Chapter 41: Chapter 40: A Poisonous Woman (5)

"Gahhhhhh!"

Mournful wails filled the Duke of Rizar’s mansion. It started from noon and now it was late at night. The icy aura emanating from him grew more horrifying as time passed.

“Ahhhhhh…I’ll talk…I’ll talk…have mercy!!” A man cried out wretchedly, his screams reverberating throughout the prisons.

After a few minutes of silence, the door to the prison opened.

Lucius walked out from behind the steel door and dried his bloodied hands with a towel. With blood splattered on his face, and with a grim expression, devil was too simple a word to describe his appearance.

The man he had Fie spare from death earlier told him everything he knew after a short round of torture.

They were approached by a hooded man who promised them riches in return for attacking two people. The man who had his features well hidden told them to kill Lucius and do whatever they wanted with the girl. They weren't informed that Lucius was a Noble, let alone the Duke.

How useless. He wasn't able to find out anything about the person who took her.

BANG!

Lucius slammed his hand against the table next to him as his Doctor and grandson treated him for the second time that day.

The loud noise reverberated throughout the entire hall of the Duke's residence. Lucius sat in the tall chair at the front with an icy expression, his rage boiling over. He resembled a violent blizzard, ready to freeze the entire world if necessary.

His anger created an atmosphere of intense pressure, enough to make the Knights in great hall feel like they were shrinking. They didn't dare lift their heads in fear of meeting his eyes.

But what everyone in the hall didn’t know was that Lucius wasn’t angry at them.

He was angry at himself.

To think he failed to protect her when she was standing right by his side.

"Useless! Eighteen hours! It's already been 18 hours!!" 

“Please calm yourself, Your Grace. We’ve already sealed the entrance of all gates and increased the guards. I’ve also sent forces to scour the area ahead. Even if they’ve reached the border, it’ll take them two days. The soldiers there have already been notified.” Raya said with great concern for the Duke’s wellbeing.

Lucius probably hadn’t realized it at all, but his eyes were starting to turn black. He was losing control of his emotions.

The door to the hall opened, and Sia, the Vice-Captain was dragging a battered person with him while whistling. The blood left a trail as he dragged the person to the front of the hall.

“Siathrich!! How could you bring this mess in the great hall?!” Raya reprimanded the Vice-Captain.

Sia pouted. “~But, this man kept saying something strange…Don't get angry!” Sia pulled the man over. He squatted next to him and put a hand on his jaw to force him to open his mouth. “Now, go ahead and tell Lus what you said earlier.”

Raya put his hand on his forehead. Didn’t he warn him before not to call the Duke with that childish nickname? He’ll have to remember to punish him later.

Feeling Raya’s sharp gaze on him, Sia froze. “Errr, ah, ah. I mean, uhh, tell His Grace the truth and confess your sins!”

“Ack…ow…Y-y-y-your H-h-ignhness…Your High…ness! It…it wasn’t me…I-I d-don’t k-k-now a-anything!!” The man trembled in fright as he struggled to get his words out.

When he felt multiple stares on him filled with killing intent, the man lowered his voice and repeated himself. "I-I don't...know k-know anything."

“Hmm?” Halon leaned forward to get a better look at the beaten man. “Isn’t this the Guard Captain at the West gate?”

Cain also tried to get a better look. “Now that you mention it, you’re right.”

“I couldn’t tell before because of his swollen face, but that’s him,” Lyle confirmed. “Why’d you bring him here Sia?”

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Sia laughed happily, as if he was enjoying the first picnic of spring. “You see, this man is one of Duke Blaise’s people!” The Vice-Captain raised his head in pride.

The man was horrified as the Knight revealed this. Just how exactly was he found out?! The man struggled to his knees and prostrated himself before the Duke. “Y-your Highness, I-I was f-forced out of the Blaise dukedom and took refuge here! I don’t know...I don’t know anything else!” The man burst out, believing if he just continued to say that over and over again, he’d be fine.

“Ah?” Sia smile turned downwards. “If so, then why’d you let Duke Blaise’s Shadow Knight escape with our princess?”

The Guard Captain shivered in fright. “H-h-h-ow…?”

“Obviously…because I’m awesome!” Sia said haughtily.

“……” Raya.

“……” Cain.

“……” Lyle.

“Enough,” Lucius called out annoyed.

“Bring him below to the prison and interrogate him. Since we've confirmed the direction they left the City, this Lord will go and personally retrieve her.” Lucius stood up, ignoring the sharp pain in his shoulder. They didn’t call a Priest over because a healing rune would be no use for it.

His Doctor, Jarvik Kenward, blocked the Duke's path.

“Are you insane?!” The old Doctor yelled. “You’re barely able to hold back the poison with your mana. It’ll take you at least a week until you’re able to fully purge the poison from your system. And during that time you’ll eventually lose control. If you want to die, then go ahead and die on some random road! Don't drag my name down with you!"

Jarvik was actually someone from the Argyros Dukedom. His Master was the owner of the medicine tower, that provided the necessary resources and knowledge to nurture Doctors. He was taught how to recognize and treat different illnesses through the use of herbs and acupuncture. 

Thanks to his Master, his name 'Jarvik Kenward' became renowned throughout the Epheria Empire.

Not as a Noble. But as a Doctor.

When his Master died however, he decided to travel around the world. He even settled down for a while at the Imperial City, becoming the Royal Doctor for the Imperial Family and the previous Emperor. But, he soon became bored and ran away. The Emperor's retainers begged him to execute Jarvick and his family for treason, but the Emperor just laughed it off, saying he made a deal to let him leave when he wanted to.

Jarvick came to fall in love with a woman in the Rizar Dukedom and she gave birth to their 1st son, resulting in her death. When he found it difficult to raise his son on his own, he took a job offer to become the Rizar family's personal doctor.

After his son grew up and married, Jarvik returned to the Argyros Dukedom only to soon receive word that they both passed away in an accident, leaving their three years old son, Vale Kenward, alone. He thought about taking his grandson back with him to the Argyros Dukedom but the kid refused. He didn't want to leave the house he grew up in with his parents.

It was the same Doctor who watched over Aurora's health after she first appeared in the mansion. With white hair and gray eyes, many in the mansion just called him 'Old Doc' without knowing that he was actually someone who once cared for the previous Emperor.

“You've always been so sensible, so why are you being reckless right now?" Jarvik shook his head back and forth. "Nope, I won’t allow this. I owe your father for taking me and my grandson in, so I'm responsible for your life! No, no. Just send those guys over there to bring her back.” He waved his hand at the Knights.

“I’m the only one who can sense her.”

Lucius took a deep breath. Now that he calmed himself, he indeed felt that his behavior towards her being kidnapped was excessive. This was nothing like him at all.

Lucius thought back to the letter he received from Dorsen.

If the Rune Mage was right, then the connection between him and Aurora was very dangerous.

She is...his poison.

"I'm leaving. Now."

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