EWOWMAIBTYPF Chapter 191

Chapter 191

***

 

When I saw the dazzling pink magic stone in Clara’s hand, no bigger than a baby’s fist, I gasped.

I couldn’t believe Clara had not only barged into my room without permission but had even gone through my desk.

“Put that down. Right now.”

I gritted my teeth and spoke sharply.

She didn’t even know what that stone meant to me, what it cost me to make it.

Seeing Clara demand an explanation with a completely unapologetic look on her face, I was seething with rage.

“So it is. This really is the one that was in His Majesty’s treasury, isn’t it?”

Then Clara shook her head and said,

“I hoped it wasn’t true… Adriana, no matter how desperate you are, how could you touch His Majesty’s possession?”

“What?”

What the hell was she talking about?

“Are you saying… I stole that magic stone from the imperial treasury?”

I asked, bewildered, and Clara nodded gravely.

“I heard a thief broke into the imperial treasury recently.”

It was a distorted rumor.

The Emperor, furious that a sacred artifact had been stolen from right outside his residence, went into a rage and practically tore apart Count Petier and the royal knights. As a result, rumors spread throughout the capital that a treasure had been stolen from the imperial treasury.

Somehow, it had turned into ‘A thief broke into the imperial treasury.’

But how could she possibly think I was that thief?

My anger evaporated instantly, replaced by sheer disbelief.

I gave her a dumbfounded look, and Clara shouted,

“His Majesty said so himself! That mages lose their minds when they see a magic stone. You… you’re a mage too, so of course you were tempted. I understand.”

“What exactly do you understand?”

“It’s okay, Adriana. I won’t tell anyone. You can trust me, if no one else.”

She accused me of being a thief and now wanted me to trust her?

“I’ve had enough of this, Clara.”

I sighed.

This wasn’t the first time. I was done watching her swing between envy and fake concern.

I stepped forward, stared Clara straight in the eye, and shook the bell on the desk loudly.

“Clara.”

Then, before she could even open her mouth in surprise, I spoke.

“I kept hesitating. Wondering if I could really cut you off, even though you’re family. But now, you’ve given me the answer.”

The maids, summoned by the bell, opened the door and entered.

I kept my eyes fixed on Clara and shouted coldly,

“Tell the Second Prince downstairs. I must go to the palace immediately. I, Adriana Belus, have been falsely accused of stealing from the Emperor. His Majesty must judge this personally!”

Maybe it was the icy tone of my voice, or the meaning behind my words, but I could feel the maids gasp in shock.

One of them quickly turned and left the room, and Clara looked flustered.

“Ad-Adriana! Why… why are you making this such a big deal? If you’d just done as I said and stayed quiet—”

As if she never imagined things would escalate like this, Clara grabbed my arm in desperation.

I brushed her off lightly.

“Clara. You thought you had something over me, didn’t you? Stop pretending to care. It’s disgusting.”

“W-What…?”

Clara looked at me, trembling.

I smiled brighter than ever before and said to her,

“Whatever happens next, know this: it’s all your doing. So if you want to blame someone, blame yourself.”

 

***

 

The imperial palace was in an uproar.

Word had arrived that the Second Prince, who had gone to the Marquisate of Diapel, was returning urgently with the Grand Duke’s daughter.

But the biggest shock was the news that the lady was seeking the Emperor to clear her name.

The Emperor immediately canceled the meeting he was holding and prepared to receive them.

Soon after, the Second Prince and the Grand Duke’s daughter arrived at the palace.

As the noble lady following behind Adriana hesitated to step down from the carriage, Adriana gripped her arm tightly, preventing her escape.

The courtiers watching quickly understood, this girl was the reason Adriana had come all the way to the palace.

The glares aimed at Clara only intensified as they entered the audience hall, and Clara, who until now had only faced petty rivalries in high society, was turning pale.

Clara tried to collapse as if her legs gave out, but Adriana held her firmly in place. With so many eyes on her, even pretending to faint wasn’t an option anymore, and panic set in.

She actually stormed the palace…

Even the Emperor, who allowed an immediate audience, seemed surprised. Clara couldn’t understand what Adriana was thinking.

Wiping away the cold sweat from her forehead, Clara couldn’t figure out how things had gone so wrong.

And before she knew it, they had reached the Emperor’s audience chamber.

“Your Majesty! Please clear my name!”

Adriana immediately dropped to her knees and bowed low to the ground.

Clara, dragged down to her knees alongside her, trembled uncontrollably.

It was finally sinking in—this was really happening.

“W-Why are you doing this? Stand up,”

The Emperor rushed over to raise Adriana himself, not even caring that she had skipped all formalities.

But Adriana stubbornly shook her head.

“I cannot rise until my name is cleared, Your Majesty.”

“Cleared? Who dared to accuse you…!”

The Emperor finally realized why Adriana had come, and his face twisted in anger.

Clara could hardly breathe now. She was so terrified she couldn’t speak.

But Adriana, having set this all in motion, seemed unshaken as she spoke boldly.

“Your Majesty. My cousin, Clara Amber, accused me of stealing from Your Majesty’s treasury. I beg you to uncover the truth and clear my name.”

“W-What?!”

The Emperor’s expression changed instantly, he hadn’t even realized that the rumor about his treasury being robbed had spread through the capital.

Seeing the Emperor’s growing rage, Clara felt a chill run down her spine.

She knew if she didn’t say something now, it would all spiral out of control.

“I-It’s true!”

Clara cried out desperately, crawling forward on her knees and thrusting something out.

“Here’s the proof! The magic stone Your Majesty lost…the Grand Duke’s daughter stole it…!”

 

***

 

‘Got her.’

Seeing the Emperor flinch at the sight of the magic stone Clara held out, I clenched my fist behind my back.

Originally, I had planned to enter the palace through Nicholas.

But things had gone better than expected.

‘If it’s thanks to anyone, it’s thanks to Clara.’

Though it’s regrettable that it was a slander rooted in malice.

Clara, who had quickly handed over the magic stone, looked at the emperor with startled eyes. Seeing him inspect it, she seemed hopeful that the situation would now turn in her favor.

But only for a moment.

“This is not mine.”

“Th-That can’t be…”

“Surely you don’t think I wouldn’t recognize my own possession. It’s astonishingly similar, but this is definitely not my magic stone.”

Both Clara and I were surprised at the emperor’s firm declaration.

I had assumed the misunderstanding would soon be cleared up, since the real magic stone should still be safe in the treasury. I didn’t expect the emperor to recognize it immediately, without even checking.

‘He did say it was precious to him…’

He must have cherished it for nearly a decade to be able to distinguish it so instantly.

‘I’d asked Lucio to find a gem most similar to the one the emperor bought.’

Lucio had been so thorough that he found a gem from the same mine, mined in the same period, even crafted by the same artisan.

Even while making the magic stone, I couldn’t tell the difference myself. That the emperor could—was simply astonishing.

Then the emperor looked at me, eyes silently asking for an explanation.

I responded as though I had been waiting for that moment.

“The truth is, after Your Majesty showed me the magic stone, I searched for a similar item. It was difficult to find, as it had been briefly circulated in the Empire long ago, but I was lucky.”

“Indeed. I, too, acquired many similar ones, but never one of this size or quality.”

As he spoke, the emperor’s gaze on my magic stone was filled with obvious desire.

Seeing that, I murmured with a deliberately downcast look.

“I was only thinking of how delighted Your Majesty would be if I offered it as a gift, and now… this happens…”

“Hmm?”

“In fact, it was something I prepared to present to Your Majesty.”

“What? You, Grand Princess, for me? How could you think of such a thing!”

The emperor seemed more touched by the fact that I had prepared something for him than by the idea of owning the magic stone itself.

Though I felt awkward at his expression, I held it in and smiled calmly.

“Compared to the grace Your Majesty has shown me since my arrival in the Empire, this is nothing.”

Just then, Nicholas, who had been observing from the side, muttered softly.

“She did say she had something to present to His Majesty…”

“Is that so?”

“Yes, when we visited the Marquis’s residence a moment ago, the Grand Princess requested to enter the palace, saying she had something for Your Majesty.”

Thanks to Nicholas’s timely interjection, the emperor’s expression grew even more moved.

At that moment…

“Th-This makes no sense…”

Clara muttered in disbelief, her face pale as she struggled to comprehend what was happening.

Seeing that, I didn’t miss the opportunity and spoke.

“Therefore, Your Majesty, I humbly ask that you clear me of this false accusation.”

“Did I not already declare this is not mine? Is that not enough?”

“There are surely those who believe that Your Majesty is protecting me by refusing to reveal the truth.”

As if to say that even the person standing right next to me clearly didn’t accept the truth, I glanced at Clara.

The emperor’s expression turned grim.

“Are you saying you doubt the emperor’s word?”

At his thunderous voice, Clara quickly lowered her body in fear.

Yet she didn’t offer any excuse.

Whether it was because she truly harbored doubt, or simply because she was too afraid to speak, I couldn’t be sure. Still, I bowed my head and said,

“Then please, Your Majesty, go to the treasury and confirm it directly. Once it is shown that Your Majesty’s magic stone is untouched, my innocence will be proven for all to see.”