CHAPTER 80……………………
“But wait, is he really just pretending to be unconscious?”
Luelian suddenly kicked Prince Istan.
The shock made the prince sputter up water, jerking upright.
Luelian sneered at him.
“Finally awake. Don’t know the details, but even while you were unconscious you kept mumbling, ‘My Lady, don’t hit me,’ and begging pitifully……”
“Hmph!”
I walked up to the prince, who looked like a drowned rat.
As he wrung out his drenched clothes, he glared at me with resentful eyes.
“How could you do this, My Lady? Are all women of the Empire like this? You pretended to have feelings for me……”
“What nonsense? I was just being polite to a foreign guest, and you deluded yourself.”
I snapped.
“You should know your place. I’d never fall for such tricks. From the start, your act of being fatally charming was laughable—I had to strain to keep a straight face.”
“What did you say?”
Maybe remembering the “foolish blonde in love” act I’d put on, the prince looked utterly dumbfounded.
But now? Who would believe this idiot’s words?
He had no idea how things turned out this way. How his treasure had been swapped for a fake, or how I knew all his business secrets.
“You’ll never know.”
I gestured to my maid Mia standing in the back. She stepped forward and handed me a small box—the music box the prince had once gifted me.
I set it before him.
“Sell this in prison to buy yourself a better meal.”
“……”
The prince stared at me blankly. Then suddenly muttered:
“…This is the first time.”
“What?”
“A woman like you—the first time. Fine, I admit it. At first, I approached you with an agenda… but just now, I think I fell in love.”
Then, collapsing to his knees before me, he shouted:
“My Lady! I love you!”
“What?”
I recoiled in horror.
“Isn’t he completely insane?”
While I vented on the prince, the Crown Prince and his brother—who had been hanging back—rushed forward, exasperated.
“You really do stoop to anything, don’t you?”
Zikren yanked the prince up—by the collar, not the arm.
“My Lady, don’t bother with this lunatic. His filth will rub off on you.”
Aldensis twisted the prince’s arm behind his back, so hard it cracked.
“Right. Stay back.”
Duke Canel said coldly.
“I’ll handle this. Most men come to their senses after a single blow with a cudgel.”
With that, he drew the ceremonial sword from his waist with a shring!
I flinched.
That didn’t look like a cudgel at all!
“My lord duke, stop. You must not use violence on this criminal.”
Luelian intervened. Perhaps, as a clergyman, he’d show more mercy?
“Every religious and civil trial he faces will be hell. I’ll personally sit in as advisor. If you stab him now, the trial will be delayed—and that would only be granting him charity, postponing his entry through hell’s gates.”
……Nope. Turns out he had the least mercy of all.
“Enough! Prince Istan isn’t insane!”
Serene cried out. Maybe she was the softhearted one here?
“Why is it madness to fall for Lady Aristina? Anyone would! Don’t call him deranged and give him grounds to plead diminished responsibility. He must never receive leniency—not a single day off his sentence. He should rot away in prison, his heart burning black forever!”
……Nope. Her eyes glittered with the wildest frenzy of them all.
Still, her words rang true.
‘Yeah? Why does everyone treat him like a lunatic for liking me?’
I almost felt a bit offended. But then—
“I will pay for my crimes! But know this: I love you, Lady Aristina! Even imprisoned for life, I’ll love you forever!”
As the prince screamed this while being dragged away, I thought once again:
‘He is crazy.’
I cast him a cold look, then turned to Luelian.
“When this criminal has been fully tried, what sort of sentence will he get?”
“At least four hundred and sixty years?”
“Sounds about right.”
Feeling refreshed, I brushed off my hands—just as a commotion rose from behind the crowd.
The onlookers parted, and two old figures hurried forward: the royal grandaunt and the World Tree’s great spirit.
I blinked in surprise.
“What brings you here?”
“What do you mean? You sent us invitations to your succession trial ball, didn’t you? We only read them late.”
The grandaunt asked anxiously:
“Has it already ended? Did we miss it?”
“No!”
The great spirit pointed to the ship moored by the lake.
“Looks like we arrived just in time!”
“Yes, indeed.”
Duke Canel answered.
“Perfect timing. A small incident occurred, but it’s all settled. Now we shall begin the evening’s most important ceremony.”
Oh, no.
I instinctively stepped back.
Everything for the succession rite was ready by the lakeside.
The duke’s knights were already lined up in formation; trumpets, drums, and fireworks equipment had arrived.
‘Too bad, but I’m not doing this.’
More accurately—I can’t. I have no rightful claim as heir.
To the souls of the Rosen ancestors, I’m a wretched fraud. Best case, they’ll demand my immediate exorcism. If I step forward, that ship will sink to the bottom of the lake.
‘Which means it’s time to use my trick.’
Once the trial began and I had to step on stage, I’d planned to faint suddenly.
Among noble ladies, fainting spells are common. I’d been working hard for days preparing this ball, and gone through quite an ordeal tonight—no one would find it strange.
The trial would be postponed, and I’d think of another plan then.
I lifted my hand to my forehead.
“Wait… my head…”
I was about to put the act in motion when—
“Huh?”
The crowd murmured. Some pointed in shock at my chest.
“…?”
I looked down.
The Heart of the Rose necklace at my throat—its brilliant ruby suddenly shone with dazzling light. A strange voice rang in my mind.
“Do not fear, descendant.”
‘Huh?’
“Once, we did not acknowledge you. But now we do. So do not fear—step forward. You have endured much, child.”
Then the voice added:
“When your father first gave you the necklace, I wished to say this—but you gagged our mouths. You rough, unruly descendant.”
…What?
Before I could process it, mystical light radiated from the founding duke’s necklace, enveloping me like a gentle aurora.
“Yes! That’s it!”
Duke Canel’s booming voice rang out.
“I told you I saw it that night! When she slept on the sofa, the ancestral spirits gathered around, nodding and reaching to pat her head!”
What?!
I just stood there, stunned.
Apparently, the Rosen ancestors had made some kind of mistake.
But if that mistake worked in my favor—and annoyed my enemies?
…No need to correct them.
“But what was that about your head? Are you ill?”
At the duke’s question, I quickly shifted gears, fiddling with my hair.
“No! I was just asking my maids. Girls, should I tuck my hair behind my ear to look more like the rightful heir? Or leave it loose?”
“Both are equally dignified, My Lady.”
The maids chorused.
“Really? In that case…”
I glanced once more at the necklace.
‘Guess I’ll trust you, then.’
“I’ll show you properly!”
The moment I declared that, the ceremony began.
“My lady, here.”
The maids draped a massive cloak, embroidered with the family crest, over my shoulders—so large it took four of them to hold it up behind me.
With onlookers watching, my maids and I processed down the long red carpet, flanked by rows of the ducal knights.
“Now begins Lady Aristina Bianca Rosen’s succession trial!”
The butler’s powerful voice echoed.
At the platform, where the family’s banners flapped, Duke Canel waited. Guided by him, I stepped onto the stage.
Out on the dark-blue lake floated a great old sailing ship with tall masts.
The Habarion—the founding duke’s trade vessel. The ship that made him rich, seed money to build the house.
‘All right, I’m counting on you now.’
I placed my hands on the glowing necklace, inhaled deeply, and recited the words I remembered.
“I, Aristina Bianca Rosen, seek recognition from the ancestral spirits of House Rosen as rightful heir!”
In unison, the knights drew their swords and sliced the mooring ropes.
Snap!
The lines binding the ship all fell away.
Now—the result?
With my heart pounding, I stared at the vessel.
