CH 23

The Downfall

Rosa was summoned by her father.

As soon as she entered the room, Rosa sensed an unusual atmosphere. Her father, who has always had a soft spot for her, was scowling at her.

The Duke of Serravalle suddenly slapped Rosa.

A high-pitched “bang” sound was heard.

“W-what are you doing…. ? Dad, I’m scared….”

Rosa was seriously frightened.

“A letter came from the Rai ambassador, Lord and Madam Waja.”

Duke Serravalle’s suppressed rage fell on Rosa as cold as a blizzard.

“It’s not just an ordinary letter, it’s an official letter of protest from the country! Do you know what this means?!”

The Duke of Serravalle slapped the letter on Rosa’s cheek, who was too afraid to speak.

“I heard that you, of all people, told the Crown Prince at dinner the other night that “falcons taste like rotten food and aren’t very edible”!”

“Eh….”

She did say that. But, Rosa couldn’t understand. The Crown Prince even laughed and forgave her for such a thing.

“I… it’s because I didn’t know that falcons were special….”

“You think you can get away with not knowing?!”

“Hiiiikk….”

Rosa shut her mouth at the Duke of Serravale’s menacing look.

“On top of all that, didn’t you also disgrace their national emblem, and Lucrezia’s attempt to establish friendly relations with Rai?! What’s more, what Falco did to the younger sister…! It’s disgusting to even mention it!”

The Duke of Serravalle’s anger was unrelenting.

“If it’s one or two ignorant offenses, it might still be negligible, but when several disrespectful acts are combined, it is only natural that they should interpret it as a sign of some malicious intent! They said, “It seemed to me that you wanted to treat us as a lower-ranked or hostile nation”! What will you do if war breaks out with Rai? Huh?!”

“W-wait, Dad.”

Rosa wanted to clear up the misunderstanding.

“War is such a…. I didn’t mean it at all…..”

“Don’t you get it yet?”

The Duke of Serravalle looked frustrated.

“I’ve been set up!”

Rosa’s head was starting to go fuzzy with shock. Her eardrums were pounding from too much yelling, and her father’s angry voice pierced through them mercilessly.

The Duke of Serravalle spoke angrily. The Illuminati have many accessible port towns, making them easy to attack and difficult to defend. In the past, the ruling power has changed at least four times. And now that the Rai state has dramatically improved its military power thanks to its new sailing ships and huge guns, it is plotting to start a war with the Illuminati to force them to cede some of their port cities.

“They’ve been looking for an excuse to start a war, and now you idiots just handed it to them! I didn’t expect you to be this stupid! Even that Lucrezia was playing it safe with Rai!”

Rosa began to cry.

Although they had only conversed a little, Rosa had a favorable impression of the Crown Prince. There may have been a few slips of the tongue, but he laughed and forgave her, and she innocently believed that he also had a fondness for her.

And yet, behind her back, he was mocking and taking advantage of Rosa.

She felt betrayed.

“I-i’ts not my fault…. Isn’t it because the Crown Prince’s a bad guy….. It’s terrible….. I trusted you.”

The Duke of Serravalle seemed to cool down a bit when he saw his daughter’s tears.

He sighed loudly and began to speak in a calmer tone than before.

“The king wants me to return my title.”

Rosa was startled.

‘If I give back my title, what will happen to me….?’

Does he mean that she should become a commoner?

“By having me voluntarily return my title, the king is probably hoping to somehow end the conflict without giving the impression that he has succumbed to the Rai country’s threats. It’s a strategy typical of a weak-kneed king. If you ask me, it’s sheer stupidity.”

Duke Serravalle mocked the king with all his might, then glared at Rosa again, his face still angry.

“Next week, I will go to the court for the restitution procedure. This will be the last time I go to the royal court.”

“No way….”

Her mind couldn’t keep up with how fast things were unfolding.

“M-my engagement to Falco-sama….?!”

“Falco was sentenced to death and fled.”

‘Sentenced to death…. how…. such a thing….!’

Rosa couldn’t get a sense of reality and no words came to mind.

“The marshal and his wife seem to be in a hurry to return home, but it’s too late now. They will probably abandon the king and resign in the near future since their son was almost killed without their permission. Without the help of the Marshal and his wife, the Illuminati won’t be able to evade the Rai country’s provocations. The people will surely demand war. We, too, will flee before war breaks out.”

Rosa remained absentminded for the rest of the day.

The following week, Duke Serravalle relinquished his title and disappeared from the Illuminati Kingdom after receiving the honorary title of “Nobleman Antonio of the Illuminati Kingdom”.

His daughter, Rosa, also hadn’t appeared at the court since receiving the title of “Noblewoman Rosa”.