As soon as they returned to the mansion, Ferio summoned Lupe and Inseréa to his office.
He also told Leonia and Varia to co up with them, but the two mother and daughter hesitated and politely declined.
“Dad, I need to play the ‘Dark Duke’ ga...”
“I have to play background music...”
Leonia needed psychological therapy to reduce the anger and irritation she’d accumulated from the ceremony of honor, and Varia said she needed to watch over the child while she did so.
“...Fine.”
Ferio nodded with a half-defeated expression.
He tried to ignore Leonia’s triumphant shout from behind as she turned away: “Oh, yes! Gladiago Knights, formation! I’m going to heaven!”
A short while after Ferio entered his office, Lupe and Inseréa, whom he had summoned, arrived.
“Duke!”
The mont he entered, Lupe shouted.
“What in the world is happening in the entrance hall right now?!”
“They’re playing.”
Ferio clicked his tongue, too bothered to explain.
What Lupe had witnessed was Leonia’s latest obsession: the “Dark Duke Ga.”
The rules were simple.
She made the well-built knights dress in formal uniforms and line up in two rows. Then, Leonia would walk between them holding a glass of whiskey with ice.
She had told everyone that the most important part of the act was walking slowly and wearing an expression as if she «N.o.v.e.l.i.g.h.t» were utterly disinterested in the world.
Adding violin accompanint was the cherry on top.
“You know how dark it is with all the curtains drawn across the mansion windows?!”
“They say the darkness is essential to the mood of a Dark Duke.”
“Your Grace...”
Lupe looked at Ferio with a pitying gaze.
“That’s our young lady, alright!”
Inseréa, in contrast, giggled into her hands.
“How did she co up with such a refined and elegant way to play?”
“My love... darling...”
Lupe shook his head, clearly disagreeing.
“Didn’t you see it just now? The young lady’s lips were curling up into a creepy smile.”
Each ti she walked between the knights, her expression scread that she was losing her mind with joy—exactly like a pervert.
“But her love for muscles isn’t anything new.”
Inseréa saw no issue at all. On the contrary, she was relieved to see Leonia so lively instead of depressed from the ceremony.
“Also, the piece the duchess played on the violin was absolutely beautiful.”
Every ti Leonia channeled her inner ‘Dark Duke’ and walked, Varia accompanied her with her violin.
The mysterious lody harmonized with the sound of slow footsteps, the strings growing louder until they reached their peak, evoking the image of a blue moon in the night sky.
“So the piece is called ‘Blue Moon.’”
Ferio answered with a calm voice.
“That’s enough about that.”
Ferio then explained why he had summoned them.
“It’s ti for the final hunt.”
At those words, tension flickered across the faces of the Ricoss couple. Ferio had summoned them to bring a long-prepared hunt to its end.
“Today’s events dealt a serious blow to Olor. He won’t be strutting around like before.”
But letting their guard down would be dangerous.
Remus was still alive, and Viscount Olor was still officially listed in the noble council. On top of that, the Emperor had ultimately tried to shield Remus.
“How shaless!”
Inseréa huffed with fury.
“That bastard caused so much harm to the young lady with those outrageous lies, and yet the Emperor wanted to let him off?”
Even without knowing Leonia’s secret, Inseréa could tell the Emperor’s behavior had been strange.
“Please give him a proper punishnt! Snap his joints!”
The forr stalker could never forgive a pedophile.
“It’s almost certain he sent Remus Olor to the North.”
Lupe cald his furious wife and addressed Ferio. He too pretended not to know Leonia’s secret, and Ferio played along.
“Based on the timing, Remus Olor must have infiltrated the North while the late Emperor was still alive.”
“Then we should base our investigation around that ti fra.”
“What should we investigate? Just say the word!”
The Ricoss couple asked together.
Ferio issued two orders.
“The whereabouts of the Black Diamond.”
During the late Emperor’s life, around the ti he gave the order to infiltrate the North, the Voreoti estate had put a black diamond up for auction. Ferio instructed them to find out who had owned it.
The second was to re-investigate the incident at the Imperial Academy Research Institute.
“That case...”
Inseréa cautiously glanced at Ferio.
“It’s infamous for how poorly the authorities handled the investigation. I rember hearing about it while I was in the capital. I even read the newspaper articles.”
“Do you rember all the articles that were published at the ti?”
“Yes.”
“Then write them all down.”
“Understood.”
“Are we conducting the investigation ourselves?”
Lupe asked. The case had recently been closed with no significant findings.
That ant they could identify flaws in the prior investigation by reopening it.
Moreover, they had evidence that Olor had blackmailed and threatened Ardea.
“How far should we go?”
Enough to make the Imperial family nervous?
Enough to make them crawl and beg?
Lupe’s tone was as casual as soone asking how they wanted their steak cooked.
Ferio let out a crooked smile, amused by the adorably phrased examples.
“Reveal every verified issue and wrongdoing. Apply pressure from all angles so they have no room to object.”
Ferio was doing them the kindness of letting them realize they’d tightened the noose around their own necks.
‘He’s going all out...’
Lupe gave a silent whistle and nodded.
That’s when it happened.
In the middle of the serious conversation, Tra knocked and entered.
“Master. A guest has arrived.”
“A guest?”
Ferio narrowed one eye.
“Who?”
It was short for “Who the hell would show up here now?”
At the sa ti, he began narrowing down the possibilities.
Very few people would dare visit the Voreoti estate unannounced.
Especially when the beasts inside were already in a foul mood due to the ceremony of honor, a visit was practically suicidal.
‘Carnis, Count Urmariti...’
At most, it would be one of them.
“They said you’d recognize this.”
Tra presented the token the guest had left behind.
Two ornate insignias rested on a snow-white handkerchief. Ferio’s black eyes narrowed sharply.
The air in the office instantly froze.
“...D-Duke?”
Lupe managed to force the words out of his throat, hugging his frightened wife tightly.
“You didn’t just draw your Fangs, did you?”
“I’m about to, so don’t talk to .”
Ferio’s reply was crushed and cold. Lupe promptly shut his mouth.
‘What did he see?’
No matter what Tra had brought, one thing was clear—the guest now inside the mansion had triggered Ferio’s wrath, and their life was likely in danger.
“What are those bastards doing right now?”
“Th-The thing is...”
Tra hesitated to answer.
He looked paler than anyone in the room—understandable, considering he was the one bearing the full brunt of Ferio’s fury. He looked as if he could collapse at any mont.
Still, as a forr Gladiago Knight and current butler of House Voreoti, he endured with pride.
“The young lady captured them and is currently playing the Dark Duke ga with them.”
“She’s playing with them?”
Ferio’s anger intensified.
Tra hurriedly clarified.
“N-No, I an it’s practically forced. It’s not that they’re enjoying it...”
“Is Leo playing with them?”
“Y-Yes, I an, in the sense that she’s toying with them...”
“Is she playing with them at her feet?”
Ferio’s voice had grown noticeably calr. Tra imdiately nodded.
“Of course, right at her feet. The young lady grabbed them by the collars when they hesitated and dragged them into position herself.”
He spoke with a hint of pride—after all, their young lady wasn’t the type to show kindness easily.
‘...That’s an insult.’
Lupe was speechless.
But he alone seed to think so.
“Our young lady is amazing!”
Inseréa enthusiastically agreed.
“My dear...”
Lupe looked at his wife with a pained expression.
* * *
Today’s the for Leonia’s Dark Duke ga was “The World Beneath My Feet.”
Before starting, she had even changed outfits.
A white shirt with the top buttons undone enough to show her collarbone, a black formal vest, sharply creased trousers, and polished shoes.
The only accessory was a pendant necklace.
She also carried a whiskey glass filled with dark apple juice.
The ga began with Varia’s violin.
As the bow t the four strings, the knights took their positions and bowed in unison.
The little beast walking between them wore a blank, bored expression.
The whiskey glass in her hand gently swayed with each step.
The dimly lit entrance hall, with all the curtains drawn, beca even more chilling and captivating.
After passing through the knights, Leonia’s final destination was the stairs leading to the second floor. That’s when Varia’s performance reached its climax.
Turning around gracefully, Leonia looked down at the knights lined up at her feet and sipped her apple juice.
Then, she looked down again.
“...Khh!”
Satisfied, Leonia showed off her footwork.
“Again! Again!”
Flushed with excitent, she bounced down the stairs.
She handed the whiskey glass to a maid who had been waiting.
“Um...”
Among the knights standing in line, Prince Chrisetos murmured weakly.
“How long do I have to do this?”
“Until the young lady gets bored.”
leis replied flatly beside him, and the prince almost fainted.
He had already been dragged into this absurd ga three tis.
And now he was being told it was far from over. His head spun and his knees trembled.
But the Gladiago Knights were long used to this.
So of them even enjoyed it, asking if they didn’t look cooler the last round.
“Hey, Scandia...”
The prince poked his sister’s arm.
“What do you think of this?”
“I’m in awe of Voreoti’s uniqueness.”
Princess Scandia, also forced into the ga, quietly replied.
Just then, Leonia shouted.
“My dream is to beco a Dark Duke! I will absolutely grow up to be a crazy duchess!”
“Ghhhk...!”
The prince shuddered in horror.
‘The Empire is dood!’
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