The Mad Princess's Tale of Doom and Survival

   “What? Even if you regret it now, it’s too late. I could pretend it never happened if you kneel and beg.”

 

  “What are you talking about? I called you because of an important matter.”

 

  “Well, what is it?”

 

  “We’ll send a document from our side. It will demand compensation for all the jewelry and trinkets you’ve stolen so far.”

 

  “…What?”

 

  “You’ll have to return everything you can when you meet Lord Duke. I’ll need an enormous amount of money from now on.”

 

  “W-What…”

 

  “They say bankrupt nobles aren’t even treated as commoners anymore. I don’t know how much you’ll need to maintain your status as a viscount’s wife, but do your best.”

 

“…”

 

  “Oh, by the way. If you have time, could you also inform Vivian? She’ll receive the same document.”

 

  Mrs. Herot choked on her breath.

 

  She clung to Astel’s leg, swaying as if dizzy.

 

  “Wait, wait a moment, My Lady! Are you accusing me of theft?”

 

  “Oh, don’t you know? If you’re innocent, there’s nothing to worry about. At that time, you can also claim compensation for false accusations.”

 

  “Oh, no! You misunderstand! How could I, a noble, do such a thing? It’s those items! They’re the ones! I swear I never laid a hand on any of your belongings! Please, believe me!”

 

  “Ah, you’re really being bothersome. You teach that causing annoyance to others is a bad thing, yet here you are doing it yourself. No wonder everyone dislikes you.”

 

  “…”

 

  I returned Astel’s repertoire to Mrs. Herot in full and lightly flicked her leg.

 

  It was just a gentle tap, but Mrs. Herot staggered backward and collapsed.

 

  Pointing at Mrs. Herot, I gave an order to Genia.

 

  “From now on, this person is banned from entering the mansion…”

 

  “Ah, no!”

 

  Before I could finish my sentence, Mrs. Herot screamed and abruptly stood up.

 

  “No, it can’t be like this! How did I end up here? How did I raise you all this time?”

 

  Mrs. Herot stumbled forward, tightly gripping a slender dagger intended for self-defense.

 

  Perhaps due to the effects of the potion, she couldn’t distinguish her target and attacked indiscriminately. The blade was aimed not at me, but at Genia.

 

  “What a mess.”

 

  I pulled Genia back and swiftly caught the blade.

 

  I tried to wrest the knife away from her, but Mrs. Herot’s resistance was formidable.

 

  “I’ll kill you!”

 

  In her desperate struggle, the sharp edge grazed my palm and swiftly drew blood.

 

  “Ugh!”

 

  Blood trickled onto the luxurious carpet.

 

  As Genia fell to the ground, she looked at my hand and let out a scream.

 

  “Oh my goodness! My Lady!”

 

  In response to the commotion, the doors of the parlor swung open, and Frank and the servants rushed in.

 

  “M-Mrs. Herot? What are you doing?!”

 

  “Are you all just going to stand there and watch? Hurry up and do something!”

 

  Even though three of them tried to restrain her, they couldn’t overpower Mrs. Herot.

 

  No matter how much of a lady she was, facing her raging like a mad bull, there was no way to handle her.

 

  “Let go of this! Can’t you release it immediately? How dare you lay a hand on me! I am the Baroness! Do you understand what that means?!”

 

  “Madam! Please refrain from this!”

 

  Several more employees joined in.

 

  Shouts, screams, and the sound of furniture being overturned filled the once serene mansion.

 

  As a result, Duke Luteous also arrived.

 

  “What is this commotion?”

 

  At the thunderous voice, everyone froze in their tracks.

 

  The gaze of Duke Luteous paused on the knife held by Mrs. Herot and then shifted to my hand.

 

“…”

 

  The atmosphere surrounding Duke Luteous became chillingly cold.

 

  Even Mrs. Herot, who had lost her mind, was intimidated to the point of trembling.

 

  Taking advantage of her temporary calmness, the employees quickly seized Mrs. Herot.

 

  “Madam, please, calm down and go quietly.”

 

  “Evil! Let go of this! How dare you, a commoner, lay your hands on a noble?”

 

   “Just a moment.”

 

  The resolute voice of Duke Luteous made the servants pause in their tracks.

 

  Duke Luteous approached Mrs. Herot, whose arms were firmly held.

 

  In response, Mrs. Herot began sobbing and started to complain.

 

  “Your Grace, I feel so unjustly treated. After dedicating my whole life to serving you, to be accused and cast aside in an instant.”

 

  “Astel, what happened?”

 

  Duke Luteous asked me about the situation.

 

  ‘I expected him to ask Mrs. Herot…’

 

  While I hesitated, Mrs. Herot interjected abruptly.

 

  “M-My Lady suddenly attempted self-harm! She tried to pin it on me! I merely took the weapon away from her!”

 

  ‘Oh, clever.’

 

  It was a fairly plausible excuse. They believed that Astel had gone mad.

 

  To them, Astel’s fear of people and panic attacks probably appeared normal.

 

  So, even though Mrs. Herot’s words were nonsensical, I could understand why she was influenced by them.

 

  However, the sound that came out of Duke Luteous’ mouth was unexpected.

 

“Astel is not naive enough to have her weapon taken away by someone.”

 

“…!”

 

  Did he see through it because he was a sword master?

 

  Honestly, I was astonished. I didn’t want to admit it, but it was slightly disheartening as well.

 

  Duke Luteous asked again. It was a question that no one had expected.

 

  “Astel, did this woman steal your belongings?”

 

  “Yes.”

 

  “Has she ever subjected you to violence?”

 

  In an instant, he assessed the situation and deduced even the past?

 

  ‘Quite sharp. I acknowledge him as a swordmaster.’

 

  But why hadn’t he done anything until now?

 

  If he had shown a little more interest, Astel wouldn’t have reached such a state.

 

  I shrugged my shoulders.

 

  “It would be faster to count the days when she didn’t do it, wouldn’t it?”

 

  Verbal violence is still violence. Perhaps even more harmful than physical violence.

 

  “Oh, no! That’s all a lie! My Lady isn’t in her right mind at the moment, so she’s just talking nonsense!”

 

  That was the moment.

 

  Duke Luteous swiftly took the knife from Mrs. Herot’s hand and aimed it at her throat. The sharp tip was just about to pierce her neck.

 

  A single drop of blood trickled down from her flesh.

 

  “Your Grace…”

 

  “What did I tell you? Didn’t I entrust my daughter to you? Didn’t I promise to fulfill any request if you take good care of Astel? But not only did you dare to steal my daughter’s jewelry and resort to violence, now you even draw a sword? Do you want to die?”

 

  “P-Please, spare me…”

 

  “But is that not enough? Are you even trying to threaten my daughter’s life? Do you think the status of a noble means anything to me? It’s amusing to think that the Baroness has any authority.”

 

  “…”

 

 N”Frank, immediately take this woman away and cut off all financial support to the Herot family. Retrieve the funds that were lent.”

 

  “Yes, Your Grace!”

 

  The servants dragged Mrs. Herot out.

 

  Her pitiful words, coming from a woman who was once revered no matter what she did for raising the deranged lady, meant nothing to me.

 

  I felt neither joy nor sadness.

 

  It was just distressing to think that Astel had suffered because of such a person.

 

  And then, it happened.

 

  Thud. A dull sound resonated.

 

  It was the sound of the knife falling from the Duke’s hand.

 

  All eyes converged on his trembling hand.

 

  “Hoo…”

 

  Duke Luteous clenched his fist tightly, his knuckles turning white.

 

  Since Marcella’s death, he couldn’t hold any weapon, including a sword.

 

  It was the price he paid for leaving his beloved wife behind while he killed people on the battlefield.

 

  Duke Luteous stared at my bloody hand for a moment, then abruptly left the reception room.

 

  The chaotic reception room became calm, like after a passing typhoon.

 

  Frank, who had been breathless, finally let out a long sigh and wrapped a bandage around my hand.

 

  “I’ll call for a healer. Until then, please don’t remove the bandage.”

 

  “I’ll ask for a knight to treat me.”

 

  “Knights are not healers, they are not skilled in medical treatments.”

 

  “I know.”

 

  “Oh?”

 

  Without saying a word, I twitched my shoulder and grabbed Genia’s arm.

 

  Genia looked at me with a blank expression on her face.

 

  “Does My Lady always have to come to my rescue?”

 

  “…When did I?”

 

  “You did it last time too. When there was a carriage accident.”

 

  “I must have been in a rush like now.”

 

  “I wasn’t the one blocking My Lady’s path, was I?”

 

“….”

 

  Fortunately, at that moment, a maid came to inform us of the arrival of the knight.

 

  I quickly turned around. I could feel Genia’s gaze from behind, but I didn’t look back.