A Cruel Beast's Leash

When Irvan, accompanied by the Knights, appeared at the annex, Emma dashed towards the door and it herself.

“How’s your body? Are you okay? I thought you would be resting,” Irvan asked her first.

“I rested enough,” Emma softly replied. As usual, Emma’s face looking up at Irvan was riddled with fear and concern; he similarly felt worried for her, but Irvan looked calm on the outside.

According to Jenna, Collin’s death had turned the entire castle upside down. In particular, there were people who witnessed covered stretchers stained with blood from the Countess’s office, where roars and screams had just sounded a while ago. It was enough to send shivers down their spine. People murmured that it was an ominous prediction that further bloodbath would ensue. As such, it embroiled the castle in anxiety and uproar.

“What about you Mr. Irvan, are you okay? What happened?” she asked, unable to keep the worry from her voice.

“Oh, wait a minute,” Irvan said, not answering immediately. He had the knights wait outside the front door and only called in Vice-Capitan Roham. He stood tall in the middle of the room and looked around.

“What about the ladies-in-waiting?” Irvan asked, surveying the room.

“When they heard the news, they wanted to go back to the main building but I told them to wait inside the room.”

Of course, they were forcibly locked up and she had Jenna stand guard in front of the tightly closed door. The maids, who had been banging on the door for some time, were now quiet, probably because they were tired. Seeing Emma’s determined expression, Irvan’s mouth slightly curled upwards. He looked satisfied.

“You did well – great,” he said. As Irvan stepped closer and opened the door, the two maids, who had been looking for a chance to run away from the door, retreated back in surprise.

“You two,” At Irvan’s words, the maids turned to look at each other and exchanged glances, but it seemed like neither of them knew why they were being singled out. “You were the maids in Grok Lodge. Are you lacking underw*ar today again?”

“I-It’s not like that.” The black-haired maid quickly shook her head in denial. The blonde mai, who was nervously standing next to her, quickly shook her head too.  “Absolutely not.”

“Really? But you wouldn’t need underwear with Collin.” At Irvan’s cold words, the maids’ faces turned white.

“Did you think I wouldn’t know?” The two maids dared not raise their heads at Irvan’s cynical words. “Everyone in the castle knows the rumor.”

“I don’t really know w-what you’re talking about……” The black-haired one, who seemed to be quick-witted, tried to hide it quickly, but she didn’t dare say anything after Irvan’s harsh gaze. She just licked her lips nervously and gulped.

“Everyone knows Collin’s relationship with you. Right?” As Irvan glanced at Vice-Captain Roham standing behind him, he nodded briefly in affirmation.

“Rumors might have spread even outside the castle. The servants working outside have foul mouths, and in taverns, stories of all sorts are told.” At Roham’s words, the two maids bit their lips and lowered their heads. Their shoulders shook slightly.

Irvan stared at the two indifferently and said, “Let’s see, I heard that one of you had a child. Which one of the two?”

A look of surprise spread on Roham’s face for a moment. Emma quickly glanced at Jenna and silently asked if she knew anything about it. Jenna only shook her head, perhaps it was also the first time she had heard of it.

“No. Not one, but two of you?” Irvan continued.

The maids couldn’t say anything and kept their heads lowered. However, both of them were aflame with shame and embarrassment, as their napes and ears had quickly turned red.

“It’s obvious when your chest swells and your waist enlarges at the same time.”

Emma remembered only then when Irvan had commented on maids’ chests back at the Grok Mountains. At that time, she was puzzled at Irvan’s remarks. After all, he didn’t seem to be interested in them.

Irvan looked at them coldy. “You try to hide your children, afraid that the doctor will give you away. But even if you keep them hidden in a different house for a few months, it will naturally come to light.” Irvan shrugged lightly. Then he took turns looking at the women’s bellies. “I think it’s both. You must have been thoroughly prepared. Well, I am the same.”

Having said that, Irvan reached out to Roham. “Give it to me.”

“Ah, yes!” Roham quickly handed the long sword he was wearing around his waist.

“As you may have heard, Collin is dead. So now, you have a choice,” Irvan began.

The sound of iron unsheathed chilled the atmosphere. He looked at the bluish edge of the sword, and murmured, “One, you will disappear without a trace from here.”

The black-haired maid, who immediately realized the meaning of the disappearance, flinched as if frightened and backed away. The blonde maid was terrified and trembled like a leaf, then collapsed to the floor.