Chapter Thirty and a Half: Intersecting Goals ~Alphonse’s POV

“Huh!? They got kidnapped!? Will too!?”

I inadvertently raised my voice when I received the report in my office.

Elsa and Frederick, dressed in the maid and butler uniforms I was most familiar with, explained the situation to me.

The two had only arrived after the emergency report was received. Before coming to work in the afternoon, William was going to explain to Liliana about Sandra and the future.

…I never thought she’d be kidnapped.

“What happened to the guards? They were in the house next door, weren’t they?”

“They were all knocked unconscious by someone… Their vital points were stuck by a single hit, so the intruder must be quite skilled.”

Frederick said calmly.

I sighed, thinking, “More training for them.” As I thought of the guards’ faces.

“There was a smell of sedative in the room.”

“Lily aside, sedatives won’t work on Will, right?”

Just like me, William should have a pretty good resistance to poison.

“Yes. I think it was ‘Sleeping Cat,’ a sedative commonly used in hospital. For some reason, Lord William is not there either.”

“Didn’t he go after Lily?”

“Our lord may be an idiot, but he certainly wouldn’t leave his sword behind.”

Frederick pointed to the sword Elsa was holding.

It wasn’t William’s trusty sword, but the one provided by the Knights. When he moved into that house, one was hidden in the living room, and another in the bedroom. Knowing their excellence, Elsa and Frederick must’ve checked that the sword in the bedroom hadn’t been touched.

I received the sword from them. Upon unsheathing it, I discovered that it was covered in blood. A small part of the blade had chipped off from reckless use.

As I slid the sword back into the sheath, I asked. “What about Ceddie?”

“We didn’t show him the scene, but we couldn’t hide the fact that his sister and our lord had been kidnapped… Ariana and Arthur are staying by his side at the Marquis’ house.”

Elsa answered calmly.

“Was there something you couldn’t afford to reveal to him at the scene?”

“The low table that should’ve been in the living room was lying around in the garden. Frederick noticed something was off and went into the house first. That was how he discovered that the two were missing. Lord Cedric and I didn’t go inside, and instead went straight to the Marquis’ house.”

“In the living room, a vase lay in pieces, and a broken sword was lodged in the sofa. It seemed that there was a scuffle. A right arm was found at the scene, cut off at the elbow. I didn’t know who it belonged to, but there was a large black scorpion tattoo on the arm. A forgotten belonging, perhaps.”

The couple in front of me seemed wholly unfazed, and my expression twitched.

However, ever since before they entered the room, they had been emanating an unmistakable bloodlust. It was a matter of time before their masks cracked.

“What happened to that arm?”

“It’s already been submitted to the Knights’ doctor.”

“Okay then. Was there anything at the scene that could be a clue?”

“This.”

Frederick fished something out of his pocket and placed it on his palm.

I saw something wrapped in a white handkerchief and tilted my head. In response, he carefully took out a tarnished silver ring and placed it on my desk.

The inorganic clunk lingered in my ears.

“I found this on the floor.”

“…This, my… What bad timing.”

I picked it up.

The ring wasn’t embedded with any jewel, but engraved with a certain family crest. I held my head when I realized to whom it belonged to.

“It seems that Duke Fuchsberger is involved in this incident.”

Frederick smiled, and before I knew it, Elsa followed suit.

The sight of the two of them grinning ear-to-ear, with their eyes dead serious, sent chills down my spine.

***

(POV: Sandra)

“Sandra, you’ve done something very reckless again.”

As he said this, Duke Fuchsberger casually glanced around the room.

I sat down on the sofa across from him and rang the bell. A maid immediately came into the room, pushing a cart. She arranged the tea set on the table in front of me.

“How long will it take until she’s ready?”

“She’s preparing for her wedding, so it’ll take at least two hours.”

“Please finish in an hour. I’m busy.”

“Understood.”

The maid bowed and left the room.

“…So, a wedding?”

His hazel eyes blinked in surprise.

“Yes.”

I dropped a sugar cube into the tea and stirred it with a spoon.

“I’m going to marry that girl off. Do you know the McNish Company? The president is really eager to marry her.”

“That guy? Even though he’s way older than me?”

“Even at his old age, he’s still active.”

I chucked and drink my tea.

“…Although, he has some weird kinks.”

When I looked up, the Duke was smiling gently as always, waiting for the rest of the story.

In the past, I had my fun with many men. I knew how to use what I had—be it my body, my words, or my beauty.

Men were very simple creatures. They were easy to control.

I gave them what they wanted, and would let them do as they wanted with my body. Sometimes, I’d be selfish and make it difficult for them. But every time, I’d tell them that there was no one better than me, and this would satisfy their cheap ego and pride. Afterwards, they were pretty much at my beck and call.

Once that happened, I could easily guess their thoughts, making it easier for me to wrap them around my little finger.

Duke Fuchsberger and Aqrab, the leader of the Black Scorpion, were the only ones I had never gotten my way with.

As for the duke, he never even touched my body.

“…The president doesn’t like women who aren’t still. He prefers those who are obedient and just there to be pretty.”

“Care to elaborate?”

“He likes corpses. He said that he couldn’t get enough of their coldness.”

“…That’s in really bad taste.”

The duke chuckled, took out a cigarette from his pocket, and deftly lit it with a match. The sweet smell of smoke wafted up my nose.

“But, the president said I could do whatever I want, so I have to do something to her first.”

The purple smoke he exhaled floated and disappeared.

“Her face, which looks like that woman… I have to ruin it.”

The masculine hand that was reaching for the ashtray paused briefly. However, as if nothing had happened, the hand that made him seem older tapped the cigarette on the edge of the ashtray, dropping the ash. His hand returned to his mouth, and the tip of the cigarette glowed white momentarily as it heated up.

“If she dies, I can get Cedric back from the Marquis and become his guardian. Then, all of the Allwyn’s fortune will be mine. I’ll use it to flee the country to join Aqrab, who had already left. She’s useless alive. By getting rid of her, everything will go smoothly.”

“Will that satisfy you?”

A gentle, caressing voice.

I took another sip of tea to moisten my throat. My heart was pounding with excitement, and it was hard to suppress a smile from creeping up my face. Thus, I smiled sincerely at the duke.

“Yes, very much.”

“…I see. But the Marquis of Springfield dotes on Ms. Liliana. I think there’s a chance that your head will be cut off.”

“No way. After all, he will be the centerpiece of the auction. The Hero who saved the country. I can already see his price skyrocketing.”

“Throwing him into the cage must’ve been quite a hassle.”

“Hehe, true. Even Liyan lost an arm. He was Aqrab’s favorite, and was proud of the fact that he was on par with the Marquis.”

“I had to help him, and now I’ve lost my ring. What a shame.”

Saying that, the duke looked down at the middle finger of his right hand. The ring engraved with his family crest, which he always wore as proof of his status as head of the family, was nowhere to be seen. The finger was now slightly thinner only in the area of the ring. He stared at it as if in trouble.

“James will be angry.”

“Was he that violent?”

“That he was. The medicine seemed to have worked, but I think he only lost consciousness briefly in the carriage. When I tried to touch Ms. Liliana, he was so enraged, as if he wanted to pounce on me. I was put on guard duty—which was unbearable, by the way. An old body like this couldn’t handle such a wild beast.”

The duke shrugged his shoulders, exhaling a purple smoke.

“Hehe, but once we get rid of that Marquis, there won’t be a problem.”

“Won’t that enrage His Highness the Crown Prince?”

“No matter how talented he is, he’s still a young boy of 26. He is no match for Aqrab.”

Instead of saying yes or no, the duke merely shrugged his shoulders, exhaled the last of his purple smoke, and pressed the short cigarette into the ashtray.

“…Sandra.”

The duke spoke, lowering his gaze.

“That night, the words you spoke to me tore into my heart, and the pain confirmed that my wife truly existed in this world. …How relieved I was at the time.”

I tilted my head at this unexpected remark.

“Thanks to you, I learned that as long as I didn’t forget this pain, my wife’s memory would remain clear. For that reason, I’m grateful to you.”

The duke looked up and smiled quietly.

An endlessly calm and tranquil light was emanated from his hazel eyes.

I smiled back in response and put the cup back on the saucer.

“I didn’t do much. Besides, he’s still that girl’s husband. I’m going to say hello to the Marquis.”

“He’s a wild beast. Let me accompany you.”

The duke stood up and offered me his arm. I thanked him and put my hand on his arm as I left the room.

“I’ll go and check on the goods.”

I told the maid at the entrance and walked out with the duke.

The mansion, which had lost its master and family, was eerily silent.

“It’s getting pretty cloudy.”

The duke suddenly said as we walked down the stairs.

Just as he said, the large window directly in front of the stairs showed a cloudy sky. The weather could turn dark at any moment.

“Maybe it’s going to rain,” I muttered. “Let’s go.”

My feet, which had stopped, started moving again.

***

(POV: William)

“—Ah, shit, it hurts.”

Because of the wounds, my body ached all over.

“I should’ve cut off both of that bastard’s arms.”

I spit out the blood that had accumulated in my mouth. Somehow, I managed to stand up and lean against the wall.

The stone-walled room, which had once been a wine cellar, had no windows. Only the light from a candlestick on the wall above lit up the blinding darkness. All the wine barrels had been sold, and several bottles used to transfer wine were lying around, broken and chipped.

My hands were tied behind my back, and my ankles were bound, so I struggled to move. However, the rest of my body wasn’t tied, so it wasn’t like I couldn’t move at all.

I looked down at my body. My clothes were torn in places. Blood was seeping from the lacerations caused by the whipping. The corner of my mouth, which was cut when I was hit, stung. I was in pain everywhere, but it wasn’t enough to kill me.

The headache that had been tormenting me in the living room was completely gone, and now my head was clear. Of course, all my memories were intact.

I was dying to kneel in front of Liliana right now, but my first priority should be getting out of here. Hence, I postponed the remorse and regret.

This was the Allwyn house. I didn’t expect to be brought to this place, but fortunately, I had the layout of the Allwyn house memorized. It was the result of my thorough research when we were about to rescue Cedric.

Liliana wasn’t there.

Back then, I had fought back, and managed to cut off the right arm of the man who had taken us—a man named “Yan.” However, the headache took its toll on my body, and in the end, I was captured along with Liliana.

Welcoming me from the carriage were Sandra and two maids.

Sandra acted like the mistress of the Allwyn household, ordering the maids to prepare Liliana. She even welcomed the duke as if he were her husband, to which the duke responded in kind.

I resisted with every ounce of my power when I was taken out of the carriage, and ended up being taken into another room like a baggage.

By Yan’s order, I was subjected to whipping and beatings. He was obviously very upset about having his arm cut. He seemed to be quite confident in his skills, but he was no match for me, let alone Alphonse.

I looked around, wondering what to do. Then, I bent down, rolling up the bottom of my trousers with my mouth. I ran my lips along the edge of my boot, biting into the part that felt a little different, and pulled it out.

It was a sleek knife, almost as thin as paper, but with a wavy blade. I held it in my mouth and tried to cut the rope around my legs. The special blade cut through the firm rope little by little.

—But just as I was about to break free, I heard some footsteps. In a panic, I hid the knife under a broken bottle nearby and collapsed to the floor.

“Good day, Marquis.”

It was Sandra. I sharpened my consciousness, anticipating her next action.

I sensed the presence of another person, probably next to Sandra.

“Oh my, is he dead?”

“He’s just asleep. His chest is rising and falling. Maybe it’s the drug.”

From the voice, I could tell that the one standing next to her was Duke Fuchsberger.

“If only you had married Margaret back then. You could’ve lived without wants.”

“—I don’t want someone with such an awful personality.”

I slowly opened my eyes and turned around to see Sandra. She stared back at me with a look of shock on her face. The duke was still looking down at me with an unreadable expression. He could’ve rivaled Frederick with that one.

“You’re awake?”

“Who wouldn’t after hearing such a terrible voice? …Where’s Liliana?”

I growled.

Sandra walked away from the duke and came over to me, giggling. She looked down at me. I frowned when I noticed that she was holding the whip that Yan had placed at the entrance.

“The girl is in the middle of getting ready for her wedding.”

“She’s my wife.”

“Until she leaves this mansion, anyway. She’ll marry an old man who’s into dead bodies. Don’t worry, even if she stops breathing, I’m sure she’ll still be beautiful.”

“You—!”

I stood up at the thought and Sandra withdrew in surprise. The duke gently supported her.

“It’s dangerous to approach too casually.”

“I didn’t think you’d be able to get up. Maybe Liyan didn’t hit him hard enough.”

“—Liliana is my wife! Touch her and I’ll cut your head off!”

I shouted, interrupting their conversation. But Sandra laughed amusedly, cocking her head with a smile of ecstasy. Her walnut-colored hair fell softly over her shoulders.

“Don’t be stupid, you’re a prisoner now. What can you even do? Or… Do you want to be punished?”

Without hesitation, she swung the whip against my shoulder. A dry snap echoed through the dungeon, and a burning pain spread through my shoulder.

However, I didn’t look away from Sandra.

Perhaps not liking my constant staring, Sandra smiled silently as she swung the whip down on me, again and again.

Liliana had to endure this back then, over and over again…

I gritted my teeth, enduring the pain as anger swelled in the pit of my stomach.

“…Lady Sandra, Lady Liliana’s preparations are complete.”

A female voice came from the darkness, and Sandra’s hand stopped.

“You heard her. Come on, Sandra. Let’s go.”

“I see. Well, I don’t really care anyway. Time to finish up.”

Sandra tossed the whip she was holding to the side and looked back at me, who had collapsed to the floor.

“Don’t worry, Marquis. Once she’s all set, I’ll let you see her one last time. I can’t promise if she’ll be alive, though.”

“Don’t mess with me! I’ll kill you!”

“Then try. You’re my precious goods. At last, my revenge will come true. I won’t let anyone get in my way.”

Sandra smiled happily and placed her hand in the duke’s hand. Then, she started walking.

I hurled all the profanities I could at her back, but neither Sandra nor the duke looked back at me. Not even once.

The door slammed shut, and darkness fell upon me once more. The cellar, lit only by the feeble light of a candle, was silent, leaving me all by myself.

“…Alright, time to go.”

I muttered with a grin and tore off the rope around my feet, which had almost snapped.

---

***T/N: Damn ofc stepmom into bdsm too

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