The Duchess of the Attic

"Father! Are you okay!?

Speaking to the Marquis of Bapot from a slightly remote position, Erik glanced at Opal with a kick.

Did the listeners remind you of Erik's presence, or reopen the distance they were packing?

"What are you doing to your father?" There's no way even a suspect can tolerate such violence! We should get him out of here now!

"They insulted my husband. It would be my wife's right to protest, wouldn't it?

"What?"

"Marquise Roussel, go on"

Alessandro urged Opal, who disputed Erik, to continue.

In short, the King acknowledged Opal's claim.

Opal gently broke his knee to show his gratitude and acknowledgement, and Erik pushed remorsefully.

"We are finished testing whether these letters are fake or not, Marquis. He also said that the Marquis of Saymes was allowed to connect with you. Here are the records from that time, and the signatories have the names of the Duke of McCloud and Viscount Cloisel."

"Isn't the Duke of McCloud your ex-husband"

"Yeah, what's that?

"I don't trust anything like that. Didn't you turn your hand around?

"... for what?

"The Duke of McCloud has been sifting a lot of power in the Royal Palace lately, hasn't he? Isn't that why the Marquis of Saymes got in the way? Even Lucell would, wouldn't he? Me and my son must have been blind to be His Majesty's first minister. So you must have plotted such a conspiracy across both countries. Don't you think so, gentlemen?

Marquis Bapot asked confidently to those who were listening.

Then the nobles among them - especially those who are supposedly moderate but neutral - begin to whisper with their surroundings.

Alessandro looked strange, as Claude and Sir Barba were dismayed at the state of the matter.

"- Marquis Bapot, your assumption is a very interesting one, but why should Lord McCloud (...) deliberately fall on Marquis Saymes (...), and you or the Amadi child (...), where Lord Botzeri (...) deliberately is Marquis Bapot (...)? Both my husband and former (...) husband (...) already have more status and wealth than any more. Oh, and I keep a small fortune, too, don't I? If my difficulty in sparing the advance was the reason for this disturbance, I would have lent you as much money as I could."

To the words of the loathsome Opal, everyone seems to have finally remembered that the woman in front of them now possesses a high status and extra wealth.

Until then, he was distracted by all the bad rumors, and he didn't know how horrible it would be to turn it around on his enemies.

Until then those who whispered to each other shut their mouths perfectly, and corrected their posture without heart.

"How lowly. Aren't you just bragging about taking a man in a position in your hand? Rumor has it, it's out of order.

It was Claude's fist that blocked Teuri's words of contempt, which were only defeat.

Now the Kingsguard also noticed Claude's movements, but he never stopped them, and he's not going to blame them.

"Claude! What are you gonna do to my brother!?

"It's my husband's natural right to have his wife insulted, isn't it?

Opal ran over to Claude, who replied to Erik's protest with a gentle wave of his right hand.

Then I'll check Claude's right hand to see if he's hurt.

"It's turning red. Any pain?"

It's not a big deal.

"But..."

"Lucell, I'm tired of that exchange."

Alessandro spoke with dissatisfaction to Claude, who laughed that he was okay with the worried opal.

It would be a dislike for the exchange yesterday and the opposite.

The people around them seemed surprised, but this time they had no choice, and there was nothing to deny the leaking conversation.

Opal and Claude lowered their heads gently to Alessandro, moving away from the Marquis of Terri and Bapot, who held down their cheeks and glanced abominably at them, returning to their original positions.

"Then let me continue. This is the back book of the Reed mine...... The lawyers of the Kingdom of Socieux have confirmed that the output of these gold coincides roughly with the volume of smuggled imports entered in the books of the Marquis of Saymes. Here's a signed deed from several lawyers representing Judge Kenzit."

"Why!? How could the lawyers of the kingdom of Socieux have checked those books!?

"That's because, of course, I let you know"

"So why! How!? I should have disposed of those books early in the first place!

Opal tilted his neck wondering why he didn't know when the answer was already out to Cole, who asks in desperate shape.

Or maybe Cole just doesn't want to admit his unlikely lapse.

"While I was staying at the Duke's mansion at the foot of the Reed mine, I was bored and Julian brought me this book."

"Julian! It's still him!

Cole screamed in such a way as half angry and half moaning.

My expression changes for a moment whether I was upset by Julian's name, not only Connally, but even Marquis Bapot.

When Opal was trapped in the attic, it was Cole's back book, not the book, that Julian brought.

Opal pulled the numbers out of the books and entrusted Julian with a letter he wrote to his uncle, the legal officer of the Kingdom of Société, asking him to look into it.

"Did you just not dispose of the books yourself and leave it to Julian!?

"Mr. Connally, I thought you said Julian could be trusted!

"Julian was introduced by the Marquis of Bapot in the first place -"

"Shut up!"

It was the Marquis de Bapot who silenced Cole and Connally, who began to impersonate the blame.

The whole hall quiets back to its sword screen.

The Marquis stared at Opal with an angry look on his face.

"I did have a degree of intimacy with the Marquis of Saymes on several occasions. The evidence and the doings were probably used to forge the relationship. I just know how cautious a man the Marquis of Saymes is. I should have been able to keep track of the lawyers' movements first, but I'm not surprised why they couldn't take action"

"... no one can forgive evil. I'm sure there was someone who moved ahead of the lawyers?

Opal asked Lubbo to get those pieces of evidence before the lawyers or Hubert could move.

True (...) Eh (...) When (...) I remembered that Lubbo the Gold Lender took it on me in two replies, Opal hurriedly tightened his expression when he almost laughed.

"After all, you turned your hand first, didn't you?

"Marquis Bapot, your attitude would be rude to my wife. Apologize to me."

"Claude, it's okay. You don't need to apologize just for your mouth. Be your son. Be yourself, you know exactly what you think of me."

To Claude, who stood up and held him to shelter, Opal gently slapped his arm that he was okay.

Erik couldn't bear a good addition or subtraction to Opal and Claude, who wouldn't break their usual pace even on such occasions.

He pointed and sued Opal, while being held back by the Kingsguard in an attempt to move forward and forth.

"Both Claude and the Duke of McCloud are fooled! Be careful, Your Majesty! That woman must be the devil who confuses men! A man named Julien was fooled by that woman, too!

"Oh..."

Unlike Opal, who thought swallowingly that he hadn't been told of a demon in a long time, Claude held his fist in anger.

When Opal realizes it, he stops Claude's arm for a long time.

"Opal......"

"It's not enough to be angry, Your Majesty."

I almost said I was enjoying it and realized that Alessandro's grin had grown louder.

Both Opal and Claude wondered what the hell was going on and were much more breathtaking to the person who showed up.

Passing in front of those two, the shadow approached Erik and hit him shortly before the Kingsguard stopped.

"Julian!"

"... that it's Julian?

As the women screamed, not only Opal, but Cole and Connally also called the names of the intruders.

It was Tulli who was surprised by the name, and Erik glanced up at Julian, who was being held by the Kingsguard without being able to speak.

"What are the guards doing! Why is the man here!?

"Because they called me as a witness. Besides, the Kingsguard is doing a good job, isn't he? But will you let me go? Because I have every right to beat this guy up."

Julian answered the angry question of the Marquis Bapot in a floating manner, telling the Kingsguard knights to release him.

As Lord Barba signals by hand to the knights to obey, the knights hesitate but let go of their hand from Julian.

Unlike his previous servants, Julian, dressed in the attire he deserved to get out in front of the king, put on his messy clothes.

"Right? What the hell right does that woman's mistress have!

The exhilaration of the audience found out Julian was Opal's runaway opponent grew from the Marquis' appeal, which did not hold his anger.

Julian bows gracefully toward the Marquis and the audience as she whispers here and there in a whispering voice.

"Long time no see, Marquis Bapot. Both Mr. Connally and Mr. Cole took care of that verse. And nice to meet you all. My name is Julian Holloway. He's the brother of Opal, the strange sister who's standing there."