I WAS SURE WE GOT OFF TO A SMOOTH START.
ED THOROUGHLY TAUGHT ME EVERYTHING I NEEDED TO OBSERVE AFTER ENTERING THE PALACE,
Here you do this, and there you do that...
Understood!
AND THE MANSION STAFF PROMISED TO TAKE GOOD CARE OF BYEOL-I, TOO.
I'll make sure it gets meat with every meal!
Butler! Take as long as you want to get back!
ALL THAT WAS LEFT NOW WAS TO PLAY MY ROLE AS ATTENDANT PERFECTLY AT THE IMPERIAL PALACE,
AND EARN THE GRAND DUKE'S TRUST, OR SO I THOUGHT...
THIS ISN’T THE WAY TO THE IMPERIAL PALACE AT ALL!
Nobody said a word about making a stop!
...UM, YOUR HIGHNESS.
PARDON ME, BUT THIS DOESN’T SEEM TO BE THE WAY TO THE IMPERIAL PALACE...
WHERE ARE WE HEADED RIGHT NOW?
A PLACE CALLED THE KENTROW FIEF.
...THE KENTROW FIEF?
I'VE NEVER HEARD OF SUCH A PLACE.
NO WAY... THERE'S A PLACE IN THE CADEA EMPIRE I DON'T KNOW ABOUT?
Imperial Land Register
Cadea Peerage Directory
Man, this empire is huge.
THAT PLACE WASN'T MENTIONED IN ANY OF THE RECORDS I READ!
IT LIKELY WASN'T IN ANY BOOKS OR MAPS THE BUTLER READ.
FOR THAT LAND AHEAD...
...WAS ERASED FROM IMPERIAL HISTORY, ALONG WITH THE FAMILY THAT RULED IT.
YOUR HIGHNESS...
BY 'ERASED FROM HISTORY', DO YOU MEAN-
WHAT IN THE...
WHAT WAS THAT ENERGY JUST NOW?
DID WE PASS THROUGH A BARRIER?
LOOKS LIKE WE'RE HERE. LET'S GET OUT.
YES, YOUR HIGHNESS!
LAND THAT HASN'T SEEN HUMAN TOUCH IN YEARS...
IT STILL FEELS A LITTLE TOO ORDERLY TO BE CALLED A RUIN,
YET THERE IS NO SIGN OF HUMAN PRESENCE AT ALL TO SAY SOMEONE LIVES HERE.
NORMALLY, WHEN TERRITORY IS RECLAIMED FROM ITS LORD FOR WHAT- EVER REASON,
IT IS EITHER BESTOWED UPON ANOTHER NOBLE,
OR PUT TO USE IN SOME WAY OR ANOTHER.
YET EARLIER, THE GRAND DUKE SAID...
...THAT THIS FIEF WAS ERASED FROM HISTORY.
WHICH MEANS WHATEVER HAPPENED TO THIS FAMILY...
...IS SOMETHING THE ENTIRE EMPIRE HAD TO CONCEAL.
TO THE POINT OF WIPING OUT EVEN THE TERRITORY'S EXISTENCE.
JUST WHO ON EARTH WAS THE MASTER OF THIS LAND?
...IT SEEMS TO HAVE BEEN DESERTED FOR QUITE SOME TIME, YOUR HIGHNESS.
INDEED, IT HAS BEEN TWELVE YEARS ALREADY SINCE ANYONE HAS LIVED HERE.
STILL, PEOPLE FROM THE GRAND DUCAL HOUSE COME BY OCCASIONALLY TO MAINTAIN IT.
TWELVE YEARS, HUH...
MAYBE IT'S BECAUSE I'VE GOTTEN SO USED TO BEING A BUTLER.
IT HURTS TO SEE A PERFECTLY GOOD MANSION LEFT ABANDONED LIKE THIS.
THIS MANSION MUST HAVE BUSTLED WITH PEOPLE ONCE UPON A TIME...
MEIRAN!
HURRY UP, THE CARRIAGE IS HERE!
MY LADY, IF YOU RUN LIKE THAT, YOU'LL TRIP!
WHAT WAS THAT?
NO, I'M ALREADY LATE!
AFTER HOW LONG IT'S BEEN SINCE WE LAST MET!
...TLER...
BUTLER.
BUTLER, WHY ARE YOU STANDING THERE LIKE THAT?
NO... IT'S NOTHING, YOUR HIGHNESS.
...WHAT WAS THAT JUST NOW? DID I MISHEAR?
THEN AGAIN, THERE'S NO ONE HERE, SO HOW COULD I HEAR ANYTHING?
DID YOU HAPPEN TO REMEMBER ANY- THING HERE?
AH... SO THAT'S IT.
AND HERE I WONDERED WHY HE SUDDENLY BROUGHT ME TO A PLACE LIKE THIS.
YOUR HIGHNESS.
IT SEEMS THIS PLACE IS ALSO RELATED TO WHAT I AM SUPPOSED TO REMEMBER.
I KNOW YOU HAVE HOPED OVER THE PAST TWO YEARS THAT I WOULD RECALL SOMETHING.
AND I, TOO, SINCERELY WISH TO RECOVER MY MEMORIES.
NO MATTER HOW MUCH THIS BELONGS TO A STRANGER,
LIVING A LIFE DEVOID OF MEMORIES TWICE OVER...
...ISN'T PARTICULARLY PLEASANT FOR ME, EITHER.
PERHAPS,
HASN'T THE TIME COME FOR YOUR HIGHNESS TO TELL ME YOURSELF?
WHO KNOWS?
HEARING THE GRAND DUKE'S WORDS MIGHT BRING ALL THESE FAINT MEMORIES BACK.
...BUTLER.
THE ONLY THING I CAN TELL YOU RIGHT NOW,
AS ALWAYS, IS THAT YOU WOULD DO WELL TO RECOVER YOUR MEMORIES AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.
THERE IS NO POINT IN ME LAYING IT ALL OUT FIRST.
GIVEN THE CHANCE,
YOU MIGHT JUST PIECE CONVENIENT WORDS TOGETHER FROM MY STORY AND SOW FURTHER CONFUSION.
IS THAT NOT SO?
...RIGHT, I HEAR YOU LOUD AND CLEAR.
AT LEAST I KNOW YOU STILL DON'T TRUST ME.
PLEASE WAIT FOR ME, YOUR HIGHNESS.
I WILL CONTINUE TO DO MY UTMOST.
I HAVE NO NEED FOR YOUR UTMOST.
PROVE IT.
THAT YOU ARE THE MASTER OF THAT BODY.
...GRAND DUKE, I'M SORRY TO SAY THIS.
EVEN IF ALL THE MEMORIES RETURNED, THAT'S IMPOSSIBLE.
I'VE NEVER SEEN AN INN WITH A BATHTUB THIS SPACIOUS.
THEY DID SAY IT WAS RUN BY A VASSAL OF THE GRAND DUCAL HOUSE...
SO THEY MUST HAVE GIVEN HIM THE FINEST ROOM.
The Grand Duke's Bedroom
Right here!
Freya's Bedroom
ANYWAY, HE'S AN IMPOSSIBLE MAN TO READ,
YET HIS REPUTATION WITH THE PEOPLE AROUND HIM IS SURPRISINGLY GOOD.
ALL RIGHT, THE TEMPERATURE IS JUST RIGHT.
YOUR HIGHNESS,
I HAVE PREPARED THE BATH SO THAT YOU MAY RELIEVE YOUR TRAVEL FATIGUE.
VERY WELL. GOOD WORK.
WAIT, THIS IS...!
FINALLY, A CHANCE TO MAKE UP FOR MY MISTAKE LAST TIME!
YOUR HIGHNESS, IF YOU HAPPEN TO REQUIRE AN ATTEN- DANT...!
THAT WON'T BE NECESSARY. YOU MAY STEP OUT.
TOMORROW WILL BE A BUSY DAY.
WE WILL HAVE TO MOVE SWIFTLY, SO GO AND SAVE YOUR STRENGTH.
...WHAT ARE YOU DOING? AREN'T YOU LEAVING?
YES, I WILL TAKE MY LEAVE NOW!
PROMPTLY FLED TO HER OWN ROOM
UGH...
WHY DOES HE ALWAYS STRIP DOWN SO CASUALLY LIKE THAT ANYWAY?
IN THE END, IT FEELS LIKE ALL I DID TODAY WAS GO ON AN OUTING.
SERIOUSLY,
BETWEEN WHAT HAPPENED EARLIER AND EVERY- THING ELSE...
JUST HOW PRECIOUS WAS THE ORIGINAL OWNER OF THIS BODY TO THE GRAND DUKE?
ONE THING IS CERTAIN:
PERHAPS BECAUSE OF HOW DESPERATE THE GRAND DUKE IS,
MEMORIES OF THIS BODY'S OWNER ARE GRADUALLY COMING BACK TO ME.
ONCE ALL THOSE MEMORIES RETURN,
IT'LL BE MUCH EASIER TO DECEIVE THE GRAND DUKE.
I WON'T HAVE TO SCRAMBLE DESPERATELY TO EARN HIS TRUST LIKE I DO NOW.
BUT...
WHY DOES MY HEART FEEL HEAVIER THE MORE I THINK ABOUT IT?
IS IT BECAUSE THIS BODY HAPPENS TO BE SOMEONE SO PRECIOUS TO SOMEONE ELSE?
AND...
BECAUSE THAT 'SOMEONE' IS THE GRAND DUKE?
WHAT'S THIS? THIS STRANGE PRESENCE.
IS IT THE GRAND DUKE?
NO, THERE'S NO WAY HE'D BE OUT ALREADY.
BESIDES, THIS PRESENCE IS COMPLETELY DIFFERENT FROM HIS.
...THIS KILLING INTENT.
IT'S ASSASSINS.
FREYA, SOMEHOW HAUNTED BY THE IMAGE OF THE GRAND DUKE
GET OUT OF MY HEAD!!!
The butler, believing he is ready for the journey to the palace, sets out with what Ed taught him and the farewell of the household staff. But the carriage does not go to the Imperial Palace — it goes to Kentrow Asylum, erased from history. In the mansion abandoned for twelve years, he hears strange sounds, and the Grand Duke demands proof from him, not trust. After the bath routine at the inn, he senses killing intent.
