* * *
“We have arrived.”
Peep.
A falcon flew over the heads of the knights on horseback.
“That is the mansion of Marquis Guinness.”
It was late afternoon when Lennox Carlyle arrived at the mansion of the Marquis.
Having left the sleeping Juliet with Elliot and the other knights, their journey was relatively smooth.
Rustle.
Having arrived at their destination without any particular incident, the group dismounted their horses in the mansion’s courtyard.
The large mansion of Marquis Guinness, who had been a great noble of the South, was now completely empty. Only a few guards dispatched from the palace were standing watch.
“Isn’t that Duke Carlyle? Why is he here…?”
The guards were surprised by the unexpected visitor.
“We are entering.”
Lennox didn’t feel the need to explain their purpose of visit.
The guards hesitated but just watched from a distance as Duke Carlyle and his knights entered the mansion.
“Your Highness.”
“Yes?”
“Is it okay to leave Miss Juliet like that?”
Sir Milan, who was entering the mansion with Lennox, asked him with a hint of concern.
Just after passing through the gate, leaving behind the sleeping Juliet seemed to be a worry.
Lennox replied calmly.
“She might get angry.”
“Yes… She surely will.”
Sir Milan smirked.
However, Lennox had a reason to secretly leave Juliet behind.
While Juliet might get angry thinking she should handle her past trauma by herself, Lennox saw it differently.
The one who was weak wasn’t her, but the man named Lennox Carlyle.
He couldn’t bear to see Juliet standing in such a scene.
“But did Miss Juliet really say the item is stored here?”
“Hmm. If so, I wonder what could be.”
Sir Milan clicked his tongue lightly.
The knights looked around the mansion, keeping an eye on Duke Carlyle’s reactions.
It was just as they had said.
The Marquis’s mansion was empty.
Few remaining servants had fled after taking any valuables, making the place feel abandoned.
“Perhaps Miss Juliet was mistaken?”
“…”
Lennox didn’t question how Juliet knew about it, only suspecting it was related to her past.
– The mansion of Marquis Guinness in the South. The item you’re looking for is there.
Lennox stared at the empty hallway.
The knights couldn’t see it, but it was clearly visible to his eyes.
A large black panther chuckled menacingly before turning around and walking somewhere, gesturing for him to follow.
“It’s that way.”
Confused, the knights followed him.
After some time, the panther stopped in front of a partially opened door.
A knight who carelessly peeked inside recoiled in horror.
“Ugh.”
“…It’s terrible.”
The room decorated with red wallpaper was eerie. It was filled with creepy tools of unknown use.
“It looks like a torture chamber.”
It was just like the illusion shown by the black panther before.
Facing the red room, Lennox came face to face with the illusion of a gaunt woman hanging her head in defeat.
(You made a mistake.)
A giggling voice of a demon echoed in his ears.
(You will never be able to escape the vision of that woman suffering for the rest of your life.)
Grinding his teeth, Lennox ignored the taunting voice of the panther.
“Find the library.”
“Pardon?”
Not far from the red room, Lennox found the library Juliet had mentioned. There was a bookshelf inside.
Without much difficulty, he found the switch that opens the hidden passage.
– Inside the Marquis’s library, there’s a book with a green leather cover.
It was just as Juliet had said.
Upon touching the switch that looked like a green-bound book, an entrance to a hidden space was revealed.
Creak, creak, creak.
Thud.
“My, what is this…”
The knights, who entered first with torches, couldn’t help but marvel.
Marquis Guinness’s lavish collection was on display.
The room was filled with dazzling treasures.
The scene was so luxurious that it instantly dispelled the discomfort they felt after seeing the torture room just before.
“Your Highness!”
“I found it!”
Just a few steps in, amidst the many treasures, they found what they were looking for immediately. It was because among the many items, there was only one tiara.
The delicate golden tiara was smaller than expected.
However, the knights somehow couldn’t take their eyes off of it.
“So, this is…”
“The lost heirloom of the Duke’s family!”
Both Milan and Hadin exclaimed in admiration. It was their first time seeing it in person even though they had only heard of it.
Knowing that Duke Carlyle had searched for this tiara for more than ten years, the two knights were deeply moved.
“Congratulations, Your Highness.”
“Your Highness!”
Even the other knights, who didn’t know the full story, also bowed their heads in unison.
However, holding the tiny tiara, Duke Carlyle only stared at it with a cold gaze.
Suddenly, he lifted his head.
(Yes, you finally got it. Congratulations.)
Amidst the rejoicing knights, a black panther gracefully walked in.
(Excellent. You should be praised. But you don’t think this is the end, do you?)
The black panther whispered, audible only to him.
(You had it in the past too. But your girl died, didn’t she?)
“…!”
He had never heard before, so Lennox glared at the black beast with bloodshot eyes.
(Will you be able to stop it this time? Hmm?)
The panther spoke cryptically, chuckling.
The tiara, which was said to have adorned the head of the family’s mistress, was beautiful and delicately crafted, but the gaze upon it was cold.
There was no sign of the expected joy or sense of accomplishment from someone who had finally obtained an item they had long sought.
“By the way, Your Highness, I have something to tell you.”
Sir Milan, who had been admiring the tiara, suddenly spoke.
“In fact, Miss Juliet had asked about this tiara before.”
Milan said lightly, as if it were a thing of the past.
“I don’t know how she knew, but she knew about the Fran couple.”
The Fran couple were the names of the servants who stole the tiara from the Duke’s house and ran away about twenty years ago.
“I don’t know where she heard it, but it seems she got some misinformation.”
Sir Milan, seemingly more relaxed, was unusually talkative.
“Well, the rumor was that the Fran couple ran away with the treasure with their daughter…”
“Milan.”
Lennox called him with a pale face.
“What did Juliet say?”
“Ah, about the Fran couple…”
“Not that. The other thing.”
“Yes?”
Sir Milan blinked, then reconsidered his words.
“She asked if the Fran couple had a daughter. And…”
“Hadin.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
“Where is Juliet now?”
“Probably… She should have arrived in the capital by now.”
Hadin estimated the distance.
Sir Cain, along with Juliet’s group, had decided to return to the capital before them. If all went as planned, they should be back in the capital resting by now.
“If we leave now, when will we arrive in the capital?”
“If we hurry, maybe the day after tomorrow… Your Highness?!”
Hadin, who rarely loses his cool, almost screamed.
Duke Carlyle turned around and casually tossed the tiara he was holding at him.
“Why did you…?”
Though Hadin caught it reflexively, he was startled.
This wasn’t the way to treat a precious treasure.
“We leave now.”
“Now?”
Without rest? It would be a tremendous march.
“Hurry.”
Finishing his words, Duke Carlyle turned and headed out.
The two knights left inside the secret room with the beautiful tiara looked at each other with bewildered expressions.
Twinkle twinkle.
In Hadin’s hand, the tiara shone mysteriously.
Then, it happened.
Rumble.
“What’s that noise?”
Not only the knights inside the mansion but also the guards outside noticed the unusual sound.
Before they could understand what was happening, a dull thud shook the foundation of the mansion.
“Your Highness!”
The ground sank with an ominous noise.