The Devilish Duke Can't Sleep

Proofreader: somnium

The calculation was correct. Fabian’s condition was said to be at most a month, but even a small shock could extinguish the spark of life. Moving the monsters through the underground portal was also done faster than expected. She was a little worried about the defense of the magic circle in Revanas, but since Margella and the monsters had already arrived at the border of Ardennes, there was no need to worry anymore.

Next was Nadia’s reply.

“The current Queen’s condition has grown increasingly critical, and in the meantime I’ve learned a lot about the succession to the throne, but I have never heard of something called ‘The Queen’s Sword’.”

That was also pretty good news. The ‘Queen’s Sword’, although very few know it, was the only weapon that the Queen could use to directly kill the blood of the two Duchies. Of course, the story of this sword was close to a legend, and even Liddell did not know if it existed. However, if there was a weapon like this, Liddell was also a little troubled, so she was trying to figure out the existence of the sword before starting the work.

If Fabian, who is about to disappear, had not told Nadia about the ‘Queen’s Sword’, it meant that the sword was literally just a metaphor in the legend.

“Well then. The Queen can’t kill us.”

A relaxed smile began to fall on Liddell’s lips again.

The last report was from those who went out to track the locations of Lian and Lena.

“I found traces of the young master in several places. Near Roach Forest, near Jadrak Street, and near Babel Street.”

The Roach Forest side was sparsely populated, and Jadrak Street and Babel Street were densely populated areas of commoners.

“It won’t be in the Roach Forest. It’s easy to spot if we narrow the location down. If it was my brother, he must have made a hiding place on either Jadrak Street or Babel Street. Good. I’ll have to go find my naughty brother.”

“I will prepare right away.”

Maria also responded with a smile to Liddell, who smiled pleasantly.

As everyone received Liddell’s orders and started preparing in a hurry, Liddell was able to calm the anxiety that had arisen. Everything was going according to plan. She had nothing to fail. It would have been easier if Lian had not intervened, but it did not throw the whole plan off its axis.

All she has to do is to recover that girl, the Queen’s bloodline, from Lian, throw her along with Kahel, who has become a monster, to the monsters, and then subdue the monsters in front of the people who are terrified. It wasn’t too difficult to get the blood of the dirty monster to splash either.

‘Kahel. I’m sorry but it’s too late. You are just a dispensable that will appear as the villain on the stage I will create, and you cannot become my enemy.’

Liddell smirked coldly, recalling Kahel’s face the last time she saw him, which showed no emotion.

* * *

The day after leaving Liddell, Kahel and his three escort knights went to the front of the hut in the Ayur forest.

They scoured the people around the tea house where Lena was kidnapped, and collected eyewitness accounts, until they found out that the carriage carrying Lena ran towards the Ayur forest. And fortunately, there was only one place in Ayur forest that was suspicious like this hut. It was a sturdy hut that was not like a temporary residence for a forest keeper or a woodcutter, but looking inside, there was even a basement.

When he looked into the basement of this hut, Kahel knew intuitively that Lena was here. Utilizing the feeling of that time, he was planning to trace her traces with magic. It was like scattering his magic power in the air, but as long as he could find Lena, he could do crazy things.

“Whoo…….”

He quietly took a deep breath and unleashed his magical powers shallowly. It was already a long time ago, so Lena’s traces were so weak. But he could definitely feel a certain energy that was different from the others.

‘Why didn’t I feel this before?’

It was really stupid. She was a person with a different energy than others, so why didn’t he ever suspect that she was of the Queen’s blood before? It was obviously because of his desire that obscured his eyes.

Kahel slowly headed northeast of the Ayur forest, chasing after Lena’s faint traces.

‘It’s a direction with a lot of private houses. Are you trying to hide her from people?’

There were no people around the Ayur forest, so he had no hesitation in using his magical powers, but in places where there were a lot of people, he had to be careful. Besides, there were too many traces of people passing, so Lena’s traces were also cut off sporadically. Even if he stood in one place for a long time and groped for it, there were many cases where he could not find a trace. He could feel the passersby giving strange glances at Kahel as he shook his head. In such a case, it was only a matter of time for people to become possessed by his devilish powers.

But Kahel didn’t think of pulling back his power.

“Your Excellency. Are you planning to look for her this way…… all around this area?”

A knight asked with a worried face. In the eyes of the knights, this was truly absurd. If he goes on like this, even the most monstrous Kahel will fall.

“Don’t talk to me because it’ll interfere with my concentration.”

But that was the moment. The ground rumbled. Kahel and his knights froze on the spot, raising their heads.

“Just, just now…….”

He could tell without having to say it. In Ardennes, where there have been no earthquakes for over 2,000 years, earthquakes could not have occurred without any warning.

“It’s the monsters.”

The faces of the three knights around him turned pale at the sound of Kahel’s soft voice.

* * *

The Royal Family was preparing for the succession ceremony to the throne. Fabian, who is getting more serious day by day, seemed to have to hold a succession ceremony even today, but she could not handle the Royal Family’s biggest event in haste.

Damien was still busy preparing for the succession ceremony together with Leonard and other high-ranking nobles, as well as the chief attendant and chief handmaiden.

“I think it would be difficult for Her Majesty to crown her directly. It’s hard to get up from her seat…….”

The chief handmaiden said in a sullen voice. It was a procedure for the former Queen to achieve a successful end, but Fabian did not have the strength to do so. Especially recently, she did not want to meet anyone except her husband, Grand Duke Rufelio, and her chief handmaiden. That made people more upset.

“It’s not that there hasn’t been a succession ceremony that took place after the previous Queen died. Crowning can be done by the highest priest. The problem is…… It is not known whether the succession ceremony came first or the Queen’s end came first in this case.”

“If the Queen dies first, the succession ceremony could be delayed by a month.”

“It would be better that way, as soon as the succession ceremony is over, the atmosphere of the country will be depressed if the former Queen dies, there is no room for joy. It’s frustrating inside and out…….”

Even while everyone was worried, Damien couldn’t shake his reluctant feeling.

‘I feel like the Queen succession issue has been resolved so simply…….’

He also met Nadia as soon as he arrived, but no matter how focused he was, he could not even feel the crumbs of her power. Of course, it was clear that she had some power. But it was not the Queen’s power.

Leonard must have sensed it, too, but he wondered why Leonard believed Nadia to be the Queen’s bloodline without the slightest suspicion. Kahel asks why the Santella would have taken her in as they have been aiming for the Queen’s position. Damien seemed to have chosen that Leonard’s way of thinking was to retreat for a while to hide something bigger.

“Leonard.”

“Oh, Damien. It’s hectic today, too.”

Leonard seemed to do his best to prepare for the succession ceremony. As if he had forgotten his plan to marry Liddell to the first prince and succeed as the Queen.

“Where did you say you found Her Highness Nadia?”

“In the Temple of Dartri. It seems to have been there where Her Highness Heila was last seen. It is said that she did not live long after giving birth to Her Highness Nadia.”

“Then, you are saying that Her Highness Heila died at the temple.”

“Right.”

“Did you hold a funeral?”

“It was a long time ago, so even the current priests said that they couldn’t remember the funeral of Her Highness Heila. Because there is nowhere else to go, there are not just one or two people who rely on the temple.”

“Hmm…… Since they said her power was weak, it seems that the annihilation happened almost at the same time…….”

Leonard became anxious as Damien was lost in thought as he poked his finger at the end of the armrest of his chair. He bribed all the priests of the Temple of Dartri, but if Damien came forward to investigate, he did not know where his tail would be trampled.

He had never heard of the Duchess’ obituary from Terra Luave, but he was annoyed that Damien had to go up to the capital and stay so long. Kahel was also in trouble, but they kidnapped his close maid and turned him away. However, the venerable Damien always had the insight to look at the whole from a step away. It was another fear from Kahel’s brilliant genius.

“Kahel has also confirmed about Her Highness Nadia, so don’t worry too much.”

Damien paused for a moment when he said something that didn’t even exist inside his mind, and then drew a smile that looked like a painted picture.

“It’s not that I don’t trust my son.”

However, he did not say that he believed in the Santella family. The proof was that Damien was still thoroughly escorting the two Ladies of Marquisate Ravel.

But Leonard pulled himself together. Even if Damien notices, the capital will soon be trampled by the monster anyway, and Kahel will also turn into a monster on the spot, and Liddell, who is like the saint, will defeat the monster and kill Kahel.

Nadia will not even get to wear the crown on her head and she will die, and the empty Queen’s seat will naturally return to Liddell. The plan was perfect, and Leonard awaited Liddell’s decision.

It was then.

“Big trouble! A horde of demons has appeared in Ardennes!”

The servant’s complexion, who had run in a hurry, was pale. His screams echoed in the conference room filled with nobles, but at that moment no one could utter a word.

“A, a horde of monsters…… ? Why are there monsters in the capital… ?”

Damien jumped up from his seat when someone stupidly asked.

“The monster itself, can they choose the place?”

His dark eyes lightly brushed at Leonard. The hordes of monsters that appeared in Sharden also occurred in other areas when they requested Revanas’ investigation. It was clear that the Santella family was summoning monsters, it was said that they could also choose a location to bring out the monsters.

But he hoped the Santella family would not cross the last line. By all means, there were only a few monsters, and he hoped that Leonard would willingly go out to fight the monsters. Although he is a longtime competitor, he was also the comrade who has half led this country and has not done anything outrageous…….

“Leonard. It’s time for the Guardian to step in.”

“Of course. I’ll send someone right away and call out Liddell and Lian, too.”

“Kahel is probably heading that way. Let’s go.”

In the quiet meeting room, the two Dukes, black and white, got up and left. Behind their backs, there seemed to be the illusion of large wings.