Chapter 192
“Very well. Let us go at once.”
The emperor nodded deeply at my words.
Since the treasury was the emperor’s personal domain, he couldn’t simply send an attendant to retrieve the item. Seeing it with his own eyes would leave no room for further doubt.
As the emperor took the lead, Clara seemed to finally begin grasping the truth.
Her once confident face, so smug as she accused me of theft, slowly turned into one of anxiety.
‘If you’re going to slander others so easily, you should be ready for the blowback.’
I told myself coldly, determined not to feel even a hint of pity for Clara.
Besides, the real moment of truth was about to come.
“Look for yourself. Do you believe it now?”
“Wh-Why is this…!”
When we entered the innermost part of the treasury, the emperor’s magic stone was still there, safely preserved inside a glass case, just as before.
Clara’s face went pale. As if she’d lost all reason, she ran straight to the case and touched it.
And then…
“Aaaah!”
With a piercing scream, the smell of burning flesh and a puff of smoke filled the air.
The case’s protective enchantment had activated, severely burning both of Clara’s hands.
Crying from the pain, Clara collapsed to the floor and looked up at the emperor with pleading eyes, but he only scowled at her.
It was only then, realizing the full weight of her situation, that Clara began to beg, lips trembling.
“Y-Your Majesty, please forgive me! I truly believed that Adriana had stolen your possession… There were rumors all over the capital about a theft in the imperial treasury…”
In her panic, Clara rambled incoherently, seemingly unaware of the mistakes she was making with every word.
Already displeased from the earlier loss of the artifact, the emperor’s face darkened further.
“To speak of palace affairs so lightly…has the authority of the imperial family fallen so low, or does the House of Count Amber mock us outright?”
“What? No, I didn’t mean it like that…”
“Silence! To slander the imperial family and falsely accuse a Grand Princess, a guest of the Empire—neither is a light offense. Clara Amber shall prepare to spend the rest of her life in a convent, atoning for her sins.”
At those words, Clara, who had been sobbing, snapped her head up.
The sentence seemed heavier than she expected, and she turned to me with a shocked expression.
“A-Adriana!”
Her eyes, once twisted with jealousy and hatred, now looked at me as though I were her last hope in the world.
“You know me, don’t you, Adriana? I didn’t mean to harm you! I was just… worried about you! That’s all!”
I wanted to fire back at Clara, who was still spewing nonsense, but I couldn’t.
Because ever since entering the treasury, things like magic stones or false accusations no longer held my attention.
Sigh.
Having finally completed the task I had focused so intensely on, all the tension left my body at once, and an involuntary sigh escaped my lips.
Meanwhile, Clara crawled on her knees and clung to me in desperation.
Her burned hands awkwardly hanging in the air, she threw herself at my legs in a pathetic attempt to plead.
At that moment, my body swayed and nearly toppled over.
“Are you alright, Grand Princess?”
Thankfully, Nicholas, who stood nearby, caught my arm and kept me from falling. I nodded and gently pushed his hand away.
Then I looked down at Clara, who was sprawled at my feet.
She hadn’t even leaned on me with any real force, yet acted as if I’d knocked her over. It was almost laughable—so dramatic and fake. But when our eyes met, Clara quickly looked away.
“…”
The situation was so absurd I almost laughed, but it felt like my facial muscles had gone numb.
In truth… just moments ago, I had destroyed the demonic relic.
More precisely, I had absorbed all the powerful magic and vast demonic energy it held within myself.
And as a result, my physical condition was now at its worst.
But I was standing in front of the emperor, this was no time to show weakness. I forced strength into my voice and spoke.
“Clara.”
The moment I called her name, Clara looked up at me eagerly.
“Yes, Adriana! It’s me, your cousin Clara! Please say something to His Majesty. We’re family, after all! You don’t want me locked away in a convent forever, do you?”
So bold to call us family now, after trying to ruin me.
Still, Clara looked genuinely terrified, as though a life in a convent would be worse than hell itself.
I let out a slow breath.
Though my body was in shambles, destroying that relic had lifted a heavy weight that had been pressing on my chest.
Because of that, I found myself feeling a bit more generous.
‘Of course, she did enter my room without permission, tampered with my belongings, and tried to ruin my name…’
But Clara hadn’t deliberately set a trap. She’d simply found a gem in my room identical to the emperor’s and saw an opportunity.
It was only right that she face consequences for her recklessness, but to completely end her life as a noble lady… even I wasn’t fully at peace with that.
‘Grandfather would be heartbroken.’
If nothing else, I didn’t want to see my grandfather’s face filled with sorrow.
Having made my decision, I bowed to the emperor.
“Your Majesty, thank you for clearing my name. However, I bear some responsibility for allowing my cousin to trouble Your Majesty. Please consider it a foolish mistake, and I ask that you not impose too harsh a punishment.”
At my words, Clara, who had been sobbing with her shoulders shaking, immediately turned to the Emperor and begged that such a thing would never happen again.
The Emperor still looked at Clara coldly, but after stroking his chin in thought for a moment, he finally spoke.
“Very well. I cannot be too harsh on the bloodline of the Marquis of Diapel, who has been loyal to the Empire for generations. I will retract the punishment I just declared. However—”
Just as Clara looked up at him with a sigh of relief…
“Until I give further permission, you are to remain confined within the Amber estate and reflect on your actions.”
“W-What?”
“Now prepare to return to your estate at once.”
“Y-Your Majesty! Not the capital, but the estate? Until when? How long?!”
Clara called out to the Emperor in a flustered voice, but he simply turned his head after signaling to the imperial knights.
As I watched Clara being dragged away by the knights, the Emperor spoke.
“You need not waste your heart on such a vile creature. I’m sure you must be deeply upset… and yet, you even asked for mercy. The Grand Duchess was the same, she always covered for the Countess’s faults.”
“…”
“But your face is far too pale. You look shaken. You should rest in the palace for a while..”
“No, Your Majesty. I am already more than grateful for your mercy. I believe it’s time for me to return.”
Now that everything was settled, I had no desire to face the Emperor any longer.
It had always been uncomfortable, but now that I knew the truth—that he tried to use the demon artifact to control my family—it was deeply unsettling.
‘Honestly, even giving him the magic stone feels like a waste…’
I glanced briefly at the magic stone gripped tightly in the Emperor’s hand and shook my head inwardly.
I didn’t feel the slightest guilt about destroying the demon’s relic. But I did technically destroy something that belonged to him, so I figured this could be considered paying the price.
The Emperor offered several more times to let me rest at the palace, but relented when I said my parents would be worried.
“The Grand Princess must be terribly shaken.”
He murmured, and I marveled at how stubbornly consistent he was as I stepped out of the imperial palace.
“Adriana!”
Someone called my name urgently.
It was none other than Clara, who had just been dragged out by the imperial knights.
“She’s still in the palace grounds? Has you failed to carry out the royal command?”
Nicholas, who had come to escort me, frowned and asked. One of the knights answered awkwardly,
“Apologies. She caused a scene, saying we had no right to lay a hand on her because she had to wait for Her Highness the Grand Princess.”
Even though she had received orders to reflect, they couldn’t recklessly handle a noble lady from a prestigious house and a relative to me. I could understand the knights’ hesitation…they were likely afraid of any future repercussions.
Noticing the way the knights were sneaking glances at me, I sighed quietly and took a step forward.
“Clara.”
“Adriana!”
Hearing my voice, Clara, who had been sitting ungracefully on the ground, sprang up.
Then, as if summoning some hidden strength, she shook off the knights and ran toward me.
“Adriana, let’s go back. If you speak to His Majesty again, I’m sure he’ll change his mind!”
“…”
“Come on, let’s go! Why are you just standing there?”
“…Why should I?”
“Huh?”
“Why should I do that?”
I was so dumbfounded that I asked honestly. Clara looked at me as if she couldn’t believe I’d say such a thing.
Even now, after everything, she believed I would still plead on her behalf?
Her expression was filled with absolute certainty. I was hit with a wave of disgust.
I was starting to regret asking the Emperor to lighten her punishment.
“Ha! So this is the real you, isn’t it? You’ve just been pretending to be kind all along! This whole incident must’ve been your scheme. You set me up on purpose! You wanted me trapped in the estate forever! What do you think people will say when they see your two-faced nature? Grandpa? Brother?!”
“Clara, so this is the real you.”
Watching her sink to lowly threats made me laugh.
I shook my head lightly and took a step closer to her.
She flinched and backed away, as if scared I might harm her, despite how she had been yelling just moments ago.
I placed a hand on her shoulder.
Then I spoke to the terrified Clara.
“Clara, you said this once. That when you’re in pain, alone, and in a hopeless situation you can’t escape, it’s natural to become twisted.”
“W-What? I—I never said that to you—”
“Then tell me—what exactly was so painful, so lonely, so miserable in your life that made you twist this much?”
You are not ready for what will come in the next chapter ಡ ͜ ʖ ಡ
