"I'd rather not say anything to Duke Proud."
That was Russell's conclusion.
Wells examined Russell with a slightly bewildered expression, as if he'd received an unexpected answer.
"No? Why not? Even if he is a bit of an arbitrary person, Elliot's heart for the Tristan Empire is more sincere than anyone else's."
[TL/N: Arbitrary - whimsical.]
"I know that. But Wells, have you thought of the assumption that if Elliot Proud knew everything?"
"What?"
"What if he'd known prior to this that Rose Honeywell is the vessel of Abaddon's soul?"
Wells' mouth snapped shut audibly. He knew what Russell hinted at.
Wells' dark red eyes displayed his inner confusion. He didn't want to believe what that would mean for his sister.
"Your Majesty, then what should Rose do?"
"Our goals have not changed. Elliot Proud and Rose Honeywell won't get engaged. However, we just need to bring that time forward to avoid any unexpected plotting."
Wells rested his elbows on his knees and buried his face in his palms.
He was scared.
I'm afraid that Rose will continue to get involved with Elliot, and eventually the soul that sleeps within her heart will fully awaken.
Wells thought to himself about building terror.
Would Elliot end up giving up if Rose had another man?
No, my Rose is not the kind of woman who'd break off an engagement for that reason.
I'd rather have a man who can take care of protecting Rose... A position higher than that of a duke...
Wells' train of thought paused as he raised his head as if possessed.
It was none other than Russell, his lord, and the emperor of Tristan.
If I'd rather make Rose the empress... If His Majesty would follow Rose and keep her by his side... Rose, who'd be under His Majesty's protection... Elliot wouldn't be able to carry out his plans...
Wells opened his mouth to speak when he suddenly came to his senses and closed it again.
Wells Honeywell! What were you thinking?!
He was avoiding the Proud family for fear that the monster's soul would be released.
Does the situation change if my Rose gets closer to the Imperial family?
Wells suppressed the urge to cry.
...Should I leave Tristan with Rose? Alone in a place where no one knows Rose?
Wells was sincere. He would have packed up immediately and left with Rose, where there was no sign of the monster or any chance of it hurting her.
But he couldn't put it into practice.
He couldn't just leave the Tristan Empire with Rose because the Honeywell family was just as important to him as Rose was.
As a loyalist to Tristan, he was in a position where he could not throw away the duties of the Duke of Honeywell.
"Wells, go back to the manor. Go and look after Lady Rose at the manor for the time being. Don't come to work in the Imperial Palace. If there is work, I will order knights and attendants to send you to the manor."
"As you command, Your Majesty. By the way, was the kidnapper escorted to the capital? I want to see the face of the one who dared to harm my beloved sister."
Wells was ready to rush to the dungeon of the Imperial Palace, but Russell stopped him.
"He doesn't exist anymore. I can't bring you to him."
"What? What kind of crap is that?! Did the kidnappers even get away from the mighty emperor of the Tristan Empire?! Even so, aren't there knights who can catch him? There was even Elliot Proud trailing behind!"
"Ha. Actually, I stopped the kidnapper's breath. I was going to bring the corpse to the capital, but it seems that Duke Proud disposed of that corpse well before I could bring up the suggestion."
Wells was taken aback and speechless.
It was a principle taught to the knights and law enforcement that crimes committed by the people of the Tristan Empire should be escorted to the capital and then punished.
There was no way that Elliot didn't know this, but the culprit's body... That's how they dispose of the corpse of Rose Honeywell's kidnapper.
Russell touched his forehead and muttered.
"There was a cliff in front of where we found Rose, and Duke Proud seemed to have pushed it down there. I don't know if the corpse will survive intact because it's quite high... but I sent the Imperial Knights separately and told them to check the identities of the corpse and all those involved, so after a few days, we should be able to find out who the real culprit is."
"..."
"So Wells, go back for now. You must be very tired of worrying about Lady Rose."
"Yes. As you command."
After replying in a somber voice, Wells stood up.
Russell watched Wells' back as he left the bedroom, only to look away when the door closed.
He put his arms on the back of the couch and threw his head back.
"Elliot must have seen it in that cave."
Russell remembered Elliot's reaction.
A man who obtained the title of duke and the position of commander-in-chief overseeing the Imperial Knights as soon as he reached adulthood.
He was more loyal to the Imperial family than anyone else.
"Since he had it all from the start, he didn't seem to have any greed for power---no. Did you want me to believe that you didn't?"
Russell crossed his arms, his long fingers tapping his forearm.
"...I'm sure, but there's no evidence. Elliot Proud, you won't win if you know nothing."
After seizing his muttering, Russell immediately called the knight waiting outside.
After giving him a brief command, the knight immediately left Russell's bedroom.
The emperor walked over to his personal desk and picked up the desk calendar.
Spring is slowly coming.
His lips parted as he flipped through the calendar, page by page.
"Elliot. If, indeed, you are planning to unseal Abaddon... You will have to give up both your life and your place once I'm through with you."
Honeywell Manor remained the same.
Well, on the outside, that is.
Although Wells had indeed taken some knights with him to rescue Rose, there weren't many of them.
Because of this, few people knew about Rose Honeywell's abduction, even within the manor.
Ilya, who had skipped dinner on the excuse of being tired and was lying in bed, heard the voices of servants coming from the door and outside the window.
It was when complete darkness came that Ilya, who had heard the sound without tossing and turning, got up.
The outside was quieter than before, and it seems that everyone has finished and headed to the staff quarters prepared in the manor.
After getting out of bed, her clothes were revealed to be the same ones she'd worn when she'd left the manor prior.
The hem of the skirt was crumpled here and there and looked ugly, but Ilya didn't care about its appearance and headed to the table.
She sat in the chair and stared at what was on the table.
Her gaze was nailed to the box that Elliot had prepared for Rose.
Normally, I should have given this to Rose right after returning from Proud Mansion.
By adding that she had purchased it directly for Rose at the plaza.
However, Ilya had no time to give it to Rose because the situation was unexpected.
"I knew Rose would really go out with Anne,and the culprit who kidnapped Rose must be Stanley Gardner."
Rose safely returned to Honeywell Manor. So what about Stanley Gardner?
Ilya had a way out of being found guilty, even if Stanley pointed to her as the person who gave Rose's location.
Everyone will believe her, even with her sloppily executed plan of evasion.
Her reason: because Stanley Gardner had already come to Honeywell Manor and threatened Rose.
I don't know what she was thinking, but Rose didn't tell Wells about Stanley's visit to the manor.
But Wells could not have been unaware.
Ilya wasn't the only one who knew about what happened between Stanley and Rose.
The butler and Anne, who cared for and loved Rose Honeywell, as well as the knights who expelled Stanley Gardner, were the ones who would inform Wells about Stanley Gardner's atrocities more than anyone else.
If Stanley Gardner hadn't done that, Ilya might have had to consider not pretending.
"Anyway, between Stanley Gardner and me, I am the one who is trusted by the Duke. If Stanley spills about me, you'll believe me when I say no, won't you uke Honeywell?"
Ilya's green eyes were locked in reminiscence.
The day before the hunting festival started, she went out to the plaza.
She was going to wrap a handkerchief for Stanley, but she didn't like all the colors of the ribbon she had.
It was supposed to be a matter of having a servant buy it, but Ilya left the manor herself.
And when she saw Stanley and Rose in the garden of the manor, where she returned after buying the ribbon.
Resembling Rose's eyes...
Stanley was standing with a less beautiful red bouquet of red roses that reminded her of Rose. His confession to Rose.
"It's true that I'm close with Lady Ilya, but that's all. I only want Lady Rose."
"Rose, I love you! If you want, I will sever my relationship with Young Lady Ilya."
When Stanley confesses his love for Rose, the first emotion felt by Ilya is sadness rather than anger.
To Ilya, who even imagined marrying that man and starting a family, Stanley Gardner's sincerity when confessing to Rose was truly a thunderbolt to her delicate heart.
I couldn't hear the conversation after that because I ran away from there.
She overheard the conversation between the butler and Anne, only to learn that Stanley Gardner had been kicked out.
"You are loved by everyone because of the Honeywell name and because you are beautiful. Do you know Rose? Unbeknownst to you, at the tea parties of the wives, the talk and interest in Honeywell's Rose is endless."
Ilya raised one corner of her mouth and let out a sneer.
"Duke Proud doesn't have to love me, Rose. I have to take the Duchess's position from you no matter what."
Ilya stood up and picked up the box Elliot had prepared.
Checking the clock, it was time for Rose to go to bed.
Ilya was about to turn around while holding the box, but stopped walking and looked down at it.
After standing and staring at it for a while, she sat down once more.
The baron's daughter placed the box on her lap, and with a little hesitation, she began to untie the box's carefully tied ribbon.
Elliot said what was inside was a mirror.
In fact, there was a hand mirror neatly placed in the box.
The mirror was the size of a palm, and the rim and back had elaborate and detailed patterns engraved on them that were visible even at a glance.
It wasn't flashy because it didn't have jewels engraved in it, but for some reason, it was a mirror that gave off the feeling that it went very well with Rose.
Ilya picked it up and looked around.
"I wonder, what on earth is this mirror capable of that allows Elliot to recover what was stolen from the Honeywell family?"
Ilya looked here and there again, but she couldn't see anything special except that the work of the pattern was well done.
She put it back in the box.
"Nevermind, I have to get it to Rose before she goes to bed."
Ilya grabbed the lid of the box that had been put down next to her.
Before the lid completely covered the box, she noticed a slight glow in the mirror placed inside the box.
A candle was lit in the dark room, but the mirror in the box did not reflect it.
"It doesn't reflect light."
Putting the box back down, Ilya picked up the mirror again.
It wasn't a strong light, but the mirror was still reflecting it.
"This is not a reflection...!"
Ilya belatedly realized that the mirror wasn't reflecting the light of the room because it reflected light from within.
The light is coming from the mirror itself!
"Why are you doing this?"
She wiped the mirror with her sleeve, but the light didn't go away.
Ilya's gaze, which had been examining the back of the mirror and the handle, looked into the mirror for the last time.
A familiar face appeared in the mirror.
[TL/N: Her reflection.]
Ilya's head tilted slightly.
"Is it specially made by Elliot? Maybe light leaked into the box."
After checking the time, Ilya's gaze, which was about to move away, was drawn to the mirror.