“What are you doing here?”
Bianca stared at Zenon with a hostile look, but Zenon smiled back.
“I came to visit because I have some business here.”
With an impatient gesture, Zenon motioned to the guard, who nodded and stepped back.
Zenon looked Bianca up and down, frowning.
“You don't look good.”
“Well, what do you expect in a prison?”
After a short moment of sarcasm, Bianca glared at Zenon.
Zenon Reiner was a fake identity created to secure his job as the Duke's assistant; His real name was Ivan.
He was originally hired with money from the largest mercenary guild in the Empire, the Blue Wolves, to protect Eric.
He was also the one who informed Bianca about the last traces of the real Eric.
With a desperate heart, she had trusted him with the mission, and Ivan and the Blue Wolves followed the real Eric's tracks without asking for money.
She couldn't miss her son now that he was so close.
So Bianca signed an official contract with them, saying she would pay for everything.
But as time passed, the amount they demanded continued to increase.
'Since I paid them in advance this time, they shouldn't ask for money, right?'
It has to be about Eric.
There may be updates regarding Eric's whereabouts or a similar event.
“So, what's the matter, mercenary?”
When asked by Bianca, Ivan lowered his voice and spoke in a whisper.
“We need more money to bring in the real Duke.”
"What?
I've already given more than enough money!
What are you talking about?"
Without hesitation, Ivan shrugged and responded.
“Did you forget the terms of our agreement, where you said you would pay the cost of finding the real Duke?”
“Yes, but I obviously paid the fee to bring Eric to the capital last time!
That amount was enough to buy a castle...”
“Yes, but transporting the Duke requires additional funds.
So, when can we expect payment?”
Bianca bit her lip.
There was no way she could save money while in prison.
Ivan smiled and spoke to Bianca, who was clenching her fists.
“Well, it was unreasonable to ask a prisoner for money.”
“N-Yes!
If you bring Eric here first, my son will pay...”
At that moment, Ivan extended his hand.
“Alternatively, how about leaving a mortgage?”
“Mortgage?
About...”
“The ring that belongs to the head of the Brant family, which is owned by the Grand Lady.”
Bianca's face hardened at his words.
Then she stared at Evan.
“I told you the Duke was fake, but I didn't mention anything about the ring.
How do you know about it?”
Then, the eldest lady raised her voice, almost shouting.
“Could you have planned this from the beginning...?”
Ivan lowered his head deeply and began to tremble.
A faint sound of laughter seeped through the air.
“Oh, I've been discovered.”
Ivan reached through the bars and grabbed Bianca by the neck.
“Ugh!
You...what did you do to my son!”
“Oh, your son?
He's probably dead.”
Bianca, choked and angry, screamed.
“What…what do you mean?
You were supposed to find traces of that kid!”
“Oh, that?
I just manipulated the information that the Fake Duke found.”
"What?"
Ivan whispered to a shocked Bianca.
“Actually, I was worried because your fake son was searching hard for the real one.
But he kept failing, so he didn’t share that information with you.
He was foolishly searching for someone who was clearly dead.
Until now.”
'Why didn't I realize?
That kid always cared for his brother so much…'
Bianca's eyes warmed with tears at the thought of her son's constant actions.
Bianca soon began to cry, her face distorted with sadness.
'I was so stupid.'
At that moment, Ivan continued.
“Well, you may have hated him a lot, but thanks to that, I was able to manipulate the evidence and pass it to you.”
Throughout this ordeal, while he was extorting money by holding onto someone's despair, there was not a trace of guilt on Ivan's face.
Bianca stared at Ivan with eyes filled with anger.
“You bastard, how dare you deceive me?”
As Bianca tried to claw Evan's arm with her fingernails, he tightened his grip.
“Grand Lady, do you still not understand the situation?
Your neck is in my grip.”
“Ah!
If I die, the guards...”
“Yes, the guards will arrest me.
But I have no intention of killing you.
I just want to silence you, so don’t worry.”
Bianca's breathing became more labored.
As she gasped in pain, Ivan poured a colorless liquid into her mouth.
As soon as the liquid flowed down her throat, Ivan released his grip.
“Kh, kh!”
Bianca tried to vomit the liquid, but a large amount had already gone down her esophagus.
It was strange.
Her vision became blurry, and her head throbbed with unbearable pain.
Her emotions became uncontrollable, and her memories began to spin chaotically.
She felt as if she might become someone else if she lost consciousness.
“What did you feed me...”
As Bianca asked weakly, Evan shrugged.
“Oh, nothing special—just medicine to make you crazy.
When you wake up, a new world will be waiting for you.”
“You... you damned mercenary...”
Bianca tried desperately to hold on to consciousness, but to no avail.
As images of her son appeared, she reached into the void.
'Ah, I need to warn you about these people…'
Thud-!
As Bianca collapsed, Evan searched her body.
But he quickly frowned.
'Damn, did you hide it already?'
The duke's seal was the real purpose behind Ivan's ridiculous charade.
But when he discovered that the Grand Lady did not have the seal, he began to think quickly.
‘You couldn’t have handed him over to the Duke; Could it be hidden in the palace?'
He clicked his tongue.
He had thought that he would be free to leave the Duke's Residence once this matter was over, but this was an unexpected complication.
'For now, I must inform my master.'
Meanwhile, Marquis Arjen was trembling with clenched fists.
'The Emperor dared to embarrass me like this…'
Until the trial, he was confident that the Emperor would negotiate with him and that he would not be deserted.
However, the Emperor demanded permanent banishment from the capital as punishment for the crimes committed by Madeleine.
Unable to hold back his anger, Marquis Arjen slammed his hand on the table.
Bang-!
Permanent exile from the capital did not only mean exile.
It meant complete removal from power.
The Marquis, who had been trying to exercise power as an influential behind-the-scenes figure controlling Franz, was devastated by this act.
'How did I build this family...'
However, the problem was more than just the Emperor's interference.
The real problem was that Jade, who Marquis Arjen considered insignificant, was rapidly rising in influence.
At that moment, the repressed contract with the Brant family came to his mind.
“If only this contract had been made, I would have benefited by now.
At least, if Mercedes, that idiot, had not handed the mine to the crow...”
At that moment, someone entered the room where the Marquis was.
Ivan, disguised as Zenon, was Eric's henchman.
The Marquis's face hardened as he looked at the intruder.
‘Why would he be Duke Brant’s assistant…?’
At that moment, someone spoke.
“I see my subordinate surprised you.”
The Marquis turned around and saw a figure standing at an angle.
Reinhardt was Adolphe Tarrant, whom the Marquis Argens had been waiting for.
Under normal circumstances, the Marquis would never have met Reinhardt.
This is because he is Franz's uncle, and Reinhardt is a talented person who threatens Franz's status.
However, he came, prompted by the letter Reinhardt had sent.
[If you come to my residence, I will tell you the best way to quickly return to the capital.]
Marquis Arjen asked directly.
“Your Highness, what exactly is the purpose of sending such a letter?”
Although he expected an answer, Reinhardt ignored the Marquis and stared at Ivan, Duke of Brant.
“Evan, I assume you treated that woman well?”
“Yes, I gave her the medicine, so she will forget all about us.”
Reinhardt smiled contentedly.
"Good.
Did you bring it?"
“That… due to an unexpected variable, there have been complications… It seems that I will need to stay longer at the Duke’s residence.”
At that moment—
Thud-!
The sudden impact on his stomach made Ivan collapse.
"Yes!"
Reinhardt, who had directed the punch at Ivan, spoke calmly.
“I've said it over and over again: I hate inefficiency.
So next time you come to see me, you better have perfect results.”
Hearing Reinhardt's cold voice, Ivan quickly knelt down and lowered his head.
“I will keep that in mind, sir.”
The Marquis, witnessing the unnatural master-servant dynamic, frowned as he tried to assess the situation.
‘So, the Archduke was keeping an eye on Duke Brant’s family.
I must inform the Duke and negotiate for the jade mine in return…'
“You seem to have a lot on your mind, Marquis?”
Reinhardt approached Marquis Arjen and placed his hand on his shoulder.
“But you might want to avoid thinking foolish thoughts.”
However, Reinhardt tightened his grip on the Marquis' shoulder.
“Unless you want to reveal that you used poison to make the Emperor sick.”