IGBD 62

chapter 62

Yuan’s furious gaze fell upon Serret’s clothes, stained with filth. Clenching his fists tightly, he gave instructions to Hanna.

“It seems we need to change her clothes.”

“Yes, I’ll change her immediately,” Hanna replied with a sniffle.

Yuan gently stroked Serret’s head, entrusted his wife to Hanna, and left the bedroom.

“Your Grace,” the butler, who happened to be coming up the stairs, approached quickly upon seeing Yuan exit the bedroom.

Yuan handed the club to the butler and spoke in a cold, commanding voice.

“Contact the police. The Duchess has been attacked.”

“Yes, Your Grace,” the butler said, flinching as he took the club. Both the Duke’s voice and the bloodstained club were enough to put him on edge.

Recognizing the seriousness of the situation, the butler hurried down the stairs again.

Yuan looked back at Serret’s bedroom with a fearful expression. He was afraid to open the door again. Opening it felt like he would face Serret, cold and lifeless, as if in a nightmare.

He brushed his face with his hand and reminded himself that this was not a dream. Serret would be fine. Trying to calm his emotions, Yuan grabbed the bedroom doorknob.

Inside, Hanna was struggling to change Serret’s clothes. She was still sobbing, evidently not yet calm.

Yuan approached to help Hanna but froze. Serret was his wife, yet this was not the time to help her change clothes.

Seeing Serret’s pale skin over Hanna’s shoulder, Yuan cleared his throat and stepped back. Standing to the side, he heard Hanna speak.

“It’s done, Your Grace.”

Turning back, Yuan looked at Serret.

Seeing her lying there with a pale face, he felt almost unbearably heartbroken. Who dared harm this woman… His eyes, filled with quiet rage, landed on the soiled bedsheets.

Deciding he could not leave her on the dirty bed, Yuan lifted Serret in his arms and carried her out of the room.

He glanced at Serret’s small face in his arms, his sorrowful gaze taking in every detail.

There was a scratch on her cheekbone from when she had fallen. The red mark on her pale skin stood out vividly, and Yuan’s heart ached.

The amount of blood on the club was minimal, so Serret had likely just lost consciousness briefly. Yet, why did he feel such unease?

Swallowing his anxiety, Yuan carried her to his bedroom. He laid Serret on the bed and carefully covered her with the blanket.

Sitting on the edge of the bed, Yuan stroked her head and held her hand. Pressing his lips to her hand, he braced himself to endure this horrifying time alone.

Soon after, Dr. Kane arrived. Yuan’s eyes reflected anxiety as he watched him enter the bedroom.

“Your Grace… I heard the Duchess was injured,” Dr. Kane said, greeting him, though Yuan barely acknowledged it.

“Examine her immediately…” Yuan’s voice was urgent as he looked at Serret.

“Yes, Your Grace,” Kane replied, approaching her with a slightly tense expression.

“She was attacked by an intruder. There’s a wound on her head,” Yuan explained. Kane’s eyes widened in shock, and he let out a small breath before beginning the examination.

When Kane finished and straightened up, Yuan asked immediately,

“What’s her condition?”

“The wound isn’t deep. It doesn’t require stitches. We’ll need her awake to know for sure, but her heart rate and pupil response are normal,” Kane answered.

“That’s a relief.”

Hearing Kane say there was no major issue, Yuan wiped his face and felt a wave of relief. His gaze returned to the sleeping Serret.

“I’ll treat her injuries and stay here until she wakes,” Kane said.

“Please do,” Yuan nodded.

At that moment, a hesitant servant entered the room. Yuan looked at him as he spoke.

“Your Grace, the police have arrived. They’re in the reception room.”

Yuan nodded and instructed Hanna to accompany him. Her testimony from the scene would be necessary.

Descending the stairs, every step Yuan took was filled with anger. With each stride, it felt as though rage gnawed at his body.

Entering the reception room with a hardened expression, he saw that even the Capital Police Chief had arrived, likely because the Duchess had been attacked.

Yuan introduced Hanna to them.

“She’s the maid who was with my wife.”

All eyes turned to Hanna, who swallowed nervously and clasped her hands. She told herself she had to stay composed to help catch the person who hurt her mistress, but her hands trembled nonetheless.

“Let’s begin the investigation,” Yuan said, sitting on a single-seater sofa, watching the police closely. His expression clearly conveyed that he would observe how they conducted the investigation.

The police stiffened at Yuan’s gaze. Not only had they been suddenly tasked with the Duchess’s attack case, but the presence of Duke Fractuster added another layer of pressure.

“Please explain the situation in detail,” one officer asked Hanna.

“Well… um,” Hanna began slowly recounting the events.

The police listened with rigid faces. Then, the investigating officer tilted his head and asked,

“So you’re saying they went to the Berun household because of the maid Sophia’s case?”

“Yes,” Hanna replied, sneaking a glance at Yuan. Serret had ordered her not to reveal anything about Lydia, so she carefully omitted that part, aware of the Duke’s watchful eyes.

“The Duchess seemed particularly fond of that maid, visiting personally,” the officer commented.

“Yes… Sophia had younger siblings, and my lady… the Duchess… cared for them greatly,” Hanna explained, skirting the full details under Yuan’s gaze.

“Do you think the maid’s death and my wife’s attack are connected?” Yuan’s sharp eyes turned to the police.

“A note recently arrived at Sophia’s home. It mentioned her exhaustion from caring for her siblings after her father passed. Friends confirmed her handwriting, so it appears her death will be ruled a suicide.”

The police indirectly indicated that Sophia’s death was unrelated to Serret’s attack.

“That’s not… exactly…” Hanna opened her mouth as if to speak but ultimately closed it. Yuan looked at her curiously, then turned his attention back to the officer’s words.

“It seems likely this was a robbery. The Berun district is high-risk, and since the Duchess went there, she was an easy target,” the officer explained.

“You mean a simple theft?” Yuan asked.

“These incidents happen several times a day in Berun. Even as we speak, someone is probably being mugged or robbed,” the officer said.

The Berun area was essentially a gathering place for criminals. Unless someone died, incidents there barely registered with the authorities. If the victim hadn’t been the Duchess, the police wouldn’t have even cared.

“Hearing that makes it sound like what happened to my wife was no big deal,” Yuan said calmly, but his expression was icy.

“Because she went to Berun,” the officer added, nodding without realizing the Duke’s cold expression.

“So you’re implying my wife is at fault for going there?” Yuan’s tone was sharp.

“Yes… if she hadn’t gone, this wouldn’t have happened,” the oblivious officer replied too bluntly, and the police chief lightly tapped him with his knee.

“Very well. Since it seems the police are unwilling, I will request special investigative authority from His Majesty,” Yuan said, standing without taking his eyes off the officers.

Special investigative authority allowed a noble to exercise the powers of a judge and police with imperial approval. It was often abused, so approval wasn’t easily granted—but if Duke Fractuster requested it, it would be approved within an hour.

“No! That’s not what I mean! I’ll conduct a thorough investigation,” the chief stammered at the mention of special authority.

Yuan gazed at the officers coldly.

“Catch the culprit and make them kneel before me.”

His eyes were as sharp as blades. The police avoided his gaze, nervously lowering their eyes.

“I don’t believe it will take long. You are competent, after all.”

With that, Yuan left the reception room, letting them prove their abilities.

Exhaling deeply once outside, he thought, Whoever hurt my wife will not go unpunished. Man or woman, noble or lowly, even a god will pay the price.

Yuan’s ash-gray eyes glinted with ferocity.

Anita’s body trembled. Waiting alone in an empty room for Lydia, the fear was nearly unbearable.

What if the Duchess is dead? What if someone saw me? Anxiety churned in her stomach, imagining the police dragging her away at any moment.

Then the door opened, and Lydia entered. Returning from tea with the Emperor, she approached Anita, looking puzzled.

“Anita, the medicine bottle?”

“I’ve retrieved it,” Anita replied.

“If we had handled it properly the first time, we wouldn’t have had to go twice,” Lydia muttered, sighing, and slumped on the couch.

“Um… Your Highness,” Anita said, fear on her face.

Lydia, flipping a magazine idly, looked at Anita. Nodding for her to speak, Anita swallowed hard and began slowly.

“I ran into Duchess Fractuster while retrieving the bottle.”

“What?”

Lydia closed the magazine and sat up straight. No one could mistake Anita for her maid, and Serret knew it too.

“So? What happened?” Lydia urged, looking anxious. Anita recounted the situation carefully.

After hearing Anita, Lydia sighed and placed her hand on her forehead, looking slightly exasperated.

“Serret didn’t see your face, did she?”

“She hit from behind, so she wouldn’t have seen it,” Anita nodded.

“Anita,” Lydia said, her voice low, rising to her feet.

Anita shrank, expecting a slap, but none came.

Instead, Lydia grabbed Anita’s shoulders firmly. Feeling Lydia’s hand, Anita peeked up.

Lydia’s fierce eyes locked on her. Feeling the intensity, Anita shrank further.

“Serret is someone precious,” Lydia said, gripping Anita’s shoulders tightly.