve tied this correctly?”

“I’ll do it for you.”

Amaia instinctively responded, shaking off her wandering thoughts as she walked briskly to Carmen.

Carmen was struggling to fasten the string of her veil at the back of her head.

The hook needed to be secured from behind, making it difficult to manage on her own.

With swift precision, Amaia resolved Carmen’s difficulty and stepped back, murmuring with admiration.

“No one will be able to tell who’s under that.”

“As long as the body shape is similar, I suppose you’re right.”

Carmen agreed, gazing into the large mirror on her vanity.

It was an intriguing situation, enough to catch Iona’s attention as well. Her gaze lingered on Carmen.

Feeling slightly uncomfortable under the scrutiny, Carmen asked cautiously, “Does it not look the way you imagined?”

“No, it’s just… the appearance reminds me of someone.”

--- End Of The Chapter ----

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