Episode 93

Ian, dumbfounded, pushed back the flat of Beric’s sword with the edge of his hand. A guy who’d gotten a hole in his stomach fighting a single knight in the Great Desert—what kind of confidence made him think he could take on three at once?

The knights glared at the madman as if they’d seen everything, but since Ian was standing firm, they seemed willing to hold back for now.

“Enough nonsense. Go fetch Lord Romandro.”

“Oh, that’s what you mean? Sorry.”

There was no real apology in his tone, but at least he said something. Ian exchanged a glance with his wife and gave a signal.

“Everyone, leave. Help that man bring the advisor here, or get on with your tasks. Don’t just stand around and cause distractions.”

The knights, judging that staying wouldn’t help, quietly exited. The steward caught in the middle looked around helplessly, and just then, the lady pulled out a fresh cigarette and gave instructions.

“Steward, go make some tea. We have guests, and even if the situation’s a mess, we must keep up appearances.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

One knight stood in the hallway, arms crossed, head held high until the door closed behind them. It was clear he intended to forcibly detain the lady.

Click.

Once the door shut completely, she exhaled smoke with a vacant look, then muttered to Ian.

“This is all so overwhelming.”

“Pull yourself together, even if by force. We need to secure the estate’s rights before those knights do something reckless. Have you informed the count’s brother yet?”

“Not yet.”

“Then you should do so quickly. Those knights probably hold military command over Mereloff, don’t they?”

Unlike Bratz, Mereloff didn’t need a large force. A small group of guards and three knights stationed at the manor were enough to maintain stability. There were no threats like the Cheonryeo tribe.

“Probably? I think so.”

“Now I understand why they’re acting like this. If we don’t act fast, you might end up like the count.”

Ian nodded toward the bedroom where the corpse lay. After wiping out the Mereloff line, now was the perfect time to write a new history.

“If I end up like that, wouldn’t it be difficult for you, Lord Ian?”

“Difficult, yes, but just a nuisance. Not fatal like for you.”

Wasn’t it tiresome? This time, the palace was paying attention to Mereloff. But by then, Ian would be in the capital, and more importantly, he hadn’t been involved in this incident at all.

If the lady wanted to threaten me, she could…

For example, threatening to falsely confess to an illicit relationship with Ian if he didn’t help, dragging him into the mud.

“Is that so? Well, I suppose.”

But she didn’t seem inclined to do that. Maybe the shock from last night was too great, or perhaps she just wanted freedom and didn’t want to escalate things.

Or maybe she’s just smart.

She probably figured provoking Ian now wouldn’t get her anywhere. If she asked for help, that’d be different. Instead, she just chewed her cigarette listlessly.

“Lady, until Lord Romandro arrives, have the steward bring the seal from the study. Whoever holds that is effectively the manor’s representative.”

“Oh, that.”

“Then handle things properly. If the knights betray you midway, we’ll send reinforcements.”

There was Beric, and some warriors who hadn’t returned to Cheonryeo yet. They could easily overpower three knights and some soldiers.

“What do you want?”

The lady blinked and smiled. She must have realized that favors never come without strings attached. Ian just shrugged.

“Nothing in particular comes to mind. Tribute?”

“That’s doable. But I’d prefer something other than money. Knights can offer that anytime.”

Money ties could be untied with money. She wanted a contract only she could offer.

“I don’t have much to give right now. I came here empty-handed.”

She moved to the dressing table. With a light gesture, a drawer opened, and she pulled out a ring made by a mysterious alchemist—the same kind as Ian’s necklace.

“You said you had many questions. Do you think it’s possible that this ring and Lord Ian’s were made at the same time?”

Given the timing and the distance between the estates, if the same alchemist from the same guild made them, it was quite likely. Ian stroked his chin.

“I’d gladly accept the ring, but the thing beside it… I’m not so sure.”

A new type of sleeping anesthetic smuggled from the Hwan Kingdom. The round, black compact was as clean as before. She shrugged, signaling he could decide.

“If you don’t want it, fine. I’m just offering the most valuable thing I have. The choice is yours.”

When Ian hesitated, Beric, standing behind, grabbed both without a second thought.

“If they’re giving it, why not take it?”

“Beric, haven’t we left yet?”

“We’re about to. Hey, why won’t this come off?”

“Wow, that’s some serious grip.”

Beric had casually slipped his finger into the ring, and it seemed stuck. Ian gave a disapproving look, and Beric just laughed awkwardly.

“…Can I oil it?”

“Cutting off your finger would be faster. Lady, may I borrow a knife?”

“…I’ll bring Lord Romandro right away, Master. Please wait.”

Beric dashed off at Ian’s joke, but not before grabbing the compact.

“Use powder to smooth it out. Men wear makeup these days, but it’s still awkward for many.”

“Where would I even use it?”

“You’re heading to the capital soon, right? I’ve heard it’s a place where such things come in handy.”

Where he heard that, no one knew, but it was spot on. Bariel was the center of power—glamorous, chaotic, and tense. Most caught in the power struggles probably spent nights wide awake.

Whether from work or fear of death.

“The lethal dose is over two grams a day, taken continuously for a month. As long as you stick to that, no problem.”

“Side effects would show up years later, right? Still, are you sure about this? I can’t understand how Beric passed out just from the smell.”

“I don’t know. I was fine. Maybe your subordinate has a strange constitution.”

She looked genuinely sincere. After all, the guy with a hole in his stomach who was still walking around wasn’t exactly normal. Ian turned to look behind; the doctor was tidying up his instruments.

“Honestly, tribute is best.”

“I could sell jewels to raise it. But I wonder if there’s a jeweler nearby who’d buy. Probably have to go to Sheiron to cash in.”

In Mereloff, only the head of the family had authority over finances. In Bratz, Lady Merry managed the household, but the jealous count surely wouldn’t have shared power with his wife.

“Anyway, hurry. It’s best to act before the knights do.”

“…What about Clark?”

As Ian tried to leave, the lady stopped him, her voice tinged with unexpected moisture despite her calm, dull expression. The more he looked, the stranger she seemed.

“What will happen to Clark?”

“What do you mean? Execution without exception.”

Besides palace justice like Derga’s, nobles being killed only happened on battlefields. Killing a noble was a grave crime, and if the perpetrator was a slave, there was no trial.

“I was surprised Clark’s still alive. The knights not executing him immediately suggests they have other plans.”

“…Really no exceptions?”

“A slave killing a noble and surviving? Maybe, but I’ve never heard of it. Oh, I heard there’s a slave-born king in another country…”

Ian hesitated, trying to confirm if the history he knew matched this event. The timeline seemed to fit.

“That king’s first victim was a noble lord. Maybe Clark could survive if he becomes king.”

The lady lightly tapped her fingernail, as if pondering. She seemed determined to save Clark’s life at least.

“Can you help?”

“Lady, I’m sorry, but I must go to the capital soon. I can’t get involved in more trouble.”

“I thought Lord Ian could do it.”

“How can I save a slave who killed a noble?”

“No, you already have. He survived crossing borders and became head of the family.”

Ian frowned. Their conversation was starting to misalign. She muttered one thing; he answered another.

“Lady.”

“I’ll become the lord.”

“Excuse me?”

“Is that not possible?”

Ian hesitated at her bold question.

“…There’s no rule that only men can be lords. But, Lady, you’re not of the Mereloff bloodline. If you had a legitimate heir, that’d be different. But with the count dead, you’re an outsider to the Mereloff family.”

And that was just the beginning.

The count’s younger brother—the only one holding the keys to both support and opposition—was never going to agree. So, if she wanted to become the lord…

“There’s only one way: change the family that rules this land.”

Erasing the Merelloff name, just like Bratz had done. It was no different from what the knights intended. The lady sank back into her chair, lost in thought, staring out the window.

“If I become the lord, the head of the family, I won’t be able to leave this place, will I?”

She could step away physically, but in essence, her status would bind her here. It was no improvement over the situation she so desperately wanted to escape.

“No, wait. Without the count, it might actually be better.”

Freedom and love.

Ian could sense the tangled worries swirling in her mind. Honestly, it was more advantageous for him if she became the lord rather than the count’s brother, whom he barely knew. She was someone he had some connection with, whose secrets he knew, and who didn’t seem eager to expand the territory.

If the knights or the count’s brother took over, who knew what chaos might unfold while Ian was away in the capital?

“But still, with the count’s brother around, rushing in recklessly could only make things awkward.”

It was a delicate game of reading the room.

If Ian absorbed Merelloff’s lands now, it might give Gale an excuse to intervene again, citing the unchecked growth of power on the border. On the other hand, it could firmly establish his value to Marib.

“First, I should meet the count’s brother.”

Straightening his coat, Ian glanced back at the lady. She still seemed lost in her own troubled thoughts.

“I’ll go inform the count’s brother about this matter. I heard he lives in a mansion on the outskirts of the village. What’s his name?”

“Dive Merelloff.”

“I’ll be back soon.”

Checking his pocket watch, Ian muttered to himself. If he hurried, he could return before Beric brought Romandro here.