Newlywed Life Begins with a Mistake - Chapter 33
—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————
Chapter 33
Before I could finish my speculation, a rough shout rang out.
“Intruders! Intruders have appeared!”
There must have been another passage, as hurried footsteps could be heard from the opposite side.
“You are…”
“Die!”
A sharp confrontation broke out before identities could even be confirmed.
The Valhalla knights who deflected the cold blade mercilessly subdued the attacking enemies one by one.
“Damn it! Die, all of you!”
Perhaps feeling wronged by their helpless defeat, they attempted suicide as soon as they were captured.
Most died from eating poison, but two survived.
After gagging both of them, Cassian began searching their bodies.
“You’ve brought the Spring of Traces.”
A relic was found on the body of what appeared to be the leader.
I thought you had given up after the black market auction, but you actually managed to get it.
It seems they really want to erase all traces of the crime.
“Yes. It seems we should only gather what’s necessary today.”
Having collected evidence, we turned around to retrace our steps.
But then.
“Huh, why does it suddenly seem like water is rising?”
The floor was gradually becoming soggy, as if water was leaking from somewhere.
No, could it even be called water?
Judging by the volatile smell.
“It seems more like oil than water.”
Right. It felt like oil was trickling down.
“Where could there be a place for oil to flow from?”
Just as I was turning my head this way and that to identify the cause.
“Everyone be careful!”
As soon as Pabel’s shout ended, flames roared up with a whoosh.
“Let’s all die together!”
My vision flashed. Scorching heat touched my skin.
“Aaaaah!”
“Aaaahhh!”
“Ahhhhh!”
But then, a cool woody scent brushed past my nose.
At the same time I felt a firm grip, my vision changed.
Cassian, who had turned my body around, was radiating an aura while holding me.
Thanks to trapping the two people inside the curtain, the soaring flames didn’t reach us.
“Judging by the condensed oil coming from the canteen at his waist, it looks like they were planning to blow up the underground area and then cover up the scene with a spring of traces.”
The flames grew fiercer and fiercer, showing just how much oil had been concentrated.
He nearly died, but Cassian spoke calmly as he emerged, leaving the blackened corpse trapped within the barrier.
“My lord! These people!”
“Your Excellency, what on earth is going on!”
“My lord! These bastards!”
“Take care of it.”
When Cassian gave a brief reply, Pavel and the other knights moved busily into action.
‘Is it okay to keep going like this?’
He said not to worry about the cleanup, but maybe it’s because he went through something horrifying.
A sudden chill ran through me.
“It’s regrettable that we can’t interrogate them, but we have an informant, so it should be fine.”
A situation where we had evidence but the mastermind wasn’t certain.
That’s why we needed more clues to reveal the mastermind.
Impatience rose to my throat, but I forced myself to swallow my denial and spoke with concern.
“The informant really must be safe…”
* * *
“Grandfather, have some potatoes.”
Late evening. Bella handed potatoes to the old man who was organizing worn protest signs.
“Thank you. You should eat too.”
Late evening. Bella handed a potato to the old man who was putting away the worn signboard.
“Thank you. You should eat too.”
“I’m fine.”
The elderly man who had skipped meals to join the protest looked apologetic, as if worried that Bella might have gone hungry.
“I ate a lot earlier.”
When Bella patted her stomach saying she was full, the old man finally took a bite of his potato.
Bella stared blankly at him, lost in thought.
‘I need to meet Count Heteus before we run out of money.’
She had come up to Heteus County with the estate residents to appeal their grievances. But even after time passed, there was no progress whatsoever.
Instead, she only received cold stares from people.
She knew meeting high-ranking officials would be difficult, but she never dreamed it would be this hard.
As if representing her feelings, the old man asked cautiously.
“There’s been no contact from the House of Count Heteus, right?”
“No, grandfather. Marco says he keeps trying to make contact, but they must be very busy.”
“Well, they have many matters to handle, so it can’t be helped. Go on now, Bella. There are plenty of people to clean up without you, so hurry along.”
“But there aren’t many people left. The number of protesters keeps decreasing as days go by…”
“It’s fine. Everyone here knows you’re making every effort possible.”
Unable to break the old man’s stubbornness, Bella eventually turned away, saying she’d see him tomorrow.
‘Everyone must be getting tired. I don’t see Aunt Annie either, and Dori hasn’t come out.’
Though she acted nonchalant on the outside, Bella was extremely worried.
Surely when they first came up, everyone had united in spirit and enthusiastically walked around the streets, but at some point people began leaving one by one.
‘Was the letter delivered properly? The person I met today seemed quite high-ranking.’
Her bedridden mother had earnestly requested that the letter be delivered directly to the Count without going through anyone else, but Bella couldn’t see Count Heteus even after several days passed.
Exhausted, she finally asked a woman to deliver the letter in a desperate mood, and the woman agreed.
Though the woman’s identity was unclear, that was the best option at the time.
“I couldn’t see the contents, but it probably contains matters about the Pican incident, right? Enough! I won’t worry about it anymore! It’s out of my hands anyway.”
Turning her head, Bella walked briskly, hoping the woman had safely delivered her letter.
Though soft lighting was lit here and there, the atmosphere became increasingly eerie as she moved away from the town square.
Though it was a path she took daily, today she felt particularly uneasy, so Bella tried to steady her anxious heart and quickened her pace.
At that moment.
“Bella!”
“Ahhh!”
Someone tapped her shoulder.
“Marco!”
“Sorry, sorry. I didn’t know you’d be this startled. You’re going to the inn, right? Come on! I’ll escort you!”
Marco placed his hand on Bella’s shoulder and led her as they walked.
Having felt momentary terror, Bella touched her pale cheek and tried to steady her breathing.
“Bella, where did you go earlier?”
“Earlier?”
“Yeah. It seemed like you were lingering in front of the Duke’s Mansion this afternoon. If you have something to say, you can go through me.”
As Marco chattered continuously to ease the tense atmosphere, Bella finally seemed to relax.
“Oh, this is a secret but…”
Marco should be fine, right?
Though her mother had told her not to trust anyone, Bella felt she could trust and tell Marco, who was struggling hard representing the estate residents.
Bella told Marco about giving a letter to some woman in front of the Duke’s Mansion.
After hearing the whole story, Marco nodded.
“I see.”
His expression hardened slightly, but his voice was no different from usual.
“Do you remember who you gave it to? What did she look like?”
“Why do you ask?”
“Because I need to know everything about the Pican Estate residents’ affairs.”
Though he was smiling, something felt unsettling about him.
Sensing something strange, Bella gripped the bag in her hand tightly.
Just as she was about to step back, preparing to run away.
“Ah!”
“Tell me everything you saw that day.”
Marco, who had noticed her wariness, grabbed her wrist.
“Let go of me!”
With her arm caught, Bella struck Marco’s chest hard with her bag. But it was useless.
Mysterious men had already surrounded her.
“This time it’s a woman.”
“M-Marco…”
Bella, who belatedly grasped the situation, called out to Marco with a desperate voice.
“Yes. This time it should be easier to handle than before.”
He didn’t seem like the Marco she usually knew.
Marco, who had answered the men, looked down at Bella with a chilling smile.
“Right, Bella?”
* * *
The next day.
“What? She’s dead?”
“I apologize. I was a step too late.”
Pabel bowed his head and offered his apologies.
It hadn’t even been a full day since I had given him the description of the woman with twin braids.
“Are you certain?”
“Yes, my lady. I confirmed she was found as a corpse.”
The woman who had pleaded so desperately had become a cold corpse.
“It seems they’re not just dealing with simple corruption, but are busy silencing people.”
Casian spoke calmly as he listened, but unease flickered through his eyes.
Though I had expected this wasn’t an ordinary matter, the deeper we dug, the more I felt caught in uncontrollable chaos.
“Is Count Muet a bold person?”
“He’s greedy, but his timid nature prevents him from doing anything daring.”
“Does that mean there’s a bigger mastermind behind this?”
I shouldn’t jump to conclusions hastily, but I began to think this might involve not just the South, but perhaps the entire Empire.
“For now, please focus on the competition, my lady. Don’t you have little time left?”
Catching Count Muet’s family was important, but the immediate matter was more pressing. That was his meaning.
“I understand.”
Since it would be disastrous if Daisy were selected, I promised to focus on the competition for a week.
And I sent the bruschetta recipe for the competition to the kitchen through Mary.
“My lady…”
Not long after, the head chef requested a private audience.
—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————