HDBMTD 25

Chapter 25

After Willow left, Aria remained alone in the sitting room.

She pushed aside the unsigned contract and the necklace she had removed, then sat with her arms crossed, gazing at the clock.
4:00 PM. Willow had said Nocturne would return around 9:00 PM.

“Nocturne wanted to interrogate me…?”

What exactly was he so curious about? She even felt a bit of stubbornness bubbling up, wanting to add a “no lying” clause to the contract and answer every single one of his questions out of spite.

But Aria decided to stick to the original plan.

At 9:00 PM, once Nocturne returned, she would hand over the contract and implant one final suggestion.
Once he fell asleep, she would use her empathy ability to break the brainwashing and escape the palace together at dawn.

If, by chance, Nocturne refused to cooperate, she was to take the car Lucien had prepared and head for his townhouse. That was their backup plan.

Still, Aria didn’t believe she would need Lucien’s car. Willow’s revelation had shaken her, but she had already used her powers before — and had seen Nocturne’s true feelings.

She believed that, once free from his brainwashing, Nocturne would look at her again with that deep love and longing she had seen when he stood before her portrait.

Besides, even in his current state, Nocturne had helped her. Aria was almost certain it had been Nocturne who sabotaged Padva’s poisoning plot and gave her the antidote.

Where would she end up — the Duchy of Bendrix, or the Kingdom of Ellicia?
What was certain was that tonight, she would escape the imperial palace.

Aria began organizing her valuables. The glittering gold and jewels were worth enough to buy an entire castle.

Right after the banquet, she had confronted Padva about revealing her disability without permission. He apologized for his rudeness, and she had then demanded her jewelry be retrieved from the Crown Prince’s palace. He had complied without protest.

After seeing Aria in Nocturne’s arms at the banquet, Padva believed their relationship had been restored — and he had hoped to win her favor.

Just then, while she was quietly preparing, there came a cautious knock on the door.
When Aria called for them to enter, a maid stepped in, holding a small jewelry box.

“Your Highness, I’ve brought a gift from Lady Minette.”

“Minette…?”

Aria murmured in confusion as she took the box.

Inside were earrings — golden filigree frames with a bright red garnet at the center, adorned with red feathers.

The moment she saw them, Aria’s expression darkened. The maid, oblivious to her change in mood, continued cheerfully.

“They were custom-made just for you. Lady Minette wanted to give them to you in person, but she’s not feeling well right now…”

“No doubt because of alcohol. She’s still in the palace even after the banquet? Don’t tell me she drank with my brother again?”

Aria’s voice turned sharp. The maid clammed up, her expression confirming that Aria had hit the mark.

They had been together at the banquet, too. Was something really going on between them?
But Padva had an official fiancée, arranged by their parents when they were children.

And Minette… she seemed to like Nocturne, who was Aria’s fiancé.
And Padva was her brother…

“This is insane.”

Aria muttered irritably, brushing her bangs back.

What kind of tangled mess was this? Not even cheap soap operas had plots this convoluted. That this was the current state of the imperial family was just… unbelievable.

“What is wrong with your mistress?”

“Pardon?”

“Drunk all the time, chasing men… and now this kind of thing.”

Giving earrings to someone who only had one ear.

And since they were custom-made, it meant the order had been placed right after the banquet — after Aria’s hearing loss had been publicly revealed.

It was a blatant attempt to hurt her by targeting her vulnerability.

“Why is Minette acting like some stereotypical villainess from a social drama…?”

She hadn’t been like this before. A sigh slipped from Aria’s lips. She closed the jewelry box and returned it to the maid.

“I don’t need it. Take it back.”

“But, Your Highness, these are from the artisan Grand Forte—”

“Tell the lady this: Her Highness was extremely offended. Her attempt to wound me with an expensive gift was very successful. Mission accomplished.”

That way, she’d at least feel her money had been well spent.

Aria waved her hand, annoyed, dismissing the maid.
She already had enough on her plate with Nocturne — she didn’t have the energy to play along with Minette’s petty games.

The maid bowed awkwardly and retreated.

Around 9:00 PM, Tita returned. She brought a maid’s uniform for Aria to wear during their escape, along with makeup to hide her burn scar.

“Your Highness, we’ve been watching, but there’s still no sign of the duke. The subjugation must be taking longer than expected. Just in case, I’ll go ahead and start preparations.”

“Alright. Thank you, Tita.”

“Also… there’s something I need to report to you.”

“Why so hesitant? Just speak freely.”

Aria smiled gently, prompting Tita to speak with difficulty.

“I’ve identified the person who gave Your Highness the antidote during the poisoning incident.”

“Really?”

Aria’s voice rose with hope. When she asked who it was, Tita finally replied:

“It was Lady Minette.”