Chapter 23
The Emperor’s expression was visibly displeased as he looked back and forth between Lobelin, Cedric—who was supporting her—and Duke Bolton.
“Your Majesty! This girl, she actually—!”
Despite the situation, Duke Bolton had yet to regain his senses and was still pointing an accusing finger at Lobelin.
“Lower your hand, Duke. How can you be so rude to a lady?”
“Wh-Why, you…!”
Bolton gritted his teeth at Cedric’s firm rebuke.
Until now, he had relied on his authority to commit all sorts of outrages, but meeting someone for the first time who was completely unfazed by his power left him at a loss for how to react.
In the meantime, Cedric turned his head toward the Emperor.
With one arm still supporting Lobelin, Cedric spoke.
“Your Majesty, Duke Bolton was persecuting Lady Dines just a moment ago.”
“What? Are you saying he dared to use force to intimidate a lady here in Heriot?”
The Emperor frowned at Cedric’s words.
“Yes, and at this very gathering that Your Majesty prepared for everyone. As you can see, Lady Dines was so shocked that she is currently…”
Cedric looked down at Lobelin with a pained expression.
‘Wow, Marquis Maxwell. He’s much more of a gentleman than he looks.’
She had felt incredibly wronged when Bolton was pointing his finger at her, but having Cedric step up on her behalf made her feel much better.
“Ah, I…”
Lobelin parted her lips slightly, then let her eyes tremble.
It was an act to appear as a pitiful victim as much as possible, following Cedric’s lead.
Seeing this, the Emperor turned back to Bolton with a look of distaste.
“Duke. Do you still call yourself a gentleman of this empire?”
“Your—Your Majesty! Please, listen to my side as well!”
“Duke, everyone saw what happened. What more is there to hear? You should be ashamed.”
“Urgh…”
Bolton was struck dumb by Cedric’s sharp retort.
The Marquis Maxwell family, with their immense wealth, was an opponent even he could not easily dismiss.
Furthermore, wasn’t Cedric the guest of honor today?
‘Ugh, why! How dare he speak to me, a Duke of this Empire!’
Bolton shook with fury.
The whispers from the surroundings sounded like they were all mocking him.
“Oh dear, as expected, one really shouldn’t associate with Duke Bolton.”
“There’s a reason he hasn’t been able to marry properly even at that age.”
“Indeed. To live with a man like that, I wouldn’t even want the seat of the Empress, let alone a Duchess.”
In reality, no one was actually saying those things, but to Duke Bolton, who was already consumed by a victim complex, the voices of ridicule continued to ring in his ears.
‘I—I can’t let this go!’
Bolton’s face turned even redder with humiliation.
He thought he had to somehow shift all the blame onto that wicked girl, Lobelin Dines.
“Your Majesty! I—I admit I was a bit emotional! But that gi—no, Lady Dines is clearly responsible for trying to spill my glass and humiliate me on purpose!”
“The Lady tried to humiliate the Duke?”
“Yes!”
Seeing that the Emperor appeared to be listening, Bolton nodded, his beady eyes gleaming.
“Because of that woman, my glass was almost broken! If it had, wouldn’t people have been injured? She is a very violent woman!”
“That’s—!”
‘You were the one trying to feed Cornelia that drug!’
Lobelin, unable to endure his persistent lies, was about to speak up.
However, Cedric stepped in first, holding something out between them.
A small glass bottle was held in his hand.
“Lady Dines must have touched the Duke’s glass because of this. Is that not so?”
“Hi-Hieek! How did you…?”
It was the red potion that Bolton had been looking at and snickering over before the banquet began.
Suddenly having his secret exposed, the Duke’s face turned pale.
“Your Majesty, please search the Duke’s person. You will find an empty glass bottle identical to this one.”
As the Emperor nodded at Cedric’s words, the imperial guards quickly searched Bolton.
“Let go! Let go of me! How dare you!”
Bolton resisted, but the guards easily subdued him.
They soon found an empty bottle identical in shape to the one Cedric was holding and respectfully presented it to the Emperor.
Taking it, the Emperor peered at the bottle with a puzzled expression.
“Marquis, what exactly is this?”
“It is a sleeping medicine manufactured in the New Continent. It is said that shortly after consumption, the body becomes drowsy, helping one fall into a pleasant, deep sleep.”
The explanation of the drug flowed smoothly from Cedric’s mouth.
“But what does that have to do with this commotion?”
“This medicine must be used in extremely small quantities under a physician’s prescription. Otherwise, one may suffer side effects such as short-term memory loss, high fever, and hallucinations. In unfortunate cases, it can even lead to death by respiratory failure.”
Lobelin was also secretly startled, realizing anew how dangerous the drug she had almost swallowed was.
Everyone gasped in shock at the identity of the mysterious medicine.
Then, their gazes turned toward Bolton.
“But why would Duke Bolton have this drug…?”
“I have heard that there are wicked people who use this drug on women for other purposes. Even in the New Continent, similar incidents—”
“Your—Your Majesty! It’s all a lie! It’s nonsense meant to slander me! Do not believe him!”
Bolton cut off Cedric’s words mid-sentence.
Drenched in cold sweat, he pointed a finger at Cedric.
“Do you have proof? Do you have proof that I use that medicine like that?!”
“Duke. The Elden Merchant Guild, which is authorized to import this medicine, is owned by me.”
Really? Surprised, Lobelin blinked and looked up at Cedric.
Meeting her eyes for a moment, Cedric gave a faint smile before looking back up.
“Since it is such a dangerous drug, we maintain and manage a separate ledger. I noticed that the House of Duke Bolton has been purchasing it countless times. And since then, at every gathering the Duke attended, there was always a lady who collapsed—”
“It’s a misunderstanding! Isn’t that a medicine anyone can obtain with a doctor’s prescription! Someone else could have bought it!”
“Well, there is a flaw in your use of the word ‘anyone,’ Duke.”
“What on earth does that mean?!”
The surroundings fell silent at Cedric’s remark.
The gathered nobles were at a loss, waiting only for Cedric’s next words.
“In Heriot, the Duke is the only one who has sought this potion. For I have not yet officially introduced it to the Empire.”
“Oh, my heavens!”
A noblewoman who had been focusing on Cedric’s words cried out in shock.
She hurriedly covered her mouth with her fan in embarrassment, but no one scolded her.
Everyone present felt the same way.
“What, so the Duke used a medicine that hasn’t even been made public yet?”
“If what the Marquis says is true, isn’t it an incredibly dangerous drug?”
“Come to think of it, there was that incident where Lady Furby collapsed before. Was that also…?”
As the whispers among the crowd spread, Duke Bolton’s face grew progressively paler in proportion.
“How dare you.”
Unable to watch this situation any longer, the Emperor stepped forward.
“To commit such a wicked act here in my Heriot.”
“Your—Your Majesty! This is unfair, I did no such thing—”
“I don’t want to hear it! Take this man to the imperial dungeon immediately! And arrest that fellow who calls himself the Duke’s personal physician as well!”
“Yes, Your Majesty!”
At the Emperor’s command, the imperial knights approached Bolton.
“Aaaagh! It wasn’t me! Hands off! I said, get your hands off me! I am a Duke!”
Bolton screamed and threw himself on the floor, but he was soon dragged away by the knights in a pathetic display.
Lobelin watched the scene blankly.
‘This was handled much more grandly than I expected.’
She had only intended to escape Bolton with the Emperor’s help.
Regardless, it was a relief.
He wouldn’t be able to do such foul things to women, including Cornelia, ever again.
“…Ah.”
Suddenly, she felt a pressure around her waist.
When Lobelin looked up, she saw Cedric still standing there, supporting her.
Even though the situation had concluded, he was still firmly holding her waist.
Her face flushed involuntarily, and Lobelin hurriedly stood up straight on her own two feet.
“Thank you for your help, Marquis Maxwell.”
“Think nothing of it. It is only what a gentleman ought to do.”
“Now, now. It’s been a while since everyone gathered; we can’t have the atmosphere like this.”
In the meantime, the Emperor clapped his hands to settle the restless mood.
Receiving the signal, the court conductor’s baton drew an arc in the air, and the music began.
As the melody started, the nobles began to enjoy the dance, each taking their partner’s hand as if no such commotion had ever occurred.
‘Good, I’ll take this chance to slip away naturally…’
Now that the attention had been diverted, Lobelin tried to use the opportunity to leave.
“Lady, if you would be so kind, would you give me the honor of a dance?”
But soon, a hand clad in a pristine white glove entered Lobelin’s field of vision.
