Stepmothers Are Not Always Evil

Chapter 86 It was midnight when everyone was asleep when Count Turner’s carriage storage door opened.Hiding in pitch-black darkness, Harriet Tuffman easily escaped the guards guarding the back door and entered the carriage storage.An old, small carriage was parked in the wagon storage.He pulled out a serrated knife and crawled under the carriage.Then, without hesitation, he began to cut the carriage axle that connected the wheels. Sawdust fell with a rattling sound.The axle, which had been cut in half or more, could not bear the weight of the carriage and landed.Harriet patted the broken shaft with a clenched fist and smiled wickedly.At this rate, the carriage will break on Count Turner’s way tomorrow.If you’re unlucky, you’ll get seriously injured, and it doesn’t matter if you’re lucky and unharmed.The real purpose was to amplify the anxiety of the nobles in favor of the Count of Turner’s ouster, and for the Duke of Eton.Harriet got up after affixing a blood stamp to the bottom of the carriage.The moment he was about to leave the carriage storage, thinking that he would hear some interesting news in a day or so.“Bark!”There was the sound of a dog barking very close.“Shit.”Two large hounds were charging furiously at him.Panicked, Harriet cursed and put his hands to his sides. But all he could find in his hand was a saw knife.“It’s an intruder!”To make matters worse, the guards, who noticed the intruder’s appearance, ran with torches.Harriet hurriedly turned and ran in the opposite direction. But he was long incapable of outrunning well-trained dogs.“… Ugh!”Sharp fangs lodged in his legs. Just as he struck down the saw knife he was holding at the dog that bit the calf, another dog ran at him.Barely turning to avoid the dog, he kicked the dog in the side that was biting his leg.Bark! The dog screamed and ran away. Blood gushed through the torn clothes.Harriet, swinging his saw knife after the remaining dog, limped away from the guards.“Divide into three groups and search thoroughly! He hurt his leg, so he won’t be able to go far!”A threatening voice rang in his ears. Judging from the coordinated movements, it was clear that they were not mercenaries or security forces.‘Damn it.’Harriet sensed that they were Duke Anthemion’s soldiers and got up without a sound.Since it is only a matter of time before being caught by a dog, he had to find a way to escape somehow.With every step he took, blood smeared on the floor. Only then is it the same as telling the exact route of the escape.Just as expected.“Captain, there’s blood on this side!”With the bloodstains and even the dog, there was no place to run away any longer. When he died, he thought that he should take one of them even if he died, so he fixed the saw knife.Then, a horse ran from the opposite direction.“Come on! hurry!”A man on a horse reached out to him.Harriet, recognizing the face dimly revealed in the darkness, took the man’s hand and climbed onto the horse.“Go!”The man whipped the running horse. The horse carrying the two outrun the guards at a frightening speed.After running for a while, the man, who confirmed that there were no more guards, finally slowed down and asked.“Are you okay?”“… I’m fine. Marquis Melks.” ***** “There’s intruder at Count Turner’s house last night.”“Intruder?”Helios, who was reviewing the documents at Dustin’s report, raised his head.“He cut the axle of the carriage and put this on.”Dustin held out a blood note. It was a blood book I had seen before.It’s Harriet Tuffman.Helios clicked his tongue.“So, did they catch him?”“He was badly bitten by a dog and ran away.”“Run away? Were there any accomplices?”Helios frowned and asked.“I don’t know if he was an accomplice, but the guards say that someone with a horse appeared and took him away.”“They couldn’t go very far, so look carefully. Check with the doctors in the capital to see if they have ever treated a person with a dog bite.”“Yes.”Dustin nodded deeply and listened. Helios, who had been waiting for the word to leave, tilted his head.“Is there anything else to report?”“It seems that Marquis Melks entered the palace four days ago.”“Marquis Melks?”Helios remembered the carriage he had seen a few days ago.That was the Marquis’ carriage.“For what?”“I don’t know for sure, but I heard that he has seen Her Majesty the Empress.”“Her Majesty the Empress?”Dustin added as he frowned at the unfamiliar feeling.“I think the Duke of Eaton… No, I think he may have met Anthony Warland Eaton.”“…….”Helios guessed, too.Marquis Melks already had a history of trying to trap Helios by using the Empress.It is unknown whether he was ordered by the Duke of Eaton or intended to take advantage of her, but it is certain that he was trying to acquire the Empress by selling Anthony Eaton’s name.And the plan probably failed.‘If you weigh her brother who is imprisoned and her son who will become Emperor, the answer is obvious.’Helios opened his mouth with an indifferent face.“Keep an eye on the Marquis Melks, and add a few more guards to the Count Turner.”“All right.”At the same time as Dustin’s answer, a knock on the door was heard.“Helios, can I come in for a second?”“Lena? Come on in.”As soon as Helios gave his consent, the door opened.“Helios, Madeleine— Oh my.”Lena entered, carrying a tray, and her eyes widened when she spotted Dustin standing in front of the desk.Dustin gave her a quick bow and headed for the door.“I’ll take my leave, Your Excellency.”“Yes.”Tak, Lenia put on an embarrassed expression as Dustin closed the door and left.“Did I disturb you?”“No. We’re done here. What’s that?”Helios pointed to the plate, and Lenia smiled.“I made it for Escal, but you should try it too.”Lenia said, putting Madeleine in Helios’ mouth.“I saw it at the Grand Duchess’s country house, and I baked it because Escal eats Madeleine so well. How was it?”“Tasty.”“Really?”“Yes”Helios picked up another madeleine, Lenia watching him, asked cautiously.“I heard something happened to Count Turner estate last night?”“Rumor travels fast.”“I heard it from the kitchen maid who went out to get the groceries. What happened?”“I think it’s him. The Duke of Eaton’s dog.”“Again?”Lenia raised her voice. Helios nodded his head and pointed to the blood on the desk.It was the same blood that the Countess Turner had shown.“Did they catch him?”“They’re chasing him right now. He was bitten by a dog, so he wouldn’t have gone far.”Helios responded in a light tone.“Don’t worry. No matter how dangerous he is, what would he do alone?”“But be careful.”“Yes.” ***** “Even if it hurts, be patient.”“Ugh…”The smell of burning flesh vibrated. Harriet Tuffman bit the thick piece of cloth and managed to swallow the scream.The Marquis de Melques’s servant bandaged the wound, which bore the distinct marks of a dog’s teeth.When he was finished, Harriet sat up, sweating profusely.“Are you all right?”“Yes.”“I didn’t call a doctor because I thought you would be discovered if I called the doctor, so please understand.”“It’s okay.”He shook his head venomously, as if he didn’t care, even though he was bleeding profusely and had a gash in his throat that would have knocked out any normal person.‘The Duke of Eton’s words are true.’Marquis Melkes said with satisfaction.What are you going to do now?”“…….”“Are you going to keep running around making childish retaliations like this?”“I must take revenge on the Duke.”How can you do that on your own?”Marquis Melks shook his head and held out his hand with the signet ring.“I’ll help you, so you better follow me.”“… This ring?”“This is the seal the Duke of Eaton gave me. He told me to meet you and relieve his injustice.”“Your Excellency….”A flush of desperation came over Harriet’s face. The Marquis of Melkes patted him on the shoulder.“I’ll help you.”“What do you want, Marquis?”Harriet’s eyes sharpened, knowing that Marquis Melks wasn’t the kind of person who would jump into a gamble with nothing to gain.Marquis raised one of his lips.“I’m hunting the same prey as you.”“… Duke Anthemion.”“That’s right. My goal is to exact the same revenge on the bastards who made my daughter like that.”“He is not an easy opponent.”“That’s why we should join hands.”Harriet sucked in a deep breath at the Marquis of Melks’ words.“Isn’t it a good deal if you kill the Duke of Anthemion to avenge the Duke of Eaton, and I take Escal and the Dukedom of Anthemion?”“Are you going to keep the Duke of Anthemion’s son alive?”Marquis Melks nodded slowly.“If you want to occupy the Duke of Anthemion, you must have him.”“……”“I intend to keep him alive until the estate is settled.”“I see, just tell me what I need to do.”