Chapter 49
46
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Marquis Rinko's purple lips trembled slightly. His ears were ringing, and his hands were clammy with sweat. The Marquis moistened his lips with his tongue and opened his mouth.
"...That land is in Rinko's..."
"Marquis Rinko, recite the Oath of Fealty with due respect!"
Mrs. Isaac pointed out in a sharp voice, and the Marchioness glared fiercely. However, it was only natural to recite the Oath of Fealty with due respect. Mrs. Isaac kept her eyes wide open and watched the Marquis closely, and in the end, the Marquis had no choice but to kneel on his left knee.
Thud.
The sound of his left knee hitting the floor seemed as loud as thunder. The Marquis bit his lip tightly and recited the Oath in a choked voice.
"...As long as that land exists under the name of Rinko, the descendants of Rinko will pledge allegiance to the master of Richmond, and swear to believe and obey the words of the master of Richmond in any situation."
It had been so long since he had recited it that he wondered if he could recite it properly, but his tongue and body remembered the Oath.
Even after the Oath was recited, Eliza remained motionless with her eyes closed. The Marquis had no choice but to remain kneeling, and the Marchioness's cheeks gradually turned redder. If Edward hadn't been holding her hand tightly, she would have certainly spoken out.
Then, just as Marquis Rinko's left leg began to go numb, Eliza opened her mouth.
"Does that land still exist under the name of Rinko?"
"...Yes."
Hearing the Marquis's answer, Eliza finally opened her eyes. She looked up at the magnificent dome ceiling of the hall and said as if muttering to herself.
"I see. I thought that land no longer existed under the name of Rinko."
"Grand Duchess!"
"Come out!"
Eliza ignored the Marquis's urgent call and commanded sharply. Then, a slender woman appeared from behind the curtain.
"!!"
Count Lewen let out a low sigh.
"I knew it... she was in the detached residence."
She was Grace's maid, whom Count Lewen had been searching for so desperately.
Jessie, who came out from behind the curtain, immediately looked for Grace. Her young lady was, quite literally, a mess. Jessie felt both sadness and anger as she approached Grace and stood by her side. Grace gave her a small nod as if to say she was alright, then bent her knee again towards Eliza.
"Grace Taylor, daughter of Arthur Taylor and Luciana Taylor, greets the Grand Duchess of Richmond. I sincerely apologize for the disturbance caused in the Duke Richmond's castle because of me."
The moment the names of the late Duke and Duchess Taylor flowed from Grace's mouth, the faces of the Marquis faction nobles turned pale.
The Duke had clearly said that he would 'demand a price for excessive loyalty.' So, what should they latch onto?
Just as they were trying to rack their brains furiously, Eliza stared at Grace as if glaring at her and asked sharply.
"Duke, are you aware that Princess Taylor was scheduled to marry Viscount Sachsen?"
"Yes, I am."
"Then are you also prepared for the relationship between Richmond and Sachsen to deteriorate because of this?"
Indeed.
Ares released the hands he had been holding behind his back and stroked the eagle head carving on the back of the Duke's chair. A faint, satisfied smile spread across his lips.
It was said that the best defense was offense. Eliza Richmond intended to ask about the things that the Marquis faction nobles could latch onto in advance to shut their mouths. Ares did not answer quickly and slowly scanned the Marquis faction nobles with his eyes. The nobles were so busy avoiding his gaze as if their necks were caught in his grasp.
Now that Grace's identity had been revealed, the rumors would spread in an instant. Would the relationship with Sachsen only deteriorate? He intended to uproot that name from Dekan entirely. He would make sure that no one ever used that name again.
Ares released his hand from the eagle head carving and stood up languidly. It was as if a tiger that had been hiding in the bushes had risen from its seat.
"I am prepared, Grandmother."
"......"
"Let's talk about that later. Let's finish the council first."
Those who had stuck their faces out without knowing that the tiger was hiding could not avoid the claw-like talons flying towards their necks even as they saw them. Ares drew the sword that had been hidden in its scabbard.
"Come here."
Ares beckoned 'Metal Foot' with his finger. It was a presumptuous act that did not contain even a shred of etiquette, but no one recognized what was strange.
'Metal Foot,' who had been so dignified even in front of the Duke, was startled as if having a seizure and hesitated, so Crimson Isaac personally pushed his back with his hand.
"He tells you to come closer. Walk!"
In the end, he walked as if being dragged to the front of the platform and stood next to the kneeling Marquis. The platform felt much higher when viewed up close.
Ares's gaze turned to Edward after the Marquis couple. Feeling fear, the Marchioness stood as if blocking her son's path.
"Edward Rinko testified that my lover was Princess Taylor, and 'Metal Foot' testified that she was the daughter of a sinner. Surely, you can't put the blame of the 'Unseen Ones' on Princess Taylor. Marchioness, I'll let you choose."
Each time the low voice dug into her ears, it felt as if the hairs on her entire body were standing on end.
"Whose words should I believe?"
The Marchioness's head spun furiously. In other words, she had to cut off the tail to survive... At that moment, 'Metal Foot,' who felt that the situation had become unfavorable, gasped roughly and tried to quickly change his words.
"W, well, it's been so long since I've seen her, so looking at her like this, she's not..."
But Ares was not someone who would allow such behavior.
"And I clearly said that the maids were murdered. Joseph!"
When he called Joseph's name, the Marquis couple's shoulders flinched. Then, when Joseph appeared from the side door with a grown man whose face had turned blue, the couple's minds went blank. The man, who had been eavesdropping on this entire situation from beyond the side door, quickly knelt in front of the Duke and shouted.
"Your Grace!! Please, just spare my life!! I, I don't know anything. It was all Count Lewen who ordered me to kill the maids! The will, I, I wrote it by threatening the maids!"
The soldier's cry echoed loudly in the Hall of the Blue Eagle, and Count Lewen, who had turned pale, also jumped out.
"You bastard!! Your Grace, it's a lie!!!"
Flora, who had come dressed like the Duchess, lost strength in her legs and staggered. The Marchioness's maids standing next to her did not catch her, and Flora collapsed onto the cold floor.
This must be a terrible nightmare. How could that woman be Princess Taylor, and why is her father suddenly being mentioned?
She was not the only one who wished this was a dream. The Marquis, who had been kneeling all along because he had not received an order to get up, also wished this was a dream.
"It's been too long, so I couldn't recognize her properly. I mean, that 'Vicky' really looks like that!"
'Metal Foot' prostrated himself and begged, but Ares was firm.
"I clearly said that the crime of perjury would be punished with death."
"It's not perjury! Your Grace, please."
"I'll find out later whether it's perjury or not. Joseph, take 'Metal Foot,' the soldier, and Count Lewen to the underground. I will interrogate them myself."
"...Your Grace!!"
"Please spare me, Your Grace, I only did as I was told!"
"Shut up!! It's a lie!!"
Count Lewen also pleaded with the kneeling Marquis with bloodshot eyes.
"Marquis!!"
The three men's struggles were desperate. But they could not overcome the grip of Joseph and Crimson, who had returned alive from the Wall of Death. As they were dragged away, silence fell.
Ares glanced at Grace, who was turning increasingly blue, and then turned to Eliza. The old woman, who had been deeply immersed in thought, got up from her seat after a while. She walked down the stairs alone, passed by the kneeling Marquis Rinko, and said plainly.
"You may rise now."
The Marquis, who had lost sensation in his left leg, could not get up easily and staggered, so Edward hurriedly supported his father.
In the meantime, Eliza, who had passed by the Marquis, stopped in front of the Marchioness. There was something that had been bothering her all along. A necklace made of dozens of black pearls, each as large as an adult's thumbnail, strung together in a row. Seeing it up close, it was impossible not to recognize it. It was one of the wedding gifts that Eliza had received from her husband.
"Ha, hahahaha."
"......"
Laughter came out.
"Hahahahahaha!"
"......"
Her laughter, which was as empty as her black mourning dress and somehow sad, slapped the Marchioness's cheeks. But perhaps because she had been acting as the mistress for too long, she did not kneel or beg for forgiveness.
Eventually, Eliza, whose laughter had subsided, looked up at the empty air and said.
"Arwen."
"Yes."
"I want to see my maids. Call them all."
"!!"
Mrs. Isaac opened her eyes wide in surprise, and the Marchioness closed her eyes tightly and let out a silent sigh.
Even if the Duke called the maids who had been kicked out of the castle, the Marchioness could protest by citing the regulations of the Inner Palace. However, only one person in this castle, Eliza Richmond, could bring in her maids without being bound by anyone.
Tap, tap.
The sound of the Queen's shoes, completely awakened from her sleep, was a sound of joy to some and a sound of despair to others.
"Yes, Grand Duchess!!"
Mrs. Isaac's damp voice followed the Grand Duchess and faded away.
