Duke, Please Fail! - Chapter 109

Episode 109

Gardner had never been as flustered in his life. 

He couldn’t have imagined Nelly being awake, let alone wielding a chair. 

On top of that, she was screaming, begging for her life.

He thought she’d be too frightened to say anything, but she was like someone who’d been expecting a kidnapping and had prepared herself for it.

‘All this time, I forgot that Nelly Pepper was behind everything in the Altwood Duchy.’

He couldn’t help it. Despite what he’d been briefed on, he can’t help but think of Nelly Pepper as a master strategist.

Perhaps it was her cute demeanor, her seemingly carefree nature, or the fact that she would startle and run away at the slightest provocation, but she just appeared harmless.

Gardner collected himself and got up. 

At the same time, Nelly opened the door and fled. When he followed, she was nowhere to be seen.

‘Where did she run off to?’

Nelly Pepper had caused a commotion, so the knights would soon arrive. 

He reached up to feel the mask on his face. There was no way to predict what would happen next. He needed to get Nelly Pepper out, one way or another. 

To do that, he needed to find her hiding place.

She had disappeared quickly, so she was likely nearby. Startled by the intrusion, she may have instinctively sought out someone she knew for security.

‘Wasn’t the maid’s room right next door?’

Gardner was about to head towards Mary’s room when the door swung open. Mary, wearing a shawl, faced Gardner directly.

She saw the masked intruder and panicked, trying to close the door in a hurry, but Gardner was faster. He pushed the door open and went inside. Mary was pushed back by his force.

Gardner closed the door with his foot and held a knife to Mary’s throat. She trembled in fear, unable to speak, tears streaming down her face.

This was the reaction Gardner had hoped for from Nelly.

“Quietly, listen to me.” 

Mary nodded her head. 

Gardner scanned the room, but Nelly was nowhere to be seen. However, he wasn’t disappointed. 

Most nobles wouldn’t bat an eye if a servant went missing, but Nelly Pepper was different. 

She cared enough about the people of the manor to take the trouble to reform even the wretched. So if the servant who served her disappeared, she would undoubtedly try to find her.

Gardner crumpled a handkerchief into Mary’s mouth and gagged her. Then, he dragged her over to a desk.

“Pick up the pen.”

Trembling, Mary raised the pen with her shaky hand.

“Write as I dictate: ‘If you want to save the maid, follow my instructions.'”

He folded the paper with Mary’s handwriting and slipped it into his pocket. He then strangled Mary until she fainted and looked around the room.

The knights were on their way, so if he carried Mary out now, they would inevitably cross paths.

He quickly opened the most inconspicuous wardrobe. Contrary to the rumors of living modestly, it was filled with long dresses.

‘Maybe I won’t be noticed if I hide behind the clothes.’

He covered Mary’s eyes and tied her arms and legs, then placed her inside the wardrobe.

He confirmed that the room outside was still silent and opened the door wide. It sounded like footsteps were coming from a distance.

Gardner quickly hid in the wardrobe, and as expected, the knights arrived shortly after. However, since the door was left open, they didn’t suspect anyone was hiding inside.

Gardner’s plan was working as intended.

“The servant seems to have fled with Lady Pepper.” 

One of the knights remarked. They formally inspected the room, checked under the bed, and looked outside on the terrace. They also opened the wardrobe but found no trace of Gardner.

“That’s enough here. Split up and search the other rooms. If she’s not there, head to the garden.”

 Their leader ordered.

“Understood.” 

Gardner waited, holding his breath for a moment, then cracked the door open slightly. He placed the note that Mary had written on the desk.

When the garden became noisy, he entered the room where he had met Viscountess Morgane earlier using the secret passage. With the help of Devondus’ planted knights, he smuggled Mary out.

He led her to an abandoned bell tower located a bit away from the city.

“Did you succeed?” 

Viscountess Morgane asked as they entered the tower.

Opening the door and going inside, she was already standing there.

She looked at Mary’s face before Gardner could say anything and her expression changed to disappointment. 

“This isn’t Nelly.”

Without saying a word, Gardner placed Mary in a corner.

“Nelly Pepper will definitely come looking for the servant. When she’s absent, you can handle her responsibilities.”

“Alright.”

Gardner nodded and turned away. Viscountess Morgane grabbed his arm, her face showing confusion. 

“Are you just leaving?”

“They’re searching the palace now. If I stay away for too long, it’ll arouse suspicion.”

“What about that?”

“Take care of it until the hired men arrive. Occasionally check if the bindings are still secure.”

Without another word, Gardner returned to the palace.

His room was a considerable distance from where the disturbance had occurred, so it was some time before the investigation began.

Gardner approached the task without much concern. He returned to Viscountess Morgane as soon as daybreak, asking her to transcribe the content he had in mind for the letter.

“Viscountess Morgane, cover your face and have this written by a forger.”

“Alright.”

She took the document and left the room.

Once the door closed, Gardner approached Mary with a dagger in hand. He looked into her terrified eyes without a hint of emotion.

When Mary’s eyes reddened and filled with tears, Gardner struck out at her throat. 

Her hair fell like autumn leaves, unable to withstand the blade’s cold breeze, and crimson droplets splattered as she fell.

* * *

“Have you found her?” 

Adelhardt entered and shook his head.

He was partly upright but seemed drained. Adelhardt sat beside me and let out a sigh.

“We searched even the unused rooms, but she wasn’t there.”

“What about secret passages or hidden rooms?”

“We have someone trustworthy checking those. It seems Her Highness is quite angry because of the commotion in the palace.”

Normally, news of Her Highness’s anger would make me tremble. But now, I couldn’t think of anything other than Mary.

“It’s my fault. If I had escaped with Mary back then…”

“They would have caught you before you could even hide. It might have been better that way.”

I could have been captured, just like I was threatened. Even though I was frightened, I should have been the one in her place.

I couldn’t help but wonder how scared Mary must be. The thought of it made my eyes well up with tears.

I clenched my lips and whispered the name of the most likely suspect.

“Marquis Gardner is behind this, I’m sure of it.”

“I think the same way. We’ve investigated, but there’s no concrete evidence.”

I felt suffocated and didn’t know what to do. Adelhardt comforted me as I stared at my clenched fist.

“Still, an order has been given to investigate everyone in the palace. We’ll find a lead soon.”

“But, will the nobles cooperate just for one servant’s sake, even if the queen ordered it?”

“If it’s Her Highness’s command, they’ll cooperate to avoid unnecessary trouble.”

In truth, I didn’t have much faith in that.

“It’s not like a noble has disappeared, and we’re dealing with just one servant. Would the queen be so proactive?” 

I must have looked troubled, as Adelhardt added.

“If it were a noble who disappeared, she might not act so promptly. She tends to be more compassionate toward those who are less powerful and innocent.”

Come to think of it, I’ve heard that the queen is most concerned about the famine problem. It made me a little more at ease to think that she was mostly stern with the nobility. Still, I couldn’t help but feel uneasy while waiting.

“Is there anything I can do?” 

“Securely wait, maybe?” 

Adelhardt quipped, trying to lighten the mood. His smile, which was usually perfect, looked somewhat awkward today.

“I have some work to attend to. I’ll check in later in the evening. I’ve arranged for some knights, so don’t go around alone.”

“Understood.”

After giving me a brief pat on the shoulder, he left the room. 

Even though I felt safe, my mood didn’t improve. It was all because of me, and I couldn’t just sit still.

‘How miserable.’

I wiped my nose with a sniffle and rubbed my eyes. I crawled into bed and hugged the pillow. 

I desperately needed Leonel; his presence, his warmth.

If Leonel were here, none of this would have happened. Would it have been better to go with him after all?

I pressed my face into the pillow, which had lost its scent, and suddenly sat up. 

‘I need to wash up. I need to do something.’

I tried to recall the features of the intruder who had secretly entered my room. Remembering those details might help catch him.

I washed up and headed out. Even before I could think about the intruder, a servant arrived.

“The investigator would like to speak with you.”

Accompanied by the knights, I went to the investigator. He questioned me in detail about what happened that night. 

Answering his systematic questions, I recalled the events even more vividly than when I had tried to remember them on my own.

“His build seemed similar to Marquis Gardner’s. Could it be him?” 

I asked after providing a detailed description of the intruder to the investigator.

“I’ll take note of that.”

As soon as the questioning was over, I returned to my room. 

I decided to write a letter to Adelhardt asking for his assistance in finding the intruder. It would be more credible coming from Prince Adelhardt, who had a direct line to the king, than if I found out his identity and reported him.

I sat at my desk, ready to write, but the paper wasn’t there. I always left it on the desk and secured it with a paperweight, but it was strangely missing.

‘Did a servant clear it?’

Puzzled, I opened the desk drawer and found a bundle of paper inside. But I couldn’t bring myself to touch it. Under the paper bundle, hair was intertwined with dried blood, making it too disturbing to handle.

With trembling hands, I cleaned up the hair, and underneath, I found a neatly arranged paper envelope. Dried blood was smeared on the surface, making it difficult to touch. 

After hesitating for a while, I took a deep breath and carefully retrieved the letter. It was written in a clear script on low-quality paper.

[The servant is not dead yet.]

Upon reading the first sentence, I unconsciously took a deep breath.

[But you must follow my instructions, or you don’t know what will happen. Come to the back alley of the fatigue recovery potion workshop at 3 a.m.]

The thought of coming so late at night made me uneasy.

[If you come alone, I will release the servant. However, if you inform anyone or bring people with you, I will kill the servant on the spot. Remember, my eyes and ears are everywhere.]

I couldn’t dismiss those words as mere boasts or threats. The perpetrator managed to leave this letter in my drawer without being detected.

I decided to place the letter back in the drawer for the time being.