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~Chapter 44~
This was an era when a woman’s chastity was judged even more strictly.
“This woman had an affair with our family’s vice-captain of knights. It’s obvious how she got the men for this scheme.”
“D-dear!!!”
The baroness’s face turned completely white.
The watching nobles whispered. Some nodded, thinking it all made sense.
‘He’s cutting her off as a scapegoat.’
The baron was definitely throwing the baroness away—blaming her for everything, even his own crimes!
The only way the baroness could have moved Glamis was with the baron’s secret approval.
But now, the baron was escaping all blame.
‘That can’t happen.’
Camilla narrowed her eyes, her heart pounding with a sense of danger.
‘Isn’t this my chance?’
If she could use Ares to accuse the baron and reveal the Glamis group, then both the baron and baroness could be punished.
‘Then I wouldn’t have to run away from the mansion.’
And she could stay by Dane’s side.
Of course, she might still be punished for being the villain’s daughter.
‘But I saved Dane’s life—maybe he’ll save me.’
She had to make a decision.
Camilla raised her hand.
All the nobles looked at her. The Grand Duke’s eyes gleamed.
“Camilla?”
“Excuse me, Your Highness. May I speak?”
The Grand Duke nodded.
“The baroness isn’t the only one at fault.”
Camilla pointed at Ares.
“He kidnapped me.”
The main hall erupted in whispers.
Ares slowly turned to look at Camilla.
“I’m Ares, the baroness’s nephew, living at the Mowin estate.”
Ares smiled, showing his fangs.
“I don’t know what my cousin is talking about. I feel like I haven’t seen you in ages.”
“Oh, really? But you’re the one who attacked the Grand Duke’s guard and dragged me away that day.”
“Haha! My cousin must have imagined things because she was scared.”
Ares shrugged.
“That day, I was searching Etbe Street with the other knights. The merchants there can confirm it!”
“But the knights all wore helmets. How could the merchants tell who was who?”
Ares’s face hardened and he marched toward Camilla.
“Even if I’m the baroness’s nephew, I’m still part of the Mowin family. I would never act without the baron’s orders!”
“…So you’re saying you only acted with the baron’s permission?”
Everyone gasped as Camilla accused not just the baroness, but the baron as well.
“Camilla, my dear?”
The baron looked at Camilla with dark, swirling eyes, but she ignored him and clenched her fist.
‘I have to escape.’
She had to do this to leave that cursed mansion behind.
“Before she died, the woman from Ail who kidnapped me said—”
Just before Camilla could say “Glamis,”
“I’m innocent!”
Thud!
Ares shoved Camilla’s shoulder, cutting her off.
“I know you never liked me, but don’t try to ruin your own brother!”
“What are you doing?!”
Dane ran over to steady Camilla. She bit her lip.
‘No. I can’t let this chance slip away.’
She had to take the lead now.
“That woman—!”
“This girl always saw things that weren’t there and was cruel to the servants! It’s nothing for her to frame her own brother!”
Ares’s shout changed the mood in the room.
Dane, supporting Camilla, stepped forward.
“Show proper respect for this trial! And don’t insult my fiancée anymore!”
Ares’s face froze. All eyes turned to Dane.
His gaze was icy, his voice as sharp as a knife.
“Camilla is a hero of the Grand Duke’s house. She saved my life, and the Empress Dowager herself is a witness to our engagement.”
“Engaged…?”
Ares’s mouth twisted oddly. The baroness, who had been shouting, was stunned.
The baroness turned to the baron, who nodded with cold eyes.
Then, a glimmer of hope appeared in the baroness’s eyes.
“Wise judge and ruler of this city, Grand Duke!”
Camilla could barely stand as the baroness looked at the Grand Duke with shining eyes and whispered poisonously:
“Yes, I told Ares to kidnap that girl!”
“What?”
Camilla’s mind went blank, her ears rang, and the baroness’s evil face loomed.
‘No, no!’
“I just couldn’t stand to see an illegitimate brat acting high and mighty!”
The nobles gasped.
“Illegitimate?”
“The Grand Duke’s heir is engaged to someone of illegitimate birth?”
“That’s against imperial law!”
In that instant, nobody cared about the kidnapping or whether Ares was guilty.
All attention turned to the engagement.
Camilla bowed her head and covered her mouth, gasping for breath.
“Camilla?”
‘They found out about my status.’
Now she had no voice left. Worse—
Dane’s wide eyes were fixed on her. She shook as if she might faint.
The baroness aimed everything at herself, cutting the trail before it reached the baron.
“I knew who she really was! She tried to trap the Grand Duke’s heir by pretending to be a noble! She was never adopted, and by law, she can’t marry him. She doesn’t belong here!”
“This trial is for nobles only!”
The baroness’s loud words filled the room.
Dane’s blue eyes stared right at Camilla in shock.
She wanted to speak.
She wanted to talk about Glamis, but everything went dark before her eyes.
The Grand Duke scanned the room, then solemnly declared:
“That’s interesting, but let’s finish this trial first.”
The baroness bowed her head in silence.
“Baroness Mowin. For the crimes of staging a kidnapping and slandering another family, you are banished from this city forever.”
That wasn’t enough.
Camilla’s gamble had failed.
Everything she wanted crumbled away, and now everyone knew her secret.
“You will never set foot in this city again.”
Bang, bang, bang.
The judge’s gavel struck three times. It felt like Camilla was falling into darkness.
Then the Grand Duke looked at the baron.
“And Baron Mowin. Why did you never tell us this girl was not really your daughter?”
“Father. Camilla is still my savior and my fiancée.”
“Do you want to say anything yourself?”
“…I…”
Camilla tried to speak, but her whole body trembled and her mind was filled with ringing.
‘Know your place, Yun Mira.’
A quiet voice stabbed at her heart. She couldn’t continue.
The Grand Duke turned away from Camilla and glared at the baron.
“Baron, did you dare try to send a girl who can’t even be engaged to Dane into the Grand Duke’s house?”
The baron seemed ready for this.
“…Grand Duke, I must say, when your son proposed, he said he wanted ‘the baron’s daughter’—not specifically Camilla.”
“What?”
Camilla looked up.
‘So this was it.’
The baroness’s plan, and her father’s hidden move.
“Nonsense! I wanted to be engaged to Camilla Mowin!”
“No, Dane. You said ‘the baron’s daughter.’ Baron, which daughter did you mean?”
The baron’s eyes gleamed slyly.
“Of course… I meant my real daughter, Nina.”
“Then I approve that engagement.”
“…Father!!”
“…Ha, hahaha…”
‘In the end, you can’t escape the original story, you fool.’
Everything felt like a lie.
The ground seemed to collapse beneath her.
She saw Dane looking back, calling her name, but Camilla lost her balance and collapsed.
