LUCIA

IN ANOTHER FUTURE―HUGO(2)

The clean-up of the Count of Matin, a supposed 'small fry' was moving at a snail's pace. The traitor's third son who was attending school at the Academy had luckily escaped to another country and the traitor's wife had still not been found for three days. Thanks to this, the lives of the traitors was extended by several days and because leaving them at the count's residence while monitoring them was a waste of manpower, they were all taken to prison.

On the fourth day, Hugo got a report from Dean stating that he had found a device that led to a secret area.

"Have you gone in?"

"I have not checked inside as you ordered, my lord."

As a day passed, then two, then three, Hugo became curious about the woman who had hidden herself so deeply. She had definitely not left the mansion. Currently, security in the capital was water-tight and anyone suspicious would definitely standout. Since she had no one helping her, a noblewoman who had lived an easy life, would not be able to hide without leaving any trace. Therefore, Hugo figured that there was a secret location in the mansion and that she was hiding there. He told his subordinates that if such a place was found, they should immediately report it to him instead of combing through it.

He took only a few knights with him and went to the deserted house of Count of Matin. As Hugo watched Dean manipulated the device to reveal the darkness behind, his red eyes narrowed slightly. A knight lit his torch, cutting through the darkness.

Hugo looked around with interest. The expertly-made secret area was impressive. After descending for a while, they reached a chamber with dimly lit walls. Upon finding the shadow of a person lying in the corner, Hugo's footsteps came to a stop.

He stopped his knights behind him, grabbed a torch and approached the shadow. There was no movement from the woman who was lying down, with her body curled up. Hugo lifted the torch higher to illuminate the surroundings. The temporary bed that the woman lay on was made of several layers of blankets and the surrounding leather sacks were filled with dry food. He also saw a bundle of clothes.

'I suppose it's a prepared shelter.'

The Count of Matin's family did not know about the existence of this place. It was clear that the woman had prepared all of this by herself. It wasn't possible that she knew about the Count's household extermination beforehand. So why? Hugo's red eyes gazed down at the soundly sleeping figure of the woman.

'Interesting.'

The woman's struggle was intriguing. Hugo couldn't understand the woman's passion for life. This was boring and tedious world. If the woman had a child then he could see why, but both the maid that served her and the doctor in charge of her treatments said that she was infertile.

[She is definitely infertile. Even if she were not infertile, her husband has been incapable of having children for a few years now.]

Without even being asked, the doctor spoke about Count Matin's sexual dysfunction. It was as if the doctor thought that proving the Countess' infertility would save the Countess' life. It was never a good thing to get involved with someone who had been caught up in a plot of treason, but the doctor looked to be more worried about the Countess' situation than being afraid.

It felt like a contradiction for a woman who was supported by the people around her to have found a route to escape alone, abandoning her husband and children, even if the children weren't actually her own. Was the life of a woman who chose the lifelong status of a fugitive worth being so obsessed about?

Hugo searched through his memories, checking to see if he remembered a woman called the Countess of Matin. He had a good memory, but he couldn't remember people he didn't have an impression of, or simply passed by without talking to. He had no memory of the Countess of Matin.