Although he felt regretful, there was nothing he could do. He looked like a knight with exceptionally skilled swordsmanship, and if such a person decided to hide, there was no way an ordinary person like Veronia could find him.

She gave up on searching for the disappeared knight and instead did what she could.

After reporting to a nearby patrol, she explained in detail what she had experienced at the scene. She also used the magic tool she had to find traces of the teleportation scroll magic circle used by Caspian’s group.

“I saw it clearly with my own eyes. It was definitely Prince Caspian and his group.”

Veronia clearly stated the names of five people, and the patrol member wrote their names in a notebook. They were all young masters from great families.

The patrol member scratched his head with a troubled expression and asked Veronia again.

“Are you sure you saw it correctly? Is there no possibility you saw wrong because it was dark? When accusing a noble as a criminal, very solid evidence is needed.”

Veronia understood the patrol member’s concerns.

Accusing a noble of being a criminal should not be started carelessly. Not only the patrol member’s job or life but also their family could be in danger. Moreover, this time a member of the royal family was involved, so extra caution was needed.

“I met Prince Caspian and his group just a week ago at my engagement party. So there’s no way I could mistake their faces.”

“A party a week ago… Could it be the one held by Minister Drea…?”

The patrol member couldn’t finish his sentence. A tall, large man was seen striding towards them.

“Nia, are you alright?”

It was Killian. With a pale face, he looked over Veronia’s body with worried eyes.

“Are you hurt anywhere?”

“I’m fine. I wasn’t injured. A masked knight appeared and saved me. Though he disappeared again without a sound, so I couldn’t thank him…”

“I see. I’m truly relieved. He’s a shadow knight I assigned out of concern.”

“Ah… I see. His swordsmanship was extremely impressive. Thank you, Killian. For assigning such a knight. So you don’t need to worry too much.”

“How can I not worry? After such a thing happened.”

Killian spoke almost tearfully as he gently embraced Veronia. His broad embrace was warm and firm. At that moment, the tension eased and her mind felt utterly at peace. Only now did she feel truly safe.

‘The warmest, safest embrace in the world.’

Veronia buried her face in Killian’s chest and whispered in a small voice, ‘Thank you.’ Killian then whispered back into her ear.

“I’m more thankful that you weren’t hurt.”

His breath tickled her ear, making her shoulder involuntarily flinch.

Killian, who had been holding her waist, let go and said in a serious tone and voice.

“This won’t do. From now on, always go around with escort knights.”

“You mean other escort knights besides the shadow knight?”

“Yes. I’ll have a female knight and a male knight prepared.”

“Two of them?”

“You can’t refuse.”

Killian’s voice was so resolute that Veronia didn’t even dare to refuse. She nodded.

“Alright.”

“Good.”

Pleased with her answer, Killian gently embraced her again.

Thanks to Killian’s appearance, the investigation became much easier. The patrol member who had been reluctant about Veronia’s testimony accusing royalty and nobility of being criminals now started writing down the details in his notebook as if there was no problem.

Veronia felt a bit bitter at the patrol member’s change in attitude. It wasn’t displeasure towards the patrol member, but lamentation at the unfair reality.

When a commoner accused a noble of being a criminal, the investigation itself became difficult, and in most cases, a happy ending couldn’t be expected.

But it was different when a noble accused another noble of being a criminal. The story could flow relatively easily, and a good result could be expected.

‘It’s bitter, but… that’s reality, so what can we do…’

The joy of obtaining evidence to catch Caspian was already gone. The sense of security she felt in Killian’s embrace was also gone.

Instead, feeling a heaviness like being pressed down by a heavy stone, Veronia let out a sigh.

Caspian returned to the imperial palace, seething. Usually, after causing a commotion with his mask, he would first stop by the club to shower and change clothes, returning in a neat state, but today was different.

It was because of his injury. Since there was no doctor at the club, he had to return directly to the palace. He needed to receive treatment quickly, before it got worse and left a scar.

The servant was dumbfounded, having never seen Caspian in such a state before. And soon, seeing the blood dripping from the tears in his clothes here and there, he was shocked.

“Your, Your Highness! What, what on earth…! Are, are you alright?”

He was so flustered that he could barely speak properly. Caspian yelled at such a servant.

“Don’t just stand there! Shouldn’t you hurry and bring the palace doctor!”

“Yes, yes! Understood, Your Highness! Please wait a moment!”

Only then did the servant scurry out. Watching the servant’s stumbling back as he ran away, Caspian clicked his tongue.

“A fool acts like a fool even in moments like this! Such an idiot should be fired immediately!”

How annoying! He irritably sat down on the sofa.

“Ugh!”

The pain suddenly rushed in all at once due to the sudden movement. He frowned and gritted his molars.

“This is all because of that bug-like commoner woman! Damn it!”

He was so angry that he wanted to smash anything right away, but his injured body complained of pain with even the slightest movement.

“Damn it! Damn it! Damn it!”

So he had no choice but to vent his anger only with his mouth. Caspian frowned while spitting out curses loudly.

‘That woman… What is she really? She spoke as if she had known me for a long time. But who is she?’

It seemed like he should remember, but he couldn’t. So he felt frustrated and irritated. Caspian carefully recalled what she had said.

‘Now that there’s no puppet to cover up your misdeeds, you’re still doing this! Old habits die hard indeed!’

A puppet to cover up my misdeeds? Who is she talking about? But now it’s gone?

‘A puppet… Huh, could it be…?’

Suddenly, a thought sharply crossed Caspian’s mind. His eyes widened in surprise.

‘A puppet that covered up my misdeeds, but is now gone… It’s Veronia!’

Veronia, who ran away from the imperial palace five years ago and died either in a fire accident or by suicide. In the imperial family, the term ‘puppet’ was used to refer to her.

Not only Caspian, but the imperial family often put her forward to cover up various flaws. Even Caspian, who was young at the time, could easily grasp the atmosphere of the imperial family using Veronia in such a way.

‘But… Isn’t it only the imperial family who knows that Veronia was the imperial family’s puppet? Ah… Maybe that Killian guy might have known too. Since he was her fiancé.’

And Killian must have told that commoner woman about the imperial family’s flaws and mentioned that fact. Caspian tried hard to turn his head that wasn’t working well.

Yes, that’s how it must have been. It seemed to be roughly sorted out, but he still couldn’t shake off the feeling that there was something more that remained unresolved.

‘But that woman’s eyes… It’s strange no matter how I think about it. Can a mere commoner look at a prince like that?’

That gaze that looked at him as if he was a worthless and ridiculous being. That woman was clearly mocking him.

At first, he was bewildered and angered by the gaze he had never received from anyone before. But now, as he kept recalling it, he felt a bit creepy.

‘No way… No way… Is that woman Veronia…?’

No. That can’t be. Veronia died a long time ago. If that woman was Veronia, why would she be living like that, pretending to be a commoner?

Caspian let out an embarrassed laugh, ha, haha… at the thought that suddenly occurred to him. But the unsettling feeling remained.

‘Get a grip. Stop these crazy thoughts. There’s no way Veronia, who died burned in a fire, could come back to life as a commoner woman, right?’

Caspian shook his head vigorously to chase away the absurd thoughts. Perhaps his head had gone strange from losing too much blood.

“Why isn’t the palace doctor coming quickly?”

He was afraid that he might go crazy if he kept losing more blood like this. Caspian’s irritated gaze was directed towards the door.

Just then, with an urgent knock, the door opened and the servant entered. Behind him, the palace doctor in a white gown followed.

“I greet Your Highness, the Prince.”

“Yes.”

“I will examine your wounds, Your Highness.”

The palace doctor immediately looked at Caspian’s wounds.

“Fortunately, the wounds are not deep. However, the torn skin needs to be stitched, so it will take some time.”

“I understand, just do it quickly.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

Caspian grumbled and got angry at the doctor for no reason, but the doctor cleaned and disinfected the wound areas with great care. Then he applied anesthetic ointment and started stitching right away.

“It’s all done, Your Highness.”

After stitching the wounds and wrapping them with bandages, the palace doctor stood up. As he was about to bow and leave the bedroom,

The door flung open without a knock, and Empress Dowager Sandra entered. Judging by her very rough breathing and the thudding sound of her footsteps, she seemed to be very angry.

The servant and the palace doctor hurriedly bowed their heads and left as if fleeing. Now only Caspian and Sandra were left in the bedroom.

“Are you crazy? This is you, isn’t it?”