Chapter 69

I had just seen George off to the Countess and was giving orders to my private army when I received a report from my men.

“Was there a witness?”

“Yes, someone saw Cosette-sama and Remias-sama enter the Duke’s house during the ball. And then someone else also saw them leaving the school…”

“Call them in at once. Then we’ll go to the Duke’s house. We’ll take some men with us.”

“Yes sir!”

I didn’t think there would be two witnesses.

That was poorly done, then, if it was the work of the Duke of Dorange.

Unless… Don’t tell me it was Remias alone…?

I thought of him as a cute little brother, albeit not entirely.

When I thought of Remias, whom I’ve had the opportunity to meet since I was a child, the thought of why he would do this crept up in my heart.

But the one I should worry about right now is Cosette.

It has already been several hours since she disappeared from the ballroom.

How scared she must be.

I can’t help but want to be by her side when I think she might be crying with anxiety.

I tell myself to calm down and push aside the dark thoughts I’m having.

No doubt Remias must have taken Cosette, but the other party involved is the Duke.

I can’t question them without solid evidence.

“Your Highness, your hand….”

An attendant pointed out to the blood seeping from my fist, clenched so tightly that my fingernails were digging through the skin.

Shortly thereafter, the two witnesses were brought in by the soldiers.

One was a student, clutching her handkerchief nervously and trembling with a blue face.

The other was a nondescript townsman.

The man looked frightened and his eyes wandered about in a scurrying manner.

“Is it you people who say you saw Cosette and Remias?”

At the urging of the attendant, the student opened her mouth.

“Yes, Your Highness. I had an errand to run for Cosette-sama. As I was trying to find her, I saw the two of them get into the carriage.”

“I see. It was definitely Cosette and Remias, wasn’t it?”

“Yes! No doubt about it.”

I nodded once to the girl and then turned to the man.

“What about you?”

“Yes, I saw both of them enter the Duke’s home.”

“I see. And you’re sure it was Cosette and Remias you saw, too?”

“Yes, I’m sure.”

“Well, why?”

“What?”

“How do you, a regular citizen, know what they look like? How can you be so sure of that?”

“Well, that’s because I asked the soldier for their names, but maybe I misunderstood.”

“Hm … well, that’s fine. More importantly. The duke’s house is located in a particularly secluded area of the noble district, close to the royal castle. What were you, a commoner, doing in a place like that?”

“Huh…!”

“Arrest this man! Interrogate him and find out who’s behind this.”

The man was immediately captured by the soldiers.

The man tried to run away in a panic, but several soldiers seized him and pushed him to the ground.

But vindictive, he only moved his head and stared up at me with a glowering gaze.

“How dare you! You fake! Sins will always be exposed. All will be returned to the righteous bloodline! You can wash your neck and wait for it!”

(Editor’s Note: “Wash your neck” in Japanese is a saying that basically means prepare to die.)

After shouting this, the man bit his tongue and took his own life.

‘Righteous Bloodline…’

I focused on those words.

Fortunately, the soldiers around me had dismissed it as an agonizingly delusional statement, but in my mind, there was one person who came to mind.

“Call Ange. Call her now.”

Ange had not been in the ballroom.

It’s unclear if she had already left or where she was presently, so it would take some time to find her.

I told him to call me as soon as he found Ange, and I headed for the duke’s house.