CHAPTER 18
Duke Defrokan stared at me with a blank expression, but it was clear that he was deeply displeased.
Other nobles might not have noticed, but at this point in time, Duke Defrokan’s vision in his right eye was gradually deteriorating.
Even as rumors began to swirl, he acted as if nothing was wrong—carrying on his duties with a perfect facade, never revealing a hint of his condition. But the truth was, his eye never improved. Despite his personal physician’s desperate efforts, the decline only slowed. Eventually, he would lose sight in that eye completely.
Right now, the duke was relying almost entirely on his left eye, pretending as if everything were fine. But in the imperial council chamber, the clock was placed to his right.
If his right eye was compromised, then of course, he couldn’t read the clock properly.
Which meant he had no idea what time I actually arrived.
Someone like Duke Defrokan wouldn’t be left to wonder—he would be certain.
He now knew that I was aware of his condition.
His intense glare made it clear—he wanted to tear me apart. But I wasn’t afraid. On the contrary, I felt an exhilarating sense of triumph.
After regressing, I had longed for a moment like this—to strike a blow against him.
Even if not in this council session, I had planned to send a carefully timed letter expressing my concern for his health. But confronting him face-to-face like this? Far more satisfying.
“What do you mean by that, Duchess of Dylan?”
Marquis Brodel, seated beside me, whispered in a low voice.
The moment my cryptic words ended, and Duke Defrokan glared daggers at me, Brodel looked at me with a flicker of curiosity—as if wondering whether I had discovered the duke’s weakness.
Among the nobility, any physical or mental defect is considered a source of deep shame.
Nobles are arrogant beings obsessed with perfection. If a family member has a flaw, they’re hidden from society; if a noble suffers from one themselves, they often retreat into isolation.
Now imagine—a physical defect, exposed, in one of the empire’s only two ducal houses. To rival factions, it would be a feast.
Even age-related decline was treated the same way. Ironically, Duke Defrokan had become infamous for such matters. It was he who had ousted his own father from power, claiming the old man was no longer fit to lead due to his aging.
A man so ambitious he’d unseat his own father—how would he fare if it became known he was facing the same issue?
Would his own son rise to dethrone him, too?
Ah, what a delightful thought. I know better than anyone just how power-hungry you are, Defrokan.
“Duchess Dylan… do you know something?”
Marquis Brodel whispered again, unable to hold back his curiosity after seeing the duke’s unusually rattled demeanor.
I simply offered him a subtle smile.
Not yet. I won’t reveal it just yet.
“The Emperor enters.”
As I finished speaking, and Duke Defrokan said nothing in response, the tension in the council chamber thickened.
Nobles who supported House Dylan, unaware of the deeper context, assumed the duke’s silence meant he had lost the exchange—and sat upright with smug confidence. Meanwhile, supporters of House Defrokan merely watched their leader’s expression and remained quiet, visibly uneasy.
Then came the announcement of the Emperor’s arrival. Everyone immediately stood to receive him.
“Glory to the Croisen Empire. We greet His Majesty, the Sun of the Empire.”
“Glory to the Empire. It is good to see you all.”
Seeing the Emperor in person again, I was struck by a strange dissonance—he looked slightly younger than I remembered.
But even without speaking, his presence alone was commanding. His subtle smile was enough to dominate the room. As always, his aura remained unchanged.
“Be seated.”
The Emperor took his place between me and Duke Defrokan at the head of the chamber. With a simple flick of his hand, he motioned for everyone to sit.
“I regret having to summon you all so urgently, but the matter is of utmost importance and could not wait.”
Even if he had summoned us at dawn, most of us would have come without question—but out of courtesy, everyone nodded solemnly.
“From this moment on, nothing said in this chamber must leave its walls. I ask for your absolute discretion.”
The moment he said that, murmurs spread through the room.
To be summoned so suddenly, and then warned so sternly—clearly, something very serious was at hand. The nobles whispered anxiously, and the Emperor gave them time to settle.
What could it be?
Was it war?
“You are all aware of the incident involving the first Crown Prince of the Croisen Empire.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
Though they answered, the nobles exchanged puzzled glances. Why bring up imperial history so suddenly?
Every noble is educated in the empire’s history, so they understood the reference—but couldn’t imagine why the Emperor would mention it now. Their eyes filled with questions.
The Emperor paused, then spoke with difficulty.
“Itaness has returned.”
“…”
The chamber fell utterly silent.
No one even attempted to respond at first.
Then, the whispers began—low at first, then growing louder as panic spread through the room.
I, who already knew of this, simply let out a quiet sigh and tried to calm my nerves.
I had hoped it wouldn’t be true. But it was—it really was Itaness.
Bellan lowered her head, unable to hide her dismay.
“Itaness… An organization that hasn’t been seen since the early days of the empire. Why now…?”
“…”
As the nobles murmured louder and louder, Marquis Brodel turned to the Emperor and asked the question everyone wanted to know.
“On what basis do you identify them as Itaness, Your Majesty? That organization is infamous for leaving no evidence behind. They are the very ones who assassinated the Crown Prince.”
“You are correct, Marquis Brodel. Itaness never reveals itself. But there was one exception. After the assassination of the Crown Prince, they left behind a single piece of evidence. What leads us to believe it is them this time…”
The Emperor’s words commanded absolute attention.
The imperial family had remained silent for years, even when questioned relentlessly about the prince’s murder. Now, they were finally revealing what they had kept hidden.
“When the first Crown Prince was killed, there was a single piece of evidence found in his chamber. That same evidence has surfaced once again.”
“There… was evidence?”
“But I thought there was nothing?”
“What was it, Your Majesty?”
The tension grew, and just as murmurs threatened to rise again, Duke Defrokan asked what everyone else was thinking, urging the Emperor for an answer.
Even Bellan couldn’t hide her curiosity, her eyes locked on the Emperor.
“…A magic stone.”
“…!!”
A freezing silence swept over the chamber again.
A magic stone.
A gem infused with mana—crafted by mages so even non-magic users could access its power.
But such stones were only theoretical. Countless mages had tried and failed to create them. During one infamous experiment, the forced infusion of mana triggered an explosion that killed every mage present.
No one had attempted it since.
And now one had been found?
Had they ever even truly existed?
The chamber buzzed with disbelief.
“But Your Majesty… if a magic stone was found, wouldn’t that imply involvement from the Mage Tower?”
“The Croisen royal family has been investigating Itaness since the founding days. And we concluded that the Mage Tower is innocent. The first Tower Master may have been eccentric, but his love for his daughter was unquestionable. He would never have killed the Crown Prince after allowing his daughter to marry him and become pregnant.”
“Still… we cannot rule it out entirely, can we?”
“The Tower is the very one who helped us find and examine the evidence. They’ve been assisting the investigation from the beginning.”
“…”
With that, the Emperor dismissed any attempts to implicate the Mage Tower.
“Then… where was the magic stone found?”
“A fragment was discovered in the Crown Prince’s mouth.”
No wonder they could keep it secret from the public.
A location invisible to casual observers—known only to those involved in the meticulous imperial investigation.
“It appears Itaness used the stone to ambush the prince. A fragment ended up in his mouth without their knowledge, and they fled without retrieving it.”
“Where did Itaness appear this time?”
Of everyone in the room, I was by far the most desperate to hear the answer.
The shock of the magic stone had momentarily distracted me—but now, I stared at the Emperor’s mouth, praying.
Please… just don’t let it be the auction house…
“Meldran Auction House.”
If I had been in my own room, I would have collapsed onto the bed.
Barely holding back a scream, I clenched my trembling hands beneath the table.
Of course… it was the Meldran Auction House.
An organization that hadn’t surfaced for decades—suddenly appearing again, after my regression?
It had to be because of me.
They were after Oksana’s ring too, weren’t they?
Which means they went back to that auction house…
I suddenly remembered the fake clerk who smiled and handed me silver coins.
They’d realized the item they took was a fake. Now they were trying to find the real ring—Oksana’s ring—which I had taken.
They must have been searching for clues about me—the one who fooled them.
They likely knew I recognized their fake staff, and they’d guessed I wouldn’t return to that place.
The tremor in my hands had reached my shoulders.
If Itaness finds out about me…
“They might kill me.”
They killed the Crown Prince—what’s stopping them from killing a mere duchess?
