Chapter 14 - Duchess Bolev

 A sense of tension lingered. The soldiers were clutching their spears, and Amon's hand remained on the hilt of his sword.

'I don't want to fight any more than this.'

I pushed aside Amon and stepped out in front of the soldiers. Everyone's eyes turned to me.

“You may conduct a search if you wish. However, only if you have the authority to do so.”

The soldiers expressed their dissatisfaction through subtle facial expressions when I emphasized the word 'authority'. However, it appeared that the knight in question recognized they had overstepped their boundaries.

“…Please go in.”

The soldier who had previously expressed his anger took a step back. Amon gestured for me to enter first and followed after.

We eventually made it inside after encountering some obstacles, but the suspicious stares lingered. Despite Amon's position, the servants seemed displeased and guarded.

They all seemed to be in agreement and cautious towards strangers.

'Because it was such a closed environment.'

It became clear to me why Russell's actions towards Pamilla had not been leaked out.

As we requested to see the Duchess, we were directed towards the annex and not the main building where the murder had taken place. It appeared to be temporarily closed.

After the attendant led us to the waiting room and disappeared, Amon began speaking.

"Lady, it's a good idea to carry a dagger with you at all times, just in case."

“Yes, I have one.”

"Yes?"

I revealed the dagger hidden under my calf by lifting the hem of my skirt. Amon seemed taken aback.

“Then, when they asked for a search earlier..."

“That’s right. You claimed that the authority of the Blue Knights was higher than anything else. He wouldn't want any trouble. And above all...”

I shrugged and said.

“The Lord took my side.”

'You promised. You wouldn't let anything dangerous happen to me.'

"Of course…”

Amon seemed to have a knack for making awkward noises when feeling embarrassed. Despite that, the sincerity was evident in his words. Did this mean I trusted him fully?

Just then, a gentle knock interrupted us and an elderly woman entered the waiting room. She spoke assertively even before we could stand up.

"I'm sorry, but the Madam is currently unable to meet anyone."

She bowed her head respectfully yet firmly.

I could easily guess who she was. She was one of the characters from the original story—Russell's head-maid who had been tasked with keeping a watchful eye on Pamilla's activities. However, over time, her madam's kind nature prevailed and she began to empathize with her.

'She's wrapped around Pamilla's fingers.'

Amon stood up and presented his brooch to the head-maid.

“I am Amon Spencer, commander of the Blue Knights.”

“It would be difficult if you suddenly came in like this.”

“We have sent several official letters, but you did not respond. The Duchess has no right to refuse an investigation.”

The head maid fixed her gaze on Amon. Following a brief moment of uneasy quietness, she eventually released a sigh.

“The Madam truly cannot meet any guests. She won't be able to speak."

“It doesn't matter.”

After realizing that Amon wouldn't back down, she eventually led us to a bedroom adjacent to the waiting room.

Upon entering, I could see what the headmaid had meant. A woman was lying motionless on a large bed. Two maids were carefully cleaning her arms and legs around the bed.

“…Is she unconscious?”

The head-maid responded to Amon's question with a solemn nod and then gestured for the maids to leave.

“When the Madam heard his Excellency the Duke heard had come to pass, she immediately collapsed. It's been over a week now and she hasn't budged."

“What did the doctor say?”

"The reason for her collapse was due to the shock..."

I moved closer to the bed. Pamilla lay with a fine blanket covering her face, appearing just as she had been described in the original story.

Despite her closed eyes, she exuded an air of nobility and sanctity that seemed untouchable. Her hair, spread wide over the bedspread, was a striking red color, capable of captivating any gaze with its intense presence.

'This is Pamilla, the female protagonist of the novel.'

As I gazed upon her for the first time, I couldn't help but feel a sense of familiarity. Perhaps it was due to the vivid descriptions I had read about her in the novel.

Her serene countenance appeared as if she was simply in a deep slumber, while her lengthy eyelashes provided a gentle shade under her closed eyes, remaining completely still.

So, the shock of Russell's death knocked her out.

Wasn't Russell worth killing to Pamilla?

While Amon asked the headmaid a few questions, I hid behind his back and advanced closer to Pamilla.

And when I quickly lifted the blanket around her wrists,

"Ah…”

I couldn't help but let out a sigh.

“The Duchess is not guilty. It has been confirmed that she was with the headmaid before the incident.”

Amon stated inside the carriage on the way back. Despite having encountered Pamilla, he continued to inquire with several servants at the duke's residence.

“I met with her doctor, and it was true that she was unconscious due to an unknown cause. Of course, Bolev might've bribed the doctor..."

Amon shook his head, indicating there was no possibility.

“It seemed clear to me that she was unconscious. Judging from the loyalty of the servants to the duchy, it is unlikely that they would help the Duke's wife cover up the murder.”

“Yes, I think so as well."

I looked out the window blankly and nodded slightly.

“Then we've come to the end of it. There is no reason to kill someone you love to the point that it makes you suffer this much distress."

“…No."

"What?"

Amon stared at me with a puzzled face. I mumbled, still staring out the window.

“She was indeed shocked, but it wasn’t because of love.”

"What does that mean?"

I slowly turned my head and met Amon's gaze. My teeth gnashed in both disgust and sympathy.

“Pamilla didn’t love Russell. She…”

A short while ago, while Amon was speaking with the headmaid, I lifted Pamilla's blanket and discovered the simple truth.

“You can't call something like that love. She was just dominated by Russell.”

"Dominated?"

“I found marks on Pamilla's wrist. She had attempted suicide.”

Amon's expression hardened.

“Could it be because of Duke Bolev?”

"That's right."

I shared with him the story of Russell and Pamilla from the original work. How Pamilla struggled in the name of love. How did she feel as she rejected, rebelled, and ran away, all to eventually get caught and suffer once again?

“It wasn’t just assault, it was mental domination. To the point, she attempted suicide just to run away from all of it. But even that was stopped.”

She wished to run away, but when she realized it was to no avail, Pamilla thought, I should simply accept this reality.

“She accepted Russell. She couldn't stand it otherwise.”

This was the content of the last chapter I read from "The Trap and the Swamp". A scene where the female protagonist, unable to choose even her own death, finally accepts the male protagonist.

'I thought it would end like that.'

Upon seeing her wrists, I could feel the emotions that Pamilla was experiencing, including why she would collapse upon learning of Russell's death. Prior to this moment, I had not given much thought to the situation, viewing it simply as her final obstacle in accepting Russell.

"So you're saying that the reason the Duchess lost her sanity was because of the freedom she was deprived of?"

“It’s like a reaction. She hated it so fiercely that she decided to accept it. One can only imagine the extent of her submission in such a situation."

She came to accept something that she never thought she could. She had to deceive herself in order to do so. She must have rationalized what Russell had done to her and placed all the blame on herself.

Looking at his criminal behavior, I assumed that Russell's death would bring Pamilla a sense of liberation. However, his brainwashing tactics had a stronger hold on her than I thought. As a result, she lost her grip on reality, like she no longer had a stable foundation to rely on.

‘How would she feel? Towards the fact that even the hell she finally accepted collapsed.'

“…Did you remember that as well?”

I continued gazing blankly at the rapidly passing scenery outside the window when Amon opened his mouth.

"Yes?"

“You seem to know the Duke and his wife on a deeper level.”

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