"I told her that if she survived here and made it out safely, she must run towards the north. I also told her that this place is Wellesley located in the south of the capital."
"To the North? Alright, i see. Thank you so much!"
Just as he was about to stand up and headed to the north in rush, the man mercenary gabbed him again.
"A-and this. . . ."
The ruby necklace he had once bought for Edith was in his hand.
"I gave my colleague money in exchange for this. . . .but when I found out who she was, I didn't want to sell it, so I kept it. I-I return this to you, so, please forgive me just once."
Killian was about to cry because of the man whose name he didn't know. After receiving the ruby necklace, he took off all the gold buttons on his uniform, gave it to the man and forcefully placed it on his hand who tried to refuse.
"My wife must be alive. She's not usually a smart woman. But the reason she was able to live it's thanks to you. So, you deserve this."
Then he gathered all the knights scattered around the Wellesley villa and headed to the north.
'If she headed towards the north, there must be a big road there, and I'm surely she meet other people around there and receive help, right?'
Killian searched the surroundings without stopping,
While pondering the thoughts with anxiety and hope that he was sure that Edith was safe somewhere. The knights who followed were having a hard time because Killian didn't rest from dawn until late at night, unless it was completely dark, but when they saw Killian's appearance became more worse as the day went by, they couldn't help but sigh.
"We're resting at the mansion, but master Killian hasn't rested since the battlefield, right?"
"That's right. Well, seeing that he's looking for her so desperately, he must be really love Miss Edith."
"But is she still alive? Since she a woman and wearing a dress walks down the street alone, she will surely become a victim of thieves. . . ."
"Be careful what you say. If master Killian hears it, he won't leave you alone."
There was a lot of conversation among the knights. But Killian only focused himself on finding Edith.
"Master it's almost night now. Please get some rest!"
"She must be seriously injured. . . .she also has no money or water. . . . When it gets dark, wild animals or robbers might appear. . . . "
The most experienced knights tried to stop Killian, but Killian didn't listen to their advice and muttered a strange words like a man who had lost his mind. Several days had passed, since he wandered around looking for Edith. Although the knight didn't talk about it, a various worst case scenarios were already unfolding through his mind. And as time passed, it was regret and guilt that filled Killian's heart.
'All this happened because of my fault, I should have protected Edith even if I had to hire a mercenaries. . . . '
No one expected that the Duchess, Lizzy, and Edith would attend the Count Wyndham's banquet. That's why he only recruited Anna to protect and help her in the mansion, but when this situation became like this, he couldn't help but think that it was all his fault.
'Edith. . . . It's my fault. I-I've done everything wrong, so please stay alive. Please. . . . '
Throughout he return to the capital after overworking his self in the territory war. Killian couldn't rest properly because he had to take care of his knight division. After a few days of forcing his body to move like that, his steel-stamina began to exhausted. Still, he couldn't stop for searching his wife. Edith's probably hurt and starving and shivering somewhere desperately looking for him. Killian was so angry at himself for not being able to protect her when she was scared and in pain, that he felt like he want to cut of his own heart with a knife.
[KILLIAN!]
When he was exhausted and dazed, he could hear Edith voice calling his name, as if he was hallucinating.
"Edith? Edith!"
"What's going on all of a sudden, master!"
"I just heard Edith's voice! It's near here"
"Yes?"
If he could hear a woman's voice outside the silence area, there was no way the other knights couldn't hear it. All the knight was worried that he might going crazy when he suddenly looked around and called his wife name, Edith in daze. And just when he was confused whether his fears had come reality, Ludwig's messenger came to Killian.
"The knights dispatched by Master Cliff found Mrs Edith."
Hearing the news like it fell from the blue sky, Killian rode his horse without saying anything else. He have to go there immediately and protect Edith before anything happened to her.
* * *
It was early in the morning when she was caught, but when she was arrived at the duke residence it's already a long noon passed. That because her physical condition wasn't good and she ran out of her physical strength so her walking speed was slow. Nevertheless, she was grateful to the knight leader for being considerate and didn't rush her. The scale on the back of Duke Ludwig's residence, which she haven't fully explore, is huge. Behind the mansion there's huge training ground, there was also forest behind it and within the forest there's mysterious building visible. One of it was a prison and execution place used privately by the Ludwig family. It's was the place where Edith in the original strory ended her life, so she was so curious what it would look like before, but she finally got to see the inside of the building. Perhaps because today was the day of execution, there were strict guards of knights and soldiers around the prison.
'I can't run away from the original story at all. Even i was arrested, how could Riegelhoff family be arrested on the day of the execution.'
She smiled faintly and walked steadily behind the knight who had brought her here, but suddenly someone came running this way.
"Edith!"
It was Lizzy. She tried to cling to me with a pale face, but thankfully Cliff, who was following, caught her.
"Edith! Why-why did you do that?"
"What do mean?"
She really don't know what Lizzy asking, but Cliff glared at her fiercely.
"I don't thinks it's a good idea to ask her, whether she helped Shane in attempt to break into this mansion or whether she helped him in the kidnapping."
That's absurd. Sje thought Cliff had left her at the villa when he saw her there, but he didn't even come down there to find her. Then, accused her for helping Shane.
"It's exactly the same as the original. . . ."
"What do you mean?"
"No, it's nothing."
No matter how hard she tried, the results of this episode flowed according like the original story. So it's remained her of the day of her possession. She think the flow of the original story has changed a bit, but until the end, the story still works like the original flow.
'But It doesn't matter anymore now.'
She tired of refuting their endless false suspicions and accusations against her. Just as she was about to ignore Cliff and ask him leave me alone, Lizzy stepped out again.
"Please begging for forgiveness Edith! Say it's just a mistake and you sincerely regret it! Killian is a man with deep heart person, so there's no way he would ignored Edith!"
Lizzy desperately clung to me as if she were my family. Lizzy looked so desperate as if something big would happen if she die.
"That will be difficult, Lizzy. Because I'm innocent."
"If this is a misunderstanding, explain it as a misunderstanding!"
"I think I've already been branded as a sinner, so will you believe in me?"
"No, Edith! Don't give up!"
When Lizzy was about to get frustrated, Cliff pulled her away.
"Lizzy. You don't have to worry about that woman. She not worth for it so come here."
He looked at her with contempt eyes, but it didn't affect her. She was more worried about going into that execution room, facing Killian gazed with contempt eyes, the man who will cut off her throat. She just smirked seeing Cliff take Lizzy away, who kept shouting at her telling her not to give up.
'Eat well and live well, main characters. Don't worry, i'll finish things off neatly here.'
When she started walking again, her vision became dizzy for a moment. It's because she didn't have any appetite for the last 2 or 3 days and couldn't sleep comfortably. It's seemed like she reached her limit.
'I have to be patient just a little bit, it'll over soon.'
Edith's narrative will over soon. In the original, Edith grabbed Killian leg, while he about hit her head and begged him to separate her life. However, she actually didn't have the confidence even look at his face. Even though he was the person she wanted to see so much, but she didn't want her last memory seeing him with full of hateful gaze on her.
'If Killian cuts it all at once, just like in the original, the pain won't be great. Don't be nervous and Let's not leave an ugly appearance in Killian's memory.'
She held her trembling hands and went in to finish her last episode.
* * *
The duchy's vast prison has never been used before since the current Duke Alex Ludwig take over the duchy's. However, just because the weather has been so good for a few days, it doesn't mean the storm stays quiet forever. So it doesn't mean the Ludwig family continued to be generous to their opponents for some time, so they couldn't forgive their evil attempt that made his family almost face into danger. In the kidnapping of his family made Duke Ludwig's anger explode.
"Bring out all the criminals."
He stood on the execution ground on the first floor of the prison and ordered all the members of the Riegelhoff family to be brought out. After a while, the imprisoned people were dragged out with low groans. At that time, Cliff approached and whispered in the duke's ear.
"Edith Riegelhoff is arriving soon."
"Finally, she got caught in the end."
Killian had just returned after hearing the news that Edith had been successfully captured, he would definitely be here soon. After hearing those words, Duke Ludwig nodded his head heavily. Cliff looked alternately at the door where Edith was about to come in and at Lizzy, who strangely hoping Edith's life could be saved and asked.
"Father. What are you going to do?"
"What do you mean?"
"About Edith punishment."
The sentence to behead the Riegelhoff Family has already been set, but the sentence for Edith has not yet been decided. It's because Killan was supposed to make a decision about her punishment, but he hasn't come home since several weeks had passed because he had gone to find Edith. When the duke kept his mouth shut and didn't answer, Cliff said as if he was frustrated.