Chapter 127
‘It seems unlikely that you will be able to have an audience with His Majesty today. Please return tomorrow.’
Ian had to leave the Emperor’s palace empty-handed after being turned away.
The guards and the Emperor’s attendants refused him an audience, repeating only that he should come back later.
But Ian was persistent. If it was difficult to see the Emperor today, he would try again tomorrow. If not tomorrow, then the day after. He would see the Emperor’s face no matter what.
If that didn’t work, he would seek out the Empress or the Crown Prince and ask them to help him meet the Emperor.
“Ian.”
As he entered the count’s estate, he was stopped by a voice.
Ian instinctively looked up to see Sophia walking quickly towards him.
Her expression showed she was clearly angry.
“You met with His Grace today, didn’t you?”
Sophia abruptly asked about Killian.
Already on edge from the matter, Ian frowned at her words.
Does she even know what kind of person he is?
“Yes.”
Ian suppressed his emotions and gave a curt answer.
“You know where His Grace went?”
Sophia’s tone was almost interrogative as if Ian had done something wrong.
“What’s it to you?”
“What’s it to me? I’m his fiancée!”
Fiancée of His Grace?
It was a truly repulsive and nauseating term.
“Not for long.”
“What?”
“Do you know what that bastard has been up to?”
“Don’t call him a bastard.”
“Calling him a bastard is putting it nicely.”
“Ian…!”
“Black Moon.”
Just as Sophia was about to get angry, Ian uttered the dangerous term, making her eyes tremble.
“He is Black Moon. Did you know that?”
Ian stepped closer to her, threateningly.
When he got so close that she could feel his breath, Sophia shook her head and stepped back.
“No, you’re misunderstanding.”
Sophia denied it in front of Ian.
“Misunderstanding? That’s what you’re doing.”
Ian kept approaching her as she retreated.
Seeing Sophia deny reality made his chest ache and his head hot.
“There’s evidence.”
Ian listed the reasons why Killian was Black Moon.
Black Moon’s skills, and the wounds Black Moon should have.
“I always wondered why he would let me win. Even to the point of deliberately injuring himself.”
Ian whispered lowly, brushing his red hair back.
“But it was because he was Black Moon.”
Ian grabbed Sophia’s chin as she tried to shake her head.
“You’ve been completely fooled by that bastard. A murdering maniac running around killing people.”
“No, it’s not true!”
Sophia slapped Ian’s hand away from her chin.
She glared up at Ian with fierce eyes.
“So… did you report His Grace as Black Moon?”
Her voice shook with a mix of fear, anger, and bewilderment.
Ian felt like he was going to lose his mind seeing Sophia like this.
He was furious and frustrated at her for being completely fooled by Killian’s facade and not seeing the truth.
“Yes. The truth will soon come out. The world will see what a piece of trash he really is!”
Sophia’s expression crumbled.
A wrong expression.
She should be feeling betrayal and anger now. She should cry from the betrayal of realizing what a despicable and filthy person Killian is.
But now she looked as if…
“You idiot…!”
She looked at Ian with resentment, as if he had falsely accused Killian and done something terrible.
Tears quickly welled up in Sophia’s eyes, but she did not let them fall.
“So… where did His Grace go?”
Sophia asked, struggling to maintain her composure.
“What’s it to you?”
“Tell me!”
Sophia shouted at Ian.
It was the first time she had ever raised her voice at him, and the maids in the distance turned to look at them.
The sound of the servants whispering was audible, but Sophia did not care.
“I don’t know.”
“Don’t lie!”
“I really don’t know. It’s no longer my business.”
The knights of Orhelin had taken Killian away, and Ian could no longer intervene.
Ian was already quite angry about that damned situation.
“You said you were investigating Black Moon, so why is it not your concern?”
“It’s been handed over to Orhelin.”
Sophia misunderstood him and treated him like a liar, but Ian bit his lip and continued.
“Orhelin…?”
“Yes. I’m frustrated because I want to expose that bastard’s true colours with my own hands.”
Ian said, but Sophia wasn’t listening to his story.
‘Orhelin is part of the royal knights…’
It’s also under the Empress’s grip.
That was why Beatrice had tried to bring Estelle into Orhelin. If he’s in Orhelin, she can intervene at any time.
“It’s all because of me.”
Sophia muttered, leaning against the wall.
If she hadn’t changed the future, none of this would have happened.
She didn’t know how things got so twisted, but anyway, this changed future was because of Sophia.
Sophia clenched her trembling hands.
“It must be resolved…”
For this story to have a happy ending.
‘…For my life to have a happy ending.’
“Sophia.”
When Ian tried to see if she was okay, Sophia stood up straight again and walked away as if possessed.
“Sophia!”
Ian called her, but Sophia didn’t look back.
She disappeared from his sight in an instant.
“Ugh…!”
Ian stood still, touching his forehead and exhaling heavily.
‘She’s completely lost it.’
Because Sophia, who is blind to Killian, his head felt like it was going to explode.
Why does she believe in him so blindly? He is so worried and anxious about him being involved with that guy.
“Damn it!”
He pushed away a nearby pottery in irritation.
Clang!
The pottery fell to the ground, shattering into pieces.
* * *
The next day.
“So, you’re going to stay quiet and say nothing?”
Beatrice looked at Orhelin’s knight with crossed legs.
“Yes, Your Majesty. We investigated all night but couldn’t get a word out of him.”
“…But isn’t there enough evidence?”
Should I get a confession?
When the Empress looked at the knight with cold eyes, he looked embarrassed.
“His Majesty said all current evidence is circumstantial, and without a confession, we need direct evidence…”
It was not enough to confirm him as Black Moon just from his scars and swordsmanship skills.
Moreover, since Killian’s scars overlapped with those he received from Ian during their previous match, they were not effective evidence.
There was also no clear motive for murder, and above all, his reputation was so good that it was not easy to tarnish it.
‘Revealing the motive for murder would reveal the existence of the illegitimate child to the public…’
From this perspective, revealing the motive for murder is not pleasant.
It can only be accused of being a murderous maniac obsessed with murder.
“If there’s no confession, the Duke is just one of many suspects.”
Killian would know that too. So he wouldn’t confess no matter what.
Beatrice’s lips twisted slightly as if she were puzzled.
‘Are you going to protect him like this…?’
Even without ability, having the power called Emperor is useful.
If Beatrice were the Emperor, she would have cut his throat for treason after arousing the atmosphere a little.
She resented being just an Empress.
“I understand.”
“And there’s also talk about searching the Duke’s estate…”
“Oh, searching the Duke’s estate. We should do that.”
Beatrice nodded.
Her finger tapped the edge of the table as if she had a good idea.
“Maybe we’ll find some concrete evidence there.”
“Then let’s request an audience with His Majesty immediately for search authorization…”
“No, let’s try to get a confession from the Duke by today. We can start the search tomorrow.”
Since Killian is already in custody, there’s no concern about destroying evidence.
Beatrice smiled and nodded.
At that moment.
“Your Majesty, Crown Prince Mikhail has arrived.”
A maid’s voice was heard from outside.
At that, the smile that had spread across Beatrice’s lips vanished instantly.
“Leave.”
The Empress flicked her fingers once, and Orhelin’s knight bowed and quickly left the room.
As the knight passed by, Mikhail entered the room.
Beatrice completely erased the expression she had just shown and greeted Mikhail with a tired and worried face.
“Your Majesty, I heard that Killian is being investigated as Black Moon.”
“Yes, I heard too.”
“This is absurd. Killian wouldn’t do such a thing, wouldn’t he? I know better than anyone.”
“Oh, Mikhail. My heart aches terribly too. If it’s Killian, he’ll be released soon.”
Beatrice pampered her son entirely. However, Mikhail didn’t soften his stern expression.
“I heard he was interrogated all night. They even took him to the underground prison.”
(T/L: NO way poor Kiliian……..ughhhhhhh)
Thanks for the chapter