“Baron Ike.”

“I am now a Count, but… … It doesn’t matter, your Highness, Archduke. His Majesty has ordered me to escort you to the captial.”

Ike said, bowing politely. Rowendal’s escort knights, who were already armed, looked at Ike with taut complexions.

Ike, the leader of the Imperial 4th Knights Order, was one of the most powerful men in the Empire. It was obvious since he came into this mansion alone without his subordinates.

“… … Let’s get this over with. His Majesty promised to have a match with me if I delivered the Archduke without any problems.”

“You’re insane… … . What do you think you can do on your own against my numbers?”

The number of his knights filling the hallway and stairs on the second floor was at least 16. Ike clicked his tongue saying that he had a lot for someone who was in exile.

“I’m not worried about that, I’ll kill them. There was only one man that his Majesty ordered me to bring back alive.”

The entourage’s faces went red as he pointed his finger at Rowendal and chortled.

“You bastar—!”

Blood sprayed and a bloodbath ensued before the shouting could even end. The knight standing closest to Ike collapsed with blood gushing from his neck.

Most of them couldn’t even see his attack, so they turned pale and took a step back.

Ike explained as bewildered stares poured on him:

“It’s a bit vexing when someone is just whining with words. Please understand.”

He was born with it.

Ike was the son of a baron who raped his maid. It was widely known that Lyle picked up the seemingly abandoned boy and raised him as his fierce guard dog.

“Your Highness!”

As soon as he had finished speaking, Ike slashed the escort knights and rushed towards Archduke Rowendal. He said he was ordered to transport him to the capital, so he wouldn’t kill him, but the momentum alone made Rowendal’s legs tremble and clench his teeth.

“Your Highness, go!”

The knights risked their lives to block Ike’s way. Even the assassins carefully selected by the Duke of Card looked like children compared to Ike.

“You’d better not run away. I had been told by his Majesty to bring you, but he never told me to bring him back whole.”

He wouldn’t cut off an arm or a leg because it was too bothersome to stop the bleed. Amputation of a limb was effective, but it was not preferred because there were cases of death from the shock.

Also if treated the Imperial family crudely, he might become a target for the nobility, but in this case, the Duke of Card would look the other way. Plus Lyle always looked after him.

Let’s have some fun then?

Sneering, Ike gave a cruel cackle. Soon, the familiar scent of blood covered his whole body. [t1v: y so hot?! Come backkkkkkkk Ike]

***

Sid looked down at the Duke of Lance, who was gasping for breath, with a blank look.

Although he deliberately moved the prison and sent sentries, someone attempted to poison him.

Since his execution date had been decided and it was impossible to escape, the Duke of Lance was ready to open his mouth with the slightest prodding. He had been begging the jailer every day to delay his execution, promising to tell them everything.

The Rowendal faction would have had to shut Duke Lance’s mouth.

Poisoning.

It’s cliché, but cleaner than sending an assassin. It would have even been cleaner if they had bribed the jailer.

It had been difficult to frame the situation, but in the end he succeeded in pushing the prey into the trap. They restrained all those who had tried to buy off the jailer and even acquired the poison that they had.

Nevertheless, Duke Lance’s testimony was not completely unnecessary, and he was given a poison with a weak effect. So now he was suffering like this.

‘It will be easier to get him to talk with a little intimidation.’

He thought Medea and Lyle were completely different. But when he saw how they schemed and plotted he thought the couple were exactly alike. With no evidence, the Empress, frightened Martha to confess and likewise the Emperor gave weak poison to make the Duke of Lance open his mouth.

‘What will their child be like? … .’

Whether it be a son or a daughter, they would be the master. Perhaps their assistant would be Sid’s offspring as well. If it was the child of those two he was looking forward to seeing what kind of person they would become.

Of course, he was biase hoping that they would resemble his Majesty more than the Empress. Except for being a workaholic.

By the way… … .

‘Considering the torture, I added only a little bit, but why is this little guy being so unreasonable?’

He watched the Duke of Lance with a sour expression. Sid wanted him to stop moaning so he could start the interrogation already.