ICUBIHNIW 03

The man her grandfather had praised so highly—the Grand Duke of Grasias—was, without question, the worst kind of scoundrel.

“You said he was cold on the outside but actually kind and considerate.”

What kind of kind-hearted person broke other people’s arms and legs over trivial matters? What sort of considerate man demolished someone else’s mansion simply because he didn’t like it?

“…Could there be another person with the same name?”

She checked again and again, but reality refused to change.

Could Grandfather have been suffering from dementia even back then, on the battlefield?

She had once heard that the horrors of war could leave lasting trauma, causing even young soldiers to confuse memories.

No… that can’t be it.

Evelyn shook her head.

The grandfather she had lived with all her life had been perfectly lucid. Toward the end of his life, he had started repeating himself more often, but that was all.

Which left only one conclusion.

Even someone as utterly impossible as the Grand Duke of Grasias must have possessed a side that was genuinely good.

But this…? Isn’t this taking it a little too far?

How was she supposed to repay a debt of gratitude to a man like that? At this rate, trying to return his kindness would only ruin her own life.

Though… he is definitely the same man from my prophetic dream.

Evelyn narrowed her eyes.

She trusted her grandfather.

She trusted him deeply.

More than anyone.

But the entire world described the Grand Duke of Grasias as a rabid mad dog.

Grandfather… what am I supposed to do?

A debt of gratitude.

Such a simple phrase, yet it weighed heavily on her mind.

She continued pondering it even after returning to the old inn she had rented on the outskirts of the capital.

That night…

She dreamed again.

The setting was exactly the same.

Once again, the Grand Duke of Grasias was in danger.

He was said to be the Empire’s greatest swordsman, yet for some reason, he couldn’t fight properly.

Was he poisoned…?

Unlike the first dream, this time she crouched nearby, quietly watching as he was ambushed.

Then she woke.

“I’ve never had the exact same dream twice before.”

It was strange.

Even stranger was that the same dream continued night after night.

And eventually…

She began hearing a voice.

“Save him.”

It was her grandfather’s voice.

“You have to save him.”

That was the moment Evelyn made up her mind.

Fine.

I’ll save him.

And with that decision…

She stepped onto a path she would one day regret.

“But… how exactly am I supposed to save the Grand Duke?”

Evelyn thought about it seriously.

The Grand Duke of Grasias.

Who was he?

One of the Empire’s finest swordsmen.

A man of immense political power.

Unimaginably wealthy.

Commander of an elite order of knights.

Now compare that to herself.

She was nothing more than the daughter of an ordinary country baron.

No strength.

No authority.

She had a little money, but the prices in the imperial capital were outrageous.

“I don’t even know what these are.”

Mixed in with her imperial currency were several oddly shaped coins unlike anything she’d ever seen.

She had considered taking them to an antique dealer to ask about them.

But she stopped herself.

Her grandfather had warned her countless times.

“The capital is full of swindlers. They’ll cheat you as naturally as they breathe.”

Remember it.

This was the kind of city where they’d steal the nose right off your face the moment you closed your eyes.

Better not.

She racked her brain over and over again.

But no clever solution came to mind.

So she decided to visit the house her grandfather had mentioned in his letter.

At the moment, Evelyn was staying at an inn near the library.

The room wasn’t expensive, but she couldn’t keep living there forever.

Thankfully, her grandfather had left behind the address of a house in the capital.

Property in the capital had to be incredibly expensive.

She never imagined he’d secretly owned one here.

He had often mentioned serving as a soldier in his younger days.

Apparently, he’d earned quite a fortune back then.

Thinking nothing more of it, Evelyn headed for the address written in the letter.

The house stood in a neat neighborhood on the outskirts of the capital.

It was neither luxurious nor shabby—a peaceful district where ordinary, respectable families lived.

Rows of nearly identical houses lined the clean streets.

One of them belonged to her grandfather.

It was a modest two-story home with a green roof.

Not large…

But well kept.

More surprisingly, someone was managing it.

“Who’s there?!”

The instant Evelyn knocked on the door, a man came running out in a panic and barked at her.

After glaring at her with a fierce expression, he narrowed his eyes.

“You look familiar…”

“Hello. My name is Evelyn, granddaughter of Baron Prilly.”

“Baron Prilly? You’re that old bastard’s granddaughter?”

“…Yes.”

Their first meeting could hardly have gone worse.

Calling her grandfather that old bastard?

She could forgive him for shouting at her, but not that.

Just as Evelyn was about to lose her temper, the man suddenly shouted,

“The owner’s finally here! I’m finally free from this caretaker job!”

The man—or rather, the caretaker—raised both hands triumphantly, looking as though he’d just been pardoned from prison.

With trembling hands, he pulled a key from his pocket.

“Here. House key.”

Still bewildered, Evelyn accepted it.

The caretaker threw both arms into the air and practically danced with joy.

“I’m free! Free at last! Finally free from that damned old geezer!”

The spectacle was so bizarre that Evelyn could only stare with her mouth hanging open.

Then, without another word, the caretaker turned and sprinted away.

In moments, he had disappeared down the street before she could even think to stop him.

“…What just happened?”

She watched blankly before letting out an awkward laugh.

That ‘damned old geezer’… surely he wasn’t talking about my grandfather?

Turning the key over in her fingers, she finally inserted it into the lock.

The door swung open smoothly, as though someone had been maintaining it all this time.

Inside, every piece of furniture was covered with clean white sheets.

The covers had been placed to keep dust away…

And there wasn’t a speck of dust on top of them either.

For someone who had been desperate to escape, the caretaker had certainly cleaned the place diligently.

“Let’s take a look.”

Passing through the living room, she entered the kitchen.

It was a comfortable size.

Beside it was a small pantry filled to the brim with food.

Does a caretaker normally do all this?

She couldn’t help wondering.

Still, the sight put her at ease.

At least she wouldn’t have to worry about food for a while.

Next, Evelyn climbed to the second floor.

There were three bedrooms and a bathroom.

Like the first floor, everything was in excellent condition.

All she had to do was remove the protective sheets and the rooms would be ready to use.

Then there was no point delaying.

She’d be sleeping here tonight anyway.

Rolling up her sleeves, Evelyn removed every white sheet, folded them neatly, stored them away, and unpacked her belongings.

There was barely anything left to clean.

Because of that, her opinion of the caretaker softened considerably.

Anyone who maintained a house this carefully must have been close to her grandfather.

She remembered one of her grandfather’s old friends who used to visit their estate.

Every time he saw her grandfather, he’d curse him out endlessly.

He always tried not to do it in front of Evelyn…

But he shouted so loudly that she heard nearly everything anyway.

Right… they must’ve had that kind of friendship.

Satisfied with that explanation, Evelyn nodded to herself and headed back downstairs.

There was one place her grandfather had specifically instructed her to check.

She hadn’t explored every corner of the house yet, but she’d noticed two storage rooms beside the kitchen.

One was the pantry she’d already seen.

The other was stacked with old wooden crates.

Inside the crates were carefully stored bottles of fine wine.

The important part, however…

Was underneath them.

After pushing the crates aside and lifting an old mat from the floor…

A large hatch was revealed.

It led underground.

Go down into the basement. You’ll find everything you need there.

That was what her grandfather had written.

“How could you possibly know what I’d need?”

She had no idea what awaited her below.

Yet her heart pounded with excitement.

It reminded her of the first time she’d explored the attic as a child.

Carefully, Evelyn descended the stairs.

It didn’t take long before she understood exactly what her grandfather had meant.

A long corridor stretched before her.

Rooms lined both sides of it.

Inside were countless items.

Some were perfectly ordinary.

Others left her wondering why on earth they were hidden here.

And at the very end…

One room stood empty.

Unlike the others, it had a heavy metal door.

Iron rings were bolted into the walls inside, clearly meant for fastening chains.

“Grandfather…”

“What in the world is this place?”

A groan escaped Evelyn’s lips.

No matter how she looked at it…

The basement was larger than the house above.

And the facilities hidden beneath it all…

Looked deeply, deeply suspicious.