​ Chapter 49. Calen Castle, Part X

Killian's eyes glowed fiercely at the words "underground prison".

"Who dares to put my maid in jail? Maybe it's a challenge to me. Take the lead. I'll go and get Julietta right away."

After ordering that in a dismal voice, Killian strode across the office to a sword hanging on the wall, and Adam hurriedly blocked him.

"No, Your Highness."

"Get out of my way, I will decide whether to do it or not."

There was such terrible energy that he wanted to sit down into his seat, but Adam held on in front of Killian, even shaking him. "I can't believe you're going down to the underground prison for just a maid. It's not possible."

"Just a maid? Is it just a maid who takes care of me and is closest to me? Then Adam, you're also just a subordinate to me. I can't believe just a Count would stand in my way. Do you want to die?"

Killian took out the sword he was holding, and held it around his neck, but Adam did not move at all and appealed again.

"If you really think so, please kill me here and go on the way you were going to. It's nothing but a commoner's assault on a noble woman. No matter who you are, you cannot take the commoner out of prison without any punishment, after they committed a crime against a noble. What's more, you're carrying a sword. All the nobles will protest, saying that she has disrupted the order of ranks. In this situation, Your Highness, who is of the royal family, can't do what you want. Now is the time to find out what happened. As you may have guessed, there must be some sort of conspiracy, to have your maid arrested for assault."

As if he really wanted to wield the sword to Adam, who kept up his calm until the end, Killian held his sword closer and whispered in his ear. "Do you really want me to kill you? Huh? Do you want me to do that way?""You clearly said you didn't have any other feelings for the maid. But you're really going to kill me, your most loyal servant friend, because of that maid?" Adam responded to Killian in a low voice, without an inch of retreat.

At the tense confrontation between the two, Albert was uncomfortable and said, only "Your Highness," and Oswald and Valerian looked at them with tense expressions.

After a long standoff with a sword in Adam's throat, Killian finally lowered his arm as he stared at him. Then Adam bowed his head and fell to his knees. Killian, looking coldly down at his aide, who bowed with his neck out as if he wanted nothing but order, finally handed Albert the sword he was holding.

When Albert, whose heart had fallen to the bottom for the first time at the sight, managed to take the sword into his trembling hands, Killian stood still and closed his eyes and began breathing deeply. Nobody else dared breathe out loud.

After a while, Killian's eyes, which had reopened after a long time, had returned to his usual cold-lit silver color.

"Get up."

Killian gave a hard command to Adam, who was still kneeling, and returned to the top of the conference table and sat down.

"The Count, you're not totally forgiven. You should never use the word 'just' to anyone around me again. But I admit you're right. It's more likely to be a conspiracy against me or for another gain. Valerian, check around the girl who was beaten. Find out that by whom she has been referred to as a maid, and who's been in contact with her from the family of Chaister lately."

Killian turned on Albert as Valerian stepped out of the office after hurriedly bowing.

"Albert, why would Julietta be so accused? I don't think the two of them know each other, but where did the contact occur?"

"As soon as I got the report, I went to the jail and asked about it. She said that Lady Chaister was taking her to the dining room in the main castle. While she was following, suddenly a woman with a black hood appeared, beat Lady Chaister severely, and ran away. As she was trying to help the fallen Lady rise up, knights came running up when they heard her screams, but she suddenly cried and said Julietta had hit her."

"The dining room? Didn't you show Julietta the dining room? So, so far, Julietta hasn't had a meal?"

"No, it's... I've told her, but..."

When Killian got angry again, Albert opened his mouth to make excuses but shut it up again. He didn't even have a word to say when he thought it had come to this, because he had given a rough account of the maids' meals. He might be forced to retire today if she was not released safely."Send a meal to the basement first. Take care that the food is not bad."

Killian looked back at Oswald as Albert's servant, who had been waiting after dinner to serve the Prince, hurried out to follow the order.

"Wouldn't it be hard to just get her out?"

"Yes, Your Highness. Count Adam is right. Your Highness can't do anything about it, because it's nothing other than a commoner who has harmed a noble. As the attacker of the assault, she can't help but wait for the punishment Lady Chaister will determine. She's already in the underground prison, so it's hard to ask for her as if nothing has happened, or for her to re-testify that she was mistaken, since we don't know what she's thinking. If she's ever been abetted by Prince Francis or another Prince, our attempt to persuade the maid will be a weakness for Your Highness."

Oswald looked at Killian for a moment and then carefully opened his mouth again. "Even if Lady Chaister asks you to execute your maid, if you can't prove her innocence, you have no choice but to proceed. It can disrupt the order of society. They're all going to react sensitively to this and they will watch."

Oswald shook his head sadly and continued on. "If Your Highness put your power over this, the nobility will blame you. I'm sure the family of Chaister will protest, too. I'm glad if Lady Chaister's demands are nothing more than lashing or expelling, it is just as well, but I think she'll ask for a death sentence to get rid of future trouble."

Killian's face cooled more and more at the words of a death sentence.

"What about setting up a fake witness?"

Adam, who had returned to his seat, opened his mouth at Killian's words. "It should be the testimony of someone of higher status than Lady Chaister, or who can say that the testimony of the daughter of the Viscount is false? Those with low status might be a problem later, even if Your Highness won them over to your side. Then, among those who are currently in the castle, the identity of the person who can be a false witness will be narrowed. Among them, only me and Count Oswald and Count Valerian are to be trusted. Sadly, however, we can't give false testimony that we saw the scene, because we came to the Oval Office with you from the dinner table."

Boom! Killian's angry fist hit the table.

'Who the hell is behind this scene?

She was not such a careless maid to act so recklessly to a noblewoman who she did not know, even if she was sometimes impudent and grumbled. That was why he had trusted her.

For others, even if it was Albert's servant, Julietta was as polite as possible. Not long ago, she had intervened in the conversation between him and the Count in the carriage, and she had been puzzled all day and studied his face to see if he was angry.

She could not beat anyone who she did not know in the strange place that she had just arrived today.

It was clear that as Julietta had said, that Lady Chaister was lying.

'What is she aiming for? By whom has she been abetted, and would she dare to do such a great thing?'

"First check to see if anyone saw the scene or if anyone was nearby. And Adam, find out where Duke Martin is. It's likely to be nearby since he started returning similar to me, and we're a little back after stopping by Beopash. I want you to search every street that comes to Ricaren and bring him into the castle without anyone knowing as soon as you find the Duke."