Chapter 238: Forgiveness Or Not?

"No, no way! I am not doing this. Not a chance," Vyan snapped, frustration lacing every word.

"You have to. It's our only option," Iyana pressed, her tone firm but trying to keep things calm.

Vyan started pacing around his quarantine room, shaking his head as if trying to physically shake the thought out. "Nope. Not happening."

"Vee, it's not even you apologizing!" she pointed out. "All you have to do is accept it."

"Exactly!" he whisper-yelled, eyes flashing. "Do you know how much worse that is? I'd rather apologize for something I didn't even do than accept her pathetic excuse for one. She kept Ash's truth from me, let him suffer, never even tried to save him, and oh yeah—tried to kill me just to keep her precious position secure. And I am supposed to just… forgive her?"

"I know," Iyana said gently. "I know how much you hate Empress Celeste. You have every right to be angry. But I am not asking you to forgive her with your whole heart. You lie all the time—can't you just fake it this one time? For your own sake?"

He turned away, deliberately avoiding her gaze, knowing those big puppy-dog eyes were working overtime to guilt-trip him.

Iyana sighed, realizing her look wouldn't work on him today. "Vee, she is the only one who can save you. Without her testimony, we have got nothing. No alibi, no way out."

He let out a sharp, bitter laugh. "Of course. I have to pretend to forgive her just to get her to tell the truth. How twisted is that? Her own nephew. Does she really think that's how forgiveness works?"

"Maybe she is just desperate for your forgiveness," Iyana offered.

"Good luck with that. I am not exactly the forgiving type," Vyan muttered, rolling his eyes.

"But… she seemed sincere. I just spoke to her, and it really felt like she was sorry."

"If she was truly sorry, she wouldn't be holding this over my head. She would testify without strings attached."

Iyana sighed, her voice softer now. "Vee, we don't have the luxury to bargain here. We need to take whatever we can get. Please… just fake it, okay?"

"Iyana, I—"

"I know. I get it. It's not fair, and it's not easy. But you have got too much going on to be stuck in here, don't you? Can you really afford this 'vacation' right now?"

Vyan ran a hand through his hair, clearly frustrated, before letting out a long, tired sigh. "Let me tell you, when this is all over, I am taking a real vacation. A long one."

Iyana's lips curved into a playful grin. "Can I tag along?"

"Absolutely not. I am taking Clyde. His endless talking will be a real treat."

"I can talk nonstop too, you know."

Vyan gave her a playful, mock-serious look, then finally let a wide smile break through. "Alright, sold."

———

On the way to the imperial court, Vyan was escorted by Terrence and a handful of officials. Though the gravity of the situation loomed, his hands were free—noble perks, and after all, he hadn't been proven guilty yet.

They came to a halt when a figure approached—Celeste. Her sudden appearance startled the military officers, as it was rare for the third empress to step foot outside the Crystal Palace, let alone venture near the military quarters.

"Your Imperial Majesty," Terrence greeted her with a bow, his voice carrying the usual deference. "How may we assist you?"

"I would like a moment alone with His Grace, if you please," Celeste requested politely, though there was a touch of unease in her voice.

Terrence's eyes flicked to Vyan, who appeared completely unfazed, and then back to Celeste, who seemed… almost nervous. After a brief pause, he nodded. "Of course, Your Majesty. Take your time." With that, he gestured for the others to step back, giving them some space.

As the officers retreated, Celeste took a steadying breath and approached Vyan, her voice soft as she called out, "Vee?"

Vyan's expression remained cold, his wine-red eyes giving nothing away. That coldness made her heart tighten with guilt. Maybe Iyana hadn't convinced him. Maybe she wouldn't earn his forgiveness today, either.

"I know I said these things to you last night as well," she began, her voice barely carrying through the silence of the corridor, "I also know that I have no right to ask for forgiveness. I... I have failed you in so many ways." Her voice cracked, and she pressed a hand to her chest as though the words were tearing her apart.

"I can understand why you wouldn't want to forgive me, but it's been eating me alive, Vee. Every time I think about how my sister would be so disappointed by the way I have treated her precious sons, I just…"

Unexpectedly, Vyan stepped forward, reaching out to place a reassuring hand on her shoulder. Celeste was surprised to see a gentle, understanding look on his face.

"Vee?"

"Tia," he replied, his tone surprisingly tender. "You don't have to apologize anymore. Because after a lot of thinking, I have come to realize that you really had no choice, and perhaps, I would have done the same thing if I were in your place. After all, fear makes us act in ways we don't recognize later. I shouldn't blame you for that. I was just, you know, very hurt.

Because I didn't expect you to hide anything from me."

Celeste shook her head, fresh tears slipping down her cheeks. "No, no, you were right to be hurt. I shouldn't have hidden Ash's truth from you. You would have been able to help him much sooner in that way," she murmured, almost as if she were chastising herself. "But I let my fears control me—stop me telling you the truth."

Vyan's grip on her shoulder tightened, grounding her in that moment. "Tia, we all make mistakes. I understand that now, more than ever," he assured. "What matters is that you are here now, and you are willing to stand by me. I couldn't ask for more."

She looked up at him, her eyes glistening with gratitude. "Thank you, Vee. I don't deserve your kindness, but I promise I will do whatever it takes to make up for the past."

A small smile crept onto his face as he brushed a stray tear from her cheek. "You are already doing that," he said softly. "You will testify for me, won't you, Tia? Stand up and tell them where I was last night during the murder?"

Celeste nodded without hesitation. "Yes, of course I will. I swear it, Vee. I will prove you innocent." Her words were laced with a fervent urgency, as if she were desperate to atone for her past mistakes.

His smile widened, and he pulled her into a firm hug, patting her back in a gesture of reassurance. "Thank you, Tia. I knew I could count on you."

As she pulled away, a relieved smile broke through her tears, and she gave his hand a final squeeze before turning to leave.

The sound of her footsteps faded as she disappeared around the corner, leaving Vyan standing alone, a faint smile still playing on his lips.

"Wow, that was some sick acting right there," came a dry voice from behind him. He turned to see Iyana leaning casually against the wall, her arms crossed and her expression one of mild amusement.

Vyan smirked, shrugging as he slid his hands into his pockets. "I had to make it believable, didn't I?" he replied, a hint of satisfaction gleaming in his eyes.

Iyana shook her head, clearly entertained. "You certainly know how to pull the strings, my love," she remarked, pushing herself off the wall and stepping closer. "Do you think she actually bought it?"

"Oh, she bought it," he said with a confident grin, "She bit down hard on the bait."

———

The grand hall of the imperial court was unusually crowded, brimming with nobility, each face a carefully crafted mask of impassive curiosity. They were all eager to witness the outcome of today's trial—the grand duke accused of murdering a marquess.

The air was thick with tension, with whispers and glances exchanged beneath a thin veneer of decorum. Vyan stood at the center of it all, his hands clasped loosely behind his back, his expression unreadable as the officials took their positions. His sharp wine-red eyes scanned the room, taking in every subtle shift, though outwardly, he remained calm.

Seated on the throne was Empress Jade, presiding over the proceedings in place of the ailing emperor. Typically, it would have been Edgar himself overseeing the questioning, but in his absence, one of the older judicial officials had been tasked with leading the trial. Edgar, as always, preferred not to relinquish such authority to his wives—especially not Jade.

"Your Imperial Majesty, shall we begin?" Gareth, the judicial official, asked with a formal bow.

Jade leaned back with a faint smirk, giving a curt nod. Vyan could practically feel her smugness radiating from the throne. Internally, he rolled his eyes—she was probably hoping this trial would go against him, and she wasn't exactly subtle about it.

"With the honored permission of Her Imperial Majesty, Empress Jade Grace Haynes, we shall now commence the trial of Marquess Robin Mathew Ryen's murder," Gareth declared, his voice echoing through the hall. "Our prime suspect is none other than His Grace, Grand Duke Vyan Blake Ashstone."

Vyan's face remained impassive as Gareth droned on, detailing how Vyan and the marquess had gotten into a heated argument just hours before the incident, and how three witnesses had allegedly seen Vyan commit the crime.

"...He stood there, eyes colder than ice, without a shred of mercy, while Marquess Ryen struggled to scream for help. He just... bled out right in front of him." Lady Belrose's voice trembled slightly, her gaze flicking to the floor as she recalled the gruesome scene. "And then, His Grace snapped his head up, and I made direct eye contact with his... inhuman red eyes.

After that, without thinking, I screamed and ran with Lady Julia and Lady Erika." She finished her testimony with a shudder, echoing the words of the other two witnesses.

"Thank you, Lady Belrose," Gareth said, before turning to address Empress Jade. "Your Imperial Majesty, as we have heard, all three witnesses have testified that they clearly saw His Grace standing over Marquess Ryen's body, sword in hand. Now," Gareth shifted his focus to Vyan, "would you like to offer any defense, Your Grace?"

Vyan smirked, his confidence almost unnerving as he replied. "Oh, absolutely, Lord Gareth. You see, there is this little thing called Metamorphosis. It's a neat magic trick where someone can take on the appearance of another person. So, it's entirely possible the real murderer used my face to commit the crime."

Gareth's eyes narrowed. "I will admit, it's not impossible. But Metamorphosis is a highly advanced form of magic—rare and difficult to master. Are you suggesting someone was skilled enough to impersonate you so perfectly?"

"Rare, yes," Vyan agreed, his tone calm but deliberate, "but not impossible."

"Alright then," Gareth leaned forward slightly, clearly not backing down. "Let's assume for a moment that you are telling the truth. Where were you at the time of the murder? And why were you still on the imperial grounds when you had supposedly left the party over an hour earlier?"

Vyan's expression didn't falter as he smoothly responded, "Well, as luck would have it, there were no carriages available at the time. So, to kill some time, Lady Iyana and I decided to take a walk through the military quarters, which are usually quiet at night." Experience tales at m v|l e'-NovelFire.net Searᴄh the Nôvel(F)ire.nёt website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

A calculated pause followed before Vyan continued, "I left her halfway to check if any carriages had arrived, and while I was on my way, I ran into my aunt, Her Imperial Majesty, Empress Celeste, and she pulled me aside for a conversation."

"Empress Celeste?" Gareth raised an eyebrow, clearly intrigued. "And what was so urgent that she needed to speak with you right then?"

Vyan gave a casual shrug. "Family matters, really. I have been... a little upset with her lately. Typical aunt-nephew disagreements. We were sorting it out.

You can ask her yourself—surely, an empress wouldn't lie. Would she?"

Gareth glanced toward the empress, who had been listening quietly, and called her forward. "Your Imperial Majesty, if you please—can you confirm His Grace's account?"

All eyes turned to Celeste. Vyan caught her gaze, giving a subtle nod of encouragement. She hesitated for a brief moment before finally speaking, her voice soft but clear.

"No."