Duke Orlando boldly initiated a public discourse on the matter of ‘Kallaudin Ivan Icard, who had resorted to inhumane actions and tarnished the esteemed reputation of the noble family.’

Filled with immense pride, he arrived early at the conference room within the imperial palace, eagerly securing his seat. Having previously held the esteemed position as the leader of the noble faction, only to be dethroned by Kallaudin a few years prior, the Duke’s emotions spiraled into a maddening turmoil.

‘…I should have stepped on it in the bud when it only started growing a little.’

After somehow losing Medor, he started to lose his power helplessly.

Nonetheless, Duke Orlando remained fixated on his past glory and was determined to undermine Kallaudin. He orchestrated the expansion of the vicinity surrounding Matilda’s burial site, hoping to establish a stronger connection with the imperial family.

To achieve his goals, he resorted to unethical means, employing an illicit truth potion.

‘Strangely, things with bad timing kept happening, so I had to keep my eyes open.’

But this time, he was able to completely destroy Duchy Icard.

Dignitaries of high-ranking nobility began to file into the conference room where Duke Orlando anxiously awaited. Among them was the influential high priest, known for his significant sway over the empire.

Soon after, Kallaudin, the center of the controversy, entered, accompanied by his embroiled daughter-in-law, Laria.

Having recently returned from Podilin, they had remained silent amidst the rampant rumors that had spread like wildfire.

Finally, the Emperor himself, accompanied by his direct descendant Princess Elanie and Prince Ronald, settled into their seats in the conference room. The Empress, Prince Ronald’s biological mother, could not attend due to her illness.

“Well then.”

The Emperor confirmed that everyone had gathered in the meeting room and spoke.

“Let us begin.”

Since this was where direct punishment for high-ranking nobles was possible, a ceremonial word followed to think carefully about the weight.

With anticipation coursing through his veins, Duke Orlando eagerly awaited his turn to address the gathering. The prospect of finally ousting Kallaudin, along with his son, fueled his excitement, causing his heart to race.

“I will give a brief description.”

At last, when the moment arrived for the instigator of the public debate to speak, Duke Orlando took the floor, his countenance adorned with a triumphant expression.

It was revealed that Duke Icard had allegedly cunningly adopted the orphaned daughter of Count Rostri as his own daughter-in-law seven years ago, with the sinister intention of orchestrating her demise at an opportune moment. The plan was to then arrange a marriage between Evan and Princess Elanie.

“Ho.”

Everyone who heard that gave a half-doubtful look.

Among them, the one with the most disgusted expression was Elanie. The nobles were not easily able to take sides. They had already seen the change of the highest power, so at first, they intended to maintain a cautious attitude.

“However, Laria is alive and well.”

When Elanie spoke in displeasure, Duke Orlando shook his head slowly.

“They said she was only in the Duke’s mansion because she was ill after the imperial banquet, but the place she was actually found was Podilin. In that secluded place, Duke Icard tried to murder his daughter-in-law…”

He glanced at Laria, who looked relaxed and weak, and spoke again.

“When he heard someone’s confession and was quickly made public, he couldn’t kill her and brought her in.”

“N, no.”

Laria immediately shook her head in a thin, quivering voice.

“Father can’t do that. He has always been good to me, even when I’m sick…”

“Lady. This is shocking but true.”

Duke Orlando looked at her with pitiful eyes and clicked his tongue.

“The fact that Lady became ill was all a conspiracy.”

Then, he sighed and put something on the conference room table.

“I had to listen to the confession of a doctor who couldn’t bear to see such inhumane behavior.”

It was just a license and various letters of recommendation.

* * *

When I looked at Serena’s license, which Duke Orlando placed on the table, with a surprised face, the Duke opened his mouth smugly.

“Right now, Lady’s doctor is on the witness stand in the next room.”

“Oh my.”

When I widened my eyes, everyone present gave me strange expressions.

“With Lady’s medical diary written every day. There, it is accurately recorded that Duke Icard continuously injected a small amount of poison into Lady’s body.”

Given that Serena had served as Duke Icard’s personal physician for a duration of seven years, Duke Orlando found himself compelled to place unquestionable faith in her words.

The credibility of her testimony seemed irrefutable, considering she possessed the necessary qualifications and had even managed to deceive Duke Icard himself, with seven years of extensive experience to bolster her credibility.

“I will bet my license, my recommendation, and my entire medical career going forward. I can’t stand it because I’m caught up in my overflowing moral sense and a clear conscience. Please, please save our good and weak Lady.”

It was obvious Serena would say that as she held out her license.

By relinquishing her license, Serena would effectively forfeit her status as a doctor in the event that her actions led to undesirable outcomes. Observing her resolute demeanor, it seemed that Duke Orlando derived some satisfaction from the prospect that I was about to die.

Indeed, when I initially became Evan’s wife, confusion gripped the minds of those around us.

Still, amidst the prevailing silence, Princess Elanie interjected with composed composure.

“It could be that the doctor was bribed by Duke Orlando. How can you trust just one person?”

“Basically, the Young Lady’s health is said to be in very bad condition right now, but it would be better to check that first.”

I was holding my breath with a frightened face, not knowing what to do. I didn’t forget to lick my lips as if it was embarrassing.

‘Hurry up and say more, say more…!’

Duke Orlando glanced at me with a pitiful face and spoke confidently like water flowing.

“Wasn’t it strange from the beginning? She was brought in at the right time without a proper wedding ceremony and without the consent of the Young Lord.”

Originally, in order to bewitch people, you had to mix it with the truth. In this case, too many truths have been mixed up…

In any case, the reliability was bound to be high.

“In case it would be suspicious, so Duke Icard sent her for recuperation while making a lot of noise and pretending to care.”

The probability was complete when a fair amount of truth was mixed with a suitable lie.

“If this were all for the sake of an imperial marriage, it would be enough to become a crime of contempt for the royal family.”

“But, ah, father couldn’t…”

As I blurted out my words with a weak sound that had no effect, the atmosphere became more favorable to Duke Orlando.

“And what’s even more surprising is that…”

Duke Orlando looked at the high priest and said.

“They said that Young Duke Icard was not baptized.”

“…Yes?”

Everyone was surprised by that statement. There was no case that someone was not baptized if they were a believer in God.

“It is rumored that he does raise his son carelessly, but this is a bit… Isn’t it a disgrace to the honor of a high-ranking noble of the Empire?”

Duke Orlando slammed the table and continued.

“This is something that should be punished ex officio, even in the temple. To not be baptized with their Icard name.”

Since no one answered, it was as if this place was a solo stage for Duke Orlando.

“I did some research. They said that not being baptized is likely related to black magic. In other words, it can be seen as a sin of deception of the temple and empire. So…”

He declared with a raised voice.

“…I think there should be a punishment of demotion and confiscation of part of the territory.”

A subsequent compelling oration ensued, asserting that both the revered temple and the imperial family had suffered disrespect, causing the influence of a prominent noble to crumble.

While father maintained a stoic silence, I attempted to interject with a perplexed tone, intending to utter phrases such as “Well, that…” or “But…” only to have my words abruptly halted by the relentless continuation of Duke Orlando’s discourse.

“But, it can’t be…”

The high priest glanced at father and finally spoke.

“The late Duchess was faithful enough to visit the temple often and pray, and Duke Icard is also very interested in theology.”

“However, has the Young Duke ever set foot in a temple?”

Duke Orlando asked sharply.

“I did my research, and there was never a single one… isn’t that strange? Also, to my knowledge, there is no official baptismal record.”

Typically, the sons of esteemed nobles would occasionally make appearances at the temple, often for the sake of showcasing their status. Hence, Evan’s visit to the temple raised eyebrows as it deviated from the norm, signifying something out of the ordinary.

Nonetheless, there was a notable lack of interest among the attendees regarding Evan’s temple visit. This indifference stemmed from the widespread knowledge that Duke Icard had raised Evan with a marked lack of concern or involvement.

Elanie sighed and intervened.

“Baptism can be received by any priest, so few people record it, and who doesn’t know that the temple is rotten? What a big deal about not going there.”

It was a really great spirit in front of the high priest. However, I wholeheartedly concurred with this sentiment, as I could envision the priests continuing to chuckle at father’s jests in the days to come.

‘…The future of the Empire is bright. I have a very precise understanding of it.’

I became very fond of Elanie after learning that she was not the future wife of my husband.

The next moment, there was suddenly a knock and the conference room door opened.

“Forgive me.”

It was a low, hoarse voice.

“I’m a bit late because I came to the capital after finishing work.”

With his commanding presence, chiseled features, and piercing red eyes left an indelible impression on everyone present. He was the very person I had eagerly anticipated meeting again since our last meeting in Podilin.

It was Evan.

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