“Kaligo, my faithful child.”

Gerard’s eyes turned red, and a bizarre voice, not human, flowed from his mouth.

As a magical mark appeared behind Kaligo’s neck, the focus disappeared from his eyes.

Gerard whispered into Kaligo’s ear with a sinister voice.

“Go to the Duke of Delmarc and deliver the evidence.”

“…”

“The evidence that Empress Taehwang Katrina killed the former Empress Esmeralda.”

His whispering eyes had a chilling gleam.

“So, this is the proof Marina Florang received for assassinating Empress Esmeralda in exchange for her life?”
That night, Herdin brought Kaligo, who urgently sought him, into his study.

What Kaligo had brought as evidence of the fire accident ten years ago was a peculiar coin with an engraved pattern.

Kaligo nodded, “Yes. I took it to the pawn shop, and they recognized it immediately. The person who brought this coin told them to pay a reward to anyone who brought it.”

“And who was the one supposed to pay the reward?”

“It was Lord Vernon, the younger brother of Countess Magrid.”

Marina Florang was one of the maids who served under Empress Esmeralda at the time of the incident. She was also found dead next to Empress Esmeralda’s body.

At that time, it was speculated that she had thwarted Esmeralda, who was trying to kill Blair. However, Blair, who had regained her memory, had a different claim.

Marina Florang killed Esmeralda without knowing that Blair was there.

The original intent was to assassinate Esmeralda.

“Perhaps the plan was to assassinate Empress Esmeralda and then escape. Take this coin to the pawnshop, receive the promised reward, and then flee.”

However, due to Blair’s sudden attack, the plan failed miserably as Marina Florang died, and the soldier who first came to the scene to clean up discovered and collected the coin from her.

Not knowing the purpose of the coin, the soldier, fearing he might be implicated in hiding crucial evidence if he sold it, kept it hidden for over ten years.

That was the entire story Kaligo relayed.

“If it were me, I would have thrown the coin into the river the moment I found out about the truth.”

It was puzzling why he had kept it for over ten years, even though he was afraid. Nevertheless, since the one paying the reward for the coin was related to Katrina, the coin became significant evidence.

The younger brother of Empress Taehwang’s court maid.

However, Herdin’s expression, looking at the coin shimmering in the candlelight, was dark.

“…Good job so far. Go back and rest today, and tomorrow find the person who cast this coin and bring back their testimony.”

At the same time, a black magic mark appeared behind Kaligo’s neck and disappeared instantly. Then, the focus returned to his eyes.

“What… sir?”

Although the memories from a little while ago were intact, they felt like someone else’s experiences, as if they had been through a dream.

Looking at Kaligo, who questioned with a bewildered expression, Herdin, with a questioning gaze, said again, “I told you to go and rest.”

“Ah… Yes. Then, please have a good night, Your Excellency.”

Scratching his neck, Kaligo bowed his head and left the study.

Left alone in the study, Herdin stared at the coin in his hand thoughtfully.
Now, with the testimony secured, Esmeralda’s false accusation could be cleared. It was something he had ardently wished for over the past ten years.

The moment to fulfill such a fervent desire was right before him, yet he hesitated in the face of trivial emotions.

As Herdin was contemplating his own hesitation, the sound of a grandfather clock faintly echoed in the silent mansion.

Before Kaligo unexpectedly arrived, he recalled leaving Blair in the room, who had been tormenting him from morning to night until she fainted.

The face that was soundly asleep with long, tear-moistened eyelashes delicately arranged, the tiny lips reddened from biting and sucking all day, and the soft, feminine figure that had been tormenting him, all returned to his mind.

In that moment of thinking about her, his body instinctively reacted.

“……Ha.”

Even at this moment, despite holding her relentlessly and desiring her once again, Herdin was amazed at how he still craved her, tirelessly.

Feeling the discomfort in his lower abdomen, Herdin quickly put the coin in his drawer, locked it with a key, and hurriedly left his study.

However, what awaited him upon his return to the bedroom was…

“……Blair?”

An empty bed.