Chapter 83: The Vanishing Duchess and the Prison’s Secrets
Maximus emerged from the emperor’s chamber, his face etched with worry though he kept it well concealed, and inquired, "Explain what happened here? Why has the duke been locked inside the prison?"
The guard, who had witnessed the events, replied, "Greetings, Crown Prince. I apologize for making you come all the way to ask about the situation, but I will still say it wasn’t a big deal, though the duke was making it seem like it was. It was so weird, even for me to explain."
Maximus continued his inquiry, "Who were the ones present at the scene?"
The guard informed, "My lord, the Knight Association was present at the scene. If you want, I can call for them."
The Crown Prince, however, declined the offer, saying, "No, there is no need. I will go meet them myself." He proceeded to the knights’ working place, even though it was already quite dark, and most of the knights had retired to their resting places.
Upon arriving at the courtyard, Maximus questioned the knights who were still discussing the situation, "What is the commotion going on here? Isn’t it time for all of you to retire already?"
The head knight replied, "Greetings, Crown Prince," and the other knights followed suit, showing respect.
Maximus pressed further, "There is nothing important, my lord. You do not have to worry."
Unconvinced, Maximus probed, "How could I not worry when the sun is about to rise, and the knights are still having conversations in the courtyard? I don’t think it’s a small matter. Explain the situation."
The head knight explained, "It’s about the duke, my lord. He has been acting strangely. We have never seen him behave this way."
Maximus probed deeper, "Weird? What do you mean?"
The head knight continued, "He was acting irrationally. He kept pointing to a spot, saying a knight had died when there was no one. Not even a spot of blood. The surface was clean as hell, but he persisted about the matter, blaming the knight for a murder he never committed. If that isn’t weird, then what is? The duke is a warrior himself; he should know when to keep his mind clear. But he finally lost it completely."