The Emperor collapsed after declaring his abdication to the Crown Prince. The only people who heard this declaration were the Grand Duke and Grand Duchess of Lusenford and the Crown Prince.
The Regency Council began the abdication process after discussion. The Emperor had shown signs of poor health since the Crown Prince’s engagement ceremony, so it wasn’t particularly strange. Everything would proceed peacefully under the Regency Council’s direction.
The arrest of Beatrice Ravalley in the Emperor’s bedroom and her handover to Inspector Isidore Dakiten had become a minor incident now. No, for the sake of honor, it had to be made minor.
“Don’t reveal where she was arrested.”
This was something Duke Ostein, who now temporarily bore the responsibility of the entire nation, could not tolerate with his strict character.
As if the abdication wasn’t enough trouble, Beatrice Ravalley – whether brought by the Crown Prince or ordered by the Emperor – being arrested in the Emperor’s bedroom! This was a scandal!
“This must not leak out.”
“If it’s not mentioned, no one will show interest, Your Grace.”
Peon nodded solemnly to his father-in-law.
“No. She’s too famous – journalists will certainly latch onto this.”
The Craine social circle had a malicious side, wanting to see how terribly Beatrice Ravalley had shattered after falling from the very top.
It seemed she was receiving even more attention now than when she reigned as queen of society.
Above all, Beatrice Ravalley was one of the suspects in her father’s murder.
How sensational – the woman who reigned as queen of society went bankrupt, then committed the horrific act of patricide in collusion with her mother!
People were even more excited by the fact that she was a woman, and that women had conspired to kill a man. Duke Ostein knew public opinion very well.
“Moreover, I heard she was injured during her arrest. That will also make headlines.”
Ah, you mean that broken hand? What’s the big deal? Peon laughed coldly.
“She got that way because she hit herself while trying to harm Kaela.”
Duke Ostein had already received that report. Even amid all this chaos, he had thoroughly checked on his daughter to see if she was injured or alright.
But does one’s right hand get completely shattered from hitting oneself wrong? Duke Ostein looked at Peon somewhat strangely, but his son-in-law, who had become even smoother than when he got married, quickly brought up a more serious issue.
“It will be buried under the abdication.”
“Yes, the abdication…”
Duke Ostein nodded slowly while tapping his desk.
“So it has come to this.”
Peon silently took the hand of Kaela, who sat beside her father.
“What do you plan to do now?”
Peon, clearly classified as part of the Empress’s faction, would face tremendous opposition from the Crown Prince who was about to become Emperor. While Duke Ostein, as the Emperor’s brother, might manage, he was very concerned about his daughter’s wellbeing.
“That…”
“Your Grace, about the abdication procedure! Please look at this!”
Duke Ostein would be extremely busy from now until the coronation ceremony. People called for him from all directions. Peon quickly said:
“I’ll speak with you about it separately.”
“Don’t stop searching for Her Majesty the Empress. We must definitely bring her back.”
As he was getting up to leave, he grabbed his son-in-law and said firmly.
“Thank you.”
“We’ll talk about this matter later.”
“Yes.”
This family was all extremely busy. With the Emperor completely rigid and immobile, the Chief Chamberlain had to attend to that, while the Crown Prince had fainted while sitting in his own urine, being of no help.
In the end, Duke Ostein took command, while Peon had to significantly strengthen security in case of any military provocations during this chaotic time. Kaela had to prepare the entire coronation ceremony in discussion with various ministers.
“Excuse me, Your Highness. I’m terribly sorry, but I need to ask something directly.”
By this point, the Minister of Internal Affairs, with bloodshot eyes and dark circles underneath, brought the Imperial Chief Secretary and cornered Kaela.
“Where exactly is the Marchioness of Schroz?”
“Ah, I hear she’s quite ill right now.”
Kaela answered calmly, blinking her eyes.
“This is terrible. The Marchioness of Schroz has many duties for the Crown Prince’s coronation. And will His Majesty keep her just as a Marchioness?”
Shouldn’t there have been some effort to strengthen legitimacy for her son who’s about to ascend?
Now even the Minister of Justice came chasing after Kaela. He was one of the three people who heard the Emperor’s declaration of abdication to the Crown Prince.
“That will be difficult to discuss.”
“The coronation is imminent – we need to resolve this first. How can we not discuss it?”
Distinguished guests from various countries would soon pour in. The guest list needed to be filled with luxurious names – kings and queens, crown princesses or crown princes would be crucial, while princes and princesses would be so common they’d be tripping over them.
Then, the new emperor’s mother couldn’t remain merely a concubine—at the very least, she needed a title, even that of a duchess. The Emperor would know best how important this matter was among royalty and nobility – how could he have left it this way?
“That has become somewhat problematic.”
The answer came from the Grand Duke of Lusenford.
“I actually checked on this matter, and the Marchioness of Schroz has gone for treatment due to mental health issues.”
Ah, so that’s how they handled it. Though this was the first time Kaela had heard her husband say this, she smoothly continued:
“It seems she won’t be able to attend the coronation.”
Oh dear. The Minister of Internal Affairs, Minister of Justice, and Imperial Chief Secretary gaped.
“Good heavens…”
Mental health issues. The signs had been ominous since the engagement ceremony, and now the Emperor has collapsed, and a Crown Prince with a mentally ill mother is ascending to the throne.
Those who already knew about the burnt magic tool room and the missing Empress remained silent for a while.
Though no one said it out loud, the Imperial family was suddenly crumbling.
Keruzhan, which ended up sending a new Empress rather than a Crown Princess, would likely take more action, and the military base discovered due to the Crown Prince’s slip of tongue remained a spark for conflict.
“…We must do our best among ourselves.”
What has happened to this country? No, perhaps it started when the Emperor kept having illegitimate children while having no offspring from the Empress. Or was it before that?
The Minister of Internal Affairs had seen the Empress’s handsome son. If the Grand Duke of Lusenford had been Crown Prince, everyone would have worked hard on the coronation ceremony even in this situation, expecting a brighter future.
“Yes. Let’s do our best.”
The Grand Duke of Lusenford spoke very reassuringly with a smile as bright as his abilities.
****
Beatrice Ravalley was arrested by Inspector Isidore Dakiten and imprisoned. Of course, the prison had a name too. Central Prison Special Cell 4.
But to Beatrice, it was just a dirty, cold underground. Rats scurried about, and it was damp, filthy, and foul-smelling – no place for a person to be. There, she was nothing but a mere prisoner.
All her jewelry, weapons, and poisons were confiscated. Even when she asked for a doctor, they ignored her, and the guards who might be susceptible to sorcery were kept far away. No matter how capable a sorceress she was, she couldn’t tear apart iron bars with bare hands.
“Ah, it hurts so much…”
Even when she cried pitifully, dropping tears one by one, no one showed any sympathy.
Beatrice finally sat down, trembling and turning pale. Nothing worked, and she couldn’t know what was happening outside. What happened? Why did things turn out this way?
She cried and finally caught her ragged breath. The ground beneath her feet felt shaky. No matter how she tried to maintain balance, what had been shaking would split open and fall. No, it had already fallen.
‘The dragon has awakened, what do I do…’
The Emperor had said to bind him well. To bind him so he could never open his eyes and use him for life.
At first, she had expectations because he was called a dragon, but after binding him, he seemed like an unremarkable boy, and she lost interest. So she just left him be. Peon was ‘naturally’ supposed to be her servant enslaved to her.
Beatrice tried to somehow organize her confused thoughts. Prophecy, taboo, memories, everything was mixed up.
Her twisted right hand hurt terribly and this place was too cold. Her hand seems completely broken and crushed – what should she do? What if the cut gets infected?
‘Why are you doing this to me! What did I do! They just want to live well themselves? I just tried not to get hurt too! What did I do wrong!’
“Feels unfair?”
Startled by the voice that accurately read her thoughts right beside her, Beatrice jumped.
The black-clad man standing outside the iron bars was enormously tall. Dressed perfectly befitting a Grand Duke, Peon’s presence had deepened.
No, to Beatrice who knew his true identity, he appeared as an evil being disguised as a human. The Crown Prince probably sees Peon the same way.
People would shudder watching everyone being enchanted by that disguised beauty. While shuddering, they would also try not to be enchanted themselves. The dragon that the Emperor so longed for and envied was such a being.
“You came earlier than expected?”
Beatrice’s eyes gleamed as she clung to the iron bars. Her legs wobbled. If she bumps wrong, her broken hand hurts. She craned her neck. She didn’t know when she had started looking up at Peon like this. He was up there.
“Had to come quickly.”
“I knew you’d want to see me.”
Beatrice laughed. It was a laugh filled with spite.
“How could you forget me? You’ll never forget me for life.”
“If it were a human life, yes.”
This is frightening. When a man who has reached the pinnacle of both beauty and masculinity shows his inhuman side, it’s chilling.
“You’re not even worth 100 years in my life.”
He, who was expected to live an enormous span of time, looked at Beatrice trapped in the dirty prison without any emotion.
If his attitude had been appreciative, she would have scorned him as just another man, but what kind of gaze was this?
He looked at Beatrice like looking at a trapped beast. She gritted her teeth, having always tried to draw trust, friendship, and affection from those violet eyes.
“Still, I’m glad you came.”
Beatrice knew Peon well. No, she thought she knew him. He couldn’t be free from polite courtesy, minimum mercy, and memories from childhood brainwashing or chivalry.
“I didn’t want to do this to you either. You know. His Majesty the Emperor…”
“Spare me the excuse that you had no choice because he ordered it. Even if that’s true for me, what you did to Kaela wasn’t ordered by the Emperor.”
“Wh-what did I do to her?”
“Personal attacks, pushing her into water, acting high and mighty while being nothing, and trying to kill her.”
“K-kill her? When did I ever!”
Violet eyes looked down at Beatrice. Somehow, she felt shamefully naked before him. It felt like her carefully hidden thoughts were being read completely. No way. There’s no way.
“Ah, you also searched Kaela’s bedroom. Did you try on the ring? You managed to resist stealing it. I guess you had enough intelligence to know you’d be caught.”
Peon chuckled. Then instantly looked down at her with a cold face. As the smile vanished from his face, Beatrice heard an ominous sound. With a crack, her left ankle twisted strangely.
“Ah, aagh!”
A belated scream burst out. Peon bent down to look at Beatrice, who had completely collapsed and could barely breathe from the tremendous pain.
“What are you doing! If you’re going to kill me!”
Beatrice’s screams echoed through the empty prison.
“You should have killed me already!”
“Who said anything about killing you?”
I never said that. As his proud head tilted crookedly, Beatrice felt a chill and shut her mouth. Agonizing pain kept stabbing at her.
“I was going to break more bones before sending you here, but I couldn’t show such an ugly sight in front of Kaela.”
So he came today to break more bones.
“Let’s start with the charge of killing one’s own family member.”
Beatrice looked up at Peon, sweating profusely and groaning.
“Should a knight treat a lady like this?”
Peon laughed at those words.
“Yes. Keep thinking that way. Keep believing you’re still a lady, and build up even more hope that you have. Dream more, desire all you want. You’re greedy after all.”
Somehow those words sounded very ominous. Her expression immediately changed as she gripped the iron bars and shouted.
“Am I going to die here? Huh? Is it execution?”
“Well, it wouldn’t hurt to experience it. But killing your father isn’t your only crime.”
It hurts too much. She should have fainted a hundred times, but instead her mind kept getting clearer.
“Pay properly for your crimes. I don’t know when it will end since you have too many crimes.”
“I-I’ve lost everything! Everything! Isn’t that enough? How can you!”
“What have you lost? You still have the strength to shout, feel wronged, get angry, and a body that’s still breathing. Shame your attached head is empty.”
Over Peon’s handsome face, a completely different face was overlaid like a mask. That face too was familiar.
Beatrice’s eyes widened as she stopped her rough breathing. It was clearly Peon, but the face floating above was different. Different, yet ultimately Peon.
“Pay your remaining debt with your life. Though I’m not sure if you can pay it all.”
She wasn’t sure if the pain took precedence, or if it was the fear she finally felt. Beatrice looked at the two faces merged into one and finally admitted it. He was not the Peon she knew.
“What, what did I do?”
But she still didn’t understand what she had done.
“When did I ever try to kill that bi-”
Blood suddenly dripped from Beatrice’s mouth as she spoke. Several teeth that had been instantly pulled out rolled around in her mouth.
“Hu, huuung!”
She spat blood and grabbed her jaw, but it happened to be with her broken hand, causing her to scream again.
“You should watch your mouth.”
The Light Dragon muttered in the darkness.
“Your debt keeps increasing, when are you going to pay it all?”
Beatrice, unable to receive proper treatment in the dirty prison, would have her hands and feet heal twisted like this. If it gets infected, that wouldn’t be bad either. Peon watched the stupid debtor who kept increasing her debt even now.
Indeed, this terrible work of settling debts was not something to show his lady-like wife.
