Chapter 122: The War of Exposure (1)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 122: The War of Exposure (1)
Inside the iron bars, Marzella’s body was draped in a cloth.
“She had been requesting to be sent to the infirmary for several days, claiming she had a stomachache,” Johas reported.
“The infirmary?”
“Keeping a patient inside the castle risks an outbreak of disease. Even for prisoners, those with serious illnesses are sometimes moved to the infirmary outside the castle walls.”
“And the head maid? Did she receive treatment?”
“My apologies. There are quite a few prisoners who feign illness, so…”
The color drained further from Johas’s face.
Unless someone was on the verge of collapsing, it was only natural to ignore such requests. Johas expected the Grand Duchess to be furious, but surprisingly, she remained silent.
It was unfortunate timing; a problem had arisen with the Boundary Defense Stone, leaving both the Captain and the Vice-Captain away from their posts. Johas had been out on expeditions for a while, so as a gesture of consideration, he had been assigned to guard the prison today.
Of all the times for something like this to happen.
A prisoner’s body could not be disposed of without the Grand Duke’s command. And when the Grand Duke was away, the Grand Duchess held that delegated authority. Therefore, he had no choice but to report the matter to Her Highness.
I didn’t expect her to insist on seeing the prisoner herself, though.
Setting everything else aside, if word got out that he had brought Her Highness to such a grim place, the Captain would surely give him an earful later. However, the Grand Duchess had been so firm that he couldn't dare disobey her.
Norton, who had followed behind the Grand Duchess, also wore a troubled expression.
“Are you certain it was an illness?”
“It… appears to be so.”
Johas relayed the testimony of the prisoner in the adjacent cell, who claimed Marzella had been moaning in pain all through the night.
“There was another prisoner in the next cell?”
“That… maid named Janet. We’ve moved her to a different floor for now.”
The Grand Duchess let out a short sigh. It didn't sound particularly worried. Johas decided not to mention how the guards had struggled with Janet, who had been throwing a fit about being kept in a cell with a corpse all night.
The Grand Duchess turned to the guards. “Has anyone come to visit Marzella recently?”
“N-no, no one.”
The guards, standing pale and stiff, answered hurriedly. Usually, friends or associates might sneak in some food, but they said Marzella had no such visitors.
Then, one of the guards seemed to remember something. “One lady did visit briefly with some knights.”
“A lady?”
The Grand Duchess’s voice sharpened slightly.
“Lady Meisel,” Johas added calmly. He remembered seeing a record that Meisel had left a blanket when he took over the shift.
“She left a blanket?”
The Grand Duchess looked back at the guard. “Is it common to bring a blanket when visiting a prison?”
The guard tilted his head, realizing the oddity of it. “Most people bring bread or something to eat.”
Since only one meal a day was provided in the dungeons, hunger was usually the primary concern. However, a noble lady might not understand the agony of starvation, so it wasn't entirely incomprehensible.
“Where is that blanket?”
The guard quickly stepped inside the bars and picked up the blanket lying next to the corpse. It took a moment to pull it away, as if Marzella had been clutching it tightly even in death.
“I’ll take it.”
Seeing the dirty blanket, Johas spoke up urgently, but the Grand Duchess had already reached out and taken it. The others watched with bewildered eyes as she inspected the fabric thoroughly.
Suddenly, while examining the corner of the blanket, the Grand Duchess began to pick at the stitching.
“Give it to me.”
Norton took the blanket from the struggling Grand Duchess and, in one swift motion, ripped the double-layered fabric apart.
Rrip—!
Along with the sound of tearing threads, a small piece of paper fell from within. Johas picked up the paper and swallowed hard.
This can’t be…
*
The young ladies of the major families were gathered in the East Wing’s tea room. All of them had received an invitation from the Grand Duchess late the previous evening. It was an invitation that defied social norms, but no lady dared to refuse the Grand Duchess.
While waiting for her arrival, Meisel gnawed on her lip.
This is no time to be sitting around drinking tea.
It had been several days since she delivered the blanket to Marzella, yet there was still no news. At the very least, it seemed suspicion toward her had faded, as her seat was once again directly to the right of the Grand Duchess. Though, it was rather unpleasant to see Cecilia’s name card on the empty seat across from her.
“…I heard a strange rumor,” said Roselle, a count’s daughter who looked disgruntled after being pushed down a seat because of Cecilia, breaking the silence. “I heard Lady Meisel was summoned to the castle for an interrogation…”
She pretended to lower her voice, but it was loud enough for everyone in the tea room to hear.
“An interrogation?” Meisel said, making no effort to hide her displeasure. “The Grand Duke personally asked for my assistance, so I merely came to help.”
Since it was an interrogation conducted on the Grand Duke’s orders, it wasn't a complete lie.
“What kind of assistance?”
“I’m afraid I cannot speak carelessly about internal affairs.”
So, outsiders should mind their own business.
Meisel spoke with such nonchalance, as if she were already a member of the Grand Ducal household. Just as Roselle’s expression began to sour, the butler solemnly announced the Grand Duchess’s entrance.
The Grand Duchess entered the room followed by her maid.
“Thank you all for coming on such short notice.”
The ladies, who had been tense due to the sudden summons, breathed a collective sigh of relief at the Grand Duchess’s usual composed demeanor.
The Grand Duchess smiled brightly and looked at Meisel. “Especially Lady Meisel. You must be very busy, yet you’ve graced us with your presence.”
“Oh, Your Highness. How could I possibly miss such an occasion?” Meisel tilted her head and put on an affectionate expression.
The fact that she had singled her out…
She probably wants to test me.
But Meisel had nothing to fear.
There’s no evidence, is there?
In any case, Marzella—the only witness—would soon be in a state where she could no longer speak. Provided she had taken the medicine on time as Meisel intended.
Actually, that was the medicine I intended to use on the Grand Duchess.
On the day she encountered the shaman, Meisel had immediately sent a trusted messenger to the shop. The order was simple: ‘A drug that won’t kill, but will severely ruin the body.’
Her intention was to have a contingency plan to force the Grand Duchess to step down if the need arose. The messenger had returned quickly with a small bottle containing a white powder. It couldn't have been easier.
— “If one takes this much at once, even ‘that person’ will fall into extreme agony. It will take a considerable amount of time to regain consciousness.”
The shaman’s message had been somewhat peculiar.
Even ‘that person’? Does he know who I intend to use the drug on?
But she didn't care much. The important thing was that it would take a long time to wake up. And because of how things had turned out, she had no choice but to use that precious medicine on Marzella.
She should have taken it by now.
Meisel thought as she gently stroked the magic stone necklace hidden beneath the lace at her neck. Perhaps she had already taken it? It was possible the news simply hadn't reached her yet.
While the Grand Duchess and the ladies engaged in idle small talk, Meisel spoke up with a bit of boldness.
“Your Highness. I understand you have been greatly distressed because of the head maid, Marzella.”
The Grand Duchess’s hand, holding her teacup, paused.
“My heart has been heavy, feeling as though this is partially my fault, albeit unintentionally.”
The surrounding ladies all looked toward the two with curious eyes.
“Indeed. To be honest, Lady Meisel, I was waiting for you to bring that up.”
“You… were?”
It wasn't the reaction Meisel had expected. The Grand Duchess curled the corners of her lips into a mysterious smile.
“It wouldn't be fun if we were the only ones talking, so I should let everyone know.”
The Grand Duchess scanned the ladies with her eyes. “You all know about the incident I suffered at Gold Lane, don't you?”
How could they not? Publicly, people kept quiet, but in truth, everyone in Blenheim had been gossiping about it.
“That incident was actually orchestrated by Lady Meisel here.”
Gasps erupted from all around the room.
“W-what are you saying?!”
Meisel’s face flushed a deep crimson in an instant.
Has the Grand Duchess gone mad?
“To say such a thing without any basis…!”
“And not long ago, there was almost a protest condemning the Grand Duchess of Blenheim,” the Grand Duchess said softly. “That was also Lady Meisel’s doing.”
Roselle looked at Meisel with a look of horror. “So that’s why the interrogation…!”
No! That was something the Merchant Association President ordered!
But to reveal that, she would have to confess her own crimes one by one, so Meisel gritted her teeth and endured. She really should have used that medicine on the Grand Duchess.
Meisel straightened her posture to maintain her dignity and said, “I am the daughter of the House of Arbor. Even you, Your Highness, cannot insult me like this without evidence.”
Looking into Meisel’s fierce eyes, the Grand Duchess nodded readily. “As Lady Meisel says, without evidence, punishment would be difficult.”
However, she looked far too composed for someone making a reckless accusation.
…Marzella couldn't hold out and confessed everything.
Sensing the situation, Meisel tried to strike first. “I don't know what Marzella told you, but I certainly—!”
“The head maid is dead.”
At those words, a silence fell over the tea room as if it had been struck by lightning. The ladies, their faces frozen, could be seen racking their brains to grasp the situation.
“My nanny… is dead?”
The pitch of Meisel’s voice rose slightly.
“Oh dear, Lady Meisel. You seem quite shocked.”
“W-why would my nanny…”
Meisel awkwardly suppressed the corners of her mouth, which were trying to curl upward despite herself.