Just as they were about to leave, Miranda, still cradled in Magnus's arms, tugged lightly on his sleeve.
"Don't forget about me," she whispered.
Magnus blinked, suddenly recalling her situation. He turned around to speak but froze at the sight before him.
Kevin was on his knees behind him, face buried in the floor as he begged for forgiveness. Clarissa sat sprawled and dazed, her eyes unfocused, while Victoria clung to her, trembling violently. Julius slumped in the corner, leaning against the wall with a lifeless stare, as if the world had ended.
Magnus narrowed his eyes, confused by their reactions. He glanced at Selene who remained calm and unsurprised.
He leaned closer to her and whispered, "Why do they look like it's the end of the world?"
Selene met his gaze and answered flatly, "Because to them, it is."
She crossed her arms and continued, "You just said you won't do business with the Bormonts or the Bridges anymore. That means they can no longer use your name to do whatever they want."
Her tone emphasized the "whatever."
Miranda, nestled against Magnus, nodded seriously. "My father did use your name to do a lot of bad things," she confirmed softly.
Magnus's jaw tightened. He turned his gaze back to the three broken adults. "And they're acting like this… just because they can't use my name anymore?"
Selene shook her head slowly. "No, that's not it. That's just the surface."
She gave him a wry smile. "You know, I've read a lot of novels, mangas, and I've watched dramas and movies. I know how this works. When someone joins the underworld, it's nearly impossible to get out."
Magnus raised a brow, intrigued.
"There's this one movie I watched," Selene said. "Before the protagonist joined a criminal group, someone warned him that there were only two ways to leave: the slammer or the box. Jail or death."
She gave him a hard look. "But here's the thing. The only way to go to jail is if someone reports your crimes. But since I should know about to tell you about what they did, you don't know about it. And they know that you don't know."
Magnus's expression darkened as the realization dawned.
"That leaves only one option," Selene said. "The box."
A long silence stretched between them.
Finally, Selene looked up at him again. "Tell me. How do you think a twelve-year-old girl like Victoria managed to hire bandits to attack Miranda?"
Magnus's eyes widened slightly. "She didn't… someone helped her?"
Selene's voice turned sharp. "They worked with those bandits. The bandits did the dirty work: looting, robbing, killing, kidnapping. The Bridges and Bormonts distributed the stolen goods using their connections."
Magnus's voice was low and cold now. "And the only reason they had those connections… was because they were affiliated with me."
Selene nodded gravely.
Magnus fell silent, staring down at the trembling Kevin. "So the Bridge and Bormont families were just pawns."
"They were," Selene confirmed. "And pawns get discarded the moment they stop being useful."
She nodded toward the broken trio on the floor. "Once they're no longer useful to the real criminals, they'll be silenced. That's how it works."
Magnus sighed heavily, rubbing the bridge of his nose with his fingers. "I've failed," he muttered. "Failed miserably in my ducal duties. First it was Thorn, then Galen, Valmont, Elric… and now this."
Selene placed a hand gently on his shoulder. "Crime and corruption exist everywhere, Dad," she said softly. "Even on Earth, where we had advanced technology and constant surveillance, people still found ways to exploit others. The important thing is you're not turning a blind eye. All you have to do now… is find the criminals and arrest them."
He let out another long breath, his eyes filled with fatigue and guilt. "When we get home, I want you to write down everything; every name and every detail about the criminals operating in my duchy."
Selene nodded. "I will. But before that… we have a bigger problem." She looked down at the stuffed bear Miranda. "Miranda's consciousness is still inside the teddy bear."
Magnus followed her gaze, his expression tightening.
Now that they were in the Bridges' mansion, they could simply destroy the bear to release her consciousness, but her actual body is still locked away in her room. On the way there, she told them how they treated her after she awakened as a Puppeteer. The stories were… horrifying.
So agreed to take her home with them after they retrieve her real body.
To make matters worse, the possession skill she's using to control the bear needs a constant flow of mana. It's only supposed to last thirty minutes at most. But it's already been longer than that and she's still in the bear.
The longer she stays in the bear, the more mana she uses. If she runs out, she could die from mana depletion.
They couldn't just ask the Bridges to hand Miranda over... not after what just happened. Any move now could be risky. They needed a plan. A solution. Because no matter what… they had to save Miranda.
Just then, Kevin lurched forward and grabbed the hem of Magnus's pants. His forehead still pressed against the floor. "Please, Duke Ravencroft! Don't cut ties with us. I'll do anything. Anything!"
Magnus stared down at the man in silence. Then he looked at Victoria, who was still shaking in Clarissa's arms. Finally, his gaze landed on the teddy bear Miranda.
A shadow passed over his face. Then he whispered, "I have an idea."
Selene blinked, confused. "Huh?"
Magnus turned to Kevin and repeated his words, louder this time. "You said you'd do anything, correct?"
Kevin nodded eagerly. "Yes, yes! Anything!"
"Then hand over Victoria."
Clarissa's arms tightened protectively around her daughter. "W-What do you want with her?" she asked, panic rising in her voice.
Magnus's tone was calm, but cold. "I want her to receive punishment for what she did to Selene… and for all the other crimes she committed in Ravencroft manor."
He handed Miranda to Selene, then gently set her down on her feet. With a flick of his wrist, he summoned a pile of parchment from his storage space and spread them out on a nearby table.
"For the past three years," he began, "I've been gathering evidence. Theft. Property damage. Physical harm. All of it, meticulously recorded."
He flipped through the pages, each listing an offense. "She stole jewelry, dresses, makeup, toys, antiques… the total value of stolen items is over 143 large gold coins. Damaged property? Over 62 large gold coins."
Victoria lashed out, her face red with rage and panic. "I only did that because Selene would've given them to me anyway!"
Selene gaped at her, flabbergasted. "Excuse me?"
Magnus ignored the outburst. "She will be taken into custody. She'll be given a fair trial."
He turned to his guards and gave a curt order. "Arrest her."
The guards stepped forward.
"No! No!!" Victoria screamed, clutching at her mother. "Mom! Dad! Don't let them take me!"
Clarissa held her tight, her face pale with fear and uncertainty. Kevin looked between his daughter and Magnus, shaking.
Magnus stepped closer, his presence towering. "You said you'd do anything, Kevin. This is your chance. But if either of you dares to help her escape… I will personally deal with you."
With that, he turned away, walked over to a nearby couch, and sat down with a sigh, watching coldly as the guards pried the shrieking Victoria from her mother's arms.