Chapter 106
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 106
No, their assumption was wrong. It wasn’t some exceptional sense of loyalty that had her so downcast. Of course, it bothered her that she hadn’t been the one to capture the assassin with her own hands, but the real reason for Musetta’s agony was that the assassin’s identity was none other than Princess Tenebrae.
“But why would that depraved Princess Tenebrae assassinate His Highness the Crown Prince?”
“When is there ever another reason for bloodshed among the imperial family?”
“Gasp…! Don’t tell me it was over the succession to the throne?”
“Exactly. Didn’t His Majesty also ascend the throne after slaughtering all of his older brothers?”
It was a well-known fact that the Emperor’s moniker was the ‘Usurper.’ Annoyed by her subordinates whispering so recklessly, Musetta scolded the knights.
“Do not presume to speculate on the affairs of your superiors.”
“…Yes, ma’am!”
“We apologize, Dame Musetta.”
People would gossip anywhere. They might badmouth the Emperor behind his back, but this was the Imperial Palace. It was unacceptable for a mere servant to speak ill of their master right under the Emperor’s nose. Everything in the Imperial Palace, including its people, were nothing but consumables for the Emperor and the imperial family.
Musetta was no exception. She was an incredibly loyal guard. She had never once harbored a single personal opinion against her master’s will, and the Crown Prince had been quite fond of Musetta for her steadfast devotion.
This also meant she was privy to some of the Crown Prince’s secrets. Who could have guessed that the pathetic, incompetent Crown Prince relieved his stress by abusing his own daughter?
Princess Tenebrae had been treated miserably, a far cry from what her noble status demanded. Musetta would wager that even maids of noble birth received more respect than the princess. Loath to let the outside world know of his abuse, the Crown Prince had refused to even provide her with proper medical treatment.
Musetta had turned a blind eye to it. Her master was the Crown Prince, not the Princess. Thus, Musetta, of all people, could understand why Princess Tenebrae had gone so far as to sacrifice her own life to assassinate him.
The room the knights were currently ransacking looked exceptionally pitiful.
It wasn't just her imagination; Tenebrae's room was indeed shabby compared to Jeremia's. It wasn't that Tenebrae had frugal tastes, but rather that she was never given the luxury to be otherwise.
Because the Crown Prince subtly discriminated between the two, his attitude trickled down to the servants. With the Crown Prince's tacit approval, the treasurer of the castle where the two princesses resided would never have allocated the same budget to Tenebrae as they did to the favored Jeremia.
This disparity was glaringly obvious even in their everyday attire. Unlike Jeremia, who had her clothes custom-made to follow the latest trends, Tenebrae never had new clothes tailored. Most of her wardrobe consisted of simple, timeless dresses.
Princess Tenebrae's dresses were, without exception, all shades of black. This was to conceal the blood seeping from her wounds. Because of this, she was constantly compared to the brightly dressed Jeremia and had to endure the derogatory label of the “gloomy princess.”
Whenever Tenebrae felt those judging eyes on her, she would scratch at her neck and arms in sheer agony. She would scratch relentlessly until her skin peeled away and flesh lodged beneath her fingernails. Musetta had watched the Princess's behavior with a shudder, wondering if she was incapable of feeling pain.
The Crown Prince, detesting the habit as vulgar and repulsive, strictly forbade Tenebrae from scratching herself in his presence. Once, he had threatened to rip her fingernails out, forcing Tenebrae to endure those cruel moments with her fists clenched tight, desperate to keep herself from scratching in front of him.
Even as her long nails dug into her palms and drew blood, she kept them tightly curled, as if to protect them. By the time the Crown Prince finished venting his anger, Tenebrae's palms would be a bloody mess. If only I had defied the Crown Prince's orders back then and brought her some ointment…
Musetta briefly regretted the beliefs she had followed so blindly. Was she feeling guilty now?
Before she could answer her own question, a voice calling her name snapped her back to reality.
“Dame Musetta! Dame Musetta?”
“What is it?”
“Among the items we just found, there was a letter. The… contents are something I think you should read for yourself, Dame Musetta. It looks like a love letter…?”
“…Very well. Let me see.”
Musetta read through the letter.
To my dearest Tenebrae,
>
My love, looking at the cherry blossoms blooming in full splendor outside my window, I am suddenly reminded of you. No, in truth, I lied. Since my cherry blossoms never fade, you are all I think about all day long. It worries me that you live confined within the Golden Lightning Prison with no one to care for you. Those who are merely gilded will eventually wither and vanish under the weight of their sins, but if the stench becomes unbearable, I shall bring you the claws to excise the rotting wound. When the small sun casts the shortest shadow, I look forward to meeting you in the sun's shadow. I hope the promises I made bring you comfort. You are more precious to me than anything else, so please do not forget that.
>
Yours eternally.
“Is it a love letter?”
Musetta frowned at her subordinate’s question. If this were truly a love letter exchanged between lovers, it wouldn’t have been kept alongside a grimoire. This was a letter instigating murder under the guise of romance.
Though she had no idea how the writer had discovered Princess Tenebrae's abuse, they were clearly urging her to seek revenge.
The sun casting the shortest shadow referred to the moment it hung highest in the sky—the day of the Crown Prince's Birthday Banquet. And the “claws” must have been the dagger that pierced His Highness's heart.
Furthermore, when speaking of bizarre, never-fading cherry blossoms, it was impossible not to think of the cherry tree at the Rohanson Mansion. From these simple clues alone, it was easy to deduce that the sender was Evangeline Rohanson.
In truth, the letter was incredibly sloppy. Just as the Crown Prince had been killed at the banquet with a dagger brought by Evangeline Rohanson, the letter practically begged for Evangeline to be arrested. Common sense dictated that Evangeline Rohanson would have no reason to send a letter that laid a trap for herself.
But ever since the Crown Prince's death and Tenebrae's subsequent demise, Musetta's common sense had ceased to function properly. She was currently incapable of making a rational judgment.
“Have you read the letter?”
“…No, ma’am.”
“It's not worth your attention. Just a trivial love letter. Someone probably wanted to get close to Princess Tenebrae to marry into the imperial family.”
“I see.”
The subordinate nodded without suspicion and continued the search. When no one was looking, Musetta quietly slipped the letter into her coat.
Musetta hadn't pocketed Tenebrae's letter to destroy evidence, but because there was something she wanted to investigate privately. Besides, she was ultimately operating under the Emperor's authorization.
“I have a favor to ask of you, Dame.”
“Your Majesty, how can you call it a favor? It is only natural that we follow your will.”
“If you say so, then I shall trust you with this. Dame Musetta, if you find any evidence linking Evangeline Rohanson to Tenebrae during your investigation, overlook it. It is enough to report that fact only to me.”
“But, Your Majesty…”
“Dame Musetta. Close your eyes and cover your ears for me, your master.”
Musetta was a tool for the imperial family. Before the Crown Prince's death, she had done her best as his possession, but now that he was dead, it was only right for her to act for His Majesty the Emperor.
Yet, the Emperor's utter lack of mercy, even after his own granddaughter's death, felt so cold and heartless that Musetta decided to delay her report for a while.
Princess Tenebrae had been captured and killed far too easily. The instigator who had incited her to murder had merely used the Princess, with no intention of saving her once she was cornered. If Evangeline Rohanson truly was the mastermind who had egged Tenebrae on…
Should she obey His Majesty's command, or should she clear the Princess's name? Musetta's mind was in turmoil. First, she would verify if the letter had indeed been sent by Evangeline Rohanson. She could think about what to do next after that.
Musetta sent someone to Count Rohanson's Estate to see if the handwriting on the letter matched Evangeline Rohanson's.
She had planned to bribe the servants, but the household of House Rohanson cherished their young lady so dearly and rejected outsiders so fiercely that it was impossible to get close.
Even when offered a sum of money that commoners could only dream of in exchange for stealing a sample of the young lady's handwriting, the result was the same. It made no sense that out of so many employees, not a single one was struggling financially. It was almost as if they had been brainwashed as a group. No, that can't be. They must simply be well-trained. Besides, with Evangeline Rohanson currently in prison, security would naturally be tight.
When one of her subordinates returned after being struck by a large rock thrown by a young child, Musetta stopped sending people to the Rohanson Mansion.
She ceased her surveillance of the mansion and went to find Count Rohanson directly. Since the mansion's gates were locked tight, she had assumed he was in seclusion there, but it turned out Count Rohanson had rented another house in the capital.
To think the master of the house is living elsewhere while his home stands empty. It's as if he's been kicked out.
She was able to meet the Count easily with just a few threatening words. It was laughable that the Count was easier to break than his own servants.
“My daughter's letters? Why are you looking for those?”
The Count had been forced to meet her, but he didn't seem inclined to cooperate.
“We found a letter in Princess Tenebrae's room.”
“Are you suggesting my daughter sent it?”
Musetta did not answer. The Count's face flushed red with anger.
“A-Are you doubting my daughter right now? Just because of a letter and a dagger? If anything happens to that child, I won't stand for it!”
Musetta calmly observed the Count, who was deliberately throwing a tantrum to play the part of a loving father. If he were truly a father who held his daughter so dear, he would have stayed to protect the Rohanson Mansion and put in every effort, just like Gabriel. Therefore, the Count's current anger was not for his daughter’s sake.
“Are you afraid that if Lady Rohanson is found to have instigated the assassination of His Highness, you will be executed under guilt by association?”
“…How dare you paint me as such a heartless father!”
Musetta's guess was correct. Count Rohanson was a man to whom his own safety mattered above all else. In that case, he would be easy to persuade.
Her own father is worse than the child who threw a rock to protect his master.
Musetta made a proposal to the Count. Even if Lady Rohanson turned out to be the mastermind, she promised that the Count would receive a full pardon for cooperating with the investigation.
“I can’t trust you so easily.”
The Count had recently been stabbed in the back by Viscount Hwikel, with whom he had been close. A mere verbal agreement would not suffice.
“Put it in writing. Notarize it.”
“Very well.”
Musetta signed the document the Count had prepared. Tucking the paper into his coat, the Count ordered a servant to bring the letters.
“These are the letters Evangeline sent to me.”
Musetta read them. She had only intended to verify the handwriting, but the contents caught her eye first.
To Count Rohanson,
>
Count. Regarding the third floor of the mansion, which only Mother uses. I must have my children stay in Mother's room. It seems that is the only habitable room on the third floor. Do not worry. I have already spoken to Mother. Also, I would prefer it if other people did not come up to the third floor. I will let the butler know.
>
Your daughter, Evangeline.
To the Heartless Count Rohanson,
>
Count. What do you mean, do not send letters? If you will not receive my letters, I will have no choice but to deliver my words to you face-to-face. But you hate looking me in the eye, do you not?
>
Ah, the butler told me that Mother's death anniversary is coming up soon. I think it would be better to offer white carnations at her grave instead of chrysanthemums. Mother loves carnations, after all.
>
Surely it is because the bouquet you prepared when you first proposed to her consisted of carnations. Perhaps Mother will crawl out of her grave just to receive the carnations you prepare.
>
She must be looking forward to meeting you again. She left a note saying she misses you, so I shall attach it. A letter written by the deceased—isn't that romantic?
>
Your daughter, Evangeline.
Musetta's eyes trembled. The person Evangeline referred to as “Mother” was undoubtedly the deceased Countess.