Chapter 37
“That won’t be possible.”
A voice, entirely different from what Count Nova had expected, made him flinch.
“Mind the step, Cecilia.”
A tall, striking man with brown hair and piercing blue eyes. Even at a glance, his attire bore the mark of imperial authority, and beside him stood Cecilia Burnett. A young nobleman, unmistakably of the royal family.
“I greet the Empire’s Second Star.”
There could be no doubt—this was the Second Prince. Count Nova hastily bowed his head in greeting to Eden. His son, equally startled, followed suit.
“You speak of Duke Rain’s mercy…”
“……”
“That would only be possible—if the matter could be resolved within his power.”
Eden showed no response to Count Nova’s bow. He simply smiled faintly, condemning the man’s foolishness without so much as a change in tone.
“You violated the Wyatt Empire’s laws regarding the protection of its people, the collection of taxes, and transparent financial management.”
Eden’s voice turned cold as he listed Count Nova’s offenses, one after the other. There was no need to search for reasons—there were more than enough to condemn him.
“These are duties the imperial house entrusted to nobles because the Crown cannot govern every corner of the empire. They are responsibilities tied to your title.”
“……”
“And as a direct member of the royal family, I intend to see you punished.”
Though now addressed simply as Duke Burnett, Eden’s blood was of the imperial line. To him, Count Nova’s crimes were not just treason—they were personal affronts.
“I support His Highness.”
“……”
“Even if my father—or rather, Duke Rain—intended to spare you, I would not allow it.”
Cecilia’s voice followed Eden’s, firm and regal. Her presence now part of the imperial family shattered Count Nova’s sense of security.
In the past, he had trusted Curtis’s lenience and his indifference to the fates of his vassals. It was, admittedly, not an unreasonable assumption.
But that was before Cecilia had married the Second Prince. Before it became clear she no longer aligned herself with her father’s sympathies.
“Y-Your Highness. Your Grace…”
Realizing this too late, Count Nova all but collapsed at Eden’s feet. His misdeeds now exposed to the Crown, he knew begging Curtis would do no good. It was Eden—and Cecilia—to whom he must now plead.
“Please, forgive me! I was foolish. I failed to heed the will of the Imperial House!”
Count Nova grew frantic, slamming his forehead against the floor with a dull thud, over and over, as he begged. Cecilia offered no response. Her gaze, resting on his bleeding forehead, remained cool and detached.
She turned slightly, meeting Eden’s eyes. Once, he might have tolerated even Count Nova’s misdeeds for Illina’s sake. But now, he merely watched, detached and unmoved.
“You don’t even have the decency to offer your life in atonement? That alone reveals your arrogance.”
Cecilia’s smile was gentle, but her words cut like blades. She had no intention of forgiving a man who had wronged her twice. Her smile mocked him—and brought her quiet satisfaction.
“You probably thought Duke Rain’s lands belonged to you. After all, you’ve managed them for nearly twenty years.”
“……”
“Perhaps you even fancied yourself a Duke rather than a Count.”
It was laughable, yet no other explanation could justify Count Nova’s brazen crimes.
“And for that reason, I will not grant you leniency.”
“Your Grace…”
“I imagine my father feels the same. Isn’t that right, Father?”
Cecilia turned toward the door. Curtis entered quietly, letting out a low sigh.
“How could I possibly argue with you?”
Even Curtis couldn’t bring himself to forgive the man who had betrayed him so utterly. And with Eden, a royal, standing firm against mercy, any plea for leniency was futile.
“Your Excellency…”
Count Nova, stricken, stared at Curtis like a man who had lost everything. Curtis turned his head away, avoiding his gaze. That alone was answer enough.
“But there is one matter concerning my father’s honor.”
In that moment, Cecilia dangled a lifeline—however fragile—above their heads. Count Nova’s lifeless eyes lit up faintly with hope.
“Long ago, you saved his life. In return, you received his oath—he would grant you one wish, no matter what.”
“That’s right!”
Count Nova answered at once, seizing onto the hope like a drowning man.
“But now that the Crown is aware of your crimes, invoking that oath won’t save you. This goes beyond any promise between you and my father.”
She had never planned to let him die so easily. Foolish man.
With a pleasant smile, Cecilia cut the rope she had offered him. Watching him fall from hope to despair brought her a measure of pleasure.
“There are perhaps three outcomes the judge might consider. You may be able to request one.”
“W-What are they?”
“One: you are stripped of your noble title, and your family is permanently disgraced in the noble registry. Your wealth will be confiscated.”
Count Nova’s face turned ashen. How absurd that a man who had defied both Duke Rain and the Crown thought himself beyond such punishment.
“Two: you retain your title but surrender your family’s entire fortune—and serve three years of hard labor as a common laborer.”
“A-And the last?”
He asked, barely able to speak, grasping for a final shred of hope.
“To repay your crimes with the lives of those who conspired with you.”
But for Count Nova, that wasn’t the best option—it was the worst.
“What is it that you want?”
Cecilia openly mocked the despair flickering across Count Nova’s face now that every shred of hope had been extinguished.
“Cecilia.”
Leaning back against the cushions of her headboard, lost in thought, Cecilia lifted her head. Through the passage between their rooms, Eden was approaching—slowly, purposefully.
“Your Grace?”
Cecilia sat upright, no longer lounging comfortably.
“Is something the matter…?”
Eden rarely came to her chambers at this hour unless there was reason.
“It’s nothing.”
Then why? Cecilia blinked slowly.
“……”
Eden quietly studied those beautiful eyes.
“I thought… you might be feeling uneasy.”
His low voice carried concern. Cecilia gently shook her head.
“I’m fine, Your Grace.”
Her soft tone was calm and composed. There wasn’t a trace of unease in her expression.
“Part of me feels like… I saw it coming.”
But instead of leaving it at that, Eden sat at the edge of her bed.
“Maybe that’s why I insisted on going with you today.”
Her voice, calm and clear as she looked at him, carried a hint of pride.
“Did I help you?”
“Of course.”
Cecilia answered without hesitation. Thanks to Eden, irrefutable evidence had been delivered straight to the imperial court. Curtis had also been prevented from offering any plea for leniency. It had all been made possible by Eden’s presence.
“So. What do you plan to do now?”
Cecilia smiled briefly at his question.
“I’ll leave it to Count Nova’s choice.”
Naturally, Count Nova had chosen the second option. Afraid of death, afraid to lose his title—it was only to be expected.
“My father’s honor is at stake.”
“The dead have no voice.”
Eden’s gentle reply belied the coldness of his true nature. His voice was warm—so much so that it was impossible to guess at the chill beneath. But Cecilia wasn’t surprised. She had already seen an even more ruthless side of this man.
And when she considered that the punishment she wanted for Count Nova was far crueler than the clean death Eden could offer, his demeanor didn’t strike her as particularly merciless.
“If we kill him now, we’ll never uncover everything he knows. The people of the territory who suffered under him need help first.”
Cecilia wanted them to feel the same despair and fury she once did. To lose everything, piece by piece, to rage in helplessness—and finally, to fade into the earth, alone and forgotten.
“If all goes as I hope.”
Of course, even then, she couldn’t entirely ignore the Crown. Her authority as royalty came through Eden. To the Emperor, Cecilia was only a branch on the imperial tree—an offshoot.
“I’m only following His Majesty’s will.”
If the Emperor demanded Nova and his conspirators’ heads in the name of imperial honor, Duke Rain’s house couldn’t object.
“His Majesty is already aware of your wishes, Cecilia.”
“You told him, didn’t you?”
Now was the time for a polite show of gratitude. Cecilia moved cautiously. As if shyly expressing thanks, her soft fingertips brushed against Eden’s.
A light touch—just enough for the smoothness of her skin and the scent of oil on her body to reach him. But even such a small, unexpected contact made Eden flinch reflexively.
