I Thought It Was a Common Transmigration - Chapter 115

‘So…… did they leave me trapped there to die?’

A hollow laugh flowed out.

No matter how much I thought about it, I couldn’t understand it.

If they thought I was part of the Riegelhoffs, they should have dragged me out and cut my throat, and if not, they should have rescued me.

‘They didn’t think I was part of this, but they didn’t want to save me either……?’

That’s all I could think of because they left me there, tied up like a prisoner and beaten.

If they left me there and claimed not to know about it, the Ludwigs would not be held responsible for my death.

‘Killian…… this, was this something you agreed to?’

In the original story, Cliff’s rescue is something that both Duke Ludwig and Killian know about. It is something Cliff agreed to do after careful planning.

‘Then Killian must be aware of the plan……’

Thinking about the original story, I stood there for a moment, staring up at the sky, which was half covered in light gray clouds.

‘It’s winter again…… and it’s only been a year since I married Killian. Edith only appears for a year in the original story.’

A lot of things had happened in that one year, but when I tried to think of them, all I could see was Killian’s face.

“The person who made the best use of your ‘billboard’ is Killian Ludwig.”

Sophia’s words cluttered my mind.

She’d said he was being nice to me to show others……

‘Was he being nice to me when others weren’t looking, just to completely deceive me?’

I wanted to believe it wasn’t, but negative imaginations continued to arise one after another.

If Killian really accepted me as his wife, there was no way Cliff would have abandoned me, no matter how much he hated me.  He’s not the kind of older brother who ignores his younger brother’s will.

So the meaning of abandoning me like this was clear.

‘You don’t need me anymore?’

I suddenly broke down, remembering how I had tried so desperately to win a piece of Killian’s heart.

But even in the midst of despair and hopelessness, humans are animals that feel hunger and cold.

“Ugh, it’s cold.”

Shivering in pain, I thought about what to do.

‘Think positive, think positive. I’m still alive anyway.’

My “Plan B” of being nice to the extras ended up saving my life.

If it weren’t for the mercenaries loosening the rope, I would have starved to death or frozen to death in that dark basement.

‘Now I can finally spend the money I deposited in the bank.’

I had to quickly get the money before the Ludwigs blocked withdrawals from my safe.

I opened the safe under an assumed name, but I assumed Duke Ludwig could easily figure it all out.

“If you’re lucky enough to survive, untie yourself and run. This is Wellesley, south of the capital, so when you get out, run north.”

I remembered the mercenary’s words.

I looked at the sun among the clouds, looked down at my own shadow, and started walking north.

Even getting to the center of the capital from here was not a safe bet right now, and I told myself to focus on that.

***

The outcome of the territorial war between Duke Ludwig and Count Riegelhoff came sooner than many expected.

It was a great victory for Duke Ludwig.

Even those who expected Duke Ludwig to win did not expect it to end so quickly.

“Archduke Langston and Count Riegelhoff were too arrogant against Duke Ludwig and His Majesty the Emperor.”

“How foolish of them to rush in without even knowing the enemy well enough……”

“Don’t say things you don’t know. It’s not that Archduke Langston and Count Riegelhoff were sloppy, it’s that Duke Ludwig and His Majesty the Emperor are not easy opponents.”

Those who had supported Archduke Langston in social circles now changed their stance as if they had supported the Emperor and Duke Ludwig from the beginning.

No wonder, for the Houses who had supported Archduke Langston were all in danger of extinction.

“Attempting to assassinate the Emperor…… is treasonous beyond measure, isn’t it?”

“I feel sorry for Archduke Langston, I heard it was his son who did it.”

“Hey, watch your tongue. Even if it was his son who did it, do you really think the Archduke didn’t know about it?”

As soon as the assassination attempt failed, the imperial family, as if they had been waiting, rounded up Archduke Langston and all five of the Houses who had supported him. Those who ran away were wanted, but with the head of the family and his heirs captured, exile was almost certain.

Unusually, Duke Ludwig was allowed to execute Count Riegelhoff on his own terms, especially since he had provoked them by staging a territorial war and kidnapping.

While Cliff held Riegelhoff’s captives in a cell outside the Ludwig mansion and prepared them for execution, the Duke and Killian returned to the capital.

“Well done, father. Well done, Killian.”

Cliff, waiting at the mansion, greeted his returning father and brother.

Duke Ludwig dismounted and, without a word, walked briskly to embrace the Duchess, who stood behind Cliff, supported by a maid.

“I’m sorry for the trouble, Jocelyn.”

“I’m fine. Don’t worry, honey.”

Killian dismounted and shook his head as he watched the passionate reunion between his father and mother.

It seemed like everyone from House Ludwig had gathered, but no matter where he looked, he couldn’t see the one face he was looking for.

“Brother. Where’s Edith?” Killian asked, still looking for Edith’s reddish-brown hair.

But there was no answer from Cliff.

“Brother……?”

“Killian. That woman helped kidnap our mother and Lizé.”

“What……?”

The Duke turned his head around as Killian asked incredulously.

“Are you sure about this? Please explain in detail, Cliff.”

“Apparently they planned on raiding the mansion in the first place; that woman had been acting suspiciously while wandering around the mansion.”

The Duke knew this, but Killian had never heard it before, and his brow furrowed.

“Suspicious? What did she do?”

“She had been wandering around the mansion at night checking the doors. I think she was trying to do something to the back door, and there was a maid who saw her open it and fiddle with the lock.”

“Just a guess, right? Or do you have any proof?”

“That’s not all, she had also been wandering around where there were no doors to check…… in every corner of the mansion.”

Cliff spoke as if that was some kind of proof, but Killian snorted.

“You can’t just take that as proof, can you?”

“Killian.”

“And who saw Edith wandering around every corner of the mansion like you said?”

“Lizé saw her.”

“So you’re saying that Lizé also wandered around every corner of the mansion like Edith did, but you don’t suspect her?”

Lizé looked surprised, as did Cliff.

“Lizé is like our family.”

“Edith is our family too! We’ve been married for almost a year, how long are you going to treat her like a stranger?”

Killian could understand a little of the resentment and frustration Edith must have felt living in this house.

Her every move was assumed to be part of some conspiracy, simply because she was the daughter of Count Riegelhoff.

But this time, Cliff was stubborn. “Edith wasn’t there when we went to the rescue, and I think they took her somewhere, but they refused to tell us where.”

It was then that Lizé spoke up, cautiously. “When I woke up there, it was just me, the Duchess, and them. I haven’t seen Edith since she was taken, Killian.”

“The maid of Riegelhoff also admitted that they took Edith.”

Killian’s eyes widened at Cliff’s further explanation.

“The maid? You mean the maid named Sophia?”

“Yes. The maid that Edith had back then.”

Killian felt a subtle twinge of discomfort there.

“Tell me more about what that maid said.”

“She said something like ‘This kind of place is not suitable for my lady,’ I guess.”

“Is that all she said?”

“Yes. Anything else?”

Cliff probably meant, “Is there anything else needed to prove that Edith is a spy for them?” but Killian sensed something wasn’t right.

‘That maid, Sophia, tried to save Edith’s life? The one who stared maliciously at her as if to kill her?’

The maid named Sophia was more like hating Edith.

Edith’s bruised back from Sophia’s beatings was still vivid in Killian’s memory.

Even if Edith had decided to be loyal to her family again, Sophia didn’t seem loyal enough to let her escape on her own.

“This is ridiculous……”

Then Duke Ludwig, who had been listening to Cliff, spoke up, “Killian, I understand your reluctance to believe. But this is not something that can be forgiven out of sympathy or affection.”

“So, has the search team been deployed?”

“Yes. We couldn’t send many because they had to defend the mansion, but now that all the knights are back, we’re going to increase our search force.”

Cliff and the Duke seemed to believe that Edith must have helped Shane, but Killian could not.

If, if Edith had indeed betrayed House Ludwig and turned against Killian, he wanted to hear it from Edith herself.

Killian said with a cold face,