CH 13

There was a story that was handed down in Sheridan Mansion.

It is said that this mansion built with the help of the Golem Master is imbued with the master’s magical power, and it will ring a bell on its own in every crisis to protect people.

A single ringing of a bell meant that there was trouble inside the mansion.

Twice meant that monsters were attacking the garden and around the mansion, three times at the town and village, and the fourth time from beyond the northern outer wall.

However, as time passed, the number of Golem Masters decreased exponentially, and the mystery of Sheridan Mansion gradually began to be regarded as a legend.

So now, there are many people who don’t even know that the warning content is different depending on the number of times the bell rings. 

However, Maximilian, as the person in charge of the mansion, was well aware of the matter.

He stood up from his office desk chair at the sound of two distinct bells.

When he opened the window, the lingering echo of the bell ringing made his ears vibrate.

“Send out the knights.” 

He ordered Quentin, who was concentrating on the papers next to him. 

“Yes?” 

Quentin blinked his tired eyes and looked up.

“Didn’t you hear? The guardian bell rang twice.”

“The soldiers wrote it down in their patrol report yesterday, saying that it rings at any time, even if it is not the case. They said there were two petty noises.”

“Two times.”

That means something went wrong in the garden or nearby, usually when there was an intruder or a prisoner escaped—.

“…Prisoner.” 

He remembered that there was a prisoner out in the garden yesterday. That’s Clarisse.

In the eyes of the strict protective wall, the prisoner is wandering around the garden, so it may have been trying its best to make it known.

“I will go and check it myself.”

He grabbed the sword he had kept behind his office and walked out into the hallway.

Quentin, who was left alone, put both hands on his head and got up from his seat.

“Ugh, if this is the wrong ringing again, you will ask me to write an investigation report. I can’t even sell that bell!”

He fixed his glasses and went back to his business.

* * *

Maximilian ordered his knights to watch for any intruders into the mansion and went out into the garden himself.

The soldiers on patrol seemed to think that there was a problem with the suddenly ringing bell, and they were rushing to the top of the bell tower.

Maximilian passed them and headed for the garden. Thanks to his distance from the mansion, the surroundings were quiet.

He stood with his eyes wide open and listened to a nearby noise.

Kiiik, kiik.

He killed his presence and moved towards the sound.

When he reached the high iron bars along the garden, he saw a small human shadow on it.

He doesn’t know who sent it for what purpose, but the movements weren’t that great.

Maximilian, hiding in the thick darkness, moved closer and closer to the opponent.

Judging by the grunting, something must have gone wrong.

Did the clothes get caught?

What kind of intruder in the world would do such a clumsy thing while wearing sloppy clothes?

It took him a long time to look at the whining shadow while thinking about that.

Soon, the thin moon, which remained in the clouds, slightly stuck its head out.

Naturally, the light also fell on the bars.

“….!” 

In an instant, the opponent’s features clearly came into Maximilian’s field of vision. 

And it seems that it wasn’t the only thing that brightened the view.

The opponent who had been fighting with the hem of the robe all along looked at him with round eyes.

“…Ah!” 

Surprised, the opponent let out a thin scream and soon lost the balance.

“Kyaa!” 

Maximilian hurriedly ran towards the opponent who had fallen with a shriek and embraced it with his arms. 

A familiar scent, which had always been felt only in the distance, came completely into his arms with a thud.

“….” 

Maximilian stared down at the opponent who fell into his arms.

The eyes, which had been tightly closed in fear, opened slowly, and Maximilian’s face was reflected in the beautiful blue eyes that didn’t lose their light even at night.

“…I, I’m sorry.” 

The intruder who caused the commotion at night was the Duchess of Sheridan.

* * *

[It’s because of you!]

The outer wall, watching the Duke of Sheridan carrying his wife into the mansion, immediately threw a tantrum at the inner wall. 

The Duke calmed down the knights and soldiers by saying, “It’s nothing.” Then he ordered everyone to return to their usual seats.

“What is this, why is it ringing the bell when nothing special happened?” 

“So what did I say? I told you this is completely nonsense?” 

“Ah, I just jumped out of my sleep.”

The soldiers blatantly complained, slapped the bell on the outer wall with their palms, and withdrew.

[Do you know what I heard from the soldiers? Why didn’t you notice that the madam wasn’t in the room?] 

The outer wall screamed at the inner wall, but there was no answer coming back.

[Damn it, he fell asleep again. Grow forever, forever!]

[….]

[Still… It sounded wonderful.] 

The outer wall chewed on the bell that had rang just before.

It was a clear sound, just like when his master was alive.

[There’s no point of ringing the bell]

He immediately brushed off his useless thoughts.

[Can I do anything valuable for humans?]

No one now remembers his achievements, which have rang the bell of guardianship for a long time.

Damn it, I wish I had sold it.

To ring the bell to protect those who say these nasty things?

[Who do you think would do that? My only wish is an eternal sleep, an ordinary stone.]

The outer wall, which was talking like that, is now slowly starting to fall asleep.

It must have been because he used all the magical energy Clarisse gave him to ring the bell.

He fell asleep quietly without refusing to fall asleep.

He rang the bell one last time, hoping he would never wake up again.

* * *

The Duke returned to his mansion with his wife in his arms.

He hesitated for a moment, but he crossed the door to his wife’s bedroom for the first time after returning. 

The room hadn’t changed a bit from the way he had previously furnished it.

Everything from furniture to paintings and decorations hung on the walls.

“….” 

He looked around the room and put the Duchess down on the sofa. 

“I’m sorry.” 

She gave him her apology right away. It had already been repeated more than ten times. 

“No, it’s nothing.” 

He also repeated the same number of answers.

“I didn’t mean to confuse you.”

“Yes, I know.”

Maximilian recalled the place where she was discovered.

At that time, patrolling soldiers were patrolling the other side.

She chose a time when no one would notice, so it wouldn’t have caused confusion as usual.

“I didn’t know that the bell would ring like this…” 

“Excuse me.” 

Maximilian knelt down on the floor and checked her ankle.

As she fell, she got long scars from the sharp bars. 

“It would be better to treat it.”

“P, please don’t call the maid!”

She answered quickly at first, then slowly, putting her finger to her lips.

“The Duke covered the trouble I caused, but if I ask the servant to treat it, everyone will inevitably find out.” 

“I will…not tell them.” 

Maximilian nodded slowly to her and stood up.

“Thank you.” 

She bowed her head quickly. Maximilian just turned around and didn’t say much. 

He returned to his room through the door that led into Brielle’s bedroom.

Brielle felt strange, because it was the first time in her three years of marriage that the door had been used.

Until now, he had almost forgotten that there was a door there.

‘…It seems like the Duke was angry.’

Well, that was natural.

She was a Duchess who climbed the wall without dignity.

Even with a ridiculous excuse like, ‘I suddenly remembered that I had to send a letter.’

How hideous and pathetic it must have been for a man who used to be a Prince.

She must have looked like a fool who couldn’t even entrust the work to a maid.

Even so, he didn’t give her the slightest hint and brought Brielle here himself.

Brielle recalled the time when she was unknowingly embraced by him and completely leaning on his body.

How comfortable her body completely wrapped around his shoulders and body was—.

“I, I’m going crazy!” 

Brielle hurriedly screamed and quickly threw away all embarrassing thoughts.

Although they were married, it was only in accordance with the family’s principles.

‘Besides, I’m not even real.’

Briel is only taking this place in place of her master, Lady ‘Asela’.

Asela cried in front of the Count Darrington, saying that she would rather die than marry the fallen prince who was banished to the winter castle, and the Count, who would die for her daughter, used Brielle, the maid, to grant the ridiculous request.

Briel was just the right opponent for them to use.

Not only did she have the same hair color as Asela, but she also took care of her sick mother.

｢I’ll let you get any treatment. You should know better how excellent the Count’s doctor is, right? Hmm?｣ 

The Count’s proposal was practically close to blackmail.

If she didn’t accept it, it was the same as harming her mother.

In this way, the fake Brielle went to Sheridan in Winter Castle, and the real Asela went abroad to study without anyone knowing.

｢Hurry up and have a baby. If you do, I will adopt you as my daughter and marry you to the Duke. Don’t tell me, will that noble prince abandon the woman who even gave birth to his own child?｣