TVOWW 61

Chapter 61

The Price of Insulting My Wife

Miryu glanced at me while Diana urged her on.

“No — I. I’m afraid I might be causing trouble for Diana too.”

Miryu’s hazel eyes were full of confusion. She probably couldn’t understand how I knew about the gold ring.

To be honest, I had only learned about it recently.

‘Thanks to the fairy’s ability.’

I’d learned the specifics of the fairy power because of Erich.

“What about it, milady — the amethyst brooch of Marquis Gaspier? What did you mean by that?”

From that remark I realized what kind of fairy ability I had.

‘So I can see things others can’t see.’

At first I thought it was simply seeing through magic, but it wasn’t that simple. Once clues began to appear, the trees revealed more about my ability.

— Your ability is called the Eye of Truth.

— It sees through the truth someone most wants to hide.

— It used to be greater, but for now, since your power hasn’t fully recovered, it shows objects’ forms.

The problem was I couldn’t choose what to see. Also, to my eyes, those items looked just like ordinary objects — so people had to notice for themselves.

‘I also have to figure out what those items mean.’

Honestly, it came with a lot of constraints.

But depending on how I used it, it could become a very powerful weapon.

“Miryu, are you all right?”

Just then.

“You look very ill. Why don’t you go home and rest now?”

“Um, Duchess Blanchet.”

“If it’s something I can help with, I can come later and talk to you two alone.”

I took Miryu’s hand gently and turned to look at the astonished Diana.

My gaze was full of purity and kindness.

“Princess Roiyam, I don’t know what’s going on, but shouldn’t we be looking after Miryu’s condition before anything else?”

“Who are you talking to—”

Diana, who had been about to snap, froze for a moment.

“…You’re not saying my sister-in-law is having trouble because of me, are you?”

“You should ask her that yourself.”

I shrugged and indicated Miryu; Miryu let go of my hand and began waving her hands frantically.

“That’s not true, Diana. I’ve felt ill since morning. I owe so much to you, Diana — you’ve been my support.”

“Then why are you like this?”

“Huh?”

“You’ve been avoiding the things you’ve been telling me — about how hard it was for your sister.”

Diana’s expression darkened.

“All she needs now is for her sister to find the courage to speak, so why…?”

Diana swallowed hard, anxious, as if betrayed, tensing up.

But even then, Miryu couldn’t be expected to explain everything.

‘I wasn’t the only one who revealed secrets.’

Just as I had quietly told Miryu about Libertan’s abuse, Miryu had also let her secret slip in a moment of emotion.

‘Half of me is noble!’ she’d said.

‘You, lowborn, acting like a noble — are you the same as me?’ others had sneered.

Miryu was the illegitimate child the Juti baron had taken in from outside — a daughter whom the baroness had allowed to be registered for the sake of a marriage arrangement.

‘I think she believed no one would ever believe her.’

So I had just told Miryu about her gold ring — something she had never mentioned.

Not knowing how much I knew or what evidence I had, Miryu wouldn’t move carelessly.

‘I’m glad Miryu’s gold ring had three slashes on it.’

If it had been another gold ring, she might never have realized why it was a secret. But that ring was different.

That ring was characteristic of the sort courtesans wear.

An unexpected murmur rippled through the people in the salon.

The supposed victim Miryu couldn’t utter a word, and Princess Diana — who had burst in — looked taken aback too.

“So what happens now?”

“Duchess Blanchet and Miss Juti still seem friendly — it’s hard to imagine such a thing could—”

Liandro watched the scene quietly, then met my eyes and averted his gaze as if confused.

“Princess Roiyam.”

At that moment the salon’s hostess, Countess Mors, stepped forward as if to protect me.

“You were sure when you invited her that you would understand her situation if you knew, weren’t you?”

“That’s right, it’s just that things are happening oddly right now.”

“Do you mean I should just accept that my gathering was ruined without even trying to understand the situation properly?”

Countess Mors’s voice was sharp.

“Princess Roiyam has not only put my guest in an awkward position but now inconvenienced all the other guests.”

“…….”

“In truth, no matter the circumstances, the princess should have shown at least basic courtesy to me.”

The Mors family was allied with the United Kingdom side, so they would be reluctant to come down hard on Princess Roiyam. Though they had standing, they would avoid actions that could offend the Roiyam kingdom.

‘It’s probably my fault.’

Countess Mors, who had glanced my way earlier, addressed the increasingly pale princess sternly.

“Yet now you claim to be in such a hurry, saying you brought this matter on grounds I don’t even understand. To me, it simply appears you are harassing my guest.”

“…….”

“How do you intend to make this right, Princess Roiyam?”

Even the other nobles nodded at Countess Mors’s words.

Diana’s face flushed crimson.

‘Now Diana’s understanding the situation too, I suppose.’

Even if she was a knight and her social reputation wouldn’t ordinarily suffer, once things grew this large it became different. Diana squeezed her fierce eyes shut and muttered without realizing it.

“Did I do something wrong?”

It was a weak voice only the nearest could hear. As soon as I heard it, I asked Miryu in an innocent tone as if I knew nothing.

“But Miryu, what exactly did you say to Princess Roiyam?”

I gently took Diana’s arm, who was standing alone.

“Princess Roiyam wouldn’t act like this for no reason. If you tell us what misunderstanding you had, we can settle it peacefully, can’t we?”

Diana’s eyes, which had almost shrugged off my hand, widened.

“That makes sense. That’s only fair.”

Countess Mors also sighed and agreed.

“Anyway, this happened in my salon, so Miss Juti, you must explain clearly. That way we can determine responsibility.”

Miryu looked around with tearful eyes. Then her gaze met Liandro’s. She called him hesitantly, as if pleading.

“I, I—”

Liandro came forward and said to me,

“As an outsider I wanted to stay out of this, but isn’t this going too far?”

Although his words tried to encompass everyone, Liandro’s blue eyes were fixed squarely on me. They looked more confused than accusatory.

“You won’t discover the truth by cruelly cornering someone and making a spectacle of them.”

“Kn-knight.”

Miryu’s eyes reddened.

“No, it’s my fault. I was scared and made things hard for everyone.”

Miryu, who had been unable to speak, finally found her voice.

“Estelle, I—”

Miryu untied her ribbon.

In an instant the area around her neck and collarbone, previously covered, was exposed.

On her fair skin was a conspicuously ugly scar.

‘Why?’

Something about that scar made me uneasy.

‘I can feel a strange aura.’

Miryu revealed the scar and silently let glass-like tears fall. Her thin shoulders trembled; she looked pitiable.

The nobles in the salon inhaled sharply at the sight of the scar.

“Oh my, such a nasty wound. To have such a big scar—”

“It pains my heart.”

In aristocratic society, revealing scars was not common. By custom, people often buried unpleasant things.

“Miss Juti—”

As Liandro was about to speak to Miryu, she panicked, covered her face with her hands, and fled.

Those around her could not stop her as she left, crying.

An awkward silence settled.

Countess Mors, Princess Diana, and everyone stared blankly at Miryu’s empty space.

I scoffed inwardly at Miryu’s action.

‘She didn’t know how to cover it up, so she’d deny it this way?’

Honestly, it wasn’t a bad choice.

‘It prevents things from getting worse.’

Even if I exposed her secret, my notoriety might leave room to handle it. Moreover, by revealing her scar she was now earning sympathy in the salon.

‘No matter what I say, it won’t go well.’

“Is everyone satisfied now?”

Liandro narrowed his eyes as if he’d been waiting and spoke.

“You cruelly cornered someone suffering, turned them into a spectacle—”

“…….”

“You all saw it. Miss Juti clearly has a large wound. And judging by what she said at the end—”

Liandro paused, then continued.

“Isn’t it all obvious?”

His sculpted face glared at me with an expression carved from despair.

“To inflict such a wound and then call out a name while pretending to be worried.”

Liandro’s voice filled the quiet salon.

“For a moment I thought you might be innocent. I regret that thought. To hide behind a human face and be so detestable—”

Everyone stared at me. It felt as though the whole salon had sided with Liandro and were condemning me.

A snicker escaped me without realizing it.

‘When have I ever had anyone on my side?’

Liandro, Miryu, Diana, and the silent others all seemed ridiculous, but I felt the most ridiculous of all.

‘I can’t be happy and let this slide.’

I unconsciously steadied my trembling hands.

‘That anger, that reproach, that demand for atonement…’

The trembling subsided. I looked up at Liandro and forced a smile.

“Sir Felsis, are you talking to me?”

“Then who else would I be speaking of?”

“You seem to have forgotten, Sir — Miss Juti left without saying anything further.”

People disliked me to begin with. No one listened.

“She left after saying my name once — what she was going to say isn’t at all clear.”

So there was no need to be flustered here.

“Yet Sir Felsis, you accuse me of crime without any evidence.”

When I lowered my eyes pitifully, murmurs of “Isn’t that rather hasty?” brushed my ears.

Thankfully, Diana, who might have joined Liandro in his outburst, stayed quiet.

That gave Countess Mors an opening.

“Duchess Blanchet is right. Sir Felsis, your actions have gone too far. Please calm yourself—”

“I cannot. Pursuing justice is my duty as a knight.”

Liandro shook his head and produced a badge engraved with a crescent moon from his bosom.

“This is the emblem of the White Night bestowed upon me as commander of the royal knights and as a Knight of the White Night.”

The silver crescent gleamed coldly under the light.

“As the First Blade of His Majesty, a Knight of the White Night, I can proceed immediately to execute justice. Even if nothing’s been proven, I can bring this to trial at once.”

Countess Mors turned white.

“Sir Felsis! You can’t drag the Duchess Blanchet to the interrogation chamber! That’s absurd!”

“Of course I won’t drag her to the interrogation chamber. But even if she isn’t a criminal, I can require the cooperation of all nobles in an investigation.”

Liandro peered at me with icy eyes and spoke solemnly.

“Don’t worry. Everything will be handled fairly. If you are innocent, you will comply with my investigation, won’t you?”

He stepped forward, about to grab my shoulder.

Smack!

Before anyone could blink, a bouquet hit Liandro’s head and got stuck there. The knight, who’d been dignified moments earlier, was no longer so composed.

“What on earth—”

As Liandro brushed the leaves from his head and face, the White Night badge slipped from his hand and rolled to the floor.

Perhaps by chance, the coin-like badge rolled toward the entrance.

A man near the entrance who had thrown the bouquet stomped on the badge. The emblem crumpled under his foot as if it were a can lid.

“How odd. Did I misunderstand something?”

The elegant man in a black suit raised the corners of his mouth lazily.

“The White Night’s emblem shouldn’t be a right to drag someone else’s wife away carelessly.”

“…I only intended to take her for questioning.”

“Who gave you the right to do so?”

I stared blankly at Johan.

Johan winked at me like a greeting and walked over with unhurried grace.

Everyone watched Johan saunter toward us. He pulled me suddenly out of what might have been Liandro’s reach.

“You threaten my wife with that ridiculous authority.”

Being dragged toward Liandro wasn’t entirely disadvantageous for me.

Liandro was the interrogator, but he could not arbitrarily mete out punishment to a duchess.

Still, I felt tears sting my eyes.

‘I didn’t mean to cry on purpose.’

In a situation where no one else seemed able to save me, Johan felt like the only one who had come to my rescue.

Liandro spoke stiffly.

“This is a lawful procedure. If Duchess Blanchet’s husband wants to take his wife, he should do so by proper legal channels — like me—”

“Proper?”

Johan snorted and smiled.

“I wouldn’t say my actions were exactly improper either.”

Blanchet’s men entered the salon. At their center stood a displeased Raymond. He was holding the fainted Miryu.

“We even brought the most important witness. Take her first if you like.”

Johan placed his glove in my hand, then used my hand to fling it at Liandro’s face.

Liandro’s face flushed crimson where the glove struck.

“…….”

“I challenge you to a duel for insulting my wife.”

Johan smirked as if joking.

“A true knight of honor won’t refuse. Right?”

I glanced at Johan. He looked at me with mirth. He handed me the other glove and asked,

“Want to throw this one at his face too?”

Before I realized it, I nodded.