A sudden, sharp yowl pierced the air as Bastet leaped toward Ghislain, claws outstretched.
But he simply tilted his head to the side, avoiding the attack effortlessly.
The cat tumbled to the ground, letting out a deflated-sounding hiss.
Ghislain smirked and gave a slight nod.
"Quite the amusing cat. Keep a better eye on it; I don't want to harm an animal."
Bastet, fur bristling, glared at him but didn't attempt to pounce again.
Seeing the cat's reaction, so similar to her owner's, Ghislain let out a quiet chuckle.
"By the way, I've heard something about your escort knight. Wasn't his name Bernaph? You seem close."
Ghislain remembered that in the future, after Amelia ascended to the position of Countess Rayfold, she eventually married her escort knight, Bernaph.
It was a casual comment, but Amelia misunderstood it entirely.
'Could he… be jealous of my relationship with my escort knight?'
How pathetic could one man be?
It was true that she was close to Bernaph. She had personally taken in the humble country boy and raised him to where he was now.
While she thought highly of him for his talent and character, it was far from the kind of relationship Ghislain seemed to be implying.
As her thoughts wandered, Amelia's face turned pale.
'What if this lunatic starts spreading baseless rumors…?'
A scandal suggesting she had fallen for her escort knight, despite being engaged, would bring lasting shame to her family.
'Even though it's absurd, if this kind of gossip came from his mouth, it would only fan the flames.'
Amelia's fondness for Bernaph was well-known throughout the estate.
People often whispered about how she had picked up some good-looking young man and put him in charge of her Escort Knight Order.
It was also no secret that Bernaph held feelings for her.
With the Actium Merchants Guild issues already causing her enough headaches, another scandal would be too much to handle.
After swallowing her dry saliva, Amelia finally spoke.
"The guild affairs… You've been snooping around about me, haven't you?"
Perhaps Ghislain had been so infatuated with her that he'd gone digging into her life.
She assumed he'd found out that she and Bernaph were closer than expected and was now trying to blackmail her out of petty vengeance.
'For a man with no sense of honor, that would make sense.'
But Ghislain's expression showed no trace of jealousy, nor any other emotion.
"Well, I just happened to have connections. Heard it by chance," he said, shrugging nonchalantly.
Spreading false information to throw off an opponent was one of the most basic tactics.
She would likely spend a long time trying to track down how Ghislain had learned her secrets.
But there was no trail to follow. She could never imagine that he was someone who had returned to the past after dying.
"So, what's it going to be? Are you giving me the money or not? I'm in a hurry."
Amelia gritted her teeth and said,
"Do you think you and Perdium will come out of this unscathed? I don't know where you picked up these ridiculous rumors, but this pathetic attempt at blackmail…"
However, she trailed off as a sudden, intense killing intent emanated from Ghislain, who had been relaxed until now.
"Say that again. You think my estate will be in danger?"
The fall of his family and estate was a trauma that had haunted Ghislain his entire life.
And Amelia was one of the key perpetrators. Hearing her issue such a threat made his blood boil.
The sudden shift in his demeanor caused even Belinda and the surrounding knights to swallow nervously.
Just facing Ghislain was enough to make Amelia's heart feel like it might stop.
"Threats aren't made with words, Amelia."
After leaving his family, Ghislain had spent his life at the edge of death, cutting down countless foes.
Among his victims were renowned knights, high-ranking nobles, and countless other powerhouses.
He could have built a castle from their corpses; a threat from someone like Amelia, who hadn't even solidified her power, was as trivial as a cat's scratch.
"What do you think happened to all those who came at me? Everyone except for this cat here… they all…"
Ghislain paused mid-sentence.
Since he had returned to the past, all those people were likely still alive and well.
After a brief moment of consideration, he muttered quietly,
"They're all probably living quite healthy lives… for now."
"What…?" Amelia looked at him in confusion.
"They were all fairly strong, after all."
Amelia and everyone else in the room looked at him with bewildered expressions.
Ghislain avoided their piercing stares, then shook his head and continued.
"Anyway, that's not important right now. What's your decision?"
Ghislain considered bringing up the Delphine Duchy but decided against it.
The situation was dangerous enough already; there was no need to invite more trouble by revealing his knowledge of her connections.
Amelia closed her eyes.
It seemed improbable, but his relaxed demeanor made her wonder if he knew even more than he was letting on.
She could try to kill Ghislain and his entourage right here.
But doing so would inevitably cause a commotion, increasing the likelihood of suspicion falling on her.
'I'll get him out of the castle quietly. Father and my brothers must not know.'
She opened her eyes and, with barely contained fury, ground out her words.
"…Fine. I'll give you twenty thousand gold. Take it and get out."
"Great. I knew you'd be decisive."
"Shut up. And we'll be moving forward with the annulment."
"Sure, whatever you prefer."
Ghislain agreed without hesitation. He'd just acquired a hefty sum, so an annulment was hardly a big deal.
Amelia glanced at him for a moment and then spoke in a low, steady voice.
"You've changed… a lot."
"You're one of the people who made me change."
Amelia could never dream of the real reason Ghislain had changed.
Without waiting for a response, he turned to leave.
A voice, filled with spite, stopped him.
"You think you'll achieve anything by changing? Putting yourself in danger over mere jealousy and money. You're still as foolish as ever."
"Think what you like."
"You'll regret what happened today."
"I'll look forward to it."
Amelia wasn't one to take this lying down. She would undoubtedly pull every trick she could to silence Ghislain.
Still, the risk was worth it. Twenty thousand gold would cover his initial expenses.
'Amelia, this time, I'll make sure to take your head. Don't think you'll run from me like last time.'
As Ghislain left the reception room, his expression was as cold and hardened as Amelia's.
The engagement that had tenuously bound them was now severed beyond repair.
***
Long after Ghislain's departure, Amelia still couldn't contain her anger.
"Ghislain Perdium! How dare he blackmail me?"
To be extorted by a man like that? She'd never experienced such humiliation in her life.
"I have to find a way to silence him…"
Biting her lip, she scowled.
The Duke Delphine was a dangerous man. If rumors about their secret pact spread, he would sever ties with her without a second thought.
There was no escaping the alliance she had forged with him.
"I can't afford to cross them until I've solidified my own power."
The Delphine Duchy's schemes were already underway.
If they couldn't topple an estate like Perdium from within, they would attack it from outside. And for estates like Rayfold, where they saw potential, they would invest and seize control.
They were weakening any estates that weren't allied with them.
"Yes, I'll have to kill him."
She felt no hesitation or guilt. In noble society, killing one's own blood for the sake of survival was all too common.
'Once he's dead, I can spin a story to justify it if necessary.'
She didn't care if people suspected her of killing Ghislain. Silencing him was more important than any accusations.
After all, dead men tell no tales.
"Bring me Bernaph! Immediately!"
Amelia's decision was final, and she shouted for her escort knight.
Soon after, a tall, well-built man with dark blond hair entered the room.
"You called for me?"
"Bernaph!"
Meow!
Startled by Amelia's and Bastet's expressions of fury, Bernaph asked,
"What's the matter?"
"Kill Ghislain. He knows my secret."
"What? What do you mean? What does he know?"
After listening to her explanation, Bernaph, his expression grave, thought for a moment before nodding.
"This isn't a good situation. But don't worry too much. He's a pathetic man, without the means to cause any trouble. He likely came only to extort money from you."
"But if he starts flapping his mouth, things could go terribly wrong. We need to be cautious."
"Since he got the money, he'll probably stay quiet for a while. He might even come back to ask for more."
Ghislain had no intention of returning, but the two of them assumed he would.
Considering Ghislain to be nothing more than an honorless coward blackmailing his fiancée, it was no surprise they thought that way.
Neither of them wondered what he intended to do with the money.
They figured he'd waste it on gambling or luxuries, or, at best, funnel some of it back to his struggling estate.
The disreputable image Ghislain had cultivated over the years was doing much of the work for him. Even though they'd noticed his changed demeanor, their biases were hard to shake.
Amelia pulled out a map from the bookshelf, placing her finger on a particular spot.
"Kill him here. It's remote enough to avoid prying eyes. And retrieve the money."
The location she pointed to was a secluded valley surrounded by low hills.
It was the quickest route from Rayfold Castle to Perdium estate.
Given the narrow path, a well-planned ambush would be enough to handle Ghislain and his small entourage.
But Bernaph shook his head.
"Everyone already knows that Lord Ghislain was here. It might arouse suspicion."
"What if we make it look like a bandit or monster attack?"
"If it's discovered that we attacked him, Count Perdium's wrath will be upon us. And we don't want a territorial conflict with Perdium right now, not with so much at stake."
"Then just don't get caught. This isn't just about his insult; I can't leave such a threat alive."
"…We can't use our knights."
"Then send mercenaries or assassins—the ones we've invested in all this time."
In the end, Bernaph nodded.
Amelia's logic was sound. While the risk was real, if there was no evidence, there would be no consequences.
And considering Ghislain's estranged status within Perdium, few would care about his fate.
"Understood. I'll prepare thoroughly."
Amelia looked at Bernaph with cold determination.
Unlike the pathetic Ghislain, Bernaph was competent.
If he made a move, Ghislain would be dealt with easily.
"Make sure it's done discreetly, before any rumors spread."
"It will be taken care of."
"Good. You may go."
"I'll finish this quickly and return."
Bernaph frowned slightly, a look hidden from Amelia. Ghislain's meddling was proving to be a significant hassle.
'Why did he have to stir up so much trouble…?'
All he wanted was to stay by Amelia's side, but fate wasn't cooperating.
'Well, at least the engagement will be broken sooner. That's a win for me.'
With one last longing glance at Amelia, Bernaph left the room, determined to take care of Ghislain as quickly as possible so he could return to Amelia's side.
[T/L: Please support me and read extra chapters here: https://ko-fi.com/revengerscans ]