I Never Wanted His Child - Chapter 120
‧₊˚ ☁️⋅♡𓂃 ࣪ ִֶָ☾.
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“What on earth is this…”
“P-please, urgh. Let me, let me go.”
The royal guards arriving in Epoheim hesitated to enter the scene before them.
Not a single dog that should have been in the cages was visible.
There should have been at least ten, but where had they gone? Instead, people were confined in the cages.
The people crammed into the small cages noticed the guards and shouted.
“Let us out! Please!”
Their bodies were covered in filth from being crammed into such a narrow, contaminated space.
Etrez pulled out a handkerchief, covering his nose, and approached them.
“Gargen.”
“Please let us out! We’ve given money to the King!”
“Yes, yes. Sir Etrez. Why are you so late? This isn’t what was promised!”
Gargen shouted with a cracked voice from within the cage. His body showed signs of severe beatings.
“What should we do?”
Kossel asked Etrez. Given that the Duke had released them, it was highly likely they had confessed.
“Do you think they’ve said everything?”
“Sir, I’m certain they’ve confessed everything they know.”
“Well then, there’s no need to deliberate further.”
“Wait, wait! What are you saying! Sir Etrez! I haven’t said anything!”
Gargen shouted desperately. He felt he might die if this continued.
That bastard Duke Heinrich said he’d spare him!
“If you confess, you’ll be spared. I’ll even give you money to leave the kingdom.”
He had been lured into this situation, and now his life was truly at risk.
Instead, he had to return to the dogfighting arena with the Duke’s guards, and they took the dogs with them.
As the remaining people looked around in confusion, they felt a heavy pain in their necks and lost consciousness.
When they woke up, they found themselves in a cage with a bag of money.
Etrez looked at Gargen with disbelief.
“You really didn’t say anything?”
“Yes! Would I have said I was crazy? My life is at stake!”
Gargen lied to save himself. To some extent, it was true. He hadn’t spoken but had written everything down. He confessed everything but had at least not spoken it aloud.
The logic was as twisted as a dog’s, but with his life on the line, what did it matter?
Etrez observed Gargen defending himself with desperate intensity, his eyes indifferent.
“No loose ends.”
“Yes, as you command.”
“What is this nonsense! Are you trying to kill me? No! Stop!”
“Please, save me! Save us, my lords!”
The people trapped in the cage cried out. However, Etrez did not look back and exited Epoheim.
His subordinates quickly brought pieces of wood and scattered them around. They then took out matches and set fire to the wood.
The flames roared to life almost instantly. The agonized voices of the people could be heard, but the royal guards shut the iron door and left as if nothing had happened.
“Ensure that the building is watched until it is completely destroyed. Not a single survivor should remain.”
“Yes!”
Etrez headed to the palace to report to the king.
* * *
The day was gloomy. The hot sun that had once sprinkled golden dust on the leaves was nowhere to be seen.
The dark clouds hung heavy, and it seemed as if rain would pour down any moment.
The Duke’s residence was bustling with activity, perhaps due to yesterday’s events and the importance of the wedding.
Amid the commotion, Emilia completed her preparations.
She hadn’t seen him yesterday. After the royal guards had come, he seemed to have vanished into busyness.
Thanks to that, Emilia had slept comfortably and awoke refreshed.
“You look stunning.”
“Thank you. And the Duke?”
“He said he would go to the carriage as soon as he finished his preparations.”
Emilia took a deep breath and stared directly at her reflection in the mirror.
“Could you step aside for a moment?”
Dell nodded. Once alone, Emilia walked over to the bed and retrieved the dagger hidden in the pillow.
Seeing the untouched weapon brought a smile to her face. She wrapped the dagger in a cloth and strapped it to her thigh.
She couldn’t let her guard down until nightfall. She also remembered to take the medicine returned to her by the maid.
She needed to avoid making any regrets before it was too late.
* * *
The wedding took place in the Majestic Hall of the main palace.
Nobles from across the kingdom gathered to celebrate the marriage.
It was an unprecedentedly grand wedding.
However, not everyone’s face at the ceremony was bright.
Adrian’s expression remained rigid as he watched them.
“Adrian, smile. Everyone is watching.”
Even at Lady Luther’s whispered encouragement, Adrian maintained his emotionless face.
“I’m glad you’re at ease, Mother.”
“Didn’t we burn everything to erase the evidence?”
“But the disappearance of the dogs bothers me. The Duke has requested an audience after the wedding.”
“Don’t worry. The Duke won’t be able to do anything. At this point, it would be too risky for him to make a move.”
Despite Lady Luther’s reassurances, Adrian remained anxious.
‘What did he do with those dogs? He must have found out something to request an audience.’
