The Third Prince's gaze shifted to a young woman in a simple, flowing dress. Part of her auburn hair was tied up. She was strikingly beautiful. 'This must be the marquis's second daughter.'
Levon shealthed his sword.
"Sia, no need to see this—"
"Why is cousin crying, and why does Elder Sister look so... shocked?" Nyasia asked, stepping closer.
But Levon simply sighed and gave no response. Instead, he ordered the maids to take Mirelle—still sobbing loudly—back to her hall. As they left, he demanded the man produce the note that contained the blackmail. But the man couldn't. He'd lost it while searching.
Nyasia's lips curled. 'For sure, Maryan and her people likely already took it from him.'
The scheme was really simple, though: Maryan gave a forged letter to her, then blackmailed this man to act as the supposed 'lover.' But it was too late for Maryan to bring up the letter now. It would only have worked if her plan had succeeded.
Just then, they heard another footsteps coming from the garden entrance. It was Marquis Rashet, striding in. He led the way, trailed by the head guard, Syril and the butler, Basil.
The prince greeted the marquis, who apologized for the ugly scene. Deciding it was a family matter, the prince politely excused himself.
Maryan burst into tears.
"Father, please don't let Mother know about this yet!" she cried. "Let her try to please everyone tonight, to please our clan. The elders would hate her even more if she fails just because she's worried about Mirelle!"
'She's really good', Fay thought.
Nyasia almost smirked.
She had seen it for years. The way Maryan hovered around Father, the careful smiles, the performance of gratitude. She hadn't cared back then. She should've. But she'd been too sick to care. Too busy dying. And yet her indifference had cost her everything in another life.
"Rise up. Your mother doesn't know," Ezekias said with a worried face, his hand tapped Maryan's back. "Only a handful of people are aware, and they will be discreet."
He turned to look at Levon.
"How did Mirelle end up here?"
"Speak," Levon said to Mirelle's maids.
One stepped forward, shaking. She recounted that Ms. Nox had wanted to take a peek at the banquet. They had tried to stop her, because she wasn't allowed outside. But she was stubborn and insisted on just one look.
"W—we tried and did our best, but we can't hurt Ms. Nox, because Madam might be..." The maid's voice trailed off.
'Mrs. Nox might be angry and slap them? No wonder Mirelle's very bold,' Nyasia thought.
The maid added that Ms. Nox had managed to get outside. After the maid's recount, a guard reported the back door of the manor was standing wide open at the time—the very door that led to the garden. Ms. Nox had most likely walked straight down that path, since entering through other doors would have gotten her caught. And the garden was the perfect place to sneak in.
Maryan clenched her fists.
'Stupid! So stupid! But, of course! It had to be left wide open. Did Nyasia really do it?' She had thought this woman was just innocent-looking. 'Turns out, she's vicious!'
She turned to the man.
"I don't believe for a moment that you're here because someone forced you," Maryan said, trying to steady her desperate voice. "Are you telling us you simply believed a note that claimed to be blackmailing you? Or did you happen to have a crush on my sister—the second lady, whose hall is near this garden?"
Nyasia smiled, amused.
"I haven't even appeared in public yet, and already men are developing crushes on me," Nyasia said.
'The Grand Duke, for sure?' Fay thought.
The man snorted. "What I said earlier was the truth! The one who approached me had a seal from the palace!"
At once, his words silenced everyone.
'Shut up!' Maryan's eyes trembled.
'No one must know,' she thought, but her hands were shaky and wet.
The marquis had suddenly lost interest in prolonging the scene. People were probably beginning to wonder their absence now, and the man's accusations were an atrocious attack against the imperial family. It was clearly treason.
He ordered the man sent to the manor's prison and instructed Basil to find the man's family. The man mustn't be handed over to the state prison. Instead, Rashet would do whatever it wanted with him—and negotiate compensation with the family.
"He's probably an unwanted son," Ezekias said. "Not worth the scandal that will overshadow this banquet. We'll deal with him later."
"Father, you believe the man's claim that someone—"
"Sia." Ezekias cut her off. Then a softer voice: "Go with your brother to the banquet hall now. People are waiting."
ed helplessly as her father comforted Maryan in his arms and accompanied her back through the back door.
Somehow, that still hurt.
*