Chapter 56
Chapter 56
Translation: godsn
"Permission? Do I look like someone who asks for permission?"
"Virna... that child is not yet of marriageable age!"
"Then isn't it truly astonishing? How could such a young girl conceive such a dreadful idea? What would Her Majesty the Queen Dowager think if she knew of this matter?"
The Regent glared at the Minister. His handsome eyes narrowed sharply.
"Is it truly certain that the illness... was caused by Virna?"
"What are you implying?"
"Well, given Your Excellency's usual conduct, there could be other reasons. But now you're singling out only my daughter—how can I not feel wronged?"
This time, it was the Minister's turn to glare at Duke Claudio.
"Your Grace, do not forget what I hold in my hands."
"Are you threatening me now? It seems I have no leverage against you?"
"I merely wish to remind you that we are allies who must stand together for a long time. It appears you've lost sight of that, swayed by familial blood."
"It's you, Minister, who's lost your senses over such a trivial matter!"
"You—!"
Neither side yielded an inch as they stood locked in a tense standoff.
"Where is Virna?"
Upon returning home, the Regent sharply demanded Virna's whereabouts.
"Ah, Father...!"
The moment he spotted his daughter awkwardly rising to her feet at his arrival, he strode toward her with heavy steps.
Slap—!
Virna clutched her stinging cheek, eyes wide with shock. It was the first time she'd ever been struck.
"Darling!"
Catherine's eyes also widened in surprise.
"Do you have any idea what you've done? Why did you needlessly provoke Medeia and create this disaster?!"
The Regent unleashed the suppressed rage he'd been swallowing in front of the Minister.
"Didn't I warn you to exercise restraint even during the horse-riding incident? Do my words mean nothing to you?"
"I, I just—"
"Don't even open your mouth. Don't even think of stepping outside for a while—stay confined. I can't bear to look at you right now."
Virna burst into tears.
"How could you hide something so grave from me!"
Catherine, having only just learned the full story, first chastised Virna.
"The situation is dire, Mother. The Minister is insisting that since his disability is Virna's fault, we must offer her as his wife."
"What? That's absurd!"
At this, Virna, who had been sobbing uncontrollably, erupted.
"No! I'd rather die than do that!"
"You stay quiet!"
Catherine snapped before turning back to Samon.
"What did your father say?"
"Of course, he said it's absolutely out of the question, but the Minister's side is being relentless."
"......"
"We can't afford to alienate the Minister either... What on earth should we do?"
After losing the Head Maid Cuisine, the Regent no longer had his once-firm grip on the palace.
To wield the same influence as before within the palace, he would have to secure and bind Minister Etienne's cooperation.
"Minister Etienne has never failed in negotiations. We must act before your father is persuaded."
Catherine swiftly headed toward her daughter's chambers.
Virna's personal maid, Shilla, was cleaning up the mess left by her mistress.
"M-My Lady...?"
"Seize her."
Catherine's maids restrained Shilla, preventing her from moving an inch.
"From now on, write exactly as I dictate."
She forced a quill into Shilla's hand and compelled her to write a confession.
"I-I've written it all. My Lady, please—I'll beg for Virna's forgiveness in her stead, just this once—"
Catherine's eyes gleamed coldly.
"Indeed. It's your fault for failing to serve your mistress properly. Blame your own inadequacy."
"Spare me—ugh—!"
Before Shilla could even plead for her life, Catherine's maids poured poison down her throat.
Virna froze in horror.
Shilla had been her personal maid since childhood.
She had expected a beating or perhaps a few months' wages docked if discovered—never instant execution.
Her mother, always so gentle, had disposed of her own maid without batting an eye.
"M-Mother...?"
"The one who poisoned him wasn't you, Virna—it was Shilla. Frightened by your predicament, she confessed her crime and took her own life. Understand?"
Catherine recited the words calmly, as if ensuring her daughter would remember.
"I hope you've come to your senses now, Virna. You're old enough to understand these things."
"......"
"Virna, pack your things. We must leave tonight."
The maids swiftly began gathering Virna's belongings with military precision.
"Wh-where are we going?"
"You'll stay at the convent for a while. And you—send that corpse to the Minister. Along with the confession."
Catherine spoke decisively before leaving the room.
"The young lady seems deeply shocked. Should we really leave her like this?"
"Enough. Let her cool her head. Assign a tight-lipped maid to watch over her."
"But she's lived in luxury all her life—how harsh will the convent be for her...?"
The head maid wiped her eyes with concern.
"However difficult, avoiding the Minister's eyes comes first now. If she voluntarily went to the convent, would that bastard dare drag our Virna back?"
Catherine wondered if sending her innocent daughter away was truly the right choice.
Yet now was the time for bold action. They had to avoid the worst-case scenario of marriage to the Minister.
"All of this could have been avoided if that child had just listened to me properly once."
Catherine sighed deeply.
"Does she charge ahead without thinking because she takes after him? Passion is good, but really...what a handful."
The head maid looked genuinely perplexed.
Passionate? Duke Claudio was more akin to icy water than blazing fire by any measure.
"What can I do? You can't swallow only the sweet and spit out the bitter. As her mother, I have no choice but to care for her."
In any case, Catherine was devoted to her children.
She cherished her son Samon as her own life—how much more so Virna, who resembled her so closely?
Catherine headed to her husband's study.
"My dear. Are you truly considering accepting the Minister's demand?"
The Regent looked a decade older, having exhausted his spirit overnight.
"Virna is..."
Though still a naive child who knew nothing of the world, she was his beloved youngest daughter.
No matter how grave her mistake, he could never send her to that Minister.
'With Etienne's twisted personality, he might try to continue the bloodline through some relative of the Count's house if not through her.'
That man viewed women as little more than breeding stock.
Claudio slammed his desk.
"I can't condemn my daughter to that life. I'll never hand her over to that bastard!"
Catherine felt some relief.
She'd worried he might agree to give their daughter to the Minister—at least he was still a man who protected his own.
"I've sent Virna to the convent."
"Hm?"
"We'll return the dead maid to the Minister with our apologies. It's a stopgap measure, but since we've sent him the actual culprit, he can no longer demand Virna as his bride."
"Well done. As expected of you. You acted more wisely than I could have."
The Regent praised his wife's bold decision.
Catherine lowered her eyes obediently and gently patted her husband's arm.
"Now let's try negotiating again properly. The Minister will seek compromise at some point."
The Princess's Palace.
"Your Highness, Tom reports that a carriage left the Royal Castle late last night from Duke Claudio's residence."
That carriage undoubtedly carried Virna.
Had they sent her away preemptively to escape the Minister's grasp?
Her aunt certainly acted swiftly.
Medeia gazed at the dim lamplight piercing the twilight gloom.
"Aunt will likely try to conclude matters at this point."
For her daughter's future, she wouldn't hesitate to sacrifice others. Only the innocent dead maid was pitiable.
"So what happens now? Does their conflict just fizzle out like this?"
"Hardly."
Medeia intended to exploit this situation to its fullest.
"Send word to Umberto. Inform him Virna has fled to the convent."
How far could the humiliated Minister's pride endure this provocation?
"And regarding Virna's dead maid...see if any relatives might wish to enter my uncle's household."
No allies were more reliable than those sharing your hatred.
They would become Medeia's ears, reporting the Duke's affairs more zealously than anyone.
Neril bowed her head.
"Yes, Your Highness."