Chapter 40

Commotion at the Imperial Ball (7)

Iris wasn’t the only victim. There was another lady, who couldn’t stand the bullying and fled the capital, and Lydia, who is no longer with us.

“You mean all these young ladies were involved?! Why on earth….”

“I’m sure you can guess why: the Duchess of Arden was framed for the same reason.”

‘Framed….’

In a soft tone, Rebecca explained that Michael had been interested in Rosetta for some time. That the perpetrator that plagued Iris had picked up on it, and had begun to frame Rosetta.

“Then Lady Whirsen, or rather, the Duchess, is a victim.”

Iris replied weakly.

If Rosetta had never bullied her, then she must not be Rosetta now. The real Iris was possessing Rosetta’s body after all.

“The Empress said that we should also inform the other victim, Lady Leon.”

It was the Empress’s concern, not Michael’s. That fact alone made Iris’s heart sink.

“I’m sure there’s a big incident going on in the ballroom right now, one that was originally going to have Lady Leon as the victim and the Duchess of Arden as the perpetrator.”

The idea of using a lady, who had taken knighting lessons, to stab Iris in the face with a dagger…. It was an ugly plan indeed.

Just hearing the story made Iris shiver with fear.

It was true that she liked Michael, but that didn’t mean she deserved it.

“…The young ladies who were already involved in this were in the hands of the Empress.”

As soon as they received the letter ordering them to work, they rushed to the empress. The Empress discussed the matter with Michael. After much thought and discussion, it was decided that Isabelle should be made to pay back in full for what she had done.

“I’ve read the affidavit, and as you can see…, it’s a case where there is no evidence. The letter as supporting evidence …. It’s very tenuous.”

So Alexis suggested that they finish the job by doing to Isabelle what she was going to do to them. Michael objected, but Annette persuaded him.

The best thing to do would be for Isabelle to confess all her sins, and for all the young ladies who had been involved to be held accountable. But….

“She could claim that the letter was forged, and that the young ladies’ statements were made under duress. Princess Carulias must have known that and exploited it.”

It was even harder to claim a connection to Isabelle. It was just a letter, and all she had to do was say she didn’t write it. There were many people in the Duchy of Carulias… one of them could take the blame and kill himself, and the princess would be freed.

“When the Empress conceived of this plan, she made sure that Lady Leone was informed of all the facts. The Duchess of Arden is a victim, but your ladyship is also a victim of Princess Carulias.”

“I see.”

She knew it was Isabelle, but the fact that she was harassing Rosetta in such a way was unexpected.

‘That wasn’t in the original.’

Later in the novel, Isabelle blames Rosetta for what she did. Rosetta was even executed for it….

‘But that’s not how it works! Even Isabelle has changed. Why did it happen?’

“For that reason, Lady Leon, I would like you to tell one lie.”

At Rebecca’s urging, Iris agreed to cooperate, for she, too, had a grudge against Isabelle, and she felt very sorry for Rosetta.

‘I stole her body, it’s the least I can do.’

? ? ? ?

In front of Selina, who had followed her sobbing into the examination room, the mage who had been transformed into the injured Rosetta reverted to her normal form. The Emperor’s entourage caught Selina, who was about to faint, and explained the situation.

Gerald, Selina, and Endymion sat side by side and listened to the explanation of the operation, beginning with how Rosetta had been falsely accused.

“No, then why didn’t you explain it to us!”

“I’m sorry. It was unavoidable in order to deceive Princess Carulias.”

The emperor’s entourage apologized politely, but Gerald didn’t believe them. Endymion had been caught in the middle of Isabelle’s plan, but he hadn’t planned on telling them.

Because they didn’t trust Rosetta.

They had already been turning a blind eye and ignoring her innocence for over a year.

‘Oh my God….’

The image of Rosetta’s eyes looking at him in disappointment flashed through his mind. The way she’d looked at him as if she’d gotten a ray of hope when he’d told her he’d protect her.

“Rosetta said…. Did the Duchess of Arden know of this plan?”

Gerald asked, and the emperor’s entourage replied with a dignified expression.

“I do not believe she is aware of it. She will not hear of today’s events until after she has returned to the duchy, for today is meant to be a joyous day for her.”

Michael’s fierce protection of Rosetta made sense now. The way he looked at him with contempt.

‘I was a blind man who just opened his eyes.’

He should have believed Rosetta, even if they were estranged. His desire to protect Iris had led to his distrust of Rosetta. He felt a chill run down his spine at the thought that he left Rosetta alone when Iris had so many people to protect her.

Time and time again… He saw Rosetta alone in the ballroom. He’d seen her being judged, and he’d thought that’s what she deserves.

‘If only I’d listened to her properly….’

Endymion and Selina’s confusion was palpable. Selina was equally perplexed as she remembers her daughter said she’s innocent. Then Endymion muttered irritably.

“So many people say it was her, how can we not believe it!”

He was right, but she still felt she should have stood by her.

Even if she had scolded her for her disbelief, she shouldn’t have allowed Rosetta to take the blame again and again, to go through it alone.

If she had, Isabelle’s ugly behavior would not have been repeated.

“And those young ladies? Surely they won’t get away with it, all those people, so many of them, turning an innocent person into a sinner!”

Selina patted her chest as her rage erupted. She gulped down the water she was offered, then glared at the Emperor’s entourage. Endymion, too, was flushed red.

“His Majesty will sort it out, and neither the Empress nor the Duke of Arden will let this attempt to harm the royal family go unpunished.”

They had asked them to hide the fact that Rosetta was not actually injured, and to show that they were still grieving.

The idea was that this incident would elicit a confession from Isabelle that she had framed Rosetta, so they should keep their silence for the time being.

If Isabelle did not confess, he said, she would be put to death today, and the Duke of Carulias would not be spared.

“But still! In front of the people…. Even if it’s a fake play….”

Selina muttered as they rode back in the imperial carriage. Even if the actor was only feigning illness, it was unpleasant to see her in public like that. She was a noble whose body and dignity were her lifeblood.

“…….”

Endymion remained silent. When the news had come from his only daughter, he had accepted it without question. He had accepted it without question, for he knew she was frivolous and impatient.

“Princess Carulias will have to confess….”

That was all he could say. Now that Rosetta was Duchess, people might not be able to point fingers at her… but her reputation would remain. The only way to clear her name was for Isabelle to confess.

As much as he disliked Michael, for this moment, Gerald was glad that Rosetta had married him. If Rosetta hadn’t married into the royal family, she might have been judged for the rest of her life.

? ? ? ?

“Where are you taking me?”

It was Isabelle, who had obediently slipped out of the ballroom, but faltered on the way to the prison. She was a princess of a duke’s family, a distant relative of the imperial family, but the place she was headed was strange. Nobles had their own places to be held.

“…Haven’t you been arrested for a capital offense, and that’s for the prince’s wife?”

“That’s not me, it’s pre-trial, and nothing has come to light yet, but if you’re going to put me in a place like this….”

To Isabelle’s annoyance, the soldiers began to drag her away by force. They had been quite a gentleman when she had walked out on her own, but not now. Isabelle clenched her teeth in a fear she’d never felt before as they dragged her to prison.

The Emperor had been so pleased with Michael’s marriage, and now that his bride was being harmed again, she feared that the Emperor himself might try to torture her, guilty or not.

“Argh!”

The dirty, stinking prison was just right. Thrown to the damp, dirty floor of the prison, Isabelle screamed and rolled on the floor.

“H, hey…!”

Isabelle scrambled to her feet, but the cell door had slammed shut behind her. Isabelle clung to the cell door and rattled the bars, but they didn’t budge.

‘I can’t believe it’s come to this….’

She vividly remembered the stares of the young ladies as they accused her of her crimes. They were hateful. It was as if they knew she had been threatening them….

‘That…. They can’t know that!’

Even if they had known, what could they have done? Even if it had been out of weakness at first, they had repeatedly piled on their misdeeds. Isabelle felt confident that she could lay the blame squarely on them without hurting herself, and so she began.

‘I have been caught in a weakness…, but they have not. Did something happen to my letter? ‘

‘Someone tampered with the letter.’

Nothing was going her way, including the curse on her body and the plan to harm Rosetta before she reached the capital. She felt as if someone with great influence was blocking her path.

She wondered if Prince Michael was on to something…. But it didn’t seem to be him.

If he had, he would have linked Rosetta to her.

‘On my face….’

A chill ran down my spine at the realization that she could have had a nasty scar like Rosetta’s. 

‘The curse. Yeah, I forgot about the curse….’

Her eyes rolled at the news of Michael’s marriage, so she pushed it to the back of her mind, even though it involved her own life. Such was the depth of her anger.

Isabelle realized that she would no longer be able to hurt anyone so easily. If the curse had been cast by one of the young ladies she had threatened, she might have hurt herself.

‘The curse may have been a warning. That if I reveal their secret, I too will be hurt…. But who? Who is it?’

Gritting her teeth, Isabelle looked back at the prison she would endure tonight. She was already a mess from being thrown to the damp floor, but she couldn’t bring herself to sit on it.

“No! I can’t be in a place like this!”

Isabelle screamed, rattling the bars of her cell again.

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