Chapter 79
“The investigation is still ongoing. I believe the outcome will prove my innocence.”
[“That’s what you’re choosing to believe? Believing in humans?”]
Amid Lismas’s angry voice, I also heard the voices of people supporting me.
- Ever since that loach got into the imperial palace, not a single day has been peaceful. I just hope Lady Elufe doesn’t hear these ridiculous rumors.
- You’re right. Sigh. She doesn’t show it on the surface, but she’s looked so drained lately.
Some people—even the Doremi maids I often saw in Roelin’s chambers—pitied me.
Which meant, at the very least, that my life up until now hadn’t been lived entirely in vain.
Knock, knock, knock.
Startled by the sudden knocking, I stood up and approached the door.
To my surprise, it was Repainon standing outside.
I hadn’t seen him since Lublion had first pointed to someone using black magic as a suspect. My body stiffened at first, but I quickly offered a polite greeting.
“I greet Your Highness, Crown Prince, the Sun of the Empire.”
“Sorry for dropping by unannounced. Have I overstepped?”
“No, not at all.”
While I awkwardly left him standing at the door, I heard the voices of chatting maids echoing down the hallway.
“Anyway, thank goodness this incident turned out not to be a suicide.”
“The honor of House Helin is at stake. We must find the culprit.”
“If it’s connected to the Inferna family, then…”
I quickly grabbed Repainon’s wrist and pulled him into my room, worried he might be swept up in pointless gossip.
Suddenly, we were alone in my bedchamber. Repainon didn’t say anything.
I had dragged him in so clumsily that I felt embarrassed, so I gave a sheepish smile. But Repainon leisurely glanced around the room, unhurried.
“For the first time, Lady Elufe, I—Imperial Sun in miniature—have been kidnapped into a bedchamber.”
His words were enough to send me straight to prison if overheard. My fingers trembled.
“I only feared ill rumors might spread about Your Highness visiting my chambers. Please forget my rudeness.”
At my flustered expression, Repainon bared his white teeth in a smile.
“If it’s because of the rumors you just heard, there’s no need to worry.”
“Pardon?”
“This matter can’t be separated from Count Inferna, no matter how you try.”
The sudden constriction in my throat left me speechless for a long time.
Blinking in place, I exhaled slowly as though steadying myself.
Repainon closed his eyes quietly, watching me.
“The palace is practically the birthplace of rumors. Half the gossip in the empire begins here.”
“Which means…”
“It means, Lady Elufe, there is no secret you can hide from the imperial family.”
I tried to gauge Repainon’s mood as he spoke with calm composure.
At any rate, if House Inferna fell now, nothing good would come of it for me. At least until I could distance myself from the family, I had to defend the Count.
“My belief is that Father has nothing to do with this incident.”
“One would hope so.”
His cold reply left me at a loss for words.
Repainon slowly opened his eyes, studying me—someone so much younger than him—before tilting his head.
“Do you still wish to become a princess consort, Lady Elufe?”
Once again, I had never once said I wanted to become anything.
Crown Princess, princess consort—none of that had anything to do with me.
So why did these brothers keep asking me if I wanted to be part of the imperial family?
Unless… they already know and are testing me? Or perhaps I unconsciously gave them a reason to think so?
“No. I have no such ambitions.”
Repainon’s deep, oceanic gaze lingered on me quietly before he turned his head.
“Recently, traces of black magic using blood sacrifices were discovered near the Helin estate.”
“Yes, I heard.”
“Your father personally testified that this case had nothing to do with House Inferna.”
As expected, our family had been investigated first.
Since I didn’t respond and simply listened, Repainon strode to the window and abruptly drew the curtains shut.
The room plunged into near-darkness.
“But upon secret investigation, it was found that Count Seran’s testimony was false.”
“……!”
“A priest sworn to the palace reported that the black magic discovered at the Inferna estate and the black magic at House Helin were both the work of the same individual.”
Of course. So that’s why the Crown Prince came to me personally.
This felt familiar—déjà vu, maybe?
“If you have something to say, Your Highness, there’s no need to beat around the bush. I understand your meaning.”
“…Ha.”
“If you command me to leave, I’ll pack and go. If you sentence me to death again, then I’ll prove myself once more.”
I never thought the road ahead would be easy anyway.
But how in the world was my life written, that the same exact situation kept repeating itself word for word? Tch. Ridiculous.
“Perhaps… that’s why he was able to choose you as his one and only.”
“…What?”
Repainon murmured something incomprehensible, then gave a bitter smile as he opened the curtains again.
His expression seemed as though he was determined to show me the bright, beautiful world once more, leaving me confused.
“For now, Lady Elufe, you should remain under your father’s protection.”
“Are you telling me to leave the palace and return to the count’s estate?”
Repainon nodded at my words.
“That would be best—for many reasons.”
His gaze suggested he had already resigned himself to an unavoidable outcome. After a long hesitation, I finally spoke.
“Very well. I’ll do as you say. But please remember just one thing. Black magic isn’t always used for evil. Just once, I hope you’ll try to see it from another perspective.”
“……”
Repainon only stared at me, his expression unreadable.
As expected of the Crown Prince of the empire—a perfect poker face. But I couldn’t stop now.
“Light is not always wholly good, just as darkness is not always wholly evil.”
“Are you trying to criticize the imperial family—the sun itself—in front of the Crown Prince?”
“No. Only that if this world were ruled solely by endless daylight without the fall of night, people would live under constant guilt and torment, unable to sleep in peace.”
“So the long night, in the end, is humanity’s rest.”
I nodded silently.
Since traces of black magic had already been discovered, I judged there was no more room to retreat. Repainon never said how he intended to deal with the matter.
“I’ll take your opinion into consideration.”
The faint smile he showed me as he took his leave was the only hope I had left.
And so, I returned to the Inferna estate. I had never wanted to come back…
If I did return, I thought it would be only to gather the last of my things before leaving again.
But fate was cruel—too cruel. It never once gave me a hand.
Damn it. I even sent a letter ahead, informing them I’d be coming back today, yet not a single servant came to greet me as I stepped out of the carriage.
With a heavy sigh, I opened the parlor door and greeted him.
“Father, I pay you my respects. Have you been well?”
“Do I look well to you? Our great House Inferna is about to be smeared with false charges yet again!”
Count Inferna’s face twisted in rage as he erupted.
“Ha! Those rat-like imperial faction dogs are trying to corner me.”
The stench of alcohol filled the air as Count Inferna brushed past me.
His fury must have been stoked by the imperial knights, who had turned the estate upside down and left.
“I’ve already spread gold. Soon the propaganda will sway in our favor. I refuse to get dragged into the mind games laid by the emperor’s faction.”
The imperial faction? So the fire incident really was entangled with politics after all.
“The real problem is this damned fire. If only I were free to use black magic!”
Unable to wield black magic freely because of Lublion, Count Inferna was overly agitated.
I quietly followed behind him, waiting for his next words.
“Was the fire incident connected to the noble faction in any way?”
“Of course not! With Duke Helin dead, our noble faction has only lost strength. He was neutral, never choosing sides. But Count Seran is different.”
Count Seran?
