Chapter 80
Irene rolled her eyes playfully and gave a meaningful smile.
“Hardly anyone applied to the First Princess’s Palace because they liked children, you know?”
“Then what, they applied because the job was easy? That’s unexpected.”
“What’s unexpected about it?”
“I thought it’d be insanely tough. Rumor has it the brat is sickly all the time, and the Emperor’s brother dotes on her like crazy.”
Irene silently raised her glass and drained it.
The way she narrowed her eyes almost looked like she was holding back laughter.
Noticing this, Rabian muttered with a mocking drawl.
“Well, I guess for people like you, it’s more important to cling to the right line of power, even if it’s tough.”
At that, Irene lowered her lashes and let out a sharp little laugh.
“Cling to power…?”
It seemed he had struck her pride.
Rabian lit his cigarette, sneering nastily.
“Yeah, it’s obvious. The First Princess is favored. But now the kid you clung to has vanished. What’ll you do now? How do you know she hasn’t already croaked somewhere?”
“Do you think I’d lower myself to cling to some pitiful princess just because I had nowhere else to go?”
“What’s pitiful about her? She’s living a hell of a lot better off than you. Haven’t you heard the saying—blood itself is gold?”
“My, my. Sir, you’re more naïve than I thought.”
“I’ll admit, I’ve got a kind of innocent charm. Anyway, don’t be too disappointed. Even after tonight, I might not be able to forget you. Who knows? Maybe your child will live a luckier life than that brat you served.”
Rabian’s deliberately abrasive words made Irene scoff.
“If you knew what the First Princess was really like, you’d be shocked.”
“What’s she like?”
“Neither the Emperor nor the Empress care about her at all. I doubt they’d notice even if she died.”
Rabian shrugged.
“So they don’t care whether she lives or dies, but they beg me to find her? I get they’re pissed, but being jealous of a snot-nosed kid is bad for your mental health.”
“When did I ever say I was jealous?! That’s exactly what I meant about you being naïve!”
Rabian ignored her rant and sipped his drink. Irritated, Irene tucked her hair behind her ear.
“You want to know how little they care? The First Princess has never once been celebrated on her birthday. Once in a while His Majesty visited, but only to show his face briefly before rushing off again. And every single time, the Princess would be overjoyed… it was so pathetic it made me laugh.”
“Didn’t she get presents?”
“Oh, presents. The Empress used to send her out-of-fashion old dresses every year. Meanwhile, the Second Princess always got the newest fashions. The contrast was hilarious.”
“Maybe it was just a matter of taste? My sister-in-law liked vintage. Anyway, even if there was favoritism, would they really just let a royal princess die?”
Irene’s lips curled into a crooked smile.
“Royal? I’d say I was raised more royally than she was.”
“You?”
“Do you know the royal physician has never once visited the First Princess’s Palace? Do you know what she used every time she was sick?”
“No idea. Herbal remedies?”
Irene shook her head, leaned forward, and burst out laughing.
“Celery juice. That so-called sickly princess? Turns out she was the healthiest child I knew. She’d drink that stuff whenever she felt unwell and then sleep like a baby.”
“…”
“Unbelievable, right? I couldn’t believe it either at first. I thought she was a frail princess loved dearly, just like the rumors said. But she was just the neglected one. Who knew there could be royals like that? That was when I realized I’d really bet on the wrong horse…”
“Sounds hilarious to you.”
“Huh…?”
Wiping her eyes, Irene turned her head—then froze.
The atmosphere had shifted. The man who’d been grinning slyly at her was suddenly radiating a pitch-black fury.
“To me, you’re the funny one.”
“W-what…?! Gahk!”
A powerful hand clamped around her throat and slammed her down. The room flashed blindingly bright—then a deafening crack of thunder split the air.
Rumble, crash!
Rabian stared coldly at the woman struggling in his grasp.
How many times in his life had he felt killing intent this intense?
And it wasn’t directed at her alone.
“What’s wrong? Not funny anymore?”
“C-can’t… breathe… why are you—”
“Why? Because you make me laugh, that’s why.”
A chilling smile spread across Rabian’s lips.
Irene gagged and sobbed in terror.
“Spare me—please, spare me…!”
“Shut up and keep talking.”
“Wh-what…?”
“Tell me what else was so funny, besides the celery juice.”
His absinthe-colored eyes glowed with murderous rage.
Irene’s jaw trembled uncontrollably, her eyes streaming with tears.
She had never expected the disgraced prince to react this way.
The First Princess was nothing but a burden—ignored by both Emperor and Empress, abandoned no matter what the maids or guards did, left uncared for while the head maid falsified records for years.
And yet this man—this wastrel prince—was furious to the point of slaughter.
Had everything she heard about him been a lie?
Or maybe this was a trap, a ploy from higher powers to pin the crime of murdering the princess on them.
“I-I’ll tell you everything! Everything, just please, let me live!”
Desperate to survive, Irene broke down crying and confessed.
At least if she testified, she thought, her life might be spared.
Rabian finally released her throat, folding his arms as he looked down at her.
“My niece’s chamber—was it your private suite?”
“W-what? H-how did you—”
“Yes or no.”
“…N-no.”
“Then why the hell were you using it like one?”
“I-I’m sorry, please forgive me, please don’t kill me…!”
“What else did you do?”
On her knees atop the bench, snot and tears streaming, Irene spilled everything she had done since entering the First Princess’s Palace—
How they falsified records, embezzled supplies, turned the palace into their playground, neglected and mistreated the Princess, fed her not only celery juice but dangerous drugs, and how the royal physician never visited because the head maid embezzled the funds instead of reporting truthfully.
Rabian listened in silence.
By then, an elite squad led by the captain of the Imperial Guard had appeared, surrounding the area without a sound. Irene only realized when it was far too late.
“With this woman’s testimony, the matter will be settled. If she cooperates, we can smooth over the conflict with the guards,” said the captain, laying a hand on the shoulder of the only guard officer present.
It was, of course, Lance.
Unlike earlier in the day, his eyes now burned with fierce determination as he spoke to Rabian.
“Lord Rabian, please trust me. I am not my father.”
“Lord Rabian…”
The guard captain drew him aside, lowering his voice.
“Did you perhaps anticipate this and bring that young man into play?”
What exactly did he mean by anticipate this?
Suppressing a bitter laugh, Rabian changed the subject.
“Things are going to get noisy now.”
