“No, in my opinion, it wasn’t an intruder. The villain’s demeanor was entirely different from that of an intruder.”

Nevertheless, Hecate, who immediately moved to rescue the child, said that he considered calling for reinforcements but decided it would be better to quickly rescue the child given the urgency of the situation.

“Moreover, that child seemed to be of the Dazzling age.”

Oh no, with Hecate being a doting parent, it would have been better if a more just person had not hindered him. Unintentionally, I sighed at the realization that there were still people within the empire who treated others in such a manner.

Despite living diligently, managing affairs and putting so much effort into it, I, as a former ruler, felt saddened and regretful that I couldn’t completely erase the dark shadows cast on the people’s lives.

I didn’t know how Jeff and Hecate would handle this, but I regretted not thoroughly investigating and eliminating all related individuals at that time.

“When I moved, the villain used the child as a shield. I couldn’t even draw my sword and had to face him with my fists. He was truly a cunning one.”

Facing an opponent without a weapon is no easy feat, especially in a situation with hostages, unless it’s a one-on-one fight.

“So, we confronted each other for a few minutes, and then he managed to pull me towards him. At that moment, he grabbed my wrist and threw me against the building wall. It happened in an instant.”

By the way, until when would I have to endure listening like this? It was frustrating that this was an important story, and I couldn’t even stretch.

“I fell over, and when I looked up, no one was around. It was hard to find even a trace when I looked around.”

‘It doesn’t make sense. The villain caught Hecate and threw her away?’

That aside, more than anything, how could a person, not smoke, disappear without a trace in such a short time?

Moreover, after being picked up from the street, the child, who was raised not to become a noble lady but to walk the path of the sword that she desired, was shocked that she had been injured.

Falling off cliffs, slipping down rocky paths, she always handled it flexibly, and even if she got hurt, it ended with a light injury. She was the strongest practitioner in the empire, matching only Jeff.

“If I hadn’t injured my wrist, even if I said I dreamed it, it wouldn’t have been a strange situation.”

“It’s fortunate that there are no other injuries. You almost had a big problem, Your Majesty.”

“I’m… worried about the child who was taken away by the villain more than myself.”

Hecate mentioned the child with a melancholic voice.

Even in my opinion, the fate of that child didn’t seem promising. I didn’t want to think deeply about it. The final moments of the child taken away by the villain might be gruesome.

“By the way, have you heard the rumor that the Duchess is in distress in high society?”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”
Having obtained doubts and bizarre information about the western border area, the only thing left was to boldly push open the door to the office at some point. I thought about doing it right away, but Hecate started another intriguing story, so I ended up lying down quietly.

“I don’t think that’s true. The Duchess was a quiet person, but would she suddenly go mad overnight?”

Indeed. I nodded my head, absorbed in Hecate’s words, recalling the first encounter with the Duchess.

‘It’s unbelievable!’

‘Why is she still inside the mansion?’

‘Freylir is dead!’

The Duchess Vladimir, who screamed on the stairs at that time, had a complex expression of horror, confusion, hatred, sadness, fear, and more. I felt that among the words she uttered back then, the statement that Freylir had died intensified my suspicions.

What if there were two Freylirs?

“I went to see Duke Vladimir to find out the truth. However, he said my thoughts were wrong.”

If the real Freylir is dead, and the one who visited the mansion is fake?

“Just in case, I met the Duchess separately, and she insisted that she wasn’t insane. She felt unjust, saying that no one believed her words.”

Numerous possibilities and scenarios flashed through my mind.

“Perhaps the rumor that the Duchess went mad could be false.”

“Come to think of it, the administrator of the western coastal village is the Duchess. However, after the rumor that the Duchess went mad, strange things happened in the western coastal village.”

Hecate had done something really significant. Although I couldn’t figure out why the Duchess suddenly called Hecate at night, it didn’t matter because I had learned a more important fact.

Even if I didn’t know who was behind it, they might be taking root in the western coastal village, deceiving people, and planning something tremendous. If we leave this matter unattended, it could pose a significant threat to the empire. When the culprit is caught, we should not leave it alone; we must impose severe punishment.

“I don’t think this is a simple coincidence. So, I suggest, why not use the maintenance of public order as an excuse and send a surveillance unit to the west?”