“……Darling?”

His wife’s voice calling him trembled slightly.

“You needn’t worry, my dear.”

Baron Cypress asked the butler to look after his wife and hurried to his study.

Then he swept the pile of important documents and gold bars he had kept in the safe into a bag all at once.

The employee standing behind him reached out to take the bag, but Baron Cypress waved him off, saying it was fine, and slung the bag over his shoulder.

It was because of the suspicion that the employee might steal valuable assets in the midst of the confusion.

It was when Baron Cypress, who had safely escaped the mansion through the back door, let out a sigh of relief.

“……?”

He sensed a presence. Baron Cypress, who calmly turned his body in that direction, was startled.

A man with jet-black hair like the night sky and clear, refreshing features filled Baron Cypress’s view.

Next were the knights standing behind him.

The armed knights were staring straight at Baron Cypress.

Baron Cypress’s gaze shifted back to the man in front of him.

The moment his eyes met the brightly shining red eyes even in the darkness.

“……!”

Baron Cypress only widened his eyes without even being able to scream.

He couldn’t move an inch, as if his legs were frozen and stuck to the ground.

That’s how tremendous the man’s aura right in front of him was.

“Baron Cypress. I’d like to ask where you’re rushing off to on this night.”

Baron Cypress quickly rolled his eyes to gauge the number of knights surrounding the mansion.

Excluding Duke Cardia, there seemed to be barely ten knights.

After being startled and frightened by Duke Cardia’s aura for a moment, a sneer appeared on Baron Cypress’s lips.

He was someone who had survived countless battlefields and chaotic situations to reach this position.

There was no way that barely ten knights could handle his soldiers who had survived in the rough back alleys.

Having finished his calculations, Baron Cypress retorted confidently.

“And you, Duke Cardia, have trespassed on private property without the owner’s permission this late at night.”

Of course, even if he defeated Duke Cardia and his knights here, it seemed like dealing with the aftermath would be difficult.

The retaliation of the vassal houses following the Cardia duchy would surely follow.

But Baron Cypress had something he was counting on.

Behind him was Marquis Antares. And behind the Antares family was the Empress.

Surely they wouldn’t ignore him, who had been cleaning up after them countless times until now.

Moreover, if Baron Cypress, he, were to be caught, it wouldn’t be good for the Empress either.

Because he already knew too many things. He also had evidence unfavorable to the Empress and the Antares family.

Having finished assessing the situation, Baron Cypress decided to confront the trespassers.

“Bring the soldiers.”

Baron Cypress called out proudly towards the employee behind him.

Then Cabelased spoke with an expression as if he had heard an interesting sound.

“Were there still soldiers left?”

Then he kicked something lightly with his toe.

“No……!”

Baron Cypress inhaled sharply and stepped back as he confirmed someone’s head rolling over.

It was the one he had praised as the best among his soldiers in terms of skill.

Baron Cypress’s soldiers had taken up weapons for survival, had ample practical experience, and didn’t hesitate to use cowardly means if it meant living.

This means that they were not at all inferior in quality or skill to the knights of noble houses who simply took up swords for dignity.

But the fact that dozens of soldiers had been defeated by just over ten knights was unbelievable even though he saw it.

Cabelased spoke monotonously towards Baron Cypress, who was frozen in great shock.

“I’ll face as many as you have, so call them now if you have any soldiers left.”

There was something Baron Cypress didn’t know.

The elite knights of the Cardia duchy, though few in number, were individually outstanding enough to easily handle dozens of knights alone.

Hence, the actual number of Cardia duchy knights mobilized to subdue Baron Cypress’s base and mansion was not that many, just over ten, but they were skilled enough to have a good chance even against hundreds of knights.

This was natural.

What the nobles of the alliance wanted was to remove the tyrant Emperor and install Duke Cardia as the new Emperor.

To overthrow the Emperor, strong military power was absolutely necessary to back it up.

The nobles of the alliance were making lavish investments in knights to create a powerful army, and the knights currently belonging to the Cardia duchy could be said to be the best among the nobles of the alliance in terms of skill.

“Aaaaargh!”

Realizing that there were no more soldiers left to protect him, Baron Cypress screamed in despair and ran towards the side door of the mansion he had just escaped from.

And soon he came face to face with his wife and butler who had been caught by the Cardia duchy knights who had burst into the mansion.

The news that Cabelased had led the knights to raid Baron Cypress’s villa, which had been used as a slave market, and successfully rescued the people who had been captured, was also delivered to Jieselgrante.

As she put down the newspaper she had finished reading on the table, Lindsey, who was walking over with a tray of tea and desserts, asked.

“Young lady, did something good happen?”

Only then did Jieselgrante realize that she had been smiling and nodded.

Then she briefly explained to Lindsey.

According to the article, there had been an increase in missing persons in the Cardia duchy recently, and while searching for the missing people, Duke Cardia discovered a slave market operated by Baron Cypress.

Duke Cardia, who had a rightful duty to protect the people of the Cardia duchy, held Baron Cypress accountable and urged him to release the captured people.

But Baron Cypress ignored this, and as a result, an armed conflict broke out, but fortunately, Duke Cardia managed to safely rescue the captured people of the Cardia duchy, and in addition, succeeded in capturing Baron Cypress, who had been operating the slave market.

“Wow…… That’s really amazing!”

Lindsey exclaimed in amazement as she placed the freshly brewed tea in front of Jieselgrante.

Of course, this was just the explanation as written in the article, and it was impossible to know what actually happened.

What was certain was that Cabelased had not mentioned her and Count Frederick at all. Hence, her name and Count Frederick’s name did not appear even once in the article.

‘I’ve received help again.’

She hoped that her involvement in this matter would not be exposed as much as possible.

And it could be said that Cabelased had understood her psychology well.

It could really be that people from the Cardia duchy had been captured in Baron Cypress’s slave market.

But rather than that, she thought it was fabricated to prevent the exposure of her and Count Frederick’s identities, who could be said to be the source of the slave market.

“That’s right. I think so too.”

She agreed with Lindsey, who kept praising Cabelased, saying he was amazing.

Even though she had never uttered a word about how she wanted the matter to be resolved, Cabelased had handled it exactly as she had hoped.

‘If I had someone like Duke Cardia by my side… If so, could I have become Emperor safely without dying?’

She thought that for a moment, but only realized that there was no point in hypothesizing about things that didn’t happen.

She took a sip of the tea Lindsey had poured for her.

The bitterness followed by a subtle sweetness made her feel more at ease.

“It’s delicious.”

Jieselgrante looked at Lindsey with a faint smile. Lindsey smiled brightly, seemingly pleased with the compliment.

It was then.

Following the sound of knocking on the bedroom door, a maid’s voice was heard.

“Young lady. Duke Cardia has requested to see you.”

At the maid’s question, Jieselgrante only blinked slowly.

Remembering that she had said she would try not to catch Cabelased’s eye as much as possible. Hadn’t he also not welcomed her words?

But to come visit directly?

While she was lost in thought for a moment, the maid continued.

“…What should we do, young lady?”

Putting down her teacup on the table, Jieselgrante stood up.

“Yes. Tell him I’ll be there soon.”

“Understood.”

As she was moving, Jieselgrante looked at Lindsey and asked.

“Why are you looking at me with that expression?”

Lindsey had a subtle expression that seemed joyful yet puzzled.

“It seems to be the first time Duke Cardia has come to see you first, young lady.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes!”

Leaving behind Lindsey, who was nodding her head vigorously with big blinking eyes, Jieselgrante left the bedroom and headed for the reception room.

Beyond the narrow door, the reception room was decorated with paintings by famous artists and antique sculptures.

In the splendid space that exuded a sense of restraint, Cabelased blended in naturally like a painting.

“You asked to see me.”

As Jieselgrante walked into the spacious reception room, taking in that sight, her eyes soon widened.

Contrary to her expectation that Cabelased would be alone, there was one more familiar person in the reception room.

The slave youth, no, the 3rd Prince of Solzakai, Lawrence. Unlike before, he had his hair neatly combed back with pomade.

Moreover, he was wearing a well-fitted suit that perfectly matched his tall stature and slim body.

Was it because he had been treated as a slave before?

He seemed to have exuded a somewhat desolate and dark atmosphere, but now he looked like a proper prince.

“……Master!”

Until he opened his mouth with joy.

The 3rd Prince rushed towards her as soon as he saw her.

Like a large dog craving its owner’s affection.

And Cabelased naturally stepped in between her and him.