Chapter 83
Chapter 83. Noble Malice
Large teardrops began to fall from Eurene’s gentle eyes, which were now contorting in anguish.
Like an actor starting a performance, the malicious atmosphere surrounding Eurene dissipated instantly. What remained was just one pitiful noble lady who had suffered a terrible ordeal. However, the stark contrast made everyone in the room shudder.
Was this truly the Castallo Duke’s daughter, known for her kindness and propriety?
Though Eurene’s words alone suggested a situation deserving sympathy, people somehow felt uncomfortable seeing her cry.
Eurene, who couldn’t see such reactions with her face buried in her hands, sobbed repulsively.
“If using the vase in self-defense was a crime, I’ll accept the punishment. But His Majesty’s death was due to that medicine he drank just before.”
Eurene pointed to the white medicine bottle on the floor. Deron, standing behind, looked at the bottle and said in a subdued voice.
“That’s the sleeping medicine that was prepared in His Majesty’s bedroom.”
“Is that the same?”
Vinea pointed to another bottle that had fallen under the bed. The five-colored bottle, about the size of a palm, had its mouth open like the medicine bottle on the floor.
Deron shook his head.
“I’ve never seen that before.”
Naturally, his gaze turned to Eurene. Eurene flinched and hastily picked up the bottle from the floor.
“It’s my perfume. I must have dropped it during the struggle.”
Vinea nodded to the knights standing next to Eurene.
“Confiscate it.”
The knights grabbed Eurene’s wrists and finally wrested the bottle she was clutching with all her might.
“G-Give it back. It’s precious to me!”
Eurene reached for the bottle. But she had no way to retrieve it from the trained knight.
Eurene, her hands now empty, placed a hand over her rapidly beating heart, filled with fear.
‘It’ll be fine, even if they investigate, nothing will come of it. I can just say I bought it from the Valita Trading Company. He’s helping me, so he’ll cover for me, saying it’s an item they deal in…’
But she couldn’t help feeling anxious. The one who had given her the lethal poison was Asha, but hadn’t she revealed the secret to Balak Utar? It was natural for trust to waver.
Eurene glared at Vinea and bit the inside of her cheek.
“You’d even take such a trivial thing from me.”
“Do you think you’d be treated differently from the Emperor Emeritus, who wasn’t granted mercy even when he tried to harm me? Don’t be ridiculous.”
Eurene’s lips pressed tightly together.
She had heard a rough outline of the situation from the head of the Valita Trading Company on her way here. That the Emperor Emeritus had failed in his attempt to assassinate the Empress and was now confined in the outer tower with nothing but the clothes on his back.
Even if it was a place for confining nobles, being locked up in a place fit for commoners was an unspeakable shame for nobles and royalty.
‘Terrible woman. Surely the Empress influenced Brother’s decision to ignore the Emperor Emeritus’s claims of innocence and imprison him.’
Eurene clutched her flat stomach, her last hope.
“…I’m innocent. All this misfortune was brought about not by me, but by you, Your Majesty.”
Vinea, who had been watching Eurene, approached her. Deron tried to block Vinea, but she gently shook her head and stood in front of Eurene.
Deep wariness settled on Eurene’s haggard face. Before her, Vinea refastened Eurene’s disheveled front.
As the buttons were done up to her neck again, Eurene somehow felt as if the Empress was choking her.
Grasping the end of Eurene’s cheap wig that had fallen by her cheek, Vinea said,
“I wonder if you’ll be able to say the same thing – that I brought about all this misfortune – when the whole truth comes to light, my lady.”
“The truth? Ha. You mean the sorcery you used on Brother?”
“No. Who really killed His Majesty, and…”
Eurene stiffened, flinching. Vinea whispered in her ear,
“The truth that your mother and the Emperor Emeritus are half-siblings.”
At those words, Eurene violently pushed Vinea away. Deron hurriedly caught Vinea’s shoulders as she stumbled backward.
“Are you alright, Your Majesty?”
The knights drew their swords and stood in front of Eurene.
“Did you tell that ridiculous lie to Brother? Is that why you told him to stay away from me!”
Deron rebuked Eurene, who was shouting, having lost her composure.
“Threats against Her Majesty the Empress could work against you in determining your fate later, as long as your charges and pregnancy status haven’t been properly clarified!”
“Enough, Deron. If what the lady says is true, it’s not unreasonable for her to react so sharply. She must be in an unstable state of mind, so for now, let’s give her the separate palace that the Emperor Emeritus used.”
“That’s too lenient. The lady is a criminal who attempted to assassinate His Majesty!”
“Nothing has been proven yet. We must respect the long-standing rules of the Tessibanian Empire. In her womb…”
Vinea’s oblique gaze fell on Eurene’s stomach.
“There might be a precious imperial heir, after all.”
Vinea merely looked, but to Eurene’s eyes, it seemed as if the Empress might slash her belly at any moment.
As she clutched her stomach and retreated, stepping back cautiously, the gazes of those standing behind her grew stern.
To show such an insolent look when the Empress was granting her utmost mercy, instead of being grateful.
Vinea spoke to the doctor who remained in the room.
“Go with her to the separate palace and check her condition.”
The doctor, who had been observing the entire situation, turned to Vinea, not Eurene.
“I am Therma, one of the chief palace physicians. If Your Majesty wishes, there is a way to confirm the lady’s situation.”
The doctor narrowed his brow slightly as he looked at Eurene.
“Women who have had unwanted relations always leave traces, after all.”
Eurene looked at the doctor with a startled face. Then, after checking the expressions of others standing behind, a belated look of dismay crossed her face.
Not a single gaze held any goodwill. Having grown up always conscious of others’ eyes, she immediately realized that no one here held any sympathy for her.
Vinea gently shook her head.
“The person comes before uncovering the truth. If what the lady says is true, that process could also be traumatic. Above all, we must consider the dignity of the Castallo ducal family, one of the pillars of the empire.”
To make such a choice even in this chaotic situation, truly a merciful ruler.
Even her inability to accept His Majesty’s death showed how the two, married for the sake of ending the war, truly cared for each other.
Who else but someone like this could be the Empress of Tessibania? The doctor bowed his head with an admiring expression.
“Deron, come find me as soon as you’ve sorted out the situation. There should be a designated regent, right? Contact them and tell them to hurry to the palace.”
“Understood.”
Just as Vinea was about to leave the room, her body swayed greatly. Deron hurriedly grabbed her arm.
“Your Majesty!”
“…It’s just a moment of dizziness, nothing to worry about. As Empress, I should maintain my composure, yet I’ve shown you all an embarrassing sight.”
“Please at least get examined at the main palace before you go. You don’t look well.”
“Didn’t His Majesty and the palace medical staff just leave for the Empress’s Palace? It’s not too late to check there.”
A look of concern appeared on Deron’s face. The expressions of others in the room were the same.
A noble lady said to rarely leave her mansion was suddenly found in the Emperor’s bedroom, claiming to have been ravished in that short time, and despite clear circumstances that she had harmed the Emperor, they couldn’t properly interrogate her because of the small possibility she might be carrying a child.
How much strain must it have put on her mind and body to face all these situations at once?
Vinea turned around amidst the worried gazes of the people.
Watching her retreating figure, Eurene tightly gripped her maid’s uniform.
Didn’t it seem as if she had become the villain? All the misfortune stemmed from the Empress, and she was merely a victim caught up in those schemes.
‘This humiliation is only temporary. The day when everyone realizes that woman’s wickedness is not far off. If I can just bring down the Empress, if I can just sit in that place, Brother will eventually…’
The cold warmth she had momentarily forgotten came back to her. Eurene’s long eyelashes trembled.
Where had it all gone wrong? This wasn’t what she had come for. She hadn’t meant to kill him.
But there was no way to go back once she had poured the medicine out the window at the villa. All that remained was to walk forward, leaving behind the wearisome Castallo ducal residence and the rumors surrounding her mother.
The future lies ahead, not behind. Eurene’s green eyes shone pitch black.
“…I will not let Brother’s death be in vain.”
She would avenge Brother, who was deceived by the Empress’s lies until the very end. Using the existence of the child, sitting by his side where he is not, wearing the Empress’s crown.
