Chapter 87……………………….
“Countess Jacqueline, the Duke of Dinero is summoning you.”
It was a servant from the banquet hall.
Before entering the hall, I took off my cloak and handed it to him.
“Marquis Blake dropped this earlier. Please return it to him on my behalf.”
“Yes, my lady.”
There was no need for Lennox to be associated with me, the one already marked with the emperor’s disfavor. That would do him no good.
“He’s already running up the ladder of success with the emperor’s trust. I can’t throw ashes on his path.”
As I stepped into the banquet hall, I immediately noticed the strange atmosphere.
The crowd’s gaze was fixed on the emperor and Lennox.
On that same carpet from earlier, Lennox was bowing before the emperor.
Beside him, a man who appeared to be the chief chamberlain held a medal on a red cloth with both hands.
“So this is some kind of investiture ceremony.”
The official bestowal hadn’t yet begun—it seemed the banquet had been chosen as the stage.
The emperor placed his ceremonial sword on Lennox’s shoulder and spoke:
“And lastly, I grant you immunity.”
A stir erupted among the nobles.
“…Immunity, Your Majesty?”
Immunity.
A privilege allowing one to be pardoned for any crime once, except for the murder of a member of the imperial family.
It was only ever granted in two cases:
First, if one saved the emperor’s life.
Second, if one achieved such extraordinary merit for the empire that no one could deny it.
This was clearly the latter.
“Hasn’t it been decades since an immunity was granted?”
I overheard a middle-aged noble whisper to his companion. He was right—such a bestowal was nearly unprecedented.
“So the emperor intends to pull Lennox to his side.”
Anyone could tell, especially after the emperor had subtly pushed him toward dancing with Lady Iris, the marquis’s daughter.
“Well, the people’s faith in a war hero is unshakable.”
There was no better way to win absolute public support than to have the empire’s war hero pledge loyalty to the throne.
“So this immunity was inevitable.”
Granting it in such a grand banquet was no different from publicly declaring Lennox as the emperor’s man.
The irony was bitter.
The emperor who had slaughtered House Euclid was now demanding loyalty from Euclid’s last descendant.
“If Lennox ever regains his memory…”
The bloodbath to come would make the original story look tame.
A man forced to serve the slayer of his family—how could that end peacefully?
The thought left me unsettled.
Then—
Clap, clap, clap.
A single pair of hands clapping rang through the hall.
“Who in the world—?”
Who would dare interrupt now?
“What a truly joyous occasion!”
Of course, it was my lord, the Duke of Dinero.
“Why now of all times… this is ominous.”
Even under my anxious gaze, the duke only laughed heartily, undeterred.
Naturally, all eyes turned to him.
“This old man also has joyous news to share. Your Majesty, may I be allowed the honor of sharing it here?”
The emperor’s smile froze—and so did mine.
This could only mean trouble for me.
“Since when have you ever asked permission? Do as you please.”
The emperor sneered arrogantly, swirling his cocktail.
The duke, unfazed, raised his champagne glass and declared:
“I have chosen the successor to lead House Dinero.”
The nobles gasped in unison.
“My goodness!”
The entire hall erupted in murmurs. Meanwhile, I nearly lost my mind.
“So this is what that ominous feeling was about! I knew it!”
I wanted to disappear on the spot.
Couldn’t he do this when I wasn’t around?!
Yet the duke, accustomed to such attention, solemnly declared:
“I hereby name Clemence Jacqueline as my heir.”
“What about your will, then?”
“There will be no will.”
My eyes immediately darted to the duke’s retainers. Thankfully, they seemed unshaken, even smiling as if they had expected this.
“Wait… this might actually be a good sign?”
Succession required the majority approval of the retainers. And judging from their contented faces, that majority was secure.
I never thought the smiles of nobles I barely knew could feel this reassuring.
“Good, good.”
Relieved, I looked around—only to spot one furious man.
Duke Penelope, his eyes bloodshot with rage, was trembling with barely contained fury.
Unlike earlier, when he had to endure the duke’s grand entrance, his lips now quivered in disbelief.
“So, my lord, you’ve had your revenge.”
The Duke of Dinero beamed, delighted.
“It moves me deeply to be the first in House Dinero to name an heir in my lifetime.”
I should have felt joy too, but instead, unease lingered.
“If only I were a bystander, this would be entertaining. But since I’m the star of this mess…”
So much for living quietly.
My life was already turbulent, but apparently it could get even more turbulent.
And now, with the succession declared, every noble’s eyes were fixed firmly on me.
“Well, since it’s come to this, I’d better row this boat.”
I pulled out the “oar” I had prepared in advance—my carefully crafted promotional pamphlets.
Meanwhile…
“Jacques! What is the meaning of this!”
Back at the Penelope estate, the duke stormed in, face contorted with fury.
His steward, Jacques Lorenzo, looked utterly bewildered.
“I—I don’t know either, my lord! This situation is… completely unexpected!”
“You did administer the medicine properly, didn’t you?!”
Veins bulged on the duke’s forehead as suspicion sharpened his gaze. Jacques, sweating, shook his head desperately.
“Yes! Of course, my lord! That is why Dinero’s businesses have been stagnating of late!”
“Then why… why did he suddenly appear so vigorous?!”
It was true. Jacques had faithfully dosed the duke for years, ensuring he could not recover. Even other nobles had confirmed that part.
“And yet, he appears in full strength?!”
The Duke of Penelope nearly lost his mind.
For five long years, he had suppressed his impatience, carefully poisoning the duke in secret. And now, all that effort was wasted in an instant.
Suspicion gnawed at him.
“M-maybe this is just his last flare of strength before death…! Don’t they say people often show unnatural vitality right before they die?”
Knowing the truth, Jacques lied smoothly.
If he slipped, he’d be the first to die. After all, the one drawing upon unnatural vitality wasn’t Duke Dinero—but Jacques Lorenzo himself.
“No, he must be hiding something!”
The Duke of Penelope’s suspicions only deepened. Something was going wrong.
“I was relieved because that Jacqueline brat and the old man hadn’t met for three years… and now this?!”
Indeed, there had been no contact between them for years—until suddenly, their exchanges grew frequent again.
“Did they plan this all along, during those three years?!”
Jacques Lorenzo.
Though a vassal of House Dinero, he was greedy and easy to bribe.
But what if he had only pretended to be bribed?
“You… you traitor—!”
Just as the duke was about to press him further—
“Father.”
A voice cut in.
It was his only son, Dominic, returning from pilgrimage after years away. He entered the estate wearing clerical robes.
Though he could not become a full priest as the sole heir to a great house, his deeds during pilgrimage had earned him the honorary title of cleric.
The duke frowned at the sight—he had never liked those robes on his son.
“Dominic. If this isn’t urgent, we’ll speak later.”
“The tower’s barrier has been disturbed.”
“What?”
At those words, the duke’s face turned cold. He immediately moved toward the tower.
“An external intruder?”
“A breakout attempt.”
Dominic’s lips curled into a sly smile.
“In other words… someone is trying to escape.”
The duke’s eyes gleamed like a predator’s, sensing prey.
“Then… it might finally be him!”
