Chapter 19 – Part 3

“Your Grace.”

When Kristin spoke to Raphael, he couldn’t respond immediately.

He had only suspected there might be something hidden in the secret space, but he had never expected to encounter such a situation.

“We don’t have much time. Let’s go inside, but be careful. This place is dangerous, especially for a lady like you,” he warned.

However, before Raphael could finish his sentence, Kristin tied her flowing hair back up and headed toward the mansion.

Fortunately, since the orphanage was holding an event that day, there were no guards outside.

It seemed that Blair Adley didn’t need to secure the front of this mansion with tight security. If many soldiers were guarding the front, it would likely draw suspicion from others.

However, to confirm the unknown truth, Kristin quietly entered the mansion and saw a large portrait of a woman who appeared to be Blair Adley.

Additionally, there was a grand desk in the audience room, and gold-plated plates were neatly displayed in the cupboard beside it.

As Kristin covered her mouth in surprise, she began to hear footsteps again.

“Your Grace,” she whispered.

“Even if no soldiers are guarding the outside of this luxurious mansion, there must be a few stationed inside. They’re likely waiting for the right moment to attack us,” Raphael remarked.

As soon as he finished speaking, five knights wearing masks that revealed only their eyes began to surround Kristin and Raphael.

Kristin couldn’t help but feel scared upon seeing the five knights.

They looked like well-trained knights at first glance.

The thought that she would have died if she had come in alone sent chills down her spine.

As Kristin struggled with feelings of self-reproach for being so overconfident and not considering the escort knights, she looked at the knights in front of her.

She didn’t know what they were hiding, but the more she thought about it, the angrier she became.

Kristin pulled out the dagger she had tucked away and threw it at the knight threatening Raphael.

The dagger struck the knight, and he clutched his leg in pain, letting out a groan.

Startled by this, the other four knights raised their swords to attack Kristin, but Raphael quickly drew his sword and began to fight back.

“Now, it’s dangerous, so you must run over there.”

“But, Your Grace—”

“That one seems unable to stand due to his injured leg. Well done, Kristin. These fools are—”

“Die!” one of the knights shouted, cutting Raphael off as multiple swords swung toward him.

Raphael dodged to the left in an instant, deflecting the blows with his sword.

He then countered by slashing the shoulder of the nearest knight. As three more knights charged at him, he threw a small dagger from his belt, hitting another knight squarely in the leg.

The wounded knight collapsed in shock, while the last remaining knight glared at Raphael and snarled.

“A mere commoner who knows how to handle a sword, huh?”

“A mere commoner?”

Raphael chuckled as he approached the knight, overpowering him with one arm and pinning him against the wall.

Then, pulling off his mask, Raphael said, “Do I still look like a commoner to you?”

“Ah, no. You’re Duke Raphael Rodney, aren’t you?”

Upon seeing the duke, the knight’s eyes widened in shock, and he hesitated to raise his sword. He quickly turned to the knights who had fallen to the ground and said,

“Stop! Cease the attack immediately. We cannot harm the Duke.”

“Who exactly hired you to guard this mansion?” Raphael asked, turning his sharp gaze to the knight who seemed to be the leader.

The knight, trembling, pointed to the portrait hanging on the wall and replied,

“Blair Adley hired us. She said she would pay us double if we protected this mansion well. That’s why we’ve been guarding it day and night.”

“Is that true? Did she say anything else?”

Raphael spoke to them with a sharp gaze before walking toward the room Kristin had rushed into. He gently knocked on the door and said,

“Kristin, you can come out now. One of them is someone I know. He was a knight under me when I was the commander of the imperial knights.”

Kristin was even more taken aback by Raphael’s words.

However, relieved that the duke had survived against the five knights, she slowly opened the door and looked at him.

“Are you alright, Your Grace? Do you know one of these knights? Why is someone like him working in a place like this?”

“I’m sorry. Please don’t report us. If word gets out that we’re in cahoots with Director Blair, our life as a knight will truly be over,” one of the knights pleaded.

“Wasn’t it you who did something foolish, knowing the consequences? Well, in a way, this might turn out well.”

“Wh-what?” the knight stammered.

“Since we’re in this situation, guide me to Director Blair’s room. If any of you have a key, hand it over. She must’ve entrusted it to the most reliable one among you. She wouldn’t leave it lying around so easily.”

The knights exchanged fearful glances, trembling at the thought of their safety being at stake due to the crimes that would soon be revealed about Director Blair.

If things went wrong here, it was only natural that they would lose their jobs in any direction.

Having lived their lives as knights, the shame of having conspired with a criminal was not something they could easily bear.

However, they had no choice.

The person in front of them was Raphael Rodney.

He was someone who had returned from numerous battles without a scratch, making it impossible to defeat him.

Even if they banded together to kill Raphael and the knights, they already had injured knights among them, making it impossible to continue working under Director Blair.

In that case, wouldn’t it be better to ally with Raphael Rodney instead?

One of the knights, realizing their predicament, spoke up to the leader, “Rain, give him the key. It’s better off telling the Duke everything.”

“Y-yes, alright,” Rain replied, bowing his head toward Kristin as a gesture of apology.

The other knights quickly followed suit, lowering their heads in respect toward her as well.

Rain slowly pulled out the set of keys and showed them to Raphael before speaking hesitantly.

“I will explain. …I don’t know where to start, but we were dismissed after our contract period ended while serving as knights in the empire.”

Rain’s words were the truth.

In the Union Empire, the Imperial Knights were recruited every three years. Instead of continuing to pay knights who underperformed, the empire structured the knightly order on a three-year cycle, ensuring a fresh recruitment process.

For knights who were dismissed, it meant losing their livelihood. Some fortunate knights found work as guards for high-ranking noble families, while others, lacking sufficient skill, were relegated to guarding remote outposts owned by nobles. Those not chosen had little choice but to change careers or find new employment elsewhere.

Rain and the other four knights had been among those searching for work when they met Director Blair Adley.

“The director made us an offer. She said that if we protected this mansion well, she would pay us double what imperial knights receive. She promised to employ us indefinitely until she continued as the director of the orphanage. It was an excellent opportunity for us, so we couldn’t refuse.”

“Yes, that’s why we ended up here. However, it was under the condition that we wouldn’t speak about this mansion at all.”

“Have you seen anything strange here?”

Raphael wanted to confirm all suspicions regarding the abuse of the children.

According to Father Benjamin, the children were allegedly being held captive in this place and not living a proper life.

“Well, we… we don’t really know why, but we’ve seen Director Blair occasionally bring children into the mansion. She told us that the children were ill and needed care at her home. The kids always looked so terrified that we just assumed they were suffering from some terrible illness.”

Kristin couldn’t bear to listen to Rain any longer.

The knights behind her were bleeding and groaning in pain. Kristin turned to the duke and spoke.

“Um, Your Grace. While the knights have done wrong, I think it would be best to let them receive treatment first. If they keep bleeding like this, they could end up in a dangerous situation.”

“Kristin, they tried to kill you. I can never forgive that.”

“They didn’t know who we were, and they only did it to survive. If these knights are well, they can serve as witnesses in the upcoming trial. If they bleed too much and something happens, there will be no one to report the director’s actions. They are the witnesses.”

The Duke sighed heavily. “Fine. Alright. But let’s make a deal first,” he said, addressing Rain. “I will let your four companions go. However, you will stay with us.”

“Excuse me? My companions are only trying to survive. They didn’t participate in the abuse of the children. I can promise that.”

“Thank you, Lady Kristin,” Rain said, bowing to her.

“Alright. Hurry and get out of this mansion. If the director finds out, things will get more complicated. Go quickly.”

The wounded knights, limping, made their way toward another exit from the mansion. Rain watched them leave before Raphael spoke again.

“If you testify in court, I’ll make sure you can continue working as a knight somewhere else. But don’t think this erases your guilt. You allowed the director’s crimes to happen under your watch.”

Rain showed despair at the duke’s words but nodded in agreement.

“We will hear the details in court, and we can’t waste any more time here. Now, take us to the director’s room.”

“Yes, Your Grace. Right this way.”