Chapter 38

-----------------------------------------------------------------

Translator: Harry Potta

Chapter: 38

Chapter Title: Expelling the Grand Duke

-----------------------------------------------------------------

What did Arpad do while watching that?

Of course, he played right into the rhythm I set, full of enthusiasm.

"I'm worried that my lady is too merciful. Forgiving him to this extent."

"It's a crime deserving of beheading at the very least, but at least that tongue of his might prove useful once."

"Truly wise."

I could confidently say that my threat landed even harder because Arpad had seen the servant's blood.

That said, I had no reason to thank him for it.

'Right now, he's not the crown prince. He's a mercenary.'

He was just doing the job for his employer—me.

Yeah, that was it.

Nothing more.

Arpad tilted his head curiously and asked again.

"Just out of pure curiosity. A magic tool that curses someone to cut off their tongue—is that for real?"

He looked genuinely puzzled.

"And it's a curse with such specific conditions attached... That doesn't sound easy."

Arpad's gaze was fixed on the crystal bird figurine sitting on the desk in the study.

I smirked, curling up one corner of my mouth.

"Of course..."

"Of course?"

I deliberately dragged out my response, letting his curiosity build.

Then I answered boldly.

"...It was a blatant red lie."

A subtle glint of admiration flickered in Arpad's eyes. At the same time, I could see his interest surging.

I picked up the crystal bird and recited the activation word.

The crystal bird began to sparkle. Its wings fluttered cutely.

Adorably so.

For the record, when the wings had flapped inside the servant's mouth earlier, it had terrified him even more.

"It's a toy. Just say the activation word, and it lights up with its wings flapping away."

I showed him the pretty white glow blinking, then switched activation words.

The glass bird's color shifted every which way.

Blue, yellow, orange, purple, and finally red.

I'd deliberately used the one that made it glow red earlier. At maximum intensity, too.

'To make it look as threatening as possible.'

So people would mistake this child's toy for a menacing magic tool heirloom.

In other words...

'I'd pulled off a scam.'

No, in this case, it was more like delivering justice.

Ludwig Kielern, the wastrel who'd holed up drunk in his ex-fiancée's house.

That bastard had been siphoning off the Delphin family's wealth and lands like there was no tomorrow.

Exposing that was justice incarnate.

I giggled, stroking the crystal bird's head.

"This was the last gift from my mother. My favorite toy as a child."

And it was true—it was far too precious to be just a toy.

That's why it'd been displayed on the wall as decoration.

Arpad was rubbing his chin with long fingers, his eyes sparkling.

"Why are you looking at me like that?"

My words came out sharp, probably because my own situation still sucked.

"Disappointed that I'm a con artist who even used my mother's heirloom to blackmail him?"

Arpad shook his head readily.

"No, quite the opposite. I'm impressed."

It was a thoroughly positive response.

Dripping with delight and fondness, it left me flustered instead.

"If we're being technical, doesn't that make me an accomplice? I already used your mother's heirlooms to con alongside you."

Oh, right.

'The clothes and jewelry I borrowed to meet the emperor belonged to the late empress.'

His follow-up words caught me completely off guard, hitting me like a blow to the back of the head.

"And I think your mother would actually be pleased."

"...Pardon?"

"Who cares how you did it? If you used it to your advantage, she'd be thrilled."

Frankly, it was sophistry.

My mother was gone, so I had no idea what she would've wanted.

But foolish as it was, Arpad's words brought me real comfort.

Enough that I forgot to hide my expression as I stared at him.

And then his mutter shattered my moment of sentiment.

"Since it was you who blackmailed even me, you ought to strip those small fries to the bone. That way, I won't feel so hard done by in this abduction marriage of ours."

"Anyone hearing that would think you were the victim of the bride abduction."

"Aren't I, really?"

...What the hell is wrong with this guy? Is he actually insane?

Overnight, the Delphin residence turned upside down.

And by early morning, everyone around knew about it.

As dawn broke, Belma Street—where the capital's powerful nobles kept their city mansions—was already bustling.

The servants of each household were arriving for work or starting their duties.

Thanks to that, plenty of witnesses saw the spectacle unfolding in front of the Delphin residence that morning.

"Get out of the way, you mothe—!"

Ludwig, so drunk his slurred speech hadn't cleared even as day broke.

He let out a bellow and charged at a mercenary in shabby clothes.

The mercenary stood firm like a wall, blocking his path.

"You can't come in."

He'd barely held his ground, but Ludwig couldn't and tumbled over.

Writhing on the ground in his rags, he made quite the comical sight.

Onlookers started peeking with amusement, then gasped in shock.

"W-Wait, that drunkard... No, isn't that Grand Duke Ludwig?"

"It is!"

Since Ludwig had practically lived at the Delphin residence, many recognized his face.

Flustered by the sudden chaos but burning with curiosity, they strained their eyes and ears.

"You filthy bastar—!"

While rooting out traitors among the servants and reviewing their statements, Ludwig had been locked in a small room.

Hilia had given the order like this.

"Lock him up and give him plenty of booze."

She knew his drunken habits all too well.

Ludwig's binges only continued with more alcohol.

That let Hilia take full control of the Delphin residence without interference.

Ludwig had been too busy swimming in his bottles.

And as dawn neared, Hilia issued a simple command.

"Open the door to his room and the front entrance."

"You're not throwing him out yourself?"

"It's better if he leaves on his own two feet—or whatever's left of them."

Drunk as he was, Ludwig staggered out in search of those who'd humiliated him the night before.

Spitting curses, he ended up crawling on all fours through the Delphin residence's front gates.

The moment he emerged, the gates slammed shut behind him with a heavy clang.

His booze-addled mind finally caught on too late. He clung pathetically to the closed doors.

The mercenary under Hilia's orders kept him from re-entering.

Ludwig's cronies who'd lived with him were rounded up with the embezzling servants and handed over to the guards.

The statements Hilia had quickly reviewed proved just how many leeches had been sucking the Delphin family dry.

And at the center, naturally, were Grand Duke Ludwig's close aides.

It was no surprise they'd all been arrested and thrown in jail.

Because of that, no one stopped Ludwig from throwing his drunken fit.

Whispers began spreading everywhere.

"But didn't the Delphin Duchess and the grand duke already break off their engagement? The marriage fell through."

"Yeah. It was a huge scandal because of that bride abduction."

"So why's the grand duke making a scene in front of the Delphin residence...? Oh, is it because he couldn't handle the humiliation?"

Those who loved gossip murmured to the uninformed.

"Nah, I doubt it. Up until yesterday, His Grace was treating the place like his own home."

"What? But the marriage was already kaput, right?"

"Totally. There were already rumors it was weird."

"That's why some said the emperor was giving the Delphin family to the grand duke as compensation for the broken engagement. Guess not."

Being the groom robbed of his bride in an abduction marriage was laughable, sure.

But it also made him an object of pity.

So if Ludwig had handled the situation with any dignity, he might've garnered sympathy and moved on.

If he'd been sober.

And if he could've swallowed his precious pride.

But Ludwig's brain was pickled in booze, leaving him no room for judgment.

He just kept making a fool of himself.

"Uwaaaah, get outta my way!"

The growing crowd wrinkled their noses.

"A royal descendant of dragons, losing all decorum like that..."

"Honestly..."

With Ludwig rolling in the dirt until his clothes were in tatters, people belatedly noticed something else.

"What's that smell?"

"Ugh, it stings the nose."

"Wait, is that urine?"

"Look over there, on the grand duke's pants..."

The finger-pointer couldn't finish the sentence.

But everyone had seen it.

The unbelievable disgrace committed by a noble of dragon blood.

And they all realized it.

This spectacle by Grand Duke Ludwig would spread like wildfire.

His oblivious roar rang out again for those unaware.

"Hilia—! It's mine, I tell you! Hilia!"

He was calling her name just like when he'd lunged at her the night before.

Now his scandal would include this tidbit, too.

'He was overflowing with lingering obsession for the bride who was stolen from him.'

His aides from the Kielern Grand Duke's residence arrived late, having heard the news from the Delphin household, and dragged him away—but everyone who mattered had already seen.

I savored the sight of Ludwig's disgrace from the second-floor window.

Naturally, Arpad stood beside me, mask off.

I grinned confidently and asked.

"Well? Your fee. I've handed you the perfect ammunition to bury Ludwig. Satisfied?"

This, I could guarantee.

Even Arpad couldn't help but be pleased.