Chapter 102

"I-I am h-honored to m-meet Y-Your Grace."

Amelia appeared anxious and nervous.

Seeing her standing before him now, he realized that when he had encountered her at the Schützenfest in the previous iteration, she had already recovered to some extent.

He hoped she would recover that much this time as well.

He greeted Amelia as if he were meeting her for the first time in this life.

"You must be tired from the long journey, Lady Arnold."

"...B-baroness would h-have been f-fine too. My f-father said he made a-arrangements for me. That's what h-he told me."

Amelia already seemed to know that she had been sold for gold coins.

Though she would feel bad now, it had been necessary to bring her here without experiencing the tragedy of the Schützenfest.

"Think of it as payment for safely keeping the former Duchess's relic. Is this all your luggage?"

"Y-yes."

"The castle is still under repair, so things are a bit complicated. It was supposed to be finished before Lady Arnold arrived, but it rained in the meantime. However, the room you'll be staying in shouldn't be a problem."

"Th-thank y-you."

"Since you don't seem to be feeling well, how about resting in your room first? Arndt, escort the Lady to her room. And it would be good for the Lady's servants to move the luggage from the courtyard to the room."

Arndt asked with his eyes, 'Me?' but when he nodded, Arndt extended his arm to Amelia.

"I'll escort you to your room. The castle is large, so if you find it difficult to walk, please feel free to say so."

Amelia stared at Arndt's face for a moment, then turned around without even placing her hand on his arm.

Arndt rolled his eyes and followed her.

The servants she had brought also rushed to the carriage parked in the courtyard.

After passing through the central courtyard, which had not yet been properly refurbished, they entered the hall where Leandros was waiting.

"You've arrived."

"You've been waiting long. There's somewhere I need to go with you for a moment."

"Where to?"

"It won't take long."

He took Leandros up to the second floor of the castle.

Though it was called the second floor, since the height of the first floor was already quite tall, it was comparable to the height of a typical third or fourth floor in Korea.

On the second-floor corridor, looking out through the large windows, the courtyard could be seen at a glance.

Unfamiliar people were diligently carrying luggage from the carriage into the castle.

While watching this scene, he asked Leandros.

"Do you know? How the Hartmann family was ruined?"

"It's not ruined. Your Grace is still alive and well, aren't you?"

"If we're eating watery porridge for meals, we're definitely ruined. Anyway, though it's a bit awkward to say this myself, the ducal family was the most powerful family in the kingdom after the royal family."

"That's right."

"Such a powerful family couldn't have been ruined overnight. Do you know what the reason was?"

He paused for a moment before saying.

"There were spies within."

Leandros's eyes widened.

"Spies, you don't mean..."

"The head butler, the assistant head butler, the head servant, and the head maid. When all your close aides turn around and leak information, how could you not be ruined?"

"The assistant head butler at that time was Lady Arnold. Is that why you summoned her to the ducal family?"

"Half right. But half wrong. The four people I just mentioned worked for the royal family. But not all of them cooperated with the royal family voluntarily."

"Do you intend to be lenient? With traitors who played a major role in bringing down the ducal family?"

Sparks flew from Leandros's black eyes, which had always been cold.

Yes, he was someone who harbored the deepest hatred toward the royal family.

He immediately refuted.

"It's not about leniency. I just thought that even traitors could be used effectively. But to do that, some groundwork is needed. Do you see that man?"

Leandros glanced out the window.

Among the servants below, a black-haired servant was moving slowly, a beat behind the others.

"Do you mean the servant holding a large bag in both hands right now?"

"He's a spy planted by the Crown Prince to monitor Lady Arnold."

"You knew the spy's face?"

"I saw it in the revelation. I wasn't sure, but I recognized him immediately when I visited the baronial family."

Leandros's black pupils did not leave him.

"Did you bring him into the ducal family?"

"I thought he would follow if the Lady moved. In the revelation, that spy kills the Lady, steals the black horn from her, and runs away."

"But you already have that item, don't you?"

"Yes. So now I'm also in danger, right? Not knowing when I might be stabbed unexpectedly."

As soon as he heard this, Leandros turned his head sharply.

"The former Duchess ordered me to prioritize Your Grace's safety above all else. I swear such a thing will not happen."

"That's reassuring, but what about Lady Arnold?"

"...There was no mission to protect the Lady, but."

"But there's 10,000 gold coins at stake with Lady Arnold. Are you going to bankrupt me like this?"

He formed a subtle wrinkle on the bridge of his nose.

He didn't seem to like what he had said at all.

"If you command me to protect Lady Arnold, I will obey."

"Ah, no. I won't do that. I think there's a more effective method."

"What method do you mean?"

"I haven't thought about it in detail, but I was planning to inform Baron Arnold that Lady Arnold had arrived safely at Hartmann. Anyway, since he sent his own daughter all the way here, I should respond to the baron's trust."

He found it a bit amusing.

He had seen that servant's face three times now.

In their first encounter, he had seen him kill Amelia,

In their second encounter, he had torn off half of his upper body.

And now, the third time.

This time, he was planning to hunt that guy.

"The path down from the Dikenter Mountains is quite treacherous, and with the rain from a few days ago, it must be slippery. An accident could easily happen."

"Your Grace."

"What if that servant meets with an unfortunate accident on his way directly to the baronial family? It's a terrible thought, isn't it?"

Leandros stared at him for a long time.

His expression had few changes and was calm, making it difficult to discern what he was thinking.

After a while, Leandros opened his mouth.

"To prevent such an unfortunate incident, if Your Grace would allow it, I would personally escort him."

"Ah, would you?"

"I hope Your Grace won't worry too much. The time I'll be away from the ducal residence will be just about a day."

"That's reassuring. It would also help save face with the baron."

"I plan to prepare to leave tomorrow. Please grant me permission."

"Of course. You must be busy, go ahead."

Leandros bowed his head, turned around, and headed downstairs.

Was it his imagination?

Leandros's footsteps seemed strangely more buoyant than usual.

As he watched Leandros's retreating figure, he muttered to himself.

In this life, he would remove obstacles as much as possible.

And let events unfold around Leandros, the protagonist, as much as possible.

The only time he would die and awaken again would be when unavoidable circumstances arose.

Otherwise, he would thoroughly remain a supporting character and avoid catching Yurik's eye.

...This was the resolution he had made at the beginning of this new life.

'Though I'm not sure how well I can do it.'

He should at least do his best.

He looked at the spy who appeared as small as a finger, secretly imagining the moment when his head would fall.

* * *

Evening time.

Instead of the dining room, which was busy with construction, dinner was held in the reception room.

Amelia, not feeling well, had a soft and plain meal, while Arenheit had only a bowl of clear soup in front of him.

Not much conversation passed between them.

However, as the meal was about to end, Arenheit suddenly suggested.

"Since the Lady has arrived, shouldn't we send word to the baronial family that she has arrived safely? The baron must be worried."

"Th-thank you for your c-consideration. I was th-thinking of s-sending a telegram, if p-possible."

"To send a telegram, you'd have to go to a village that's about half a day's journey from here. Besides, it's hard to gauge how quickly the letter would arrive."

"Then, w-what..."

"It would be faster if one of the Lady's servants rode directly by horse."

Amelia pressed her napkin to her mouth to wipe it.

Her plate was not even half empty.

With a haggard and tired expression, Amelia nodded.

It meant she didn't even want to think about complicated matters.

"I'll d-do th-that."

"The mountain path is treacherous, so a manservant would be better than a maidservant. I'll assign a knight from the ducal family for any contingencies."

"A k-knight?"

"I mean Sir Leandros. You're already acquainted, aren't you?"

"Ah..."

Leandros, whom the former Duchess reportedly never let out of her sight.

Amelia seemed to remember this and nodded vaguely.

Seeing beads of cold sweat forming on her forehead, Arenheit asked with concern.

"Is it tiring as the meal goes on? Let's get up now. The ducal family will prepare for the servant's journey to the baronial family, so it would be good for the Lady to rest with peace of mind."

"Th-thank you for your c-consideration..."

Amelia couldn't finish her words due to her depleted energy.

She relied on two maidservants, almost being carried to her room.

As a result, early the next morning, two people departed from the ducal residence toward the west.

The black-haired servant and the escort knight whom Arenheit had personally assigned.

However, from that morning, dark clouds gathered, and a light rain began to fall,

By evening, it had turned into a downpour, pouring heavily.

Amelia's servants worried about how the people headed west were doing,

But their mistress, Amelia, was just suffering from the lingering effects of her medication.

While repeatedly regaining consciousness, she had no energy to spare to pray for the travelers' safety.

Thus, on the evening of the third day since the travelers had left the castle.

Just as Amelia and Arenheit were entering the reception room, Arndt approached with urgent steps.

"Your Grace."

"What's the matter? Why so urgent?"

"Sir Leandros has returned."

"...What? But didn't he go west? I'm sure I ordered him to protect Lady Arnold's servant. Did he disobey my orders?"

"No, Your Grace. That's not it. But I think this place is inappropriate for an explanation."

"Why is it inappropriate?"

Arndt was fidgeting uneasily, glancing at Amelia.

Just as Arenheit was about to scold him, it happened.

-Bang!

It was a sound from the hall.

Everyone turned their attention in that direction.

Mixed in were the sounds of splashing water and small cries of surprise from some people.

The one who eventually walked to the reception room was,

"Sir Leandros."

Arenheit called out to him.

Leandros calmly knelt on one knee in front of Arenheit.

His clothes and cloak were damp, as if they had gotten wet and hadn't dried, and his body emitted a strong smell of mud and forest.

Leandros bowed his head and replied.

"Your Grace."

"It seems too early for you to have gone all the way to the west and back. Why have you returned alone?"

"There was an accident along the way. While leaving the Hartmann territory, we had to cross a river. But due to the rain, the river had swollen, and Lady Arnold's servant met with misfortune."

At Leandros's explanation, Amelia's eyes, standing beside the Duke, gradually widened.

"J-just a moment. What h-happened to my s-servant?"

"I suggested turning back as I judged it dangerous, but he insisted on crossing the river hastily, saying we needed to hurry. It was my oversight for not being able to stop him."

"But why...!"

As Amelia staggered, the maidservant beside her hurried to support her.

Arenheit asked again.

"Were you unable to retrieve him?"

"The current was swift. I have failed to complete Your Grace's mission, so please punish me."

Arenheit looked down at Leandros for a moment, then raised his hand.

-Slap!

With a sharp sound, Leandros's face turned.

Arenheit raised his hand again.

-Slap, slap, slap!

Despite the repeated blows, Leandros simply endured quietly.

The beating only stopped when Leandros's cheek swelled, and Arndt's face noticeably turned fearful.

Arenheit turned to Amelia and spoke respectfully.

"It's my oversight. Had I known this would happen, I wouldn't have sent him in such a hurry. I sincerely apologize for the accident that occurred despite my knight being present."

"A-apology?"

"Once the rainy season passes, I will contact the baronial family separately. In the meantime, if you find the lack of manpower inconvenient, we would gladly provide a servant from our side. I'm at a loss for words."

Amelia seemed to want to say something more, but she couldn't.

In front of her, the family's knight had been punished,

And the Duke himself had delivered an apology along with compensation.

In the end, she nodded.

Arenheit guided Amelia back into the reception room with a kind smile.

Until they all entered the reception room, Leandros remained kneeling.

Through the crack in the door, Leandros and Arenheit's gazes met.

Just before the reception room door closed.

Arenheit was smiling brightly with an expression never seen before in his life.