ESL Chapter 43

“What?! They’re dead?”

Helen, who had been preparing to go to court, was shocked nearly to the point of fainting at the words of the court official who had rushed to visit her. The court official was equally surprised and flustered, as beads of sweat formed on his forehead.

“That’s correct, Lady Roman. Last night, the underground dungeon of the Capital Guard was attacked, and as a result, Rene and Rosman, who were scheduled to stand trial today, were murdered.”

“How… how could such a thing… who could attack the Capital Guard’s underground dungeon…”

Watching Helen, who seemed too devastated to finish her words, the court official replied gloomily.

“That’s what I’m saying… The Third Prince even gave special instructions… The Capital Guard is going to suffer terribly over this incident.”

Hah… Helen unconsciously bit her lower lip hard. She bit it so hard that it was injured, but she was so furious that she didn’t even notice. Let those shameless people who killed my father and drove me into that humiliation go so easily? Then what about my anger? From whom should I receive payment for their crimes? Helen was so angry that she wanted to scream. She had wanted to reveal their crimes to the world and have them properly punished to at least somewhat compensate for her father’s unjust death, but now it was all over.

“…Then what happens to the trial?”

The court official quickly answered while wiping the sweat from his forehead with a handkerchief, looking at Helen’s fury-filled eyes.

“Since the criminals were murdered, there will be no trial. Even so, the evidence that has come out so far is too clear, so even without a trial, there should be no problem with Lady Roman reclaiming the Count’s estate.”

“…I understand. Thank you for informing me.”

She felt like she would burst into tears at any moment, but Helen forced herself to compose her emotions and thanked the court official. However, after he left, she finally couldn’t hold back and threw the teacup she was holding to the floor. The teacup shattered into pieces, and one of the fragments flew up and grazed her cheek.

“………”

Blood began to well up where the porcelain shard had grazed her, but Helen, who couldn’t even feel the pain, raised her unfocused eyes as she felt a gentle touch on her wound.

“You’ve gotten a cut on your pretty face.”

When had she arrived? When Lea’s figure slowly came into view, looking at her with worried eyes, Helen finally burst into tears.

“Sob… sob…“

Watching Helen cry in frustration and injustice at having lost the target of her anger, Lea let out an invisible sigh and approached to embrace her.

She had wanted to put them on trial to resolve Helen’s resentment. Naturally, they would receive the maximum sentence, but just in case those cunning people might mention their miserable past to draw out even a bit of sympathy from people, she had wanted to prepare even more thoroughly. Fortunately, with the information Ian had brought through his subordinates, she had tracked down Rene and Rosman’s hidden past and uncovered the fact that the two were strangers and had been having an affair for five years. She had secured both witnesses and evidence, but the place to use them had disappeared.

‘As expected, they’re not to be underestimated…’

She had thought they might move to silence the witnesses, but she hadn’t imagined they would attack the Capital Guard under the Emperor. Moreover, she hadn’t thought the underground dungeon could be breached so easily…

If she had known the security was only at that level, she would have assigned shadows from the Duke’s household in advance. Thinking she had been complacent and reflecting on herself, Lea stroked Helen’s back soothingly as she cried. After crying for some time, Lea, who had instructed the exhausted Helen to be taken to her room and laid down, left the reception room with heavy steps. As she was about to leave the Count’s estate with the butler seeing her off, she stopped at the sound of Sean calling her.

“Sister!”

When she stopped and turned around, Sean ran up and threw himself into her arms. His fluffy, childlike cheeks were flushed with a rosy glow. The child who had been gaunt and emaciated during the torture was regaining his former appearance under Helen’s devoted care.

“Sean.”

“Is our sister okay?”

Looking at the child’s eyes filled with worry, Lea raised her hand and stroked Sean’s head.

“She’ll be fine. Don’t worry. If you comfort your sister, won’t she recover her spirits even faster?”

“Yes… But sister, are you leaving already?”

As if disappointed that she was leaving, the child fidgeted with her skirt hem in his hand. Finding his behavior so adorable, Lea pulled Sean into a tight embrace. Then she crouched down to meet Sean’s eye level and said.

“I have someone I need to meet today, so I have to go. I’ll visit often.”

“Okay. Promise.”

After hooking pinky fingers with Sean’s extended little finger to make a promise, Lea sent Sean up to Helen’s room and left the Count Roman estate. As she approached the carriage, Ian opened the carriage door and extended his hand.

By the Duke’s order, Ian had emerged from the shadow unit and been officially appointed as Lea’s guard knight. Having always worn simple, unadorned dark clothing befitting his reputation as a shadow, he now wore the black uniform of the House of Kaien emblazoned with its symbol embroidered in silver thread. Though he seemed uncomfortable with it, it suited his tall stature and handsome appearance very well, so rather than taking his offered hand, Lea looked him over. Perhaps that gaze made him uncomfortable, as Ian’s usually calm eyes slowly began to waver, and Lea smiled brightly and said.

“I feel this every time I see you, but the uniform suits you well, Ian.”

“…Thank you. My lady, your hand.”

Though there was no change in his expression, Ian’s ears were flushed red as he escorted her into the carriage. Smiling lightly at his appearance, Lea sat in the carriage and said to Ian.

“Then let’s go meet him now.”

Understanding who she was talking about, Ian was silent for a moment before opening his mouth.

“…You may think this presumptuous, but I would prefer if you had that person brought here rather than going yourself.”

At Ian’s serious expression, Lea’s eyes showed surprise. What kind of place could he be hiding in for Ian to say such a thing?

“Is it a dangerous place?”

At Lea’s question, Ian pondered what words to use to describe that place. It wasn’t a dangerous place, but considering its special nature, it was an inappropriate location for the young lady to visit. Ian, who had tried to convey it in the most euphemistic terms possible, eventually realized it was difficult to sugarcoat no matter how he tried and gave up.

“…The place where that person is hiding is Herion Street, the capital’s famous pleasure district. Even in broad daylight, things happen there that are difficult to watch with open eyes, so I don’t think it’s suitable for you to visit, my lady, as you haven’t yet come of age.”

Herion Street. She had heard of it. A place where with money, one could buy any alcohol, any drugs, any woman—mainly used by commoners, but quite a few debauched nobles frequented it. Especially rumored to be the optimal place for married men to have affairs since it left no traces. Moreover, the streets were as complicated as a spider’s web and it wasn’t easy to find people, so many criminals also hid there.

“I see… If it’s that place, their hands wouldn’t have reached it. But Uncle MacLean found him well. It must not have been easy. Perhaps he has informants even in Herion Street?”

At Lea’s words, Ian answered with his characteristically emotionless gaze.

“I’m not sure about that.”

“I see. Then let’s go now.”

At Lea’s words, as if it didn’t matter what kind of place it was, Ian, who had been looking at her for a moment, let out a light sigh, gave instructions to the coachman, then boarded the carriage. As the carriage began to move, Lea, who had been looking outside through the window, felt Ian’s gaze and faced him.

“Do you have something to say?”

“…Must you go?”

To Ian, whose face had hardened as if he really didn’t like her going there, Lea smiled brightly and answered.

“Otherwise, he won’t believe me. Don’t worry so much, Ian. We’ll go to the vicinity and after that, I’ll wear a robe and move around. And with me there and you there, surely nothing will happen, right?”

“………..”

That ‘nothing’ might not be the kind of thing you’re thinking of, my lady… Ian swallowed the words he couldn’t bring himself to say. If he brought it up and was asked what kind of thing, he didn’t have the confidence to answer. Though it didn’t show on his face due to long training, Ian’s mind was complicated in many ways. And his worries became reality immediately.

****

“Haah~ Ahh! Aaah~”

“Huff… huff…”

The woman’s moans and the man’s groans mixed together, heating up the gloomy alley. A woman with her skirt pulled up to her waist was pressed against the wall, moaning with a flushed face, and a man with his pants undone was stuck close behind her. The man, gripping the woman’s white buttocks and vigorously moving his hips, was panting with veins bulging in his neck as if about to reach climax. Thanks to Ian quickly assessing the situation as soon as they entered the alley and blocking Lea’s view, she didn’t see the actual scene, but from the sounds alone, she could sufficiently guess what was happening ahead.

“Please don’t listen. It’s not good for your mental health.”

Ian’s large hands covered both ears of the robed Lea as he turned around. While chasing fugitives, one sees all kinds of sights both pleasant and unpleasant, so he thought what’s the big deal about that level, but Lea decided to stand still obediently for Ian’s mental health, not her own. After some time had passed, Ian removed his hands from her ears and said.

“You may go now.”

As Ian moved aside and her view was secured, she saw the back of the man who had been with the woman just moments ago walking away. The woman, leaning against the wall as if exhausted and counting what appeared to be bills received from the man, threw a seductive smile and flirtatious glance at Ian when he approached, as if she hadn’t just been engaged in that activity. She appeared to be in her early twenties and was quite a voluptuous beauty.

“Oh my! You’re so handsome~ I’ll give you a discount, how about it with me?”

The woman who had been smiling brightly suddenly had completely different eyes when Ian opened his mouth.

“Are you Lu? Pechen told me to deliver a message.”