Chapter 72: Chapter 71

Leaked Secret (9) – unedited

“It’s probably a threat, right?”

“It seems to be like that.”

Even if she didn’t say the words, they were already aware that the Crown Prince had threatened Aris. She didn’t like the Crown Prince’s appearance and she couldn’t suddenly say she wanted to marry him. Moreover, when Leon said he would cut off the Crown Prince’s head, Aris said he was in danger because the Crown Prince had increased his security.

‘Why did the Crown Prince propose to Aris and say that he would increase his security?’

It must have been because he had calculated that his own life would be at risk if she was to accept her proposal.

“Anyway, on the topic of Lantel van Demophore…….”

The anger, which had been pushed behind their backs, surged again as they prioritized appeasing the anxious Aris.

“I think he could be killed.”

“Calm down. It would be more cumbersome with the mess. First of all, isn’t he the Crown Prince?”

No matter how puppet-like the imperial family was, the imperial family was the imperial family. They didn’t want to create something to criticize for killing the imperial family for nothing and calling the Verdick family traitors by other nobles.

No matter how powerful Verdick’s authority was, it was certain that if the other Duchies joined forces, it would be a lot.

“For now, let’s put your departure on hold.”

“How?”

“It’s okay to say that we can’t provide the food aid. The food warehouse is going to be on fire late tonight.”

It was possible with Verdick’s support in the first place, so if the support was cut off, the expedition was of course difficult. Holding on to Leonhard, who was armed, Crown Prince Lantel will not be able to relax.

“Is it because of us, he threatened her?”

“She was so obligated to get married, maybe he had noticed our relationship.”

“…… Didn’t Brother block the inside of the mansion?”

“So I’m going to check it out too.”

“I’ll take a look outside too.”

Evan and Leon nodded and clasped their clenched fists lightly. They weren’t usually good friends, but they had a common goal. It’s been a really long time, probably the first collaboration since their parents passed away.

Every day after that, Evan and Leon tried to find a way to get Aris out of the Crown Prince’s grasp without getting hurt.

When Leon brought up pregnancy with Aris, if their sister became pregnant, Evan would have someone other than the brothers as the father and separate her from the Crown Prince. And Evan even made a plan to have the child registered under him and to inherit the dukeship.

But he couldn’t make a decision easily because if the person in the role of the father was a noble, he would have to marry Aris even for a moment, and if he was not a noble, it would make Ariis a mockery at the tea party for a while.

Besides, the Crown Orince was a problem. If it wasn’t the result he wanted, he could have continued to threaten Aris. Judging from the fact that the Crown Prince had previously been obsessed with Aris, even if she was pregnant, he would have demanded more than her body, and he could have claimed both Aris’ body and Verdick’s power.

So, in the end, Leon and Evan were looking for a way to get rid of the root of the problem.

“Two maids are gone. One was already dead and the other was found in a mansion within the capital, which, when traced, belonged to the imperial family.”

It was said that the Crown Prince changed his name and hid it, but it was meaningless in front of Verdick. And, as said, the maid who was found was helpless because her family were all imprisoned in a dungeon. However, when they searched the detainee list, no people believed to be her family were found. Her family must have been accepted under a pseudonym.

“I didn’t expect the maids to go out and tell what happened in the mansion. They must have seen what happened before that.”

Before, Aris wanted to fall asleep while looking at the flowers in the annex, so she stayed in the annex for one day. And immediately that night, armed men entered her room, putting her in danger.

The armed men who broke into her room that day had their limbs cut off by the enraged Leon. In addition, the employees involved in this were expelled with their tongues pulled out, and Evan’s crackdown and discipline were strengthened.

Of course, in return for the crackdown, they were paid much higher than when they worked elsewhere. However, since then, there have been several cases where the stories inside the Duke’s residence were externally mentioned. Depending on the gravity, their tongue got pulled, eyes gouged, ears cut off to be an example and after that, neither positive nor negative stories about the Duke’s residence flowed out.

“The Crown Prince is worse than you.”

Even when he threatened the kidnapped maid, the maid did not open her mouth. However, things changed drastically when the Crown Prince brought her family as well. Eventually she brought up an insignificant story, and the Crown Prince cut off the finger of the maid’s younger brother, dissatisfied with the lack of a story to help him. He cut off all ten fingers and cut off his wrists, even if the maid begs him to stop because she will tell him. And as he raised the sword high to cut off his arm, the maid cried out to divert his attention. It was said that the Lady made love with the Duke and the Knights Commander every night.

The Crown Prince was said to have stroked the maid’s head with his hand, which was stained with her brother’s blood.

‘Look at that. You can do it, right?’

“I don’t even do that to prisoners of war, but the bastard called the Crown Prince did.”

“For now, I have attached the healers and asked them to try to remember what the Crown Prince said, there must be some useful information.”

“Try to work on it as soon as possible.”

“Same for you.”