‘Duke Leonard Diollus?’
‘What am I looking at?’
‘He’s still alive?’
Some aristocrats rubbed their eyes, forgetting it was an undignified act. But no matter how many times they looked, they were right.
Leonard Diollus.
More than a decade had passed since he’d disappeared, but his appearance hadn’t changed at all. No, if one thing had changed, it was his sharp impression. His eyes, a little soft in the past, were now so fierce that it was difficult to see them for more than a minute. It was as if he had the power to kill you if you saw him wrong in the eye.
Leonard, who looked at the nobles in the conference hall one by one with sharp eyes like a beast searching for prey, took a step.
Tap, tap, tap.
His heavy footsteps echoed through the silent crowd. Behind him, Viego, the young duke, coughed and followed a bit anxiously.
The left side of the upper seat, the first seat.
“… Duke Diollus,” Lark looked at Leonard, whose seat had been empty for ten years, and muttered in embarrassment.
“I heard that my daughter caused a problem.”
“…”
Lark’s face stiffened. The eyes of the nobles widened at Leonard’s sudden remark.
Leonard said, looking sharply at the table in the conference hall, which soon began to murmur, “Aren’t you going to start the meeting?”
The nobles were bewildered, facing Leonard with fierce momentum.
Among them, Lark, with his eyes closed, bit his lips. The painful silence did not last long. His hoarse voice soon scattered through the conference hall air. “… Let’s start.”
***
The twins grumbled as they looked down from a second-floor window at the carriage that had returned with Leonard and Viego.
“I don’t know what Brother Viego is thinking. Why did he take His Grace?”
“You know his personality. Princess Lisbeth was pitiful. He would have asked for a little effort from him to prevent her being confined to the island.”
“Ugh, how annoying!” Ricky messed up his hair. “I wondered if I’d never have to see Lisbeth’s unlucky face again!”
“Don’t be so heartbroken, Ricky. No matter how hard someone tries, some things can’t be done. They won’t be able to stop her confinement after killing her sister.”
“Is that so? I mean, isn’t Lisbeth scary? With what guts did she do that?”
“Who knows? The imperial succession battle is terrifying. She must have been taken advantage of by someone like an idiot.”
“But…”
“Mm? What is that?”
Lillia stood close to the window. Two carriages were coming into the mansion. Behind the carriage of Duke Diollus stood a carriage bearing the imperial seal.
“Isn’t that the military police?” Ricky’s eyes widened, and he stuck them to the window.
Two military policemen in red uniforms were disembarking from the imperial carriage.
“What is it? I’m scared. Why did the military police suddenly come?”
“Oh? Wait, wait.”
Lillia, who noticed something again, tapped Ricky on the shoulder and made a fuss.
“Isn’t that Rubette? Why is she out there?”
***
When I finished preparing, as expected, there was a military police force accompanying me. Dad saw me as if he had been waiting and approached me immediately.
“How was your trip?”
“…”
Dad stood tall before me and was silent for a long time. It seemed like he wanted to say something, but he was having difficulty opening his mouth, so only his lips twitched for a few minutes.
In the end, Viego, standing behind him, slightly pushed him out.
“Rubette.”
“Yes, Brother.”
“Huft…”
He sighed, sat down with his knees bent, and held my shoulder firmly.
“Listen carefully.”
“Yes.”
“You will go to the Tower of Silence from now on.”
“What?” I was surprised at the unexpected destination.
The Tower of Silence was where Lisbeth was now imprisoned. A prison for imprisoning members of the imperial family who had not been convicted was awaiting trial.
‘I thought I would be locked up in a dungeon until the trial, but what? Isn’t the Tower of Silence better, where only the imperial family was imprisoned?
It was called a prison, but it was nothing but a luxurious bedroom built to treat the imperial family.
“It must be scary, but…”
“I’m not going to the underground prison?”
Viego frowned.
“How could a daughter of Duke Diollus be imprisoned in such a place?”
“Oh…”
“There will be a final meeting next week, and the final decision will be made there, and the trial will take place the following week.”
“It should be about two weeks.”
“There will be interrogations by the investigation team in between, but you don’t have to answer any questions that threaten or push you.”
“Yes.”
“The trial… Don’t worry about it.”
The expression on Viego’s face as he tried to appease me by saying not to worry was even more worrisome. His hand on my shoulder was trembling.
“It will end without any major problems.” Dad, who was standing in the back, suddenly interrupted him.
I nodded.
“Yes, Dad. I’m sorry.”
“It’s okay. You have nothing to apologize for.”
“Don’t cry. Visitation is allowed once a day, so Brother will stop by daily.”
No, do you think I’m about to die?
Unlike me, who was calm, Dad and Viego continued to procrastinate with their gloomy expressions. The two military policemen couldn’t do anything from behind, staring at us.
Frustrated, I passed by Viego and headed for the carriage, and a military police officer hurriedly approached me.
“Hey.”
The military policeman was startled by my father’s sharp voice.
“The child is afraid, so do not take her by force.”
“Uh, Dad.”
I was a little embarrassed and coughed.
“Why are you talking like that when they’re on duty? It’s all right. I’m not scared.” Looking back at the poor military police, I said, “Let’s go.”
“Y-Yes. We’ll take you.”
No, what else do you want to take? Is it true that you’re transporting a suspect right now?
The police officers were taken away by the dazzling high-end carriage waiting for them… My cheeks were burning for no reason as I was escorted…
‘Is this a situation where a third-generation chaebol who had an accident enters prison to play and eat for a while? I’m afraid someone will see me and curse at me.’
I even waved to my dad and Viego, who saw me off with a dying expression.
“I’ll be going.”
***
The Tower of Silence in the southwest corner of the imperial palace.
Upon arrival, I was handed over to the old foreman and the younger knightly foreman, who appeared to be his successor.
“Guide her to the tower of the non-summoners.”
“What? Isn’t Princess Rubetria Diollus over 15 years old? Why the tower of non-summoners?”
The Tower of Silence consisted of two buildings.
One was the summoners’ tower. The other was the non-summoners’ tower.
It was said that in the summoner’s tower, the control stone that could limit the summoner’s power was in operation 24 hours a day, and the room’s structure was also very simple so that you could not do nonsense.
‘Because they’re afraid that the suspects might cause trouble by using the power of the spirits.’
All members of the imperial family over the age of 15 must have spirits, so they had to go to the summoner’s tower.
‘The young imperial family without spirits will probably be imprisoned in the non-summoners’ tower, which is a little freer than that. They’re for kids like Lisbeth.’
And I’m not from the imperial family, but I’m from a family of summoners, and I’m over 15 years old…
“Hey. Why are you so slow?”
“Yes?” The foreman, who glanced down at me, frowned and glanced at his successor. The young foreman, who looked a bit immature, tilted his head and was taken aback.
“Aah! T-That’s right…”
It was only later that he remembered that I was an idiot who couldn’t make a contract with the spirit.
“I-I’m sorry. I’ll show you around quickly.”
“It’s okay.”
I thought as I headed to the non-summoners’ tower.
‘Nice. I almost didn’t even have a companion for two weeks. Now that I can talk with Wishit, time will go by quickly.’
The room was very luxurious.
The dressing table was large, and the window was extensive above the bed, so it ran from side to side, and the terrace was wide open.
‘The summoners’ tower isn’t this free. This is very sweet.’
I ran quickly and sat down on the bed first.
“Oh, my.”
The mattress was so soft that I thought I was sitting on a cloud.
“How peaceful.”
“You sit down, too. It’s softer than the bed in my room, man.”
Wishit stared at me, who was giggling and wiggling on the bed with pitiful eyes.
He walked over to me and sat down next to me. “Are you here to play?”
“Isn’t it similar? I was prepared to stay in the dungeon for two weeks, but this is totally awesome. I’m impressed.”
“Sigh.”
“This is the thrilling taste of power. Even if you make an accident, they let you play in a princess room like this,” I said, lying on my back. “I get a little bit excited once I taste the power. “Once I taste the power, I get a little bit excited. Am I going to get fined?
“Don’t say nonsense.” Wishit snorted right away.
“Then what will happen next?”
“Isolation.”
“Shit… That, too?”
Isolation. It was a matter-of-fact punishment when the high-ranking nobles who lived in the capital committed a felony.
In other words, it was similar to Yoo Baehyung, who was exiled to a faraway place during the Joseon Dynasty but with better treatment than that.
“Where will I be sent? No, how long will it be? About six months?”
“Ha!” Wishit, with his arms crossed, looked down at me lying down and smiled absurdly. “Six months after participating in the harm to the imperial family? The emperor is not your father. Maybe they’ll give you six years.”
“Oh, come on. That’s no good.” I rose to my feet when I came to my senses. I suddenly got scared. “If I rot in a village for six years, my life will be ruined.”
“What do you want to do? You’re the one who did it even though I tried to stop you, right?”
“What’s wrong with you? Say something hopeful. Do you think I’m someone with only my father behind my back? I also got the crown prince.”
“How much do you think the crown prince will look after you now that his sister’s business is resolved and he’s seen enough big future by using you.” Wishit laughed. “To be honest, you‘re now a chewed gum for the crown prince.”
I was momentarily startled by his sober conclusion.
“H-How… Lark isn’t such a heartless person. I believe in him.”
“Whatever.”
“I really be-”
Bang!
“-lieve!”
When I was chanting I believe in him like a spell, the door opened like a bolt of lightning, and I, sitting on the bed, faced the unexpected visitor head-on.
Speak of the devil.
“Y-Your Highness?”
“…”
Lark in a completely disorganized appearance.
He must’ve rushed to check on me and stood there for a few minutes without saying a word.
Soon he covered his tightly closed eyes with a large hand and began to breathe slowly. He seemed to be trying to calm down.
‘You’re not crying, are you?’
Lark began to approach me slowly as I sat blankly in embarrassment.
“…”
He had a brooding look on his face. Even his appearance of sitting down and burying his face on his lap as if his legs had lost strength…
“Your Highness…”
Maybe it was because he was not like the Lark I knew until now. I froze in embarrassment.