[Luisen Anies has been imprisoned for impersonating a pilgrim!]
[The pilgrim from the rumors was the worst scoundrel in the Capital?]
The next morning, Luisen's na dominated the front pages of all the newspapers. The people of the capital, no matter who they were with, talked about Luisen all day.
"So Duke Anies was arrested after all, right? I thought he would go to jail at least once.
"The duchy isn't as strong as it used to be. The duke's in handcuffs and all."
So ridiculed how the duchy's power had fallen and Luisen's downfall. However, those people were a minority. In fact, most folks were just surprised.
"To think the pilgrim from the rumors was actually Duke Anies!"
"Then, Duke Anies defeated the thief, solved the plague, and saved so village from a monster? I didn't think he was like that, but he's a good person, I suppose."
"I knowI can't believe it. Duke Anies? Why wasn't he famous for being stupid and being unable to morize a single prayer? I guess that wasn't true."
Like that, the capital was surprised to learn that the capital's trash was actually the respected pilgrim.
anwhile, slowly but surely, Luisen's achievents in the duchy began to receive attention once again. Surrendering to Carlton and preventing significant casualties in the duchy during the civil war, discovering new crops, anticipating the locust swarm, and more. While rumors had spread throughout the kingdom through the mouths of traders and rcenaries traveling to the southern regions, nobody had taken them seriously.
People dismissed these rumors as desperate propaganda from the duchy, trying to regain the lost honor of Luisen who had, at that point, reached rock bottom. However, if it was true that Luisen had acted as the pilgrim, the prevailing opinion was that the good deeds done in the duchy must also be true.
Of course, there were suspicions that the pilgrim's good deeds were fabricated. However, thanks to the testimonies of those that Luisen had savedsuch as the folks who survived the boat plague or those who survived Viscount Boton's manorthose doubts were alleviated.
Amidst such heated interest and speculation, Luisen spent three days trapped in the church.
The young lord lay on a straw cot in the corner of his cell, exhausted after several rounds of interrogation.
I'm sure the deputy chancellor is doing alright, right?'
Of course he's doing well. He's a trusty retainer.
Luisen expected to be held for a long while; the church was incredibly prudent and slow. The investigation alone could take over a month. Anticipating complications with his escape, Luisen had given deputy chancellor instructions on what needed to be done before the trial.
Of course, he didn't intend to be docilely imprisoned for more than a month. He couldn't waste precious ti sitting in jail. The cri of impersonating a pilgrim was heavy, but he had also thought of a way to pass this trial easily. If there wasn't the danger of being imprisoned and punished, he wouldn't have gone with this plan.
Will I be able to leave tomorrow?' Luisen thought absentmindedly when, suddenly, he heard soone walking his way.
"Is that food? Am I going to get anything decent today?" Luisen muttered without raising his head; the young lord thought his visitor was a guard.
However, he received an unexpected response.
"In this situation, can my Duke really think about food?"
This voice? Luisen leapt to his feet. "Morrison!"
There stood Morrison behind the bars, wearing a complicated expression.
The young lord shouted, "You finally ca! Do you know how long I've been waiting? By the way, you ca sooner than I expected. You must have been nearby?"
"When I received your ssage, I was already near the capital. Carlton had already contacted first, so I was on my way." Morrison's words were unexpected.
Carlton called for Morrison? Luisen had had an ominous premonition. "What? Why did Carlton do that? What's happening?"
"Co on out for now." Morrison opened the prison door with a key.
"Can I leave?" Luisen asked.
"Yes. I have permission from the Bishop. The Duke's impersonationwill receive a trial, but that'll pass by without a hitch."
Morrison looked incredibly tired. Luisen didn't understand much, but it seed like the inquisitor spent much effort to get Luisen off the hook.
The young lord quickly erged from his cell, "So, what's this about Carlton?"
"I haven't received direct contact from Carlton either. I've rely received a ssage. If you go to the mansion, that person will explain everything."
"Who is that person?'"
"Ennis. The first prince's maid."
"She's in the mansion right now? Alone? What about Carlton?"
"Let's go quickly."
Luisen beca even more bewildered when Morrison changed the subject so blatantly. He hurried to the mansion.
***
Returning after leaving the mansion for three days, the situation had changed remarkably.
After Luisen was taken away, the Paladins took control of the mansion. Therefore, the Royal Knights were forced to step down. The Paladins, though strict, recognized that the people of the mansion were innocent and allowed them more freedoms than they had under the royal control. Thanks to that, the deputy chancellor took advantage of the confusion in the capital and worked fervidly to handle matters.
As a result, the people of the duchy that had not been allowed to pass through the city gates returned to the mansion. The other prisoner negotiations went smoothly thanks to the return of the Western and Northern Great Lords. Just as Luisen predicted, the previous blockages were solved easily, and as his great deeds were recognized, his image as a trashy scoundrel had quickly beco blurred.
Therefore, when Luisen returned to the capital mansion, the mansion was in a festive mood. The young lord's heart ached to see the people welcoming him. He almost cried, but the deputy chancellor cried first. Flustered, Luisen managed to compose himself.
After dealing with the welcoming committee, Luisen refused the deputy chancellor's suggestion to rest and instead imdiately visited Ennis. She was in the sitting room, waiting for Luisen. Carlton's lieutenant was also with her.
Harried and without any peace of mind to rember his greetings or manners, Luisen asked, "What happened?"
The news dropping from her mouth was sothing the young lord had never expected, "Carlton has gone missing from the castle."
Luisen was stunned. He thought sothing must have happened when Carlton called for Morrison, but he disappeared? "Tell in detail. What do you an?"
"Aigoo. Please, your grace, have a seat first." Carlton's lieutenant stepped in and forced Luisen to sit on the sofa. Ennis continued calmly.
On the day Carlton arrived at the castle, he went to the audience chamber to et with the first prince after talking to Ennis. But, that day, the castle was told that Carlton had tried but failed to kill the prince and had run away.
Ennis was startled and tried to confirm the truth of the events. "I found out that there was indeed a fight in the chamber. So folks had even seen Carlton running away, bleeding."
"He shed blood" Luisen felt dizzy and grabbed his head. He knew very well how amazing and strong Carlton wasthe situation couldn't have been ordinarily dangerousEspecially if soone who could face life-threatening disasters and erge without a scratch had to run away.
"Fortunately, or unfortunately, no one has seen Carlton since that day."
The Royal Knights searched every inch of the castle's interior, and the servants patrolled day and night. However, they couldn't even find his shadow. Ennis waited for the rcenary to co find her, but he didn't appear. "If he had died, his body would have been found. So, that ans he's still alive. But, I couldn't just wait around."
Carlton alone couldn't slip away from the palace and capital, so it was only a matter of ti before he was caught.
Ennis wondered if there was anything she could do to help Carlton and recalled what Carlton had said before he left to see the first prince: how to contact Morrison. Carlton said if sothing happened to him, Luisen would need soone to protect him.
She snuck out of the castle. This escape was only made possible because she had been a maid of the first prince and had worked in the palace for so long. After contacting Morrison, she ca to the mansion to find Luisen. However, she had to turn around without stepping inside because of the royal knights. For several days, she hid, waiting until the knights were driven away by the Paladins, and only this morning, after reuniting with Morrison, was she finally able to enter the mansion.
"I thought Carlton may have escaped from the castle But, seeing as he isn't here, he may still be in the castle." Ennis finished, sowhat somberly.
For a long ti, Luisen couldn't open his mouth as well. So, that all happened the day Carlton entered the castle? How long has it been since then?'
Co to think of it, the royal knight's subjugation of the capital mansion must also be a ploy by the demon worshippers. Carlton had no choice but to head to the castle on his own, separating them. Once he entered the royal castle alone, he had no backup to protect him and was an easy target to kill. Luisen, also left alone, was an easily-killable opponent as well, as the young lord had no power to defend himself.
Unaware of all that, he had wasted away ti peacefully. As mories of just a while agopeacefully sitting in prisonca back to him, he was overwheld by self-reproach.
If only he had foresight. But, there was nothing he could have done. Still, it ca at a great shock to learn that he remained ignorant while Carlton was plunged into danger.
With no one to help, alone I had no idea, and I'
Actually, Luisen didn't want Carlton to leave his side to go to the first prince. Still, the young lord said it was okay, that this was all necessary, and sent his lover off. In hindsight, that may have not been for the best, but regret always ca late.
Luisen wiped his face with trembling hands. Still, he couldn't calm himself and fidgeted like a child.
"My duke." Ennis gripped Luisen's hand. "Carlton will be alright. He's a man who would survive hell. However, it's true that he needs help from ti to ti, so my duke must remain alert."
She made eye contact with Luisen and spoke emphatically. Word by word, enunciated clearly.
"Yes. You're right." Luisen nodded. At tis like this, he needed to hold his head high and keep his senses about him. Carlton threw himself into danger over and over to save Luisen; now, it was Luisen's turn to save Carlton.
TL: Can I just say how much I love the idea of Luisen saving Carlton as much as Carlton saves Luisen? Also that Carlton called Morrison bc his lover needs a protector? And that Morrison probably worked his bum off to keep Luisen out of jail T_T
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