Chapter 58
Chapter 58
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 58
Chapter Title: A Needless Apology
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“Why are you like this?”
“...Sorry.”
“Huh?”
Lark muttered in a pained voice.
“Sorry. To lock you away in a place like this when you’ve done nothing wrong.”
“...?”
For a moment, I was so baffled that I scanned the room with a dumbfounded look.
The interior was as luxurious as my own bedroom, which nearly made me burst out laughing.
“Anyone hearing you would think I’d been thrown in some underground dungeon. I actually love it here. And luckily, it’s the Non-Contractor Tower too.”
“...”
“Tell me about the meeting today. Am I getting some harsh punishment? My limbs will stay intact, right?”
“Enough nonsense.”
Lark frowned at my concerns, then sighed and sat down beside me.
“The situation isn’t too bad. Since the sorcerer’s existence is now confirmed, his disappearance is actually a blessing. It means he’s gone into hiding because he’s got something to hide.”
“That’s a relief. What about the princess?”
“Just as the duchess wanted.”
Lark gave a weak, bitter smile as he looked at me and added,
“She’ll probably avoid deposition. Over half opposed it. But the fact that she directly delivered poison to the 1st Princess is undeniable, so she’ll get house arrest in the Tower of Silence. No telling how many years.”
“Ha...”
I let out a sigh of relief. It was better than deposition, at least.
“But for the duchess...”
“...”
“Opinions are divided. Technically, she hasn’t broken any laws, so the Diorus Duke and I argued for innocence, but...”
Lark trailed off.
Seeing the immense guilt on his face, I waved my hands hurriedly and said,
“There’s just no evidence—that’s all. I did plenty of things that could be twisted against me if someone wanted to. Even if they suspect I colluded with the sorcerer and introduced him to the princess, it wouldn’t be unfounded...”
“So until the investigation wraps up and innocence is confirmed...”
Lark paused, closing his eyes with a sigh.
“You probably won’t be able to stay in the capital.”
“As expected.”
He was skirting around it, but isolation was confirmed.
‘Well, I figured I’d end up exiled to some backwater anyway.’
The key was how long I’d stay in the capital and how much time I’d waste rotting away.
“Where am I headed?”
“Not sure yet. The Diorus Duke kept pushing for one month of house arrest...”
“Huh?”
My face heated up instantly.
‘There’s a limit to pretending it’s no big deal. After causing a massive scandal, one month of house arrest? Come on.’
I could picture my overzealous dad throwing a fit in the council chamber.
“But that doesn’t serve the purpose of isolation.”
“Right.”
“Probably one of the Diorus Duke’s territories.”
“Dad’s got more than one or two.”
“At least the one closest to the capital, if the council nobles compromise well.”
“What if not? Could it be somewhere far?”
I recalled he had one down at the southern tip by the sea.
Lark looked at my crestfallen face with pity, then gave a weak smile and rested his chin on my head.
“I won’t let that happen.”
“...Please. Fishing and lighting fires by the southern sea sounds tough—I’m not used to that life.”
“What?”
Lark laughed as if he couldn’t help it.
He was smiling, but there wasn’t a shred of real energy in it.
“More than how far the isolation territory is, what worries me...”
“...”
“Is the duration.”
Lark bit his lip, hesitating before adding,
“If they catch the sorcerer quickly, we could bring you back to the capital midway, but...”
“...”
“What if they never catch him? That sorcerer.”
“Yeah, probably.”
“Right. So once the council decides your sentence, you’ll likely have to serve the full term. No early release.”
In other words, full sentence with no parole.
As I sank into gloom, Lark added,
“Lizbet’s looking at five years house arrest in the Tower of Silence.”
“Huh? Five years?”
My jaw dropped.
“That’s insane. Five years is too harsh.”
“Better than deposition by far. Even if Lizbet didn’t mean to, she definitely threatened someone’s life. The 1st Princess didn’t die, but she might as well have.”
Lark added coldly,
“Five years is something I’d have to be grateful for.”
“...”
“But don’t worry too much about yourself. I’ll... figure something out.”
Lark fell silent with a tormented expression, then murmured slowly as if confessing his sins.
“I’ve never felt this powerless before. I didn’t know it’d hurt this much to watch my people suffer because of me and be unable to do a thing.”
“It’s not Your Highness’s fault...”
Succession struggles were par for the course. It was more like the fate of being born crown prince.
“Lizbet aside, you got dragged into this filthy fight with zero reason to be involved.”
“It was all my choice.”
“I promise you.”
“Huh? Promise what?”
Lark suddenly met my eyes.
In that moment, his gaze scared me so much I flinched.
His cold eyes held an unfamiliar emotion, nothing like the warm, playful Lark I knew...
“I’ll make the ones who burdened you pay, somehow.”
It felt like anger, fighting spirit, and unyielding resolve.
“And from now on...”
“...”
“For life. Until the day you close your eyes.”
Lark gripped my hand tightly.
“No small threat will ever come to you. You won’t face danger or trouble for helping me. Never.”
“...”
“This is my vow, on my life.”
Holding my hand, Lark gently pressed his forehead to mine, as if sealing a promise.
He must think he owes me an enormous debt.
‘No need to go that far...’
But knowing Lark, telling him it was my choice a hundred times wouldn’t ease his guilt.
So I just kept a calm face and said,
“Thank you. But since I’m stuck here for two weeks, can you bring me stuff if I need it?”
“Just say the word. What do you need?”
To the eager-eyed Lark, I grinned and said,
“Well then...”
Two weeks of confinement.
No jogging, so home training it is.
“Just one mat.”
* * *
My time in the Tower of Silence was anything but boring.
The biggest reason was my eldest oppa, Viego.
Once a day, he could visit with an investigation team present, and he came every single day...
“A half apple and oatmeal porridge? They call this a meal? Not only jailing an unconvicted daughter of the Diorus Ducal House, but treating her like a beggar...!”
“V-Vice Duke Diorus, that’s not...”
“Hey, Oppa? I asked for that. It’s my weight-loss meal plan?”
Viego was insanely overprotective.
Overlooking his snapping at innocent wardens...
“Why are your eyes so puffy? I told you not to cry. It’ll be fine...”
“...? It’s just from oversleeping.”
No matter how much I insisted I was fine, he wouldn’t believe me.
Viego thought I was spending my days weeping in the tower.
“Finally gone?”
“Yeah. He’s driving me nuts, seriously.”
Remembering Viego’s hour of pointless chatter today, I shook my head.
Wishit looked exasperated too.
“But you two seem pretty close now.”
“Close? With all the eyes on us, I can’t just turn him away, so I humor him.”
“Hmm... You’ll end up forgiving your family and embracing them eventually, right? That’s what I know you want for Rubette. You go soft on her.”
Wishit smirked down at me, arms crossed, and added,
“How about loosening up now and trying to be the cute daughter and sister?”
“What? No way. Dad and Viego haven’t even paid a tenth of the penalty for neglecting poor Rubette. They want my affection? Ten years too early.”
“Hahaha...!”
We were chattering away when—
“Duchess!”
“Eek!”
The urgent voice startled me. Turning, I saw Lark at the door—I hadn’t even noticed him arrive.
“Uh... Even if I’m the prisoner here, a knock would be nice...”
“Phew, sorry.”
He raked a hand through his hair in relief and added,
“I knocked and called for five minutes with no answer—thought something happened.”
“Oops. My bad. I was chatting with Vista.”
“Ah, Vista.”
Lark nodded, eyes lighting up.
“Vista’s a rare spirit, so info’s scarce. Can it foresee the new future with the changed attendant timeline? Like the upcoming trial outcome...”
“Oh.”
I panicked for a second, then played it cool.
“That’s tough. It can only see new futures after the changed ones settle in.”
“I see. That’s a shame.”
It was a blatant lie, but thankfully Lark bought it without suspicion.
‘Lying to him is starting to prick my conscience.’
I had no choice for his sake and mine... but it still felt uncomfortable.
Especially since this incident made him fully trust me, and out of guilt, he treated me like a princess.
“Don’t worry. Everything will be fine. Trust me.”
Worried by my darkening mood, Lark rested his chin on my head and said,
“Yeah, of course. No worries here.”
He thought I was fretting over the trial.
“And even if I end up isolated in some rural backwater, I won’t blame Your Highness. It’s my mess, after all.”
My reassurance drew a hollow laugh from him.
“No sane court would hand down that verdict, but if by some miracle it did...”
Lark smiled brightly and added,
“I promise. I’ll gladly draw my sword in court for you.”
“Y-Yes?”