[Chapter 172] Neris in Captivity

Neris woke up feeling refreshed after a long time. There was no need to waste time chatting with palace investigators for hours now.

If they could delay for a few days, the Elendria family would cross an irreversible river, and then it would be goodbye forever.

The roots of the Elendria family would not be completely uprooted. The palace liked to boast about the legendary three heroes, so they would try to maintain the Elendria family's name.

But restraining them from rising again could be done by Kemil alone. If the palace turned a blind eye, there was no need to say more.

"Now, who will Nelucian marry this time?"

The Viscount would likely know that Nelucian was overly kind to Neris. Despite being preoccupied with the current situation, he was a naturally astute and perceptive man.

To escape this situation, the Viscount considered his son's marriage. Although he had wealth and connections, his status did not match, so if the Elendria family offered a promising son, he would likely accept.

If the lady did not appeal to him, the marriage could be easily broken.

It was an action without faith, but had there ever been faith among the household members?

"But the Viscount's downfall will come faster than the victims."

Marriages were not confirmed within a day or two. If the palace learned of the Viscount's actions and intervened, then it would be impossible to arrange a marriage with a good household... Nelucian and Valentine might both be forced to marry into insignificant noble families chosen by the palace. The Elendria family might lose its status from Nelucian onwards and become something-Elendria, losing its grandeur...

It was a bleak outlook.

There was food on the bedside table brought by Alice. Neris reached out to eat and then dressed herself.

As she prepared to go out for a morning walk...

Click, click.

The door was locked.

Frowning, Neris continued to turn the doorknob. As she seemed determined not to give up, a threatening voice was heard just outside the door.

"It's locked."

Sure. Here is the translation of the text:

"Anda. Neris determined that the owner of that voice was Joseph.

"May I ask why it's locked?"

"It would be inconvenient if you suddenly disappeared."

"Do I have a reason to suddenly disappear?"

"You've done enough damage to this household, haven't you?"

Joseph's voice was filled with sadness and anger. Knowing him well, even from beyond the door, Neris could tell what expression he wore now.

A smile crossed her face. How did he know... Perhaps the reason he didn't like her was due to unexpected insight.

"What do you mean by 'done enough damage'?"

"You've been seducing Master Nelucian, clouding his judgment, and causing turmoil in the household. In truth, you dislike this family."

"You're speaking nonsense, Mr. Carren. If I stay quiet, I'll receive support from the Viscount and be respected anywhere. I'll be protected and well-treated. But why would I dislike this family? Everyone has treated me so well."

"I don't know why. I have no idea. But if you truly valued this family, you wouldn't have hurt Lady Valentine or expelled Delma. Most importantly, when the Wells family had trouble, you would have sought help from Lady Mariah. If you truly cared for the family, you would never..."

It was all very true. Neris laughed out loud.

There were many things that could be exposed. If Joseph spoke like this, it meant that Nelucian's mind control was almost broken. The implications received in the jewel box would slowly crumble when strongly considering the reasons why those implications could only be wrong.

Even in this situation, there was a clear laughter that showed no regret or fear. At the sound of it, Joseph growled as if angered.

"The Viscount is furious. He said there was a rat in the household and he'd rather sell it off. At least then there might be room for negotiation with the palace."

The Viscount had planned to use the abilities in the jewel box, but now that he knew Neris was uncooperative, he should have been afraid of her.

So, if he sold Neris to the palace, who wanted her, the problem of her resistance would be solved. By handing over a useful tool, he could also try to prove his loyalty to the palace.

Neris continued to smile. Everything was so absurd.

Whether in her previous life or this one, this household had always tried to sell her to the palace in some way. As if they believed she was born for their benefit.

In her previous life, she was quietly sold. Loyally to her selling owners and captors, as Valentine put it, she was loyal like a dog. Despite having abilities that didn't require her to do so, she foolishly endured.

And now, she was being treated like a rat, just for listening to words.

"If that's how the Viscount thinks, then so be it. But who knows if it will go as he wishes."

"The Duke will not help you. A spy who has been exposed is useless."

Joseph seemed to think that Cladwin had sneaked her into this place.

Ah, he saw us yesterday... Neris chuckled bitterly. How did the timing work out so well in a place where hardly anyone comes?

"Mr. Carren, you're the same. Act according to your own thoughts if that's what you believe. Don't drag out threats like this. If you want to kill me, open the door and come in to do it."

"You... have no reason to kill you. It's the Viscount's property."

"Interestingly, Mr. Carren, in Vista, freedom is considered one's own property."

I know everything I need to know. Neris walked away from the door and towards the center of the room.

"Dora."

There was no response to the whispered words. Joseph, as if suddenly remembering, spoke from outside the door.

"Last night, we searched the house thoroughly and found another rat. It must have died in some dirty alley after suffering a big wound."

"It seems it escaped well."

Indeed, the soldiers of the Elendria family were skilled individuals. If they were determined to find someone, even if it wasn't the original household member, it wouldn't be surprising if Dora was discovered.

Her heart was racing. However, Neris pretended to be calm, replied, and sat on the bed. She needed to think.

***

It was just before noon. Neris, who had been in silence, thought she heard loud noises from outside.

The elegant and noble residents of this house never made loud noises. But that... it was definitely the sound of multiple people shouting.

Neris slowly got up and approached the window. Beyond the terrace, there was a sound like thunder.

Since the window was not locked, she went outside onto the terrace. She couldn't escape with knights guarding nearby, but she could see clearly what was happening.

A man who seemed like a lower noble, a crying woman, an elderly person in shabby clothes... People in various attire, holding torches, surged through the main gate of the crumbling Elendria mansion. There were at least a hundred...

Their voices shouting wildly were initially hard to understand. But as they approached the main house of the mansion, everything became clear.

Shouts filled with anger.

"Let the murderer pay for their crimes!"

"Return my husband! Our child was not even 6 months old, you bastard!"

Neris realized who they were. They were the families of those whom the Elendria Viscount had killed or framed.

The Viscount's knights rushed out to stop them. As they were not in a warlike nature and were merely guards of the Viscount's estate, the number of knights was much fewer than the intruders. However, civilians could not easily penetrate trained armed personnel.

As the crowd was blocked by swords in front of them, their anger grew. Shouts erupted. The knights also caused a momentary disturbance.

At that moment, even in broad daylight, those who carried torches proved their malicious intent.

Thud! The first torch thrown towards the mansion fell to the ground, setting fire to the plants. The second torch set fire to the wood, and the third torch, swung wildly, successfully broke through the knights' defense.

Click! Neris's door was hastily opened. Several knights entered and firmly bound her.

Twisted into the most prisoner-like appearance since being accused of murder, Neris was dragged out. She was then roughly shoved into a carriage with iron bars waiting at the back gate of the mansion.

"If you act suspiciously, you will be killed immediately."

The Elendria Viscount's knight commander threatened harshly. However, Neris was much more interested in the smoke rising from the mansion.

"It's burning."

The house that seemed like it would never fall.

In the end, it was burning.

The sudden arrival of those at such a perfect timing was likely Cladwin's doing. Considering his methods, the Elendria mansion was likely to disappear forever before tomorrow.

The carriage surrounded by knights set off. Neris felt her heart racing with each jolt of the carriage.

There were no Cladwin's men among the knights. The newcomers due to the Delma incident were mere servants. Therefore, she had to escape before the new recruits were completely handed over to Kemil.

Perhaps in preparation for unforeseen events, the carriage moved along dark alleyways. It seemed they had covered about half the distance to the palace.

"Whoa!"

The coach suddenly stopped. The knight commander asked irritably, "What's going on?"

"There seems to be an issue, sir. We may need to stop for a moment to check."

The knight commander, cursing, approached the coachman. Suddenly, people outside the carriage exclaimed in confusion.

"A tree, a tree is falling!"

"Move aside!"

Crash, thud. A loud noise was heard.

It was a very staged sequence. The carriage suddenly stopping right before a tree fell?

Neris prepared herself, wondering if Kemil had sent Eunwol because she didn't trust the Viscount. If Kemil didn't know about her abilities, she could escape into the jewel box, so there was no need to be afraid and do nothing. But if she didn't have time to use her abilities in the jewel box, what should she do before that for maximum revenge. She was fortunate to have left her mother behind...

Click. The carriage door opened, and one of the Viscount's knights peered inside. He promptly put an end to Neris's escape attempt.

Ending the escape attempt was not Kemil-like. A glimmer of hope briefly crossed Neris's mind. Was it Cladwin?

"Thorn, Lady. Someone is waiting."

At this point, the words did not sound like something inevitable. She gritted her teeth and followed the knight out of the carriage. After all, she would be taken away anyway.

While hiding amidst the chaos, Neris thought she made eye contact with several of the Viscount's knights. But no one followed, shouting.

The identity of the kidnapper became clearer.

Even when she saw the face of the person who came out to greet her at the mansion they had arrived at after a long ride, Neris was not surprised.

"Neris!"

Surrounded by thorny trees obscuring the view inside, the mansion and the iron bars revealed nothing between them, suitable for monitoring intruders or fleeing individuals.

Nelucian stood in front of the mansion, clearly built to serve as a hideout, and embraced Neris.

Neris tried to push him away in discomfort. However, Nelucian held her as if it didn't matter whether she struggled or spoke, exerting strength in his arms.

"Let go of me!"

"Stay still. You must be exhausted today, don't waste your energy."

Neris's efforts were practically futile. But that didn't mean she would just stay still.

When Neris finally stepped on his foot, Nelucian let her go. Contrary to her expectations, he was smiling.

"You made it safely. Well done, Knight Kilsion. Please go inside."

"Yes, sir."

The knight who brought Neris hid behind the mansion.

Nelucian led Neris inside the mansion. The sound of the door closing behind her felt like a death sentence, she thought.