CHAPTER 179………………………………………..
“Then how do you explain the poison detected on the handkerchief if what you’re saying is true?”
“Please, let me see my brother.”
“Are you implying… that your brother orchestrated this?”
The Count glared at me with a look of utter disbelief.
Right now, he had no evidence—only my words—so it was understandable that he found it hard to believe me.
But unless I confronted Elforten directly, this injustice wouldn’t be resolved.
“Father, I think you half-expected this. When you named me as the heir, you must have anticipated how Elforten would react, didn’t you?”
Elforten lacked both the talent and the support to be a proper heir. Meanwhile, my presence as a protected royal and companion to the princess must have made the nobles uneasy.
So, naming me the heir internally ensured no one would question it, while spreading rumors of rebellion externally would quietly remove me and position his son as the successor. That had to be his plan.
The Count scoffed at my words.
“Are you saying I knowingly allowed this to happen?”
“I’m merely suggesting you should have considered even worse possibilities, given your brother’s temperament. It’s fortunate if he doesn’t actually stage a rebellion.”
Whether it was the Count, seeking to control the royal family, or Elforten, acting recklessly without regard for rank, I had been foolish to think anyone in this family was safe.
“No matter how clever you are, you’re still a woman.”
Ultimately, the Count left the prison with a look that said he would abandon me for his son’s sake.
The open iron bars were soon locked again by the soldiers, leaving me alone.
If you don’t have teeth, you just chew with your gums.
It was frustrating to be trapped here without knowing Roelin’s fate, but for now, I decided against summoning Rismar.
Calling a spirit in front of the soldiers would have been foolish.
‘Anyway, if I wait, someone will come. Based on my experience, it’s most likely to be Refenon…’
Creak.
The sound of the door opening came from outside, and footsteps grew louder as someone approached.
“The Crown Prince has arrived. Everyone, stand aside.”
Hearing the commanding voice, the soldiers quickly left.
Then Refenon, the one who had imprisoned me, appeared slowly.
Judging from his gaunt face and dark circles under his eyes, Roelin’s condition must be critical.
But now wasn’t the time for pleasantries.
‘There’s no time. I have to persuade Refenon to find Elforten.’
“Lin, they say you won’t know until tonight. They were worried, you see.”
Refenon’s gaze showed not an ounce of doubt. In the past, he would have interrogated me mercilessly… Anyway, it was a relief that Roelin was alive.
“They found poison on my handkerchief, didn’t they?”
At my sharp question, Refenon nodded.
“You seem very angry.”
“Of course. He dared put Roelin in danger with my own hand. I want to catch the culprit and make them pay with their life.”
I meant every word.
If I left Elforten alive, who knew what he’d do to Roelin?
In the story, there had even been a ridiculous incident where Elforten insisted on marrying the young Roelin.
At this point, eliminating him seemed like the cleanest solution.
“It must be someone else, then.”
“……”
Until now, I’d never been this furious. He dared touch my favorite person—I could not forgive it.
“Do you have a guess?”
“Elforten Inferna.”
At the mention of my brother’s name, Refenon’s eyes flickered with surprise. Did he think I’d gone mad, suggesting killing my own sibling?
“Indeed, the lady is remarkable. Guessing the true culprit in this harsh prison. Impressive.”
Yet the Crown Prince remained unmoved. I opened my mouth again to persuade him.
“He tried to kill the princess through me. Every alibi, every piece of evidence, is meticulously aimed at me. He will do anything for his own gain. If Elforten becomes the head of the noble faction, he will certainly threaten the royal family.”
Refenon let out a heavy sigh at my words.
“But you didn’t see the poison, which endangered Roelin, applied to your handkerchief, did you?”
“There is one clear clue. The wine bottle my brother held. He handed it to me as if to make me catch it, but when I did, he snatched it away.”
I extended my palm, and Refenon tilted his head slightly.
“You can’t act on that alone.”
“If the poison is on my palm, then I have justification to move.”
He stepped closer, inspecting my palm, furrowed his brow, and let out an annoyed sigh.
“Damn it. It’s a small amount, but there is poison here.”
Refenon immediately sent the knights in charge of the investigation once the poison was detected.
They carefully cleaned my hands and collected the handkerchief, questioning me meticulously about what I had touched.
I identified the most suspicious items.
“Has His Highness recovered much?”
I asked, sleep-deprived from worry. They looked back at me with cold eyes.
“Don’t assume that because there is a true culprit, you are unrelated to this incident. The princess’s handkerchief endangered the royal lady. Best not to think of escaping.”
“Yes. I understand that well.”
“Fortunately, she has recovered much. But the Emperor will not let this slide. Imperial nobles have already petitioned for a formal assembly.”
After the investigation team left, my mind grew chaotic.
I had prevented the events I knew, so I thought only happiness remained—but that had backfired.
At this rate, I would die before Elufe ever did in the original story.
‘I’ve never failed a game before. Why is everything going wrong now…?’
Refenon’s presence snapped me out of my despair.
He appeared in my prison when I didn’t expect him, freeing me from negative thoughts.
“The wine bottle you mentioned wasn’t here.”
“…Surely someone saw it at the ball.”
“Even if it is discovered, no fool would leave it as evidence. It would have been dealt with.”
Was I being forced to take all the blame? My thoughts went blank as I watched Refenon.
“So, I plan to set a trap.”
“A trap?”
“If we pretend to allow a visit for money, secret information will likely be exchanged.”
“Are you saying you want to listen in yourself?”
Watching Refenon nod, I couldn’t find words for a long moment.
It sounded like it was for my benefit, but it wasn’t.
The Crown Prince clearly wanted to see if any seeds of rebellion remained in our family, regarding the rumored Inferna Count’s treason.
“Scared?”
“No. I’m innocent, so I’m not afraid. If I must die, I’ll catch the one who endangered the princess first.”
Hours later, Elforten—perhaps tricked by Refenon—came to my prison of his own accord.
His lazy steps and triumphant expression hit me immediately.
‘I should have recognized it when he greeted me politely…’
Elforten had wanted me dead from the start.
“Feeling regret now for being foolish?”
“How funny. The real fool is you. Why did you do this? At this rate, even the Inferna Count family you covet will be ruined. Were you too stupid to think that far?”
“I’m different from you from birth. Born a noble. How dare a filthy creature covet the heir’s position?”
“Filthy creature? With such noble blood, why have you never taken proper heir training?”
Perhaps hurt by my words, Elforten lunged at me like a beast.
The banging and thrashing were violent, but no one came to help me.
Here, if Elforten killed me, no one could intervene. The thought made me feel achingly lonely and sad.
‘If only Kyle hadn’t gone out of the capital for work…’
Perhaps it was better that Kyle was not involved.
If he got entangled in this, I’d feel too guilty to face him…
“Hey.”
Elforten grabbed my neck tightly with his right hand.
He glared at me as if to tear me apart, smiling coldly.
“Ugh…”
“The poison was meant to kill you from the start. You’ve blocked my path to the end, foolish girl. But it doesn’t matter. Once you’re gone, I’ll attend all the heir training myself, forever.”
