CH 71

“…Your Highness?”

“Excuse me, but what is your relationship with Countess Yoseph?”

Meanwhile, knights who noticed the unusual atmosphere between the two couldn’t hide their bewilderment.

“I will take all the responsibility. I have no intention of doing anything stupid, so please… step aside for a moment.”

Charelize asked the knights to step aside, saying she would take full responsibility.

“Since the situation, we would step away to some distance. If you are alright with that… we will do that.”

The knights, who exchanged glances with each other, nodded slightly to show that they understood. The sound of their footsteps grew farther and farther.

“…Princess.”

Soon after, Lona struggled to open her mouth and call Charelize. Her face was swollen and messy here and there.

“Why… did you come here?”

“Is that really what you ask… when we see each other… for the first time in a few years?”

“Ah… you’re still naive. Does Princess still believe in me?”

“Lona.”

“I betrayed Princess by stealing jewelry and selling information about the duchy… So why?” Lona let out a laugh as if it were absurd.

“You…disappoint me…. until the end.”

Charelize erased the tone that she used when she was a 9-year-old child.

“I’d rather… not know you’re alive…”

“…”

“So… it would have been better if we never met.”

With those words, Charelize slowly moved her steps out of prison. Holding onto the bars, Lona stared at Charelize’s shadow for a long time before it disappeared.

“Little Duchess.”

“… Her Royal Highness.”

None other than Royal Princess Casilla was waiting for Charelize to return to her room.

“I heard you’re on your way back from meeting with Countess Yoseph.”

“…Yes.”

“May I ask why?” Royal Princess Casilla asked why she had met Lona in a gentle but straightforward manner.

“She… was my nanny.”

“You mean… Countess Yoseph was little Duchess’s nanny?”

Royal Princess Casilla seemed very surprised at what Charelize said.

“She almost endangered her life by selling the duke’s information, so my mother made a secret way for her to escape from the eyes of others.”

“To think that little Duchess and Countess Yoseph had such a story…”

“Rather than that, His Royal Highness… is not the one who will poison someone.”

Charelize thought for a long time, thinking of Lona, who stopped her statement as soon as she saw her.

Arensis had lived a tenacious life in a place where he lost all his precious people. He wasn’t stupid enough to just let them go easily.

“…I know. It’s not how he wanted His Majesty’s father to go that way.”

“Then…?”

“From what she said to me that day when she incited the nobles to frame Arensis…”

Royal Princess Casilla sighed and continued her words. “Ioella, I think that’s what she did.”

“Why did you come to such a conclusion… if I may ask?”

“Ioella believes that Her Majesty died because of Arensis. That’s why she blamed Arensis for this.”

“…”

“On top of that… Because His Majesty Father cares so much for her, only a few people can stop Ioella.”

Just for this moment, Lanensia Xavi took her hand in this matter.

“I see.”

Having watched everything move according to Ioella’s will, Charelize quietly agreed.

“The poison didn’t come out of Arensis’s palace, so he will be released as soon as there is no evidence.”

“…I see.”

“But… if we don’t completely root it out, the bad gaze toward Arensis or something like this will always happen again.”

Charelize was relieved to hear that the poison did not come out, fortunately, because there were no servants to be bribed.

“I was worried because he didn’t want to be around anyone, but little Duchess helped me this time.”

“?”

“I know to some extent what happened between Arensis and little Duchess.”

“…”

“Ever since Madam Arabella left like that… He didn’t take out everything inside of his mind. However, it’s funny to see him pretending to be kind to the little Duchess and showing only his good sides.”

“…Your Royal Highness.”

“I hope that one day the day will come when neither he nor the little Duchess can laugh comfortably without worrying about anything. And… thank you. For being by my younger brother’s side, who was always lonely.”

* * *

It was the next morning.

“Countess Yoseph has passed away.”

“Just now… what did you say?”

The news reached Charelize like a thunderbolt out of the blue.

“Lona… suicide…”

Haile, who was beside her, turned her head away, trying to hold back her tears.

“She was found… biting her tongue, little Duchess.”

“…What about her corpse?”

“According to the Peschte Empire Law, a funeral cannot be held for those suspected of murdering the royal family.”

“I see… you can leave now.”

“Yes, little Duchess.”

The maid of honor, who had come by order of Royal Princess Casilla, bowed her head and left.

“…It’s a murder.”

“Your Highness…?”

Hailey asked, puzzled, as her legs gave out and she slumped down to the floor.

“Lona, have you been my nanny since you were born?”

“Yes? Same as Princess. When I was born, I was someone’s daughter.”

“I’ve never heard of Lona’s mother before.”

“…She carried the world with her own hands.”

“Hands? What do you mean?”

“Princess is still young, so it’s only natural that you don’t understand.”

“How do you carry the world with your hands? By any chance, are her hands huge? If so, then…”

“…Princess should never do that. Always… stay by my side. If you leave me alone, I’ll…”

“Why… why are you crying, Lona? Don’t cry. I’m not going anywhere. Promise.”

“Good girl. You’re really a good girl. Our Princess.”

Charelize remembered Lona, then burst into tears as she hugged her body.

Even though Lona knew that her husband had died and she had a baby inside her, she lived through it. She was never going to die by suicide like that.

When Lona died, the investigation returned to square one. For now, they investigated whether Count Yoseph and his son were involved.

Charelize couldn’t even eat properly for several days and couldn’t sleep. Her words to Lona kept coming to her mind. It was even more so because of the last conversation they had.

“Your Highness.”

“… What’s going on?”

“It is said that Royal Princess Casill and the young master of Seint have divorced.”

Hailey, who became thin in the meantime, just like Charelize, informed what she had just heard.

“Divorce?”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

“Didn’t the young Master Seint stand by the Royal Princess when she was down? But… divorce?”

“According to rumors, young Master Seint had another woman.”

Hailey came close and whispered in her ear. Charelize, not understanding the sudden decision to divorce, tilted her head.

“What about the reply?”

“Lord Ian. Let me start by saying this—”

“Tell Her Royal Highness… that I cannot cooperate anymore… until I hear where she’s going to use it.”

Charelize recalled of something she had ignored back then. It turned out that the maid was Princess Ioella’s. Now, Princess Ioella had been spilling the evidence everywhere.

“As soon as possible, find out what happened between Royal Princess Ioella and young Master Seint.”

“…I understand, Your Highness.”

* * *

Not long after, Hailey brought the information that Charelize wanted.

“Empress Sione and Countess Seint have known each other since childhood, and Royal Princess Ioella also visited the county often.”

“…As expected.”

“Also… everyone thought it was strange that he was married to Royal Princess Casilla instead of Royal Princess Ioella.”

Charelize went that way to visit Count Seint. Count Seint hadn’t woken up yet, so the atmosphere was gloomy.

“Greetings to little Duchess of Marsetta.”

It was the young Master Seint who greeted Charelize.

“I heard you got a divorce with Royal Princess Casilla.”

“…What do you want to say?”

“Is it because of Royal Princess Ioella?”

Young Master Seint avoided Charelize’s gaze.

“I can’t stand by and watch her commit sin more than this.”

“…”

“As someone who was once her lover, if she is doing the wrong thing… it makes sense to correct her.”

“…”

“She poisoned her father and blamed it on her sibling. Don’t you think she can do anything worse than that?”

Judging from his conversation with the maid, it was clear that the poison of the wine was provided by young Master Seint. Count Seint’s life was also at stake.

Charelize deliberately chose a time when he was in trouble. She made no mention of the point. But he just pointed the way to what she should do next.