CH 118

The butler rushed screaming and grabbed the Duke by the leg, but it’s not use. He was already dead.

Jeremy couldn’t do anything and stood as if he’d been nailed to the floor.

I have never even called the Duke his father since the moment he entered the conscious age.

Ellie could point a finger at the Emperor and the Duke would have finished soon, but I didn’t care.

I thought it was inevitable in one way or another, and such is the price for the sins committed.

But why do I feel so strange?

As if all five of my senses were asleep.

As if I left this world.

Jeremy sighed slowly.

He gradually revived and approached the Duke with a frozen face.

Then he stood up on a chair and cut the rope that bound the Duke’s neck.

Jeremy climbed down from his chair and saw the body fall like a straw effigy. Taking a step forward and placing his father on the bed, he examined the Duke’s face with his eyes closed.

It seemed that he was about to scream and begin to swallow air greedily, but the Duke’s closed eyes didn’t move.

And so it will remain forever.

“Master… It seems, the last will of His Excellency…”

The butler brought him a white envelope.

[Behold my manifesto to the Emperor Agrita, who killed his father and usurped the throne with his own hand, to the Emperor of many sins, who will soon find the wrath of heaven. I will kill your last son, and so will my vengeance against His Majesty be accomplished. And you won’t even get the luxury of punishing me for it.]

He wanted to say that he would kill Carlisle, the Empress’ child, and wouldn’t give a chance for reprisals.

Jeremy glanced at the Duke’s body. There was a suspiciously clear red line on the neck.

“Suicide, yeah…”

Jeremy, of course, didn’t believe it. Duke Drua would never have made such a sacrifice.

If that was spurred on by the injustices carried away from the Emperor, the Duke would have gone for revenge a long time ago. And wouldn’t sit as a hermit in the estate.

Just a couple of days ago, his eyes were burning with the desire to achieve a goal, but the goal wasn’t his own death. Any dog ​​will understand that the matter here is unclean.

But… there is no proof.

The Duke’s clothes were neat.

And if he had resisted the stranglehold around his neck, the scar wouldn’t have become so straight.

Murder disguised as perfect suicide.

Your end came out so miserable.

All his life he was obsessed with the fame of Drua and laid down his life in pursuit of other people’s interests?

This is really stupid.

Jeremy’s heart was now boiling with anger, the target of which was still undetermined.

Either this is anger towards the father, who has left until now, but looked down on his son to the end, or towards the murderer, or maybe towards himself, who didn’t have time.

How do you know now?

You have lived your whole life in a camp of evil, so that later you can leave like this so easily?

Duke Drua liked to argue with his son, but now he was silent.

And Jeremy, as before, was left alone.

“Master, oh master.”

The room was crowded with servants.

Jeremy’s rumor was filled with the lamentations of those who lived for the Drua family.

Jeremy stepped back from the bed and bowed to the Duke.

It was the only polite gesture he could get for him.

“Butler, change all the curtains and flags in the house to black.”

“Ah… Yes, sir.”

Jeremy left the room, drenched in endless sadness.

Dressed in a black robe, he went to the Duke’s office and opened the secret safe.

“Shit!”

Jeremy swore at the now empty safe.

Nothing remained in the vault where the compromising evidence on Sios was supposed to be.

It can be assumed that at least there was evidence of embezzlement and tax evasion.

At least, such an accusation could deprive Sios of freedom for some time.

But now it’s empty.

Jeremy searched the desk drawers.

When he was rushing about in a frenzy and looking for at least something on Sios, Jeremy came across a small ledger.

It contained the names of the people who gave money to Duke Drua, and the amounts.

“At least this.”

This will be handy too.

The rain had stopped and the morning sun was rising.

A black flag fluttered from the flagpole where the family’s flag used to be.

* * *

Only at sunrise did Raymond emerge from the dungeon.

Carter waited until he washes away from the blood of others and doesn’t appear in the office.

The first thing Raymond did was ask the butler a question.

“What’s the news on Ellie’s condition?”

“They report that the fever has subsided a lot. They also said that during the day she would be able to get out of bed.”

“What about the child?”

“His High… no, the boy felt better too. He’s having breakfast with the Duke right now.”

It seems that everyone around has already figured out that it was Raymond’s child, but he wasn’t officially recognized as a prince. That’s why the butler was embarrassed with the title.

The latter continued cautiously:

“Your Majesty, shall we reclaim the delegation of the temple? The knights keep everyone under lock and key, but too many people have seen your son.”

Raymond knew what his butler was talking about.

It is necessary to recognize Raymond as a prince, and be in time before the ridiculous speculation creeps in.

“We don’t need the help of the temple. This is sure my son.”

Examining the priest is just a ritual.

I’m not leaving Ellie’s child to be torn apart by them.

“First of all, try to contain the leak for at least a day. And tomorrow… I will have my say.”

It wouldn’t be surprising if he nominated Carlisle as the prince.

But without Ellie’s consent, he didn’t want to voluntarily put the child in the place of the prince.

“As soon as Ellie wakes, let me know.”

Dismissing the butler, he turned to Carter now.

“Carter.”

“I’m sorry.”

As soon as his name was called, Carter bowed.

Raymond raised his eyebrows and opened his mouth.

“It’s not your fault that there are no leads to Sios.”

The murderers caught overnight were tortured and interrogated, but they only repeated the name of Drua and the servants like parrots.

“Next in line is the questioning of Duke Drua.”

If Drua is ​​caught and interrogated properly, he should reveal something powerful about Sios.

The Duke will open his mouth if he finds out that all the evidence points to him.

“Yes.”

At that moment, when Carter just turned to leave, the office door opened.

The newcomer hastily reported:

“Your Majesty, they say Duke Drua is ​​dead.”

“What?”

He doubted his ears.

“Now his heir is asking for an audience.”

Are we already one step behind?

“Greetings, Your Majesty the Emperor, Sun of the Empire.”

The newly minted Duke Drua, wrapped in black robes, bowed to Raymond.

“Rise up.”

Raymond asked as soon as Jeremy looked up.

“Is Duke Drua dead or not?”

“I found him hanged.”

“Is this suicide or just looks like suicide?”

Raymond’s black eyes were icy.

Duke Drua was strangled.

He couldn’t believe it.

He wasn’t a character capable of sudden suicide.

“I’m sure that it’s a setup.”

Jeremy had the same thought as Raymond. A man who endured for so long, and dreamed of restoring the glory of his home, gave up at the last moment?

The assassination plan ended in failure, and someone got rid of the weak link.

“What evidence is left?” Raymond asked in a strained voice.

“…Sorry, none. There were no signs of a struggle, the interior of the bedroom was clean and the clothes were neat,” said Jeremy, remembering the body of the Duke.

He must have been killed in his sleep.

The assassins entered the Duke’s house at night, finished him off and disappeared into thin air.

Doesn’t sound like a beginner’s job.

Therefore, they didn’t leave any clues.

“Huh…”

Raymond, who had just planned to capture Duke Drua and interrogate, sighed in disappointment.

“The trouble with Ellie, now also this…”

Jeremy, who stood with downcast eyes all the way, heard Raymond muttering and looked up.

“Your Majesty, is Lady Croft’s condition very serious?”

The insistent voice briefly pulled Raymond out of the quagmire of his anger.

His amber eyes were clouded with dismay, unlike when he announced the death of his own father.

Looking at Jeremy, Raymond suddenly began to doubt.

Did Jeremy know?

That Carlisle is my son.

“At least she will live.”

Jeremy’s gaze was desperate.

Raymond asked, seeing a sense of guilt and sadness in his counterpart’s gaze.

“Would you like to ask about the child?”

Jeremy flinched and stared into the Emperor’s eyes.

“Is Carlisle bad?”

It was like the face of a father who was worried about his children.

In retrospect, Carlisle got along very well with Jeremy, both in the market and on the lawn.

As if Jeremy could be the father.

“Carlisle is fine. But something incredible happened.”

“Yes?”

“The magic thing is broken.”

Jeremy’s face was gradually colored with amazement.

“Carlisle’s real appearance has been revealed.”

And then in the heart of Raymond spread cold and darkness.