Time of the Blind Beast - Chapter 82

As the subordinates interrogated the main house servants and searched the woman’s home, the pieces they pieced together fit so well that there was hardly any need to get the woman to talk.

Most likely, the woman had come to Akenaus to beg for her parents’ lives, only to catch the eye of that bastard who couldn’t resist a pretty face. It was obvious she was exactly Akenaus’s type. They say people pursue what they lack, and that sinister Akenaus always went for women with pure and innocent appearances. Whether the woman had intended it or not, once they were in the same boat, she probably figured forming a personal relationship with Akenaus wouldn’t be such a bad idea.

“They say you shouldn’t judge a person by their looks… but what did that wench do right to be lying around in front of the major all this time?” Feder muttered irritably.

Ezekiel recalled Lisanne’s haggard state. Seeing her condition at the detention center had been surprising even for him.

“I heard she had a miscarriage there.”

“A baby? Akenaus’s?”

Feder’s mouth dropped open.

“She didn’t look pregnant to me. Not that I know anything about pregnancy.”

“It is a bit strange.”

Montcalm tilted his head.

“Her belly didn’t show at all, and if she were pregnant, she would’ve hesitated before drinking poison. It’s not just her life on the line. That would mean she got pregnant so recently she didn’t even know it herself… Can it really be Akenaus’s child? He mostly stayed in Claris, and the woman probably wandered the provinces not long after.”

A valid point.

Upon hearing the sudden news of a pregnancy, they had immediately thought of Akenaus, given her connection to him—but the timeline didn’t quite add up. Of course, considering that she seemed to have stayed in a city not far from Claris, it wasn’t impossible that they had continued their relationship in secret. Still, unless she confirmed it herself, it was all speculation.

And who’s to say Akenaus was the only man in her life? If she wanted to, that woman could easily have used her looks like a weapon.

In any case, it was all in the past now. Whose child she had carried was no longer Ezekiel’s concern.

“She had a miscarriage, so let’s leave it at that.”

It was time to focus on more productive matters than a child who no longer existed.

With a short nod, Ezekiel shifted the mood. His subordinates, who had been chattering freely, fell silent and straightened up. Soldiers who had endured brutal battlefields knew how to distinguish between times of tension and moments they could relax. That’s why they often appeared more laid-back than regular units. But if the 37th Regiment truly had loose discipline, they wouldn’t have earned the nickname “King’s Army.”

“There are Davis spies all over Astrie. We need bait to draw them out.”

As a soldier of Astrie, Ezekiel couldn’t stand to see the spies running rampant through the country. Before they slipped back across the border, they had to be herded together and wiped out in one sweep.

“They might’ve come in as they pleased, but they won’t be leaving so easily,” Ezekiel added coldly.

His subordinates agreed with their commander’s conclusion.

“They’ll be buried in Astrie.”

They would eliminate the spies in one go and capture Akenaus alongside them to hold him accountable for colluding with the enemy. It would be the cleanest outcome.

Even his father, who had taken a lukewarm stance on Akenaus’s punishment, wouldn’t be able to defend a firstborn son who had acted alongside Davis spies. The Valdemaira family’s standing might be a bit shaky for a while, but at least it would be an internal resolution—an act of taking responsibility within the family. That would be the only way to offset fault with merit.

“If we’re talking about Davis’s favorite bait, isn’t that you, Major?”

“It’s almost impressive how consistently that works.”

The Davis soldiers, desperate to make a name for themselves, always focused on Ezekiel’s whereabouts. Knowing this, he had often taken the lead as bait in both large and small battles.

“But we’re not at war now, are we? The major can’t take the front lines himself. Without solid justification, they’ll be suspicious.”

“The location matters too.”

Ezekiel pulled the conversation into focus.

“They’re disguised as ordinary citizens and roaming various cities. If a battle breaks out in the city, there could be innocent casualties.”

“So you mean we have to lure them outside the city.”

“Man, this won’t be easy.”

“We need to gather those spies who are scattered everywhere into one place, come up with a convincing and non-suspicious pretext that’ll tempt them, and ensure they show up in a location where no lives will be endangered if a fight breaks out… I mean, does such a plan even exist?”

Even Montcalm, usually calm and collected, clicked his tongue this time.

“I’d rather just fight it out physically. I’m not built for this kind of mental gymnastics.”

As his subordinates murmured among themselves, Ezekiel silently stared into space. If they were going to devise a trap to draw out the spies, then the moment the topic came up, the plan was already forming in his mind.

He just didn’t want to go through with it.

He clenched his jaw tightly.

…Rose, I don’t know if spreading all those rumors to find you was the right thing to do.

Truthfully, he didn’t want to use Rose as bait. But at the same time, he couldn’t completely abandon the hope that the real Rose might show up upon hearing the rumor that Major Valdemaira had found a woman. Whether it was out of jealousy or the fear that he might’ve been deceived by an imposter, if she just revealed herself…

He would snatch her immediately.

“Spread a new rumor.”

His mind was made up.

Ezekiel looked around at his subordinates.

“Say that Ezekiel Valdemaira has found the woman.”

Yes, Rose. If I can shake you out of hiding, there’s nothing I won’t do.

“Say the woman is riding a carriage into Claris to meet me.”

“So the spies will target the woman?”

He nodded. “At the very least, they won’t attack her inside the city. It’s crowded and the roads are complicated, so it’s not easy to escape. They’ll definitely wait for an opportunity outside the city where there are fewer witnesses and more escape routes. We’ll ambush them there, and when they attack the carriage, we wipe them out.”

“But for that, we’ll need an actual woman to ride in the carriage as bait, right?”

The Davis spies wouldn’t recklessly attack the carriage. They’d first check whether there was really a woman inside, and if she matched the description, only then would they strike.

“Red hair and green eyes aren’t that common.”

“They won’t see her eyes from a distance, so that’s fine. And we can put a wig on her. But who knows when a shootout might happen outside the carriage?”

Montcalm sighed as he went through each possibility.

“We’ll need a calm, bold woman who can stay hidden inside the carriage without panicking in a sudden emergency… but how are we supposed to pick someone like that?”

“And she shouldn’t expect any personal reward from the major. Word is, the Valdemaira estate is worn down from all the women visiting lately.”

“Finding a volunteer who fits all these conditions will be the hardest part.”

“Actually, I know someone perfect for the job.”

As soon as the plan formed, someone flashed through his memory. Connections made at the Derosa estate came in handy at times like these.

Paulina.

Ezekiel recalled the tall, calm-natured woman.

That doctor could do it.

She had the guts to grab a fellow trainee’s hand and escape from a blazing fire that burned down an entire building. Plus, she was already married to that man, which meant she was clean and respectable in her personal life. On top of that, even if she specialized in ophthalmic surgery, her medical background meant she likely had basic surgical knowledge. For this mission, she was an ideal fit in many ways.

First, he had to find out where Paulina was staying. Convincing her would be the next task. To do that, he needed to contact Madam Serva, who oversaw everything at the estate.

Ezekiel quickly began writing a letter asking for Paulina’s address.