Free Web NovelChapter 26: Assassination on Duke
Eren sat on the edge of the bed as he looked down at his kneeling maid wearing nothing but her thigh-high black socks.
Her head hung down like a thief caught red-handed, which she absolutely was. She buried her burning face in her palms, desperately wishing the floor would open up and swallow her whole as she remembered how acted like an unhinged slut.
"Alright, let’s get down to the point," Eren began, his playful yet lazy authority. "Are you actually just a freelance thief, or did someone hired to spy on the Volsver Dukedom? Because you should consider yourself lucky that I’m the one who caught you. If that tanned girl had caught you digging under my mattress, your head would be on the floor right now."
Mira immediately snapped her head up as she frantically waved her hands in a panic.
"No! I swear on my life, Young Master, I’m not a spy! No one hired me!"
Then her voice dropped, her shoulders slumping as her eyes fell back to her knees. "All I wanted was to steal a few small, expensive things... My merchant family went completely bankrupt last year, and my mother fell critically ill. The only people who can cure her were high-tier priests at the Holy Temple, and their fees are astronomical."
Tears began to roll down her flushed cheeks as she bared her pathetic reality. "I tried everything... then I managed to land a job here. I thought... I could easily seduce you, and extort some gold coins."
She let out a soft, miserable sob, looking entirely pathetic as she clutched her bare knees.
Eren stared at her for a moment, and could tell how clumsy and sincere she.
But then a chuckle escaped his lips that turned into a deeply amused laugh that echoed through the quiet room.
Mira looked up through her tears, face flashing into a tearful anger. "Are you... are you seriously just making fun of my misery right now?! I know I’m a criminal, but you don’t have to be an absolute piece of trash about it!"
"No, no, it’s not that," Eren gasped, wiping a tear from his eye as his laughter ended.
"I’m just laughing at how incredibly dumb you are, Mira. Did you honestly not do any research on this household before launching your grand operation?"
Mira blinked in absolute confusion. "What... what do you mean?"
"Its not well known to outsiders, but my father is sympathetic toward anyone suffering from chronic illnesses because of my younger sister’s condition," Eren explained, standing up from the bed.
"If you had simply asked him for help on the very first day, my old man would have personally funded a top-tier temple priest to handle the treatment. You literally planned a risky extortion plot for a problem that a basic human resources form could have solved."
Mira sat there entirely dumbfounded as the reality of her stupidity hits her. She looked like an absolute idiot who had spent months trying to crack a high-level security vault, only to realize the door was completely unlocked.
He walked over and casually patted her hair like he’s comforting a clueless kid. He then walked toward the wardrobe to retrieve his robe.
"Just keep working here as a regular maid. I won’t tell a single soul about your treasure hunt, and you certainly don’t have to worry about trapping me. Just ask my father for help after this."
Mira stared up at him, blinking in utter bewilderment.
"Why...?" she asked hesitantly. "Are you saying... you don’t actually like my body? Was I that terrible?"
Eren turned his head back over his shoulder to lock his blue eyes onto her busty frame with a shameless smirk. "Oh, I absolutely love fucking cute, busty girls like you. But I prefer my raids to be based on genuine desire, not some transactional. Now go get dressed before you freeze."
Before Mira could process the unexpected chivalry of her handsome master, a sudden, and frantic knock echoed from the door.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Mira let out a cute, high-pitched squeak as she instantly dove behind the privacy screen to hide her bare assets.
Eren chuckled at her panicked state as he strolled casually toward the door and opened it a fraction, merely peeking his head out.
Standing in the hallway was a squad of elite house guards, their faces were completely pale, drenched in cold sweat with high-alert panic.
"Young Master!" the lead guard gasped, immediately scanning Eren’s face with desperate relief.
"Thank the heavens you are uninjured! Are you entirely alright? Has anyone suspicious attempted to enter your room or enter through the balcony windows last night?!"
Eren raised an eyebrow as he felt the sudden drop in the atmosphere. "I’m perfectly fine. I was just conducting some... highly intensive, personal research all night. What exactly is the reason for the high-alert status?"
The lead guard cleared his throat, his expression turning grim as he leaned in to deliver the news.
"There was an attack at His Grace’s wing two hours ago, Young Master. Although the Captain Emma took care of it. Everyone was on high alert right now."
Confused, he dismissed the guards with a calm nod and quickly dressed up.
After a few minutes, he was in front of the Duke’s private office. He didn’t even bother to knock, simply opened the doors and stepped inside.
The atmosphere inside was thick enough to suffocate a low-level mob.
Duke Alfric sat behind his massive desk, looking tired. And standing there at center of the room was Emma along with a few other Volsver captains. Their hushed discussion came to halt as they saw Eren enter the room.
"Eren! Thank the heavens... are you uninjured, my boy?" The Duke had a parental relief before he forcefully suppressed it.
"I’m perfectly intact, Father," Eren replied smoothly, walking further into the office with his hands in his pockets. He offered the tense room a relaxed shrug. "Besides, why would any self-respecting assassin target a notoriously useless brat anyway?"
He ignored his father’s exasperated sigh and turned his attention directly toward the tall tomboy Captain standing there.
"So, Captain Emma. What exactly happened last night?"
One of the older Volsver captains immediately stepped forward with classic, old-guard dismissiveness. "Young Master, with all due respect, these high-level security matters are something for you to worry about. You should return to your room and let the military handle—"
"There was a sudden ambush inside His Grace’s bedroom last night," Emma interrupted the old knight’s words, voice turning purely professional.
