“Hah…”

Melvin’s face was clearly marked with exhaustion, as he had been unable to sleep properly and had spent the night wide awake. His eyes were red with fatigue, and there were dark shadows under his eyes as if smeared with ashes.

Of course, it was because of Elaina.

‘That damned bitch…!’

Last night.

A completely flustered coachman had come to deliver news that was entirely unexpected and not part of Melvin’s plan.

[So… Elaina escaped…?]

It was unbelievable. Of course, Melvin didn’t think Elaina would be captured easily. Who knows how much he had prepared for it.

For example, nailing the windows shut. Or a carriage door that could only be opened from the outside. Things like that.

But to run away?

[How could such a thing happen! I told you over and over again! The door should only be opened after arriving at Duke Hank’s estate, whether she’s unconscious or dead!]

[I, I never opened the door!]

The coachman, covered in dirt and with his hair disheveled, retorted in a pitiful voice.

[Sinclair Butler… that crazy bastard attacked my carriage!]

As he sputtered those words, the coachman went on to say that if his running hadn’t been fast enough, he too would have been caught and killed.

But Melvin didn’t think so.

Sinclair had let the coachman go on purpose.

So that he could go back and deliver all this news to Melvin.

“Damn it…”

This was a completely unexpected turn of events. For Sinclair, crazy as he was, to pull something like this.

What Melvin was worried about right now wasn’t just his fear of Sinclair. It was Duke Hank and his group.

In other words, those formed around Hister, the Crown Prince and Sinclair’s half-brother, who was powerfully expanding his influence as the next emperor.

‘It was the only chance to gain Duke Hank’s favor…!’

The disappearance of Elaina alone was enough to make him faint, but for the person who took her to be none other than Sinclair Butler! Melvin looked like he was about to collapse.

Nothing good came out of this incident for Melvin. He would lose the trust of Duke Hank and Hister, and though he didn’t know why Sinclair was so obsessed with Elaina, he had earned his hatred.

At this rate, everything would be over. It was no exaggeration to say that his long-cherished dream of attaching himself to Duke Hank’s group to gain wealth and profit was now shattered.

…But even at this point, Melvin had no idea.

That an even greater bolt from the blue could strike.

[This is the timeline separator]

And that incident occurred exactly at noon.

In contrast to the luxurious and spacious study, there was not a glimmer of light to be found on Melvin’s face as he sat at the table.

As soon as the day dawned, he had frantically sent a letter to Duke Hank’s estate, but no matter how long he waited, no reply came back.

Thus, with nothing resolved, Melvin was going through a hellish time.

“…”

Unlike usual, Melvin’s dull eyes were staring at a cold cup of tea. No matter how much he thought about it, he couldn’t figure out how to overcome this situation, so he was just staring at it blankly.

“M-Master…”

“…”

“I have… something to tell you…”

“…”

“I… Ahhh!”

The maid, who had carefully opened the door and was about to speak, suddenly screamed. It was because of the teacup that had accurately hit her forehead.

“I said… no one is to come in!”

The maid, whose forehead was suddenly torn, was at a loss as blood dripped down.

“Get out now! I said get lost!”

“B-But… I thought you should… go out and see…”

At the maid’s words, stammered out between sobs, Melvin finally flinched.

“P-Prince Sinclair… has arrived…”

“What…?”

“And he’s brought escort knights and soldiers…”

In an instant, Melvin’s face turned as pale as a long-dead corpse.

“Darling!”

Not long after, Melissa’s urgent voice was heard. Father, father! Leila’s voice, not knowing what to do, was also heard. So Melvin belatedly realized that something had gone terribly wrong.

Melvin, who had been standing with a pale face in a state of confusion, sprang up from his seat. Then he began to run like crazy towards where the voices of his wife and daughter had come from.

[This is the timeline separator]

“Huff, hah…”

The place where Melvin stopped, breathing heavily, was the entrance of the mansion.

There, his wife and daughter were terrified, there were soldiers as the maid had said, and there was also a carriage with an unknown occupant.

And there was the infamous Sinclair Butler.

He had a very relaxed expression on his face, with a smile on his lips that was as sinister as could be.

“The weather is really nice today, Melvin Aswald.”

“…”

“Don’t you think?”

There was no answer. Melvin, who was thoroughly frightened, only stared at Sinclair with a stiff face.

“You could also say it’s the perfect day for an execution.”

At Sinclair’s words, the two women flinched and hid behind Melvin.

“Hiding won’t do any good, you know.”

Sinclair stared at them blankly, then burst out laughing. As if he found it very amusing.

“I’m not kind enough to show mercy to accomplices.”

“A-Accomplices…? I’m sorry, but we have no idea what you’re talking about…”

Melissa tried to make excuses in a fluster, but at that moment-

“Melvin Aswald and Melissa Aswald. And your daughter, Leila Aswald.”

Sinclair slowly spoke in a heavy, low voice.

“All members of the Aswald family, except Elaina Aswald, will have to pay the rightful price for daring to instigate the kidnapping of the crown princess and trying to sell her off like an object.”

“Crown princess! Elaina has never been the crown princess!”

It was Melvin who stepped forward in a hurry.

The reason he was so bravely standing up to Sinclair like this wasn’t just because he wanted to protect his family.

It was simply because there was a huge difference between instigating the kidnapping of Elaina Aswald and instigating the kidnapping of the “crown princess”.

The former was not a problem at all, but the latter could result in the death penalty in the worst case.

“You’re not old enough to have a failing memory yet, Melvin Aswald.”

But Sinclair answered mockingly.

“Have you forgotten that I visited that day?”

“Of course I haven’t forgotten. But that day, Your Highness, you just brought a marriage proposal…!”

“Is that really what happened?”

What Sinclair pulled out from his chest was none other than a document.

To be precise, it was a marriage contract.

A document with the emperor’s seal permitting the marriage of the two and the signatures of the two people.

And at the end of the document, there was a date.

It was the very day Sinclair had visited.

‘A trap…!’

The words Sinclair had said to him when he visited with the marriage proposal flashed through Melvin’s mind.

[I’d like you to leave the room.]

‘It was a trap from the beginning!’

[The owner of my marriage proposal is Elaina Aswald, not you.]

‘He deliberately drove me out. To corner me like this…!’

[Get out. Right now.]

“Eyes aren’t there because there wasn’t enough skin, Melvin.”

“…”

“They’re there to see.”

Sinclair shoved the marriage contract in front of his nose and laughed.

“We just haven’t held the ceremony yet, but Elaina became the crown princess from that day on. No matter how much of a blockhead you are, you should understand the situation you’re in now.”

Melvin’s clenched fist trembled and shook. There was no chance of winning like this. He was about to become the second person Sinclair killed in broad daylight.

‘No, it can’t… It can’t end this easily…’

Melvin bit his lip hard.

“Now, give me an answer that will please me.”

“Do you have… solid evidence?”

At Melvin’s voice, which came out as small as a mosquito’s, Sinclair slightly frowned.

“That marriage contract… I’m sorry, but isn’t it a bit flimsy as evidence…?”

“Flimsy?”

Sinclair laughed.

“Although His Majesty the Emperor may have stamped the marriage contract in advance, that does not prove that Elaina and Your Highness made the vow together that day…”

Melvin continued in a strange voice that sounded like a trampled rat.

“Moreover, dates can be forged at any time. It’s not that I don’t believe Your Highness’s words, but objectively speaking, that’s how it is.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes. I wasn’t even aware of such a fact… I was just looking for a considerate person to take in my sick daughter. The money Duke Hank was going to give me was just for dowry. So I’m really falsely accused…”

Before Melvin could finish his sentence, Sinclair began to laugh like a madman. As if he was watching a very amusing farce.

“A very interesting story. You should have become a writer instead, you would have been more successful than now. Quite capable.”

“…”

“And you said the evidence was flimsy, Melvin.”

Sinclair boldly approached Melvin without any hesitation, and the closer he got, the more Melvin unknowingly stepped back. Melissa and Leila were the same.

But that futile escape soon came to an end. The soldiers surrounded the family, and they had no choice but to stop right there.

“There may be no evidence, but there are witnesses.”

Sinclair, who had brought his face close, smirked and said with a face full of ridicule.

“To be precise, a witness and the person herself.”

As soon as he finished speaking, the sound of the door opening was heard from the carriage parked behind.

The person who got out of the carriage was someone Melvin had never expected.

Elaina Aswald.

His youngest daughter, whom he had tried to sell off with his own hands.

“Father.”

Melvin’s eyes, filled with Elaina, shook violently.

What on earth was she going to say that made her come all the way here? He wanted to somehow read her mind, but he couldn’t figure out at all what emotion was contained in Elaina’s subtle expression.

“Why are you lying?”

“Wh-What?”

“I clearly told you that His Highness and I made the vow that very day, didn’t I?”

Elaina looked at Melvin with a face that said she really couldn’t understand.

“I also heard directly from the palace. And I saw the marriage contract with the two signatures with my own two eyes.”

Shuler, who had opened the carriage door, interjected with a kind smile.

“But it’s a bit strange that you, Melvin, her father, didn’t know that fact. There’s no reason for Elaina to tell such a lie, is there?”

“Slander, it’s slander!”

Melvin, driven into a corner, shouted in a very angry voice. Of course, it was only possible because Shuler’s status was lower than his.

“It’s just a forced argument to take Elaina’s side! Damn…!”

“Evidence.”

And Elaina looked straight at her father and said.

“Do you have evidence?”

“What…?”

“Evidence that I’m lying to deceive you, Father.”

“Melissa and Leila are witnesses! How dare you do such a crazy thing…”

“But Father, isn’t that too flimsy for witnesses?”

“…”

“Besides, you, Melissa, and Leila have already become criminals. To be precise, you’re in a situation where you’re suspected of being criminals. But unfortunately, there’s no shoddy law anywhere in Edenbell that allows suspects to be presented as witnesses.”

It’s such a pity, isn’t it? Elaina said with a smile.

Translation complete. 100% of original text translated.