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Chapter 57
Everyone had the same thought at once.
“From Lord Harris’s perspective, it’s more advantageous for Bona to be alive than dead, right? So why would he kill her?!”
“What, you think Lord Harris is that much of a dimwit?” Jade puffed out his chest proudly.
“……”
Harris remained silent. That’s right—this is why no one doubted him.
“It’s obvious you got rid of her to prevent her from testifying against you! You’re not even trying to hide it!”
“What are you saying?! Prevent what testimony—”
“To begin with!”
Jade cut him off and pointed at Penelope.
“You, the daughter of Count Artu—how did you even—”
“My father begged His Excellency for forgiveness! We received an invitation to the Artu family banquet—why shouldn’t I attend?!”
Penelope shouted, her voice booming.
She had already been wrongfully imprisoned because of Jade, so she had a lot of pent-up frustration.
“You think someone like you can order me around—”
“—How did you get into the prison and meet with the criminal? On whose authority? Who gave you permission?!”
Penelope faltered at the unexpected accusation.
“T-That’s…”
“Ohhh~ So you had an informant inside the capital? Lord Parna!”
“Y-Yes?!”
With Lady Irene’s return, the guards fighting amongst themselves, and now even a murder case…
Lord Parna, who had been in a daze from the chaos, snapped back to his senses at Jade’s words.
“You’re not managing the capital properly, are you? She’s out here proudly admitting to having an informant! Aren’t you going to arrest her?!”
“M-My apologies!”
In truth, Lord Parna and the knights had already sworn allegiance to Harris as soon as they returned from the dungeon.
I was saving it for a dramatic reveal today… Jade clicked his tongue inwardly. Still, that oath meant Lord Parna treated him like a superior now.
Having regained his composure, Parna gave a signal to his men, who restrained Penelope.
“L-Let go of me—mmph!”
“Y-You brutes! Let go of her this instant! How dare you touch my daughter—!”
“You’ll be taken in too, so don’t worry, Count Artu.”
“What?”
“Your daughter’s personal maid, Bona, died early this morning.”
Jade had received the news while preparations for the banquet were still underway.
Even I only found out late this morning, and someone already knew and acted?
Even after all the arrests at the western building, there were still informants crawling around.
Jade clicked his tongue again and said,
“She was perfectly fine until yesterday. But the night before Penelope was released and the banquet began, she suddenly died? Coincidence?”
“What kind of insane logic is that?! What does that maid’s death have to do with me?!”
“Of course it has something to do with you. She was sent by the Duke of Godwin, wasn’t she?”
“What?!”
“He chose your daughter as a candidate for the title of Little Duke and assigned that psychic maid to be used discreetly. But when things went south, they had her eliminated and took the intel—”
“Ridiculous! The Duke of Godwin wouldn’t hire a psychic! That maid just happened to awaken—!”
“Oh, I see.”
Jade suddenly smiled, calm and composed, as if he hadn’t been yelling a moment ago.
“So Count Artu was fully aware that an unregistered psychic had entered the capital.”
The blood drained from Count Artu’s flushed face.
That was lucky.
I let out a sigh of relief inwardly. To get a confession out of them so easily…
They must’ve been just as shocked by Lady Irene’s appearance as we were, and with their minds scrambled from already-set plans, they weren’t thinking straight.
Thankfully, even the former duke’s faction was so overwhelmed that things progressed more smoothly than expected. But then they got pushback from someone like me—a nobody—and blew a fuse.
Mental confusion, rage, a brief success that gave them false confidence…
When someone is that emotionally charged, if you present a lie as the truth, they’ll become even more heated and start arguing, trying to refute it.
I mean, even I would lose it if someone told me, “King Sejong was a great ruler, sure, but the Korean alphabet wasn’t his idea—it was created by his scholars.”
Anyway, I was just glad things were falling into place.
“I’m really relieved. Now you two can bond in prison like father and daughter.”
“You, you…!!”
Count Artu’s face flushed red, then turned pale again and again. Was he having a blood pressure problem?
When Lord Parna stepped forward, he shouted,
“You insolent, low-born wench—do you think you can say whatever you want?!”
When you can’t refute the message, attack the messenger.
“I looked into your background, and nothing came up. If you were even a commoner, there’d be records. This is the kind of case you only see with slaves!”
A classic tactic—but effective nonetheless.
“S-Slave…?”
“There’s a slave in the capital’s banquet hall right now?!”
“How dare a mere slave!”
Even now, the people watching our exchange didn’t look too pleased.
Discredit the messenger first, and undermine their credibility.
Count Artu grinned smugly, thinking he’d gained the upper hand.
Given the rigid class system of this damn Ramses Empire, it was certainly an effective strategy.
“What nonsense is this?”
At last, the former duke—who had been silently staring at Lady Irene the whole time—finally spoke.
“It’s not nonsense, Your Excellency! I searched thoroughly, but—”
“You couldn’t find it because I deliberately hid her origins.”
“…Pardon?”
“His Excellency was deeply concerned about Lord Harris’s forced confinement.”
Count Redian stepped in at the perfect moment.
“And so he ordered me to assign someone capable to assist during those difficult times.”
“W-What did you say…?”
“Luckily, we found a bright, younger relative who matched Lord Harris’s age. But to avoid detection, we had to falsify her identity.”
Of course, none of that is true. Everything being said now is a lie.
But it’s a necessary lie.
After we returned from the dungeon, the former duke promised to grant me a noble title in recognition of my achievements.
“You can’t have some random guide working by the Little Duke’s side, can you?”
But no matter how powerful the Duke of Godwin was, it wasn’t easy to turn a slave into a noble in this class-obsessed empire.
“We can’t create a new house from scratch, so the best option is to register her into a cooperative one.”
“Please, Count Redian—consider it an honor.”
For some reason, they were even more eager about it than I was.
“And so, thanks to her support, Lord Harris has returned safely to the capital.”
There’s no way they’d have left such a critical weakness exposed until today.
“His Excellency praised her as a fine member of House Redian and even bestowed a barony upon her.”
And now, I am Baroness Lian.
“T-That’s absurd! When has such a baseless succession ever been allowed—?!”
“So you’re saying His Excellency needs to publicly announce every single barony he grants?”
I tilted my head.
“Or are you implying you have so many informants planted that you hear everything that happens?”
“Take him away.”
“W-Wait! No! Your Excellency!!”
Count Artu pleaded, but this time he was truly dragged away by the knights.
Silence fell over the banquet hall like death itself.
Everyone looked confused, unable to comprehend how the fiery dispute had ended with such an unexpected resolution.
But this isn’t over yet.
Baron Mirsil, who had supported Count Artu and led the attacks against Harris, spoke next.
“…It’s been chaotic, but regardless, Your Excellency must reconsider.”
“That’s right. Hasn’t Lady Irene returned?”
“As was stated before, the title of Little Duke must go to someone of the highest lineage and capability within House Godwin.”
Even with Count Artu gone, the opposition remained strong.
“And who’s to say that maid Bona was really a psychic?”
In fact, they were even more aggressive now.
They really want to pin this murder on Harris.
Perhaps seeing one of their own get destroyed by Harris’s subordinate made them nervous.
“Anyway, she’s dead, so the detector—”
“It can still confirm it.”
“Enough, Baroness Lian! This is no place for someone like you!”
“If you’re going to speak, at least know what you’re talking about. Psychic detectors only work on the living.”
“That’s only true for the older models.”
I looked at Lady Irene and said,
“Isn’t that right, Marchioness of La Yerga?”
“…!”
The mood instantly turned icy.
It was one thing to be on familiar terms with the former duke or Lord Harris, but for me to initiate conversation with Lady Irene?
And to call her “Marchioness of La Yerga” instead of “Lady Irene”?!
—You could practically read the shock in the air. Ha.
Rude? You’re talking about rudeness now? After crashing Lord Harris’s celebration like this, you have the nerve?
Honestly, I was kind of pissed.
Our Harris is finally trying to settle down and accept his role as Little Duke…
And these bastards are ruining it?
What if he throws everything away and goes off to kill that bastard Norman again?!
Then what happens to me?!
All my hard work—down the drain?! Just thinking about it made my blood boil.
Worse, I’ve stirred up trouble everywhere, so if Harris ditches me now, I’m royally ☆ screwed…
“I’ve heard that the new detector developed by House La Yerga can read psychic traces not just in the living, but even in the dead—and objects too.”
“H-How dare you—!”
At this point, I was too furious to care.
Ignoring the enraged opposition, I kept my eyes on Lady Irene and continued speaking.
“I assume you brought it with you this time, too.”
“…!”
Unlike the others who were fuming, Lady Irene—who had until now treated me like air—finally turned her gaze toward me.
You’re wondering how I knew, aren’t you?
I’m not telling.
The memory of the former duke completely ignoring me resurfaced, making me feel blissfully annoyed.
“So then, Marchioness of La Yerga…”
I smiled sweetly as I delivered my venom.
“Why not settle this debate with a test?”
“Baroness Lian—!”
Lady Irene raised a hand to quiet the angry shouting and spoke without looking away from me.
“Your Excellency, you’ve brought a very entertaining girl.”
“…Irene.”
“She really is… amusing.”
Lady Irene’s lips curled into a wide smile.
