160 Chapter 160. Preparation Is Completed, Part XIX

Chapter 160. Preparation Is Completed, Part XIX

Translator: Khan

Editor: Aelryinth

Adam asked for a handshake from Sir Caden, whose honor was far from the reputation of Count Caden's lowly reputation. "The future of the family of Count Caden must be bright. We welcome you to join us, whether you are willing or unwilling."

By the time Adam finished his fine work outside, Killian issued an ultimatum to the Duke and the princess. "From now on, the mansion of the Duke will be filled with the attendants I will send. Miss Regina, leave the mansion of the Duke immediately. I'd like you to leave before the new attendants arrive. After Princess Kiellini becomes engaged to me, you have to show up as a bastard. Where would be a good place to hide?"

The Duke of Kiellini quickly stepped in on Killian's agonizing words. "Your Highness, my daughter's body is not healthy, and she can't ride in a wagon for long. Why don't you hide her in a separate house for a while?"

"The Duke, I don't care if your bastard rides a carriage and dies. The moment I heard your plan, I couldn't find any sympathy for you two in my mind. But it's also very cumbersome to send the princess somewhere else and bring her back."

Killian looked back at Oswald with a really annoying frown. "What do you think, the Marquis?"

Regina stared at Killian with a fierce eye when he said she would have to be an illegitimate child and move out of the main house.

Oswald looked at Regina and spoke lightly, "Your Highness, it would be better to say that the Duke hid the illegitimate child in a separate house than to drag her around. People will pay attention to the fact that the Duke's illegitimate child has appeared, and they will not care much about where and how she grew up. Even if their attention is focused on it, it's a matter for the Duke, not us."

Killian smiled satisfactorily at Oswald's answer. "That's right. The Duke, it's none of my business. It could be better for Julietta. If the Duke is known to have secretly raised his illegitimate child to replace his ailing biological daughter, would he receive people's sympathy? Ian, start an oath ceremony. We have to send the princess into a separate house right away."

At Killian's command, Ian approached the Duke and the princess with a dagger.

"Wait, what are you doing?" Regina screamed sharply at the approaching Ian with a knife.

The Duke's face was flushed with fear that Regina's actions might disturb Killian's feelings. "Iris, be quiet. It'll be over in a minute."

Ian caught the Duke's arm to soothe his daughter and pricked his finger. Dripping the blood into a hole on the pocket watch, he said, "Speak your name, Your Excellency."

The Duke's name engraved itself on the back of the pocket watch when the Duke hesitated for a moment, but he said all of his name. Then the second hand of the watch began to move by itself.

When the Duke's vow was over, Ian grabbed the wrist of Regina who was distracted by the mysterious phenomenon, and was going to stab her fingertips immediately.

"Wait. Wait, Ian. Isn't it useless for the princess to swear by her name now?"

When Killian asked, Oswald answered with a pensive look, "That's right, Your Highness. I think she has to be put on the family register as an adopted daughter, and then swear by that name."

"It's really bothersome." Killian, genuinely annoyed, ordered Valerian, "Send the princess right away to a separate house and put her under surveillance."

Regina protested sharply at the words 'a separate house.' "Now? Isn't it okay if I stay for a few more days since there is no one to watch? To clean up the empty annex is not going to take a day or two."

Though she looked small and thin and weak, she was full of a poisonous spirit in her eyes which he had never seen before, and Killian tapped his chin for a while, looking at her.

"I have a hunch that just getting rid of her would be better."

At Killian's muttering, the Duke of Kiellini fell on the floor. "Your Highness, she's just saying that because she doesn't know what's going on, so forgive her. If you give me a little time, I'll explain it to her."

Killian raised his lips at the image of the princess who could not hide her anger when she saw the Duke.

"Take them to the annex. I don't care what the Duke explains there, so get them away from me right now."

At Killian's command, Oswald opened the door to the parlor and called the knights waiting outside. "Take them to a separate house."

After that, Oswald opened the door and approached Adam, who was standing in the hall alone. Next to them stood a brown-haired girl with a small bag of luggage. "We have yet to use the pocket watch of the oath to the princess. I think someone will have to stay and monitor her."

"I'll stay," Sir Caden offered at Oswald's words.

"Wouldn't you mind not going back to Dublin?"

When Adam asked Sir Caden, he answered calmly, "Now that I'm involved in this, I can't rest easy until everything is done safely. I think it would be better for me to stay and keep an eye on them, since I know the area."

"Thank you, Sir Caden. We'll get a temporary attendant from town in the morning and have her serve Miss Regina. I ask you to keep a close eye on her so that she can't say silly things."

"The villagers are the people of Tilia Territory, so they have no choice but to take sides with the Duke's family. I think it would be safe to hire outsiders, even if we had them live without attendants for a while."

Sir Caden had spent three months in Tilia and had seen the people praising their lord every time he went down to town, and he objected. "I'll be attending Miss Regina. I have nowhere to go, even if I'm going to leave Tilia anyway." The brown-haired girl standing next to Sir Caden volunteered to be the maid of the princess.

Oswald said after a moment of thought. "I'll report it to the Prince first. What's your name?"

"Dian, Your Excellency."

In her answer, Oswald went back into the parlor where Killian was, and called her after a while. "Dian, come in, His Highness is calling. Sir Caden, please come in, too."

After the Duke and the princess moved to the annex, Dian and Sir Caden entered the empty room. As soon as Diane saw someone whose status must be very high, she bowed immediately, kneeling on the floor.

Killian gave a look of fun alternately looking at the plain girl with brown hair and Sir Caden looking anxiously down at her. "Did you say your name was Dian?"

"Yes, Your Highness."

"Why are you volunteering yourself to do something difficult?"

Dian hesitated for a moment at Killian's question. But she decided to be honest with him because she thought he was not one who wouldn't notice her telling a lie. "Mrs. Laban said it was for the lady in Dublin, who knew I knew what's going on here. Maribel said the same thing. I just want to help the lady with my little strength. The lady is the first person who ever truly cared for me in my life."

Killian raised his eyebrows at Dian's words. "Who's the Miss you're talking about?"

Dian answered the Prince's question as if it were natural. "She's in Dublin. She said she'd be back in Tilia soon, so I'd like to stay until then. I'm not saying I'm just going to stay put. In the meantime, I'll take care of the lady in the annex."

Killian had a pleasant smile when he learned that Dian was talking about Julietta. "How much do you know about Dublin's lady?" Killian asked the maid with her head bowed, as if he would not forgive her if she lied.

"I don't know the details, but I know that she went to Dublin on behalf of Lady Regina, and that Lady Regina hates the lady who went to Dublin. I overheard her asking the Duke to kill her as soon as she came back, and reported it to Sir Caden."

Killian smiled contentedly and ordered Count Adam to be called. "Mrs. Laban said she hadn't picked Julietta's private maid yet. Isn't there a very suitable person here? Adam, what do you think? I can't put a commoner as a maid for a precious young lady who will be Princess Kiellini and the future Empress?"