Chapter 43

“We’ve arrived, Master.”

Nikan entered the lobby with Edward. He handed over his coat to Lyndon, who came to meet him.

“Did anything happen?”

It was a ritual question on the assumption that nothing would have happened, but something really happened.

Lyndon first looked at his Master’s eyes before speaking. Fortunately, Nikan’s expression was bright.

‘The plan must be going well. There won’t be an explosion.’

Lyndon was relieved to report what had happened, about Vivian releasing Philippa from her confinement again.

“Philippa, that foul…!”

Nikan felt like he was hit in the back of the head when he heard that Philippa had been coercing Vivian while he was out.

“There’s nothing more to see! Execute Philippa today!”

Nikan controlled his anger and asked,

“Did you say Navia went out to shop? What kind of money does that child have?”

Edward, who was standing by in line, glinted and focused on the story.

Lyndon spoke.

“She exchanged her stuff from Ancier Boutique for cash with the accountant. She said she would buy a present for her family.”

‘Exchanged goods with the accountant for money?”

It’s not an unimaginable idea, but it was difficult for the young Navia to think up of.

‘Did the teacher tell you?’

Nikan glanced at Edward, but it didn’t matter much, so he asked another question.

“Who followed Navia?”

When a young girl like Navia goes out, a maid usually follows her.

Instead of Charlotte, a new maid would have followed her.

Lyndon suddenly looked flustered when he suddenly asked about a maid.

“…that maid.”

Where he pointed to was Kate, who was moving a tray.

‘I didn’t hear that the Lady came back though..?’

Nikan called Kate over.

“You!”

When Kate was called out with a loud voice, she flinched her shoulders and approached Nikan.

“I greet the Lord.”

“Are you Navia’s new exclusive maid?”

“That is correct.”

Nikan looked down at Kate’s tray. A clear bowl of tea and refreshments were seen.

None of it was allowed to Navia.

“Where is Navia?”

Kate’s eyes trembled finely.

“T-that, she hasn’t come back from her outing yet.”

“Then who’s following Navia?”

“…the coachman followed her.”

Nikan asked the next question as he felt his anger slowly rising.

“Which coachman?”

“……”

When Kate was speechless and shut her mouth, Nikan gritted his teeth.

The strong intuition that this was Wood’s work crossed his mind.

“Where is Wood?”

Lyndon replied.

“Young Master Wood said he was going out a long time ago because he needed something. It was not the same time as Miss Navia’s outing.”

However, Kate was shaking as if it wasn’t.

Nikan noticed that the refreshments in Kate’s hands were not for her master but a reward for herself, and then knocked them down with his hands.

Crash!

Kate immediately knelt down with a pale face.

“Forgive me, Master! I just followed the Young Master’s orders!”

Slap!

Nikan slapped Kate’s cheek.

You mention my son in such a public place?

“Bash this maid!”

He meant beat her to death.

The maid was clearly guilty of deceiving her master, so there was no need to let her dry up in the laundry room like Charlotte.

Nikan grabbed his throbbing head and ordered.

“Find out where the children are. Right now!”

It was then.

“Master!”

The guard, who was supposed to be guarding the main gate, ran in with astonishment.’

Nikan had an ominous premonition.

“What is it!”

“A, A carriage from Duke Eseled came. However, however…!”

The guard gulped and reported.

“The Young Master is lying unconscious in the carriage!”

Nikan’s complexion hardened like a stone in an instant.

‘Duke Eseled?’

The family that’s been living ignorantly came to my family today?

On top of that, with my son unconscious!

“…tell them to come in.”

Nikan nervously waited with Lyndon and doctors in the lobby for the carriage to come in.

Soon, with snow piled up, three black wagons approached the main building quietly.

Nikan glared at the carriage with frozen eyes, trying to hide his nervousness.

‘Out of all the families, why did it have to be Eseled?’

An ominous premonition crept up step by step from the tip of his toes.

Navia apparently disappeared with him, but the guard never mentioned her.

Since there were three carriages, one should be Eseled’s messenger, one should carry his son, and the other should carry Navia.

Finally, the carriage was just around the corner.

Soon, the door of the first carriage opened and a middle-aged gentleman with white hair came out.

“…Count Suleiman Zenegar?”

Nikan muttered as if he didn’t expect to see him.

Suleiman, along with Margaret Romanov, set a highly mythical record that led to the undefeated war 23 years ago.

At that time, he was so outstanding that there was public opinion that he should be awarded a title of Duke.

‘However, he’s just old junk now.’

People criticized Suleiman for being senile, wondering how a Count could be someone’s aide.

Nikan scoffed at Suleiman, who only had glory in the past.

It was none other than himself who was leading the Empire now.

At that time, Suleiman took off his hat and greeted Nikan with a cool look, hiding his thoughts.

“Long time no see, Duke Agnes.”

Nikan’s expression distorted with displeasure from Suleiman’s relaxed greeting.

“Where is my son?”

It was a threat that he wouldn’t let it be if something bad happened to his son.

Although Suleiman understood his words, he gestured without a change in his expression.

When the coachman opened the second carriage, Nikan led the doctor to Wood with a nervous face.

Step.

But his step was blocked by Suleiman’s cane.

Nikan’s aggravated gaze climbed up from the end of the cane and reached Suleiman, who dared to block him.

“What is the meaning of this, Count?”

His voice was filled with hostility that could tear someone apart immediately if he raised his mana.

It was raining right now.

No matter how powerful the opponent was, he had a reputation for being a powerful wizard, but he was old and past his prime.

Nikan raised his bloodies energy.

“Move immediately.”

Suleiman spoke calmly, facing Nikan with an indifferent gaze.

“Duke Agnes, are you taking in a criminal who declared a surprise territorial war without permission?”

“What nonsense!”

A surprise battle of territoriality!

Suleiman signaled at the coachman when Nikan retaliated.

It meant to open the third carriage.

Nikan thought the third carriage would definitely be carrying Navia.

But it wasn’t.

“They are contractors hired by Wood Agnes, Duke.”

At that moment, Nikan’s eyes trembled.

He felt like he was bleeding from the top of his head.

‘No way. This is a dream. That’s right, this is a nightmare.’

Otherwise, such a glorious day would not be ruined in the worst way!

Nikan wanted to turn a blind eye from reality. His life couldn’t be so messed up and twisted, but these days, it was really strange.

‘It’ll really go out of control if it stays like this.’

He held onto his dizzying spirit.

“So they’re contractors and my son hired them?”

Suleiman pulled out the contract out from his arms when Nikan tried to escape the situation by playing with words.

“I came here to find out about the situation in case anyone thinks this is manipulation played out by Eseled.”

Nikan reluctantly accepted it with a bloodless and cold hand.

It was a contract.

In Wood’s handwriting, it was written that Navia should be taken to attack Duke Eseled and be abandoned.

Nikan forced his stiff cheeks to move.

“It’s hard to say that this is my son’s fault with this kind of contract. You can copy handwriting as much as you want.”

“However, I don’t know how you will explain the fact that the Duke’s foster daughter was turned into a wreck in Eseled.”

The situation had already been played out as written.

On top of that, Navia was in Eseled? That was why Navia wasn’t seen.

‘What do I do about this situation?’

Nikan closed his eyes grimly.

If left as it was, his son’s honor would be deeply damaged.

The act of staging a territorial war by surprise to other families was the lowest and most vicious act that’s absolutely a taboo.

Even if it was Agnes, that level of criminality would follow like a tag for life.

‘Another, Vivian’s position will be lowered because she has such a brother.’

Nikan somehow had to cover up the incident in the most un-harmful direction. To do so, he had no choice but to sacrifice Navia, whom he had worked hard on.

‘I was sure the perfect picture was coming close to completing.’

The world was a chessboard that was put together as he wanted. But a chess piece went wild.

The picture was badly ruined.

‘This is a failure.’

He managed to admit his failure.

You just have to throw away what failed.

Nikan put on a mask with a grim expression and lifted his head.