After watching the Cavalry return to their carriages, Kishiar boarded another one he had stationed elsewhere. He was not heading for the Cavalry barracks, but rather towards the imperial palace. As the carriage, enchanted to eliminate jostling, quietly journeyed, he tirelessly calculated the ramifications of the events he had set in motion that day and their potential outcomes.
Today, he had used Aishes Shand Apeto to sow seeds of suspicion and discord in various places. If those seeds took root properly, the sharp criticisms once hurled at Kishiar would now be directed squarely at the Crown Prince and the Diarca family, leading the Apeto family to lose complete trust in not just the Crown Prince but also the Diarcas.
He had also deliberately exploited Revlin to provoke Aishes's vulnerabilities, insinuating interest in a message he had previously sent. Even if Aishes' thoughts had momentarily shifted due to Lenore's death, in the end, he was bound to seek Kishiar again.
Capturing a closely-knit prey was challenging, but it was much easier to catch each prey one by one when they distrusted each other and scattered. Kishiar had no doubt that the seeds he had sown would soon sprout without harm.
'If I could also shake the relationship between the Duke of Diarca and the Crown Prince a bit more, I couldn't ask for more.'
Considering the Duke of Diarca's temperament, it was highly likely he was already attempting to strengthen his grip on the Crown Prince following these events. But would a young beast, having tasted the thrill of hunting for itself after enduring long patience, return obediently to its cage?
'That's unlikely.'
The relationship between the Duke of Diarca and Crown Prince Katchian, as seen through Kishiar's eyes, was more complex than it appeared on the surface and was tightly knitted, making it challenging to find an entry point. There were times when he wondered if he could ever create a rift between them, but now that Katchian had grown to be almost of age, an opportunity had finally come.
Kishiar lightly chuckled, regretting that he couldn't witness the Duke of Diarca's flabbergasted expression in person due to the sequence of events initiated by the Crown Prince.
——
"What in the world are we supposed to do about this, at the funeral of the Apeto, no less!"
On his return from his duty at the Imperial Knight, Kiolle halted in the corridor, hearing a voice echoing ominously. The voice originated from the stone exhibition hall, a place the Duke of Diarca usually kept off-limits even to his family members.
"Is Father in there now?"
"Yes, he is."
"Who is he talking with?"
"Baron Durmand. He arrived about an hour ago."
Baron Durmand was a distant relative of the Diarca family and one of the influential nobles from their faction. Kiolle had frequently encountered him since childhood. After the servants bowed and retreated, Kiolle furrowed his brow, watching the entrance of the exhibition hall intently. Although no voices could be heard from inside anymore, the brief exchange he had heard was troubling him.
'The funeral of the Apeto.'
Lenore Shand Apeto. Kiolle had heard about his funeral scheduled for that day. Although he didn't attend and therefore was unaware of what had transpired, it was clear from the Duke of Diarca's fury that something unusual must have happened.
'Could it possibly be related to… him again?'
An unusual event? Involuntarily, he remembered the black-haired Cavalry member he had met at the party the day Lenore died. On that day, Kiolle had secretly searched Lenore's body with that Cavalry member, and had even dared to confront the Duke of Peletta alone because of a vow to help him.
Fortunately, despite the spiteful prattle of his third brother, the Duke of Diarca was more concerned about the Crown Prince's impulsive behavior than the misdeeds of his youngest son. Thus, the matter had not been problematic and was eventually forgotten, but Kiolle still felt an uncomfortable lingering sensation.
He should have returned to his room and shut off his nerves. Despite the voice of reason pounding in his head, he found it hard to make his feet move.
"Huff. Hey. It's time to return. Summon my carriage and tell my attendant to come. Oh, and my throat is dry. Get me half a glass of Benug juice…."
At that moment, Baron Durmand, who was slowly walking out from inside the exhibit hall, was giving instructions to his servant. Then he turned his head and found Kiolle.
"Huh? Isn't that Kiolle? It's been a while."
"Baron Durmand."
When Kiolle called his name, a smile rose on the baron's aged face, which looked like an old rat.
"Oh, yes. Seeing you in your armor, did you just get back from your knight duties?"
"Yes."
"Excellent, truly excellent. You remind me of the Duke in his youth."
A typical noble offspring would have shown gratitude for the compliment, but Kiolle did not respond to such flattery. Instead, he wrinkled his nose and slightly turned his head towards the inside of the exhibit hall where Durmand had come out. He did not sense the Duke of Diarca inside. As always, when he was angry or feeling dizzy, it seemed he had gone deep inside to look at the magic stones he had collected for decades.
"I actually heard my father's voice as I was passing by just now. What happened?"
"Ah, about that…."
Baron Durmand, accustomed to Kiolle's cold demeanor, opened his mouth with a bitter smile, then sighed deeply.
"You know about Lenore Apeto's funeral today, right?"
"Yes."
"I had someone attend. The ceremony was not even held, and it ended up being a fiasco."
"A fiasco… you mean."
"It seems the Duke of Peletta and the third child of the Apeto family caused a major disturbance just before the coffin was brought in."
It was indeed related to the Duke of Peletta. Kiolle's eyebrows twitched as his ominous hunch seemed to be somewhat accurate.
"A major disturbance, what happened?"
Baron Durmand seemed to hesitate for a moment about how much he should tell, but soon he sighed and lowered his voice.
"The Duke of Peletta claimed that someone else was responsible for Lenore Apeto's death. He presented a new letter that the deceased had supposedly sent to his younger brother as evidence, and he even opened the coffin in front of everyone and showed new traces of poison that hadn't been discovered before. Truly astonishing."
"The fault of someone else means…."
"Who else would there be but the one in the Palace of Bright?"
It was a fact known to all of the Diarca family that the real murderer of Lenore was the Crown Prince. The Duke of Diarca was shocked and horrified by the Crown Prince's actions, which had taken place without consultation. However, if this incident could perfectly frame the Duke of Peletta, it wouldn't be a bad outcome. Thus, he had reluctantly decided to pretend he knew nothing about it.
However, today, all those plans had been utterly distorted. Baron Durmand, whose head ached merely at the thought of how much the many attendees of the funeral would chatter, clicked his tongue and firmly pressed the emerald jewel on his finger ring against his temple. He always wore such a ring due to his chronic migraine.
"We really got ourselves into a fine mess. I never imagined that they would have a second letter on their side. The Crown Prince was greatly surprised to hear the news too, but we're the ones left blindsided without doing anything."
"Did the Apeto believe the Duke of Peletta's claim?"
"If they hadn't believed, wouldn't they have proceeded with the funeral instead of halting it? They even moved the coffin containing the body from the temple to the Apeto main house."
"…"
"Hoo, I bet the Duke also has a lot on his mind. Why would the Crown Prince, who had been patiently doing well so far, suddenly step forward and cause such a ruckus?"
"My lord! The carriage has arrived. We've prepared everything as per your instructions."
"Ah, right. I'll be there soon."
Upon responding to the servant's voice that appeared just in time, Baron Durmand patted Kiolle's shoulder and delivered his last words.
"Nevertheless, there's no need to worry. The Duke always has an answer ready. Let's meet again next time."
With that, he hunched his shoulders, tightly grasping his luxurious ruby cane, and hurriedly disappeared. Kiolle watched the baron's retreating figure, as if he was running away, before moving his steps. He headed not toward the exhibition hall where the Duke of Diarca was, but toward his bedroom upstairs.
'The newly discovered traces of poison… they must be what that guy showed when he conjured up fire close to the body.'
The dark-haired Cavalry member had referred to the glow from Lenore's body as an unidentified poison. It was clear that he had informed the Duke of Peletta and orchestrated today's event.
'Damn it. The proof of the oath didn't disappear, so that guy didn't die that day. But why did I get so surprised and panic? I did something stupid. I feel like I've done something wrong to my father for no reason.'
He had tried to bury all the events of that day due to the shock and discomfort, but it shouldn't have been so. Kiolle felt an uncomfortable feeling as if he had betrayed his father and the Diarca family while the servants helped him remove his armor.
'That damned guy.'
His name was definitely Yuder Aile. He had boldly suggested that person come to the Diarca family, but the face that refused without a second thought still made his fist clench.
'I should have left him alone back then!'
Because of that cursed guy, Kiolle hadn't been able to vent his anger at his servants for months. Whenever he tried to curse, he would involuntarily feel drowsy due to the effects of the oath, startling him and causing him to back off.
When dealing with his subordinates or fellow knights, his discomfort grew as he remembered the nonsense that man spouted. Strangely enough, the more he distanced himself from others, the more friendly others became, which he didn't appreciate.
Unaware that this was because his reputation, which had hit rock bottom, was gradually rising among others, Kiolle gritted his teeth at Yuder.