‘I can’t let it end here.’

William turned over in his mind the royalist connections he still had, one by one. Nobles who had not been completely broken, old allies pushed out of parliament. And beyond the border, there were those who might help him as well.

On top of that, the neighboring countries were still monarchies.

Sensitive to the currents of the times, they had been watching what unfolded in Krauben with uneasy eyes. Because they feared that while it had been Krauben yesterday, their own countries might end up the same way tomorrow.

William read that unease precisely.

Letters passed back and forth with great care.

Requests to designate the parliament as a rebel faction, hints at military intervention. The terms of compensation were laid out plainly as well.

But a reply to one of those letters never came.

From that moment on, William could not sleep at all because of that letter. He felt that he might be in danger, or rather, that the likelihood of it was very high.

There had been no official announcement yet regarding his fate, but sensing the danger, William ultimately decided to flee.

Fortunately, a retainer who helped him allowed him to barely slip away with just his life.

And a few days later, the correspondence he had exchanged with a foreign power made the front page of the newspapers. It became a full-blown headline.

Former King William Caught Attempting to Trade National Sovereignty.

Proposed Transfer of Ports and Mines in Exchange for Military Intervention.

People were immediately outraged.

Protests broke out in the plaza again. Chants demanding the arrest of all remaining royalist forces rang out.

In the process, several innocent members of the noble assembly were also dragged out. The commoner faction was not entirely safe either.

And in the midst of it, Kailen’s name came up as well.

It was because of his enormous wealth, his foreign origins, and his status as the husband of Adeline, who came from royal blood. The claim that he must be in league with them followed as well.

In truth, the rumor itself was not particularly damaging to Kailen, but it was more than enough of a nuisance.

In the end, Kailen visited Adeline’s room, where things had been awkward since the incident of her running away.

“Try not to go out if you can help it. It would be a problem if you drew unnecessary attention and got caught in the crossfire.”

He had gone out of his way to come and tell her, yet Adeline didn’t answer. She simply sat on the bed and looked out the window.

“……”

With no response coming back, it felt like talking to a wall, but Kailen continued what he had to say without expression.

“Don’t go sticking your feet where they don’t belong. At a time like this, just stay put quietly.”

Those words were both advice and a command.

By now, he held everything of hers in his hands.

Even protecting her was his responsibility to bear.

If he cast her out, Adeline likely would not be able to survive properly on her own. So the dynamic between them was all too clear.

Shouldn’t she be grateful that I’m keeping her around?

Kailen thought that too.

Yet strangely, one corner of his heart was unbearably uncomfortable.

* * *

Adeline only let Oscar inside the house after confirming that Kailen was not home. It wasn’t out of fear that Kailen would look at the two of them with suspicion. She wanted to avoid Oscar being subjected to unpleasantness on her account.

By now, Adeline and Kailen were on the verge of a complete break. At least, that was how she saw it. But since they had not yet separated, she had to be careful on the surface.

Adeline instructed the staff to show her guest to the reception room in the first-floor hall. Her reason for choosing this place was simple. It was an open space on all sides, so the household staff were unlikely to form any needless misunderstandings.

Adeline took her seat in the reception room first and called for Tanya.

“Please prepare some tea for our guest.”

A moment later, Oscar entered, having been shown in.

“…… Oscar, come in.”

Since this was not a formal occasion, they chose a somewhat more familiar way of speaking, the way they used to. Oscar gave a faint smile and sat down, speaking in the same tone as back in their Grofen days.

“I’m sorry for dropping by so suddenly.”

“Sorry for what…… But what brings you here?”

“Actually……”

Tanya setting down the tea interrupted him briefly. Oscar looked quietly at the teacup placed before him, then lifted it out of courtesy, took a sip, and set it back down.

“Listen without getting startled, Adeline.”

Don’t get startled. Those words put Adeline on edge. She looked at him with questioning eyes, and Oscar’s lips parted again.

“Rumors had been quietly circulating for a while that your brother Leopold had returned to the country. But at the time, I thought it was just idle gossip. So I didn’t pay it much mind.”

At the name Leopold, Adeline’s eyelids flickered.

Leopold…… Leopold?

“But it turned out to be true.”

“True……? And so?”

The words trailed off in disbelief. Leopold had come back, and she couldn’t believe it. He shouldn’t have come back. It was too dangerous.

“So where is my brother?”

“By the time I got word, he had already been arrested.”

“……”

No…… Why does misfortune always come crashing down all at once. Could it not come down in amounts I can actually bear.

Adeline’s cheeks went pale and then drained to a stark white. Oscar, who had been watching Adeline’s trembling eyes, fell silent.

“For now, he’s being held in a prison. But the way things are going doesn’t look good at all.”

The fact that William had stirred up the country by trying to borrow foreign forces and then fled abroad had worsened public sentiment, Oscar said. It seemed like the anger directed at William was spilling over onto Leopold.

A wave of dizziness swept over her and she pressed a hand to her forehead without thinking. Oscar shot to his feet.

“I think I’ve come here for nothing and only made things harder for you,”

Adeline murmured and asked him to please sit back down, saying she was fine.

“No, I’m alright. I just felt a little dizzy. Can you tell me where he is? Which prison is he in?”

“…… You won’t be able to get in anyway. I’m telling you because I thought you should know. I was worried it would be even harder on you if you found out through a news article or something.”

“…… Yes, thank you. But Oscar, just tell me. Even if it’s useless, just tell me.”

Please, I’m begging you. Oscar could not bring himself to refuse Adeline’s desperate plea in the end.

“For now, just wait. I’ll have someone look into it tomorrow and get back to you.”

“Yes, alright. Thank you, truly, thank you.”

Adeline couldn’t move from the front entrance where she had come out to see him off, not until the car carrying Oscar passed through the estate gate and disappeared completely from sight.

* * *

The prison where the arrested Leopold was currently being held was an old building, a former military barracks on the outskirts of Varsen that had been converted.

The further they went from the center of the city, the narrower and rougher the road became, and her stomach churned the entire ride in the carriage. When she finally arrived and stepped out, Adeline raised her head.

“……”

The gray building visible beyond the stone wall looked less like a prison and more like a large tomb, abandoned and untouched by human hands.

Adeline, who had become Pauline Hillier for the day, a maid who handled odd jobs in and around the run-down prison, let out a long breath. As she walked into the building, repeatedly crumpling and smoothing the front of her pilling apron, Oscar turned back and said gently,

“No need to be so tense.”

His voice was warm, the kind meant to put her at ease.

“I’ve already taken care of things.”

Adeline was genuinely grateful to Oscar, who had extended a hand to her in her isolation at great personal risk.

“Yes. Thank you, truly, in so many ways. If it weren’t for you, I wouldn’t have made it here at all.”

It wasn’t that she doubted his skill in helping her slip into the prison. Even so, cold sweat ran down her back, the way it does when anxiety flares up.

It was only natural, given that this was hardly an above-board errand. Her brother, arrested on charges that she still couldn’t believe, refused to believe, charges that had to be a false accusation…… treason against the state. She was on her way to secretly meet Leopold, the former crown prince.

They climbed the stairs and entered the third floor, where the air grew noticeably worse. She walked past old walls glistening with black mold.

“Watch your step. The floor is slippery.”

Adeline couldn’t even dodge the drops of water falling from the ceiling. Drip, drip.

“Alright.”

“Even if someone approaches, don’t panic, just stay calm and handle it. You’re Pauline Hillier.”

Adeline had been feeling around the area below her ear to check whether any golden strands of hair had slipped out from under her faded navy hat, and she gave a nod.

“Yes, I know.”