Resetting Lady

* * *

Not even knowing how he had arrived at his destination, Raymond ran. He pulled one of the horses from the carriage that he was riding, then went straight to the palace. He urged the horse to go faster, faster, but it was too late.

He crossed the entire city and arrived at the palace, almost getting into an accident several times, but somehow he got there. One of the guards shouted at him.

“Sir Raymond? This is the Royal Palace! There are procedures!”

“I heard that Ca… His Highness Lewis disappeared!”

Raymond shouted back as he pushed through the guard, whose face turned white the moment he heard those words.

“T-That…”

“Where are His Highness attendants and escort knights?”

“Sir Raymond! What are you doing in this place!”

Raymond knew that Crown Prince Gueuze was an ill-tempered, cold-blooded and lascivious man.

“The culprit is Baron Ein.”

That was what Carynne had said, but Raymond knew that this was not the case.

However, he had attached a tail on Baron Ein, and he found out that the baron and the crown prince had some kind of deal between them. Raymond managed to coax Baron Ein into confessing about Crown Prince Gueuze’s deeds, and he handed the baron over to Marquis Penceir.

“If this gets revealed, even if he’s the country’s Crown Prince, he won’t be able to get out of this.”

Raymond rushed around here and there for the very purpose of raising Prince Lewis to the throne posthaste.

None of the higher nobles wanted such a huge matter to be released to the general public. After all, they had blood ties to the royal family. Raymond had to drag the crown prince down as naturally as he could.

Still, a majority of the Assembly agreed. Such a quick process became possible because Raymond made sure the rumors were spread around, and his likable appearance urged people to listen.

There’s nothing to fear now.

‘Your Highness Lewis.’

All that’s left now was to find both Carynne and Prince Lewis alive. He needed to find them somehow. As soon as possible.

Raymond didn’t know how Crown Prince Gueuze found out about it, but Raymond had contacted Prince Lewis to prevent Carynne falling into Crown Prince Gueuze’s hands.

Since Crown Prince Gueuze was obsessed with making Carynne his, Raymond decided on keeping her next to Prince Lewis. He thought that the crown prince wouldn’t be able to move recklessly if there were a lot of eyes around.

However, someone handed Carynne to him. He’s certain that it was someone from inside the countess’ residence.

Prince Lewis and his knights went to look for Carynne after Raymond had sent them, and it was then that both the prince and Carynne had disappeared at the same time.

“Gueuze…”

Raymond gnashed his teeth.

Crown Prince Gueuze made his move sooner than Raymond expected. If he already got rid of Prince Lewis, then things would get complicated.

“Please open the door.”

“This is His Majesty the King’s chambers, Sir Raymond.”

“Tell him that I’m here regarding His Highness. His Highness Lewis, His Highness Gueuze and my fiancée all went missing at the same time.”

“Sir Raymond, no matter how close you are to His Highness Lewis, your actions are unacceptable. Go back. It’s late, so please go through the proper procedure next time.”

“But isn’t he His Highness’ father? The immediate family must be the first to be informed.”

In the middle of that extended argument, Raymond heard someone calling him.

“Sir Raymond, come here.”

“Sir Barton.”

It was Sir Barton, the captain of the royal guard. Raymond walked towards him, who ushered the younger man away.

“I know that you must be frantic right now, but you’ve just ran straight into the palace. Get it together.”

“…I apologize.”

The king was over the age of ninety. And, his condition had been worsening lately. It’s even said that he was barely holding on just for the sake of passing the throne to Prince Lewis.

As all this was going on, people were starting to find it strange why the king would not just hand over the throne to Crown Prince Gueuze.

“You arrived very quickly. It hasn’t been long since you sent a messenger.”

“Are there still no leads?”

Raymond was nervous.

“Prince Lewis was in his room the last time he was seen.”

“Crown Prince Gueuze must have kidnapped him.”

“His whereabouts are unaccounted for as well, but he tended to disappear often. But I do agree with you.”

“It would be better to take a look at Crown Prince Gueuze’s bedroom first.”

Clatter.

The door was locked. Raymond smashed the lock on Crown Prince Gueuze’s room. The room was empty.

“Could he have already left the palace?”

“That’s possible, but the palace is spacious as well. People are searching every nook and cranny right now. He could be in the garden, or some place else. If he’s not found in one room, the searchers move one to the next.”

“Wait a minute.”

As he was standing on the carpeted floor, Raymond tapped with his shoe one part of the floor that sounded slightly different.

“Let’s check this first before going.”

The carpet was rolled.

And, there…

“…I have a hunch. This…”

…must be a passageway.

“We don’t have the key to it.”

“Then let’s break it.”

The captain of the royal guard shook his head when Raymond pulled out his gun.

“It’s not something that can be broken by a bullet.”

“I’m not going to shoot it.”

He didn’t shoot, but rather, he aimed at the hinges and hit them as much force as he could.

Thud— Thud— Thud—

Raymond hit his gun against the hinges and forced the door open.

“…You’ve got a lot of strength.”

Raymond lifted the door, which was as heavy as a man. And there right below was a ladder.

Going down immediately, Raymond said.

“His Highness Lewis mentioned something in passing before.”

“I sometimes hear someone crying in Father’s room, but there would never be anyone there. It sounded as if those cries were from a distance…”

Please, please, please. I hope that you’re safe. May my oath be not in vain. She cannot be dead. As long as she’s alive, then everything else is fine.

This was all that went on in Raymond’s mind.

Even if she was hurt, even if she had been sexually assaulted–as long as she was holding onto her life. May the worst happen, but not her death.

“Who’s there!”

“I’ll take care of it. Go ahead first. I’ll follow you after,” Sir Barton said.

“Thank you.”

Raymond and the rest of the palace guards rushed down the corridor.

“…This… corridor…”

“Don’t let your eyes wander. Just follow me.”

The walls were adorned with leather.

Raymond took only one glance to know what kind of leather it was, but he did not speak about it.

‘I should have acted sooner.’

Raymond recalled the time when he was still a designated marksman during the war, and when he was called up for a dangerous mission.

“Why are the prisoners being taken?”

“None of your business.”

“The prisoners should be on standby so they could be used for negotiations with the other side.”

“What’s your rank?”

Raymond found out that the prisoners had been taken to Crown Prince Gueuze’s bedroom, and they were never seen again.

“Where are the prisoners now?”

“They’ve been moved to another location for the negotiations.”

Some of them had begged Raymond to shoot them in the head. Mainly the women. In the end, a few of them survived. On the battlefield, Raymond had been called a gentleman and a devil.

Those prisoners of war had turned into playthings, and after they had entered his county, they never stopped being playthings.

Raymond opened the door.

* * *

There are times… when the worst of the worst would suddenly come up to greet you.

The walls of this room were full of corpses. And there were several corpses on the floor as well.

“……”

Donna.

Raymond knew the face of that maid. She was the maid who had been with Carynne ever since she was still in the Hare manor.

If this was what she looked like, then—

“Your Highness!”

One of the guards ran to the boy at once, but he froze right there.

“He’s dead.”

Despair filled Raymond as he saw Carynne there, smiling a little awkwardly, in a sea of blood.

He should have felt relieved seeing that she was alive, but he could not feel any relief at all.

Carynne set down the blade that she was holding, then she raised her arms.

“I killed them all. Take me away.”

“W-W-What is this.”

Carynne calmly approached the guard and offered her wrists to him. The guard backed away. Another guard was some distance away, retching. A corpse, a corpse, another corpse, here and there.

“……”

Raymond looked at Carynne.

Their eyes met, but nothing was said between them. It’s impossible to know what to say in this situation.

So, Raymond started with what he needed to do.

“Crown Prince Gueuze is dead.”

“Uuuurk, blaaarrrgh…”

Raymond turned to Crown Prince Gueuze. And, he took out his notebook to record the scene of the crime. But he saw the string around Crown Prince Gueuze’s neck, and the pearls scattered on the floor. That necklace belonged to Carynne. The one who strangled him.

Raymond closed his eyes.

And he asked Carynne.

“Are you hurt anywhere?”

“Not at all.”

He should say, ‘That’s a relief,’ but he found himself unable to say it. Without looking at Carynne, he stood up.

Raymond then went to Prince Lewis, whose eyes were closed. He placed a hand on the boy’s neck. Still warm. But there was no pulse.

He saw an abundant amount of blood gushing from both of Prince Lewis’ legs. The prince was stabbed in the thighs, and the blade was twisted so as to cut the major blood vessels.

“……”

It was a method of killing done by those with less strength. And, to top it off, the blade that had cut him was the sword that was in Carynne’s hands earlier.

He had to admit it.

He had no choice but to admit it.

But he still had to say it himself.

“As the prime suspect, take Carynne Hare away.”

When Carynne took a step closer to the guard, who tried to change the expression on his deathly pale face to one that should be intimidating, she glanced up to Raymond.

“Sir Raymond, you’re too late.”

She whined with, surprisingly, a casual tone.