...If I thought about it, I would have found that the journey of the Kingdom of Moint was in the first volume. Camille has probably read at least one volume.
Ethan calmed his thoughts and asked another question.
"Radus almost died while traveling. Where was that, and why?"
“In Soran, Alec. They thought he was the murderer of the master’s wife, so he was arrested.”
“…Evandius lost his eye in the Battle of Hiltos. Who shot the arrow?”
“It was not the Battle of Hiltos, but the Battle of the Plateau of Pluinelle. And it was not his right eye, but his left. The arrow was shot by Nomagil, a thirteen-year-old soldier from Direshilant.”
“……”
Camille smiled sweetly at the silent Ethan.
“This is fun, like a test. It also helps me review what I've read. Do you have more questions?”
“……”
The innocent expression on her face was infuriating.
By then, he had to admit it, even if he didn't want to. Camille has already read the entire History of the War of Eärendel.
At the same time, he felt a renewed realization that the woman in front of him was completely different from the Camille he knew.
He had known her for a long time, but understanding her mentally and accepting her emotionally were two different things. After all, he had seen her like this for five years.
You completely fooled me.
Ethan's lips curled into a hesitant smile.
***
An exhilarating feeling of victory filled me as I stared at Ethan.
His face, stiff with frustration, was undoubtedly pleasing.
To be honest, I had a hard time continuing reading several times. But whenever I felt like closing the book, I held onto it, remembering Ethan's disapproving expression.
I put the reference books side by side and read as if I were preparing for an exam, skipping sleep to finish it.
It was worth it. Even though the book was tight, I was able to finish reading it in time.
“If you have no further questions, I will take this as your acknowledgment of my victory.”
“……”
Ethan stared at me, his lips twitching slightly.
A handsome man looking at me with humiliation... This is great... Oh my God, maybe I've got strange tastes.
Whenever Ethan showed any crack in his normally calm demeanor, like when we were in the library, it gave me a weird, tingling feeling in my chest.
I gently cleared my throat and continued: “It seems I won the bet. You will keep your promise, right?”
"… a promise?"
“You said that if I finish the book on time, you will fulfill any wish I have. Are you still holding on to that?”
A strange light shone in Ethan's eyes. He seemed to finally remember.
“Are you going to request that your reservation be lifted? I told you before, this is impossible until the truth becomes clear.”
“Oh, you said you would grant any wish, and now you change your attitude? The name of the great Duke of Dumont will be tarnished.”
“……”
I laughed lightly, “Just kidding. Don’t worry. I won’t waste an opportunity like this on something as trivial as removing my handcuff.”
“…So, what do you plan to order?”
“This is still a secret. I will tell you when the time is right.”
“When is the right time? And when will it be?” Ethan insisted.
“It won't be long”
Yes, if my guess is correct, it will be within the next 10 days.
By then, it will have been exactly one month since Liam was released.
***
– In a quiet village far from the capital.
Liam was staggering through the dark streets, drunk.
Since his expulsion from the capital, this has become his way of life.
Duke Dumont confiscated almost all of his property, including his own, in compensation for his inappropriate behavior with the duke's wife.
Even approaching a noblewoman required at least some social standing and background.
Without them, he moved between the homes of women of a humble social class in this remote village, drowning his sorrows with cheap alcoholic drinks.
In fact, he had no chance of returning.
After all, he's still handsome and charismatic.
But honestly, he was afraid of women now.
All thanks to Camille.
“If I could steal that notebook...”
Camille had claimed the notebook was a fake, but Duke Gerard would not have known that.
His plan was simple: hand over the notebook, receive a generous reward, and then disappear abroad or somewhere far away.
However, Liam wasn't completely out of options.
He knew where the real record was hidden.
Of course, even Duke Gerard wasn't able to break into the Imperial Bank, but he had to find out.
Even if it wasn't the full amount as originally promised, I could still get a decent reward for this information.
The problem is that Liam had no way to communicate with Duke Gerard. Their meetings were always initiated by the other party.
Gerard even threatened that if Liam tried to contact him, he wouldn't be able to guarantee his life.
Damn it, I don't care anymore...
He was crossing a bridge over the river when he collided with a man coming from the opposite direction.
“Hey, watch where you walk!”
The man growled with a threatening look.
He was huge, at least one and a half times bigger than Liam.
What do you mean …?
Liam saw the man coming and tried to step aside to avoid collision. He felt as if the man had deliberately bumped him.
No matter how drunk he was, he couldn't have done it wrong.
This bastard must be crazy.
“Do you start a fight and then pretend it's nothing?”
The man grabbed Liam by the collar.
Despite his huge size, Liam was lifted off his feet easily.
“Wait, I can't... breathe...”
Liam struggled, hitting the man's hands, but he wouldn't budge. As he caught his breath and his vision began to blur, a feeling of impending doom washed over him.
Am I going to die? So, aimlessly?
And his life passed before his eyes.
If he had known it would end like this, he would have tried to live a little better, even if just a little.
That was the last thought on his mind before he started to lose consciousness.
“Argh!”
With the man screaming, Liam suddenly broke free from his grip. He fell to the ground, coughing violently.
Drool dripped from his mouth as he twirled. When he finally regained consciousness, he saw the huge man lying unconscious next to him. There was someone standing next to him.
Through tear-filled eyes, Liam looked at his savior.
“Who…who are you?”
“It doesn't concern you.”
“This doesn’t concern you,” the man said briefly. He was not as large as the man who attacked Liam, but he was tall and strong.
With a grip that wasn't gentle, he pulled Liam to his feet.
“Are you ready to tell me the truth now?”
"What do you mean?" Liam stammered.
"Aren't you awake yet? Why do you think that man was trying to kill you? If I hadn't intervened, you would now be reviving the fish at the bottom of the river. Everyone will think it was just a fight between two drunks that ended in failure, or some idiot lost his balance and fell into the river."
“……”
Liam suddenly became aware of something icy like a splash of cold water.
“Impossible...”
“So, you are not completely ignorant. Yes, there is someone who wants to silence you. He waited a whole month, and chose the least suspicious way.”
“……”
Liam's face went pale.
"You have two options. One: to tell me who encouraged you to seduce the Duchess and steal the notebook. Two: to spend the rest of your life on the run from assassins. I don't need to tell you which is wiser, do I?"
Liam's legs shook violently. He almost collapsed again.
“So… if I told you… would you protect me?”
“Sure. A new identity, escape money, and everything you need to safely disappear abroad. Even Duke Gerard won’t be able to find you.”
“……”
Liam bowed his head, thinking madly.
But it's a no brainer at all. The answer was clear.
Liam closed his eyes and spoke.