“The Villainess Draws Pictures – Chapter 15”
“Brother, please try to calm down a little….”
Roen, who was seated beside Michael, also tried to soothe him at the Duke’s lead. Since their last meeting, Roen’s demeanor had become noticeably more subdued, and he spoke cautiously.
“You shouldn’t jump to conclusions without solid evidence. Father didn’t call us here for no reason.”
“What evidence are you talking about? Is there anyone in this castle who doesn’t know that Violet is the culprit!”
An agitated Michael looked like a bull—one that charges at everything in its field of vision.
Violet let out a quiet sneer at Roen’s words. It was amusing to hear someone who often rushed to conclusions without evidence suddenly talk about truth.
There were many who could prove she was not the culprit. However, it was obvious their words would carry no weight.
“That is enough, Michael.”
The Duke’s stern voice filled the hall. With a hint of killing intent in it, Michael flinched and lowered himself.
“Violet, speak.”
“I did not orchestrate the poisoning.”
“……”
Without a single excuse, Violet stated it plainly.
Even if she had wanted to explain, she would first need to understand the situation. The servants of the annex, who knew how much she despised news from the main house, deliberately only shared trivial stories about matters outside the estate.
Living detached from rumors and having no interest in them, Violet had no way of knowing the current situation.
It was, quite literally, the first she had heard of it.
“Then how do you explain this?”
Michael ground his teeth. After obtaining the Duke’s permission, he summoned someone into the room.
“Hmm…”
Violet frowned slightly at the familiar face. A trace of triumph appeared on Michael’s face.
“…The young lady has been going out regularly, twice a week.”
It was Ozen, the knight assigned after the Duke had demoted Alec.
“How do you explain this? You won’t deny this, will you? Sneaking out as you please, forgetting your status as an imprisoned noble. Surely this was when you arranged the poisoning.”
Michael spoke with rising excitement. Violet let out a headache-induced sigh.
The Duke and Roen’s gazes also turned toward her, three pairs of green eyes focusing on her.
Violet avoided meeting anyone’s eyes and said,
“It is true that I went out, but I did not arrange any poisoning.”
“Hm…”
“You’re still lying? You’ve been nothing but a liar since you were a child, nothing has changed!”
An angry voice and a low sigh overlapped. The Duke gestured to calm Michael again, then ran a hand over his face.
“…Have you forgotten your situation, Violet?”
“I apologize.”
“Punishment for this will be issued separately.”
“…Understood.”
“Father!”
Michael shouted at the Duke, who showed no sign of treating Violet as a criminal. His anger had now shifted from Violet to the Duke.
“It is your lenient attitude that has caused this situation to escalate.”
“Do not act recklessly.”
“….”
Violet observed the situation. She was somewhat surprised.
Normally, she would have been immediately accused. More than anything, Roen’s unusual calmness caught her attention.
Knowing Roen’s cunning nature, Violet glanced at him. Roen, scanning the documents before him, slightly furrowed his brow.
“…Is it not possible that she is telling the truth?”
“Roen, even you—!”
“I am merely speaking of possibilities, brother. According to the report, Violet only visited shops, ate at restaurants, or set up stalls near fountains.”
“…How do you know that?”
“Do you seriously believe that as truth right now!?”
Violet and Michael spoke at the same time.
Annoyed, Violet openly frowned. Roen shrugged and handed her the documents.
Violet took them—and was astonished.
“Departure at 11 a.m., accompanied by escort knight Zylo Vandel….”
The report detailed Violet’s activities in full—things even she could not fully remember. She looked toward the Duke in disbelief.
The Duke remained expressionless.
“You didn’t think I would leave you unmonitored just because you go out often, did you?”
“…My apologies.”
“Even if you are confined, do not forget that you bear the Everett name.”
“…Understood.”
The Duke had known about her outings all along. He had even assigned people to secretly monitor her.
Was this what a massive cage looked like? So large that one might not even realize they were inside it.
Violet, unaware that shadow escorts had been following her for her protection, felt deflated.
“Surely you didn’t act personally. You must have ordered the servants.”
“…Are you saying I instructed the servants to carry out poisoning?”
Michael retorted without backing down. Violet wondered if her elder brother might be delusional.
“Of course you would deny it. You’ve been lying since childhood.”
“…Ha.”
Violet let out a frustrated sigh. Being accused repeatedly of lying when she had never lied was exasperating.
So they were bringing up her childhood now.
Violet looked at Michael. She had thought he had given up—but beneath the ashes, faint embers of anger still burned.
“Brother, as I’ve said repeatedly, you should calm yourself.”
Thud. Just as Roen spoke calmly, Michael slammed his hand on the desk. The visible anger made Roen frown.
“…Let them in.”
At that moment, the Duke suddenly gave an order.
Three people entered. Two were familiar to Violet; one was unknown.
“Speak.”
“…It is true that the young lady went out, but as reported, she did not engage in any special activity.”
Despite the sudden summons, Zylo remained composed. In contrast, Marie’s expression was heavily distorted.
Violet silently hoped the young girl wouldn’t cause any trouble.
“Zylo!”
“…I am stating the facts, young master.”
“Why you…!”
Michael was enraged at the testimony of someone who had once been a close friend.
It was an ironic situation—Ozen supporting Aileen’s side, while Zylo, once close to Michael, supported Violet.
“…However, it is true that the young lady went out without permission.”
“I failed in my duty. However, I can swear upon my name that Lady Violet was not in any situation where she could have arranged poisoning.”
For nobles, one’s family name carries immense weight.
It represents lineage, status, and one’s very identity.
Seeing Zylo stake his name to prove Violet’s innocence, Michael grabbed the back of his neck.
“I-it’s true! The young lady did nothing…! She didn’t even meet anyone else!”
Marie stepped forward this time. She had always insisted on Violet’s innocence wherever she went, and now she shouted just as firmly as before.
“She’s truly a good person! Why would the young lady do something like that? And I’ve always been by her side—I’ve never seen anything like poison!”
“…Can you take responsibility for your words?”
Michael responded to Marie’s claim.
This was exactly the oppression of the weak. Violet let out a sigh.
“…Marie has nothing to do with this matter.”
“Even then, can you swear on your name? Ha, haha. Who knows—you might have used that small maid to carry out your scheme.”
“Enough! I told you not to act recklessly!”
It was necessary to build one’s reputation properly.
Even though there were clear witnesses proving her innocence, Michael refused to believe it to the end. Violet steadied her emotions.
If possible, she felt like pouring hot tea over his face.
“…Speak.”
The final person brought in was a woman around Violet’s age. She had been nervously glancing around, but suddenly pressed her head to the floor.
“The… the young lady ordered me to do it!”
“…Who are you?”
Violet reflexively asked, taken aback.
Roen calmly answered.
“She is the maid who was beside Aileen when she collapsed after drinking the poison.”
“Ah, I see…”
Violet’s reluctant voice filled the hall. For a moment, no one could speak.
“…Is that an indisputable fact?”
“Yes, yes! It’s true! I was threatened that I would suffer severe punishment if I didn’t comply….”
So that’s how it was.
The Duke stroked his chin thoughtfully.
Violet felt the urge to open her father’s mind and see what he was thinking.
He maintained a poker face even in front of his own children—there was no way to tell his thoughts.
“Can you stand by your statement?”
“Eek!”
“The crime of attempting to deceive the Duke is not something that can be easily measured.”
“I…! I’m being wronged!”
Violet finally recalled the woman’s name from her memory.
She had been the daughter of a minor noble house. She had forgotten her since there was no reason to remember her—but she hadn’t expected this kind of betrayal.
“…Detain Selena Atan and Ozen Beroel in prison. Michael is to be confined for one month.”
The Duke neatly concluded the situation.
Thinking she had misheard, Violet instinctively asked,
“Why?”
