Chapter 50
Chernuier slowly sipped from her teacup as she calmly looked over his miserable state.
Meanwhile, Duke Cartes could barely breathe.
There was no trace left of the Chernuier he remembered as Empress.
"If you have something to say, then say it. If you have something to beg for, then beg. I don't understand why you're keeping your mouth shut and wasting my time."
Her displeasure was obvious.
Only then did the Duke climb down from the chair with trembling hands and collapse onto the floor.
All he needed was to get his title back.
He didn't care what the nobles said about him afterward.
He never wanted to experience the humiliation of nearly licking the toe of a beggar's shoe again.
"P-please kill me!"
His hoarse voice rang through the audience chamber.
The Emperor raised an eyebrow.
"Kill you?"
"...H-how could I possibly dare ask for forgiveness? Do with me as Your Majesty wishes...!"
Chernuier leisurely leaned forward and rested her chin on one hand.
A crooked smile appeared on her lips.
Everything about him, from beginning to end, was a lie.
Yet she seemed satisfied with that answer.
"Do with you as I wish?"
"I-I'll do anything. Anything!"
"Send this man to the Crown Princess. My will is the Crown Princess's will."
His vision went black.
The Crown Princess?
What could she possibly gain by handing him over to that child?
His eyes darted toward the knights approaching him.
"Y-Your Majesty!"
Chernuier merely sneered and rose from her seat.
"Air out the room. The stench is unbearable."
Duke Cartes bit his cracked lips and glared at the Emperor as though he wanted to kill her.
But something as trivial as that wasn't enough to disturb Chernuier.
The enormous doors opened.
Beyond them was a magnificent and lavish room.
A deep blue carpet covered the floor, so large and soft that it almost seemed too precious to step on.
Along the walls stood arched windows more than twice the height of a grown man, pouring bright sunlight into the room.
At the center sat a large, elegant table.
His bloodshot eyes greedily scanned the surroundings.
Click.
"We greet Your Highness the Crown Princess."
The knights lined up and bowed their heads toward Riena.
"Wow, look who it is. Duke Cartes~?"
Like mother, like daughter.
Her relaxed smile scraped across Cartes's nerves while an oppressive pressure settled over him.
But only for a moment.
Riena's expression suddenly changed.
She began sorting through the documents on the table.
The longer the silence stretched, the more countless thoughts stabbed through Cartes's mind.
If his head ended up beneath a guillotine right now, he would have nothing to complain about.
Of course he was nervous.
And yet the reason he'd assumed he could get his title back relatively easily was because of Chernuier's personality.
As Empress, she'd hated conflict and usually gone along with Francio's wishes.
But the Chernuier he remembered was nowhere to be found.
Only a powerful, razor-sharp Emperor remained.
"Do you know why Her Majesty handed you over to me?"
"W-well...."
"If you guess correctly, I'll give you a reward."
A reward?
His eyes immediately began moving.
Just watching the ugly greed on his face made Riena feel nauseous.
Her eyes narrowed as though she'd seen something disgusting.
The man was desperately struggling only to save himself.
There didn't seem to be even the slightest place in his thoughts for Kanter.
How can he not even ask how Kanter is doing? Even out of simple curiosity, shouldn't he ask?
Riena shook her head unconsciously and let out a sigh.
"I-I think I know!"
Instead of answering, Riena stared at him with bright, sharp eyes.
Cartes swallowed and carefully studied her expression before speaking.
What kind of nonsense was about to come out of that mouth?
"My crimes were grave... and I offended Her Majesty, so...."
"Wrong!"
"!"
She cut him off before he could even finish.
His expression twisted beautifully.
"You got it wrong. So no reward."
"!"
The Duke scrambled forward on his knees.
"I'll live as quietly as a dead mouse! Please, please!"
"I wasn't finished speaking."
"!"
His breath caught.
Riena's voice dropped into a low growl, silencing him instinctively.
"So you've been hiding like that ever since that day?"
"W-well... I had no choice...."
"And you've been doing well on your own? Looking at you, it doesn't seem like things went very well."
"......"
"Is there nothing you want to ask me?"
"H-how could I dare...!"
"It's fine. Ask me anything."
Would she strip him of his title?
How would he be punished?
Would his life be spared?
What would happen to the Cartes territory?
He had countless questions.
But he pressed his lips together.
If he carelessly asked the wrong thing, he might only hasten his death.
"N-no. There's nothing."
"Really?"
"Yes!"
His loud reply must have irritated her.
Riena frowned deeply.
She took a slow breath, elegantly suppressing her anger.
"...This is your last chance. Are you sure there's nothing you want to ask?"
What was he supposed to ask?
Was she really telling him to say what he actually wanted to know?
If he did that, he might be dragged away and beheaded immediately.
Without hesitation, he nodded firmly.
"Truly. There is absolutely nothing!"
For a moment, the Crown Princess looked down at him with chilling eyes.
"Young Lord Kanter Cartes."
Cartes's blue eyes twisted hideously as he lifted his chin toward Riena.
"You remember that I personally rescued him last winter when he was practically dying, don't you? And yet you don't seem curious about him at all."
"!"
He lowered his gaze back to the floor and began trembling.
Why the hell should I care whether that damned brat lived or died?!
Even now, he cursed Kanter inside his head.
"Then again, normal parents don't abuse their children like that."
The end of her sentence carried an authority as heavy as divine judgment.
It was hard to believe such pressure came from a child's voice.
"I-I was overwhelmed! If I had been caught, Kanter's life would have been endangered too...!"
Before he could finish, Riena frowned and waved one hand dismissively, as though telling him to throw the useless excuse away.
"If you're only going to say things that don't help, then don't speak."
"Th-that day... I was angry!"
"Fine. I'll try to understand. Raising and disciplining a child isn't easy, is it?"
Riena answered him with dripping sarcasm before continuing sternly.
"Still, you should at least show some sincerity, shouldn't you? If you're this uncooperative, it makes things difficult for me too."
Cartes clamped his mouth shut and bit down on his innocent lower lip.
He'd thought she was only seven.
He'd assumed he could just make up a few excuses.
Compared to facing the Emperor alone, this had seemed far safer.
His plan had been simple.
Let a child humiliate him a little.
Call that punishment enough.
Then get his title back.
What a joke.
"Young Lord Kanter is staying in the Imperial Palace."
"!"
The words struck like lightning.
Cartes's face went pale.
Who knows what that brat has already told them?!
No matter how hard he thought or shifted his eyes, there was no answer.
"Oh, and we studied together too. You should consider that an honor. He studied alongside the Crown Princess."
"......T-thank you."
The Duke's eyebrow twitched.
Maybe it was his imagination, but instead of condemning him, didn't she sound like she was looking down on Kanter?
"But Young Lord Kanter didn't even know basic letters."
Riena tilted her head and gave Cartes a strange look.
"I-I did teach him, or at least tried to...."
"Of course you did. I'm sure you taught him. I wouldn't assume you failed to give him even a basic education."
"...Pardon?"
The strange conversation made Cartes's eyes pause in empty space.
Wait. This....
He lowered his head and looked at the boots of the knights surrounding him.
Then he almost smiled.
This is all for show?
He couldn't stop the corners of his mouth from twitching.
Of course.
No matter how grave his crimes were, why would the Crown Princess side with a boy treated as an illegitimate child?
What could the Crown Princess possibly gain by taking the side of some half-blood young lord?
Right. It would be more useful to take my side. At least she can get information out of me.
No matter how he looked at it, Kanter was an utterly useless piece.
Duke Cartes adjusted his posture properly and pressed his forehead to the floor.
"I'm sorry. I should have put more effort into his education. I have no excuse!"
"Yes, raising a child is like that sometimes."
It was difficult forcing out tears that didn't exist.
But compared to everything he'd already endured, this was nothing.
Hadn't he nearly licked the shoe of a beggar?
Bowing before the Crown Princess was hardly a hardship.
"Th-the truth is, I haven't told you this before, but...."
"Speak freely."
He swallowed and began talking as though even the words were painful.
"The truth is... Kanter isn't my biological child."
"Oh my!"
Riena even tapped the table lightly, playing along.
Encouraged, Cartes continued eagerly.
"A few years ago, a common-born maid worked at the ducal residence.... That woman came to the estate already pregnant...."
He didn't forget to check Riena's expression every few moments.
Each time, she gestured with her chin for him to continue.
"The child that maid gave birth to was Kanter! I had no heir at the time... and no wife either, so I simply took pity on him and cared for him...!"
"Wow. Your heart must be broader than the entire continent. I had no idea the Duke was such a generous man."
"Y-your praise is far too much! I simply pitied the circumstances of a servant!"
Riena even nodded from time to time, wearing a benevolent smile.
"That's an incredible decision. But why make him a young lord? You could've just taken care of him and hired him as a servant later."
Cartes's eyes rolled again.
He hurriedly continued.
"As you know, I didn't have a proper heir. So...."
"Ohhh, I see~"
Riena crossed her arms, leaned back, and nodded occasionally.
"All right. I understand now that your generosity is as vast as our continent."
"Th-thank you!"
Cartes's heart pounded wildly.
No matter how clever she seemed, she was still only a seven-year-old child.
It worked.
It actually worked!!
His eyes grew hot.
His nose stung.
All the terrible humiliation he'd endured had been worth it.
A faint smile of relief appeared on his face.
"So, is that why you killed Kanter's biological mother?"
