Chapter 96: Chapter 95

Counterattack (7)

“I went to visit Sister when I heard that Sister Aris’ house had been attacked. The Guards Captain, who came to investigate the place, saw me, so you will be able to determine the authenticity soon.”

“Isn’t it because Aristasia was kidnapped by the Crown Prince and killed him?”

“That’s the first time I’ve heard of it. Why do you think so?”

The Imperial faction nobleman, whose hands were trembling at Leon’s reply, finally shared the information they had learned. The fact that he already knew the full story of the incident was fully expected even by Verdick. It was obvious because Verdick had people watching it. But they will not be able to speak.

“Does it matter now! I will search this place to find the Crown Prince!”

“Yes, go ahead. But you will be held accountable for the consequences of your actions.”

“…… Search them all! We must find the Crown Prince!”

After hesitating, the search order was given, and hundreds of soldiers who went to the Duke’s residence began to search the mansion. Aris, who was awake after hearing the situation, had washed and changed clothes while the Verdick brothers were holding the soldiers.

“Why is Aristasia here?”

“Didn’t I tell you before? I heard that the mansion had been attacked and went there. She can’t be left alone in that mansion if the culprit hasn’t been caught after the attack.”

There were employees, but that didn’t matter. Rather, what Leon was concerned about right now was that these guys dared to call his sister by name. How dare. He wants to pluck out their tongues.

“Aristasia.”

“…… yes.”

Aris was now a commoner, so she had no choice but to be respectful to the Count, who was looking at her with fierce eyes. She couldn’t have not known how important this time was. Verdick’s reputation was at stake in her words.

“I was told you were kidnapped today. Are you okay?”

Aris was confused as to what she should answer. The Count had his gaze fixed on her, and she could not signal her elder brother or her younger brother for an answer. After thinking for a while, Aris’s mouth finally came out with an answer.

“…… Kidnapped?”

“What?”

“I was kidnapped?”

The Count got embarrassed. She had been kidnapped by what he had heard from the knights. But Aristasia wouldn’t be able to ask Verdick for an answer, so why…… ? She even said she wasn’t the party involved, so he couldn’t tie Verdick to the Crown Prince any longer.

“It can’t be. Were you kidnapped?”

“Am I? By whom?”

“…… The Crown Prince.”

“Why did The Crown Prince… … ? Does Brother know anything?”

“He said you were kidnapped by the Crown Prince, and that Leon kidnapped and killed His Highness while saving you.”

Aris asked so that she could hear Evan’s thoughts naturally, and Evan confirmed that she wasn’t wrong. There was one hint that made Aris answer like this. It was because of what Leon had said to the Guards Captain before coming here.

“Fortunately, my sister was locked up in her room, so she escaped the anger…..”

She should have come out after being locked up in the room. Besides, the last thing she saw was the Crown Prince getting stabbed, but she had to pretend she didn’t see it, even if she saw it, she didn’t report it to the guards.

“Don’t lie! You saw it clearly!”

“Don’t scream, this child lost a father he had not seen in a long time in last night’s attack.”

At those words, Aris burst into tears and made a pitiful expression, so the Count could not pursue her further. Anyway, no matter how, the Verdick’s wouldn’t be able to speak so proudly any longer if the Crown Prince’s body came out.

With that thought, they searched all over the mansion. They succeeded in finding even the prison hidden underground…… No matter how much time passed, not a single hair belonging to the Crown Prince was found.

“This, this can’t be happening.”

“Is there no word that the Crown Prince has returned to the Imperial Palace?”

“…… That’s right.”

Leon shamelessly asked about the Crown Prince’s news. When he himself stabbed a sword into the Crown Prince’s stomach. And he clearly knew where the Crown Prince was.

“You might have already found him if you had searched elsewhere while you were searching for the Crown Prince here.”

“If you’ve searched this much, you’d know that he’s not here.”

“…… no. If you have searched this much, you will be able to find him soon.”

Once they began to search inside Verdick, there was nowhere else to retreat. If they stop like this, there will be more loss rather than gain. No matter how many problems the Crown Prince had, they risked their future. It’s not enough that the Crown Prince died, the Verdick held a weakness too.

“Pfft, I told you. You should be held accountable for the consequences of your actions. The result is the present situation, and as much as you have wasted your time searching this place, you have not been able to find the Crown Prince. How will you be responsible for that?”

Evan instead blamed the Imperial faction for the consequences of their own plan. So the Imperial faction would be unable to say anything. This is because the Crown Prince was never found and there was no evidence that ‘Leonhard Verdick stabbed the Crown Prince’.

“I will lend you the Duchy’s Knights so that you can find the Crown Prince, so look for him carefully.”

As Evan said with a smile, the employees of the Duke’s residence drove the soldiers out. The commanders were driven out, so the other soldiers could not afford to remain inside. It would have been advantageous to jump off the sinking ship as quickly as possible.

So all the soldiers went out, and the employees began to clean up quickly. And when Aristasia, who sighed was about to collapse, Leon and Evan supported her one arm at a time. The brothers let her rest by laying her back on the bed in her room.