At Raphine's words, Adrian began to ponder deeply.

Then, Ruby spoke to Raphine.

「By the way, baby....」

'Yes?'

「What if Zerkan promises to get married and then really tries to do it later?」

'No.... It's a promise I made when I was young.... Can't I just pretend I didn't know that I was too young back then? Are you going to force me to marry you?'

「Hmm....」

'Am I more concerned about anything other than that?'

「What kind of case are you talking about?」

'If Zerkan, who promised to marry me, and later returned to the capital, said that he would marry Violet by contract...?'

Then everything will be in vain.

「I have to stop it somehow!」

'That's right...!'

You can't just let them get married!

Raphine laughed inwardly like a villain.

Even if Zerkan came out like that, Raphine had no intention of letting the two get married.

I will inevitably stop it.

'At that time, you have to hold on to the real crotch and hold on to keep your promise. After all, if it's a contract marriage, you can do it with me!'

Raphine felt that she was a little bit of a weakling villain, but she knew there was nothing she could do about it.

He was the part he had to bear for the peace of his family and empire.

* * *

Meanwhile, the Duke of Aston, who had been attached to the mansion for a while, headed to the dark shopping street in the downtown area of ​​the capital.

People called this place 'Orcus Street', meaning the underworld.

Unlike the bright shopping streets, this place had a dangerous atmosphere from the atmosphere of the building to the people passing by.

People used to be very careful not to let small children pass by here.

It was because all the people who came in and out of this place were doing dangerous things.

And a large building at the end of Orcus Street.

A shabby black sign on the first floor had the words 'Jaden's Weapon Shop' written on it.

However, this place looks like a weapon shop, but when you get to know it, it's a secret shop where you can buy and sell information.

Ordinary nobles only knew this far.

But furthermore, behind the information shop, there was an assassination guild called 'Black Mask'.

The upper part of the building starting from the second floor was the headquarters of the Assassination Guild.

Their main specialty is assassination and stealing information, a guild known only to high-ranking nobles with enormous fortunes.

Unlike the ordinary assassination guild, which kills anyone for money, the conditions here were very strict.

The clients were very dissatisfied because they only received the requests they wanted.

But the results were so clear.

In addition, the members' martial arts skills were excellent, and information was not leaked, so I was relieved.

Therefore, high-ranking aristocrats who were entangled in political or property issues often visited this place.

And the fact that the head of this dark guild was the Duke of Aston was a secret known only to the highest-ranking members of the guild.

Although he rarely visits the headquarters to keep secrets, the Duke of Aston personally walked here today.

It was because Viscount Beryl was here.

Viscount Beryl, who usually ignored other nobles because of his high nose, had a different appearance than usual.

His face was puffy, and the fabric that had been luxurious until this morning was a mess.

He was clenching his teeth and staring somewhere, as opposed to kneeling down on his knees very politely.

He was the Duke of Eston, seated in the chair right in front of him.

"I didn't know! Did I know that damn woman swapped her child out!"

"It doesn't matter why."

The Duke of Aston, who showed only a mild appearance at home, had a completely different appearance.

He treated Viscount Beryl with an expressionless expression and a low and low voice.

"You hit my daughter with that hand."

The Duke slowly rose from his chair and approached Viscount Beryl.

With a light chin, the men in black masks came out and grabbed Viscount Beryl's arm.

"Aww! no! Wrong, Wrong! I was wrong!"

Viscount Beryl, noticing what was to come next, made a move, but the Duke didn't care.

Dump!

The sound of his bones being distorted was strange.

The Duke of Aston's face, which had broken the bones of an adult male with light force, was still expressionless.

"And he kicked my daughter with that foot."

Masked men pushed Viscount Beryl down and fixed his feet.

Viscount Beryl, who was bitter at the pain of breaking his arm, struggled in fear that he might even break his leg.

"I didn't know she was your daughter! Damn it! I thought that damn bitch was my daughter, how could that be a sin!"

"Well...."

At Viscount Beryl's words, Duke Aston took a step back for a moment and smiled.

"That means... It sounds like you can treat your child like that."

"Okay! I'm going to beat my son, what does it matter to others! Whether I kill it or starve it, that's up to me! I didn't even know she was your child.... Aww!"

Whoops.

With a creepy sound, Viscount Beryl's ankle was broken.

"It's kind of dangerous to think like that."

The Duke of Aston mumbled calmly, beckoning Suha to hand over the documents.

Then, with a carefree expression, he began to read what was written on the paper.

Viscount Beryl, weeping in pain, soon began to laugh like a madman. Then he said

"Ouch. Flaw.... I won't let it go.... Whoops.... If I just go out...."

"...."

"The Duke of Aston is the head of the assassination guild...! Uh, I'll accuse you all.... This garbage...!"

"I'm sorry, but there seems to be a misunderstanding, Viscount Beryl."

The Duke of Aston stopped the papers he was handing over and smiled at him.

"Do you know what makes our assassination guild different from other assassination guilds?"

"... what it is."

"We only kill the bad guys. As you."

The Duke of Aston finally squatted down and threw the paper he was reading at Viscount Beryl's face.

"I know that? There are already five people who have asked to kill you. So why the slave trade? That is illegal."

At Duke Aston's words, Viscount Beryl's complexion turned to earthen in an instant. The peacock shrugged his shoulders.

"Besides, gambling debt? I even commissioned your younger brother. I ask you to kill me."

"No, that's absurd... !"

"What if I touch my brother's wife like that?"

"... !"

"I have to die, okay?"

The Duke of Aston gave a light chin. Viscount Beryl disappeared with his men.

He said so, but he didn't really mean to kill him.

'It's not worth it to kill it easily.'

The Duke of Eston pulled out his handkerchief and left the building, wiping his dirty hands.

And after that day.

Strange rumors circulated in the capital's social circles.

There were rumors that Viscount Beryl had been kidnapped and returned safely to the mansion.

However, it is said that he was in such a bad state that saying that he had returned safely is overshadowed.

Although there were no specific rumors....

For some reason, the Viscount said he could no longer speak or write, and that he had to rely on a wheelchair to carry on his daily life.

He even began to circulate rumors that he was insane and sexually crippled.

* * *

On the other hand, it was one morning, a few days after Zerkan had gone.

Raphine woke up alone in bed.

"...."

With a swollen face, Raphine looked around the bed.

No matter how you think about it, the bed was too big for a 6-year-old child to sleep alone.

But there was another reason why the bed was so big.

Until just yesterday morning, Raphine did not wake up alone in this bed.

It was because the Duke and Duchess came to Rafine's room with a pillow and fell asleep.

That's probably why Rafine's bed is so big.

'Still.... Finally, I was able to sleep alone yesterday.'

By the way....

Raphine looked around him with a dark expression.

'Where is Ruby?'

A baby teddy bear that I wear every day. Ruby was nowhere to be seen.

'You obviously left it in bed yesterday and slept together?'

Raphine called out to Ruby to herself.

But he didn't get an answer back from Ruby.

'Orphana!'

Raphine had no choice but to call out her name.

「Yes, master! The owner... The master has called me!」

'Be quiet! Where did Ruby go?'

Raphine got up from her bed and looked around her under the blanket. He was nowhere to be found.

「What kind of maid was taking you earlier?」

'Maid?'

「Yes. So the bearded guy called the owner anxiously, and the owner slept well. So I shouted out, don't wake me up! Did you do well?」

'... .'

Raphine left the room without answering.

He didn't even bother to reply because it wasn't worth answering.

「Master, it's too much....」

'Quiet!'

Reckless guy!

Raphine rebuked Orphana inwardly.

And as soon as he opened the door, he found Silane walking at the end of the hallway.

"Silane!"

"Oh my, lady. Are you awake? You woke up early. Be diligent."

"Bear.... Teddy bear, where did Ruby go?"

"Aah. Ruby? Are you surprised that there is no ruby?"

Silane smiled took Raphine's hand and headed somewhere.

Raphine, nervously, curled up his fist with his opposite hand and brought it to his lips.

'No way... . No way... !'

Sylane took Raffine to a sunny laundry.

And there....

She was dripping water, her wet ruby ​​hanging from her clothesline and drooping.

"... !"

It was so miserable that I couldn't even open my eyes to see.