Melvin was practically out of his mind. “Ha…” His face, having stayed up all night without proper sleep, showed evident signs of fatigue. His eyes were bloodshot and under them, dark circles loomed like smeared ash. Of course, it was all because of Elaina. 'That damned woman...!'

Last night, the coachman, who had arrived in a state of utter panic, brought news that was nowhere in Melvin’s plans, something utterly unexpected. "So... Elaina has escaped...?" It was unbelievable.

Of course, Melvin never thought Elaina would just get caught without a fight. He didn’t know how much he had prepared. For instance, windows nailed shut, or carriage doors that could only be opened from the outside. Things like that. But escape? "How could this happen! I’ve said it over and over! You must open the door only after arriving at Duke Hank’s residence, whether fainting or dying!"

"I, I did not open the door!" Covered in dirt, with his hair wildly tousled, the coachman replied in a sorrowful tone. "Sinclair Butler... that mad bastard attacked my carriage!" As he said this, the coachman recounted that if he hadn't run fast, he would have been captured and killed as well. But Melvin didn’t think so. Sinclair had intentionally let the coachman go. To go back and report everything to Melvin.

“Damn it…” This was a development completely unforeseen. No matter how mad Sinclair was, to pull off such a stunt. What Melvin worried about now was not only the fear of Sinclair. It was Duke Hank and his group. Namely, Sinclair's half-brother, the powerful and next emperor, Prince Hister, around whom these people were rallied. 'It was the only chance to win favor from Duke Hank…!' The fact that Elaina had disappeared was enough to faint over, and to top it off, the person who took her was Sinclair Butler!

Melvin looked like he was about to pass out. This incident had nothing good for Melvin. He would lose trust from Duke Hank and Hister, and for reasons unknown, he had earned Sinclair Butler’s hatred. Everything was over. All his long dreams of clinging to Duke Hank’s group to gain wealth and benefits were now shattered to pieces.

……But even then, Melvin had no idea. He didn’t know that a bigger calamity could still strike.

And the incident occurred precisely at noon. Contrary to the lavish and expansive study, not a single trace of light could be found on Melvin’s face as he sat at the table. As soon as day broke, he had sent a letter to Duke Hank’s residence, but no matter how long he waited, no reply came back. Thus, with nothing resolved, Melvin was enduring a time akin to hell.

"......" Melvin's eyes, usually sharp, were now dully staring at the cold teacup before him. He was lost in thought, unable to figure out how to overcome the situation, simply gazing at it blankly. "Ma, Master......" "......" "I have something to say......" "......" "I...... Ahhh!"

As the maid cautiously opened the door and continued speaking, she suddenly screamed. It was because a teacup had struck her squarely on the forehead. "Didn’t I say no one should come in!" The maid, her forehead torn and bleeding, didn’t know what to do. "Get out now! Leave!" "But, but I thought you should know......" The maid's voice broke, causing Melvin to pause momentarily. "Prince Sinclair Butler has arrived......" "What......?" "And he's brought knights and soldiers with him......"

Melvin's face turned as pale as a long-dead corpse in an instant. "Honey!" Soon after, Melvin's wife Melissa’s anxious voice could be heard. "Father, father!" Their daughter Layla’s voice also echoed, full of uncertainty. That’s when Melvin belatedly realized that something was seriously wrong. He sprang from his seat in a panic and began to run madly towards the voices of his wife and daughter.

"Huff, huff......" Out of breath, Melvin stopped at the entrance of the mansion. There stood the terrified mother and daughter, and as the maid had said, there were soldiers, and a carriage whose occupants were unknown. And there was Sinclair Butler, his face sinister with a menacing smile. "The weather is rather nice today, Melvin Ashwell." "......" "Don’t you think?"

No reply came from Melvin, who stared at Sinclair with a stiff face, overwhelmed with fear. "It’s a perfect day for an execution, I would say." At Sinclair's words, the two women flinched and hid behind Melvin. "Hiding won’t help you now."

Sinclair looked at them intently before bursting out laughing, as if amused. "I’m not so kind as to spare accomplices."

"Accomplices...? Sorry, but we don’t understand what you mean......" Melissa stammered in confusion. "Melvin Ashwell and Melissa Ashwell. And your daughter, Layla Ashwell." Sinclair began slowly, his deep voice filling the air. "Every member of the Ashwell family, except for Elaina Ashwell, shall pay the just price for conspiring to kidnap and sell a prince's consort like an object."

"Prince’s consort! Elaina was never a prince’s consort!" It was Melvin who stepped forward desperately. His bravery in confronting Sinclair was not just to protect his family; there was a huge difference between arranging the kidnapping of Elaina Ashwell and arranging the kidnapping of a 'prince's consort.' The former might not pose a problem, but the latter could lead to the worst-case scenario: execution. "You’re not old enough to be senile yet, Melvin Ashwell."

But Sinclair replied with a sneer. "Have you forgotten my visit that day?" "Of course, I haven’t. But that day you only brought a proposal......!" "Really? Was that it?" What Sinclair pulled from his coat was none other than a document—specifically, a marriage covenant. It was a document bearing the emperor's seal of approval for the marriage and the signatures of both parties. And at the bottom of the document was a date—the very day Sinclair had visited. ‘A trap...!’ The thought that had crossed Melvin's mind when Sinclair had visited him with a proposal suddenly returned. ‘It was a trap from the beginning!’

"The proposal wasn’t meant for you, but for Elaina Ashwell." 'He had driven me out deliberately. To trap me like this...!' "Leave. Right now."

"Eyes aren’t just leather flaps carelessly torn; they're meant to see," Sinclair chuckled, pushing the marriage covenant close to Melvin's face.

"The ceremony was not held, but from that day, Elaina became a prince's consort. No matter how hard-headed you are, you should understand the severity of your current situation." Melvin's fist clenched tightly, trembling. He stood no chance if things continued this way. It was unimaginable that he could become Sinclair's second daytime murder victim. 'No, I can't... I can't let it end this easily...' Melvin bit his lip hard. "Now, let’s hear an answer that satisfies me."

"Do you have... definitive proof?" Melvin's voice was barely a whisper, to which Sinclair frowned slightly. "That marriage covenant, as proof... sorry, but isn’t it a bit flimsy?" "Flimsy?" Sinclair laughed. "The emperor may have pre-stamped the marriage covenant, but that doesn’t prove that Elaina and the prince made their vows that day..."

Melvin continued in a bizarre, strangled tone, like a mouse being stepped on. "Besides, dates can be manipulated at any time. It’s not that I don’t believe the prince's words, but objectively, that’s how it appears." "Really?" "Yes. Moreover, I was completely unaware of such a fact... I was only looking for a kind-hearted person to take in my sick daughter. The money Duke Hank was to transfer to me was merely meant as a dowry. So, I am truly unjustly accused..."

Before Melvin could finish, Sinclair began laughing like a madman, as if he was watching a highly amusing farce. "What an intriguing story. You would have been more successful as a writer, given your talents." "......" "And you said the evidence was flimsy, Melvin." Sinclair approached Melvin without hesitation, and Melvin instinctively stepped back as he drew nearer. Melissa and Layla did the same. But their futile attempt to escape soon ended as the soldiers surrounded the family, and they had no choice but to stop.

"There may be no evidence, but there is a witness." Sinclair leaned in close, his face full of mockery. "To be precise, a witness and the very person involved." As soon as he finished speaking, the door of the carriage behind them opened. The person who stepped out was someone Melvin never expected—Elaina Ashwell, the youngest daughter he had attempted to sell.

"Father." Melvin's eyes, filled with Elaina, shook violently. What could she possibly have to say by coming here? He desperately wanted to read her intentions, but he couldn't decipher any emotions hidden in Elaina's subtle expressions. "Why are you lying?" "What... what?" "Didn’t I clearly tell you that the prince and I made our vows that day?" Elaina looked at Melvin with a face full of incomprehension. "I was informed directly at the palace."

"I also distinctly saw the marriage covenant signed by both parties with my own eyes," added Schuler, smiling amiably as he opened the carriage door. "It's rather puzzling that your father, Mr. Melvin, was unaware of this fact. There seems to be no reason for Lady Elaina to lie about such a thing, does there?"

"Conspiracy, it’s all a conspiracy!" Melvin, cornered, shouted in an extremely angry voice. This was, of course, somewhat permissible given that his adversary Schuler was of a lower status. "It’s nothing but a forced argument to take Elaina’s side! Damn it all...!"

"Evidence." Then Elaina, facing her father directly, spoke. "Do you have evidence?" "What...?" "Evidence that I am lying to deceive you?"

"Melissa and Layla are witnesses! Where do you get off doing such insane things, you dare..." "But father, isn’t that too flimsy for a witness?" "......" "Besides, father, as well as Mrs. Melissa and Layla, have already become suspects, haven’t they? To be precise, you are in a situation where you are suspected of being criminals. Unfortunately, there is no such ridiculous law in Edenbell that allows suspects to be witnesses." Isn’t that a pity? Elaina said, smiling.