Chapter 122
#122. Duke Elkin, the Lies and the Truth
When Olivia was young and living in the Madeleine estate, instead of going up to the fourth-floor attic after dinner, she would lean against the wall of the staircase, fidgeting with her fingers.
She would flinch at the chill running down her spine, yet yearn for the laughter coming from the drawing room.
The warm temperature, the cozy conversation, the image of a harmonious and close-knit family, stroking flushed cheeks and smiling.
Something that was never given to Olivia.
So, from the moment she first learned the meaning of the word "bastard," Olivia occasionally wondered.
Her father already had a Duchess whom he loved dearly, as well as Conrad, Jade, and Esella.
Then, for what reason was I born?
How did my mother meet my father?
.
.
.
"Princess, no. The young lady's mother was a woman who lived at the very end of Edington Street. Green Eyes, of dancer lineage, yet she wasn't ashamed to sing, so she was quite famous."
Edington Street. No different from the Empire's red-light district.
With that one sentence, the Princess dismissed the servants.
Duke Elkin wiped away the cold sweat that had frozen his liver. The boldness from before had disappeared, and now, in front of him, was just a young girl longing for her mother.
As the Princess's eyes grew misty, Duke Elkin perfectly crafted a framework of embellishments to his advantage.
A pitiful Green Eyes woman and a high-ranking noble who heartlessly ignored her after a one-night stand.
Of course, he had to be the most virtuous figure in between.
"...Actually, the reason I came to know about the young lady's mother was because of that night. That is, the night Duke Madeleine and I were drinking... The young lady is twenty, so... it would have been twenty years ago."
Duke Elkin lowered his gaze slightly. He could clearly see the Princess's hand, holding the teacup, trembling slightly.
"That day, Duke Madeleine drank excessively. It was the first time I had ever seen him like that. As the young lady knows, the Duke is always in control of himself."
"..."
"As you know, it's not easy for a dancer, looked down upon as lowly, to spend even one night with a high-ranking noble like Duke Madeleine. It's unpleasant to say, but..."
Here, Duke Elkin sighed silently. Through his thinly curved eyes, he didn't forget to constantly observe the Princess's reaction.
He couldn't see what expression the Princess, who had lowered her head, was making.
Therefore, Duke Elkin, pretending to ponder, drove in the wedge.
"...It seems Duke Madeleine forced himself on the young lady's mother. Who would have known that the Duke's refined drinking habits could be so vile."
The trembling that had been holding the teacup stopped for a moment, and Duke Elkin inhaled sharply. He barely suppressed the smile that stretched his lips to the point of tearing.
The Princess had clearly wavered. No daughter could remain indifferent to her mother's tragic story!
"…It was an act that was not exemplary as a noble, but I, too, was too drunk that day and missed it. I regret that, Princess."
"…Is that all you know about my mother?"
"Of course not!"
The Princess's voice was tinged with trembling. Delighted, Duke Elkin immediately shook his head. Then, suppressing his excitement, he looked at the Princess's face.
If only the Princess's Green Eyes, which had lowered her head, would meet his, the sound of his heart pounding through his veins would double in volume.
"Before the young lady's mother died, she sent a letter to the Duke. Who do you think told her Duke Madeleine's name so she could send that letter? It was me."
In truth, it was information he had leaked, hoping that the dancer would go to the Madeleine estate and cause a ruckus. He never expected her to disappear completely from Edington Street after that day. Even with the 'burden-like child who could only lie down.'
Duke Elkin subtly lowered his voice. And, as he usually did as a warm benefactor whenever he went to the orphanage, he leaned towards the Princess.
"Imagine if the young lady had remained alone at that Turning Bell. Would you be living such a precious life now, treated as the Grand Duchess-to-be?"
"..."
"So, it's not wrong to say that I helped the young lady in parts of her life."
Rather, he helped with her birth. But in this tearfully heartbreaking adaptation, he couldn't tell that story. It was a shame.
However, he was able to make Duke Madeleine the worst person possible.
"But, what about Duke Madeleine? He didn't act as a father at all, but rather, he only used the young lady. If you don't feel any resentment or bitterness, that would be deceiving yourself."
"..."
"He ignored you in front of everyone, humiliated you, and even differentiated your dress from that of the little Princess. In fact, the Duke was the one who was at fault."
Only at the small voice, as if whispering, did the Princess slowly raise her head. A light flashed in her somewhat dazed Green Eyes.
This was it.
Duke Elkin's heart swelled. Of course. The Princess must have been harboring deep-seated resentment in her heart. He was just acting as a trigger now.
"If I had a daughter as intelligent and beautiful as the young lady, I would never have treated her like that. If I had a daughter as intelligent and beautiful as the young lady, I would have started acting as a father from then on."
The story flowed smoothly, as if oil had been applied to his tongue. It was so easy to coax a young Princess.
Duke Elkin seemed to have forgotten that the Princess in front of him was the same person who had made his liver shrink earlier, and he cunningly seduced her like a snake.
"So, Princess. Just say the word if you want."
Formality arose above Duke Elkin's words, which had openly lowered his tone. It was a secret means of expressing an equal transaction.
"Doesn't the young lady hate Duke Madeleine? Don't you want to take revenge on the person who left you alone for so long? The young lady and I have walked different paths until now, but we can still join forces at any time."
Duke Elkin whispered gently and cunningly. He could read the Princess's heart, flickering like a candle in front of him.
"His Majesty has also promised to give the young lady even more power than Duke Madeleine if you just return to your original position. But..."
Duke Elkin paused for a moment and looked around the room. Greed flickered in his brown eyes.
It was full of things that were much rarer and more valuable than the items in the hallway. He always thought that all the Grand Duke offered were spoils of war. He had more than that.
If he thought about the mineral tax as well... Duke Elkin's Adam's apple bobbed slowly. The Duke said kindly, trying not to show it as much as possible.
"...If you like the seat you're sitting in now better, tell me secretly. I can make the young lady Elkin Princess again at any time and promise you the position of Grand Duchess that is more solid than anyone else's. Of course, without telling His Majesty. How about it?"
Now that he looked at it, even the teacup that the Princess was holding in her hands looked valuable. Was it a treasure of Heferti, or a Serachi artifact? If the Princess became the 'Elkin Princess', those things would also be in his hands...!
It was when Duke Elkin's eyes were turning red.
"...Duke Madeleine doesn't have drinking habits."
Duke Elkin blinked for a moment. The Princess's answer was not the answer he had expected.
Did she have affection for him even though she lived being abused? Ha. He felt like a sneer would burst out on its own. Duke Elkin looked at the Princess with pity and shook his head.
"What! You don't have to cover for him like that, Princess."
"I'm not covering for him, it's because I know him better than anyone else. The Duke's cardiovascular disease came about because of that tremendous amount of alcohol."
The rumor that the Duke was suffering from severe cardiovascular disease was widespread throughout the Empire.
But Olivia and the former butler were the only two people in the Empire who knew that the cause of the disease was the alcohol he drank every night.
"Hazel, Hazel..."
The painful name she muttered with red eyes, unable to shed tears, came to mind. The moment her staggering gaze looked at him, she fell asleep as if collapsing.
"So, I don't believe that the Duke, who was drunk, forcibly embraced a woman."
"...Look. Princess, no, young lady. It seems you want to defend a father who didn't even give you affection,"
"The former butler will say that too. Duke Madeleine doesn't have drinking habits,"
"No, this is different from his usual drinking habits! I even took medicine..."
Oops. This time, Duke Elkin's eyes widened. Looking at his astonished brown eyes, Olivia quickly grasped the facts.
"...Are you saying that you put some kind of medicine in Duke Madeleine's alcohol at that time with some intention?"
"Princess, no, young lady. That's not it,"
"It also means that my mother was used there, and therefore, you made a great contribution to making me a bastard who is criticized?"
Olivia blinked slowly. There was a time when she had made several hypotheses about her birth. But, the truth was...
This was too trivial, wouldn't it have been better not to know?
If it was this disappointing and empty, should she have just buried it?
Olivia briefly recalled her mother's face. Her mother, whom she had guessed to be a priest noble of Lowell, and her mother, who was branded with the stigma of a dancer. The gap was so large that Olivia swallowed her quickening breath.
Why did her mother, whom she loved so much in her memories, sleep with Duke Madeleine?
What was it for that her mother, who loved her so much, did that?
Meanwhile, Duke Elkin hurriedly got up. His face was as white as a sheet.
"I, I will go back now."
"Duke."
Even at the short call, the Duke made a surprised face, as those who have done something terribly wrong usually do.
When Olivia faced Duke Elkin, her chest felt stuffy. She couldn't tell if it was anger, or rage, or something more, so she smiled gracefully as a habit.
"You are the first noble of the Empire to visit me after I came to Vikander, Duke. I can't send you off with a disappointing reception and feel an unpleasant aftertaste."
"No, I feel like I should go back now..."
"Or would you like to wait and have your first meal with the Grand Duke?"
"The, the Grand Duke should still be in the Empire...?!"
"Oh, you didn't know?"
Olivia nodded with a face that said it was understandable.
"The Grand Duke arrived in Vikander last night, that is, earlier than you, Duke. It seems that His Majesty wanted to create a secret from you, just like you did."
At the sarcasm that mocked the Duke's betrayal of the Emperor, the Duke urgently shouted.
"Wa, wait a minute!"
While buying time, the Duke constantly agonized.
No way. There was no reason for the Emperor to abandon him. But the special nature of Vikander aroused suspicion in Duke Elkin.
Was there really no reason for the Emperor to abandon him?
Anxiety and impatience overwhelmed Duke Elkin. Could it be that the Emperor betrayed him? After preventing him from leaving this Vikander, was he going to join hands with Duke Madeleine again?
Duke Elkin tried to laugh heartily. He wanted to show that he was not discouraged, but in the end, the end of the laughter turned into a plea.
"If I have one more, that is, one more really valuable piece of information about the Princess's mother, will you clear the way for me to return immediately?"
Olivia crossed her arms for a moment.
In the quiet drawing room, beyond the half-open window, the armor of the knights on guard clashed against each other, making a sharp sound.
When that sharp sound scratched away at his sensitivity, Duke Elkin shouted madly.
"Old woman! The Princess's mother lived with an old woman in the cheapest inn on Edington Street!"
At that moment, Olivia's eyes shook very slightly.
An old woman.
When she was born, there were no grandmothers around.
Was that a lie, or was it the truth?
* * *
Meanwhile, in the abundant granary of Tristan.
Baron Jabron, a vassal of Tristan and the lord's representative, looked at the warehouse with a desolate face.
"This can't be..."
He couldn't tell anyone. That the grain tax had doubled this year, which wasn't even a year of abundance. That even the grain they thought they would eat until next year had been completely emptied by the Imperial Knights who had left a little while ago.
"If it's this empty, what are we going to eat until the harvest?"
One of the vassals behind him muttered, and it hit him right in the ear. He could see the faces of the territory's people, who had endured poverty and injustice until now just because the Princess, who was called the reincarnation of the Saintess, was the lord, were showing signs of agitation.
This was all because of the identity of the true Saintess that was in the newspaper.
To them, the Emperor was like the sky, and the Princess was no different from the Saintess. But that Princess was not actually the Saintess.
Even the Emperor was someone they couldn't trust.
The Baron shook his head, startled by his own thoughts.
This was the kind of thought that a traitor would have. If someone read his thoughts... His spine tingled.
Surely His Majesty the Emperor had deep intentions.
But...
The Baron sighed repeatedly. In the face of the reality that had befallen them, respect and awe for the Emperor quickly disappeared like dust.
Anyway, as the person in charge of the territory at this moment, he threw away his hesitant attitude and began to write a letter. It was not a plea to the Princess, who had never replied.
The target of the letter was the silver-haired maid.
To Miss Olivia.
If she was the true Saintess who was in the newspaper, she would give him an answer.
