Two weeks later, her fiancé—or rather, the man who would soon break off their engagement—stared at her with eyes that said he had always known something like this would happen someday.
Selina seethed, glaring at Erik with venom.
‘All of this is because of that bastard.’
Selina felt deeply wronged. She was never truly wicked.
True, she had benefited from a certain monopoly, but she never would have agreed if she thought what she did would harm Ingrid.
She had agreed only to help Ingrid find happiness beside the Crown Prince, whom Ingrid genuinely loved despite her humble standing as a baron's daughter.
She had planned to offer a formal apology once their engagement was secured. She believed kind Ingrid, who always accepted her apologetic gifts without returning them, would understand everything.
While Selina played the villain, Ingrid's gentleness and innocence shone brighter, even helping popularize the idea among the nobility of valuing a person over their pedigree.
Erik's plan had worked well enough, showing the imperial family and society how profound his love was for Ingrid.
Though Selina had become a villain in the public eye, she thought sacrificing her reputation was an acceptable price if it helped tear down the wall of class barriers.
Yet here she was, accused of an offense that threatened diplomatic relations between empires!
The victim was the Second Princess of the Voron Empire, and Selina had no alibi for the time the dress was ruined—that much was certain.
As for Crown Prince Erik, the only person capable of clearing her name, it was obvious he had no intention of stepping in.
“If you have nothing to say for yourself beyond claiming you didn't do it, we will bring this before His Majesty to uncover the truth himself.”
“Goodness, pushed this far and not a single word of apology? You truly are remarkable.”
Despite the barbs, Selina silently bit her lip.
‘An apology? No, absolutely not.’
This was no longer just about ruining an imperial dress.
House Arsene owned an international trading company and stood on the verge of launching a joint venture with the Patel family.
If Selina apologized now just to defuse the situation, it would be taken as an admission of guilt. The rumors would spread, and the family's entire enterprise could suffer.
As the only daughter of Count Arsene, Selina had accepted an arranged marriage to avoid being sidelined by her stepmother and her children, and to advance the family's interests.
If this mess escalated, she might be told to step down from managing family affairs on her father's behalf.
‘I can't let that happen. Not ever.’
She needed a way out of this trap.
“Miss, at least tell us where you were and what you were doing at the time.”
Princess Helena spoke with a touch of pity for Selina.
“I was… with someone.”
“Who? Were there more than one? If they aren't here, summon them to testify themselves.”
“Ah, the truth is…”
Erik signaled to her furiously with his eyes, warning her not to breathe a word.
“Your Highness, are your eyes bothering you?”
Ingrid asked, noticing the gesture. Erik cleared his throat.
“What a pity… How unfortunate that I must witness such a regrettable incident firsthand. Perhaps we should first have that dress removed from here.”
Princess Helena cut in sharply.
“Out of the question. That is evidence of a crime. Only after Miss Selina tells us who was with her and we hear their testimony will we decide whether to remove it.”
‘So I can't even get rid of the evidence.’
Erik dragged a hand down his face in despair.
‘How did things come to this?’
He knew he was being foolish, but he was willing to do anything to secure a future with Ingrid.
They had recently gone on several secret dates, and high society had begun calling them the most well-matched couple. The goal was so close; he couldn't back down now.
‘Forgive me, my comrade-in-arms… You must fend for yourself. I will ensure you keep the monopoly no matter what.’
As he quietly turned his face away, Selina closed her eyes in bitter resignation.
‘That scoundrel… He plans to run and leave everything on me.’
Never before had the moniker “the Lucky Crown Prince” seemed so fitting. The blows meant for him were absorbed by others, while the praise always fell to him.
His standing as the Crown Prince recognized by the Emperor had paved an easy path for him. Thanks to that, he could live comfortably, consumed solely by his first love.
‘While dumping every ounce of blame onto someone else.’
Young Patel looked down on her with contempt, asking coldly,
“Who were you with, then? If you're so confident, bring them forward to prove your claim.”
‘Acting as though he knows she's lying…’
The whispered thought seemed to ripple from every mouth in the room, crashing against her ears.
“The person I was with was…”
All eyes converged on her as Selina answered with defeat,
“I cannot reveal their name.”
“Are you mocking us right now?”
“Do you think this is a trivial matter?”
“This belongs before the imperial court!”
As raised voices filled the room, someone stepped into the salon.
“Greetings to the Empire's Duke.”
It was Xenos Eustia, the sole Duke of the Savaya Empire.
A cousin of Crown Prince Erik and the same age, he had already served on the battlefield five times as a seasoned warrior.
The hero of Savaya who inherited the legendary Dragon Power, passed down only through imperial blood.
Xenos claimed victory every time he marched to war, earning him the moniker “Monster of War” among the people.
“We are honored to meet the little sun of the Empire, His Highness Crown Prince Erik.”
Will Chase, the Duke's aide and childhood companion, bowed politely before adding deftly,
“The Duke wonders what was being discussed here.”
Xenos was known for his profound silence and aversion to public appearances, so Will frequently spoke in his stead.
“And I suspect you will both be astonished by what you hear. For Princess Helena of the Voron Empire, the star of this evening…”
One after another, the nobles began recounting what had transpired in the salon.
Because of the frequent wars between Autum and Savaya, Xenos and Will rarely returned to the capital, and when they did, they never lingered long before heading back to the front.
And so everyone rushed to speak, eager to catch the Duke's attention by any means.
‘Good heavens, what do I do now?’
Selina stood on the fringes of the excited crowd, frantically searching for an escape from this predicament.
A steady gaze suddenly weighed upon her. She looked up warily, only to meet Xenos's eyes.
Those crimson dragon eyes, proof of the power inherited in his blood, were fixed squarely upon her.
‘Does he suspect me too? Did he believe them?’
Selina quickly dipped her head, then cautiously lifted her gaze once more.
Yet Xenos was still looking at her, as if no one else existed in the room.
‘That look… It isn't suspicion. It looks almost as if…’
A strange thought crossed her mind for a fleeting moment, but she promptly shook it away.
‘What am I thinking? That he has an interest in me? Absurd! Especially in a situation like this. I need to find a way to save myself, not indulge in delusions.’
Before she could ponder further, the others finished laying out the incident.
“We believe the culprit can be none other than Miss Selina Arsene, who caused trouble not long ago as well.”
“She is the only one who has not offered a clear account of where she was at the time of the incident.”
“All she has done is insist she didn't do it.”
Morgan Patel, having already announced the end of their engagement, demanded sharply,
“Who were you with, then? And why can't you say their name? Or are you ready to admit that you've been lying all along?”
Princess Helena nodded in agreement.
“Miss Arsene, if you do not explain yourself clearly, everyone will assume you are responsible for this incident.”
Selina could neither speak the truth nor confess to something she had never done. Even if it made her appear arrogant, she had no choice but to repeat herself.
“As I said a moment ago, I was with someone. But I cannot disclose their identity…”
“She was with me.”
A deep, resonant voice rang through the room, its gravity shaking the entire atmosphere.
