* * *

While Taylor lay low at his secret hideout, trying to avoid detection, an urgent report reached him.

“We have a situation,” his knight announced.

Taylor’s face twisted in annoyance. Problems had been cropping up daily.

“What now?”

“…One of the ducal houses has issued an official statement declaring their intent to bring you to justice.”

“Which one?” Taylor asked, though he already suspected the answer.

“It’s Edwin Lorenz,” the knight replied hesitantly.

“Of course, that man wouldn’t stay quiet,” Taylor sneered.

Edwin was bound to hold a grudge against him, just like Henry did.

“Even so, he doesn’t have any grounds to put pressure on me,” Taylor said confidently.

“Well… he claims it’s because you endangered his bonded partner.”

“Hah! He’s coming straight for me,” Taylor scoffed.

He had never expected Edwin to fabricate another excuse.

Still, without evidence, there was little Edwin could do.

“Just ignore it.”

“I’m afraid that’s not possible. Duke Lorenz himself has thrown his full support behind Edwin,” the knight explained reluctantly.

Taylor froze.

If Duke Lorenz was involved, it signaled the full weight of the Lorenz Ducal House was being brought against him.

This wasn’t just a personal vendetta anymore—it was a declaration of war.

His name, which he had once wanted everyone to know for his accomplishments, was now being dragged through the mud in a way he could never have imagined.

Taylor clutched his head, feeling the weight of his ruined ambitions.

Though he doubted they would uncover his hiding place, he knew that his days of openly moving in society were over.

---

“The Reve Merchant Guild has made a move.”

A few days later, upon receiving the report that Henry had finally taken action, Taylor responded nonchalantly.

“Is he trying to find me?”

“That’s part of it, but it seems his main objective is gathering people.”

While everyone else seemed intent on hunting Taylor down and causing him trouble, the Reve Guild had taken a different path.

It was unsettling, yet Taylor couldn’t resist asking.

“They’re gathering people who have been harmed by you, my lord. In doing so, most of the secret locations you’ve established have been exposed.”

The knight’s report made Taylor rise from his chair with a start. It was the most chilling piece of news he had heard so far.

While it wasn’t entirely surprising that the guild’s actions had stirred up secrets—given the entanglements—it was still shocking.

Taylor could also somewhat understand why the Duke of Lorentste was trying to track him down.

“How do they know about those?”

But the fact that his secret hideouts were being exposed was a blow he couldn’t accept.

Taylor glared fiercely at the knight, as though blaming him for the situation, but the knight could only lower his head, unable to provide any answers.

It was time to acknowledge that even this location could be exposed at any moment.

Before that happened, Taylor needed to calm himself, at least a little.

“No, it’s Henry. That man has always surprised me.”

In the past, when Taylor clashed with Henry, the man had openly revealed his hostility, acting as though he knew everything about Taylor.

It wasn’t entirely shocking that he had discovered the secret hideouts.

While Taylor was working to regain his composure, trouble arose again.

Another of Taylor’s guards entered.

“Unidentified individuals are approaching this location.”

“Who are they?”

“I couldn’t get a clear look as I rushed here, but it seemed to be a mix of knights and soldiers.”

“Damn it.”

Taylor cursed under his breath, standing abruptly.

He felt like a cornered rat.

The only person he had antagonized was Henry, yet now Edwin and even unidentified forces were closing in on him from all sides.

“Have all the hideouts been exposed?”

“Not all, it seems. But we can’t predict what the enemy knows.”

That meant no place was truly safe.

Taylor paused, taking a deep breath, as he considered his options: confront the intruders head-on or abandon the site altogether.

“If there are none left, I’ll just create new ones.”

Taylor decided to dig out new locations. It was a shame to lose the places he had carefully crafted, but he was confident in his ability to build new ones.

“No one will ever find me.”

He declared with conviction, unaware of just how many eyes were on his every move.

---

Before Crown Prince William knelt a man, pleading desperately.

He was the lord of a territory said to house the Grand Mage’s treasure.

“I’m sorry. I… I didn’t mean to…”

The lord, bent low, tilted his head back as much as he could, desperately trying to convey his sincerity.

“I acted only because I was promised that nothing serious would happen. It wasn’t out of willful ignorance. I was going to send soldiers. But since the treasure is in my domain, it’s not something I could claim as I pleased, so I just took the minimum precautions.”

The lord, who had never shown himself despite all that had happened in the caves, emphasized that he had been as careful as possible.

“Ah, I see.”

Crown Prince William crossed his legs, replying indifferently.

He leaned slightly to the side, resting an elbow on the armrest.

“But wouldn’t it have been better to come and inform me before I started my investigation?”

“I meant to tell you. Truly, I did.”

“How commendable your efforts were, I suppose. Still, what can I do now? Once I’ve made an official move, my pride is on the line.”

Since the Crown Prince had formally declared an investigation of the caves, he could not settle for anything less than concrete results.

Naturally, compromise was out of the question, which is why the lord had rushed to him in the first place.

“Your Highness, I am willing to cooperate fully, provided nothing catastrophic happens…”

“Then start from the beginning. Who told you to turn a blind eye, promising that everything would be fine?”

“That is…”

For the first time, the lord faltered, unable to complete his sentence.

Seeing the man’s eyes dart nervously, the Crown Prince sighed, shaking his head in frustration.

“If you won’t speak, then leave. I’ve already been more than generous with my time.”

Not only did the Crown Prince dismiss him, but he also stood, signaling that he intended to leave.

Desperate, the lord unfolded from his kneeling position and reached out toward William.

“It was Taylor, the head of the Nurak Merchant Guild.”

“Ah, his name does ring a bell.”

The Crown Prince sank back into his chair, a gesture that made it clear he would listen further.

The lord let out a small sigh of relief.

“He has shown unparalleled devotion to my territory. That’s why, when it came to the caves, he assured me that no harm would come and took the initiative…”

“I see.”

“I truly had no idea there would be casualties. I swear it.”

“But there is still a ruler of this territory, is there not? I fail to see the logic.”

Under the Crown Prince’s scrutinizing gaze, the lord shrank back, fearing he would be deemed unfit to govern. Hastily, he added,

“Taylor promised to take full responsibility. Even if consequences arose, he vowed to handle them entirely.”

The lord pulled out a document from his sleeve, a piece he had hoped never to use but was now his only chance at salvation.

“This is an agreement bearing Taylor’s seal.”

He crawled forward on his knees, presenting the document with trembling hands.

Crown Prince William, unbothered by the lord’s visible desperation, lazily accepted it and scanned the contents.

“Hmm. I’ll consider it. You may leave now.”

Hearing the softened tone, the lord exhaled a sigh of relief, bowed deeply, and stumbled out on unsteady legs.

“What will you do now, Your Highness?”

A figure emerged from behind the curtain.

* * *