The sunlight in the dungeon corridor flickered, casting gold and red on Vladâs face.
Even when he was on the brink of death, his features had always been quite alluring.
Now, his expression was gloomier than ever. He stopped in front of an iron gate.
Valks reported promptly, âThis is the mastermind. Weâve captured all the others, my lord.â
As soon as Valks was finished, a frantic shout came from beyond the iron gate.
âDuke Vladislav de Winter! Living with that dirty blood of yours, arenât you ashamed!? Arenât you afraid of God!? The Imperial Palace wonât let you bring despair to the Empire!â
The blood drained from the faces of the knights who followed him. The entirety of that statement was taboo to speak of.
Vlad pulled the iron door without hesitation, breaking the sturdy lock.
Count Valks clicked his tongue softly at the door that had just crashed shut. âThe bastards⌠How dare they plan a tower attack? How long must the hero of the century who saved half of the continent be treated like this?â
The main tower was where Vlad and Lily lived.
Ivan scratched his chin. âCould you please make it clear that I am extremely against the Conde Sect. I do not want to be entangled in the same category as them.â
âThese guys say that a second monster will be born in Arcadia soon. They must have been after the ladies. Crazy, immoral bastardsâŚâ Valksâ eyes were murderous.
Ivan sighed deeply with an unusually dark look. âThe second monsterâŚâ
They gazed indifferently at the solitary room, where not a single scream escaped.
After a while, the door opened with a heavy thud, and the disgusting smell of blood wafted out.
A red handprint was visible.
âClean it up. Only the chief knight will follow me.â
Ivan, who entered quickly, let out a silent scream and nearly ripped his hair out. âHow the hell am I going to clean this? Even if Priest Nerva comes, itâll never⌠heup!â
Valks quickly covered his mouth, wiping his own face with a handkerchief. When he went up to the ground floor, the guards saluted him and opened the door to the courtyard.
The cold winter air filled the courtyard under the bright sky.
Vlad frowned nervously.
He was going to have breakfast with Lily today.
You dare threaten my wife?
If there was enough time, he would have at least skinned them alive.
âSend the poultice to the Ataka Highlands first. Iâd better feed them the monster they hate.â
Walking towards the knights, the chief knight signed,
â But, sir. Are you really planning to clean up all the monsters up to the Ataka Highlands before spring comes?
âIf I donât do it now, how many more times do I have to go out to hunt monsters?â
Even the people of the Riomet Empire in the western continent across the sea knew that the Ataka Highlands, a desert in the northern part of Arcadia, was full of monsters.
Vlad, who was lost in thought, suddenly muttered, âAtaka Highlands. If it rains for half a day, it turns into a flower garden for a week.â
Based on the words of those who actually saw it, just looking at the scenery made their tears flow.
The chief knight doubted his ears for a moment. He could not believe that his master had said those words with his own mouth.
â The reason you want to wipe out the monsters isâŚ
âWhat do you think of that guy?â
The chief knight turned his head. His eyes widened upon seeing the back of the unfamiliar young man standing in front of the Order of Knights.
Vlad also looked at the same place and gently stroked his chin. âI think thatâs my brother-in-law.â
As far as Vlad knew, there was only one person who boasted such a distinct hair color.
The young man, clad in a cloak of shiny white fur, was thin and tall.
His eyes narrowed. âThatâs great. I have a question for him.â Vlad concealed his presence and slowly walked towards Dandelion.
* * *
âJeez, Iâm so annoyed. Although Iâm not a count or marquis, Iâm still cold and hungry in the dukeâs castle. There was nothing like this at my sisterâs ex-husbandâs house.â Dandelion grabbed his growling stomach.
It was his choice to refuse the luncheon prepared by the dukeâs servants and just eat biscuits and tea from the Isles.
âSister is really⌠She was living on the things those abominations touched. Why are there they in noble castles?â
He shuddered just remembering it.
Letting those abandoned creatures serve my sister. In Dandelionâs opinion, this was tantamount to ignoring the entire Isles family.
âSisterâs such an idiot. Whatâs the point of being a duchess? Itâs so annoying to watch. Why do you always live such a pathetic life?â
The knightsâ building came into sight.
However, the curiosity that flashed in his green eyes for a moment quickly faded.
A building without splendor was not enough to capture his attention.
He let out a disappointed sigh. âNo, I shouldnât think that way. Of course, youâre a duchess and itâs a good thing. But knowing this place is surrounded by abominations is disgusting.â
To be honest, his sister had the submissive personality that men wanted, but she was a defective product because she had remarried too many times.
Honestly, from a manâs point of view, it was disappointing.
âWell⌠I should be thankful. My sister who married twice now has such a high position. Itâs actually pretty good.â
âIs the woman youâre talking about Mrs. Lily de Winter?â
âAck! Gosh. WhoâŚ!?â Dandelion, who turned around at the sudden low-pitched voice, opened his eyes wide.
A tall man stood against the cold winter sun.
One with a marvelous appearance that bordered on unrealistic.
Gray eyes under sharp brows as if carved with a very thin razor. Muscles distinctly outlined beneath neat clothes, appearing hard enough to deflect a spear.
Dandelion was pretty proud of his own face, but it was humbling to see the man in front of him.
If Dandelion was a precious flower in a greenhouse, then the other man would be the one who reigned as the king of beasts.
Still, the reason he couldnât readily admire his appearance was because of the intimidating aura that evoked instinctive fear.
Even though the sun was bright in the blue sky, he felt that his lungs were freezing cold.