WARDV 68

CHAPTER 68

“And it’s also been revealed that Lady Fran recently purchased an infant from human traffickers.”

“H-Human trafficking?”

Faydan was now on the verge of fainting.

But Lockhard’s report didn’t end there.

“And also…”

“There’s more?!”

“The newspapers, upon hearing the news, are racing to publish articles about Your Excellency’s alleged affair with Lady Fran…”

“What the hell?!”

Elize had been the one who stirred up trouble, yet now his own reputation was about to crash along with hers.

Unable to vent his anger anywhere else, Faydan slammed his fists on the desk repeatedly—only to stop when the pain hit.

In that moment, Leticia’s voice suddenly echoed in his memory.

“Faydan, if you go out like this, you’ll regret it.”

“…”

“I clearly gave you a chance to protect your honor.”

Could it be…

‘Was this her doing? Is this what she meant by regret?’

She must’ve planned this to completely ruin his reputation as well.

Faydan clenched his aching fists, grinding his teeth in frustration, when Lockhard cautiously asked,

“Um, Your Excellency… What should we do about this matter?”

“What do you mean, ‘what should we do’? Stop the articles immediately!”

“N-Not the articles… I mean, what will you do about Lady Fran?”

“You expect me to worry about the woman who just ruined my life?”

Faydan exploded, but then abruptly fell silent, as if an idea had struck him.

“Wait a second.”

“…Sir?”

“We’ve been through a lot together. It would be a bit cold to end things just like this.”

And with that, he quickly began preparing something.

In a separate building used by the Imperial Knights, there was a solitary cell reserved for those whose crimes had yet to be determined.

It was the time of day when the daytime knights finished their shift and the night shift was taking over.

Elize sat alone in that cell, blankly staring into space.

A meal — decent enough, typically served to knights — was set before her, but she hadn’t touched it.

For now, since her charges were not yet confirmed, and for the sake of her noble status, she was being kept in relative comfort.

But once the trial ended, she would undoubtedly be dragged into the underground prison of the palace.

A place without sunlight, with barely edible food.

And yet, Elize couldn’t accept reality.

‘Why am I being treated like this?’

She hadn’t meant to kill Rewen. She hadn’t planned to harm the baby she had purchased.

If anything, she had bought the child from someone unable to care for it — so wasn’t that a good outcome for both the child and its parents?

Yes, buying and selling humans was illegal — but wasn’t that the traffickers’ crime?

She had simply paid for what was being sold.

The more she thought about it, the more unjust it felt.

‘Is Faydan really going to abandon me like this?’

When she recalled the reason she had done all of this in the first place, her resentment only deepened.

‘If only that bastard had stayed loyal and waited for me…’

Or at the very least, if he had ended things cleanly with Leticia and married her.

If only he had handled things properly, none of this would have happened.

It was all his fault.

‘If he really leaves me now, I’m not going down alone.’

If Faydan truly disowned her, she would tell the knights that he had been part of the scheme too.

Of course, he hadn’t actually participated — so there would be no evidence, and he wouldn’t be punished.

‘But at least he’ll get dragged through the mud.’

Still, deep inside, a sliver of hope remained.

A small belief that maybe Faydan still loved her.

That maybe, for the sake of their past, he’d come to her rescue.

But surely the news must’ve reached the ducal household by now — and yet, there was still no word from Faydan.

Growing increasingly anxious, Elize began biting her nails.

That’s when—

Knock knock—

“Faydan?”

To her disappointment, it was the voice of a knight.

“A letter has arrived from the Farnese Duke’s estate.”

“…Come in.”

The knight handed her a sealed letter bearing the Farnese family crest and left immediately.

Elize, holding a fragile mix of hope and fear, opened the letter.

[Elize,

There’s a lot I could say, and plenty to argue over — but for the sake of what we once had, I won’t accuse you of fraud.

However, there is something that must be made clear:

If you have any conscience left, don’t try to tie me to what happened. Which, incidentally, is the truth.

Even if you somehow get out of this mess, let’s never meet again.

The fact that I briefly housed a criminal in my home — even unknowingly — disgusts me.

P.S. I’ll have your belongings sent to your family’s estate. Retrieve them yourself.]**

“That bastard…!”

Elize’s hands trembled with rage as she finished reading the letter and then tore it to shreds.

“Do you know why I did this? Who I did it for? Argh!”

She screamed and ripped at her bedding in a frenzy, but it brought no relief.

If anything, it only drove home the fact that this — this humiliating prison — was now her reality.

‘I don’t want it to end like this. Why do I have to be the only one ruined?’

That woman — the one who stole her place — and Faydan, who cast her aside so easily, were both fine.

Why only her?

Then, she thought of Leticia — who, not long ago, had been in the same position.

But when Leticia stormed out after Faydan requested a divorce, she returned later with Idris at her side.

That image resurfaced now, and Elize felt a surge of bitter rage.

‘How did she meet the Grand Duke Del Lua?’

Why did that woman always have everything Elize didn’t?

Men, admiration, wealth…

They were both daughters of viscounts. Elize wasn’t even inferior in looks. But somehow Leticia always seemed to be the protagonist of the world.

Just because she met the right man.

It was maddeningly unfair.

‘If only a prince on a white horse would appear for me too…’

Then maybe she could get revenge — on Faydan, who abandoned her, and on that woman, who had dragged her through the mud.

She burned with resentment toward a fate that had never been on her side.

And just then—

The cell door swung open without warning.

A shadowy figure entered.

“W-Who…?”

The unknown presence instantly extinguished her fury, replacing it with a cold, creeping fear.

Elize stared at the figure with wide, terrified eyes.

“We meet again, milady.”

With an unfamiliar voice, the figure stepped into the moonlight — and stopped in front of her.

Her eyes widened in shock at the face she saw.

“Duke Zahid?!”

“You look like someone with a lot of grievances. How could I ignore a lady in such distress?”

Deon held out his hand to Elize.

“Shall we go somewhere else? I’d like to hear your story.”

In the moonlight, his appearance was less like a prince on a white horse, and more like a demon.

But when you’re hanging off a cliff, even the devil’s hand looks like salvation.

Elize hesitated for a moment — then took his hand.

As if it were the final lifeline she had left.