Chapter 71
The Duke was still standing in front of Eloise’s room.
“Please come in.”
Only after she gave permission did the Duke step into the room.
Hans and Sophie quietly made space, but the Duke didn’t move deep into the room.
He stopped a few steps away from Eloise.
“I’m sorry for being a worthless father.”
Eloise blinked slowly at the apology that came without any explanation.
It was typical of the Duke of Monclair’s behavior, but such words alone wouldn’t reach Eloise’s heart.
I mouthed from behind Eloise, “Be specific.”
“You should have apologized when the butler’s wrongdoing was revealed… but it’s too late now.”
The Duke seemed to understand my signal and slowly continued speaking.
Eloise just listened silently.
“I won’t make excuses that I didn’t know what to do because I cherished my daughter. It’s all my fault.”
“Father…”
“I will accept all your resentment. I only ask you to know this one thing: I never stopped loving you.”
“You… loved me?”
Eloise’s voice, trembling as if holding back tears, asked the Duke.
“Both I and Catherine… were grateful and happy when you were born. From that moment until now, I have always loved you.”
“Why… I won’t ask, nor will I resent you. And I certainly won’t forgive you.”
“Yes. I am truly sorry.”
An awkward silence fell between father and daughter.
From behind Eloise, I gestured frantically at the Duke.
“Forward. No more hurt. Promise it.”
The Duke glanced at me briefly before speaking.
“I will not hurt you anymore.”
There was a slight miscommunication, but the meaning seemed to have been conveyed.
Eloise took a step closer to the Duke.
“…Could you even break your promise to the royal family?”
“I’ll go to the Emperor immediately and tell him.”
The Duke, after all, was planning to visit the Emperor today, so he answered readily.
Then he gestured toward me.
“Then, Lisette, I’ll borrow you.”
“Lisette?”
“Yes. As an ally who can testify against the Crown Prince’s foolish deeds.”
“I’ll go!”
I answered for Eloise and ran alongside the Duke.
Though his teal eyes seemed to glare sharply at me, I pretended not to notice.
“Eloise also has to go out now. Come on, let’s go quickly.”
At my urging, the Duke opened the door, and we walked out of the mansion side by side.
The Duchess, who had been waiting outside, took Eloise with her to the exhibition hall.
I boarded the carriage heading to the palace with the Duke.
“Let’s go.”
As the carriage departed, the Duke silently looked out the window.
After the earlier commotion, the quiet made me drowsy again.
Thump, thump, thump.
Nodding off, I kept resting my head against the cushion.
The Duke, sitting across from me, watched me closely, then rummaged through his pocket and handed me something.
“Eat this. It’ll help wake you up.”
It was candy wrapped in soft, thin paper.
The scent was slightly sharp and bitter—seems like peppermint mixed with some herbs.
“Thank you.”
I couldn’t spare the energy to avoid anything, so I put the candy in my mouth.
The peppermint’s toothpaste-like taste and scent cooled my tongue and throat, instantly waking me up.
Whatever magic he had used, the effect was immediate.
“Duke, this works really well!”
“I sometimes eat it during all-night work. Let me know if you need more.”
“…I think it’s better if I never have to need it.”
I muttered quietly, and the Duke’s fierce expression sharpened.
“You seem to have it easy, unlike my children.”
“I did call the Crown Prince a jerk, though.”
“That’s right. Do the same in front of the Emperor.”
I nodded—after all, I had previously bolted to the restroom during lunch with the Emperor.
Soon, the carriage slowed, and the driver opened the door.
“We’ve arrived.”
The Monclair carriage, which had departed early in the morning, finally reached the palace.
Guided by the imperial attendants, the Emperor’s office was simpler than expected.
The Emperor and Marcel hadn’t arrived yet, so the Duke and I sat alone on the sofa.
Looking around the office, I asked the Duke,
“Usually, don’t you have to request permission beforehand to see the Emperor?”
From what I remembered, neither Eloise nor the Duchess had given any notice when coming to the palace.
“That may be true for other nobles, but for Monclair…”
I realized again that the name Monclair carried enormous authority in the empire.
Even the imperial family couldn’t resist the family of archmages.
“So, is Monclair greater than the royal family?”
“Not only do we have royal blood, but our magical abilities surpass the current royal family.”
“So if you dueled the Emperor in magic, you would win?”
“Of course.”
The Duke answered with pride.
“The 29th Emperor owes his throne to Monclair. That is the weight of our name in the Empire. Never forget, Lisette.”
“Yes!”
I wasn’t entirely sure what he meant by saying this to me, but I responded firmly.
Shortly after, the Emperor entered the office with Marcel.
The Duke rose leisurely from the sofa and bowed to the Emperor.
“Glory to Calenia. I greet Your Majesty.”
“Duke of Monclair, it’s been a while. What brings you here so suddenly?”
The Emperor gestured for Marcel and the Duke to sit as he took the main seat.
He only gave me a brief glance.
“By chance, the Second Prince also has something to say. Are you two planning to seize the throne together?”
The Emperor alternated his gaze between the Duke and Marcel, making a chilling joke.
When neither spoke, the Emperor’s expression darkened.
“Marcel, speak.”
“Your Majesty, I know you have always been a model ruler and a wise sovereign.”
“Are you trying to sweet-talk me?”
Instead of answering, Marcel handed over a sheet of paper.
It was a copy of Eloise and the Crown Prince’s marriage vow that Etienne had shown earlier.
Recognizing it, the Emperor pursed his lips and clasped his hands.
“According to imperial law, a marriage vow cannot be reported to the marriage office without both signatures. Yet this vow was somehow properly reported. Isn’t that strange? Unless Your Majesty, a model of the empire, made a mistake.”
“It’s not a mistake. Eloise couldn’t provide a magical signature, which is why.”
“The Duke of Monclair admitted that wasn’t the case.”
“Duke of Monclair.”
The Emperor glared sharply, but the Duke met his gaze calmly and laid the stack of papers before him.
“Your Majesty, look. Do you know what this is? The Crown Prince intended to make our Eloise a puppet, and you thought I’d honor that promise?”
The Duke’s raised voice and fury resembled a wild beast ruling the plains, momentarily intimidating the Emperor.
Avoiding the Duke’s gaze, the Emperor examined the papers.
“Restoring the position of Empress? That’s impossible. You know that, Duke. I’ll talk to the Crown Prince myself.”
He scolded the Duke, then turned to Marcel with a sharp look.
“Marcel. Why have you brought these?”
Facing his father’s coldness, Marcel forced a bitter smile and pulled other documents from his sleeve.
“There’s more, Your Majesty. First, my brother is scouting the Beast Nation. How would the Empire’s people react if war breaks out again?”
“Marcel de Valois!”
“I hope you hear me out this time. Father never listened to me once.”
Marcel, usually gentle to everyone, spoke firmly, making the Emperor visibly flustered.
“When I was born, you sent assassins fearing I’d threaten my brother as a male heir. How would the people react if they knew? Could you still call yourself the model of the Empire then?”
The Crown Prince truly was a bastard. His father had been one too.
