I Stole The Duke - Chapter 147

An emergency signal?

That meant more knights could be on their way. For the Kantoor warriors, it was grim news.

“You have attacked the Supreme Commander of the Southern Imperial Navy. Under military law, this qualifies for immediate execution. From this moment on, any disobedience will be met with live fire.”

Puelini’s steady, commanding voice rang through the hall.

— ……

There was no need for translation. The situation spoke for itself.

“Surrender your weapons and submit.”

— Brothers…

Zaal scanned the situation quickly. Two muskets were aimed at the warriors at the base of the stairs.

‘They wouldn’t dare aim those at the Duke’s side.’

If a bullet went astray and hit their own lord, it would be a disaster. Naturally, no one risked that.

Thunk—

Instead of surrendering, Zaal kicked a fallen spear into the air and caught it. It had belonged to one of his comrades—struck down by the Duke. In a flash, one of the two spears in his hands flew upward—toward the chandelier hanging from the ceiling.

CRASH!

The chandelier broke loose and came crashing down in a spray of glass and metal.

— Retreat!

As the light was snuffed out, Zaal shouted the command and ran. The entrance was blocked by newly arrived knights—so he was the first to smash through a glass window and leap outside.

— We’re pulling back!

The other warriors reacted quickly, each smashing through the nearest window and disappearing into the night. It wasn’t completely dark—but no one fired. They couldn’t afford the risk of hitting their own men rushing in response to the signal.

“Do not pursue.”

Michalis stopped the knights who were ready to give chase. These enemies were too skilled. And firing into the dark might risk hitting reinforcements that were still on the way.

“Hah… I thought I was going to die.”

“Sir Roanes, are you all right?”

“Luckily, nothing broken. Once this wound heals, I should be fine.”

“His Grace grabbed me by the collar and pulled me out of death’s grip, and Commander Puelini blew the grim reaper away with a musket. This moment will be recorded in the Speaker family history for generations—”

The three knights, finally freed from the life-or-death tension, sank onto the stairs in exhaustion.

“Sir Puelini, recover the enemy’s bodies. Sir Alejandro, tend to the wounded.”

Michalis, still calm, pulled a handkerchief from his coat and wiped away the blood on his face. So it had been the commander and vice-commander of the Blue Knights who had made that daring night landing. Either way, their timing had saved everyone.

“Yes, Your Grace!”

“Understood.”

Puelini and Alejandro each took two knights and began their assigned tasks.

“We should get proper lighting in here.”

The inside of the restaurant was too dark to manage the situation with just the second-floor light and what little filtered in from the entrance.

“Rinova Venturas, 2nd Knight Division. I came immediately upon seeing the emergency signal!”

Before they could even restore light, a knight in a white uniform came running toward the building.

“Sera Leones, 3rd Division! I saw the signal—what happened?”

In the distance, the thunder of galloping hooves echoed through the streets.

‘We need to stop the signal.’

If they didn’t, more and more knights would keep coming.

“Sir Puelini. Direct incoming reinforcements to help secure and recover the area.”

“Yes, Your Grace.”

Now accustomed to the dim lighting, Michalis climbed the stairs with confident steps.

He crossed the second floor and continued upward to the rooftop.

There, silhouetted under the moonlight, was Eliana—swinging a heavy wooden bucket with arms that were clearly trembling.

“Eliana.”

Her arms were nearly giving out. Michalis stepped behind her and gently took the bucket from her hands.

“Michal!”

“It’s over now. You can stop.”

He lowered the bucket with ease.

“It’s… over?”

Eliana blinked, stunned, as the weight left her hands.

“You saved us, Eliana.”

Michalis let the bucket drop to the floor and pulled her into a firm, grateful embrace. This small woman—his wife—had saved him, and their knights.

“The Kantoor warriors?”

“They ran. All of them.”

“Are you okay? Are you hurt anywhere?”

“I’m all right.”

“And the knights? All three of them?”

“They’re alive. All of them.”

“…Thank goodness.”

Eliana finally exhaled, her body relaxing for the first time that night.

“I… I can’t express how thankful I am that you’re safe, Eliana.”

Michalis spoke quietly, but there was a heaviness in his chest. All he had ever wanted was to show Eliana the beauty and peace of Flencia. Instead, he had ended up making her realize just how unsafe something as simple as a dinner outing could be.

At the same time
A ship, its lights unlit, silently left the harbor.

Ssshhh—

The sleek vessel skimmed the surface like a shadow, the whisper of waves slicing beneath the hull the only sound in the air. No one dared speak.

“……”

They had lost four warriors—and gained nothing. To be so close to victory and still fail made the defeat all the more painful.

“Where do we dock now?”
The Zaiphon captain asked Zaal in hesitant Kantoor tongue.

“We can’t return home empty-handed.”

“Then… another Imperial port?”

“No. We’ll head to Zaiphon and regroup.”

“Understood. Setting course for Zaiphon.”

The swift ship disappeared into the dark sea, cutting a clean path through the water.

“There are no serious injuries,”
The spy accompanying the warriors reported.

“How long were you stationed in the Empire?”
Zaal asked, nodding.

“Five years.”

“Do you know any way into the Ducal Estate?”

After what had just happened, it was clear the Duchess would no longer leave the estate so easily. It was time to consider the riskier plan—getting inside.

“With the original plan no longer viable… the only realistic option now is stealth infiltration.”

After tonight, there would be an even tighter crackdown on Kantoor nationals. Just approaching the estate would be risky.

“The estate’s been through countless battles. Surely it has a secret passage?”

“I’ve been investigating for five years… but I couldn’t find any.”

The problem was that such tunnels were only traceable if used. With 31 years of peace, no one had needed them. Finding one now was almost impossible.

“What about being detained and smuggled in through the prison?”

“The foreigner holding facility is outside the estate.”

“……”

Breaking into the Ducal Estate would be far from easy.

“Then our best chance may be the secret base.”

“Have you found its location?”

“Not precisely. But it’s believed to be somewhere along the cliffs below the eastern estate wall.”

“So there is a chance.”

“Next time… we will not fail.”

Zaal nodded firmly, his resolve hardening as he listened to the spy’s assessment.

“But there’s a problem.”

“What is it?”

“If you’re not an excellent swimmer… you won’t be able to reach it at all.”

The eastern cliffside was constantly watched by guards stationed on the estate walls. Any ship that tried to approach would be blown out of the water. The only way in was to swim—at night—without being seen.

“Swim…?”

Most of the warriors, being desert-born, had never touched the ocean. Only a handful could swim. Zaal wasn’t one of them.

“We’ll be passing through Zaiphon anyway. Why not ask the Zaiphon Navy to train us?”

“…That’s a good idea.”

Kantoor’s finest warriors would now undergo special naval training in the Kingdom of Zaiphon.

The following morning

Eliana sat in the parlor, greeting her first visitors of the day.

“My lady! We rushed over as soon as we heard!”

“Are you truly all right? We were so worried.”

Count Terius and Riela were the first to arrive, checking her face and hands for injuries.

“As you can see, I’m fine. It just caught me off guard… It was my first time experiencing something like that.”

Seeing a battle unfold in person was far different from hearing about one or seeing it in the news. Even from a distance, she had seen bodies. To say she hadn’t been frightened would have been a lie.

“Please don’t worry, my lady. I’ll prepare a harsh trade retaliation against Kantoor immediately.”

“I brought some lavender tea—it’s good for calming the nerves.”

“This is unacceptable. Once Joel returns, I’m putting him through a special training program. I’ll summon a master from the Eastern Empire if I have to—and keep him up all night.”

“Father, that’s a bit much…”

“Let it go, Count. Your concern means a lot to me—but that’s more than enough.”

“Thank you for stopping him, Duchess. If you hadn’t, he probably would’ve actually done it.”

“Oh? You’ve figured your old man out that well already?”

“Before we left this morning, Mother called you a restless sea crab who can’t sit still.”

“W-What?! Please tell me you’ll forget she ever said that.”

“I’ll try my best, Father.”

“You two really do look like father and daughter.”

Watching them banter, Eliana smiled. Their closeness was heartwarming in a way she hadn’t expected.

“Haha! Does it really come off that way? For someone who only ever raised two gruff sons, this is a refreshing change.”

The big, booming Count Terius chuckled, clearly enjoying the moment.

“Duchess, would it be alright if I visited more often?”

Now that she saw Eliana smile, Riela finally looked at ease.

“You’re always welcome, Riela. I’ve been struggling with how to design the inner garden—maybe you could help me?”

“I’d love to! That’s actually something I can be useful for.”

Riela had been trained as the Empire’s ideal noblewoman. She had extensive knowledge of garden design, especially for royal residences. Sharing that with Eliana would benefit them both.

“Haha! I’ll let you two continue your lady talk—I should go say hello to His Grace.”

The Count stood with his usual bold laughter.

“By the way, Count—what’s the status on that item we ordered from Zaiphon?”

“Ah, yes. I was just about to ask His Grace for permission to use the base for that.”

“Ah, I see. That makes sense.”

It sounded like the custom-made cabinet—the main body of the refrigerator—was finally on its way.

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