Then the Emperor pointed to a specific part of the ledger while speaking.

“I didn’t know you would frequent such places either……”

“Ah, that’s……”

“Never mind, no need to explain.”

“…… I’m ashamed, Your Majesty.”

“I can roughly guess the reason.”

Enoch bowed his head like a criminal. Over his head, the kind Emperor’s voice settled down.

“I will keep my promise, so don’t worry too much.”

“…… Pardon?”

“You won’t have to worry about the Bert Princess matter anymore.”

Enoch carefully faced the Emperor with a face that couldn’t believe it.

“Have I lived only being deceived?”

“Ah……”

“I have worked you too hard all this time.”

The Emperor said this while letting out a small laugh.

“My words of gratitude were also always sincere.”

With those words as the last, the Emperor issued an order for Enoch to leave. Enoch could only be bewildered by the Emperor’s unexpected reaction.

* * *

The moment the next morning dawned, newspapers filled with content related to Sejef spread throughout the Empire. The news was that imperial knights had raided the Winston mansion overnight and arrested him.

The charge was naturally plotting treason. Along with this, the auction house the Grand Duke had been operating was also revealed to the world. Thanks to this, the bad crowd that had been associating with Sejef also surfaced.

In the raided Winston grand ducal residence, not only large quantities of weapons but also numerous women were discovered confined in specially modified underground rooms. Most were those who had been reported missing long ago. He didn’t even want to imagine what had been done there.

With the succession of terrible news, countless people all began to loudly support Grand Duke Winston’s execution.

Enoch, who sat in his office reading the newspaper, raised the corners of his mouth satisfactorily. He had thought minor matters would be appropriately buried and his crimes reduced, but fortunately that didn’t happen.

‘They say people change when it’s time to die……’

Enoch thought this while recalling the Emperor. But he wasn’t entirely relieved.

He was worried about Luciella.

‘She must have heard the news.’

The servants of the estate were also busy moving their mouths about Grand Duke Winston’s matter. Since it was such a big incident, Luciella couldn’t possibly not know.

Where should he start explaining and how. It was the moment when Enoch was about to leave his office with a somewhat troubled face.

“Enoch!”

His office door suddenly opened. The one who entered was Luciella. And with her face completely pale. In one of her hands was today’s published newspaper.

“Wh, what on earth…… what kind of news is this?”

“Luciella.”

“B, Brother Sejef…… brother has been arrested……”

“Luciella, calm down.”

Sure enough. Luciella, who had encountered the news just like he expected, looked confused. Her face colored with panic was a mess. Tears were even flowing down.

“Th, there must be some misunderstanding, right? This is really absurd……”

“Luciella.”

Enoch grasped the shoulders of the trembling Luciella and carefully met her eyes. He tried to calm her down somehow.

“E, Enoch…… Please help brother clear up the misunderstanding.”

“I cannot do that.”

“Enoch!”

“Luciella.”

Enoch carefully wiped Luciella’s cheeks covered in tears. Then he continued speaking in a gentle voice.

“The owner of that auction house was Grand Duke Winston. It’s content written in the newspaper too.”

“But……”

“The revolutionary army that caused the coup in Bert was being sponsored by Grand Duke Winston……”

Luciella shook her head frantically like she couldn’t believe it.

“It was also Grand Duke Winston who provided weapons to them.”

“Th, that can’t be. Why would brother……”

“Luciella, how do you think you were able to be sold to the Empire without being executed.”

Luciella also knew.

That all the evidence was pointing toward Sejef.

But she was afraid to face the truth. The sense of betrayal made her hands tremble. She felt like all the blood in her body was turning cold.

“Ah, ahh……”

Luciella’s body collapsed powerlessly to the floor. The face of Sejef who had worried about her with a bright smile came to mind and she felt like going crazy.

Betrayal, hatred, disgust.

What had he been thinking while deceiving her who knew nothing. She felt like she might vomit.

“I, hic, th, that too…… I didn’t even know that……”

Luciella sprawled on the floor and wailed while sobbing.

Enoch bent his waist and lifted her into his arms. Then he carefully moved her to the bedroom. Even during this, Luciella’s crying didn’t subside.

* * *

“…… How long have you known?”

Luciella, who had calmed down somewhat with warm tea and Enoch’s comforting, opened her mouth with a cracked voice.

“That brother was such a person…… Enoch, since when have you……”

“I knew from the beginning.”

Along with those words, the things Enoch had said flashed through Luciella’s mind for a moment.

“…… Are you acquainted with Grand Duke Winston?”

“I clearly told you not to associate with Grand Duke Winston.”

“What deed? I’m the one who wants to ask. What on earth are you trying to do with that sinister bastard?”

Only now understanding Enoch’s behavior, Luciella covered her face with her palms instead of answering.

“Why…… Why didn’t you tell me in advance.”

“If I had told you, would you have believed me?”

Enoch’s words were right. If the Enoch of that time had confessed the truth, Luciella wouldn’t have believed it at all. Rather, she would have been disgusted, saying he used low tricks to separate her and Sejef.

“Crazy bastard……”

The curse was naturally directed at Sejef. Enoch seemed quite flustered, not expecting such harsh words to come from Luciella’s mouth. But he didn’t particularly stop or restrain her. He only hoped she would vent her feelings that way.

“How could he do such things while being friendly with brother too……”

Enoch, who noticed that the person she referred to was her real brother, only patted her back silently.

The trial for Grand Duke Winston, who had caused social controversy, was conducted quickly. But unlike the expectation that he would be sentenced to death, the verdict wasn’t so.

“Grand Duke Sejef Winston is stripped of his position, and it is ordered that all his body parts that committed crimes be severed.”

A more terrible verdict than expected was handed down. It practically meant physical castration along with cutting off all his limbs and tongue.

The moment the verdict news became known, Enoch clicked his tongue quietly. Even if alive, he clearly wouldn’t be living. Due to fierce surveillance, he wouldn’t be able to escape through death either.

“Assets are confiscated and used primarily for the victims’ recovery……”

The people cheered at the verdict content. Some nobles were disgusted saying it was excessive, but they couldn’t step forward to speak.

Most of them were those who had frequented Sejef’s auction house at least once. Because of this, if they carelessly opened their mouths and got entangled in the case, they clearly wouldn’t be able to recover even their bones.

Luciella, who heard the news of Sejef’s verdict, was calmer than expected. She no longer got angry or cried.

“The punishment will be carried out publicly.”

Luciella nodded at Enoch’s words.

Sejef would feel the pain of his body being cut off while hearing the cheers of countless spectators.

‘And brother must have disappeared from this world like that too.’

They weren’t particularly affectionate siblings, but since they were blood relatives, her heart couldn’t help but be heavy.

Luciella sighed while trying hard to erase thoughts about him.

“Luciella.”

“Yes.”

“How about going on a vacation to the south for about a month. Of course, with me.”

Luciella tilted her head and asked back at Enoch’s suggestion.

“Suddenly?”

“I’ve been thinking about it for a while. Since you’ll probably encounter a lot of news about Grand Duke Winston’s matter for the time being, I’m worried……”

“Ah……”

Certainly it had been like that recently. Just going out on the streets, songs mocking Grand Duke Winston could be heard, and countless people were moving their mouths waiting only for the day of his punishment. Because of this, it was a somewhat burdensome environment in a different sense for Luciella, whose family members had all been executed.

“Hasn’t the weather in the capital become quite chilly lately. The southern seaside is warm, so it will be much more comfortable for you to stay.”

Seeing Enoch’s effort to care for her somehow, Luciella answered while slightly raising the corners of her mouth.

“Okay.”

Enoch carefully swept back her disheveled hair.

“Thank you, Enoch.”

“Not at all.”

“I mean it, really……”

Luciella, who had hesitated briefly, carefully embraced his waist. Since this was the first time she had hugged him first, Enoch stiffened his body in surprise for a moment. Then he naturally patted her back.

“I’m the one who’s grateful.”

“Oh……”

“Even though I committed so many discourtesies……”

Enoch trailed off his words while burying his face in Luciella’s nape.

“I’m ashamed.”

“No, there were misunderstandings back then anyway……”

“I will live paying for my sins for the rest of my life.”

“Oh, that’s going a bit too far……”

Luciella burst into laughter like she found it rather troublesome seeing Enoch apologizing to an extent that seemed excessive.

“It’s fine. I’m really okay.”

“No, still……”

“In the end, you did it all for my sake.”

Luciella said this while firmly cutting off Enoch’s words.

“Just…… please don’t change from now on either.”

Saying this, Luciella’s small body embraced Enoch tightly. The sense of stability that washed over her when she was in his arms was comfortable.