I Don’t Want to Be a Lady

“Yabai and Nuar aren’t found yet!”

At Krow’s angry shout, the knights fixed their eyes on the floor and kept their mouths shut.

“Useless things…”

In times like this, there’s no one better than his hound… At that moment, he wondered if he had been sent to an assassination squad for no reason.

“Master, I will come to report.”

No one noticed the hound that had suddenly appeared and was kneeling in the middle of the study. Even Duke Krow, who was just thinking of him.

“You’re back.”

Duke Krow was so happy that he got up from his chair, ran over to him, grabbed his arm, and rejoiced. “What happened?”

“As you ordered, we have dealt with both Duke Kaien and Baroness Devit.”

“Good job!”

It was like rain in a dry situation. How concerned he was to praise his hound for the first time in 20 years.

“What about the other knights?”

When asked because the knights he sent with him were nowhere to be found, Jon calmly lied. “On the way back, we were discovered by the Kelteman Empire’s Army. I couldn’t save them.”

Duke Krow shook his head when he said he was sorry that he couldn’t save the knights. “No need to worry. I’ve achieved my goal.”

Their life and death didn’t matter anyway. Even if they all die, it’s enough as long as his goal is achieved.

At his words, a moment of eerie anticipation flashed across the eyes of the knights who were standing silently. Still, there was no room or reason to pay attention to the knights.

“Come find Yabai and Nuar right now. They must be found.”

The hound had no time to rest. The hound was only a consumable item for the greedy and cruel owner.

Jon stood up without a word. He also achieved his own purpose. Now Duke Krow, who thought he had removed those who were in his way, would be free to go wild. All the remains lead Duke Krow to destruction.

And that place is right in front of the guillotine.

Jon’s cold, sunken face was reflected in the clear glass window.

* * *

“It might be difficult to stay here because it’s too small. We need to find a separate place to stay.”

“…”

Dale’s mouth shut tight. He wanted to refute Arianne, who said that his house was small, but there was really no place to sit in his house. Even if they brought in desk chairs to the two-person dining table, that would make it just three seats. The maximum capacity of this house was three people.

Excluding Viscount Girol, who was secretly handed over to the imperial investigation team not long ago, there were four people in there: Arianne, Charter, Dale, and Madrenne. Arianne couldn’t live without Madrenne, but she couldn’t kick out the owner of the house.

“To the duke’s villa…”

It was lucky to think that Charter didn’t want to stay here either.

“Shouldn’t we go somewhere no one knows?”

Even though the duke’s villa was empty, servants always maintained it, so there was a high probability that someone would notice them. Now that they’re officially dead, it would be difficult for anyone to notice them.

“That’s correct.”

Charter, who agreed, narrowed his brows and pondered.

Usually, nobles had at least one hideout of their own that no one knew about. Still, Charter, which was far from being an escape or diversion, had no place that could be called his own hideout. No matter how much he thought about it, he couldn’t think of a place that would completely avoid other people’s attention.

“First of all, I have to go to my building as soon as possible. For everything I need, I can just order Madrenne.”

“

Lady, you’re not talking about the building that’s collapsing, right?”

After a tearful reunion with Arianne, Madrenne’s eyes were so swollen that she cried out and mumbled a complaint.

“There’s nothing but there.”

At Arianne’s words, Madrenne, with a hint of spark in her eyes as if recalling something, said, “Let’s go to Bein’s house instead. It would be safer there.” She spoke with a glimmer of hope.

“The children will be in danger. So, we can’t.”

In the end, it was decided to build a hideout in Arianne’s collapsing building.

As she stepped on the stairs to the second floor, she heard a creaking sound.

“It seems even older in the meantime.”

“That’s why let’s go to Bein’s house,” Madrenne replied to Arianne’s mumblings.

“What the? You’re still here? What are you doing without buying what we need right away?”

Arianne paid no attention to Madrenne’s efforts to make her feel comfortable, and Madrenne gave her a half-rotten smile.

Madrenne repeated this as she consoled herself.

“…I’ll be back.”

An indifferent word stuck in the back of Madrenne’s head, who was trying to pull herself together and turn the rusty door handle.

“Madrenne! You must get it by yourself without any help. You know that, don’t you?”

The old door handle swung as if it might break.

The reward for all the years of caring for that foul-tempered lady was just around the corner. Since Grand Duke Federut had negotiated with the emperor and left for the border, it was almost certain that her lady would inherit the title. Since persuading other nobles and revising laws was the emperor’s job, she only had to please her young lady until then.

Her judgment was quick, and her acceptance was even quicker.

Madrenne spoke warmly with a bright smile on her face. “On the way… I will also bring Lady the macaroons you like.”

“What is it? Why are you so kind that I didn’t ask you to do it?”

“Oh my~ Are you complaining that there’s a maid like me who serves her master with all her heart? I’ll come back in a hurry!”

As Arianne looked at her suspiciously, Madrenne was afraid that she would find out what she was doing or what she was thinking, so she hurriedly left the building. She leaves, leaving Arianne and Charter alone.

“Um, would you like to take a look while Madrenne is away?”

At Arianne’s words, Charter turned from looking at the spider web fluttering in the wind to looking inside the building.

“…It’s cozy.”

It was the first empty talk of his life. To be honest, it was rather dreary than cozy, but since it was her building, he couldn’t be honest. No, the low ceiling and small room size seemed cozy when he looked at it again.

Arianne couldn’t blame him for this change of self-hypnotizing thought. The values of any object change depending on the owner.

“It’s a bit small, right? I bought it for investment anyway… But staying here will be okay if you’re in a hurry.”

She looked around, opened the wooden door opposite the entrance, and hastily covered her nose and mouth. That made her immediately change her words.

“

! I can’t do it here. Just go to Bein’s house—”

Then suddenly, a man came in, tearing down the front door. The moment Charter reflexively rushed towards him.

“Arianne!”

Arianne’s name came out of the man’s mouth with a furious and pitiful voice.

While Charter hesitated for a moment, he ran to Arianne and hugged her fiercely.

“You were alive… Alive…”

“

.”

Arianne gasped and tried to shake him off, but he let out a low sigh before she could. His body was shaking as if he couldn’t control his emotions.

It was after some time passed.

“…Navier.”

“…”

“Navier.”

“…”

“If you don’t let me go, you’ll die.”

Only then did Navier loosen the arm that had hugged Arianne.

“Why are you crying?”

“Because I’m glad.”

When she scolded Navier for crying, Navier rolled his eyes and smiled. He missed it so much. Arianne’s pouty face and grunting tone.

She acted bluntly, but the corners of her mouth turned up slightly. Arianne was secretly happy. For some reason, she was glad to see his smiling face even though he was being scolded. And the fact that there’s someone who sincerely welcomes her return alive.

Unlike the two, which had a fairly warm atmosphere, one person hardened.

“…”

Even if they’re cousins, a man is still a man. Charter was quite displeased that another man besides him was touching Arianne’s body. It was the moment Navier entered Charter’s guard zone.

“How did you know I was here?”

Charter had the same question. To avoid being discovered by anyone, they hid their face with a cloak and rode in a rental carriage, but where on earth did they get caught? If anything, things will get complicated if Duke Krow hears it…

“There’s nothing I don’t know about in this capital, Arianne.”

“What do you mean?”

“Literally. I can tell who went in and out of the capital, when and where they went and met, who and what they did.” Navier said in a languid voice.

“What nonsense are you talking about? Are you a god?”

“That could be the case in some ways. At least in the back alleys of this capital, I’m a god.”

Navier narcissistic remarks left Arianne speechless.

“I guess it was successful in the end.”

“What do you mean successful?”

Arianne turned her head at Charter’s words.

Navier stared at Charter with uncharacteristically sharp eyes.

“It sounds like you knew our plan.”

“There is nothing that happens around Arianne that I don’t know about.”

In fact, Charter knew everything Arianne had done secretly since she entered Kaien Duchy. Besides Dale, who was honest and sincere, he had subordinates who were capable in other ways. While Arianne was preoccupied with Dale, another subordinate looked after her.

It was something Charter had no choice but to do to protect her, as she was often kidnapped, but he was afraid of what the consequences would be if Arianne found out about it. So he instructed them to move in secret. He kept the secret escort until their wedding day, when she could legally be fully under the protection of his family. In addition, he completed the investigation of all the people around her, including her father, Count Bornes, and Baron Develun, including Navier Develun.

Navier sensed that he already knew what he was doing secretly.

It was difficult to be offended by this type of person. If he wanted to do things within this empire in the future, there’s no harm in showing off to those in power. And he’s also his sister’s husband.

“I’ve prepared a place for you to stay, so let’s talk as we go. I guarantee that it will be mutually beneficial.” Navier smiled with his eyes bent.