Even if they were libertines, they knew that what they were doing was dishonorable. Possessing at least a shred of aristocratic pride, they couldn’t possibly reveal their family names.
Because of this, I had hoped they would come to their senses and stop.
“Does she still think she’s a Duchess?”
The man called Terry shoved me toward the wall.
“I heard you didn’t even catch the eye of Count Krissus, so we were going to offer you an opportunity. What, don’t you like it?”
“Do you understand your current situation? There isn’t a single person here who will take your side, no matter what we do to you.”
Edel had heard many times that because the nobility turned a blind eye to crimes during the reign of the former Emperor, even minor nobles who hadn’t earned the rank of baron were ignoring the law.
However, she never imagined she would experience it firsthand. To think the perpetrators would be members of the Imperial Knights, who were supposed to uphold law and order.
Edel glared at them, her eyes filled with contempt.
“I think you gentlemen are the ones who are mistaken. What you are attempting right now is insubordination. You won’t just be dismissed from the Imperial Knights; you will also have to pay reparations to the Krissus family.”
“Hah! What a joke! If that were to happen, you would also…!”
“If I keep my mouth shut, perhaps it could be treated as if it never happened, but I don’t intend to do that. As you know, I am a maid who cannot be fired. So, I suggest you stop here.”
Only then did the two men realize that Edel’s circumstances were different from those of an ordinary maid.
Maids from the lower classes would stay silent even if they were harassed, fearing they wouldn’t receive a letter of recommendation, but Edel had no such need. She was a person permanently attached to this household unless Count Krissus handed her over to someone else.
“Th-this…!”
However, the egos of the two men were far too inflated to tuck their tails in now.
“Let’s see if you can still be so confident after you’ve actually been violated!”
“Follow us!”
Perhaps their pride was deeply wounded, as they grabbed Edel to drag her away without a second thought.
She struggled with all her might and screamed, believing that no matter how big the mansion was, someone would hear her.
“Let go of me! Aren’t you ashamed of yourselves!”
“Is she crazy? Be quiet!”
It was just as they were pinning Edel’s arms and covering her mouth, attempting to drag her into the men’s restroom.
“Was this it? The reason you asked to see me in my home?”
A thick, low voice echoed through the sparsely populated corridor. Even though the tone wasn’t particularly angry, the two men froze on the spot.
Taking advantage of their confusion, Edel pulled her arms free, stepped back, and bowed her head to the owner of the voice.
“You have arrived, Count.”
Laslo, who had been there—who knows since when—was looking at them with a cold gaze.
The two men, coming to their senses, suddenly began to wave their hands and make excuses.
“It-it’s a misunderstanding! That woman seduced us first!”
“It’s true! She clung to us asking to be taken out of here, and now that you’ve come, she’s playing the victim!”
“A woman in a position with nowhere left to fall is truly scary, honestly!”
There were two of them, and only one of her. There were no witnesses.
The men shamelessly insisted, banking on that fact.
However, Laslo’s gaze remained fixed on the two knights, unmoving.
“Is what you just said the truth?”
“Of course!”
“Can you bet your necks on it?”
“Ex-excuse me?”
“I asked if you can bet your necks.”
Laslo asked as he slowly drew his sword from his waist.
The blade caught the winter sunlight and shone eerily.
“Wh-why are you doing this, My Lord!”
“Hey, don’t be so scary, let’s talk this out…”
Even as they stepped backward, they kept trying to worm their way out of the situation, but Laslo did not sheathe his sword.
“Answer me. Can you bet your necks?”
“O-of course! Who do you think we are to lie in front of you?”
They assumed Laslo was just trying to scare them and insisted until the end.
At that, Laslo smirked.
“It’s a pity that the first guests I ever invited to my home will have to lose their heads.”
“Yes?”
“How much of this do you think I saw?”
At those words, the faces of the two men drained of color.
Edel also felt a shiver. She hadn’t felt any other presence at all.
“Co-Count Krissus…”
“No, that’s…”
The sharp tip of the sword held by Laslo pointed toward the two men.
“A knight must keep his word. It would be better and less painful to just bow your heads and accept it. What will you do?”
At that, the two men immediately knelt and began to beg with their hands together.
“We are sorry, Count Krissus! Please forgive us just this once!”
“It seems we momentarily lost our minds! It’s our first time seeing such a pretty woman up close. Please, have mercy on us. Yes?”
In their demeanor, there was not a trace of the pride one would expect from members of the Imperial Knights.
Then, suddenly, Laslo turned his gaze toward Edel.
“Over there, victim. What would you like me to do?”
Edel was surprised, as she hadn’t expected him to ask for her opinion. But when she saw the two men who had harassed her looking somewhat relieved, she felt indignant.
*Does he think I’ll be generous and let it slide? But I’m no longer a Duchess.*
She didn’t have to endure it for the sake of her reputation or future encounters.
It was ironic that she could only do as she pleased now that her status had fallen, but Edel answered as dryly and bluntly as possible.
“Since you are the Captain of the Guard and they are members of the Imperial Knights, I believe it is right for you to handle this according to military law.”
“I don’t have all the military laws memorized.”
“Since it falls under insubordination and violation of the Imperial Knights’ code of conduct, dismissal from the Imperial Knights would be a matter of course, and I believe flogging and reparations would be appropriate.”
At my words, the knights’ mouths hung open in shock, but Laslo furrowed his brows as if dissatisfied.
“That’s all?”
Edel thought it was understandable that he would be displeased.
He was already fighting battles of nerves every day with nobles who looked down on him, and now members of the Imperial Knights, who were practically his subordinates, had committed acts of insult within his own home.
Hoping the knights would be even more terrified, Edel added.
“In the past, there was a case where the Commander of the Imperial Knights cut off the right arm of a knight who insulted his daughter, though I’m not sure if such a punishment would be accepted in this case.”
“Hmm. An arm, is it…”
As Laslo’s gaze shifted toward the two men’s arms, they grabbed them as if they were already being severed and screamed.
“If anything happens to us here, the Imperial Knights won’t just stand by!”
“That’s right! Just because you are the Captain of the Guard doesn’t mean you can punish knights of the Imperial Knights as you please!”
The men, who had been groveling and then shamelessly asserting themselves again, had truly ruffled Laslo’s feathers.
“I’m not sure if you remember what this woman said earlier, but you are currently committing insubordination. Since a lowly knight has insulted the Captain of the Guard, I have the authority to punish you.”
“That can’t be! Call Sir Edmund Milton! Sir Milton will judge this situation objectively!”
“Ah, is that bastard Edmund your backer?”
Laslo’s eyes turned colder than ever.
Edel had also heard the name Edmund Milton. He was praised as a genius knight and the next Captain of the Guard, and was quite popular in high society.
*Can I really insult the second son of the Milton family, and in front of knights at that?*
The men sitting on their knees seemed to be having the same thought as Edel, but they were even more shocked that Laslo didn’t care about Edmund at all.
Laslo chuckled and sheathed his sword.
“Then, as you wish, I will bring Edmund Milton here. I’m curious about his reaction, too.”
Having deferred the verdict on those men, Laslo asked Edel with an annoyed expression.
“But why are you out here? I’m certain I told you not to come out until I gave the order.”
“I apologize. It seems there was a shortage of hands.”
“Did Lynnia call you?”
“…”
Edel didn’t know how to answer. I hesitated, standing there awkwardly, and it seemed that served as my answer.
“Go back to your room. Once I’m done dealing with these men, I will decide on your punishment as well.”
Without a hint of resentment, Edel bowed obediently and returned to her room.
Laslo watched her retreating figure, recalling the scream she had let out while being dragged away so roughly. His grip tightened so fiercely that deep wrinkles formed across the leather gloves he wore.
* * *
The Imperial Guard had been turned upside down because of two knights who were caught harassing a maidservant at the residence of the Captain of the Imperial Guard.
The situation was even more volatile because that Captain was Laslo Krissus, the Emperor’s closest confidant, and the maid they had harassed was none other than Edel Lancaster, the prisoner bestowed upon him by the Emperor.
“It seems those idiots asked for you to be summoned. I have no idea why they uselessly mentioned your name when I should be the one handling this,” the Captain of the Guard said, his voice trembling with suppressed rage as he set down the ‘cooperation request’ Laslo had sent. Hearing this, Edmund responded.