<Chapter 84>

From the attic to the basement, the viscount’s estate was thoroughly searched, yet unsurprisingly, they couldn’t find Fiona.

However, even after such futile efforts, the imperial knights didn’t give up. They returned to the viscount’s estate the very next day.

After this repeated search twice, Viscount Khodchen made a significant decision.

“Did you hear? Viscount Khodchen has decided to renounce his title and leave the capital.”

“If I were in his shoes, I would do the same. No matter how grievous the crime his daughter committed… This is practically the Emperor banishing him, isn’t it?”

“Was there any history of Viscount Khodchen falling out of favor with His Majesty? Otherwise, this makes no sense.”

“You didn’t know? When the viscount resigned from his position as Knight Commander, many knights followed him and submitted their resignations as well.”

“Well, His Majesty can be… petty at times.”

“Who doesn’t know that? I even heard that Duke Winstein submitted a petition to the Imperial Palace asking for forgiveness for the two young ladies.”

“Quite a merciful act, coming from the Monster Duke.”

“Apparently, he’s utterly captivated by his wife. Rumor has it that merchants from the top three trading guilds in the empire—Kotis, Warren, and Goodwin—visit his townhouse daily.”

“I can’t wait to see what kind of splendor will unfold!”

“They say—this is just gossip, mind you—that the buyer of the red diamond from that recent secret auction was none other than…”

While the Emperor may have been furious enough to clutch his chest and cough up blood, public opinion overwhelmingly leaned in one direction: this time, the Emperor had gone too far. Poor Viscount Khodchen.

No one suspected that the actress accompanying Viscount Khodchen to soothe his madness and leave the capital was, in fact, the real Fiona Khodchen.

*  *  *

The path I secretly took with Temenos to see off the Khodchen family left me utterly stunned when I saw the line of carriages.

“What on earth… How are there this many carriages?!”

“Oh, you two have come!”

While marveling at the seemingly endless row of carriages that could rival a train, a hearty laugh sounded from behind.

It was none other than Viscount Khodchen, notorious as a madman.

“I was hoping to bid you farewell personally before leaving, but you’ve come all the way here instead. I feel like I’m being a terrible burden to the very end.”

“Not at all. After all, we don’t know who might still be watching.”

At this moment, Viscount Khodchen had no reason to visit the Winstein estate. If the Emperor caught wind of it, he might dispatch imperial knights again.

‘With Alice back at our estate now, and no safe place to hide while traveling in the carriage…’

Yes. The one playing the role of “Fiona Khodchen” through the use of a magic tool was none other than our Alice.

Given the highly sensitive nature of this mission, hiring an outsider to impersonate Fiona was out of the question.

Thus, we held auditions among the maids who came with us from the North. Surprisingly, Alice was unanimously chosen. Turns out, she had a hidden talent for acting.

‘Alice… Someday, I might have to let her take the stage in a bigger arena.’

Or perhaps I should just establish a theater troupe for her?

As I pondered this, the viscountess, cloaked in a large robe, approached us.

“This is our first meeting. Your Grace…”

“Oh, no need for formalities. Someone could be watching, after all.”

Today, I wore trousers, thick-heeled boots, and a short wig to appear more masculine. I even applied makeup for the disguise. Formalities from the viscountess would render it all meaningless.

“Ah, yes. My apologies for the oversight. Thank you so much for all you’ve done for us. I can’t even begin to express my gratitude…”

Instead of bowing formally, as I had instructed, the viscountess clasped my hands tightly, her eyes brimming with tears.

Feeling a pang of sympathy, I pulled out a handkerchief from my pocket and offered it to her.

“I didn’t do much. It was the viscount who made the real effort. To be honest, I only made the suggestion. I didn’t expect him to take the role so seriously…”

While this incident garnered the viscount public sympathy, it also made him the subject of ridicule. A madman.

Some even mocked him outright to his face.

But Viscount Khodchen brushed off all the jeers as if they were nothing. As long as his daughter was alive, he seemed to consider all of this a minor humiliation.

“Hahaha! If we’re going to do it, we might as well do it right!”

“Viscount Khodchen…”

Alarmed by his loud laughter, I glanced around nervously. Temenos, with his hood pulled low, whispered reassuringly, “I don’t sense any prying eyes. There’s no need to worry.”

“Still, you never know…”

“Hahaha. Don’t worry. By renouncing my title, I’ve also rescinded my oath of loyalty to the Empire. Once I leave the capital, not even imperial knights will be able to touch me.”

“Well… that’s true, I suppose.”

His confidence stemmed from an obvious reason.

‘With this many former knights following him…’

Honestly, I was surprised. While Viscount Khodchen ignored the jeers by feigning madness, it was these knights who stepped in with their fists.

They were stripped of their knighthood for hurling insults and throwing punches at civilians.

Had they knelt and begged, they might have gotten off with a pay cut. Instead, they resigned en masse, leaving the Third Knights’ barracks virtually empty.

‘Just how charismatic must one be to warrant rumors of the Emperor pressuring them out of the capital on purpose?’

A leader so compelling that subordinates willingly resign alongside him out of loyalty? That kind of charisma is rare in any world.

‘In the novel, they even sacrificed their lives for him. What’s quitting a job compared to that?’

“By the way, where’s your son-in-law?”

“Ah, he’s disguised as a low-ranking guard, seated next to the coachman in the rear. I plan to put him through the wringer during our journey to the North. A man protecting his wife and child needs some grit, after all.”

“Oh, I’m looking forward to seeing the results!”

Next time I see him, perhaps he’ll have grown into a sturdy weed amidst the flowers.

“Make sure he doesn’t skip morning and evening prayers, no matter how tough it gets.”

“Of course! That’s the least we can do. How could we forget the one favor our benefactor asked of us?”

The viscount pulled out a small statue from his robe. It was a gift I’d given him at the Winstein townhouse—a figurine for their prayers.

“We’ll enshrine the statue you gave us and ensure everyone here prays three times a day, without fail. Before meals, even.”

“Pre-meal prayers are great!”

Hard to forget when they’re tied to eating, after all.

“Once you’ve settled in the North, send us a letter. When we return, we’ll invite you to the Winstein estate.”

“Hahaha! I’ll eagerly await that day.”

With a hearty laugh, Viscount Khodchen knelt before me and Temenos.

“As someone who has broken an oath of loyalty, I dare not pledge myself to you. But I will never forget the kindness you’ve shown us, and I will repay it.”

“We will as well! If you’re our commander’s benefactor, you’re ours too!”

“Thank you for allowing so many of us to relocate. We’re deeply grateful.”

Despite moving from the safe, holy city protected by divine barriers to the North, a land infamous as the “Land of the Condemned,” the long line of carriages left with smiles and waves.

As I watched them go, a flood of emotions overcame me.

‘In the novel, all of them were killed by Temenos…’

Yes, breaking away from the hopeless original storyline was definitely the way to go. Even the apocalyptic ending, if possible.

“What’s troubling you?”

“Hm?”

“You look… wistful.”

Temenos asked as we returned home after watching the last carriage disappear. He had helped me mount a large horse and now stood beside me.

‘Did I look wistful?’

On second thought, maybe I did.

With a small sigh, I nodded.

<To be continued>

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