Lucienne Beanoman…

Daimond smiled as he recalled Lucienne, who had an elegant, pure, yet mature aura.

She was a lady with a strange charm, just as rumored.

While thinking about Lucienne, Daimond’s eyes met with the woman looking at him.

Swish…

Kyaa!!

“Young master! What’s going on?”

When Hook entered Daimond’s room, he saw a woman collapsed in a bloody state and Daimond stepping on the fallen woman who seemed to have lost her senses.

“You. No, young master!!”

“I clearly told you not to remove the blindfold. How dare you, a mere thing like you, look at my face? You who would sleep with anyone for money!”

“Your Highness!! Please stop. She’s already unconscious.”

At Hook’s restraint, Daimond finally got up from his seat, wiped off the blood splattered on him as if nothing had happened, put on a nightgown, and left the room.

“Your Highness…”

“Get rid of it. Handle it well so there’s no talk afterward.”

“Haah. Understood.”

At Daimond’s words, Hook gestured, and the servant standing outside entered the room with two guard knights.

“Crown Prince, why do you keep doing this? Didn’t you promise not to use violence? What if Her Majesty the Empress finds out about this?”

“Don’t worry. They consider me their master, so they won’t speak carelessly, and you wouldn’t tell Mother, would you? And as always, they’re women who won’t be missed even if they disappear, so what does it matter!”

“Your Highness…”

Hook Sleeve, the Duke who was Daimond’s aide, grew increasingly worried about the Crown Prince’s behavior that was becoming more uncontrollable.

How many times has it been now…

After his coming-of-age ceremony at 18, he attempted to rape a count’s daughter who had followed him, but it failed. To prevent the news from reaching Biseluk’s ears, Antoinette sent the count’s family to the countryside with enormous compensation.

If only that incident had been made public then, would things have been better?

Realizing that messing with noblewomen was not as easy to handle as he thought, Daimond began secretly bringing poor women with no connections to the palace to spend the night.

He would hide a woman in his palace for several days, satisfying his desires, and when he got bored, he would give her some money and send her out.

Since they were given advance payment and brought in carriages with their eyes covered, the women had no idea that the man they spent the night with was the Crown Prince.

If any of the women brought in on the condition of wearing a blindfold during intercourse happened to remove it out of curiosity and see Daimond’s face, that woman would never return alive.

Until now, the servants and I have somehow managed to keep it secret and handle it, but as the saying goes, ‘a long tail gets stepped on,’ Hook was always anxious that someone might find out someday.

The Crown Prince was already out of Biseluk’s favor due to his usual violent temperament, and if this matter were to be revealed, he might really have to give up his position as Crown Prince.

“Hurry and get ready. The meeting time is approaching.”

“Don’t worry. I won’t be late for the meeting. Harmen was supposed to attend today’s meeting, right?”

At Hook’s words, Daimond walked slowly towards the bathroom with a languid smile.

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Hmm. Who could it be?

Mercian, who was thinking about the tea party while sitting in a tree in the garden, looked down at the noisy sound.

As Ruan entered the living room, a red-haired woman, whose arrival time was unknown, approached Ruan and fell into his arms.

Indeed, even though Ruan has lost weight and become slender, if the woman is as delicate as Lucy, she can be embraced like that.

Compared to that, I can only be embraced by Ruan because his arms are relatively long, it might be difficult for average men.

She’s not as pretty as Lucy, but still better than me.

Thinking that some kind of love scene would unfold next since no one was watching anyway, Mercian was about to turn her head when…

What? What’s this situation?

Ruan’s sword was at her throat.

Could she be an assassin?

Worried, Mercian quickly climbed down the tree and entered the living room.

“I warned you that if you do this kind of thing one more time, I’ll kill you.”

“How can you do this to me? Ruan, how long have we known each other? We know everything about each other. We even bathed together and you said you’d marry me, but you abandoned me and married another woman. Isn’t this too much?”

Whoosh!

Before the sobbing woman could finish speaking, Ruan’s sword swung precisely to cut her throat, but the woman stepped back three or four steps.

“Whoa, whoa, Ruan, calm down. You’re not really going to kill me, are you?”

“I don’t make empty threats!”

“Ruan! Are you alright?”

Seeing Mercian enter the living room with a surprised expression, Ruan, who had been wearing a sharp expression until now, threw away his sword and approached Mercian with a gentle smile, saying:

“Mer, I’m back.”

“Yes, Ruan, did you have a good day? But who is that lady?”

“Oh my? I suppose this is the person who stole my love. Hohoho.”

“Tablo, stop it, will you?”

As the red-haired woman tried to approach Mercian, she saw Ruan glaring at her and stood in place, bowing her head gracefully and saying:

“Hah, what an unfunny friend indeed. Pleased to meet you, madam. I am Duke Tablo Hyneve, that tasteless Ruan Canoloup’s friend of 20 years.”

“Ta-Tablo? But…”

Mercian looked at Ruan with surprised eyes as a husky male voice came out of the woman’s mouth, which had been speaking in a coquettish voice until just now.

“It’s that crazy guy’s weird hobby.”

“You mean he’s cross-dressing? Wow? But his figure… it’s much prettier than mine, and his face too. I really thought he was a woman.”

“Hohoho. Everyone thinks that. Only that friend doesn’t know my charm.”

As Mercian kept staring at Tablo, who didn’t look like a man at all, Ruan suddenly stood between her and Tablo and said:

“Dear, if you keep looking, you’ll ruin your eyes, so stop. Did you have a good day today?”

“Yes, Ruan. It’s still before dinner, so please go wash up and come out. I’ll prepare dinner. Will the Duke be joining us?”

“No!”

“Thank you, madam.”

Ruan and Mercian gave different answers simultaneously.

“Pfft. Ruan, don’t be like that. Then I’ll see you in the dining room in 30 minutes. Ed, please show the Duke to the guest room.”

At Mercian’s words, Tablo bowed his head and followed Edward to the guest room.

[This is the timeline separator]

“Wow. It’s a completely different atmosphere from before.”

Mercian looked curiously at Tablo as he entered the dining room.

Until just now, he was a glamorous noblewoman with red hair, but now Tablo entering the dining room was a handsome man with brown hair and charming eyes.

“I can’t tell at all that it’s the same person.”

“Hahaha. I’m quite skilled at disguise. I couldn’t attend your wedding because I was on a secret mission, so this is my wedding gift to apologize.”

Tablo took out a small box and handed it to Mercian.

“Oh my? Thank you so much.”

When Mercian opened the box, a small perfume bottle came out.

“Wow. The scent is really nice.”

“Hohoho, isn’t it? It’s one of my favorite perfumes. I bought it thinking it would suit you well, madam, and seeing you in person, it seems my choice was right.”

“Pfft, that voice really doesn’t match that face at all. But somehow it also kind of suits you strangely.”

“Thank you for the compliment, madam. You are very beautiful too.”

“Thank you so much for the gift. And for the compliment.”

“Not at all. It seems Ruan is looking at me like he’s going to kill me for keep talking to you, madam?”

“Huh? Hahaha.”

At Tablo’s words, Mercian looked at Ruan, whose face turned red as he avoided Mercian’s gaze and said:

“Stop talking nonsense and how did that matter go?”

At Ruan’s question, Tablo looked at Mercian, and Ruan nodded as if it was okay.

“It seems you were right. A wealthy young master takes them away in a carriage for a few nights in exchange for payment, but some don’t return.”

“Then really… our guess was correct?”

“Yes, as you thought, it seems that young master is the Crown Prince. The carriage had no markings, but it looked like a royal carriage.”

“How many women have disappeared so far?”

“Roughly estimating, it’s over 10.”

“What’s their common point?”

“Currently, all the missing ladies are in their early 20s, and they all have no relatives. They’re all ladies living alone.”

“So they’re choosing people that no one would look for even if they disappeared. Haah.”

“Um, Ruan? I’m sorry, but can I excuse myself first?”

“Mer, have you finished eating already?”

“Yes,”

“I’m sorry. We got carried away with our conversation.”

Mercian, who had been wearing an uncomfortable expression throughout Ruan and Tablo’s conversation, excused herself and left the dining room. Tablo looked at Ruan with an interesting expression.

“What do you want to say?”

“What’s the reason?”

“For what?”

“Why are you deliberately leaking to your wife that I’m investigating the Crown Prince’s background!”

“I don’t want to keep secrets from my wife.”

“Hey, Ruan, I’ve known you for 20 years. You, who never knew any woman except your aunt, don’t want to keep secrets from a wife you married just two days ago? I heard from Cassel. The Crown Prince approached your wife’s sister.”

“What’s your point?”

“You want your wife to pass this information to her sister, right? What exactly are you trying to do?”

“There’s been a flood in the Saffron region, causing a large number of victims. The Crown Prince suggested in the meeting room to provide only one meal a day to the victims.”

“Ha! He acts like he’s dying if he skips one meal, what nonsense is that?”

“He said we shouldn’t empty the empire’s treasury.”

“That’s really nonsensical madness. So what was decided?”

“Prince Harmen and I have found about 200 skilled carpenters from neighboring countries for now. And we’ve requested two months’ worth of food from His Majesty the Emperor.”

“With 200 carpenters and the local residents working together, it should take about two months for recovery.”

“The problem is that I need to be away from the duchy for at least two weeks.”

“Hmm. Are you worried that the Crown Prince might do something to your wife?”

“He won’t do anything yet. But just in case, I’m leaking this information first. If he knows that I’m investigating the Crown Prince’s secrets, he’ll at least clean up his surroundings to hide his wrongdoings. During that time, he won’t do anything to my wife.”

Hearing Ruan’s words, Tablo looked at him with interest and said:

“You’re a bit strange.”

“What?”

“I’ve known you, Ruan, for 20 years, but not once have you ever shown interest in anyone other than yourself. The only person you ever cared about was your aunt. But now, you’re worried about your wife. Are you really the Ruan I know?”

“What nonsense are you talking about?”

“No matter how I think about it, it’s strange. Even earlier, normally you wouldn’t have revealed my identity. Did you swing your sword at me because you knew your wife was watching us and you didn’t want her to misunderstand? Could it be that you’ve fallen in love with your wife? Or have you developed some other feelings for her?”

“Haah. Stop talking nonsense, Tablo. If my wife hadn’t married me, she wouldn’t have needed to step into this mud. I’m just sorry about that, and I want her to live well at least until I die, no, even after I die.”

That’s exactly what’s strange.

A person who never cared about anyone but himself is suddenly worried about his wife’s future?

And that’s for a contract marriage!

Tablo looked at Ruan for a moment, who was showing excessive interest in Mercian without realizing it.

If, and it’s probably impossible, but if miracles do happen. If Ruan starts to feel emotions and falls in love with his wife…

Maybe…

Tablo felt like he could see a small glimmer of hope.

I wish he would realize it himself before more time passes…

Hiding his thoughts, Tablo made a crooked expression and said:

“Wishing for her to live well. Isn’t that a bit of a dangerous thought?”

“Haah. Stop nitpicking and please take care of my wife when I’m not around?”

“Hmm. Do you trust me? What if I were to… your wife…”

Bang!

Tablo looked at the sword suddenly stuck in front of him and said:

“No- It’s a joke. How could I possibly have ulterior motives towards my friend’s wife? So don’t worry and go.”

Even after Tablo left the dining room, Ruan remained lost in thought with a worried expression for a long time.

For the first time, Harmen spoke his opinion in the meeting room.

And it was a realistic and feasible proposal, unlike the nonsensical things the Crown Prince was spouting…

The look in Daimond’s eyes glaring at Prince Harmen and himself as they left after the meeting was filled with a different anger than before.

Now I can’t stop or turn back

It didn’t matter what the Crown Prince did as long as the target was himself or Prince Harmen.

Even if he were to die, he was terminally ill anyway.

Prince Harmen surely wouldn’t have opposed Daimond without being prepared for such risks, so it was up to Prince Harmen himself to navigate through those dangers.

But Mercian was different.

She should not be exposed to or suffer such dangers for any reason.

If only Mercian could stay out of the Crown Prince’s sight, I could give up a few pieces of evidence that are disadvantageous to me.

So please, dear, take the evidence I left in the study to the Crown Prince.

So that you can be safe until I return…