Chapter 13 - The Gates of Duke Bolev

 Amon nodded in recollection.

“I remember. You're speaking about Duchess Bolev. Although, she doesn't seem like someone who would commit such an act."

Perhaps my mention of Pamilla triggered memories of when he rescued her from abduction a long time ago.

“Do you have any grounds for doubting her?”

It was only natural for me to be suspicious of Pamilla, as the novel was narrated from her perspective, giving me a deeper understanding of her emotions and thoughts compared to other characters.

Russell's obsession with Pamilla drove him to assault and manipulate her in the name of love, causing her a great deal of dread.

Unfortunately, these deep and personal issues remained hidden from the outside world. It was even rumored that Russell's infatuation with Pamilla was due to his intense love for her, making him the envy of socialites.

“Unlike an arranged marriage, I heard that the two of them got along very well.”

Amon appeared to share the same sentiment.

“You never understand human relations until you look closely.”

“That is true, but…”

I felt compelled to persuade him more assertively at his continued unease.

“Actually, I feel something strange between the two."

“You mean a memory resurfaced?"

Only then did Amon begin taking my words seriously. I lightly smacked my forehead and gripped my eyes shut.

"That's right. Though it's difficult to explain...”

Through my fingers, I could see Amon's serious expression. It was unfortunate that I couldn't speak about the original. It seemed likely I would encounter similar situations in the future.

“How about we meet her once? She is the person closest to the victim, culprit or not. Have you already seen her?"

"No, I haven't. I did send official letters several times, but I received no reply. I was thinking of visiting one of these days."

"Good for you. Would you like to accompany me then?"

“You mean together?”

"Of course. We promised to investigate as a team.”

Amon let out a sigh when I, a non-member of the knights, offered to follow him in catching the real culprit. He seemed hesitant despite his earlier suggestion that we work together to solve the case.

“I heard it was a contract certified by the imperial family.”

“…Alright. A promise is a promise.”

“Then when shall we go? I think we should hurry. If she really is the culprit, we better not give her time to destroy the evidence. You said there was no answer to your official letters, right? Then can’t we just invade?"

When I said it like pouring out, Amon answered meekly even though he had a troubled face.

As I spoke without pause, Amon responded meekly with a troubled face.

"Yes. Since it is evident that the Duchess is close to the victim in this case, an investigation is possible without official documents. Whether their side will welcome us is another matter.”

"Is that so?"

So you're saying we could attack anytime? The knight's authority must be greater than I had anticipated, seeing we were able to visit a Duke's residence without a prior appointment.

'Hm, then...'

It wasn't simply because I was suspicious of Pamilla that I was planning to meet her.

Now that the male protagonist is dead, Pamilla is the only remaining protagonist in the original story. In other words, her actions form the backbone of the story I read.

Meeting Pamilla would help me determine how closely this world aligned with the original work and which part of the story I was currently in.

I had confirmed that Pamilla was indeed kidnapped, but it remained unclear whether we were closer to the end or not.

'Maybe it has already been a long time since the completion.'

That meant there could be a gap in my knowledge. Just the thought of it made me feel impatient. I looked over at Amon.

“Do you have any other appointments today?”

“Today? There is nothing.”

“Then, since we're currently together, why don’t we start moving right away?"

Amon blinked rapidly, revealing the confused blue eyes framed underneath his long lashes.

“Moving right away? Where are you talking about?”

I jumped up from my seat.

“Where do you think? The residence of Duke Bolev.”

"Hand."

Amon extended his hand towards me as we stood in front of the grand carriage stationed outside the building. It took me a moment to register that he was offering to escort me.

“Ah, thank you.”

I tentatively grasped his hand and boarded the carriage. Although my knowledge of titles in this realm was limited, I understood that I was the offspring of a fallen baron while Amon hailed from a family of dukes.

'We're both nobles, but aren't we of different ranks?'

This reminded me of my first encounter with Amon. Back then, I wasn't even aware of my identity. After all, chivalry and the refusal to discriminate against others were the embodiment of a knight in this world.

Amon swiftly jumped into the wagon and sat across from me. It was a fairly large carriage, so even as we sat facing each other, our knees did not touch.

"The Duchess won't turn down the meeting, right?"

As I posed the question within the leisurely moving carriage, Amon responded with a slight chuckle.

“You're the one who claimed to move right away. Where does this worry come from?"

“What do you…”

“The Blue Knights' investigative authority is above most authorities. Of course, one can block it by force, but that would cause trouble, so nobody ever goes that far."

"Thank god."

I turned my gaze to the window, hesitated for a moment, then opened my mouth again.

"Although… Is Sir Spencer still under the authority of the Templar building?"

His curious gaze suddenly fixed on me.

“Why are you looking like that?"

“I think this is the first time I’ve heard you address me with such a title."

It took me quite a while to spit out the 'sir', as I didn't want it to seem awkward. I shifted my attention to the scenery outside the window and looked away. I could feel a slight warmth on my face, so I cleared my throat and continued.

“I think I’ve been acting against etiquette so far, so I'd like to correct it little by little.”

“You don't have to worry about it. Wasn't it something you couldn't help because you lost your memory? I also rarely call the lady by lady, so we're no different."

I coughed softly and averted my gaze. The word "lady", which I had previously overlooked, felt oddly unfamiliar when it came out of Marvin's mouth.

The carriage gradually slowed down and eventually came to a stop. Amon, the first to disembark, naturally escorted me.

As we stood before the main entrance of Duke Bolev's residence, I couldn't help but marvel at the sheer size of the mansion. I hadn't realized its true magnitude until now since I escaped through the secret passageway last time, but it was truly enormous.

“Are you nervous?”

Amon looked down at me and asked.

"Yes?"

“You don’t look good.”

It was then I realized that my face was stiff.

Although my intention was simply to meet Pamilla, it felt like walking into enemy territory with my own feet. To return to the very place where Russell's corpse previously lay, where I had barely escaped from.

The number of soldiers escorting the front gate was considerable. It seemed like a miracle that I had managed to leave unscathed before. I took a deep breath and closed my eyes, then opened them.

"Are you going to be alright?"

“You don't have to worry.”

Amon gazed blankly at me before taking the lead. The fluttering cloak behind his broad back gave the impression that I would be protected.

I followed him closely, feeling reassured that he was on my side. As we approached, the soldiers stood before us, anticipating our arrival. Their X-shaped armor glinted against the sun, but Amon remained calm.

“I came to see Duchess Bolev.”

“Please identify yourself. Those who do not have prior appointments may not enter."

Amon quietly retrieved an item from his arms and presented it. The object was a small brooch, engraved with the symbol of the Blue Knights.

It appeared to be some form of identification confirming his status as a knight. The soldiers observed the brooch while expressing their disapproval, but maintained a respectful salutation. Nevertheless, the barrier obstructing the front entrance remained in place.

“You cannot enter with a weapon.”

Amon gazed at the soldier intently.

“Are you attempting to steal the sword the Emperor bestowed upon the blue knights?”

His expression was as cold as ever, but I sensed an irresistible sense of intimidation. The two soldiers exchanged glances and reluctantly lowered their spears, and Amon passed them.

However, as I attempted to catch up, the path shut once again. I was taken aback by the sudden appearance of a flashing blade in front of my nose. The soldier questioned me, a grim expression on his face.

“Are you also a knight?”

His tone turned sarcastic as he noticed my appearance, different from that of a knight's. The knight couldn't act arrogant toward Amon, so it seemed he intended to shift his target to me.

While I frowned in displeasure, Amon appeared in a second and effortlessly pushed away the spear with one hand.

“What do you think you are doing? This lady is in my company. She is an important reference to the case.”

The soldier pursed his lips.

“We must search her belongings. Even if a knight is accompanying the lady, we cannot afford to let a potential suspect advance with a weapon."

“A weapon? I don't carry anything of the sort. I'm just here to assist the knight.”

The soldier snorted at my words.

“How can we guess what might be hidden under that lush skirt?”

"I beg your pardon?"

Finally, the soldier reached out to me. The moment his hand was about to touch the hem of my skirt, a shadow fell in front of his eyes. Amon stood in my way.

The soldier reached out to me. The moment his hand was a feather away from touching the hem of my skirt, a shadow fell underneath his eyes. Amon stepped before me.

“How dare you touch a lady's body. Are you looking to challenge the authority of the Blue Knights?”

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