Chapter 92
The Grand Duke’s anger far exceeded expectations. So this was why he had blocked our eyes and ears—so he could kill the culprit without mercy.
Even so, he was being considerate of us.
I was startled by the unexpected gentleness, and startled once more by the unexpected firmness.
“Speak. Grand Duchess. Try saying it again—that you did nothing, that you are innocent.”
“I truly don’t know anything about this. This is all—”
“Fine. Keep insisting. Say you know nothing. Say this is someone’s scheme. Keep saying it. Otherwise, I feel like I might twist your neck right here.”
“……In the end, you’re doing this to me without any evidence. Do you really think the words of an eight-year-old child are credible? The words of a knight from commoner origins—because of such uncertain claims, you’re casting aside me, who has lived in the Grand Ducal House my entire life—me, like this right now…….”
The Grand Duke’s expression grew even colder. At this point, those were the only things the Grand Duchess could do—deny reality and try somehow to escape the situation.
“There is evidence.”
That was why I wanted to shatter her. Because I knew very well that this moment—only this moment—was the perfect chance to completely destroy the Grand Duchess.
“That’s ridiculous. There’s no way such a thing exists. It’s just that child lying, trying to corner me somehow. Don’t believe her.”
I, who had been stuck close to the children, quickly ran toward the Grand Duke. Rohen and Lari looked at me in surprise, but when they saw I was going to him, they did not follow. The Grand Duke had told them to block their eyes and ears, and had not yet told them to release it, so they were standing there in quite an adorable manner.
After confirming the children were not following, I took my place beside the Grand Duke.
“I almost died in there.”
“Th-that’s another lie…! That’s exactly why those of low birth—!”
“I heard it clearly. She tried to kill me. And she even tried to frame Rex as the culprit.”
Though I spoke the truth, she remained composed.
“You foolish child. The words of a young child cannot serve as any kind of evidence. Do you know what that means? It means children lie as easily as they eat, so they have no credibility. And besides, you have no evidence, do you?”
“There is evidence.”
“What evidence could there possibly be?”
Her eyes wavered endlessly with unease.
“You don’t think there is any, do you, Grand Duchess Mama? Do you think I would step forward like this without anything? I may be a child, but for a child, I’m quite cautious.”
Of course, I’m not cautious. If I were, I wouldn’t have fallen for the Grand Duchess’s scheme and nearly died.
But there’s nothing more entertaining than poking at her like this. She had acted so superior, as if she were such an amazing person, yet she swayed like a reed at the words of a mere eight-year-old child.
“What are you trying to say?”
“Ruzuela, the one called Eternal Dream. It was filled inside there.”
“……Ruzuela? You mean that thing with strong sleeping properties?”
“Yes! And that’s the very thing that kept Lari asleep.”
I wanted to look at Lari, but I couldn’t. The burden in my heart still remained. The guilt of knowing everything and yet not speaking.
“What do you mean it kept Lari asleep?”
“The seeds were stuffed inside the dolls Lari had. I think the reason Lari couldn’t wake up was all because of that Ruzuela. Even the temple confirmed the seeds.”
“Rex seemed to have been looking into such a plant recently…… was that for the same reason?”
“Yes. Riren from the temple helped with the investigation.”
At my words, the Grand Duke let out a hollow, almost crazed laugh.
“So that’s why the child couldn’t wake up. So that’s what the physicians meant when they examined her. And when Aisha overturned the children’s room and you made such a fuss—it was because you were afraid your crime would be discovered, wasn’t it, Grand Duchess?”
“No. There’s no evidence, no evidence!”
A few maids began moving very quietly. They were among those standing in the back, crouching low as they moved, so it wasn’t obvious. But from a child’s perspective, their movements were very clear.
“If there’s no evidence, why are those maids moving in such a hurry?”
Without hesitation, I pointed at them.
“Wh-who’s moving?!”
“The ones bending down and going quietly. Aren’t they going to destroy the evidence?”
“Who, who went?!”
The Grand Duchess shook her head, but the Grand Duke had already noticed them too.
“You’re doing something so blatantly obvious, Grand Duchess. Capture all those moving over there. From this moment on, anyone who moves even a little will be executed on the spot. This is not just anything—this is attempted murder of the Grand Princess, and I will not forgive the destruction of evidence.”
Only then were the maids, who had been crouching miserably trying to destroy evidence, dragged forward.
“It seems the Grand Duchess’s people are not afraid of death. Even without me acting, they bring death upon themselves.”
“……I don’t know anything about this. Don’t involve me in something they did among themselves.”
“Gr-Grand Duchess Mama, w-we…… we…….”
“Be quiet!”
The Grand Duchess spat out her irritation at the maids lying flat on the ground. Only then did they hesitate and lower their heads.
“In the place where I was held, it was filled with those things. And Grand Duchess Mama knew what they were, and was cultivating them.”
“You were cultivating something whose import had been banned.”
“I know nothing about it.”
I took the seeds out of my pocket, even turning my body so Rohen wouldn’t see.
“They were inside there.”
“……That is…….”
“There’s only one reason I would have something whose import is banned.”
“That child must have gotten it from somewhere!!”
“Me? Where would an orphan girl with no power obtain something like this?”
“This is all a false accusation. It makes no sense. It makes no sense!”
The Grand Duchess shook her head, but now that the evidence had appeared, everything she said was nothing but self-justification. Self-justification wrapped in lies.
“I’ll take that. It’s dangerous.”
The Grand Duke took out a handkerchief and personally removed the Ruzuela from my hand.
“Yes! It was filled inside there. The location…… it seemed to be underground.”
If this had happened just a few days later, I would have asked Rex to get the architectural blueprints, which would have made it easier.
‘Though if that were the case…… Rex wouldn’t have wandered around in that underground place.’
Thinking that and realizing it myself, I nodded.
“It’s a lie. There is no such thing as an underground place in my castle.”
“That can be found out.”
“It’s a lie!”
“If that’s not the case, do you perhaps have any other excuse to offer, Grand Duchess?”
The corners of the Grand Duke’s lips trembled.
“There should be limits. How can you repeat the same words so endlessly…… it’s astonishing.”
“……Because it’s false. Everything is a lie to put me in a difficult position, so there’s no need for me to argue further. Yes. An orphan girl couldn’t possibly fabricate such things. This was all…… that knight’s doing. It must be. He’s trying to make things hard for me. Because the maids looked down on him last time, he’s doing this to me.”
Now she tried to shift everything onto Rex.
As if I had been waiting for that, I looked at Rex.
“Rex almost died too. If you look at Rex’s arm, you’ll see he was tied up.”
Quick-witted Rex had already come beside me and subtly showed his arm.
“According to the Grand Duchess’s words, Rex is quite an impressive man. He tied himself up, abused himself, and then came forward pretending to be a victim. Rex, you’re more remarkable than I thought.”
“…….”
No more excuses worked now. The Grand Duke, still smiling faintly, patted Rex’s shoulder.
“Rex. Can you deduce where you were with Aisha?”
“Yes.”
“Then go with the knights.”
“Understood.”
“No. You can’t go!”
“Seize the Grand Duchess—no, seize that woman.”
At those words, the Grand Duchess, who had only been blinking, shook her head.
“Who are you seizing? Do you know who I am? I am the Grand Duchess. The Grand Duchess!”
“Well now. Whether you will continue to be the Grand Duchess…… that remains to be seen.”
Wearing a chilling smile, the Grand Duke hardened his expression.
“You tried to kill an innocent child and shift the blame onto another. And that wasn’t enough—you even tried to kill my daughter, Lari. I can no longer keep you as the Grand Duchess. We will investigate further, but…… you will no longer remain the Grand Duchess.”
As if realizing for herself that it was all over, the Grand Duchess ground her teeth fiercely.
“Damn it. Damn it……! I won’t let any of you off. I won’t!”
Perhaps because everything had been exposed, the Grand Duchess could not contain her rage. Naturally, that rage reached me first.
“If only you had died…… if only you had died, none of this would have happened!!”
“That’s right. If I had died…… you would have blamed Rex, or claimed it was some kind of show by His Grace the Grand Duke to put Grand Duchess Mama in a difficult position.”
“Why didn’t you die, why?! It was perfect—so perfect!!”
She radiated a vicious aura, as if she would kill me on the spot. But she was restrained by the Grand Duke’s knights. Even if it hadn’t been her, Rohen had already stepped in front of me. Having released his ears and eyes at some point and come to my side with Lari, Rohen looked at her with the same face as the Grand Duke.
“Stop. Pathetic woman.”
“Ha…… a mongrel dares. What are you saying? Because trash like you came in, I ended up like this……!!”
“I’m a mongrel, and you’re a murderer. I think being a mongrel is better. At least I don’t try to kill others out of spite.”
“Ha…… ha. I called you Grand Prince, and you think that made you something?”
“It did make me something! Unlike someone else, my blood itself belongs to the Grand Ducal House, so I won’t be the one getting kicked out.”
