Chapter 66

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Translator: Harry Potta

Chapter: 66

Chapter Title: The Crown I'll Steal from You

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'The minister's bedroom is on the third floor, east wing.'

The minister's mansion, steeped in his tacky tastes, was so garishly lit it hurt the eyes.

Gilt walls and candelabras lined the halls, interspersed every ten steps with bizarre paintings that could hardly be called art.

At the sound of passing servants' voices, Medea pressed herself against the wall.

The shadows cloaked her form.

"Still no word from the master?"

"Yeah, even the butler was chased out of the palace right away. The lady of the house said to prepare for the worst—bring back all the estate and land deeds. Even the petty bribes."

"She's not even thinking of saving her son first, just plotting her own escape... What a piece of work. Like mother, like son. Anyway, shouldn't we start looking for another gig ourselves?"

The chattering voices faded into the distance. Medea held her breath and moved on.

The maze at the far end of the rear garden connected directly to the mansion.

No garden lights reached there; darkness blanketed everything.

Tap, tap.

Medea melted into the empty corridor.

The mansion's third floor housed the study. She slipped inside without a sound.

The study was empty.

It was past midnight, when all but a few attendants were deep in sleep.

Medea scanned the room.

'The magic circle is in front of the third bookshelf, right?'

She passed a grotesquely shaped couch that screamed Etienne's poor taste and spotted the third bookshelf behind the marble desk.

As Medea stepped toward the magic circle—

Moonlight slipped softly through the window, casting a faint glow inside.

The moment its shadow stretched long beneath the curtains, Medea froze.

Someone else was in the room.

The realization hit instantly. She quietly adjusted her grip on the weapon hidden in her sleeve.

"......"

Several seconds of tense silence, breaths held.

The figure lurking behind the curtains lunged.

Medea kicked off the couch for leverage and leaped toward the window.

To drive her thin throwing knife down into the opponent's throat from above. She gripped it tightly.

But her foe was faster.

"Kgh."

A kick to her waist sent Medea slamming into the wall.

Her right shoulder and back throbbed from the brutal impact and dull thud.

A black-gloved hand seized her throat. Medea swiftly kicked his leg out from under him.

She followed by embedding her knife in his shoulder and breaking free.

Or so she thought.

Even with the blade sunk deep—only the hilt visible—the assailant didn't flinch. He snatched her nape again.

The masked attacker towered over her with overwhelming size and strength. The outcome was clear.

But Medea, who had faced foes far larger and stronger in her past life, lifted her head instead of despairing.

'Third bookshelf.'

Her emerald eyes flashed as she gauged the distance.

She spun, kicking the shoulder she'd just struck. As he staggered, she hurled herself toward the magic circle.

'If I can just reach the magic circle—!'

She could escape him.

But he anticipated her path, blocking her retreat and refusing to let go.

Pursuer and prey tumbled across the floor in a tangle.

And in that instant, the magic circle activated.

Lines of blue light flared up like a sphere, enveloping them both.

Claudio Ducal House.

"What do you mean, transferred?!"

Duke Claudio slammed the table in fury.

News of Etienne's isolation had reached the ducal house late.

"Yes, Your Grace. It seems he's been moved to a special prison for Class 1 prisoners."

"Not even visits allowed—they search everyone approaching the facility, regardless of status. Father, we can't slip in messages like before, so we're blind to the minister's intentions now."

"Damn it all, that snake Sise is finally picking a fight with me...!"

"Your Grace, no—word is, this was Her Majesty the Queen Dowager's order, not the prime minister's."

The report made the duke's neck stiffen.

Was publicly humiliating him at the palace gates not enough?

"My own mother! Does she truly think this Claudio isn't her flesh and blood? Why does she bind only me like this?!"

His strongest ally faced execution, and his mother—not aiding his grand designs but tightening the noose. The duke vented his rage.

"Your Grace, as of yesterday, he's been stripped of his ministerial post too. Straight to execution without trial."

A set execution date meant the plot against Etienne had solidified.

Why? What had Sise uncovered?

Then Samon voiced the suspicion gnawing at him.

"Father. Etienne might have betrayed us."

What else could explain the sudden shift? Something had changed in the affair.

"Nonsense. You don't know Lark Etienne. You think that greedy bastard will just crumble like this?"

The Regent Duke dismissed it outright.

"True, I don't. But he's in prison now. We have no idea who he's met or what he's said."

Samon pointed out.

"Father, you haven't forgotten he holds the signed decree, have you? The moment it's revealed, we're done. If he so much as whispers..."

"......"

"We need to act."

"You mean kill him?"

The duke hesitated.

"No verdict yet. Things might turn around, and he could walk free. We can't kill him."

He shook his head.

"You think it's easy to find someone who can curb his head and greed just right? What about his faction?"

His father's stance was firm. Samon backed off a step.

"If that's your will, Father, we must at least secure the decree."

The duke agreed with his son but hit another wall.

"......But without Etienne, how do we infiltrate that place and retrieve it?"

Hiding the decree too well was a problem now.

He'd chosen an excessively dangerous spot to eliminate intrusion risks.

"If we can't retrieve it, we burn it. If the count's mansion goes up in flames, the linked magic circle vanishes too."

"What?"

"The place is abandoned. Who knows when it'll be breached? Better to burn the root of trouble."

"You think the minister will agree? If he finds out later..."

"He'll understand eventually. We can't leave traces. We won't risk our necks for his feelings. If that decree surfaces, we're all dead."

Samon was irrefutable. No more hesitation.

The frowning Regent Duke rubbed his temples and relented.

"......Fine. Do it."

He sounded reluctant, but permission was granted.

"Young Duke."

Back in his study, a shadow awaited Samon.

"Father approved."

"Good. So we just set the fire?"

"No. Eliminate every ember inside too. Kill them all. Leave no one alive."

The subordinate paused.

"......The family too?"

"Yes. Burn it all. The blaze will cover the cause of death."

Samon never forgot a grudge while ignoring favors.

"Time to make that filthy trash pay for the shit he dumped on me."

Thinking of how the minister had leered and toyed with him at the last banquet ground his teeth.

Back then, with Birna stirring trouble, he'd had to watch the minister's mood and swallow the insult.

Now that Etienne was fallen, Samon wouldn't miss the chance to unleash his wrath.