But really, how strange. Why do I feel that the Duke is not showing loyalty toward me, but rather defending that merchant fellow?

There was no hostility in the tone or gaze directed at Sikar, but neither was there any sincerity.

“I am merely concerned that if Your Majesty personally executes a merchant whose guilt has not been clearly proven, it might negatively affect public sentiment among the merchants.”

“Do you truly think so?”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

Gillian, who had been silently glaring at Sikar, raised his hand. The fight immediately ceased, and the nobles who had been watching the combat all turned their eyes toward the king.

“Indeed, perhaps someone among them, dissatisfied with my reign, spread such rumors to stir up public sentiment?”

Upon hearing Gillian’s remark, the nobles unanimously protested that no one would dare do such a thing, insisting it was utterly impossible. Gillian then smiled faintly.

“Then, may I believe that everyone present here supports me?”

The nobles chorused in unison, as if rehearsed.

“That goes without saying.”

“And does the Duke share this view?”

Sikar bowed his head toward Gillian, who was watching him with suspicious eyes.

“The reason for Blake’s continued existence is to assist Your Majesty’s throne.”

Gillian smiled as if satisfied with the answer, though it was merely a surface expression.

Sikar and Gillian—neither revealed their true intentions to the other.

Unlike Sikar, Reidox was someone who did not know how to tell convenient lies to defuse situations. Precisely because of his integrity, he merely lowered his head whenever his eyes met Gillian’s.

“Fine. I’ll hand him over. But if you fail to capture the assassin, I will place him on the guillotine as an example.”

Gillian sneered, as if challenging Sikar to catch an assassin who had no tangible existence.

“Naturally, if I fail to properly conclude this matter, his life shall be at Your Majesty’s discretion. However—”

“However?”

“Please allow me to reinforce Blake’s private troops. With assassins freely targeting Your Majesty’s life, Blake’s own security cannot be guaranteed.”

That statement also carried the implicit warning: Do not think of attacking Blake while I am away from the ducal residence.

Gillian did not simply listen passively.

“If your private troops are insufficient, I shall send you royal soldiers.”

Outwardly smiling, but inwardly sharpening knives—in this situation, inviting royal soldiers in was akin to embracing a bomb.

“With assassins constantly targeting Your Majesty’s life, I cannot possibly withdraw royal soldiers.”

Gillian, already aware Sikar would not yield easily, nodded as if he understood.

“Then, I shall trust the Duke as things stand. You won’t betray my trust, will you?”

“I shall live up to Your Majesty’s expectations.”

Sikar also bowed with a calm smile, but his words carried an edge.

According to Sikar, Gillian must certainly have some hidden motive for releasing the merchant so readily.

And Tucker, it was said, must remain in handcuffs until his innocence was clearly proven.

Tucker’s hands, perfectly fine when we saw him at dawn, were now a mess of wounds.

He followed our carriage, riding in the royal guard’s escort wagon.

It was said Tucker had been seized by the king’s guards immediately after parting from us.

“So they were tailing us?”

“Either they tailed us, or obtained information from the Merchant Guild Master and then tailed Tucker. One of the two. We must revisit the Merchant Guild to find out.”

We instructed the escort wagon carrying Tucker to follow Reidox, while we headed to the Merchant Guild.

But the Merchant Guild was closed. Sikar abruptly grabbed the wrist of the sundries shop owner in front of the guild.

“Wh, why is a nobleman doing this…!”

After scowling for a while, Sikar returned the money to the shop owner and climbed back into the carriage.

Seeing Sikar’s grim expression, I didn’t immediately ask what had happened. The next place we arrived at was an alchemist’s house.

Sikar, apparently feeling it unsafe to leave me alone in the carriage, always held my hand whenever we got out.

This time too, Sikar abruptly grabbed the alchemist’s hand, read only his memories, paid him, and left.

Back in the carriage, Sikar remained silent for a long while before finally speaking.

“So Gillian found out I bought sedatives from the alchemist. The gladiatorial match was probably arranged to test me…”

Sikar looked at me with a somewhat serious expression.

“I’m not exactly sure what he’s discovered, but one thing is certain: Gillian has begun his attack on me.”

Since I had already suspected as much, I calmly nodded in agreement.

We entrusted Tucker to Reidox because we needed to retrieve Kian.

By the time we arrived at the marquisate late at night, Kian was asleep, and the handcuffs that had been on Tucker’s wrists were no longer visible.

“I heard this merchant helped the Duke yesterday, so they loosened his cuffs a bit.”

“What if he tries to escape? Why take such a risk?”

“If this merchant were that kind of person, the Duke wouldn’t have saved him in the first place.”

That made sense. Tucker was bowing deeply toward Sikar, forehead nearly touching the ground.

“Thank you for sparing my life.”

Though Tucker was offering the most profound gratitude he could express, Sikar’s face showed only annoyance.

And he truly was annoyed.

“No need for thanks. I simply didn’t want my wife to witness someone being beaten to death.”

Because of Sikar’s words, Tucker this time bowed deeply toward me, forehead nearly touching the floor.

“Thank you. Thank you for saving my life.”

I grabbed Tucker’s head as it plunged toward the floor.

“Enough. I saved your life because of the loyalty you showed us. Why didn’t you acknowledge us when you saw us?”

“My grandmother always said someone who forgets kindness is worse than a beast.”

Seeing his shy, smiling face as he scratched his head, he looked utterly carefree—as if he’d completely forgotten he’d nearly died in the arena just moments ago.

Though timid by nature and surely terrified, he had bravely upheld his loyalty, which I found both touching and admirable—but given the situation, I couldn’t simply smile back.

When Tucker climbed back into the carriage, he had to wear handcuffs again.

He wasn’t yet a convicted criminal, but since he might have committed a crime, he could flee at any moment—so letting him roam freely without cuffs was impossible.

Officially, the reason given was that he must wear them.

Reidox handed Kian to Sikar’s arms and spoke with a worried expression.

“Are you planning to depart for the ducal residence? Would it not be better to stay here for now?”

“You mean, show them we’re conspiring together?”

“Since the king seems to already know everything, does it matter? Right now, it seems the king intends to strike Blake the moment you leave your post.”

“Even so, Blake will endure.”

Reidox sighed bitterly.

“I see.”

When Kian stirred uncomfortably in his sleep, Sikar expertly patted his back and lulled him back to sleep.

Unlike the grim conversations exchanged, Sikar’s manner as he soothed Kian was unmistakably that of a father.

“Summon Jeremi immediately. Send him an urgent letter ordering him to return to Yukana Dar at once—Gillian may attack the marquisate.”

“Understood. Is there anything else I should do?”

“There’s no time. I must find Veronia quickly—I will depart north as scheduled in three days. Until then, you must protect both Blake and Yukana Dar.”

“The king may send people—please travel carefully.”

“Unnecessary worry. I’m not weak enough for someone like you to fret over me.”

Sikar showed no sign of weakness, but I understood exactly what Reidox was worried about.

The curse.

It must have been due to the increasingly frequent signs of the curse lately.

“So they went to Yukana Dar again…”

Gillian’s expression darkened as he received the report from the captain of the royal guard.

Reidox was famous among nobles for excellently disciplining the twins. Even if the twins acted oddly within the household, in public they were more mature and dignified than anyone else.

When Sikar first entrusted the children to Reidox, I thought that might have been part of the reason.

Knowing that Sikar supported his throne solely out of vengeance against the deposed king, Gillian had never expected loyalty from Blake.

Sikar, too, had promised to protect the royal house so long as Blake was not oppressed.

From the moment Gillian became convinced Reidox did not support him, he ordered daily surveillance of the marquisate.

Thus, initially, he harbored no great suspicion even when befriending Reidox, who clearly disapproved of him as king.

Even when adopting the blond, blue-eyed child, he had done so half in disbelief.

But now, learning that each of them had a woman with black eyes, Gillian could no longer fully trust Blake.

Knowing that parts of Sikar’s body froze due to a curse, Gillian could not dismiss suspicions of some hidden connection.

Thinking this far, Gillian once again became suspicious of the child Sikar had adopted.

The queen set down her glass of red wine and smiled coldly.

“How about searching the Duke’s adopted son’s body? Check whether he bears the royal crest.”

“I’ve already checked—nothing was visible.”

“Hiding a royal crest is simple enough with a mage. And finding it is also a mage’s task. Order Pasium to conduct the search.”

“It’s not that I didn’t know—I simply can’t have Pasium search the young lord of Blake without proper justification. If the Duke, who holds no hostility, realizes I suspect him, it might create hostility where none existed—and it would be difficult to restrain a raging Duke Blake.”

The queen nodded in agreement.

“True. It would be troublesome to be bitten after carelessly provoking a mad dog.”

“If the Duke’s curse has progressed significantly, it might be worth provoking. I heard recently that the queen danced with the Duke. How did he seem?”

“He seemed perfectly fine. That Duke looks perfectly normal on the surface, doesn’t he? But we can’t just keep watching like this—his current behavior is too suspicious.”

Gillian, looking frustrated, grabbed the queen’s hand as she poured herself another glass of wine and poured it for her himself.

“Of course not. That’s why I plan to test him this time.”

“How?”

“If we execute Veronia, he’ll surely show some reaction.”

“You mean to execute Veronia?”

“Yes.”

The queen smiled coldly, as if approving.

“That’s a good plan. To catch a big fish, you must use the right bait.”

The queen laughed and clinked glasses with Gillian, but Hersia, eavesdropping outside, could not smile.

‘Execute Princess Veronia?! I must inform them of this at once!’

At that moment, the sound of the captain of the royal guard’s boots echoed down the corridor.