On the day of the incident, the reason Carl escaped from the carriage midway was simple.

He discovered a familiar face on the street that he had always wanted to kill whenever he met them.

August Dawson.

The knight he once called by the nickname ‘Gus’ was currently living lavishly after being granted a viscountcy.

If only August hadn’t betrayed him, Carl’s long-prepared revenge wouldn’t have ended in failure.

‘I would have already gained proper status and appeared before my master with dignity……’

Carl, unable to contain his rising anger and desire for revenge, followed August.

He couldn’t reveal his identity, so he was thinking of at least hitting him in the back of the head……

He witnessed an unexpected scene.

Another person familiar to Carl appeared as if secretly meeting with August.

‘That’s Diart’s head maid. Why is she with that rat bastard……’

August gave her something like a note, and head maid Emma put it in her bosom and left as if fleeing.

At this truly strange sight, Carl suddenly thought of Shailyn.

At the same time, he realized that he had accidentally taken her bag with him.

‘For today, since it’s the first day back in the capital, I shouldn’t cause trouble.’

He barely composed himself and returned to the ducal residence. However, what spread before Carl was the ducal family turned into a complete mess.

From the moment he saw the imperial knights positioned near the entrance, he sensed something ominous and quietly hid himself.

Then, when night fell and only some knights remained, he secretly infiltrated the mansion to find Shailyn.

The most important thing for a bondservant was his master’s safety.

However, like during the previous kidnapping incident, Shailyn was nowhere to be seen. Even the Diart family was the same.

What on earth had happened?

‘Were they captured by the Imperial Knight Order?’

But why?

What resolved his confused questions was a newspaper article the next morning.

〈Exclusive) Diart Ducal Family Conspires with Heretics to Plot Rebellion!〉

The article stated that Shailyn, having been staying with the ducal family, was also captured on charges of complicity.

Naturally, knowing they were innocent, Carl couldn’t help but feel absurd.

Someone had deliberately set a trap for Diart.

And that someone was—

‘Uncle, it’s you.’

The greed of his uncle, having cruelly cast out his young nephew, had only grown and never diminished.

Since rescuing those imprisoned was the immediate priority, Carl desperately racked his brain.

Unfortunately, with his status as a mere bondservant, there was nothing he could do.

So he went to find someone who might help Shailyn’s group.

“……You managed not to get caught.”

It was none other than Chester.

Deborah’s superior and a man who owed a great deal to Shailyn.

Considering that debt, he honestly couldn’t refuse to help, so Carl had gone to Chester.

Carl, having been staring intently at his gaunt face, politely requested.

“Please help.”

“I’m already trying to do that.”

Since both an employee he had been watching and someone he liked were captured at once, Chester naturally wasn’t sitting idle either.

“The mage who gave unfavorable testimony against Deborah during the magical tool explosion accident quit the magic tower yesterday without a word.”

However, since the Celsior ducal family was also moving quickly to clean up the cards they had used, uncovering the truth wasn’t entirely easy.

With guilt over not properly managing his staff, Chester rubbed his dry face and muttered.

“Since the magical tool explosion incident is the beginning of all this, we need to solve that first……”

“I know a way.”

Carl replied quietly.

His jet-black eyes held a determined light as he looked directly at Chester.

“But you must help me, Tower Master.”

***

They say even when the sky falls, there’s a hole to escape through.

I can’t die like this.

Giving up on the crown prince who couldn’t be conquered, she wanted to request help from the male leads she had already successfully conquered.

“Everyone, do you happen to have anything valuable?”

She asked the ducal family, having become noticeably quieter since returning from the court meeting.

Then Lord Diart, rummaging through his pockets, tore off a sleeve button and offered it.

“It’s a pure gold button.”

“It’s an eyeglass chain made of diamonds.”

The duke also took off his glasses and separated the chain to give it.

“Sorry, I don’t have anything.”

“……”

Dain raised both hands, and Deborah showed no reaction.

She seemed quite hurt by Emma’s betrayal. Well, if I’m this shocked, Deborah must be even more so.

Including the sapphire butterfly earrings she always wore, she gathered all the valuables they had.

‘This isn’t bad.’

She rolled her eyes to survey the quiet atmosphere inside the prison. Then she approached the iron bars where an expressionless guard stood.

“Excuse me, I have something to say, could you come a bit closer?”

Despite even using polite speech, the guard only glanced sideways and didn’t move.

She calmly continued speaking.

“Can you grant me just one favor? Let me write one letter so I can at least send final greetings to someone I love.”

She tried appealing pitifully, but the guard didn’t budge. She didn’t get disappointed and extended her hand through the iron bars.

In her palm were a pure gold button, diamond eyeglass chain, and sapphire earrings.

“I’m not asking with empty words either. Just let me write a letter once. That’s all.”

The guard’s gaze swept over her hand. Even though her arm hurt, she persistently endured and waited for him to take this bait.

Finally, the guard who slowly approached the iron bars took her bribe.

“Be careful not to get caught. If we’re discovered, I’ll be in big trouble too.”

“Of course.”

She smiled and nodded. Shortly after, she received paper and a pen.

After writing letters without hesitation, she asked him to send it to the person written on the envelope’s surface.

‘Please, this one shouldn’t turn away from me like the crown prince……’

Since it was an underground dungeon and she couldn’t tell how time was passing, she waited endlessly for a reply.

Then when she dozed off momentarily.

“Shailyn.”

A familiar voice woke her. Surprised, she lifted her head, and the head priest revealed his face while removing his hood.

He had come after receiving her letter.

“Are you alright?”

“Raviel, you came……!”

There was value in desperately struggling to raise his affection in the county.

While feeling moved, she tried to glance at the guard, but he waved his hand and said.

“I paid him and had him step out temporarily. You don’t need to worry.”

“Ha…… Thank you. Raviel, we absolutely never conspired with heretics.”

“I know. If you had, I couldn’t have been unaware. But you know the current situation isn’t good, right Shailyn?”

The head priest, smiling bitterly for a moment, soon made a serious face.

“I’ve prepared what you requested, and I brought medicine too. You must be careful because taking too much is harmful to your body.”

“I understand.”

She hid the small medicine bottle he handed through the iron bars in her sleeve.

The head priest grasped her hand holding the iron bars and whispered.

“You remember our promise, right? That we’d stay by each other’s side for a long time. I’ll really be angry if you don’t keep it.”

“I’ll definitely keep it, so don’t worry. I have no intention of dying unjustly.”

Why would I die? Why would a lucky person who even won a 5 billion lottery die?

The head priest, seeming reassured seeing her burning with determination, soon had to leave with a regretful face as time ran out.

She conveyed her plan to the ducal family using almost only body language so the guard wouldn’t hear.

And the next day, she immediately put it into action.

***

Inside the prison where darkness lingered even at midday.

It was the time when meals were distributed to prisoners once a day.

What was given to the Diart ducal family and Shailyn was only thin soup and a lump of dry bread.

Even so, when they seemed to be eating well without complaint…..

Clang!

“Ugh—”

Shailyn suddenly dropped her soup bowl and groaned in pain.

She vomited dark red blood and instantly lost consciousness, and the ducal family screamed in shock.

“Shailyn! Our Shailyn has collapsed! Call a doctor immediately!”

“D*mn, she’s not breathing! Someone definitely put poison in the soup!”

The guards who ran over in surprise at the commotion and checked Shailyn’s condition turned pale.

She hung limply with blood staining her lips, looking exactly like she was dead.

Although she had been captured for treason, no formal sentence had been handed down yet, so it would be troublesome if someone died.

Especially by poisoning!

“Could she really be dead?”

“N-no! She’s still breathing! Let’s transfer her somewhere else first!”

One guard checked her pulse and urgently dragged her out.

It was the moment Shailyn escaped from prison.