The word was that Melson used the Marquis title to monitor me.

“So, you entered our family to watch me?”

“Uh, yes.”

I first saw Marquis Melson when Lian was sick.

It had been seven years.

During that time, Melson had been monitoring me continuously.

“At first, you weren’t the target. It was the sick one.”

“Lian?”

At the sudden mention of that name, my brows furrowed.

“But after that guy died, now I have to watch you. I went to your house a few times, asked about your well-being, did some check-ups, and they paid me. What can you do? Who would reject such an offer? Isn’t that right?”

Although Melson sent a pleading look to the knights, they all stared at him as if he were trash.

‘They told him to watch me and Lian.’

Even if that’s the case, what does it have to do with Lian?

“Why Lian?”

“I don’t know, they said they would pay, so I asked.”

Melson added that he wouldn’t bother reasoning for anything that brought in money.

When Lian’s name came up, my mind became chaotic.

“Provide detailed information about the person who pays you.”

Hertian, who held my trembling hand without sheathing his sword, interrogated Melson.

“If I knew, I might not have survived until now.”

“Then let unknown information come out.”

After he sheathed his sword and signaled to the knights, they took Melson away. Osien followed them and added a few words.

“He also harassed the maids?”

Upon hearing that, the knights tied him up roughly.

“This scum!”

“What did they do in Bormand? Did they just let this scum go?”

“Maybe they conspired together. They were on the verge of ruin there too.”

Then they tied him tightly to a tree and dug into the forest floor.

“Please, I only did what I was told!”

As the knights dug, the labor turned into a song of agony.

“A long time ago in the north, there was a culture of burying criminals who harassed women in the ground to return to their original state.”

“Money, he must be a very wealthy noble! He quickly finds out where I am and contacts me wherever I go.”

“When you go underground, your nose, mouth, and ears will be filled with dirt, so you can’t hear, speak, or breathe.”

The knights continued their banter.

As Hertian had predicted, it seemed Melson would make up any story.

“Madam, please rest. I’ll take responsibility and draw out this man’s innermost thoughts. You seem to have run hastily. Your body is trembling.”

His words were true; my fingertips were trembling.

It wasn’t just running hastily; it was because of Melson, who had spent a long time together here.

It was the first time I met him directly after the incident. Until then, Melson had been a kind family doctor in my memory, so his betrayal was particularly painful. Even the interrogation of Melson wasn’t comforting.

Approaching a scammer’s kindness intentionally, I believed it sincerely.

“Let it go for now. Anyway, what we can hear from Professor Melson is probably all there is. It’s better to watch what he’s up to while keeping an eye on him, rather than sending him to the guards, paying for medical expenses that were only paid for, adding charges of fraud and harassment of maids.”

Hertian, who brought the excited Annette to the carriage, returned to where Melson was.

The knights started pouring dirt into the hole where Melson had entered deeply.

Even his thick beard was covered in dirt, and tears dripped down.

“Your Excellency! I have no more information. Please spare me. If you spare me, I will definitely reveal his identity!”

Hertian looked down at the hole in silence. It wasn’t pleasant to see dirt oozing out as he wept.

“I’ll finish it myself.”
He pushed aside all the knights, lifted the shovel used for digging, and threw a handful of dirt onto his face.

“Ugh, ugh!”

Melson swept away the dirt continuously, spitting out the sand that had entered his mouth.

“Your Excellency, do you really intend to kill me? Although I’m on the brink of ruin, I’m still a noble.”

With a shovel full of dirt raised high, Hertian, pausing for a moment, halted his movements. Melson, sensing an opportunity, played up his pitiful act, saying,

“If I die, you won’t be able to find out why the big shot approached the marquisate, right?”

Melson, as usual, referred to the mysterious backer as the “big shot” and cleverly spoke in favor of Hertian.

“Just release me. If you release me now, I promise to reveal my identity when the next deal comes.”

Upon hearing this, Hertian lowered the shovel roughly, sat down, and stared at Melson in the hole. Melson, with an expressionless face that sent shivers down one’s spine, didn’t reveal any emotions. However, at this point, what did it matter? The important thing now was staying alive.

“I bear no ill feelings toward Your Excellency. I inadvertently prevented the marriage of the two because the big shot continuously monitored Lady Annette…”

“Whether you prevented the marriage or babbled nonsense about me doesn’t matter.”

It was a lenient remark, but the tone was icy. Melson couldn’t afford to respond with a grateful reaction.