Chapter 137

* * *

Upon hearing the news that Marquis Guinness had escaped from prison, the capital was turned upside down. Juliet deliberately sat in the salon of the palace with the windows wide open.

“Have you heard the rumors? Marquis Guinness last night…”

“Could it be the doing of Duke Carlyle?”

Someone cautiously raised the question, but everyone was skeptical.

“Hehe. What don’t you know? Weren’t you aware that Duke Carlyle was adamant about putting Marquis Guinness on trial?”

“True. From the Duke’s perspective, he could have just let time resolve the issue. Why would he take such a risk?”

“If Marquis Guinness goes missing, we wouldn’t gain anything.”

“Now that you mention it, that’s true.”

Listening to the ongoing conversation from the open window, Juliet smirked. Lennox’s consistent push to put Marquis Guinness on trial had its effect.

“Then who could be behind this?”

While eavesdropping, Juliet spotted a man rushing towards her.

“I have a favor to ask, Your Highness.”

Juliet approached him and casually linked arms with him.

“Please erase the name of Marquis Guinness, as if he never existed.”

To others, they looked like a couple casually linking arms, leaving a ballroom.

“Please make sure nothing can ever grow on his land.”

Juliet whispered softly.

“In return, I will help you find what you’ve been searching for a long time.”

“…What I’ve wanted?”

“Yes.”

Juliet read the longing in his eyes.

“There’s something you were looking for in the south. It’s the Duke’s heirloom.”

* * *

While the 7-day festival hadn’t completely concluded, the Emperor tried desperately to detain Duke Carlyle.

The Emperor gave a warning to the Duke who wanted to visit the Southern Marquess’ residence that he couldn’t permit the use of the gate. But Duke Carlyle wasn’t someone who would be fazed so easily.

“I don’t need the Emperor’s permission.”

“But without using the gate, how will you get to the south? It’ll take a while.”

Without the gate, the journey from the capital to the south would undoubtedly take about two weeks. Juliet was concerned about the excessively long journey.

But Lennox easily assuaged her worries.

“There’s no need. I’ve acquired another gate.”

Juliet felt this was typical behavior, and it made sense that the Emperor had a love-hate relationship with Duke Carlyle.

Unlike the usual route to the south, the newly acquired gate was relatively close to Marquis Guinness’s territory.

Except for passing through a vast, deserted forest right after the gate, it was quite an innovative route.

Juliet, about to choose a horse, was stopped.

“What are you doing?”

“What?”

Lennox asked with a stern expression, but Juliet was just as puzzled.

“A horse is faster than a carriage.”

“Get down.”

Not understanding Lennox’s anger, Juliet begrudgingly climbed into the carriage. Only after ensuring Juliet was safely in the carriage did Lennox start the journey.

“Let’s go.”

The convoy, heading to a distant place, was rather modest. Aside from one carriage, there were only eight knights.

Then, Lennox suddenly asked Juliet.

“Why did you flee on a horse?”

“Huh? Oh…”

Only then did Juliet understand why he had so forcefully pushed her into the carriage.

In her previous life, after discovering she was pregnant, Juliet had hurriedly left the Duke’s castle.

[I’ll help you.]

The reason Juliet could steal a horse and escape without being seen was thanks to Dahlia’s help.

‘Was that the first and last time?’

Juliet tilted her head.

It probably was. The only time Juliet and Dahlia, who was kept in the eastern tower day and night, had a direct conversation.

“She told me she’d open the stable for me.”

It wasn’t much of a secret, so Juliet confessed honestly.

“That’s why.”

Her escape ended in failure. Before even leaving the northern forest, she was caught by him. In her haste, she fell off her horse.

Suddenly, the galloping horse stumbled, losing its balance.

The terrified woman on the horse looked back in panic and realized too late that the horse was falling. At the last critical moment, a man chasing her managed to grab her by the neck.

“Who was she?”

“Pardon?”

“The one who opened the stable for you. Who was she?”

“It was a woman staying in the eastern tower.”

“…”

But Lennox seemed to not understand.

Juliet suddenly wondered. Had Lennox seen memories of the past, but none of Dahlia?

* * *

The next morning.

Waking up leisurely in a farmhouse, Juliet found a note.

“So?”

“Well…”

“So… you’re telling me you left me behind now?”

“No, that’s not what I mean…!”

Elliot, the Duke’s secretary, tried to choose a moderate expression.

“His Highness is concerned about your safety… Miss, Miss Juliet!”

Elliot tried to stop her in panic, but Juliet slowly tore the paper in half as if letting off steam.

“You bastard.”

Juliet trembled with a sense of betrayal.

She somehow felt from the beginning that he agreed to take her to the South too easily. This was in stark contrast to Lennox, who had vehemently opposed it once he realized her past abuse by Marquis Guinness.

However, Lennox quickly learned the location of a hidden vault from the sleeping Juliet and left her behind.

He sent a message that he would find the vault in the Marquis’s residence and that she should return to the capital with Elliot.

“What do you think of me?”

Juliet was angry that she had been treated like a child, unable to overcome her trauma.

Even if she couldn’t shake off the trauma from being abused by Marquis Guinness.

It was Juliet’s decision to make. Lennox had no right to decide that it was too dangerous for her and send her away.

Then, a noise from a group of people was heard from outside.

“Ah… It seems the knights have arrived!”

Elliot, who was watching Juliet’s expression, ran out urgently.

“I’ll go and check!”

Who’s here?

Juliet followed him out curiously.

She hoped that Lennox, realizing his mistake, had brought the knights back, but the knights dismounting weren’t the ones who had left earlier.

“Sir Cain!”

But it was someone Juliet was happy to see.

“It’s been a while, Miss.”

The person who greeted her bluntly was Cain, the fencing instructor of the knights.

“Did you come all the way from the North?”

Seeing him after such a long time, Juliet, forgetting her previous anger, asked in surprise.

“Yes, I came to escort you.”

Seeing a familiar face after such a long time made Juliet remember the fact that Lennox had abandoned her, and she got angry again.

“Ah, is this the Duchess, Instructor?”

A young man with a cheeky look in his eyes spoke up, twirling around.

Puck.

“Apologize for your rudeness to the young lady, Jerome.”

Kain forcefully grabbed the young man’s collar. Reluctantly, the man introduced himself.

“Man, you’re so stern. Hello, I’m Jerome.”

Instead of greeting him directly, Juliet tilted her head and asked Cain, as Jerome was a new face to her, who was familiar with all the knights of the duchy.

“Who is this?”

“A new recruit. He’s a mercenary, so he doesn’t have any mannerisms.”

Cain mumbled with a somewhat deep expression, and his words about having no manners were not out of modesty.

“Do you know, Miss?”

On the way back through the forest to the capital, Jerome gazed at Juliet with a curious expression.

“There are scary creatures in forests like this.”

“Scary creatures?”

“Yes! For example, insect-type monsters appear in the southern forests…”

The other knights tried to stop Jerome, who seemed to be talking nonsense, but Juliet purposely feigned a scared expression and stopped them.

“Insect-type monsters…?”

“Yes. And spider or centipede monsters also appear from time to time.”

“Centipedes! I really hate things with many legs.”

Juliet pretended to be really scared, her face paling.

Other knights, like Cain, who knew she had participated in hunting beasts in the North, looked at her with puzzled expressions.

Juliet played along with Jerome’s bravado while also sneaking a peek at the flask hanging from his saddle.

Fermented alcohol was a typical food that attracted the sensitive-nosed forest monsters.

“But Sir Jerome is an excellent fighter, so you can protect me, right?”

“Uh… well, I guess so. Yes.”

Juliet looked at the pompous fool sarcastically, then glanced over his shoulder.

“Ahem, I wasn’t going to mention it, but I have actually caught a centipede monster befo…?”

Jerome, who was leading the way on horseback, suddenly sensed something off. The other party members all stopped behind and looked into the forest.

Waiting for them on the other side of the forest was a centipede monster with pincers.

Jerome, who had been bragging just moments ago, stared blankly at the surreal sight.

“Oh, how convenient, Sir Jerome.”

Juliet said to him with a sly smile.

“Shall we see your skills in action?”