NRAL | Chapter 115

~Chapter 115~

The True Culprit Behind the Damian Incident

The participants, who had prepared in advance, began to set off one by one at their designated times.

With a loud “giddy up!” the large horses slowly started to gallop, followed by dozens of hunting dogs running after them.

The younger nobles left first, while the older or higher-ranking ones took their time and set off leisurely. The goal of the hunting event was friendship, not competition, so there was no rush to get out under the blazing sun.

After greeting the emperor, Karsian also set off at a relaxed pace. Unlike the other nobles, he didn’t bring any hunting dogs. His only companion was a knight who was assigned to protect him.

If anyone else had done this, it would have drawn harsh judgment, but since it was Karsian, the nobles just let it pass. Who needed hunting dogs when you could catch beasts with your bare hands?

“Let’s go!”

Not long after, Duke Astria also set off.

Before mounting his horse, he threw a fierce glance at Eleanor, reminding her to stay still. Eleanor sent him off with a soft, polite smile.

Once all the participants had left, the ones who had stayed behind returned to their seats. The servants, drenched in sweat from the scorching autumn sun, hurriedly served drinks to the nobles, who sat comfortably and chatted merrily.

None of them, however, approached Eleanor to speak to her.

It was strange. After seeing her express affection for Karsian, you’d expect someone to ask about her relationship with him. But no one even gave her a glance. It felt very unnatural.

‘That means…’

Someone was leading the atmosphere.

Eleanor subtly turned her head and scanned her surroundings. The women sitting near her were all unmarried daughters from high-ranking noble families. Most of them were familiar faces, but one stood out.

Kiara Portsmouth, with her reddish-brown, fluffy hair and sparkling jewelry.

“My Timothy promised to make me a white fox fur scarf. He said it would match my pale face perfectly. Hoho!” Kiara laughed while fluttering a red fan.

Eleanor’s expression turned cold.

‘Are you still doing this?’

It had been ages since the scene at Nora’s debutante ball when Kiara caused a scene, and yet, here she was, still harboring resentment. She was loudly calling Timothy Cunningham’s name, so it seemed their relationship was still going strong. A perfect match, indeed.

Eleanor couldn’t understand Kiara.

She used to dislike Eleanor because she sided with Nora and Arlo, but now, after Nora and Arlo became enemies, what was her excuse for isolating Eleanor? Did she simply hate the name Astria?

Eleanor briefly thought about it but couldn’t find an answer. Perhaps there was no reason—after all, hatred, like inertia, could persist without any real cause.

In any case, it didn’t matter much to her whether the surrounding nobles ignored her. She had grown up in an environment where such petty things didn’t affect her much. When she heard mocking voices about her sitting alone in silence, they didn’t bother her at all.

Eleanor sat quietly, enjoying what might be her last moment of peace. The cold tea made with tea leaves from the Duke’s mansion cooled her down.

Halfway through her tea, she turned her head again.

Not far away, Ernst stood with a serious expression on his face. His eyes met hers as if he had been watching her.

Eleanor gave him a subtle nod. At her signal, Ernst quickly nodded in return and disappeared into the crowd.

Soon after, one of the servants came to find her.

“Lady Eleanor, I’m sorry to disturb you, but Duke Astria is requesting your presence.”

“My father?”

“Yes, he says it’s urgent…”

Although the servant’s voice wasn’t very loud, the nobles around Eleanor clearly overheard. They turned their ears towards her, pretending not to listen.

“Alright, I’ll go right away. Bring my horse.”

“Yes, Lady. I’ll notify Lord Ernst. You can leave first.”

The servant quickly finished his task and left.

Eleanor stood up gracefully, brushing the fabric of her dress as she confidently passed through the prying eyes of the nobles.

As soon as she disappeared from sight, the nobles, who had been silently holding back their words, couldn’t contain themselves anymore.

“Aren’t she being reckless, going into the woods without any guards, right in the middle of the hunting event? Isn’t it too dangerous?”

“But the Duke called for her. Plus, what danger could Lady Eleanor be in? Her father is a famous general, and her lover is the great Lord Royster.”

“By the way, did you see Lord Royster earlier? My goodness, I didn’t think he could make such a face. He had a much colder expression than when Lady Gabriella was after him!”

“Shh, quiet. Don’t let anyone hear you!”

The topic about Eleanor’s safety quickly faded from their conversation. They had more interesting things to gossip about.

For example, Lord Royster’s muscles and broad back. Or the conspiracy theories surrounding the disappearance of Baron Griffith, and the scandal involving the now-paralyzed Damian Astria.

***

As soon as the hunting event began, the participants scattered in different directions to start the hunt.

It was considered impolite to intrude on someone else’s spot, and since many hunting dogs accompanied each noble, it could be dangerous if they weren’t careful. So, before starting, participants would make sure they had enough distance between themselves and others.

Meanwhile, Duke Astria didn’t stray far from the starting point and always chose a place rich in game. As an older and high-ranking noble, everyone else respected his space and avoided it.

This unspoken rule was followed again this year.

Thanks to this, Eleanor didn’t have to travel far to meet her father.

“Father!”

“Ellie?”

Upon hearing the familiar voice, Duke Astria immediately looked up. His face contorted in disbelief, but when he saw his daughter riding through the trees, he frowned and his expression became stern.

Woof! Woof!

Two hunting dogs, brought to retrieve the game, began barking wildly at Eleanor. The handler hurried over to calm them down, preventing the horses from getting startled.

“What are you doing here?” the Duke snarled, his face twisted in anger.

It had only been an hour since he told her to stay still, and now here she was, dressed for the hunt and entering the forest. He was furious.

“I’m sorry, Father. But it’s urgent news!” Eleanor quickly dismounted and shouted. While she had told Mrs. Corcos she wasn’t good at riding, it wasn’t entirely true. She had a natural talent for it, honed under her father’s watchful eye.

The Duke’s eyebrows twitched as he noticed how anxious she looked. Although he wanted to grab her and drag her back to the mansion, he realized that if she was this urgent, something significant must have happened.

“I won’t let this go if you’re making a scene over something trivial,” the Duke thought as he listened to Eleanor.

“This is serious, Father. I think the Duke of Royster knows about Baron Griffith’s disappearance!”

“What?”

He quickly asked, his voice rising.

“How did he…?”

The Duke’s voice grew tense, realizing the gravity of the situation.

This was critical. A noble had been killed by another noble.

Baron Griffith had been secretly brought to the Duke’s mansion, tortured, and then killed. If the Duke of Royster found out, it couldn’t just be overlooked.

“I don’t know how, but I think he has someone inside the mansion.”

“Did he manage to get a witness? I thought I had dealt with anyone who could speak out.”

The Duke clenched his fists, his mind racing. If he made one wrong move, he could be accused of murder. And worse, his deals with others could fall apart. He needed to tread carefully.

“Luckily, he didn’t try to use the information against us. But… he wants to meet with you secretly. No guards or servants, just you. He says he has important information to give.”

“What? What’s this all about?”

“Don’t panic, Father.”

Eleanor’s words had a dramatic pause as she raised the tension.

The Duke leaned forward, unable to hide his curiosity.

Then, the shocking truth was revealed.

“It wasn’t Baron Griffith who did it. The true culprit… is someone else.”

“What?”

“The Duke of Royster knows the real mastermind behind all of this. It wasn’t Baron Griffith. He wants to meet with you to explain everything.”

The Duke’s violet eyes widened in shock.

The real culprit? Not Baron Griffith? This was news beyond belief.

The suddenness of it made the Duke’s mind spin. He had handled Damian’s case so hastily, but now it was all beginning to unravel.

“Apparently, he’s sure of it now. He says if we don’t hurry, the real culprit will escape. He asked you to come quickly. I know where he is.”

If what Eleanor said was true, there was no time to waste.

The Duke quickly mounted his horse, following Eleanor. Despite the habitual doubts about leaving without any guards, he felt confident that there wouldn’t be a threat. If someone were after his life, they would have made sure to eliminate his guards and servants first.

‘Even if someone tries to harm me, they could use Eleanor as bait.’

With that thought, the Duke gritted his teeth and urged his horse forward.

“Let’s go!”