Chapter 92. Cleanup

The incident occurred right after Ian left the Mereloff mansion. The lady, exhausted, was about to return to her bedroom when the butler blocked her path. Lady Rien frowned and looked at him.

"Why?"

"The Earl asks you to come up."

"...Why?"

Something felt uneasy and ominous. It wasn't just a one or two-day summons. Was it because of the butler's stern expression? The lady stood still, not moving. As the candle wax from the lamp dripped, the butler urged her.

"Lady."

"Wait. I'm thinking. Why did he call me, doesn't the butler know?"

The butler sighed after a moment of silence. The sound of his breath echoed in the unusually quiet corridor, colder than the chilly wind outside.

"Butler, tell me."

"The master knows about the relationship between Sir Ian and you."

"...How?"

The lady's face turned pale. It was an answer she hadn't expected. The butler's heart burned black at her non-denial.

"I wish you had said no, with your usual confident voice. The servants were right."

"Why did you do this, Lady...?"

"No, this is absurd... It can't be..."

"Knowing the master's temper. You made a mistake."

"But I didn't! I didn't!"

However, Lady Rien misunderstood completely. She thought it was about the assassination attempt being discovered, not an affair. Her body trembled, and her mind went blank.

'What should I do? If the Earl doesn't die, what about me?'

If the Earl didn't die, she would. Even if she didn't die, she would be bound here for life.

This was a clear fact. And in this situation, the only one who could help her was Ian. The lady began to run down the corridor.

Boom! Bang!

"Lady!"

"Damn it, Ian! Ian!"

"What, what is it?"

"Get the carriage, no, the horse! For Sir Ian!"

"Lady! You can't!"

The lady tumbled down the stairs, shouting. Servants who were tidying up gathered at the sudden commotion. One tried to help her up, but she fiercely pushed him away and shouted.

"Bring the horse!"

"Lady, you can't do this!"

"Shut up! I'm about to die, and you're stopping me? Get out of the way!"

Clang! Clang!

Decorations in the corridor fell and shattered, and the lady desperately ran towards the front door. Her bruised knees ached terribly.

But she knew.

If she stopped now, it would be the real end.

Whoosh!

"Lady. More commotion is not advisable."

At that moment, a knight grabbed her arm. One of the three knights in the mansion. The lady's face was pale, gasping for breath.

"Someone, someone, please... help me..."

"What on earth is happening here..."

"Lady, are you alright?"

"Everyone, return to your rooms. Until permission is given, no one is to leave."

"Scatter!"

The servants hesitated, worried about the lady, but retreated at the butler and knight's stern commands. They bowed their heads as low as possible and left the corridor.

"Let go! Let go! How dare you touch me?"

"I'm sorry, Lady. But if you go, things will get worse."

"Aaaah! No! No!"

At the butler's nod, the knight carried her. Her legs, exposed under her skirt, were clearly visible, but there was no choice. Lady Rien struggled and screamed, and her cries echoed throughout the mansion, reaching Clark's ears.

"...Lady?"

Ian had brought him back, but Clark hadn't received the message. He was just sitting in the old servant's storage room in the Mereloff mansion, eating porridge. Ian had already left the mansion, and no one was paying attention to him due to the lady's commotion.

Creak.

Clark walked down the familiar corridor and looked up at the stairs. He had lived here for years. He knew the mansion's layout by heart and was well aware that Lady Rien's screams mostly came from her bedroom.

Creak.

The wooden floor creaked with each step. He finally reached the floor where the Earl and Lady's bedroom was and faced the butler and knight guarding the door.

"Clark?"

"Return to your original quarters."

"Lady..."

"Go back."

Boom! Bang!

At the same time, a dull sound came from inside. Clark instinctively rushed in but was stopped by the knight's light gesture.

"Rien!"

Bang!

Did he hear that? The noisy bedroom suddenly became quiet. Soon, the Earl appeared, his eyes bloodshot.

"...Clark?"

"Ah..."

Drenched in sweat, he looked like a demon. The Earl felt his blood run cold at the sound of Clark's name being called by Lady Rien.

"You damn woman, how many men have you played with? Ian or Clark, both of you... what the hell..."

"It's not true... I've said it many times..."

"But why did you call Clark's name!"

The Earl ruthlessly grabbed the woman's hair. He alternated his gaze between her and Clark, a cruel smile on his face. Then, he turned as if inviting them in, leaving the door open. Lady Rien, dragged along, looked at Clark with tears streaming down her face.

'Run away.'

That's what she was saying. But, but...

Creak.

Clark was drawn to follow her into the bedroom. The worried butler and the indifferent knight. The Earl, with a cigarette in his mouth, ordered.

"Kill anyone who leaves without my permission."

"...Understood."

"Let no one interfere."

Bang!

The bedroom door was firmly locked. Tonight, the woman and the slave would not come out alive. By the time the sun rose, one of their blood would stain the wooden floor.

The Earl lashed out at the two with all his might, sweating profusely. The harder Clark tried to protect the lady, the more force the Earl put into his strikes.

Snap! Snap!

"A!"

When the long whip finally wrapped around the lady's neck and struck her cheek, Clark felt his sanity snap. His body moved on its own. He grabbed the letter knife on the table and struck the Earl's neck.

"Aaaah!"

The butler and knight outside turned their heads at the unfamiliar scream. Was it Clark? They were puzzled but didn't interfere, following the Earl's order to guard the door.

"Huh..."

The lady's intermittent sobs.

And finally, the darkness faded, and the sun rose.

The door, which seemed to be closed forever, opened, and Lady Rien was the first to come out, drenched in blood—whether it was the Earl's or hers, it was impossible to tell.

The lady slowly moved, her fingertips trailing along the wall.

Her trail faintly continued.

* * *

Creak.

Ian got out of the carriage and looked around the mansion. The shock of the Earl's murder was palpable. It might just be his perception, but...

The news hadn't reached the town yet...

"Ian-sama? Please come in."

A servant, who had been waiting, led the way, fidgeting. Ian ignored the broken decorations in the corridor and went upstairs.

In front of the problematic bedroom, three knights with swords, the butler, and a few servants were gathered, discussing something awkwardly.

"Ian-sama has arrived."

"Ah."

The butler looked dazed. He didn't even greet Ian. Ian, not needing formalities, just nodded and entered.

"You came?"

"Goodness. Lady."

The scene was madness. The soft ivory rug was soaked in blood, and the room was in shambles. But the most striking was Lady Rien, sitting on the sofa.

"Sit down. Despite the mess."

"What happened? What exactly..."

The lady's dress was the same as it was during the evening meal. It seemed she had only roughly wiped the blood with a wet cloth, leaving stains on her white skin.

"As you can see, chaos ensued."

"What about the Earl? Is he dead?"

"The doctor is examining the body in the inner bedroom. Clark stabbed him in the neck with a letter knife after being whipped."

She exhaled cigarette smoke, muttering. It felt like the world had changed in just one night, under the moon. Ian rubbed his forehead and looked inside.

'For heaven's sake, this is ridiculous.'

What was the reason for smuggling drugs in Hwan? To avoid legal punishment. Whether it was the lady or those who conspired and participated.

"Ian-sama, greetings. I am Pullo, one of the three knights of Mereloff."

Ian turned to the unfamiliar man. A brown-haired, curly-haired man. The lady's gaze on him was far from friendly.

"Did you send the letter?"

"Yes. I had something to confirm."

"Confirm? With me?"

Ian frowned, confused. If Clark had killed him, why suspect him?

"These men suspect an affair between Sir Ian and me."

"Hah!"

The lady's words made Berick laugh. But the three knights, seemingly sincere, didn't blink. Ian rubbed his forehead, chuckling.

'What a mess...'

"Where is Clark?"

"He is being detained in the underground prison."

"Bring him here."

"That is not possible."

The knight firmly refused Ian's order. Ian's brows furrowed. The lady, overhearing, lazily repeated the order.

"Bring Clark."

"The lady's orders cannot be followed until the full details of the incident are clear."

"This is the situation, Sir Ian."

With the Earl dead, she should have been in charge of the mansion until the next Earl was decided, but the situation was complicated due to the knights' resistance.

Ian scanned