﹡ ⊹ ⊰ Chapter 222 ⊱ ⊹ ﹡
"Clerivan!"
I run as I saw Clerivan getting off the horse. I hugged him immediately when I got closer.
Perhaps because of the horse ride, Clerivan smelled like the wind.
"...Firentia."
Clerivan also hugged me.
"You had it hard, Clerivan. It was scary, wasn't it?"
"It would be a lie to say it wasn't." He laughed as he said that, but Clerivan's body was trembling and only starting to relax.
"Brother...." Laurelle approached Clerivan carefully.
Tears that had just stopped were flowing again from Laurelle's already swollen eyes.
"....Laurelle."
Watching the pitiful figure, Clerivan took out his handkerchief from his pockets and handed it to Laurelle.
"Oh, thank you..."
Laurelle's eyes widen seeing the handkerchief handed over, and burst into tears again.
It was because the handkerchief that Clerivan carried was the handkerchief she gave him last time.
Even if he didn't express it outwardly, Clerivan was also thinking of Laurelle as his younger sister.
While patting Laurelle on the shoulder, Clerivan said to me.
"The Imperial Knights have Violet."
"Violet?"
I turned my head and glanced at the Imperial Knights outside at the front gate of the mansion.
"They've really—"
I'd want to turn everything upside down. But it's not time yet.
I need to wait for it to ripen.
"Oh no, Miss Violet...what do we do now, my Lady?" Laurelle asked me with frightened eyes and one hand clasped at the hem of Clerivan's robe.
"It's okay, everything's gonna be fine. I'm not gonna let anything happen to her."
But the charge... allegations of accessory to the attempted murder of the Emperor.
It's too much.
"Wouldn't it be okay to just thoroughly explain that my brother has nothing to do with such a thing?" Laurelle carefully suggested it to me.
But I shook my head.
"No, if so, the Empress will create another allegation."
"Then what to do..."
"I have to aim at the Empress. I might not be able to get this kind of chance again." I said, looking at the Imperial Knights still confronting the Lombardy Knights.
"I can't believe they are able to move the Knights of the Imperial Court like that. It's proof that the Empress was driven at a dead end. So there's nothing to be afraid of."
This side holds the knife anyway.
"It's only a few days left until the meeting. All we have to do is hang in there."
Then I turned to spoke to Perez.
"About Violet..."
"I know. Don't worry. Let me handle it." Perez answered right away.
"I'll move her to the Knights building and protect her."
Fortunately, Perez was responsible for the investigation of the attempted murder.
However, no matter how the Knights were divided, Perez still had the authority to interrogate those involved in the case.
"I'll go now." Perez said as he got on the horse again.
"Wait a minute."
I grabbed Perez's arm a little hard.
"It shouldn't happen to Violet what happened to Bellesac. Of course, I know you had deliberately loosened your guard on purpose then but—"
I stopped talking.
It was because Perez's lips came into contact with mine all of a sudden.
I was flustered for a moment by that short kiss.
What on earth does that kiss mean?
As if reading my thoughts, Perez said, while laughing deeply.
"Because I don't think I'll see you for a while."
"I'm not kidding, Perez. I really don't want anything to happen to Violet. Violet is my person."
"I know how much you value your people. So don't worry." Perez said once again, kissing my forehead.
"I won't let something happen that will make you sad."
Perez, who said so, jumped and mounted the horse.
When he held the reins of the horse, I approached him and said.
"Be careful."
It's a battlefield out there now.
I would be safe in the mansion, but I felt uneasy about sending Perez alone again outside.
Without saying a word, Perez nodded with a faint smile.
"Let's go! Hah!"
Only after watching Perez on top of the horse as it run safely past the gates did I take Clerivan into the mansion.
***
The Head office of the Angenas mansion.
"Clerivan Pellet sneaked into Lombardy's mansion."
Ethan Klaus reported to the Empress.
It was an area exclusive for Duigi, the Head of Angenas, but neither the Empress nor Ethan Klaus, the Commander of the Knights of Angenas, had any second thought on using the room.
"Like a rat..!"
The Empress hit the desk and gritted her teeth.
"You should've been in front of there from the start!" The Empress shouted fiercely at Ethan Klaus.
"I'm sorry."
Ravini once again glared at Ethan Klaus, who apologized silently, and soon asked.
"What about the contract and land mortgage documents?"
"I'm searching through both the Pellet mansion and company building. I will find it soon."
"You have to get your hands on it at all costs. Otherwise..." Ravini paused.
Now that the Emperor's favor was inclined to the side of Angenas, the contract was the only remaining weakness she had left.
"I don't have a good feeling about this." Ravini muttered nervously, biting her fingernails.
After contemplating for a while, Ravini rose from her seat.
"Are you going?"
Ethan Klaus lifted the Empress's robe and wrapped it around her shoulder.
"Ethan."
Empress Ravini looked back at Ethan Klaus and said.
"What's most important is to prevent Clerivan Pellet from attending the meeting."
Because the only person who could exercise the rights of the contract was the owner of the Pellet Company.
"Guard the front of Lombardy mansion. And when Clerivan Pellet comes out, kill him."
Rather, it wouldn't be bad for the Pellet Company to crumble like thin air.
Empress Ravini smiles beautifully at the thought.
***
"I haven't been here in a long time."
Crenny smiled at the scenery of Lombardy that he missed.
He took a soft, deep breath and even smelled the air.
"Let's go so I can show off to Tia!"
After Crenny went to the academy, he grew up like a fish in water.
Was it because since he was young he read a lot of good books with the recommendation of his sister cousin, Firentia, or is that he was intelligent from the beginning?
He never missed being the top of his grade.
"If I tell them that I will be skipping for a year again this time, my sister will be happy as well!"
Now the process that usually takes six years, will be completed in four years. Therefore, he has only two years left until graduation.
Crenny's face flushed.
Thump!
"Ugh!"
At that time, his carriage made a sudden stop, and Crenny hit his knees on the opposite seat of the carriage.
"What's going on?"
"I'm sorry, Young Master! The Knights are standing in the way!"
"Knights?"
Crenny's face hardened as he tilted his head and looked out of the carriage.
The Imperial Knights were looking at Crenny with hideous faces.
"What's going on?"
Crenny looked surprised seeing the front gates of the mansion.
"Why are the Imperial troops surrounding the mansion?"
Fortunately, the Imperial Knights slowly withdrew and the carriage was able to reach the periphery of the mansion.
"Check it."
At that time, the door of the carriage Crenny was riding swung open.
Nervous, Crenny looked at the Knight who suddenly opened the door.
"....Brother Gillieu?"
"What, so it was Crenny?"
Gillieu, dressed in the Lombardy Knight's uniform, grinned at Crenny.
"Huh? It's Crenny?"
Mairon's face also popped inside the carriage.
"You're here for vacation?" Mairon asked.
"What's happening? Why is there in front of the mansion...."
"Go and ask Tia. She'll be able to explain it more. It's not a big deal actually, so don't worry too much."
Having said that, Gillieu closed the carriage door again and gestured to the Lombardy Knights.
The gates of the tightly closed mansion slowly opened, and the carriage carrying Crenny inside began to move again along the path of the mansion.
Meanwhile, Rulhac was watching a carriage barely entering the mansion.
"Father." Gallahan approached Rulhac's back and spoke.
"Are you going to leave it as it is?"
"What if I do?"
At Rulhac's remarks, Gallahan frowned.
"Shouldn't we help Tia solve the situation?" Shannanet also approached and asked carefully.
"There has been a confrontation for several days already, Father."
"Is it really the confrontation between the Imperial family and Lombardy that you are worried about, Gallahan?"
Rulhac turned to Gallahan and asked.
"Why don't you tell me what you mean by that?"
"Then I won't beat around the bush." Gallahan opened his mouth with a heavy heart and continued.
"The Head of Lombardy is still father, not Tia. If the confrontation continues, it will only put more pressure on Tia."
"Gallahan is right, Father. It would be better to send a letter of protest to His Majesty." Shannanet said, also helping Gallahan.
However, Rulhac shook his head with a stern face.
"Father!"
"Father!"
Gallahan and Shannanet spoke at the same time, but Rulhac was undeterred.
"You're wrong. This is Tia's fight, Gallahan."
Then he stared at the Imperial Knights facing the mansion like a siege.
"Now, Jovanes is trying to overpower Tia before she becomes the Head. He's trying to tame her."
Rulhac wanted to intervene right away, but he endured it again and again.
"Tia must go through more than this in the future."
"However..."
"How can she lead Lombardy in the future if she can barely beat a foolish Emperor like Jovanes?" Rulhac said so, concealing his concern.
Nevertheless, after an inevitable sigh, he mumbled to himself.
"Tia has to overcome this on her own."
***
Several days have passed since the Imperial and Lombardy Knights began to confront each other in front of the mansion.
In the meantime, the Empress has literally devastated Pellet Company and Clerivan's mansion.
According to Bate, all the windows of the mansion were broken, the garden was messed up, and the items in the warehouse were all damaged, to the point that it could not be sold.
No matter how much she searched, she couldn't find what she wanted, so she was livid.
However, Lombardy remained silent with the mansion door closed.
And finally, the day of the meeting came.
"I will be back."
"Be careful, Tia." My father said anxiously.
"I will come home soon, so please wait for me. Let's have dinner together later, Dad." My words put a faint smile on my father's face.
"Let's go."
"Yes, Deputy Head."
A veteran coachman, who has been driving the carriage of the Head for several decades, replied with a meaningful expression.
The carriage started to move and gradually headed in front of the tightly closed iron gates.
I heard Lombardy's Knights opening the gates as they saw my carriage.
And, as expected.
"Excuse me for a moment."
Without waiting for my answer, the carriage door swung open.
"You're crazy." I said, staring at the Empress's henchman, Ethan Klaus.
"These bastards are really..!"
Behind the scenes, I heard Lombardy Knights bursting in anger.
However, I told them not to intervene, so there was no fight occuring.
Instead, I spoke to Ethan Klaus.
"Opening the carriage of the Head of Lombardy, I guess there's nothing you fear now, Sir Klaus."
Hearing my spiteful remarks, Klaus frowned slightly.
It seemed to hurt his pride to hear this from me, who is a young lady.
But the status is more important than age.
What are you going to do now?
As I coldly glared at him, Ethan Klaus checked inside the carriage without answering.
"Clerivan Pellet is not in this carriage, you can tell without looking at it like that."
"...It's an imperial order to check every carriage coming out of Lombardy."
"It must be the order of the Empress." I laughed with one corner of my mouth raised.
"Did the Empress tell you to stop Clerivan Pellet from leaving the mansion?"
When the order of the Empress came out of my mouth, the atmosphere around Ethan Klaus became fierce.
But I'm not going to be discouraged by such a thing.
I said, looking more confidently at Ethan Klaus' gray eyes.
"Who are you to dare stand in my way, the Deputy Head of Lombardy?"
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February 01, 2022
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