Chapter 50. Calen Castle, Part XI

When Adam stood up with a nod, Oswald helped.

"For some reason, I'll have to visit the old man Calf by the time the Duke arrives. The old man will love it if I tell him about the new jewelry business the Bertino Business Group will start. After meeting him, I'll stop by Manol for lunch."

Adam nodded intelligently when he mentioned the most famous restaurant in Ricaren.

"Albert, prepare Duke Martin's room next to Count Adam's. That's where Martin, who arrived early this evening, has been resting because he did not feel well. Talk to the servants and maids not to walk over there so that they don't go to the place where the Duke takes a rest. And Count Adam never got out of the castle today. Do you understand? From this point on, no one is allowed in or out of this office. Only Albert and your servant, serve me."

As soon as Killian finished speaking, Adam rose to his feet, opened a secret passage linked to the bookcase of his office, and disappeared.

"What if Duke Martin doesn't arrive on time?"

Killian smiled coldly at Oswald's question. "What do you think I'll do?"

Oswald had a deep sigh at the cold reaction. "He'll have to bring back Duke Martin at all costs."

Oswald asked Albert, "Sir Albert, make bitter tea for my tongue to be pulled out so that I can't doze off because of the bitter taste."

"You don't have to keep your seat." Killian clicked his tongue as soon as Oswald took a sip of the tea Albert had put in front of him, watching Oswald shiver.

"I feel sorry for you, Your Highness. Do you mean you don't need this, Oswald?"

Oswald, who pushed his tea to the other side, glared and grabbed his chest, as if he had been greatly betrayed. Killian raised his hand to silence Oswald, who kept trying to say something.

"I was deeply impressed by the loyalty of the Marquis. I was worried for nothing. Get the tea you were supposed to drink. You're my best friend, since you asked for the tea to stay up all night."Oswald's frowned at Killian's encouragement. Soon enough, when the tea that had been pushed away was back in front of him, Killian nodded, saying "Come on." So, Oswald drank a tearful cup of tea and was forced to stay awake all night.

Killian, who had been lost in thought until late at night without moving, suddenly rose from his seat.

"Don't stop me."

Oswald shrugged at the sudden bluff. "Your Highness, I'm not Adam. Please don't carry a sword noisily like before, but just go see her, and do not to be seen by others. If you had done that earlier, he wouldn't have stopped you so desperately."

Oswald rose gracefully and opened the window of the Oval Office.

"Your, Your Highness, this road isn't that bad, either. The moon isn't bright today, so it's even better. I'll take care of you very well."

Oswald jumped over the window and looked back at Killian.

"Please come, Your Highness. Albert, hand me that tablecloth."

As Albert moved away the vase in a fluster and peeled off the purple cloth and handed it to him, Oswald threw the cloth over his head and looked back at Killian. Looking at him acting so ridiculous, Killian shook his head once and jumped through the window.

When Killian stood next to him, Oswald winked at Albert and said, "I want you to rest for a while until we get back. Your Highness, let's go."

Watching Oswald, who was leading the way with a light step while dressed in a dark purple tablecloth to hide his colorful blond hair, Killian's eyes narrowed to see if Oswald was enjoying the situation.

"Isn't a dark night's walk pretty good without the moon?" Oswald was quick to take a walk without a word, but he suddenly talked about a dark night's walk. Killian, impatient about Julietta, who was locked in a dark, damp cell, frowned.

"Now make a decision. Even if you are the favorite son of His Majesty, and the most likely candidate for the Crown Prince, you're not yet. Furthermore, you have no desire for an Emperor's position." Oswald still spoke lightly, as if he were talking about the surrounding landscape.

"When the Crown Prince is formally decided, you will be just one of the many Princes. You will be constantly under the check of the next Emperor, who is wary of Your Highness since you have the Principality of Bertino and great wealth. The same thing will happen again and again like today, and you may just have to step aside and see your people removed by slander."

Oswald stopped walking and looked around at Killian when he saw the building with the underground prison.

"The target could be Adam, it could be me, or it could be Valerian. Even a young maid in prison doesn't know what else to get involved in, even if she gets out safely today."

Oswald smiled at his Lord, who stood tall on a dark night. "Please be the Emperor, Your Highness."

*******

"Open the door."

The knights were stunned by the sight of their monarch appearing late at night. The sinner in prison was said to be his maid, and he must have come here to examine the situation himself. After a knight hurried to open the prison's iron door and went down ahead, a chief guard who was dozing nearby woke up in surprise.

Under the eye of the knight, guards lit up the dark prison with the lamps hanging in the hallway. As he passed along the damp corridor with heavy steps and finally reached the room at the very end, she was visible sitting in a corner with her face buried in her knees.

"Julietta."

Killian ordered the guards to open the door hastily and entered the cell. Oswald sent the chief guard, the knight, and the guards far away, then followed them.

"Julietta."

Julietta didn't raise her head despite his call. He shook her shoulders gently, and her brick-colored hair was urgently raised. "Your Highness?"

"Julie..."

Though she seemed to have fallen asleep crying and had two trace lines of tears on her dark face, Killian only looked at her in a sad way, unable to think it was strange.

"Your Highness, are you here to get me out? Did it turn out I did not do that, right? Oh, thank God. I can't figure out why she lied like that..."

Julietta, who had thoroughly believed that Killian had come to the prison to rescue her, rose in a hurry spitting out words full of joy. Killian soothed Julietta in a sad manner, patting her shoulder softly. "Not yet. I couldn't find anyone who had witnessed the scene. But don't worry, I'll make sure you get out of here by tomorrow evening."

When Albert had come, she had hesitated to ask for help from Marquis Anais. His daughter, who had been an illegitimate child but inherited his blood, had been accused and put in jail. But the only words from the worried Julietta were only "Does His Highness know?"

When Albert had said he was going to report to His Highness, Julietta had just waited.

There had been hope that she would leave soon after a nice meal that was incomparable to her usual food. But as the night deepened, her hope turned into despair.

She had been deeply trusting her employer, who had been quite friendly to her. From somewhere in her heart, hope that he would come to her rescue gradually turned into disappointment in him.

Julietta thought she'd ask to see the Marquis as soon as morning came. She also decided that she would stop being such a grumpy maid right away and go back to Austern.

If her money was not enough for her debt to Maribel even after receiving her severance pay, she decided to borrow it from the Marquis. If the Marquis said that he had done all he had to do as a father because he saved her, and he couldn't even lend her money, she would run away.

Maybe she could work hard and pay it back, even if it was a little late. She thought she should live for now. She didn't know what else would be at risk if she kept working under this employer with high status. She felt sorry for losing the high pay, but it was not worth more than her life.