The Grand Duchess Escape

[After the death of Marquise Adele Chartus, there were continuous instances of abuse by Philip…]

The words from the report, which he had skimmed through without much thought, were now engraved in his mind like a stigma.

He had known, but he hadn’t realized it was this severe.

“…”

No, this wasn’t true…

The report sent by the undercover informant detailed the violence inflicted upon Asella. It described the types and frequency of the abuse, as well as her condition afterward. It also documented the explicit hostility, disregard, and demeaning attitude of the Marquis’s servants towards her.

At the time, it had seemed like a story printed on paper. He hadn’t given it much thought. But now…

That fact disturbed him. Immensely.

Calix recalled Asella’s bruised wrist in his mind.

The contents of the report, stating that she had been mistreated and beaten all over her body, were undoubtedly true. The image of his wife, covered in blood and abandoned on the floor, involuntarily appeared in his mind.

Veins on his tightly clenched fists bulged from his raised forearms.

‘Each and every one of them…’

Thud. A soft sound echoed.

Calix’s thoughts were interrupted by the sound of a bird flying and landing next to the window.

In front of him, a black bird flapped its wings and extended its legs toward him. It was a magical spell that took the shape of a bird that he sent out earlier and now was back. A golden seal with the Emperor’s emblem flashed at the front of the envelope.

“Rest.”

At Calix’s command, the bird left the letter in his palm and dissolved into smoke. With a leisurely touch, he broke the seal and read the contents, a twisted smile formed on his lips, sending a shiver down the spine of anyone who saw it.

“Your Majesty, did you summon me?”

“Take this.”

Ryzen, who happened to arrive, widened his eyes as he received the Emperor’s letter from his master.

“Philip and his son are acting out.”

For Calix, it was a fortunate turn of events. Just as he was getting irritated with the Emperor’s constant delays, he had only been waiting for the right time to inform and persuade Asella. Otherwise, if it weren’t for that, he would’ve taken action against them regardless of what the Emperor said.

“Replace all the equipment in the basement. Everything should be brand new.”

Ryzen swallowed dryly.

The basement space used in the Grand Duchy was nothing more than a prison, and the equipment there could only be described as tools for torturing prisoners.

And his master was unmatched in his ruthlessness.

Thinking back to the Grand Duke interrogating prisoners captured on the battlefield with an expressionless face, Ryzen trembled involuntarily. He couldn’t help but feel that the time had finally come.

“Make sure it’s perfectly prepared.”