I Stole The Duke - Chapter 19

“Ah, so you’re awake.”

It was a voice they recognized—a voice they never wanted to hear again.

“Help! Someone, help us!”

“Over here too! Please, save us!”

Pale-faced with terror, the two men screamed at the top of their lungs. As they shouted, the ropes binding their ankles began to creak and pull upward.

Creak. Creak. Creak.

At this moment, those ropes—once instruments of terror—felt like heavenly lifelines, hauling them away from the jaws of death.

“Why… Why are you doing this?! Let us go!”

“I’m the heir of House Krinekt! You’ll regret this!”

As the two men—naked and tied like bait on giant fishing rods—were pulled closer to the deck, they frothingly shrieked.

“You still don’t get it, do you?”

Puelini frowned, his expression twisted as though he were looking at something filthy. The two of them dangled, swaying like grotesque pendulums with every lurch of the ship. It was a disgusting sight he wished he’d never seen.

“Release us! No matter how powerful House Ascher is, this is too much!”

“I’m innocent! I was just a guest!”

“Krinekt the Scandal-Monger… are you really innocent?”

Leaving Goldman, Puelini stepped forward and stood before Krinekt.

“T-The article? If this is about the article… everyone knows those rumors. Let’s be honest, who doesn’t know about the Duke of Ascher’s… tastes?”

“…Drop them.”

Puelini’s hand signaled with calm finality, and the ropes began to descend again, the pulleys groaning as the two men were lowered toward the sea.

Creak. Creak. Creak.

“Aaaargh!”

“Damn it, you bastard! Because of you, I’m—!”

Goldman thrashed wildly as he realized he too would be dropped into the sea beside Krinekt.

Creak. Creak. Creak.

The ropes continued to unwind mercilessly. Their faces plunged into the seawater, salt crashing into their mouths and noses.

“Gahhh!”

“Blegh!”

After letting them soak for a moment, the men were hoisted up again, vomiting seawater, their faces white with terror.

“Gahh! How dare you! Torturing a central noble—cough!”

“I didn’t do anything! Blegh!”

“You’re so noble that you still haven’t learned your lesson.”

Puelini watched them retch and sputter, his mouth curling into a mocking smile.

Creak. Creak. Creak.

He signaled again, and the ropes lowered once more.

“Aaaaagh! Stop! Please! Stop!”

Goldman’s desperate cry echoed, and the ropes halted midway down the ship’s side.

“This boat normally hunts whales. But today, I thought we’d try fishing for sharks.”

Their moment of relief was short-lived—they screamed again.

“Aaaagh!”

“Nooooo!”

Their ankle ropes were tied to giant fishing rods mounted on deck.

“Cast the bait.”

Splash. Splash.

At Puelini’s command, bloody chunks of meat were thrown into the sea, one after another.

Ten pieces, at least, splashed into the dark waters.

The signal came quickly. Dozens of shark fins appeared, converging like goldfish to feed, frenzied.

Splash!

A massive shark leapt above the surface, snapping up a chunk of meat.

Crash!

“Aaaaaagh!”

It had to be over three meters long—a monstrous presence.

“Aaaaaaahhh!”

Krinekt, seeing the shark leap near his crown, let out a piercing shriek, his sanity on the verge of collapse.

“That’s a night-feeding snake shark. It’s better to be quiet. Its eyesight is poor, but its sense of smell and hearing are sharp.”

“……”

At Puelini’s words, both men fell silent, their mouths clamped shut.

The water below was a scene of chaos and frenzy—the most gluttonous sharks, snake sharks, fighting one another for the meat.

A large chunk was shredded in a second, some sharks leaping out of the water to avoid losing their share.

Splash.

“Hiiiik!”

Goldman choked back a scream but wet himself as a shark leapt up, baring its fangs inches from his face.

Rows of razor-sharp teeth, like tiny daggers, glinted in the dark. He now knew something he wished he didn’t—sharks didn’t swallow their prey, they ripped it apart.

“Ughhh…”

“Please… Please let us go.”

Urine trickled down their faces, soaking them. This wasn’t simply fear of drowning—it was a terror beyond comprehension.

Creak. Creak. Creak.

Only when they were on the verge of losing consciousness from fear did the ropes begin to lift again.

“Now… are you finally awake?”

“W-We’ll do whatever you say! Anything!”

“P-Please, let us off the ship…”

“We’re sorry. Truly sorry. Please, we beg you.”

Like fish caught from the sea, Goldman and Krinekt were thrown down onto the deck and now trembled pitifully at Puelini’s feet, soaked in seawater, tears, snot, and urine.

They were a disgusting mess.

“Bring them blankets.”

“Yes, Commander!”

At Puelini’s order, a knight stepped forward and tossed a worn blanket over each man’s back.

“Th-thank you, thank you…”

The dawn cold of the open sea was merciless.

Now, even a threadbare blanket—which they would have scorned under normal circumstances—felt more precious than the finest silk quilt. Shivering violently, the two men clung to them, muttering endless gratitude.

“Now that you’ve had a moment to recover… time to put you to work.”

At Puelini’s subtle signal, a knight set down pens and paper before them—already prepared in advance.

His massive foot stepped toward Goldman.

“For you—a confession. Every crime you’ve committed.”

Puelini’s icy gaze burned into Goldman before he turned to Krinekt.

“And you—you’re going to write a detailed article about what you two did.”

Krinekt shivered as though he didn’t understand, eyes darting nervously, until Puelini spelled it out for him.

“Start.”

“Y-Yes! Right away!”

As soon as the order fell, the two men scrambled to write, desperate to escape this hellish ship.

At daybreak, the House of Ascher was already hard at work.

“This concludes my report. Deputy Commander Alehandro Rosente, submitting custody of the criminals on behalf of Commander Puelini.”

“…Acknowledged.”

Michalis, seated in his office, immediately took up the report Alehandro handed him and began reading.

With each page turned, the room grew heavier—tension thickened like fog.

“……”

Behind Alehandro, Goldman and Krinekt knelt, bound tightly in rope like cargo, heads bowed to the floor.

The report was only three pages, but that was enough.

Setting the documents down, Michalis silently opened a drawer in his desk.

Thump. Thump.

In the oppressive silence, Michalis’s footsteps echoed heavily as he walked forward.

“You thought House Ascher was a joke.”

His steps halted directly before the two kneeling men.

“You did this in my territory.”

With no warning, a gloved hand swung out—striking Goldman’s cheek with a sharp smack.

“Not only did you commit sexual crimes against my people, but you dared to lure my betrothed into a crime scene.”

As the glove fell to the floor beside him, Goldman quaked, staring in disbelief.

“I, Michalis Ascher, hereby challenge you to a duel.”

It was no different from a death sentence.

“……”

The air was razor-sharp, and the killing intent in Michalis’s gaze was palpable—like blades piercing their skin.

Goldman couldn’t even lift his head; fear paralyzed him. If Puelini had been a ferocious bear, Michalis was a starving tiger, poised to devour him whole.

Smack!

A moment later, Michalis’s other glove struck Krinekt’s face just as mercilessly.

“For publicly printing House Ascher’s private matters and defiling our honor, I, Michalis Ascher, challenge you to a duel.”

“……”

Krinekt’s eyes clamped shut. He had thought himself less guilty than Goldman—just unlucky to be caught with him.

Now, the true weight of the situation crashed down on him.

“You have no right to refuse the duel. However, you may appoint a proxy. The duel shall take place three days from now at 10 a.m.”

Having declared their limited rights, Michalis turned his back on them without hesitation.

“Take them to the noble detention facility.”

“Yes, Your Grace.”

The Deputy Commander immediately led the criminals away.

“P-Please, allow me to contact my family… I-I need to request a proxy—”

“M-Me too, please… let me contact them.”

It was only after they were dragged down the hall—far from Michalis’s overwhelming presence—that Goldman and Krinekt dared to open their mouths and beg the Deputy Commander.

The Next Morning.

The entire Empire erupted into chaos—all because of two explosive newspaper articles.

First Article

<Wespera Daily News>

[Exclusive] High-ranking Noble Heirs Arrested at Shocking Crime Scene in the South!

Goldman Chase (21), heir to Chase Bank, used the influence of his noble family to lure women, mixing narcotics into their drinks and repeatedly committing rape and assault.

He filmed the crimes with video devices and blackmailed the victims into continued submission.

His crimes, carried out both in the capital and at his southern villa, were discovered, and he was arrested alongside Krinekt the Scandal-Monger (21), who had received sexual favors from Goldman.

—Reporter: Krinekt the Scandal-Monger

Second Article

[Breaking News] Duke Michalis Ascher Officially Challenges Goldman Chase (21) and Krinekt (21) to a Duel

The newly instated Duke of Ascher has issued an official duel challenge to the two criminals for their heinous acts committed in the South.

The duel is scheduled for May 17th, 10 a.m., at the First Training Grounds of House Ascher.

Only two days had passed since the mocking article about House Ascher, and now this shocking exposé had hit the press through another newspaper.

The irony sent chills down readers’ spines—especially since the reporter of the first article was none other than Krinekt himself.

With just two articles, the entire Empire learned one thing clearly: House Ascher was not to be trifled with.

Aside from the fear of House Ascher, the public fury over the two men’s crimes was overwhelming.

Goldman’s sexual offenses had targeted not only weak rural nobility but extended to commoners as well. And Krinekt, who should have stopped Goldman as a journalist and friend, had instead joined in the crimes.

“This can’t be happening! There’s no way! Our family wouldn’t have just sent observers!”

“Stay away from me! I know my family sent someone to fight in my place! They have to!”

The evidence was irrefutable. Public opinion was icy cold.

And now, abandoned by their own families, the two men faced Michalis in a duel to the death.

Each was struck down in a single blow.

So swift, so decisive, it was hard to tell whether it had been a duel or an execution.

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