62
Fine. My image or whatever isn’t important.
If I become the sole trash and escape this situation, that’s enough—I comforted myself with that thought. If I didn’t think that way, it felt like I wouldn’t be able to endure this reality.
…Ha. I’m really going insane.
At that moment, the Emperor, whose mood had soured because things weren’t going his way, interjected.
“Marion. Speak for yourself. Were you meeting both the Grand Duke and Trash at the same time?”
I quickly turned my brain and answered.
“…I have been with His Grace the Grand Duke for a long time… but I couldn’t tell anyone about it.”
[Act pitiful too!]
Thanks to Blade’s acting coaching, I tilted my head diagonally and tried hard to squeeze out a wistful voice.
“Whenever that happened, I only lightly talked with other men, I swear I never formed a deep relationship. I… I only have His Grace the Grand Duke.”
Even the pitiful hand gestures were perfect.
Kaiden wrapped his arm around my shoulders and called my name in a regretful voice.
“Marion.”
We were totally in sync now. I inwardly admired his acting skills.
Since Trash had spouted ridiculous lies first, I completely denied ever meeting him. That made us even, didn’t it?
Most people in the hall were saying things like “What a rogue…!” and “So she did it on purpose to make His Grace jealous?”
…Tomorrow, this whole affair would definitely plaster every newspaper in the Empire. I would become the trash rogue who cheated on her husband right after marriage.
Meanwhile, the Emperor seemed a little flustered. He probably hadn’t expected me to admit so boldly to cheating. He asked Kaiden.
“…Are you really okay with this, Grand Duke?”
“I understand Marion’s feelings.”
“You understand?”
“Yes. Because of the difference in status and many other trivial reasons, Marion was unable to reveal that we were lovers for a full five years. Rather, it is my fault for leaving her feelings neglected for so many years.”
At that answer, the people around let out an “Ah—!” of admiration. They were moved by Kaiden’s generosity.
“And even if Marion looked elsewhere for a very brief moment, it is not something that would hurt my heart.”
Kaiden swept his gaze across the hall once, drawing everyone’s attention. The end of that gaze landed on me.
“After all, Marion will return to me, and I have no intention of letting her go. Because we promised to love each other until the grave.”
It was a confession dripping with obsession.
The surrounding nobles gasped. After a moment of silence, murmurs exploded. Especially the excited voices of the noble ladies rang out loudly.
“How romantic… So the reason the Grand Duke is called a berserker is because he’s mad with love!”
“The rogue must have felt stifled all this time too.”
“His Grace went on dozens of marriage meetings, didn’t he?”
“Ah! That’s right. Just a few months ago with Princess Serena…”
“The rogue must have felt terrible watching that.”
“Then the reason he rejected all those meetings was because of the rogue.”
Everyone was piecing the story together on their own.
In the middle of all this, my face heated up at Kaiden’s confession that he would love me until the grave. For a lie, it was heartbreakingly sincere.
Kaiden looked straight at the Emperor and drove the wedge home.
“I am simply proud, grateful, and sorry toward Marion, who saved the Empire from monsters. I should have been in the capital…”
[Kaiden really knows noble speech well. He’s praising you for sacrificing yourself for the Empire while simultaneously pointing out the Emperor’s incompetence.]
Blade said in a strangely excited voice.
I had thought he was just saying he was worried about me, but he was also jabbing at the Emperor’s shortcomings.
One thing was certain: he kept emphasizing that I had saved the Empire. That wasn’t a welcome remark for an Emperor desperate to tarnish me.
“That’s true. If it weren’t for the rogue, there would have been massive casualties.”
“Exactly. I thought today was supposed to be a ceremony to honor the rogue.”
“Me too.”
Favorable public opinion was the trend. Seeing the Emperor’s face turning red and blue, it clearly wasn’t the situation he wanted.
“We have forgotten something, Your Majesty.”
At that moment, the Crown Prince, standing near the Emperor, spoke in a loud voice.
All eyes turned to him. I deliberately fixed my gaze on an ambiguous spot in the air so as not to look at the Crown Prince. I couldn’t risk murderous intent rising the moment I saw his face.
“What is it?”
When the Emperor asked, the Crown Prince slowly descended the stairs.
“Marion is certainly a hero who saved the Empire.”
He gradually approached Kaiden and me.
I ground my teeth. I could feel strength entering Kaiden’s hand that was wrapped around my shoulder. I had no idea what nonsense he was about to spout, and irritation surged inside me.
“However, the man who claims to be the hero’s adoptive father is still suspected of killing as many as five people and covering it up with Marion’s money.”
“He is not my father!”
I shouted sharply.
Unable to contain my anger any longer, I looked straight at the Crown Prince’s face.
I couldn’t tell whether the murderous intent surging within me was the lingering effect of the curse or new killing intent toward the Crown Prince who was trying to frame me for a crime I didn’t commit.
“But Marion. Isn’t it true that the murders were covered up with the money you gave? Can we really call such a person a hero?”
Who asked to be called a hero?
I felt wronged. I could sense their determination to find any pretext against me.
The audience chamber fell silent for a moment before being covered in whispers.
“That’s true too. The daughter of a murderer being a hero…”
“But she’s not his biological child, is she?”
“That part is a bit ambiguous. They say it was money the rogue gave.”
“Is there evidence?”
My chest felt stifled. I bit my lip and glared at the one-armed knight. He was rolling his eyes while being held by the knights.
I could feel Kaiden quietly grinding his teeth beside me. Just as he was about to step forward, the Emperor beat him to it.
“I would like to hear what that man has to say as well. Remove the gag.”
As soon as his mouth was freed, the one-armed knight cried out in a trembling voice.
“P-please spare my life!”
The Emperor asked in a stern voice.
“How shameless for a murderer. I ask you. Have you ever covered up murders with the money Marion gave you?”
“Y-yes! That’s right! It was all done on Marion’s orders!”
“Your Majesty!”
At the one-armed knight’s shout, Kaiden roared at the Emperor in fury, and I closed my eyes.
The Emperor had already decided to drag me down.
The inside of the audience chamber buzzed. Fortunately or unfortunately, people didn’t seem to believe the one-armed knight’s words.
His appearance was far too wretched, and it was obvious he was spouting whatever came to mind. They also seemed to be mindful of Kaiden’s menacing aura.
The Emperor delivered the verdict.
“The one-armed knight shall be sentenced to death. Marion will be detained for investigation.”
“Spare me!”
The one-armed knight shook off the hands of the knights holding him and stumbled out. He staggered to the center of the hall and pointed at me.
“It was all, all instigated by Marion! I didn’t kill because I wanted to…!”
“Stop talking nonsense!”
Kaiden roared with killing intent.
The one-armed knight approached me, barely able to keep his balance. The smell of alcohol wafted from him.
“Marion! Marion, hurry and speak! It was all your orders, wasn’t it?! Quickly tell the truth!”
I looked at him with an expressionless face. He clung to me and screamed.
There was a time when I desperately tried to hear even a single word of praise from him.
Now, not a single grain of affection remained.
“Get out of my way.”
I brushed his hand away with a truly light gesture. That was when it happened.
Ting!
“Ugh!”
“Marius!”
The Crown Prince suddenly clutched his left cheek and staggered. The Emperor shot to his feet.
[What the—why did a button suddenly…!]
Blade clung to me. I opened my eyes wide. A small scratch appeared on the Crown Prince’s cheek, and a bit of blood trickled out.
“Urgh…!”
The moment I saw blood, strength drained from my body, and I nearly fell backward. Fortunately, Kaiden caught me, so I was fine. I was glad I didn’t faint even after seeing blood.
[Are you okay, Marion?]
Blade stuck to my face with his tiny hands, trying desperately to cover my eyes. He was apparently trying to block the blood from my sight.
‘I’m okay. More importantly, what’s going on?’
[The one-armed knight tore a button from your sleeve, and it bounced off and grazed the Crown Prince’s face.]
‘What? That makes no sense….’
It was a far-fetched situation. At that moment, Kaiden muttered in a voice filled with fury.
“It’s magic.”
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