ILTDAMH|CHAPTER 106

Chapter 106

Ruan’s Wedding (05)

It was only a single sentence.

Yet, as Lucianne faced Marican, who exuded an overwhelming aura of lethal intent, she found it nearly impossible to stand.

The fear that gripped her was far stronger than when he had warned her at the Marquis’s residence. Lucianne’s trembling legs gave way as she stepped back, trying to steady herself.

“W-what do you mean? Why would I ever try to kill Ruan? Last time, Your Grace warned me to stay away from her, and I haven’t even been near her since. Today’s wedding invitation came from the Imperial Palace itself. I have nothing to do with this, I swear! Please believe me!”

“Nothing to do with this?”

Marican’s expression grew colder with each word Lucianne spoke.

“Is that so? Then be prepared, should your words prove false.”

“I’m telling the truth! Even for Your Grace, this is tyranny!”

Marican studied Lucianne silently, unimpressed by her protests.

“‘Tyranny’… How amusing. I haven’t even started, and you call it tyranny? Cassel, bring her here.”

At Marican’s command, Cassel returned with Bianca, the head maid.

“Is this the one?”

Bianca carefully observed Lucianne in the cell. Though her appearance had changed, she recognized her immediately—this was the same maid, Anne, she had seen before.

So that’s it… she was in disguise all along.

Bianca, having an excellent memory from managing the palace maids, turned to Marican confidently.

“Yes, Your Grace. It’s Anne. Anne, why are you here? And what is with this outfit?”

Lucianne shouted indignantly.

“What do you mean ‘Anne’? I am the daughter of the Beanomann Marquis, not some lowly maid serving meals!”

Bianca paused for a moment, recalling Lucianne’s reputation in Imperial high society: graceful, beautiful, the pride of the Beanomann household. Rumors had even circulated that she had been involved with the late Crown Prince Damon…

“I am the daughter of the Beanomann Marquis? Ah… no wonder you seemed familiar. It is you. Indeed, you are the same young lady who has been attending to the Empress Dowager’s meals under the name Anne,” Bianca said firmly.

“That’s not true! Are you conspiring with Marican to slander me?”

Lucianne’s outburst earned only a smile from Bianca.

“Didn’t you just admit it yourself? How else would you have known that Anne is the maid attending to the Empress Dowager’s meals?”

Lucianne’s face paled as she realized she had spoken too freely in fear.

“I-I only assumed that, since she’s a maid, she must be attending to the Empress Dowager’s meals.”

“Quite clever, young lady,” Cassel sneered.

“?”

“You recognized immediately that the maid who stabbed the Duchess was the Empress Dowager, even when no one else did. Now, just hearing the name ‘Anne,’ you know she attends to the Empress Dowager’s meals. Impressive.”

“I… that’s…”

“Thank you for your honesty.”

Bianca nodded respectfully and left the cell.

“Your Grace, please believe me! I am truly not involved in any of this!”

Marican gestured, and a knight brought over a chair.

“Do you know what this is?”

He tossed an identification tag toward Lucianne as she sat in the chair.

“An ID tag?”

“Yes. It is the same tag worn by Anne. The head maid’s testimony confirms that you, under the name Anne, served the Empress Dowager’s meals. Do you acknowledge it?”

Lucianne could only sob, unable to deny the evidence. It was now impossible to argue that she was not Anne.

“Young lady, are you testing my patience?”

Lucianne choked out her answer through tears.

“I… I had no choice. The money Ruan gave me ran out, and I had to use my former maid’s ID to work in the Imperial Palace. Serving the Empress Dowager’s meals pays the highest wages… But I had nothing to do with this incident, I swear!”

“Nothing to do with it…? Then tell me—why is this ID tag in my possession?”

Lucianne’s mind raced back to the moment she had given the tag to Antwatte for today’s plan.

“I… I didn’t. Perhaps the Empress Dowager took it while planning this. Yes… that must be it!”

Marican’s expression darkened into a cold, chilling smile.

“Young lady, I’ve been on battlefields since I was very young. I am proud to say I am one of the best in the Empire at killing and torture. Would you like to experience it firsthand?”

“Torture?”

Lucianne remembered the stories of how he had tortured Diamond at the Marquis residence. 

Though she hadn’t seen it herself, witnesses claimed he seemed almost insane.

Could he really intend to torture her too?

Her heart pounded as she stared at Marican. His cold, emotionless eyes made him appear like the very Grim Reaper.

N-no matter how much of a Duke he is, I am a noble! He can’t just lay hands on me!

“Your Grace, even if you are a Duke, you cannot touch a noblewoman without evidence, only suspicion,” Lucianne protested.

Marican chuckled softly.

“Is that so? Then perhaps you’ll see soon enough what I mean.”

Lucianne felt an inexplicable dread as he approached her with that calm, deliberate demeanor.

Some time later, the cell door opened, and someone descended the stairs. Cassel rose, recognizing the visitor as the chief attendant bearing an imperial edict.

“Your Grace, an edict from His Majesty the Emperor.”

Marican and Cassel knelt immediately.

“Speak.”

“Listen carefully, Lucianne Beanomann, daughter of the Marquis. You intentionally approached and provoked the Empress Dowager Antwatte to attempt the assassination of a royal of the Allomande Kingdom during today’s wedding. As punishment, all titles and wealth of your family are hereby revoked, and you and your mother are to be reduced to commoner status.”

What… are they saying?

That I attempted to assassinate Allomande royalty?

And the Emperor is complicit in this absurd accusation?

Lucianne’s mind reeled with indignation.

“I… I didn’t! This is clearly Ruan framing me! I have never done such a thing! Please, Your Majesty, hear my plea!”

Cassel interjected, “Investigation shows hypnotic candles were found in your house, identical to those in the Empress Dowager’s tower. And you just admitted to serving her meals. Who else but you could have used the Empress Dowager to harm the Duchess?”

“No! It’s not true! Someone planted those candles in my house! It’s Ruan! She’s trying to erase me forever! She did this!”

Lucianne screamed, but neither Marican, Cassel, nor the attendants reacted.

“You will have your trial soon. Speak then,” the attendant said, turning to leave.

“One more thing, Your Grace conveys apologies from His Majesty. This was an Imperial suggestion to have the wedding in the palace. The Emperor asks that you convey his sincere apologies to the Duchess, and grant her at least one wish, whatever it may be.”

Marican frowned but replied, “I will pass His Majesty’s words to my wife.”

The attendant bowed and departed.

***

Kadan Aubrijet.

The eldest son of the Aubrijet family, long renowned for producing Imperial physicians, Kadan had become the youngest ever to hold the position. Proud of his role, he treated himself as almost a noble.

At just 45, he led the Imperial physicians and personally attended to Emperor Viseluk, Crown Prince Pione Harmon and Patricia. 

When Patricia urgently requested him, he rushed, fearing the Emperor was in danger.

But it was for the Duchess…

Kadan’s pride burned as he looked at the fallen Ruan, clenching his fists in frustration.