Ariana, who had been waiting for a chance, tried to attack again by lifting her knee, but Rounder pinned Ariana’s leg with his thigh.

“You won’t fool me twice, princess.”

Ariana knew that it was hard for a woman’s body to defeat a man. But she didn’t expect to be so utterly defeated.

‘It’s hard to win even with a weapon.’

It was natural that she could not defeat a man with the body of a girl who had not eaten properly.

Ariana also anticipated this.

The problem was that Rounder was dumber than she thought.

Rounder dreamed of marrying Ariana. He didn’t think at all that he would be killed to keep his mouth shut once this was over.

Even if Ariana wasn’t treated like a daughter in the mansion, she was still the bloodline of the duke. The duke would not let go of a man who had defiled his granddaughter.

But such persuasion would not work on this man, puffed up with dreams.

Ariana decided to use her next move.

No matter how accustomed this man was to such things, he must never have had his tongue cut.

Ariana closed her eyes and stopped resisting, and Rounder, thinking she had accepted her fate, carelessly lowered his face towards hers.

Ariana imagined how she would move and waited for Rounder’s lips to touch.

That’s when it happened.

Suddenly the weight on her body lightened.

“Agh! What are you?”

A scream from Rounder came from beside the sofa.

Ariana turned her head and looked.

Somehow, a furious Cyrus was holding Rounder’s neck.

Rounder struggled to escape from his hand, but Cyrus easily subdued him without straining.

Ariana was envious of the great difference in strength. If only I were that strong.

“Is it this man’s lips that you crave, or did you offer your lips to hope for what comes next?”

“Let go of this! I don’t know what you’re doing, but I’ve come at the duchess’s request! You won’t be safe if you treat me like this!”

Unable to see Cyrus’s face because his neck was held, Rounder seemed to mistake Cyrus for a knight of this mansion.

When Rounder’s voice disturbed Cyrus’s soft voice, Cyrus moved both hands as if annoyed.

Thud[Dash]!

Just once.

With that single, effortless motion, Rounder stopped moving, his neck twisted strangely.
Ariana was greatly surprised, but did not show it. She quietly held her place as if seeing a person die before her eyes was nothing.

Sirus threw the lifeless Raundar on the floor.

Even after killing a person, Sirus’s expression was no different than usual. He seemed indifferent, as if he had just finished washing his hands or having a meal.

“Is he dead?”

“Yes. Are you scared?”

She could not show weakness to Sirus by admitting she was scared.

Ariana stepped down from the sofa and kicked the Raundar’s corpse with her foot. Raundar did not flinch.

“He’s really dead.”

“You entertain me, indeed. Most women would faint after such a scene.”

“Why would I faint when the man who tried to taunt me is dead?”

Sirus picked up a dagger from the floor and handed it to Ariana, handle first.

“Did you think you could beat a robust man with this?”

“I always think ahead.”

“Even if that means dirtying your lips?”

“The one who tries to drag others into the mud, should he fear the mud splashing onto me? Instead, I thank you for stepping into the mud for me. I will certainly repay you someday.”

Sirus stared at Ariana for a moment before speaking.

“Will you continue to stay here?”

“I should leave now. I’ll excuse myself first today.”

Ariana took a handkerchief from her pocket. It was a handkerchief she always carried, thinking there might come a time when she would use it.

Ariana dropped it on the floor.

She could not even guess why Sirus appeared at this moment and helped her. But if he really had the intention to ‘help’, he would not clean up this handkerchief.

After Ariana left without any explanation, Sirus confirmed what she had left behind.

It was a handkerchief.

Sirus’s lips curled up as he confirmed the name engraved on the handkerchief.

“Noah.”

At his call, Noah revealed himself.

“Go to the investigation agency as quickly as possible and send an investigator from the Empire here.”

In each province’s government office, there were one or two responsible people sent by the Empire.

If the investigator was a person from the Western Command, the incident could be quietly quashed under their influence. But to someone from the Empire, the Western Command’s influence would not work.

Noah briefly replied and disappeared, and Sirus pulled out a dagger from his pocket, stabbed Raundar’s chest a few times, and then concealed himself.

+++

Victoria was hurriedly walking through the forest.

It was because of the letter that had been pushed under her door earlier.

I need your help with the Ariana matter, come to the pergola by the pond in the center of the forest.

Burn this letter as you read it.

It was strange that Rachel, who had told her not to come out today, suddenly called her, but it was not suspicious enough.

Perhaps Helena might mess things up, so she told Victoria to stay in the room, and then secretly called Victoria alone.

She was heading toward the pergola when she heard voices. The voices of Rachel and the ladies.

Victoria hastily headed towards where the voices were coming from.

Rachel, who was heading towards the pergola with the ladies, looked surprised as Victoria suddenly appeared.

“Victoria?”

“Mother, I…”

“Why are you here? Go back to your room right away.”

Victoria was baffled by Rachel’s attitude.

‘But I came here because of Mother’s letter….’

Perhaps this was part of the plan.

“Yes, Mother.”

Victoria respectfully replied and left the spot.