Chapter 7
Uh-oh.
I swallowed and glanced between the Duke and the knights.
"I'll explain, Father," I said carefully, trying to keep my voice calm despite the tension in the air.
"Go inside and change." He said firmly.
His voice was calm, but there was an unmistakable authority behind it.
I blinked.
"But-" he cut me off before I could finish.
"Now," he said quietly.
His voice was almost gentle, but somehow that made it even more intimidating.
I let out a small sigh.
Arguing with him right now probably wasn't a good idea.
"Fine." I muttered lowering my gaze.
I turned toward the entrance.
I had barely taken a step when Father's voice stopped me.
"You three," he said coldly.
I stopped and looked back.
The three knights immediately straightened.
"Follow me to my office" He ordered, his voice low and stern.
The knights exchanged nervous glances.
"Yes, Your Grace." They replied almost in unison, their voices noticeably tense.
I turned and walked toward the main building without another word.
The knights hurried after the Duke, their footsteps echoing across the entrance hall.
I watched them disappear inside.
They looked like they would rather face a hundred monsters than follow the Duke to his office.
I felt sorry for them.
As I stepped into the manor, the servants nearby immediately fell silent.
A few exchanged uneasy glances before whispering among themselves.
"What happened to Lady Rishima?" one of them whispered, staring at the blood staining my hands.
"There's blood all over her!" another maid exclaimed, her voice trembling with fear.
"Do you think she killed someone?"
"Who knows what she did this time?"
"I knew it. She hasn't changed at all."
Their whispers grew louder as more servants gathered, their eyes fixed on me.
I could hear every word.
They weren't even trying to hide their suspicion.
I couldn't really blame them, though. With blood on my hands and my dress torn and stained, I probably looked like I had just walked out of a battlefield.
Still, hearing them assume the worst made me sigh inwardly.
If this was how easily they believed I could kill someone, then the original Rishima's reputation was far worse than I had imagined.
I was starting to lose hope of ever convincing these people that I wasn't the person they thought I was.
"My lady!" Martha's voice cut through the whispers.
She came running toward me, her eyes widening the moment she saw my state.
"What happened to-"
She stopped herself.
"No, wait. Let's get you washed up first," she said, her expression filled with worry.
I couldn't help but smile.
At least Martha didn't look at me like I was some kind of monster.
"Come, my lady," Martha said gently. "You must be exhausted."
I nodded and followed her upstairs.
As we walked, I could still hear the servants whispering behind us, but I chose to ignore them.
Once we reached my room, Martha opened the door and stepped aside for me.
"I'll have the bath prepared immediately," she said calmly.
"Thank you, Martha," I said with a grateful smile.
"Of course, my lady. I'll have everything ready as quickly as I can."
Martha quickly turned and hurried out of the room to prepare the bath.
I glanced down at my hands.
The blood had already begun to dry against my skin.
I really did look like I had killed someone.
A short while later, Martha returned with two maids carrying buckets of warm water.
They quickly prepared the bath before leaving the room, giving me some privacy.
I slowly lowered myself into the warm water and let out a quiet sigh.
The warmth immediately soothed my aching muscles.
I leaned back against the edge of the tub and closed my eyes.
Finally, some peace and quiet.
After everything that had happened today, I desperately needed it.
My thoughts briefly drifted to the servants downstairs.
Their frightened expressions and whispered accusations still lingered in my mind.
I sighed.
Apparently, getting covered in blood wasn't exactly helping my reputation.
Maybe I shouldn't have taken off that cloak.
If I had kept it on, at least I wouldn't have walked into the manor looking like I had just murdered someone.
I shook my head at myself.
Too late now.
Meanwhile, in the Duke's office...
The three knights stood in a rigid line before the Duke's desk.
None of them dared to speak.
Duke Theon sat behind his desk, his fingers resting against the armrest as he stared at them in silence.
The silence was becoming unbearable.
Finally, one of the knights swallowed hard.
"Your Grace..."
The Duke's gaze shifted toward him.
"Speak."
The single word made the knight straighten immediately.
"A-after leaving the temple, Lady Rishima stopped at the market for a while. She later wandered off into a secluded part of the market, so we followed her there. T-that area is known to have quite a few thieves, Y-your Grace," the knight explained nervously.
The Duke's expression darkened.
"We soon encountered two thieves who attempted to attack Lady Rishima," the knight continued cautiously. "I cut off one of the thieves' arms before he could reach her," he reported.
"I was about to finish the thief off when Lady Rishima suddenly stopped me," the knight continued, glancing briefly at the other knights.
"She then knelt beside the injured thief and began treating his severed arm," he added, still sounding bewildered.
The Duke's eyes widened in disbelief, as though he couldn't believe what he had just heard.
"Tell me everything!" he ordered. "Don't leave out a single detail."
The knight immediately nodded.
"Lady Rishima didn't hesitate, Your Grace," he began. "She tore strips from her dress and pressed them firmly against the wound."
He paused, remembering the scene.
"It's like she knew exactly what to do, handling the wound with such confidence as though she had done it countless times before," the knight said.
The knight glanced at the other knights.
"We were all caught off guard by what she did," another knight added. "None of us had ever seen Lady Rishima behave like that before," he said, his voice filled with disbelief.
The knights continued to report everything that had happened at the market, recounting each detail as carefully as they could.
The Duke listened in silence, allowing them to finish without interrupting.
Once they had finished, Duke Theon leaned back in his chair.
"You may leave."
The knights immediately bowed.
"Yes, Your Grace."
They turned and hurried out of the office, closing the door quietly behind them.
Silence settled over the room once more.
Rishima had always been impulsive.
Proud.
And, according to everyone who knew her, cruel.
She had never been the type to care much about others, let alone strangers.
But what the knights had described today didn't fit that image.
The Duke's fingers tapped lightly against the armrest.
"Something's off," he murmured, his brows drawing together.
This wasn't the daughter he knew, he thought.
Before he could dwell on the thought any further, a knock sounded at the door.
"Come in," the Duke said.
The door opened, and a familiar figure stepped inside.
It was Yohan, the Duke's personal aide.
He had long, light-blue hair and wore a pair of eyeglasses. He walked into the office with an easy smile, looking far too relaxed for someone who had just returned to work.
"Your Grace," he greeted, bowing slightly.
"I need you to investigate something," Theon said. "Look into ancient or forbidden magic concerning soul transfer magic."
Yohan's smile slowly disappeared, his expression turning into a frown.
"That's not exactly the greeting I was hoping for after returning from vacation," he said, his lips forming a small pout.
The Duke gave him a death stare.
Yohan quietly adjusted his eyeglasses and straightened, his playful expression fading as he became serious.
"So, what is this about?" Yohan asked.
The Duke's expression grew serious.
"It's Rishima. She's been acting weird these past few days," he said, pressing his fingers against his temple.
"Aha! So the rumors are indeed true," Yohan exclaimed, his eyes widening with interest.
"That's really..." Yohan said slowly, then rested his cheek against his hand, thinking for a moment. "Concerning." His expression turned serious. "I wonder what could have caused the change. I'll investigate right away."
Yohan gave a small bow before turning toward the door.
Once the door closed behind him, the Duke leaned back in his chair, his gaze fixed on the empty space before him.
There was only the slightest chance that his suspicion was true.
Perhaps Rishima was still the daughter he knew, and her strange behavior was nothing more than a sudden change in temperament.
But if he was right...
The Duke's expression darkened.
"What should I do if it turns out my suspicion is right?" he murmured.
He shook his head, refusing to entertain the thought any further.
"I hope I'm wrong..."
.
.
.