CH 96

“So you’re saying you’re the one who gave the perfume. I was told it was bought from a peddler earlier.”

The emperor’s eyes flashed. Even if the emperor was only a powerful figure in name, the duchess couldn’t do anything but endure her sharp eyes and clenched her fist. 

“It’s because I bought it from a peddler and gifted it to Dorothea. I thought you already found out about it.” 

“Hmm.”

The emperor scratched her chin at Dona’s answer. She slowly turned her gaze to the people sitting at the round table.

“Duke Lagrange’s sister had said that the bears must have come at her due to that scent.”

“How could you believe those words?”

The young man sitting closest to Duke Euclid opened his mouth curtly.

After those words, the people began to chatter.

‘It seems they intend to let Dietrich and me take the fall of this matter.’

I opened my mouth, sighing. 

“The scent of quince is not important. It had a strange air that stimulated the animals.” 

“Do we have any reason to believe your words, young lady?”

A man who looked similar to Dorothea, perhaps her relative, wheezed. 

In fact, Dorothea only stayed stuck in a corner, meekly glancing at people. 

“There is no reason. Because it’s just my instinct.”

However, I wasn’t the only one in this place who could attest that the scent was hazardous enough even by just smelling it. 

“Why don’t you ask Miss Charlotte Vallandia?”

I pointed at Charlotte who sat next to Dona Euclid, chewing on her finger. 

In an instant, her eyes widened, looking at me who was staring at her. 

“I’m sure Charlotte felt it, too. That the scent was strange.”

“Is that true?”

They asked her with a gentle face as if the southern nobles who wouldn’t pay heed to my words would only believe Charlotte’s words. 

Such blatant discrimination. 

‘I’m dirty in their eyes so I’ll never come to the capital again.’ 

I decided that I would rather become a naturalized foreign citizen when I get out of Lagrange as I glared at them. 

“...Yes. It didn’t seem like he was simply drawn to the sweet scent of quince. As I told Her Majesty before, the bears had traces of darkness.” 

‘Traces of darkness?’

“There was something like that?”

“Yes, Anissa. I purified the bears and released them into the forest.” 

The southern nobles shut their mouths at Charlotte’s answer. Each of them let out a sigh of relief with their eyes filled with heartwarming emotion. 

“You mean, you didn’t kill them?” 

“It wasn’t just trying to harm Madam Dorothea, it was just cursed and used. My heart ached so I asked for them to be saved.” 

Charlotte turned to Dorothea in tears. 

“Please understand, Madam Dorothea.” 

“Of course. I understand. Charl is really a person who deserves to be called a saint.” 

Dorothea nodded as if they understood each other. I was a little dumbfounded that I silently laughed. 

‘If you’re so heartbroken, you should have stopped the hunting competition altogether.’

Didn’t Dorothea receive a freshly caught marten and three foxes as consolation gifts from Duke Euclid earlier? 

“Traces of darkness, you say. Was it some kind of black magic?”

Charl gently shook her head at the Emperor’s question. 

“I don’t know that much. I’m sorry, Your Majesty.”

“No, you’re not at fault.” 

“However…”

“However?” 

Charlotte glanced at me in the middle of her words. She had opened her mouth as if she had something to say but soon closed her eyes. 

“It’s nothing, Your Majesty.”

She, however, still donned a face that looked like she was about to confess something. Instead of waiting for her, the emperor turned toward me. 

“Why is Charlotte looking at you, my lady?”

“I also don’t know.”

‘What exactly are you trying to say?’

“Don’t pretend you don’t know, Anissa.” 

Charlotte opened her mouth with tears streaming down her face as if she could no longer bear looking at me.

“I’m really sorry.  However, I can’t lie anymore as this body serves the holy sun god.”

Heuk, gulp! The sound of crying and swallowing saliva followed. Her appearance looked so pitiful that people stopped talking and focused on her. 

“I can’t, heuk! Protect, hic! Our precious, friendship! Heuk! I’m sorry.” 

I was stunned, unable to remember having a precious friendship with Charlotte in particular. The female protagonist, shedding clear tears, continued.  

“Your Majesty, I saw in the forest. I saw Anissa summon a shadow demon.” 

‘I can’t believe you’re saying you saw me ‘summon’ a ‘demon’!’

Gasp.

The sound of people inhaling sharply pierced my ears. It was obvious what kind of picture they were envisioning from Charlotte’s words. 

“Ha.”

The eyes that were glued on her glared at me in an instant. 

“Are Charlotte’s words true, Princess?” 

The emperor, who had only been smiling at me whenever she saw me, was glaring at me with a sharp cold face.  

“No. That’s not possible. That demon was –”

“Yes. I summoned it, Your Majesty.”

As soon as Dietrich opened his mouth, I responded quickly, pinching his thigh under the table. It wouldn’t have hurt that much but he made an impression as if he was about to rip me apart.  

‘Be quiet.’

‘Why should I?’

‘Are you not thinking about Yuric and Veronica?’

Dietrich groaned irritably at my whispered words, but in the end, he obeyed. 

“So, who exactly summoned the demon?”

“It’s me. Charlotte is right, Your Majesty.”

There was also that chaos he had stirred up in the capital mansion, and if it was found out that Dietrich also used his ability in the hunting competition, the succession may be canceled.

‘We can’t delay any longer.’ 

Just because the Grand Duke’s sister made a little mistake, they wouldn’t come to the point that they’d kill me, right? 

I put my hands together, crying as if I were deeply reflecting on myself. 

“But I never tried to harm Countess Hilbert.” 

“Then why the hell did you use your ability during the hunting competition, Princess!”

I turned my head to the sound of Duke Euclid’s voice.

“Answer!”

He was really putting on an angry face even though his son had also used his abilities in the capital. He donned a patriot's mask as if I was really plotting rebellion. 

“Shut your mouth, Euclid.”

“Wh-what did you say? This arrogant bastard!” 

“How dare you raise your voice at my sister.” 

Dietrich gnashed his teeth and warned the duke. I managed to open my mouth, sweating from the stinging gaze. 

“Summoning the shadow was purely a mistake. I’m still not good at using this ability.”

“Are you saying it’s a mistake that you controlled the bears?” 

“However, I really don’t know anything about the traces of darkness that Charlotte is talking about, Your Majesty.”

At my firm answer, the emperor’s expression wavered for a moment. As she agonized and pressed on her temple, the nobles started raising their voices. 

“Your Majesty, it’s definitely a lie!”

“Her Ladyship might have a lovely face, but in the end, isn’t she a Northerner? It’s the same as being half-human!” 

At people’s words, Dietrich fumbled on his waist. I was certain he was looking for the sword that was taken away the moment we entered the imperial castle so I grabbed his hand. 

‘Please don’t make a scene, okay?’

“It’s not a lie! Isn’t there no other evidence apart from Charlotte’s testimony?” 

At my question, the emperor let out an agonized sound and looked between me and Charlotte, who was crying. Dona Euclid jumped out of her seat and embraced Charlotte. 

“Are you implying that Charlotte is lying, Princess?! Charl is the Saint of Vallandia! She’s a priestess serving god! Your Majesty, this is a clear insult towards the sun god!”

‘Just because she’s a priestess she’s incapable of lying, is that right?’ 

Although I wasn’t particularly saying that Charlotte was lying, when it comes to using her abilities, she was cowardly. 

‘I’ve seen her use her powers several times too!’

As I fumed and glared at her and Charlotte, Dona Euclid faltered and stepped back. I laughed at her exaggerated show of fear. 

“It can’t be helped. For the moment, I will have to detain your ladyship until the investigation is over.” 

The emperor stood up from her seat as if she hated this kind of problem and called her secretary. Dietrich jumped forward as if to refute her decision.

“Says who.”

“Grand Duke, you have not forgotten that I am the emperor of this empire, have you?”

She added briefly, removing Dietrich’s hand that was holding her. 

“Soon, we will be holding a conference regarding your succession to the title of the grand duke. Be careful with what you say.” 

Fortunately, it seemed that the conference would proceed as it is. I let out a small sigh of relief. 

“But Your Majesty, you can’t give such an enormous power to a person like that under the current circumstances!”

Duke Euclid seized the emperor’s judgment and targetted it. Dietrich irritatingly took a step closer to him. 

“You speak as if the power of Lagrange is yours.” 

“Young master, I mean, Your Grace! What are you going to do about your sister’s behavior! How dare a mere woman enter the hunting competition and even summon a demon–!” 

Even as the Duke took a step back, afraid of Dietrich, he still didn’t lower his voice. 

“I told you to shut your mouth. The older you get the longer your tongue becomes it seems.” 

“Wh-what did you say!”

‘This is why they keep fighting!’ 

“Dietrich, stop.”

I thought I understood now why Hermann always gnashed his teeth when seeing Dietrich. 

“You may detain me.”

With a sigh, I held out my arms to the guards who hesitantly approached me. 

“But, I would like you to no longer postpone the nobility conference discussing the succession of the Grand Duke of Lagrange, Your Majesty.” 

“Very well. Take her into custody.” 

At the emperor’s resolute command, Dietrich got up from his seat with a wry smile. He glared at the guards at my side as if he would tear them to pieces this instant. 

“Don’t you dare touch her.”

“Your Grace, taking custody of her ladyship is the emperor’s orders.” 

“I said, don’t you dare touch her unless you no longer need your fingers.”