‘Right, I remember. It was the Blant Duke’s heir’s necklace, wasn’t it?’
I wasn’t sure if Erich had been wearing that necklace when he returned after the war.
But one thing was clear: I had never seen that necklace even once since he came back.
‘And if he had that necklace, that person wouldn’t have reacted like this.’
The grand madam was fixated solely on the necklace, seething with anger.
“Archduke Tarrant! What have you done to my son, my son!”
I stared at Erich.
He stood there, blankly gazing at the necklace.
His expression was like that of a person cornered at the edge of a cliff.
“Erich…”
Just as I unconsciously tried to call him, Reinhardt’s voice rang out.
“Erich Blant is dead. My subordinate took care of him on the battlefield. This is the trophy from that time.”
At that answer, the grand madam began to sob uncontrollably, pouring out her resentment towards him.
“You cursed wretch! All this time, you pretended to use mercenaries to find my son… but you killed him? Are you even human!”
Though the heinous act was revealed, Reinhardt merely sneered and mocked her.
“Well, you should have raised your son better. He got killed because he was hanging around my woman. I didn’t expect you to sit a fake in his place, though.”
Then he looked at me and said,
“Cornelia, do you understand now? That guy is not the real Erich Blant you knew. That despicable fake deceived you into thinking he was the real one.”
Just as I was about to respond to that, someone spoke up first, addressing him.
“Reinhardt Tarrant, shut your mouth.”
The owner of that chilling voice, which sent shivers down my spine, was none other than Erich.
He was glaring at Reinhardt while holding a sword, which he must have drawn at some point.
The intensity of his aura was so fierce that everyone present held their breath, staring at Erich.
However, Reinhardt showed no signs of fear whatsoever.
“Indeed, you can’t hide your origins. A butcher who grew up as an assassin in the slums, isn’t that right…?”
“Shut up—!”
Erich closed the distance to Reinhardt in an instant, as fast as a bullet.
A blue aura enveloped the blade of his sword.
Erich swung his sword swiftly at Reinhardt.
It was as if he intended to cleave him in two with that strike.
However, Erich’s attack did not achieve its purpose.
Bang!
A faint barrier had formed around Reinhardt, emitting a soft light.
And it was solid enough to block Erich’s strike.
‘What on earth is that, and how can it stop a swordmaster’s blade?’
I furrowed my brow.
‘Could it be magic?’
That term couldn’t adequately explain the phenomenon. Still, I found it hard to believe.
It had been quite a long time since magicians had gone into hiding.
‘Of course, I had heard that Rothbart, the first head of the Tarrant family, was an outstanding magician, but since then, there has been no one who stood out in magic…’
In any case, Reinhardt was using magic right in front of me.
And it was magic of considerable power.
‘He must have hidden his abilities all this time, or he has a means to use magic…’
At that moment, Reinhardt looked at me and smiled.
“Cornelia, how is it? Do you regret it? Choosing that guy instead of me…”
However, he couldn’t continue his words.
Crack—!
A fissure appeared in the magical barrier due to Erich’s strike.
“I’m retreating for now, but this throne will be mine anyway. So, Cornelia, you’d better think carefully. Will you willingly become mine, or…?”
Before he could finish his sentence, I raised my hand.
“Stop talking nonsense and get lost. Even if you’re the last man standing, I would never choose you!”
He grimaced at my words, then smirked.
“Right, you should act defiantly. It’ll make it all the more satisfying when I break you and make you mine. And…”
He glared at Erich and spoke menacingly.
“Fake, I will definitely kill you with my own hands!”
The moment his words ended, Reinhardt was engulfed in a blinding light.
Erich swung his sword, but Reinhardt had already vanished.
I quickly commanded Marquis Philippe.
“Marquis Philippe! Issue a manhunt order immediately and send troops to the Tarrant ducal residence!”
“Yes, Your Highness!”
At that moment, the Grand Madam’s wailing echoed loudly.
“My son, my poor son Erich!”
At that voice, I gazed at the man who had been my husband all those years.
‘If Erich is truly dead, then who are you?’
I still had things to resolve.
☪︎ ִ ࣪𖤐 𐦍 ☾𖤓 ☪︎ ִ ࣪𖤐 𐦍 ☾𖤓
After Reinhardt disappeared with the light, the conference room was engulfed in chaos.
“How could the Archduke Tarrant do such a thing…?”
“Moreover, I never expected him to be colluding with Marquis Arzen.”
“Isn’t the identity of Duke Blant truly surprising? But if he’s a fake, doesn’t that mean he has no right to be here?”
Reinhardt’s ambitions, his collaboration with Marquis Arzen, and Erich’s true identity were all revealed.
The nobles were gossiping about it, each trying to outdo the other.
It was the Emperor who restored order to the chaos.
“If you all have eyes, you must have seen it! Reinhardt Tarrant revealing his treachery! This is an undeniable and indisputable fact!”
Finally, the Emperor glared at Marquis Arzen and Medelin with furious eyes.
“Immediately imprison the traitor, Marquis Arzen, who conspired with Reinhardt Tarrant, and seize his household!”
“Your, Your Majesty, you can’t do this! Please listen to me, for the sake of my sister…”
Marquis Arzen tried to salvage the situation by mentioning the Empress, but the Emperor was resolute.
“Take him away!”
As soon as Marquis Arzen exited, silence fell over the conference room.
The Emperor looked at the nobles and spoke.
“If anyone has an objection to my decision, speak now.”
At the Emperor’s words, someone broke the silence.
“Your Majesty, what do you plan to do about Marquis Arzen?”
“I intend to execute him in two days.”
At that firm response, several nobles protested.
“However, Your Majesty! If you decide like this without knowing the full circumstances…”
“Do you not have eyes and ears? Just moments ago, Marquis Arzen confessed himself to be in league with Reinhardt Tarrant!”
The reason the Emperor had tolerated the nobles’ rising influence was that their power was stronger than he had anticipated, and he had no justification to suppress them.
However, at this moment, the Emperor had a suitable justification.
‘Yes, a good reason, rebellion.’
Although there was little time left for him, it would be easier to safely pass the throne to Cornelia.
The Emperor warned the nobles with a fierce gaze.
“I know many of you have been in contact with Reinhardt, but it would be wise not to entertain any foolish thoughts. From this moment on, I will never tolerate any association with the traitor Reinhardt Tarrant!”
The nobles all fell silent.
It was only natural.
If they so much as showed a hint of discontent, it would only serve as evidence of their collusion with Reinhardt.
‘With this, I now have a reason to suppress the nobles; there is only one thing left to do.’
The proclamation of the Crown Princess; the Emperor was about to bring up what he had been waiting for.
At that moment, someone spoke up.
“Your Majesty, the identity of Duke Blant has not yet been definitively revealed.”
If it were anyone else, the Emperor would have brushed off the comment.
Although his honor had been tarnished due to the secret of his birth, Erich Blant was undoubtedly someone Cornelia needed right now.
‘If Reinhardt has used magic, then having Erich Blant by my side is essential for my child’s safety.’
However, the Emperor could not ignore that statement. And for good reason…
“As his wife, I would like to ensure that his identity is confirmed.”
The one who said this was none other than Cornelia.
And hearing those words, Erich clenched his fist tightly.
‘Yes, this is the result I expected. You will never forgive me.’
It was a moment he had always imagined, yet had hoped would never come.
And the pain was stronger than he had anticipated.
It felt as if his heart was being torn apart.
However, there was no way to escape.
He didn’t want to be branded as a cowardly man in Cornelia’s eyes.
“Bianca Blant, I ask you: Is it true that your son, Erich Blant, was killed in battle?”
At the Emperor’s stern voice, the Grand Madam finally came to her senses.
‘What have I done…?’
She looked at her son with bewildered expression.
The second son, who had been abandoned by her and her husband simply because he was a twin.
He had always been like a thorn in her side, and now he was looking at his wife with a face that seemed to say the world had ended.
‘No, I never intended to hurt you! I was going to keep your identity a secret until the end…’
She had to fix this somehow. While her dead son was precious, her living son took priority.
‘But if Cornelia learns the truth, my son will feel betrayed…’
As the Grand Madam struggled with these thoughts, she locked eyes with Cornelia, who was standing next to the Emperor.
Finally, she saw Cornelia’s lips move, and the Grand Madam clenched her fist tightly.
‘You really are still… an unsatisfactory daughter-in-law.’
At last, she opened her mouth.
“Yes, it is true.”
“Then who is the Duke Blant over there?”
“That child is my second son, born as a twin to Erich.”
Upon hearing the Grand Madam’s answer, the nobles began to murmur among themselves as if it were no big deal.
“Ah, so that’s how it was. Twins are usually raised separately.”
“Still, if he’s of the Blant bloodline, there’s no need to raise any objections.”
In other words, since he was of the Blant lineage, there was no problem.
However, Cornelia showed no reaction at all.
Erich, engulfed in despair, weakly dropped his fist.
‘It’s all over.’
