IBACM Chapter 123

Chapter 123

Somerset gave Ruan a small signal. When Ruan subtly nodded, Somerset smiled confidently and pointed at Dedrick’s shoes.

“What’s that on your shoes? Looks like powder from a holy relic.”

“There’s nothing on them.”

I tilted my head and looked at his shoes, but there was nothing on them.

Even Somerset looked confused, surprised that his gamble didn’t pay off. He urgently ordered, “C-check the soles! You there!”

The servant he pointed at quickly knelt beside Dedrick and examined the soles. Dedrick calmly lifted his foot onto the servant’s hand. The servant’s eyes shook.

“Speak. What do you see?”

Under Dedrick’s subtle pressure, the servant lowered the foot and stammered.

“N-nothing at all, sir…”

Yeah, of course not.

You can’t lie about something like that. If Dedrick took off his shoes and showed everyone, any lie would fall apart instantly.

“So, there’s powder… Wait, what? Nothing?”

Somerset’s face froze like a fool.

With no evidence, he started to panic.

Then came the Grand Duke’s cold voice, cutting into Somerset.

“Somerset. Did you dare mock him with such a serious accusation?”

“N-no, Father! He must’ve changed shoes! We need to search all of Dedrick’s shoes immediately!”

“Brother, something’s on your sleeve.”

Dedrick gently brushed Somerset’s sleeve. Somerset quickly pulled away like he touched something dirty.

“How dare you touch me!”

“Did you know that the goddess’s relics glow even in darkness? They shimmer faintly with holy light.”

“Of course I know that! But Father, this isn’t the point—this guy’s trying to destroy the evidence! We need to hurry and check all his sho—”

“It’s glowing.”

“…What?”

Everyone turned to look at Somerset’s sleeves. The powder from the relic was glowing faintly on his sleeves.

Panic-stricken, Somerset frantically brushed his sleeves.

“T-this is just powder! I crushed pearls yesterday, that’s all—”

As he hit his sleeves, a small shard of the relic fell out and rolled on the ground.

Tap.

Everyone stared at Somerset in shock.

Now sweating, he waved his hands desperately.

“It—it wasn’t me!”

“So you tried to blame me for what you did, brother.”

“No! It was you! You planted it while you touched me!”

Really?

I glanced at Dedrick. He gave me a tiny smirk and shrugged.

So that’s what happened.

Of course the shard wouldn’t just fall off now unless he made it.

I gave him a little smile of approval and looked back at Somerset.

He pointed at Ruan and yelled, “That servant saw you go into the sanctuary! He was the one who planted the powder on me! They’re framing me!”

While Somerset raged, Dedrick remained calm.

“Did the servant actually see me enter the sanctuary?”

“I-I…”

He couldn’t have.

I looked at the servant with pity. Somerset’s face turned red with frustration.

“If you hid your presence, who would know?!”

“So, I hid my presence and went to the sanctuary, but the servant saw me? Is that your claim?”

Dedrick pointed at Ruan, who fell silent.

“T-that is…”

Right. Even Somerset now realized how nonsense his story sounded. But he couldn’t even admit that he had lured Dedrick to the Sanctuary with a lie either, so he just shut his mouth.

Dedrick turned to Ruan and spoke again.

“Yesterday, you told me that Pavle had something urgent and wanted to meet at the sanctuary. Right?”

Pavle pushed up his glasses, confused.

“I never said that. Are you saying I asked you to relay such a message?”

With that, Dedrick turned fully on Ruan.

“I-is that so? I don’t remember…”

I wanted to punch the smug look off Ruan’s face.

But Dedrick didn’t seem to care. He calmly continued.

“You don’t remember. Then tell me—what time did you say you saw me?”

“A-afternoon, a little past lunch.”

“You’re sure? Confident enough to stake your life on it?”

After hesitating, Ruan exchanged glances with Somerset and nodded with fake confidence.

“Of course!”

Sure you are.

Because that was when you lured Dedrick there.

But something didn’t add up. I tilted my head, confused.

Dedrick saw me and gave a small smile, then continued, “I see. You saw me go to the Sanctuary in the afternoon.”

He tilted his head at Ruan.

“But isn’t that odd? I was at the Black Hawk training ground at that time. There were plenty of witnesses.”

Right on cue, witnesses from the training ground raised their hands one by one.

“I saw him! I clearly remember what he was wearing yesterday!”

“Me too!”

Testimonies poured in, proving Dedrick’s innocence.

Ruan and Somerset’s faces turned pale.

Dedrick’s innocence was clear.

“How dare you.”

The Grand Duke stepped closer. Ruan fell to his knees, trembling.

Standing over him, the Grand Duke’s voice was cold and sharp.

“You dare lie to me?”

“Y-y-your Grace…!”

“This is no light crime. Normally, you and your entire bloodline would be executed and your heads displayed on the city gates. However, if you speak the truth now, I’ll spare your life.”

Wow, the punishment’s harsh—but I guess that makes sense.

They damaged a holy relic, an artifact left by the first Grand Duchess. Not to mention, the relic was supposed to be kept in the temple, yet the Grand Duke kept it in his manor, showing how sacred it was to him.

If the temple found out, there’d be more trouble.

“Wh-what kind of truth…?”

“Whatever you know.”

Before Ruan could talk, Somerset panicked and tried to cut in.

“I—I’m innocent, Father! That servant framed me! He damaged the relic!”

Ruan, betrayed and furious, cried out.

“Master! How could you blame me?!”

“Shut him up! Take him away!”

Somerset yelled desperately, afraid of what Ruan might say.

But with the Grand Duke there, no one obeyed his orders.

“You’re the one who should shut up, Somerset.”

“F-Father…”

“Tell me the truth. Did the servant really do this alone?”

“Yes! I’m innocent!”

Somerset insisted loudly, while Ruan, betrayed, shouted back.

“I swear I’m innocent!”

“Father, low-borns always say they’re innocent.”

That sounded like something Delani would say…

Ruan, now with nothing to lose, screamed in anger.

“I’ll testify! I know everything! About this, the incident with the wardrobe, and all the trouble he caused! Just spare my family!”

Betrayal from someone close cuts deep.

Somerset turned pale and begged the Grand Duke.

“Father, you don’t need to listen to a lowly—”

“Everyone involved in this crime…”

The Grand Duke cut him off coldly.

“…will not escape death.”

The other servants and staff started trembling.

“But if you speak up now, your punishment might be lessened. I’ll give you five seconds.”

Before he even finished counting, the sanctuary staff and Ruan dropped to their knees and confessed Somerset’s crimes.

“I—I’m sorry, Your Grace! I only did what Lord Somerset ordered! He told me to pretend I saw nothing!”

“Yes! Only Ruan and Lord Somerset entered the sanctuary yesterday morning, Your Grace!”

“T-they’re lying! Father! Don’t believe—”

“Silence him.”

“F-Father—mmph!”

Knights gagged Somerset and forced him to kneel. He shook in fear, and I gave him a satisfying smack on the back of the head.

“Mmgh! Mmmph!”

“Serves you right.”

Dedrick covered his mouth, trying not to laugh.

“Continue.”

Now it was Ruan’s turn to spill everything.

“Dedrick was right! I lured him to the sanctuary using Lord Pavle’s name. We scattered the relic powder on the path so he’d step on it.”

And with that, all their crimes came to light.