"This..." Kevin was stunned. Right, without bringing Catherine's corpse back, who would believe his words? He might even be executed on the spot.
"We'll go directly to the Lord of Sedona City and demand Miss Catherine's body, then set off tomorrow."
Scott patted Kevin on the shoulder and sneered. "Dahlia has to be captured and brought back to the royal capital too. Otherwise, who's going to take the fall for us?"
"..." Kevin was silent for a few seconds before nodding. "Alright. Get the body, capture Dahlia, and return to the capital."
"This time, we'll be polite. That way, they won't have any more excuses to lock us up, right?" Scott said coldly.
Last time, what excuse did they even use? Causing trouble by barging into the City Lord's mansion? Just for that, they were locked up for a week. How could they possibly swallow this humiliation? Retaliation was inevitable—the only question was timing. The best place for revenge would be back in the royal capital.
Scott smirked. "Good. At least you're thinking straight now."
Kevin exhaled sharply, his hands clenched at his sides. He didn't like this—any of it—but what choice did he have? Without Catherine's body, he'd be accused of treason or worse. And Dahlia…
He pushed the thought away.
"Hmph." Kevin let out a cold snort, tacitly agreeing. That tiny, pitch-black cell had become the most unforgettable nightmare of their lives. The cramped space where they couldn't even stand upright, the suffocating darkness, the dampness, and the eerie silence. They had no choice but to relieve themselves in their clothes…
None of them had weapons, as everything had been confiscated by the Guard Division. Even their armor was taken away. According to the guards, if they were given their gear, what was stopping them from storming the City Lord's mansion again?
Kevin and Scott arrived in front of the castle and stepped forward, calling out for the gate guards to send word inside.
"I am Viscount Kevin. Please inform your lord; I wish to meet him." Kevin spoke stiffly, forcing himself to be polite despite his cold expression.
"Our lord is very busy right now, entertaining an important guest. Come back tomorrow." The soldier at the gate replied indifferently. He recognized Kevin and his companions immediately.
He recalled Miss Nicole's orders from yesterday—if these people came looking for an audience, find an excuse to turn them away.
"You haven't even gone in to report. How do you know he won't see me?" Kevin suppressed his anger. Since when did a mere knight guarding the gate, a baron at best, dare to be this arrogant?
"There's no need. Our lord has no time to meet troublemakers." The soldier said coldly.
"What? Troublemaker?" Kevin exploded with rage. Since when had he become a troublemaker? Was he some kind of refugee?
Scott placed a firm hand on Kevin's shoulder, a warning grip to keep him from lashing out.
"Calm yourself," Scott muttered under his breath. "We're here to negotiate, not start a fight at the gates."
Kevin gritted his teeth but took a deep breath. He knew Scott was right, but the blatant disrespect was difficult to stomach.
Tap, tap, tap…
Just as Kevin was about to talk again with the gate guard, footsteps echoed from inside the castle.
"Dahlia, hurry up! We need to set up our new home!" Catherine's cheerful voice rang out.
"Yeah, yeah." Dahlia responded lazily.
Kevin, Scott, and their group stood frozen, staring dumbfounded as Catherine, Dahlia, and Nicole walked out of the castle. Behind them, seven or eight maids followed, carrying blankets and other household items.
"You—you… how are you still alive?" Kevin's eyes widened in shock, his finger trembling as he pointed at Catherine. "You were dead! No, you must be fake! A fake!"
"Definitely a fake!" The Witch Doctor's eyes bulged in panic as she shouted, "Someone is impersonating her! They're trying to fool us!"
"Just grab her and check. Then we'll know for sure." Scott said, his pupils trembling as he strode toward Catherine and Dahlia.
"Exactly. Let us examine her, and it'll be clear." Kevin agreed, taking large steps forward.
Several others followed their lead, including the Witch Doctor and a few noble youths. From their understanding, someone as sick as Catherine had been was certainly dead.
They were convinced that the Catherine before them was a fake, a deception orchestrated by the Lord of Sedona City to escape responsibility—so that the blame could be shifted onto them instead.
"What…?" Catherine and Dahlia stared blankly at Kevin, Scott, and the others approaching them, stunned by their reaction.
"How dare you! What do you think you're doing?" The soldiers stepped in front of Catherine and Dahlia, shouting sternly, "Stand down!"
"Move!" Kevin's temper, suppressed for days, finally exploded. He roared, "Let me expose that fraud!"
"What? You're calling me a fraud?" Catherine's eyes widened in shock. This was the first time anyone had insulted her to her face.
"Yes, I'm talking about you!" Kevin sneered, waving his arms as if he had everything figured out. "How dare you impersonate Miss Catherine? That is the greatest insult to her!"
"Viscount Kevin, I didn't expect you to be so bold—even daring to insult Catherine." Dahlia frowned. Something felt off about these people. They were too agitated, too unstable.
This was one of the side effects of being locked in a dark cell for too long—restlessness, irritability. On top of that, Kevin and Scott had been convinced Catherine was dead. Now, seeing her alive before them completely shattered their understanding of reality.
To them, Catherine's death was an undeniable fact. So the Catherine standing before them was either a ghost or an imposter.
"Stop joking. She is supposed to be Miss Catherine?" Kevin sneered. "You killed her and now you're trying to throw a fake in our faces to pin the blame on us?"
Dahlia blinked her turquoise eyes. What kind of twisted logic is this?
"Move." Kevin growled, glaring at the soldiers blocking his path.
"You dare block a viscount?" Scott reached out to shove the soldier aside.
"Anyone who dares to offend Miss Catherine—take them to the mines for a few days. That should clear their heads." Nicole said coolly, frowning.
She recalled something the young master had mentioned. These fools were only going to be released at the very last moment—right when Dahlia's fleet was set to depart.
"Yes, ma'am!" The soldiers nodded and immediately surged forward, restraining Kevin, Scott, and the others before marching them toward the mines.
"What?! We are nobles! You can't do this to us!" Kevin shouted in panic.
"Damn it! I swear, I'll go to the royal capital and report you! You murderers!" Scott roared furiously.
Nicole merely arched a brow at Scott's outburst, her expression unreadable. She turned to one of the soldiers. "Make sure they're well taken care of. We wouldn't want them collapsing too soon, would we?"
"Understood, ma'am." The soldier responded with a smirk, tightening his grip on Scott's arm.
Kevin struggled, his face red with fury. "You'll regret this! When the royal capital hears of this, you'll—"
Nicole stepped closer, her presence radiating cold authority. "And what will you tell them, Viscount? That you attempted to stand in my lord's way? That you sought to offend Miss Catherine and challenge my lord's authority?" She tilted her head. "Or perhaps you'd rather inform them of how you intended to flee rather than take responsibility for your actions?"
Kevin's mouth snapped shut, his rage momentarily eclipsed by a flicker of fear.
Scott wasn't as easily silenced. "You think you can do whatever you want just because you have power? We're nobles! You can't—!"
Nicole sighed, already bored of their protests. "Take them away."
The soldiers wasted no time, dragging the furious nobles toward the mines. Their curses and threats gradually faded into the distance, leaving only a tense silence in their wake.
They had just gotten out of the dark cell, and now they were heading straight to the mines to experience hard labor.
"Are they… seriously insane?" Catherine muttered in disbelief. They actually thought she was dead. She exhaled slowly, still struggling to wrap her head around the situation. Kevin and Scott were out there, demanding her body—completely convinced she was dead. It was almost laughable. Almost.
"Ignore them." Dahlia shook her head. In truth, if not for Lord Lucass treatment, Catherine really would have died.
"Let's go. They won't be bothering you for a while." Nicole said gently.
"Alright."
.
.
.
.
You can read advance chapters and view R-18 images of the characters on pat reon page.
pat reon.com/GreenBlue17
300 Power Stones for 1 extra chapter.
5 New reviews for 1 extra chapter.