“The way he wriggled was too much of an eyesore.”

“…Ha. What wouldn’t be an eyesore to you, Your Grace? I’ll give you time to vent later. For now, let’s move to another place. Shouldn’t Astrid be shown to a physician first?”

“……!”

“Still, don’t worry too much. Judging by the smell, it’s definitely sleeping incense. It’s commonly used on Sepia’s side. There won’t be any serious problem.”

“…Can you take responsibility for that?”

She wanted to demand why he was venting his anger on her. But given the situation, Elena chose to nod and reassure her friend who was practically an enemy.

“The real problem isn’t Astrid but this fellow. No matter how much of a monster Helman is, he’ll suffer for at least a day.”

Elena pointed with her chin at Helman, collapsed and groaning. But Caleb did not spare even a glance in that direction.

Turning his back at once, Caleb strode out of the hall, while Elena summoned the subordinates hiding in the crowd.

From somewhere, burly men appeared and carried away the two limp men, but the people assumed it was just some quarrel and paid it no attention.

It was when the night air felt unusually cool, the stars shone brightly, and the crowd’s excitement had reached its peak.

***

Splash—!

A sudden torrent of water struck Murad full in the face, and he came to his senses.

“…Ugh!”

The moment he opened his eyes, what greeted him was unbearable pain. From head to toe. Not a single place on his body was free of agony, as if a wagon wheel had rolled over him.

The pain was so excruciating, like every bone had been shattered, that his jaw trembled uncontrollably. Especially the pain in his lower face and the back of his head was terrifying. His whole face throbbed with burning pain.

It was as if he had been struck by an iron club and smashed to pieces, to the point of nearly losing consciousness.

‘What is this? Did I die and come to hell?’

Swollen all over, with blood constantly dripping down, it was hard even to open his eyes. But Murad forced his eyelids up with all his might.

The first thing that entered his vision was a man sitting on an iron chair just a hand’s span away, staring at him as though piercing through him. The most striking feature was the sword scar that crossed the man’s handsome face.

Murad recognized him instantly.

‘…The Grand Duke of Cliff.’

Air hissed weakly between Murad’s mangled lips.

When he had decided to abduct Astrid, it wasn’t as if he hadn’t imagined such a situation at least once. But he hadn’t expected to be caught so easily.

The Grand Duke had gone to the festival without an escort. He knew he couldn’t defeat him, but he had believed he could at least escape far away. Unexpectedly, however, the Grand Duke had unexpected helpers.

Clearly, because of unforeseen variables, he now found himself in the underground prison of the ducal estate. As things stood, all he could do was endure until his companions came to find him.

‘Sure, I’ll take a beating. But cripple me or take that…? No, surely not? No matter how much of a sl*ughter-madman the Grand Duke is, if he inflicts a permanent wound on me, my father will not stand for it. Just for touching a mere woman….’

Murad was confident. However warlike the Grand Duke was, he would not harm or k*ll him so easily.

With that thought, the terror filling his mind began slowly to subside. That was when a low voice dug into Murad’s ear.

“One who steals another’s possession loses his wrist. One who covets another’s wife loses his manhood. That is the law of the desert, is it not?”

A calm voice, utterly free of agitation, echoed eerily through the prison. At the sound of the Grand Duke’s heavy tone, Murad felt his hair stand on end without realizing it.

Though he had caused trouble and been exiled to the frontier, though he had been imprisoned several times by order of the king, never once had he felt fear.

But Murad instinctively sensed something was wrong.

“…Th-that law does not apply to royalty! And besides, this is Cliff! I am the envoy’s representative… Ugh!”

In an instant, Caleb seized Murad’s hair and yanked mercilessly. Pain stabbed his scalp as if pierced by hundreds of needles, and soon there was the sound of hair tearing.

“Ugh, ugh….”

Slap, slap!

Before Murad could even recover, Caleb struck his cheek again and again with the back of his hand.

“Ugh…!”

Murad looked up at Caleb with eyes of disbelief. This so-called Grand Duke was acting like a common thug, rough and merciless, his blows coarse and vile.

He hadn’t slit his throat immediately. But Murad realized that every move was calculated to inflict maximum pain.

The Grand Duke’s impassive face delivering terrifying agony made Murad’s skin crawl.

“Royalty? You tried to abduct my wife, and on top of that you dare impersonate a foreign prince? If the Sepia royal family knew, you’d lose your tongue for defaming royalty.”

“I—I…!”

Thud!

This time, Murad was kicked squarely in the abdomen, so hard he couldn’t even scream, only gaping his mouth soundlessly. He felt as though his innards had been smashed to pieces and were about to burst out of his throat.

‘Th-that’s…!’

Murad despaired as he realized what the Grand Duke had been spinning idly around his finger from earlier.

It was none other than the ring that proved his identity as a prince of Sepia. Which meant, the Grand Duke knew his status and was only pretending ignorance.

‘Could it be he plans to t*rture me and then bury me here…?’

From pain and shock, Murad’s eyes rolled back white, and he lost consciousness once again. Caleb, looking down at the pitiful sight, clicked his tongue.

“Tsk, tsk. The road ahead is long, and already you’re losing your senses. No choice. I’ll have to grant you the mercy of a great nation.”

Caleb drew a small glass vial from his br*ast.

It was a potion from Cliff—the very one the King of Sepia had so desperately sought to trade for. That precious liquid, so rare that even a quantity no bigger than the tip of a pinky was worth more than gold, Caleb dripped a single drop into Murad’s mouth.

***

“Your Grace, are you awake?”

“Your Grace! Are you alright? Your face is still so pale. What should we do….”

When Astrid opened her eyes, she was greeted by Matilda’s anxious voice and Edith’s tearful face.

“…Ah.”

As Astrid came to and tried to rise, the startled Matilda and Edith supported her on both sides.

“You mustn’t move so suddenly!”

“No. I think I’m fine…?”

Even to herself it felt strange, and Astrid tilted her head. Her mind felt clearer than ever. She had been unable to sleep properly for weeks because of overwork.

Now, it felt as though she had caught up on all the sleep she had missed, and her body felt incredibly light.

“Mmm….”

Stretching her arms high over her head, Astrid let out a small groan. After a long stretch, she got out of bed at once.

“Your Grace? You should rest a little longer…”

“How does my face look right now, Matilda?”

“Well…”

“What do you think of my face, Edith?”

“It’s perfect, Your Grace!”

“Pfft…!”

At Edith’s reflexive praise, Astrid bent at the waist and burst into laughter. She had thought her body felt unusually light, and sure enough, it seemed the two of them also found her condition improved.

“There’s nothing wrong with me, so don’t worry. No—in fact, my condition is so good it almost feels strange. So stop worrying and help me change clothes, Matilda.”

“Yes, Your Grace. But……”

Even after confirming that Astrid’s condition wasn’t bad, Matilda still looked somehow restless. Seeing her expression, Astrid tilted her head in puzzlement.

“Is it Caleb…….”

“……!”

At the mere mention of Caleb’s name, Matilda flinched and stole a glance at Astrid. She could already guess how things were going. Without waiting for Matilda and Edith’s help, Astrid hurriedly threw off her nightclothes and pulled a dress over her head.

“Your Grace! What are you doing? Where are you going……”

“Your Grace! Let us come with you!”

Though Matilda and Edith, flustered, rushed after her, Astrid quickened her pace without paying them any mind.

“Unnecessary bloodshed must be prevented. Caleb must have caught the man who knocked me unconscious, right? Since he told you to keep me in my chambers, it’s obvious he’s in the underground prison!”

“……!”

“But, Your Grace! He dared to try and kidnap you. That wretch deserves to die. He would have nothing to say even if the Grand Duke himself killed him……”

“……Ha. Edith. Of course, you’re right. You’re rarely ever wrong, and I respect your opinion.”

Astrid let out a faint sigh and gave Edith a small smile.

“……Your Grace.”

“But this case is different. If that man is killed, Cliff will not be at peace. What good would it do to create conflict? His Majesty the King of Sepia could offer compensation under favorable terms. We cannot waste such a good opportunity—for Cliff, and for His Majesty as well.”

“What? What in the world are you saying……”

“I’ll explain later.”