Published: August 1, 2025
――Time rewinds a little.――
I carefully placed my feet forward, as if gripping the dark, damp cobblestones with my toes.
Step by step, I proceeded cautiously. Lord Cyrus, who was walking ahead, turned back.
“Now that we’ve come this far, it’s safe. It’s alright to talk a little.”
I lifted my face, which had been looking down all this time, and noticed that the ceiling was higher than before. We had moved quite far from the entrance, and it seemed we were already within the city.
I exhaled deeply. Lord Cyrus gently took my tightly clenched hand. Though I felt a little embarrassed, more than that, I felt comforted by his warmth.
“...Thank you. I didn’t think I had claustrophobia, but it seems I’m terribly exhausted...”
“That’s only natural. Even trained soldiers get worn out navigating underground tunnels. You’ve been remarkably strong.”
“Still, with your guidance and the light, it’s much easier. The ground is nicely leveled.”
Lord Cyrus nodded.
“It’s a passage built for military use. It’s meant not only for important figures to escape but also for assault squads to pass through.”
“That’s amazing. I had no idea. I never imagined such a vast underground tunnel network existed beneath the royal capital...”
I couldn’t help but sigh. Lord Cyrus smiled mischievously.
“It’s the guardian deity of Dilz, the secret weapon of Granado Fortress. Even the royal family only passes knowledge from the old king to the new king during coronation. Even within the Granado Family, only the head is informed — it’s a genuine state secret.”
“...I’m sorry. Even though it’s an emergency, was it alright for me to find out...?”
Lord Cyrus’s face showed surprise for a moment, then he broke into a chuckle.
“What are you saying? You’re the lord of the castle’s wife, the mistress, aren’t you? There’s no way it’s wrong.”
“But...”
“We simply didn’t tell you until now because there was no need to. Ideally, I’d want to avoid using it from now on.”
He said that with a dark expression. I lowered my eyes silently.
For some reason, our wedding hadn’t taken place for a long time — the church where the ceremony was to be held hadn’t set a date. At first, it seemed like a simple matter. But when Mio infiltrated the royal palace, the truth that came to light was unimaginably terrifying.
The church was under pressure from the royal family. They were blocking our marriage and trying to marry Princess Reimia to Lord Cyrus to bring him under the royal family’s influence. Simultaneously, they pressured Lord Ruifeng, Lord Cyrus’s close friend, into an arranged marriage to have the Granado Family protect him. If the marriage to Princess Reimia failed, they were ready to accuse Ruifeng of kidnapping and seize the family headship — a double scheme.
Even after the plan was revealed, the reason remained unclear. The duke is certainly the second most powerful after the king, but he keeps a distance from politics. At this point, the royal family should not see the Granado Family as a thorn in their side... What benefit would they gain from destroying the Granado Family?
When I first heard this from Mio, I voiced that question immediately. But Lord Cyrus, Mio, and Wolfgang all shrugged in confusion.
“Well... I really don’t know why. Neither my father nor I have any intention of a coup, nor have we shown any signs of one.”
“If the duke family was in the way, they’d go after Lord Alfred. Lionel’s actions make it seem like they’re targeting you personally, which is a mystery.”
“That doesn’t make sense at all. Our tax contributions are enormous.”
“If we fall, it would affect the national budget, right?”
All three of them tilted their heads in unison toward the other side.
If these three didn’t have a clue, no one else probably would. Since no answers emerged from worrying, we decided to act.
I wrote a large number of letters. Mio entrusted them to carrier pigeons to be sent everywhere. Lord Cyrus gave instructions to Wolfgang, and the butler distributed them to all the servants.