Gael Zahard did not take long to arrive on Lienster Avenue.
Under the watchful eyes of Aiden and the elders, the questioning directed at Gael Zahard continued.
“Who is the person behind you aiding this matter?”
At that moment, Gael’s eerily glistening gaze turned towards Erin.
The corners of his mouth unpleasantly curled up, and he slowly opened his mouth.
“Now that it has come to this, there’s no helping it. I will tell you everything exactly as it is.”
Gael, as if resigned, opened his mouth willingly.
“The one who helped me escape is here among us.”
His words caused a stir among those present.
“Who might that be?”
Elder Diarn stepped forward to ask the question.
It was as Erin sensed something odd about the situation, as she saw him unreservedly moving forward, that Gael Zahard said something entirely unexpected.
“That person is… my sister, Lady Erin Lienster, the Duchess.”
“…!”
The faces of Erin and the employees present were colored with shock.
“What are you talking about?”
On the other hand, the elders raised the corners of their mouths peculiarly with surprised expressions and led on to the next statement.
“This whole thing was a farce committed by my sister to take complete control of the Lienster family.”
What is he babbling about!
Erin was furious. She wanted to grab him by the collar and scream at him to speak clearly.
But his mouth was still moving.
“Erin said so. That if she could control the Lienster family, the glory would be as good as mine too.”
“……”
“So I did as I was told. In the end, I was just used and thrown away.”
It was all nonsense from start to finish. There wasn’t a single truth in what he had spewed.
Everything that came out of Gael Zahard’s mouth was nonsensical.
Erin’s eyes twitched with a spasm. She could not control the rage boiling up inside her.
Ultimately, what mattered was not whether his words were true or not.
The fact was that he spouted nonsense, and there were elders who wanted to turn those words into truth.
“Originally, such a sloppy conspiracy would only merit being dismissed with a light sneer.”
Erin’s face twisted imperceptibly.
But now was different.
Without Aiden’s memory, Gael Zahard’s false confession held power.
Erin’s gaze turned toward Aiden.
She couldn’t help but want to check what he was thinking, fearful as she was.
“……”
Aiden’s face showed no emotion.
He just looked at Gael Zahard with an expressionless face.
Gael continued to speak as though he had nothing left to hide.
“Anyway, now that it has come to this, what is the point of hiding anything more?”
But Erin saw it clearly.
All the while he spoke, Gael had a vile smile on his face.
His eyes, filled with malice, were fixed on Erin.
“Erin. Just give up now.”
He looked completely filled with the single-minded intent to drag Erin down into the mire.
He chose to self-destruct with Erin at the last moment.
A subtle madness rippled through Gael’s eyes.
Looking into those eyes, Erin immediately realized that the whole situation was orchestrated.
The elders’ composed, yet confident demeanor only made her more certain.
‘When did they have time to coordinate with the elders?’
Perhaps they had anticipated and arranged for this situation right from the beginning.
However, Erin’s realization solved nothing.
The slander against her had already been crafted.
What the elders were attempting to do now was to completely isolate Erin from Aiden and Lienster.
Even if Aiden’s memory returned, it would be too late.
Seizing the opportunity, the elders held Erin accountable for Aiden.
“This is no trivial matter.”
“Have you been pretending to be loyal to the Duke while harboring such schemes behind his back?”
The elders were pressing Erin on the assumption that everything Gael said was the truth.
“So, even though we said we wouldn’t shield family members, behind the scenes, you helped to spirit away Gael Zahard.”
“The Duchess has clearly done this to thoroughly cover up her crimes!”
“Duke, this matter is extremely serious.”
As if they had coordinated their statements beforehand, the elders piled on their accusations, pressuring Aiden.
“This could have cost the Lienster family everything due to a single misstep.”
“The Duchess can no longer be allowed to remain within the Lienster family.”
“Right. Who knows what she might do next.”
“……”
Despite the barrage of words from the elders, Aiden remained silent.
But the elders were not willing to let this slide easily this time. They pressed for Aiden’s decision, continuing their accusations.
“A decision must be made.”
The elders shot their accusations relentlessly, aiming to exaggerate the seriousness of the situation.
This was the conspiracy they had constructed.
Anyone who knew Erin would realize how nonsensical and unfounded such conjectures were.
But what mattered wasn’t the truth or people’s beliefs.
The problem was that Aiden had no memory, and thus he could not unconditionally trust Erin.
So if all the elders spoke in unison, Aiden’s heart would naturally incline to their side.
It was an even more disadvantageous situation for Erin.
Erin needed one of two things:
Aiden’s trust.
Or, evidence that Gael Zahard’s confession was false.
But Gael would never admit that his words were a lie.
He was determined to cling to Erin and drag her down since things had come to this point.
In the end, the absurd situation intensified the all-encompassing pressure on Erin.
Erin was imagining the worst-case scenario.
If Aiden were to follow the elders’ intent here, Erin would also have to make a decisive move.
Whether to withdraw for the moment or to…
It was when Erin’s sharp gaze moved past the elders and stop at Aiden.
Erin and Aiden’s eyes met.
Aiden had been staring intently at Erin for some time.
“……”
At that moment, an indescribable emotion swept through Erin’s heart.
It was impossible to know what he was thinking.
Whether he doubted and despised Erin, or if he was simply confused.
Perhaps, he might even trust Erin.
But it was likely none of those things.
Aiden’s expression was just impassive.
The Aiden she knew was not there at all.
So why.
‘Why do I keep wanting to have hope?’
A preposterous faith that Aiden wouldn’t doubt her, as the old Aiden before losing his memory, was natural, but it was a feeling she shouldn’t harbor for the Aiden of now.
Yet, Erin harbored a vain hope that his indifferent gaze held concern for her.
‘But that’s unlikely to be true.’
No one will come to her aid.
It was Erin who had to break this situation.
Just when Erin’s face was tensed and she was about to speak.
Aiden, who had been silent until now, spoke first.
“It seems rash to make a decision right now. It’s important to take some time to understand the details.”
He maintained his composure and spoke carefully.
“Don’t you realize that while we hesitate, the Duchess could be covering everything up?”
But the elders were not easily deterred.
They knew that they must not give Aiden a chance to look at Erin again.
They had to keep pushing the situation to a head.
They were resolved to settle matters here and now.
“The Duchess has deceived the Duke and schemed all this while. Given time, who knows what other tricks she might concoct.”
“This could shake not only the Duke but the whole of Lienster. What exactly are you hesitating over?”
“Sometimes, a decisive decision must be made.”
Elder Diarn spoke as if he was teaching Aiden a lesson.
Erin’s displeasure was palpable as she glared at him for brazenly taking advantage of Aiden’s memory loss to undermine him.
However, Aiden simply nodded lightly, accepting Elder Diarn’s words with apparent humility.
Erin’s mood was twisted inside, becoming increasingly fierce.
Aiden flashed a slight smile and then spoke.
“How about one day?”
Aiden proposed to the elders, “While not delaying is important, equally crucial is to evaluate the situation calmly, is it not?”
His argument had merit, and moreover, Aiden was expressing his will quite firmly.
Attempt to persuade here might even cast suspicion on their intentions.
“…Then, let’s wait until tomorrow.”
“I too will take a day to consider thoroughly.”
Aiden spoke politely to the elders, bringing a temporary order to the situation.
‘Is it resolved for now?’
The worst scenario Erin had envisioned was postponed till the next day.
It was uncertain how much influence this would have on the current situation.
Erin’s gaze lingered on Aiden.
But no matter how much she looked, she could not discern Aiden’s intentions.
One thing, however, was clear – the elders appeared confident as if everything was already over.
‘We will know when tomorrow comes.’
Erin’s eyes narrowed as she watched the elders.
