Dangerous Fiancee

Chapter 171

Ober followed her and soon disappeared. Elias and his wife left, murmuring they were tired. Soon the corridors of the third floor were filled with silence.

The silence continued until the servants and maids at the mansion came to clean up.

Outside the half-open window there was a tree with abundant leaves. The early summer wind circulated through the garden. At that moment, a small bird with white feathers flew off and quickly disappeared through the bright sunlight.

The mansion was silent again. It was still a peaceful afternoon.

***

"The witnesses have disappeared," said Curtis, bowing slightly to Eckart, while standing in the shadows between the bookshelves.

Instead of answering, Ecart wrote something on paper. Curtis anxiously waited for his answer. Using his very sensitive hearing, Curtis began to identify and classify all the sounds in the serene study, including the sound of the tip of the quill tapping against the neck of the ink pot, the sound of the quill being inserted straight into the pen holder, the sound of the teacup being held by its owner, the sound of him drinking the tea, the sound of a chair being pushed back gently, the sound of walking slowly and even his slow and deep sighs.

"I guess Ober will come to see me to report that the witnesses have gone missing," Eckart said.

Curtis raised his eyes again and looked at him.

Eckart stood and looked out the window where the sunset was pouring in like a flood.

His cold eyes and vivid golden hair were dark as if he had been splashed with indigo.

"Choose the right candidates among the knights or moles to track down the missing witnesses."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

"If you catch a suspect, don't hurt or wound him. Bring him here alive."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

Curtis left the study silently after politely showing courtesy to Eckart as he stood with his back to him. As he was immediately lost in other thoughts, Eckart didn't hear Curtis leaving the study.

Standing before the desk with his back to it, Eckart reflected on what he had to do, action by action.

Since the witness disappeared, he could not hold a trial to convict Duke Hubble of a crime. Ober wouldn't provide any further evidence because he achieved his goal. It was too early to use the residue of the anesthesia that Marianne brought. In other words, the cause of the crime was obvious, but there were no defendants, witnesses, or evidence left.

The accident in Roshan would be forgotten or fade away little by little without being resolved for the time being. As a result, it was difficult to hold the Hubble family accountable for the crime. And he couldn't cancel the process of awarding the duke title to Elias, Duke Hubble's only son. Perhaps, it was Ober's strategy for Elias to replace the duke.

And Eckart was willing to be duped by Ober's shallow trick. He even wished that on this occasion more nobles could fall under his influence.

The capital, Milan, was a hunting ground that attracted nobles seeking power more than anywhere else. It was a place where it was natural to hunt for power, intelligence, and allies instead of animals. The people who gathered there started looking for their favorite grounds and hunting. Some had a grassy plain where animals easily gathered, and others had to wait for their prey in a barren valley.

Eckart was a hunter who started from a disadvantageous ground. As a result, he was more skillful in dealing with traps and surprises than hunting lots of game.