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Chapter 3
It wasn’t the duke.
The real culprit…
Was the Emperor.
The father had murdered his own son.
Which meant that the Duke of Vankadium…
…had been framed.
Years later, the truth would come to light.
The Imperial Family had fabricated both evidence and witnesses.
But by then, the House of Vankadium’s reputation had already been dragged through the mud.
Every noble family had turned against them.
Calling it “isolation” was putting it kindly.
It was practically exile.
This time…
I’ll help them.
Right now, Vankadium was facing the greatest crisis in its history.
There was only one way out.
To clear Rodrigo’s name.
I’ll help them prove his innocence…
…and Vankadium will protect me.
Wouldn’t that let both of us get what we wanted?
The problem was…
Where is the duke?
During the thirty-minute walk that followed lunch, I looked around everywhere.
“What are you doing, little one?”
Veronica, who had just come out of the cafeteria, walked over.
“I’m looking for His Gra— Eeep?!”
“Hup!”
She effortlessly scooped me into her arms.
Honestly…
How could someone be so strong?
“Our little one.”
“What do you even see in that dragon?”
She shook her head in complete disbelief while carrying me around.
As if on cue, every prisoner nearby lowered their eyes the moment they saw her.
“Big Sis.”
“Hmm?”
“What is it, sweetheart?”
“…Who are you?”
“Huh?”
“Everyone seems really careful around you.”
It wasn’t just in the cafeteria.
I’d noticed it all over the prison.
The other inmates seemed intimidated by Veronica.
“Were you someone important outside?”
“Are you really amazing?”
“Oh, no.”
She smiled innocently.
“Your big sister is just a gentle little bunny.”
I tilted my head.
She looked nothing like the rabbit I’d seen illustrated in an old newspaper.
“You’re way bigger than a rabbit…”
“That’s because I’m a battle bunny.”
“A battle bunny?”
Is that… a thing?
Before I could question it any further, Veronica quickly changed the subject.
“The dragon should be in his room right now.”
“His room?”
My eyes immediately lit up.
She nodded.
“I’m not sure exactly what happened…”
“But I heard he… uh…”
“…petted a prison guard’s head while they were fighting.”
“Hmm…”
Patted someone’s head…
While fighting?
I couldn’t picture it at all.
Why would they fight?
If he’d ended up in solitary confinement, it couldn’t have been over something trivial.
Still dangling comfortably in Veronica’s arms, I thought hard.
I should investigate.
Something definitely smells fishy.
* * *
At the same time…
Rodrigo Vankadium, leader of the dragons, sat in his cell with one leg crossed over the other.
His mood…
Was terrible.
“What’s the point of being a dragon? He’s basically an exile now.”
“Didn’t they find both the murder weapon and witnesses proving he killed the Crown Prince?”
“The Imperial Family even issued a complete blockade against Vankadium.”
“Doesn’t that mean they’ve clipped the dragon’s wings?”
“And even after he’s released, he’ll be under permanent house arrest.”
“They’re obviously trying to drive Vankadium out of Brosia for good.”
The assassination of a royal.
The fall of Vankadium.
A dragon’s senses were far sharper than a human’s.
Every whisper reached Rodrigo’s ears.
Normally…
He didn’t care.
He had never cared about the opinions of creatures weaker than himself.
But there was one thing…
One topic…
That crossed the line.
“Honestly, he’s useless.”
“Just like when his wife was kidnapped.”
“He couldn’t do anything back then either.”
“Didn’t his unborn daughter die too?”
There were things people simply should never say.
Rodrigo rose from his seat.
Moments later…
The dining hall doors opened.
“AAAAAH!”
“Someone… please… save—!”
Within seconds…
Several prison guards had been utterly crushed.
Rodrigo calmly returned to his bed afterward as though nothing had happened.
Magic couldn’t be used inside Izetail.
But against insects like them…
He didn’t need magic.
One hand was enough.
When the other guards finally rushed over…
The floor was already soaked in blood.
None of them even dared step inside.
Afterward…
Rodrigo offered no resistance.
He quietly allowed himself to be placed in solitary confinement.
Talking nonsense…
His murdered wife.
His daughter.
Those two people were his reverse scales—
The one thing no one was allowed to touch.
Five years ago…
For the first time in his life…
He had experienced helplessness.
The day he lost them.
How dare they…
Mention them.
His irritation had reached its limit.
The only reason he’d accepted solitary confinement so quietly…
Was because he didn’t want to see anyone.
Anyone.
Even…
That cheeky little girl.
For nearly a month, she’d stubbornly lingered around him.
She annoyed him to no end.
She looked so fragile that one careless tap could probably kill her.
Yet she kept approaching him without fear.
Everyone else wisely stayed as far away from him as possible.
But she acted as if they were close friends.
He couldn’t understand what she wanted.
And then there was the woman who was always beside her.
Her warning still echoed in his ears.
Touch my kid, and you’re dead.
As if I’d touch her.
Rodrigo snorted.
The one constantly invading someone else’s space was the child herself.
Still…
Despite how irritating she was…
He left her alone.
“Tch.”
Because…
He had a feeling killing her…
Would leave an even worse taste in his mouth.
That floating pink hair…
It reminded him far too much of someone else.
Knock. Knock.
“…Prisoner 666.”
“The Warden wants to see you.”
Perhaps because of what had happened earlier…
Even the guard’s attitude had become noticeably more respectful.
Rodrigo sighed and stepped out of his cell.
The warden of Izetail.
Within these prison walls…
His authority was absolute.
Except…
Over Rodrigo.
“Prisoner 666 reporting.”
On the top floor of Izetail stood a fortress-like office overlooking the entire prison.
Inside waited the prison warden.
Sys.
Long ago, when he had nearly been assassinated…
Rodrigo had saved his life.
Ever since then, Sys had secretly supported his benefactor from within the prison.
Once the office door closed…
Sys immediately bowed deeply.
“I apologize.”
“About today’s incident…”
“Forget it.”
“It actually worked out well.”
Rodrigo sat casually on a nearby sofa.
“I like solitary confinement more than I expected.”
“It’s quiet.”
“No one talks.”
“If possible…”
“I’d like to stay there longer.”
Sys walked over carrying a stack of documents.
“In that case…”
“I’ll extend your confinement period once you return.”
Rodrigo simply held out a hand.
As though they had rehearsed it countless times before…
Sys placed the documents into it.
“The maid who was our most promising witness…”
“…recently died in what was ruled an accident.”
“She had no family.”
“And after her close coworkers suddenly went on leave…”
“They all disappeared.”
“They cleaned up the loose ends.”
Rodrigo didn’t even need to think about it.
Anyone capable of exposing the truth…
Had been eliminated beforehand.
“Pathetic.”
He clicked his tongue and turned another page.
“We’re still searching for evidence…”
“But…”
“You haven’t found any.”
“…No.”
“My deepest apologies.”
Sys bowed again.
He couldn’t even produce a single piece of evidence to clear his lord’s name.
As an aide…
It was an unforgivable failure.
Rodrigo looked up from the documents.
“Is this everything you have on him?”
