Through repeated interrogations, Ixar became aware that I was nearly confirmed as the murderer of Claude Ferrier.

All evidence and circumstances pointed towards me.

Numerous people who witnessed the altercation at the reception, the stablemaster and carriage depot owner who claimed to have seen him struck down with a mallet. Crucially, the brooch that Claude Ferrier was holding in his hand.

Moreover, there was no one to prove that he left the reception and immediately returned home.

Even Ixar within the estate was confused.

“Is it really true that I didn’t kill him?”

It was certain that I wouldn’t have committed such an act unless I was insane, but on that day, I was slightly out of my mind.

Ixar was infuriated as much as his conscience was pricked by the sarcastic truth uttered by Claude Ferrier. He wanted to permanently bury him, who had discovered my secret. So, during the short time when reason might not have restrained impulsiveness, perhaps during the time when memory was lost due to alcohol, I thought that I might have killed him…

Until two days ago, before discovering the note with its crumpled edge under the vase.

“Have you now considered accepting my proposal?”

I didn’t kill him!

Just… fell into a trap.

It couldn’t be called a very cunning trap, but it was sticky and persistent.

And, in fact, that made it scarier. A cunning trap, if luck was on your side, could sometimes be avoided, but a persistent trap followed you until you fell into it.

Even if he hadn’t drunk the drugged alcohol, hadn’t gone to the reception, hadn’t done anything, he would eventually have fallen into the trap.

And sitting at the wooden table, looking at the violet hyacinth, he would have contemplated the contents of the note.

The characters sparkled in the candlelight.

As he set a beautiful trap for me, the writing seemed beautifully done.

It was from a cruel man named Damyae Illiez Montaner.

Ixar had met the Grand Duke in the central hall the day before. And he received a proposal.

“Send me only a hundred soldiers, Your Excellency.”

It was an unexpectedly ordinary proposal. So, rather than contempt, there was more surprise.

“Well, do you have a shortage of labor for farming?”

“It’s similar.”

In response to Ixar’s sarcasm, the Grand Duke replied with an indifferent attitude.

“The only difference is that the target to be worked on is not crops but people.”

He said he needed a noble soldier who could serve as an exemplary model for the newly recruited soldiers just starting training.

Ixar didn’t immediately dismiss the request because it wasn’t an entirely unreasonable demand.

When recruiting and training soldiers for the first time, it was common for new nobles to temporarily borrow soldiers from existing nobles.

He preferred soldiers from well-disciplined noble families. In that regard, the soldiers from the Baldeamion estate were exemplary noble soldiers.
“As you know, it’s strictly prohibited by imperial law for a governor to have soldiers. There have been governors who secretly raised soldiers, but I haven’t done so.”

“Well, I thought the Imperial Guard would be yours.”

Ixar’s sarcasm made the Grand Duke simply amused. He then spoke.

“But now that I have become a mere lord, I need soldiers for the sake of my territory. Reliable and dignified soldiers would be even better.”

“Not for yourself?”

The Grand Duke laughed again. He had a remarkable talent for using a mix of words and silence to make himself appear mysterious.

Whether he spoke or not, Ixar declined.

“I believe you don’t think I would accept.”

“I thought you would. And I still do.”

With the Grand Duke’s relaxed attitude, Ixar asked.

“Do you have any evidence?”

“Yes.”

The Grand Duke confidently replied.

“What is it? What’s the evidence?”

“My intuition.”

At that, Ixar burst into involuntary laughter. In response, the Grand Duke spoke with an interesting expression.

“I’m not sure if you’ve heard it from Her, but my intuition is quite accurate.”

The more Ixar didn’t believe, the more the Grand Duke’s smile deepened.

As if saying, “You’ll find out soon enough.”

“I suppose you think everything is going your way by now.”

Ixar murmured as he looked at the note.

He knew he was dealing with a person who wouldn’t hesitate to use any means to achieve his goals, but he never dreamed that the goal would be himself.

What did he see in me?

Perhaps, like Claude, he also sensed his inappropriate feelings. But if that were the case, he wouldn’t have imposed such conditions.

“I won’t borrow it for free. If you give me an army, I’ll give you one thing you desire. Whatever it is, even if it’s my life, I’ll gladly give it to you.”

It was clear he didn’t know. If he knew, he would have said it straight away.

So what is it? Why is he so insistent on involving me to the extent of killing Claude Ferrier? What does he want with a hundred soldiers? Is it really for military training?

Nothing provided a clear answer.