Chapter 65

After Elysia disappeared, Cassian headed straight for the Capital with the family’s knights.

He wanted to see for himself the places she was supposed to be right now, but he had a hard time moving to the places after doing so. So, he left that part entirely to Ramote and Ryan.

As soon as he arrived in the Capital, he sought out Revos.

Revos greeted him as if he had waited with an anxious face.

“Duke. The Empress’s family went bankrupt is apparently a smokescreen.”

“Is that so.”

He knew from Lloyd as he had already heard the report. The news that a large sum of money was delivered to the Marquisate of Blanche, not only that Lumiere Blanche, who had been hiding before Elysia disappeared, appeared.

And, the shocking news that the funds came from the pockets of Marquisate Litte.

Isn’t the timing just right?

He was convinced that Lumiere and Peloit had something to do with Elysia’s disappearance.

Cassian raised the corners of his lips and let out a blatant smirk.

“How about His Majesty?”

“It’s not strange if he passed away today.”

“I should start working on the succession. I will put it on the agenda next week.”

It was meant to officially announce that the emperor was bedridden.

The sound of Cassian tapping the armrest of the chair with his finger rang out. In order for Revos to be delegated all the powers of the emperor, he had to tie the feet of the Empress.

They filed for bankruptcy, so where did that money come from…?

“We need proof that the Empress put her hand on the treasury.”

“Is it true?”

“I don’t know. Well, if it doesn’t exist, I’ll have to make it.”

Hearing that, Revos looked bewildered at Cassian’s attitude as to whether the truth was important or not. That was the answer, but in fact, the only place the money would come from was Peloit.

Cassian didn’t want to explain all of that, so he took a long breath and continued.

“You must prepare as soon as possible.”

“I don’t know if it’ll be possible until the next meeting.”

“Ask Duke Lowell for help.”

Revos nodded his head.

If they did well while tying the Empress’s feet, they would be able to weave the Marquisate of Blanche.

Cassian stood up, thinking that he should speak to Duke Lowell separately. The complexity of his head made it difficult for him to be polite to Revos.

“Increase your escort from today. We’ll also attach a few articles of our family.”

Now, the battle for the throne would begin, and the number of people aiming for Revos would increase as well.

The guards of the Central Palace where the emperor was located, including the Palace where Revos was staying, had to be increased. The Imperial Palace was guarded by the Second Knights of the Imperial Family, and Peloit took control of it.

So, he had no choice but to attach even the knights of his family and make it as if they belonged to the Imperial Knights.

He was blindfolded, though he won’t be deterred.

“Then, I’ll see you tomorrow.”

Before leaving the Palace, Cassian gave a brief order to the knights of the family he had brought. The knights belonging to the Esteban Knights greeted him while changing into the Imperial Knights uniform.

Lloyd followed Cassian as he left the Palace.

“I’m going back to the mansion. Any contact?”

“…There was none.”

It seems that the search done by Ramote and Ryan has not made much progress yet.

“I feel like they want to cause a rebellion.”

“Your, Your Excellency?”

There was no evidence anywhere that Peloit used black magic.

It must have been black magic, as it was said that Der disappeared just in time when Elysia disappeared. Except for the evidence of black magic, there was no way to catch him because the Empress would take over everything that could be a problem.

He then calculated whether it would be possible to change the imperial surname to Esteban.

A pretty specific thought stopped him from realizing that Elysia wouldn’t be interested in things like being an empress.

“Go to the Duchy of Lowell. If you ask to weave together the Empress and the Marquisate of Blanche, they’ll understand.”

“Understood. What should I do with the documents you mentioned?”

“If the agenda is passed tomorrow, the Crown Prince will take care of it.”

Cassian raised the corners of his lips.

He ordered Lloyd to produce evidence that the Marquisate of Blanc had attempted to poison the emperor. Even if they didn’t go there anyway, they had done so many things that they would not be able to avoid the destruction when Revos was entrusted with the power of the Emperor.

In fact, it was Peloit who touched the Emperor. However, there was just no evidence.

***
Upon returning to the mansion, Cassian smiled twisted at the butler’s report.

How dare for her to be coming here?

“Where?”

“In the drawing room. She said she has something to tell you about Madam.”

Lumiere had come to the mansion, and even more, mentioning Elysia’s name.

When Cassian met her, he wondered if he would be able to control his emotions. The intention of wanting to cut her right away and the intention that he had to somehow confirm Elysia’s position and safety from Lumiere collided.

He slowly opened the parlor door and entered.

Lumiere looked at Cassian with a beautiful smile as if painted.

“I missed you. Cassian.”

Cassian raised his eyebrows at the proud words when she called his name. It was normal to laugh out loud at the action beyond being stunned, but she seemed to be engulfed by anxiety.

“Just get to the point.”

“If you treat me so coldly, I’ll be in trouble. You have to be kind to me.”

Lumiere rested her chin on the back of her hand and blinked her eyes in an outright seduction. The dress she wore was also a style that showed off her body bluntly.

She then glanced at Cassian, who was standing still, then rummaged through her arms and threw something on the table.

“Ha—”

Cassian exhaled and ran his hand through his hair.

What she threw at the table was a bundle of silver hair. It looked like she had cut off a handful of Elysia’s hair.

Seeing that, he placed his hand on the handle of the sword and struggled to suppress his emotions.

“What do you want?”

“Well. First of all, our family’s safety… And, you?”

Cassian sat across from Lumiere. The former was a matter of excluding the Marquisate of Blanc from the next agenda, and the latter.

Obviously, the latter was an absolutely impossible condition.

“Just spend one night with me. Then, I’ll tell you everything.”

“That’s impossible.”

Cassian didn’t even think long.

He had no intention of doing that, but even if she offered Elysia as a hostage and accepted that condition, it didn’t seem like it would be possible. He has no sexual desire in the first place for any woman other than Elysia.

Although he had never tried it, he was sure he would.

Even the woman sitting right in front of him was seducing him with that blatant outfit, but it felt like he was looking at a stone lying on the side of the road?

“Are you in a position to reject that? It’s only for one night.”

Lumiere raised her hand and pushed the bundle of Elysia’s hair further into Cassian’s.

He slowly raised his hand and picked it up.

“There seems to be some misunderstanding. Really. If that’s all you have to say, then go.”

As he glanced at Lumiere, he shifted his gaze back to the bundle of hair she was holding in her hand.

As if Lumiere did not understand Cassian’s words, she opened her mouth.

“It’s only once. A girl like that is not worth to protect—Kyaak!”

However, she was startled by Cassian kicking the table, so she jumped up and backed away from him.

At that moment, he tucked the hair into his chest and moved closer to her, and leaned his body next to Lumiere’s face, placing his hands.

“It’s impossible. Even if you try, it’s not possible. Don’t you know what I mean?”

“Well, what… Are you telling me to believe it now?”

It was like saying he wouldn’t even want her.

At that, he twisted his lips as he looked at Lumiere, who blushed as if the answer was shameful.

“Yes. So, come with a different condition.”

Cassian took a step back from Lumiere to widen their distance, and Lumiere rushed to hug his waist as he was about to move. She grabbed him so he couldn’t leave right away.

“Then, do one thing first. Don’t touch our family.”

***
Elysia didn’t even know how many days had passed, and she was wasting her time.

The time Peloit came was so irregular that she couldn’t fathom how much time had passed. Slowly, she started to feel hungry, so she wondered if it had been about ten days.

He fed her a full meal every time he came and brought the maid and let her bathe.

Of course, she ate only a minimal amount of food.

It was because he brought a man wearing the apron and cut him right in front of her eyes. He then said, ‘You won’t eat it because it’s tasteless, so he’ll have to apologize with his life. I’ll prepare for it again’.

Because of that, she had no choice but to take a bath and just do things quietly.

Elysia had finished bathing, and she had to wear some very fancy dresses.

It was awkward for her as if she was to attend a banquet right now, though she saw the young maid dragging a tray in after her.

The maid was like someone who could neither see nor hear. She knew when she saw her groping her body as she lifted her bathing suit.

Peloit came closer to her and kissed the back of her hand.

“I missed you.”

“….”

She didn’t make eye contact with him, nor gave an answer.

If possible, it would be better for him to think of her as though she had lost her mind. It wasn’t a dress she wouldn’t wear, but he had prepared everything, including the accessories.

She had her hair done and makeup on and lay back on the bed. As she dresses up like that, he kisses her hand or hair, says he loves her, or whatever. Elysia was just used to him acting like a madman.

She didn’t know if he didn’t notice that the marks on her body were quickly disappearing, or that the scars on her wrists were gone so quickly, or if he just saw it and said nothing.

Peloit came in with a click.

He saw Elysia’s reaction, and he was rather happy.

He took a deep breath in her as he leaned close to her.

It had been a long time since she had drank blood, and just seeing Peloit approaching had made her want to suck blood.

Peloit quickly noticed her condition and leaned his body closer to her head. It was close enough to feel the breath, and if someone opened their mouth, their lips would touch.

Elysia tried to keep her breathing as natural as possible.

“Hmm… that’s weird.”

Each time he uttered a word, their lips rubbed against each other. He pulled his body right away and sat down in the chair as if nothing had happened.

“I have something special to tell you today. It’s about your husband, but I can’t tell you now.”

Elysia, unwilling to react as usual, stiffened her body at the word ‘husband.’

She thought she would ignore it, but it was already after her body reacted first.

At that moment, she could see Peloit looking at her with a friendly face.