A few days earlier, the hunting competition had been canceled due to Blair's accident.
Ivan, who didn't know what had really happened, thought Blair had simply had an accident and took it the wrong way.
Herdin, desperate to find Blair, had searched the entire forest, and meanwhile, Wesley had found and killed the man who had commissioned the kidnapping.
Now there would be no way to prove that he was involved in that matter.
Although she had borrowed money from Rachel, since she herself was not going to confess that she was involved in this incident, she could not ask her to pay it back.
Herdin would also suspect him, but with just clues he couldn't punish him.
So it was an incident that ended up as a simple anecdote.
Thinking like this, he felt relieved.
For a few days he had been locked up in the marquis' residence, fearing that Herdin would come looking for him, and now it seemed even ridiculous to him.
Although the truth is that the money he had spent on concocting that plan hurt him a little.
While Wesley was licking his lips, the carriage arrived at the club.
When he was in front of the club, he was overcome by an unfounded confidence that today he would be the winner of the game of chance.
Wesley, as always, full of expectation, entered the club.
—Wow, the great Wesley Baldwin missing the club for several days!
What's the matter?
—We thought you were sick and we were worried.
The usual group received him with laughter.
After exchanging trivial jokes, as always, they set the table and began a card game.
Wesley, upon receiving the cards, checked his hand and widened his eyes.
Maybe it wasn't just an expectation, maybe he really could be today's winner.
His heart, filled with expectation, began to beat.
I was more nervous than when the hand was bad.
Wesley licked his dry lips and received the last letter.
The moment he saw her, joy spread across his face.
It was a very difficult hand to lose.
When Wesley, trying to calm his heart that seemed like it was going to burst, was going to show his hand, a shadow suddenly approached and hovered over him.
—Hello, Wesley.
Wesley's face paled as he saw Herdin appear.
—Since the dog won't stop eating shit, how could you stop playing?
TRUE?
Frightened, Wesley tried to quickly get up and flee, but Herdin was not going to allow it.
He grabbed her head and slammed it against the card table.
—Aagh!
The club members, frightened by his violent attitude, fled.
When Herdin slammed Wesley's head into the table a few more times, Wesley finally stopped resisting senselessly and stood still.
Herdin leaned over to Wesley, who was whimpering, and said in a low voice:
—If you run away as soon as you see me, you leave me no choice but to be suspicious.
—It's because from that day on you simply accused me of being the culprit and threatened me!
He had long since put aside the polite attitude he showed in the hunting competition.
But for Herdin, that was less ridiculous than seeing that guy, who as a child had rejoiced in his misfortune, now grovel as an adult treating him with ridiculous courtesy.
Herdin turned his head to Wesley, who was showing his true nature, so that their eyes met.
—It was you, the culprit.
A blue flame burned in his eyes.
Wesley, instinctively overwhelmed by this stern attitude, was startled, but it was only for an instant.
—Damn, do you have proof or what?
Herdin looked strangely at Wesley, who was offended and attacked.
—If you treat someone who helped you with good will like this—
—Rachel Selden.
At this moment, the familiar name that fell from Herdin's lips made Wesley's resistance stop.
Herdin, without missing the opportunity, added:
—That woman has told everything.
That everything was your thing.
Hearing that, Wesley's heart skipped a beat.
At the same time, he felt a growing anger towards Rachel, who had betrayed him.
—Fuck, it's not true!
Everything… Yes, that girl was the one who did everything!
I just did what she told me!
—…
—That girl also put the money.
He said that Blair, I mean, the Duchess, bothered him and he wanted to humiliate her.
—…
—Think about it.
How would I have money to plot something like that?
Herdin, who had been listening silently, finally let go of the head he was holding as if throwing it and opened his mouth.
—Whatever is true about that, we will have to ask at Marquis Selden's house.
-…That?
Wesley, who was desperately trying to shift the blame to Rachel, stopped dead in his tracks.
That he was going to Marquis Selden's house later…
"Didn't you meet Rachel first...?"
Herdin, seeing Wesley looking at him with a dumb face, smiled coldly.
—That's why you always lose.
That with a single sentence of which he had not even verified the veracity, he lost his mind and told everything with his own mouth.
And the emotions that were visible on his face.
—You, damn you, how dare you lie like that...!
Herdin tripped the lunging Wesley and easily felled him.
Wesley rolled on the ground with a crash, ridiculously.
Herdin looked at him coldly and said:
—And what?
You touched my wife and deceived me, do I only have to be fair?
-You…!
—Don't feel so unfair.
He took out a small vial from the inside pocket and threw it in front of Wesley.
The bottle, when it hit the ground, broke and the liquid it contained spilled out.
Then, a sweet and seductive aroma invaded the environment.
Seeing him, Wesley's gaze wavered.
What that vial contained was what the kidnapper had tried to give to Blair.
—From the beginning, you had no way out.
That medicine bottle, the only one that looked new in the middle of that old, dilapidated house, was suspicious at first glance.
Herdin ordered an investigation into the identity and provenance of this medicine, and for Ruth, who was an expert in these things, it was very easy to find out who had bought it.
Testing Wesley, knowing that he was the instigator, was, first, to obtain Wesley's confession, and second—
To ensure the guilt of Rachel Selden, who had given false testimony saying that she had seen Blair, kidnapped, with another man.
Wesley Baldwin had played his part perfectly in that regard, so all he could do now was wag his tongue.
—For now, get some sleep.
Herdin grabbed the back of Wesley's head, who had fulfilled his role, and slammed it hard against the card table.
Shortly after, Wesley's body collapsed.
Herdin threw it like a bundle to the knights waiting in the distance and turned around.
—Load him into the carriage.
It was time to go after the other instigator.
…To be continued