Chapter 11
It was a story far more heartbreaking and cruel than Liete had expected. She held back the tears that were threatening to fall.
There was still a lot she needed to hear from Duke Creut.
“The discovery of the skeletal remains… does that mean the Duchess died while trying to escape…?”
“I’m not sure either. The last time I saw her was when she left the mansion after giving birth to Evan. If those remains really do belong to Madeleine, then that’s likely what happened.”
Liete noticed a bitterness in the duke’s eyes and felt a sudden doubt.
“Why did you try to admit to the crime?”
“I had no evidence to prove my innocence.”
A lie.
She knew the situation was extremely unfavorable for him, but it still didn’t make sense that he would confess without even putting up a fight.
After some thought, Liete asked cautiously, “Is it… because of the Duchess?”
Duke Creut fell silent. It seemed she had struck a nerve.
“You’re much sharper than I thought, Liete.”
“But why go that far…?”
“Even the dead deserve honor. I promised to keep silent about her. And even if she’s dead now, I intend to keep that promise.”
He was being accused of murder, yet he still thought of honoring a possibly unfaithful wife who might already be long gone.
He was, without a doubt, a hopeless romantic.
But he was forgetting something important.
“What about Evan’s honor?”
When she brought up Evan again, the duke’s eyes shook violently.
“…Do you not love Evan?”
Liete knew very well that wasn’t the case.
The way he looked at Evan—with eyes filled with warmth—resembled how a mother might gaze at her newborn child.
But through their conversation earlier, she’d realized that nothing moved him more than talking about Evan.
“Of course I do, Liete! No matter what anyone says, Evan is my son!”
“Then from now on, deny the charges. Actively.”
“…”
“There are plenty of people who will help you. I’m one of them.”
Liete’s gaze was firmer and more determined than ever.
“I’ll find the evidence. No matter what.”
After leaving the courthouse, Liete headed straight to the Creut estate.
She had spoken with the duke for as long as possible, gathering information until the final moments of the visitation period.
“Who found the skeletal remains?”
“…My younger brother, Haart.”
“Of all people, your brother found the remains during his short visit—remains that hadn’t been discovered in over a decade? Quite the coincidence.”
The duke understood the sarcasm in her voice and nodded.
“I… I don’t want to suspect Haart either, but I have found it odd.”
“Did he act strangely in any other way?”
“He said he was going through a tough time and asked me to drink with him for a few days.”
“Did you slip up and say something during those times?”
“…I don’t remember.”
The duke looked at her with an apologetic expression, but this much was enough.
He’d already suffered greatly, so Liete offered him a gentle smile before leaving.
Back in the present, Liete narrowed her eyes.
“Suspicious…”
Haart.
She tried hard to remember what kind of character Haart was in the novel.
But it had been over ten years since she’d become Liete, so she could barely recall the details or storylines from the book.
While she was racking her brain, the carriage came to a stop. She stepped out and entered the mansion.
Climbing the familiar stairs, she stopped in front of a door.
Knock knock!
“I’m coming in!”
There was no response from inside, but Liete flung the door open anyway.
A lump was clearly visible under the bedcovers.
“Tch. Knew it.”
She yanked off the blanket without hesitation. Curled up underneath was Evan.
Blinded by the sudden light, Evan clenched his eyes shut and muttered bitterly, “Why are you here?”
“Because I figured you’d be like this.”
Whenever Evan was upset or down, he always curled up like a caterpillar under the covers.
And whenever he started to feel better, he’d crawl back out. But Liete, being the impatient type, would rip the blanket off every single time and drag him out.
“I just came from seeing your father.”
“…”
“And guess what, Evan. I was right.”
When she spoke playfully, Evan lifted his head.
“I told you, your father would never do something like that.”
“…Did he say that himself?”
His eyes turned red.
He’d wanted so badly to believe the truth, and yet he acted cold.
To Liete, Evan—at just fourteen—still seemed like a child.
“Your father did nothing wrong.”
And with that, she began the long story.
Evan listened without a sound, barely breathing.
“That’s why he always avoided talking about your mother.”
“Why… why didn’t he just tell me?”
“You idiot. Because to do that, he’d have to tell you that you’re not her biological son. Do you think he could ever bring himself to say that?”
Evan dropped his head in guilt. Liete grabbed his cheeks and lifted it again.
His eyes were red and swollen.
“Don’t cry.”
“…”
“We have work to do.”
At Liete’s firm voice, Evan wiped his tears away.
“What can we even do?”
“We find proof. Evidence that your father didn’t kill his wife.”
Truthfully, Liete didn’t even know where to start.
After leaving the courthouse, all she could think about was telling Evan the truth.
Besides, she needed help.
She’d thought of asking her own father, but knew he’d probably just tell her she was too young to get involved.
As she rubbed her chin in thought, Liete decided the first step was to learn more about Haart.
“Evan, your uncle—Haart. What kind of person is he?”
“I don’t really like him.”
“Why not?”
“He pretends to be worried, but he always talks badly about me to my father.”
“Like what?”
“Says I’m too timid, that I won’t be able to lead the household. Stuff like that. That’s why Father always nagged me when I was younger.”
Liete knew the story well.
Because of it, Evan even thought his father didn’t love him.
And then she remembered something the duke had once said:
“Evan is my only son, but there are many out there who covet the title. If they think Evan isn’t fit, they’ll try to take his place.”
Right…
If the duke is ruined, he’ll lose his title—and if Evan’s reputation is also damaged, the biggest beneficiary would be Haart, the next in line.
The pieces were falling into place.
“Liete, you’re not seriously saying my uncle is trying to frame my father, are you?”
“Totally.”
As Evan gaped, Liete explained:
“You said your father came home late for several days, right? Well, according to him, your uncle asked him to drink with him, saying he was going through a hard time.”
“…So Uncle set it all up from the start?”
Liete shook her head.
“I don’t think it was planned. But your father, drunk, probably slipped and told him something from that day.”
“…”
“And once your uncle knew the whole story, he twisted it. No one else knows the exact details of that day anyway.”
As she spoke, everything clicked into place.
“Liete… if that’s true, then even the skeletal remains being my mother’s can’t be trusted.”
“Now you’re thinking!”
Liete had thought the same thing after speaking with the duke.
The only thing identifying the remains as Evan’s mother’s was a diamond necklace—said to be a family heirloom of the Marquis of Belcaris.
A necklace that could easily be forged.
So they had to start with the necklace.
“Evan, do you have a portrait of your mother?”
“…I think so.”
After thinking for a moment, Evan stood and led the way.
They arrived at the duke’s room.
Even though it was empty, Evan entered and opened a drawer. After opening and closing several, he suddenly gasped.
“Found it.”
Inside the drawer was a long cylinder. He opened the cap and took out a rolled-up paper.
As he unrolled it, a woman with black hair came into view.
She wasn’t an overly glamorous beauty, but her neat and graceful appearance was captivating.
“This is…”
“It must be my mother.”
Though he didn’t sound certain, the way the portrait was stored so carefully deep in the duke’s drawer left little doubt.
And most of all—
“She looks like Evan…!”
As Evan grew, he looked less and less like the duke.
Liete studied the portrait carefully.
The duke had warm, gentle features, while Evan was growing into a cold, sharp-looking young man.
Just like the woman in the portrait—Madeleine.
Her cold-looking expression and sharp features resembled Evan strikingly.
And fortunately, the necklace was drawn in the portrait.
“A green diamond necklace… Is this the Belcaris heirloom?”
“Yeah, I think so. They said it was a rare green diamond.”
The diamond was indeed an unusual green, just as Evan said.
As Liete stared at the necklace, her face twisted as though she’d seen something horrifying.
“It’s hideous…”
It was like a stain on an otherwise perfect portrait.
The green diamond was absurdly large, and the silver chain looked like a thick steel link. It must’ve been made a long time ago.
“But why does this necklace look… familiar?”
She felt like she had seen that tacky necklace somewhere before.
Eyes rolling as she thought, the memory hit her.
“Ah.”
And like she’d been struck by lightning, she bolted from the room.
“Liete, where are you going?!”
Evan hurried after her. She ran straight to the room where she’d hurt herself during hide-and-seek years ago—
Evan’s mother’s old room.
She carefully entered, making sure not to repeat past mistakes or bump into glass decorations.
Finally, she reached the wardrobe.
“Liete, why did we come here…?”
She had no time to answer. Her heart was pounding.
That day, while hiding during hide-and-seek, she had felt something cold inside the wardrobe.
“What is this…?”
When she’d looked down, she’d seen a silver necklace—its odd shape had stayed in her memory all this time.
If that necklace was still in the wardrobe…
Clatter!
Liete’s eyes reached into the corner of the wardrobe.
And then—
“Found it.”
She’d reunited with the ugly green necklace.
