Chapter 56
Chapter 56
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 56
Chapter Title: The Duke Emerges
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“Nathan.”
“Why are you out here?”
Since Bella collapsed, Nathan had refused all food and drink, and he looked noticeably thinner than before.
The rumors that he cried himself to sleep every night seemed more than just talk—his swollen red eyes were pitiful to behold.
“And you? What are you doing here at this hour?”
“I was lost in thought and wandering aimlessly when I spotted you, Brother, so I came over.”
“……Right.”
“You’ve been struggling lately, haven’t you.”
“……”
“Lizbet… she adored her sister so much. No one hoped more than her for her sick sister to rise from her sickbed.”
“……”
“I believe in Lizbet. If it’s a misunderstanding, the truth will come out eventually. So please, Brother, hold yourself together.”
“Yeah.”
Lark smiled weakly and stood facing Nathan.
“If it’s a misunderstanding like you say, the truth will come out someday.”
Lark gripped Nathan’s thin shoulder and bowed his head slightly. His lips moved close to Nathan’s ear.
“Nathan.”
“……”
“It’s best to only accumulate as much karma as you can bear. That’s one of the few truths I’ve learned in my short life, though it hasn’t been that long.”
Lark lifted his head and looked down at Nathan indifferently before walking past him.
Nathan tilted his head at the cryptic words, staring at Lark’s retreating figure for a long while.
Only when that figure shrank to a mere dot and vanished completely.
“Keuk.”
Nathan swallowed a laugh, brushing off his shoulder where Lark had touched it.
“……What the fuck is that bastard on about.”
His expression had flipped completely—no one would imagine this was the fragile little brother from moments ago.
A voice thick with malice echoed into the dry air.
“Your precious little sister’s about to be exiled to an island for life and rot away. Bet your face at the trial will be priceless. Heh heh…”
Nathan’s giggling face soon hardened as he spat out his words.
“Fucking unlucky bastard.”
* * *
Two days later.
The day of the noble council discussing the punishment for 5th Princess Lizbet ahead of her trial.
This meeting, already held eight times, had seen perfect attendance from thirty-one of the thirty-two high nobles of the capital affiliated with the council.
One absence might seem odd, but no one raised questions.
Because it was that kind of person.
Diorus 8th. Duke Leonard Diorus.
“Father, this is the final meeting before the one that decides 5th Princess Lizbet’s punishment.”
Viego had come to Leonard’s room early in the morning to persuade him.
“Her deposition is a done deal, and the debate over exile to Baden Island is in full swing.”
“……”
Exile to Baden Island.
This was a lifetime banishment to the remote island of ‘Baden’ in the southwest of the Decarn Sea, the empire’s territorial waters—a punishment second only to execution for offending imperial royals.
Those sent there spent their entire lives on the island, cut off from all outside contact.
There was only one way they returned: as corpses, after death, for funeral rites.
“Please attend today’s meeting and cast even one vote against the exile.”
“Do you think my opposition would actually stop the exile?”
“You know your vote isn’t just any vote. If you show up, the nobles who favored exile will waver.”
“We’ll see.”
Leonard responded with uninterested eyes, merely flipping the pages of the book he was reading.
Viego bit his lip.
“5th Princess Lizbet is only thirteen. She didn’t slander 1st Princess with any ulterior motive.”
“……”
“Someone must have manipulated Lizbet to threaten 1st Princess’s life. The intent is obvious.”
“Sure, whatever. Probably to tarnish the Crown Prince.”
“Yes. Everyone assumes that’s the situation.”
“So what?”
Leonard narrowed his eyes and added,
“The Decard Imperial Family is a battlefield where succession fights are as brutal as any war. Dozens of royals vie for the throne.”
“……”
“Framings like this are nothing new. The Crown Prince probably sees it as his fate.”
“Father!”
Raising his voice, Viego closed his eyes and took a breath before speaking.
“The nobles favoring exile suspect Lizbet’s innocence but argue that since she unintentionally harmed 1st Princess directly, it can’t be overlooked easily.”
“That’s not wrong. Mistake or not, she bears responsibility. If you act like an idiot on a stage no different from a warzone without even a sword, you pay the price.”
“Lizbet is young. Around Rubette’s age, or the twins’.”
“Youth isn’t a get-out-of-jail-free card.”
“Father!”
Unable to hold back, Viego shouted.
“Father, why are you so devoid of humanity?”
“What?”
“Imagine Rubette or Lillia, Riki! Wrongly exiled for life!”
“Viego Diorus.”
“Yes!”
Leonard slammed the book shut, crossed his arms, and stared straight at the agitated Viego.
“Worry about your own sister.”
“……Pardon?”
“If you have time to jump into pity for someone else’s kid, focus on Rubette.”
Viego froze.
Seeing his son’s troubled expression, Leonard let out a sharp sigh.
He soon turned his gaze away and said,
“I know I’m a father too ashamed to face you. I know I have no right to blame you for failing to look after Rubette.”
“……”
Viego lowered his head.
“……No. It’s my own failing.”
“……”
Father and son fell silent.
A long time passed with their thoughts weighing heavy, until Viego finally rose.
“I understand your stance, Father. I’ll take my leave.”
“……”
That was when it happened.
Knock knock.
Someone knocked on the door.
“Appa, it’s me.”
“Come in.”
Leonard answered Rubette’s voice immediately.
Rubette peeked in through the half-open door and froze upon seeing Viego about to leave.
For a few seconds, their awkward gazes met in the air.
Viego averted his eyes first and moved to exit, but Rubette grabbed him.
“Oppa, where are you going?”
“Huh?”
Caught off guard by Rubette speaking first, Viego fumbled his response.
“I’m heading out to prepare for the noble council at the imperial palace this afternoon. It’s about discussing 5th Princess Lizbet’s punishment.”
“Oh, I see. I came to talk to Father, but Oppa, please stay and listen too.”
“……?”
Viego looked puzzled and glanced at Leonard.
Rubette met Leonard’s raised eyebrow and cleared her throat with a hem-hem.
“Appa.”
“What.”
With an awkward smile, Rubette said,
“I… caused a scene.”
* * *
Imperial Grand Conference Hall.
Five minutes before the 2 p.m. start, nobles were filling the empty seats one by one.
Crown Prince Lark, seated at the head, fiddled endlessly with the image stone in his hand—the one containing Rubette’s perjured testimony video.
“Please reveal my video at the ninth meeting in two days.”
Lark neither nodded nor shook his head at her request.
Even today, the day of the ninth meeting, he was still hesitating.
‘It’s surprising and shameful that I’m even agonizing over this.’
Lark scoffed self-deprecatingly.
He’d already received more than enough help from Rubette. It tormented him to burden her further, yet he couldn’t help hesitating—such shamelessness on his part.
‘Lizbet…’
Over Rubette’s face, the image of his innocent little sister overlapped.
If Lizbet was guilty of anything, it was only being the sister he cherished. That single reason had led to this framing.
“……”
After long deliberation, Lark slipped the image stone deep into his jacket pocket.
That was when it happened.
Creak—.
Bang.
Crash, thud.
Marquis Rosel, one of the council nobles, burst through the conference hall doors in a fluster.
Everyone frowned in shock at his undignified, reckless entrance.
“M-Marquis Rosel? What’s with this frivolity?”
Raizer Duke scolded as Marquis Rosel plopped into the seat beside him, glancing warily at Lark.
“R-Raizer Duke. O-Outside, th-there’s some-someone—”
“Listen, Marquis!”
Raizer Duke pressed a finger to his lips and whispered.
“Why are you stammering so disgracefully? Calm down and lower your voice. His Highness the Crown Prince is here—what is this….”
“This isn’t a situation to stay calm!”
“No, what—”
Thud thud.
Everyone fell silent as Lark banged the table to call for attention.
Exactly 2 p.m.
The signal that the meeting was beginning.
Lark glanced at the two empty seats immediately to the left of the head seat and muttered.
“Young Duke Diorus isn’t attending today, it seems.”
“No, Your Highness.”
Marquis Rosel quickly replied.
“He’s coming. I saw him.”
“Oh?”
“But he’s not alone—”
Bang!
At that moment.
The conference hall doors, which had been closed, flew open rather roughly.
Lark’s eyes widened at the face directly in view from the head seat.
“Gasp!”
“Oh…….”
The hall buzzed simultaneously as nobles doubted their eyes.
The one who entered the conference hall with a beastly glint in his eyes was none other than
Duke Diorus.
His first appearance in over a decade.