Kyle's eyes lit up. It was a seal that no one but the owner could touch. The Grand Duke snatched the paper and quickly scanned it. His slightly furrowed brows gradually relaxed as he read, and a triumphant smile appeared on his lips.
“Your Honor. The suspect... no, the prisoner, be thrown into the underground detention center. Right now.”
“Huh? What are you talking about all of a sudden, Your Highness? We must follow the procedures of Imperial law.”
“Here is the testimony of someone who has worked as a housekeeper for the Duke’s family for many years.”
The Grand Duke proudly handed the letter to the Chancellor. The Duke of Kent and other vassals gathered around the Chancellor and looked at the letter. It contained information about the new master's plans for the assassination of the Emperor and his treason over the past three years.
[...(omitted) Unfortunately, I have no physical evidence to present, and I am sorry. However, the reason I am risking my life and betraying my master’s trust in giving this testimony is because I believe that the justice of the Empire and loyalty to the royal family should take precedence over anything else.
I pray with all my heart that no more disloyal intentions will reach His Majesty the Emperor and the Imperial Family, that only God’s blessings will be with you, and that you will always be in good health.]
At the end of the letter was the signature of Louis Dunst. Kyle could clearly see the name. The Grand Duke Winston ordered the imprisonment again and also announced one more thing.
“From this moment on, I hereby acknowledge Michael Randall, the illegitimate son of the late Edward Liam Blackwell, as the temporary head of House Blackwell. I trust the Duke will be more secure in that position than in having the position of head of the house left vacant.”
The Grand Duke didn't even think about hiding his dark intentions. It was obvious what would happen next. After Kyle's hanging, they would either seriously revise the law on the registration of illegitimate children and make Michael the next Duke, or eliminate him for his utility.
Louis Dunst and Michael... That was what happened.
Kyle gritted his teeth and swallowed a bitter laugh. His mind was spinning quickly. More desperate than the miserable reality of facing formal imprisonment and the crisis of the entire family being handed over to an illegitimate child, he was more desperate about not being able to check on Angie’s well-being through Jerome tomorrow.
Charlotte's body was not returned to Te Deum, but buried in the forest of the Hedestad estate. The fever and convulsions caused by the sudden food poisoning stopped her heart and turned her into a lion before she could be helped. That was the external cause of death.
But Michael didn't feel guilty. Even if he was the cause of the inability to have children, maybe a miracle would happen with Angie. Sadly, Charlotte was going to disappear anyway. Leticia and Baron Dervan too. It was fortunate that Louis Dunst made things easier because she was so obsessed with Eternity.
Michael read Louis's letter and laid it down on the desk. He then looked around the study, which was neat and tidy without a speck of dust. It was the office of Kyle Rodan Blackwell, who was probably in prison. But it was Michael's room now. He believed it would always be that way.
The end of someone who has been convicted of treason in addition to the assassination of the Emperor is obvious. After being transferred from the interrogation room to the dungeon, and then from the prison to the Stone Tower, he will be executed by the guillotine. To escape from that process and survive is, well, almost impossible.
The November afternoon was languid and peaceful. Michael entered the main building that the Duke and Duchess used as their main chamber.
The conservatory garden connected to the first-floor master bedroom resembled the Generalife gardens of Blackwell Heights in the past. Not only the garden but also the lake and forest surrounding the mansion like a moat, all of nature.
Te Deum itself resembled a burnt island in many ways. It seemed as if the splendid and beautiful autumn of Cullinan Island, its nature and scenery, had been transferred in their entirety. Just like the name of the hymn, Te Deum, which means praise to the holy God, everything was sacred.
It is mine now. It is my Te Deum. Like the estate of Hedestad, which will soon be mine, and like her, who will soon be mine.
Michael walked across the greenhouse garden to the bedroom. He opened the clamshell door and saw a canopied bed in the distance. He quickly closed the door before the cold wind came in. Angie was lying under the fluttering canopy. Even though the sun was high in the sky, her pale face was fast asleep and did not move.
It was worth putting a sleeping pill in the glass of water last night because she couldn't sleep at all. Michael was sitting on the armchair across from the bed, watching her, and then he came closer to the bed. At that moment, Angie's eyes opened wide. She instinctively jumped up as soon as she saw Michael.
“No, don’t come any closer!”
Between the messy hair, and the green eyes radiated intense wariness and rejection. Michael soon got hurt and stepped away from the bed. As he sat back down in the chair, Angie also put on a robe over her pajamas and sat on the edge of the bed.
“What about Mrs. Dunst? Has Jerome not come yet?”
“Louis will be coming from the capital tomorrow...”
“What about Kyle? Is he still in jail?”
“Maybe so...”
Angie sat up straight, unable to contain her agitated emotions.
“Michael. It’s been three days since I got here! I don’t know why you’re doing this to me, but please, send me to the capital. I need to go to Hedestad and see how Kyle is. That’s why I came to Vintergar in the first place. No...”
The words that she had left Noah behind were about to spill out, but she stopped herself. Angie took a deep breath and looked at Michael. He was trying to calm her down and persuade her, just as he had been doing for the past three days.
“Angie, Kyle is hopeless now. According to Louis’s message, he is already imprisoned in the Stone Tower and will be executed soon. If you go to the capital in this situation, you will be in danger too. That’s why I brought you here, I’ve told you several times. I feel sorry for him too. But since he committed a crime, you deserve to be judged accordingly.”
"Lie...!"
Angie's lips trembled. Michael's face was as kind and pure as when they last met three years ago.
But he was definitely a different person three days ago. The Michael Randall who had forced the sleeping pills into her mouth in the carriage was another man she had never met before.
“I know I’ve told you this many times, but stop lying, Michael. You don’t care at all about Kyle’s situation...”
He was already acting like the owner of Te Deum. Within the mansion, any trace of Kyle was quickly disappearing. The helpers and servants immediately took away any items with Kyle's initials engraved on them. The maid who had worked with her before even whispered something to her when they were alone.
"Angie. I really don't know what's going on. What's going on overnight? We sub-maids have no choice, we have to follow Mrs. Dunst and Chamberlain Jasmine's orders. We meet secretly every night and worry about the Duke, but... If we get caught, we'll probably have to be prepared to be kicked out."
In addition, according to her, the Duchess Leticia and Michael's wife Charlotte died of robbery and murder, respectively. The timing of their deaths was also suspicious. How could they die on the same day and at the same time without someone planning and plotting behind the scenes? The person who benefited the most from their deaths was Michael.
“Michael. How can this be? It’s your dead wife’s funeral... and the mourning period isn’t even over yet.”
“Angie, stop being so guarded and listen to me.”
Michael approached her cautiously again. Except for the light blond hair, the sad eyes, the bridge of his nose, the shape of his mouth, and the neat features certainly resembled the portrait of the late Edward. He was similar to his half-brother, but Kyle’s was sharper when he wasn’t smiling.
“Just let me say this...”
“Don’t come any closer. I’ll tell you in advance that if you touch my body, I will never let you stay still. Especially if you plan on continuing Eternity.”
“Angie, you don’t have to worry about that. I didn’t bring you here with me. I...”
He paused for a moment and then opened his mouth again. His face was grave as if he was about to reveal a secret he had not yet told anyone.
“I can’t have children.”
Angie flinched and closed her mouth. She seemed genuinely surprised by those words.
“So for two and a half years, there was no child between Charlotte and me. No one knows this yet. Not Mrs. Dunst, not the helper...”
“But I don’t understand. Wasn’t the reason the helpers sat you down and treated you like the next Duke because they had hopes that you could become the successor to Black Mass... Eternity?”
“I admit I let myself be led to believe that. But I too, like Kyle, was put on Eternity by my Aunt Hester when I was young. The first side effect was the change in eye color due to albino disease, and the second was a recent symptom. I can’t have a relationship with anyone anymore, Angie."
“Your Honor. The suspect... no, the prisoner, be thrown into the underground detention center. Right now.”
“Huh? What are you talking about all of a sudden, Your Highness? We must follow the procedures of Imperial law.”
“Here is the testimony of someone who has worked as a housekeeper for the Duke’s family for many years.”
The Grand Duke proudly handed the letter to the Chancellor. The Duke of Kent and other vassals gathered around the Chancellor and looked at the letter. It contained information about the new master's plans for the assassination of the Emperor and his treason over the past three years.
[...(omitted) Unfortunately, I have no physical evidence to present, and I am sorry. However, the reason I am risking my life and betraying my master’s trust in giving this testimony is because I believe that the justice of the Empire and loyalty to the royal family should take precedence over anything else.
I pray with all my heart that no more disloyal intentions will reach His Majesty the Emperor and the Imperial Family, that only God’s blessings will be with you, and that you will always be in good health.]
At the end of the letter was the signature of Louis Dunst. Kyle could clearly see the name. The Grand Duke Winston ordered the imprisonment again and also announced one more thing.
“From this moment on, I hereby acknowledge Michael Randall, the illegitimate son of the late Edward Liam Blackwell, as the temporary head of House Blackwell. I trust the Duke will be more secure in that position than in having the position of head of the house left vacant.”
The Grand Duke didn't even think about hiding his dark intentions. It was obvious what would happen next. After Kyle's hanging, they would either seriously revise the law on the registration of illegitimate children and make Michael the next Duke, or eliminate him for his utility.
Louis Dunst and Michael... That was what happened.
Kyle gritted his teeth and swallowed a bitter laugh. His mind was spinning quickly. More desperate than the miserable reality of facing formal imprisonment and the crisis of the entire family being handed over to an illegitimate child, he was more desperate about not being able to check on Angie’s well-being through Jerome tomorrow.
Charlotte's body was not returned to Te Deum, but buried in the forest of the Hedestad estate. The fever and convulsions caused by the sudden food poisoning stopped her heart and turned her into a lion before she could be helped. That was the external cause of death.
But Michael didn't feel guilty. Even if he was the cause of the inability to have children, maybe a miracle would happen with Angie. Sadly, Charlotte was going to disappear anyway. Leticia and Baron Dervan too. It was fortunate that Louis Dunst made things easier because she was so obsessed with Eternity.
Michael read Louis's letter and laid it down on the desk. He then looked around the study, which was neat and tidy without a speck of dust. It was the office of Kyle Rodan Blackwell, who was probably in prison. But it was Michael's room now. He believed it would always be that way.
The end of someone who has been convicted of treason in addition to the assassination of the Emperor is obvious. After being transferred from the interrogation room to the dungeon, and then from the prison to the Stone Tower, he will be executed by the guillotine. To escape from that process and survive is, well, almost impossible.
The November afternoon was languid and peaceful. Michael entered the main building that the Duke and Duchess used as their main chamber.
The conservatory garden connected to the first-floor master bedroom resembled the Generalife gardens of Blackwell Heights in the past. Not only the garden but also the lake and forest surrounding the mansion like a moat, all of nature.
Te Deum itself resembled a burnt island in many ways. It seemed as if the splendid and beautiful autumn of Cullinan Island, its nature and scenery, had been transferred in their entirety. Just like the name of the hymn, Te Deum, which means praise to the holy God, everything was sacred.
It is mine now. It is my Te Deum. Like the estate of Hedestad, which will soon be mine, and like her, who will soon be mine.
Michael walked across the greenhouse garden to the bedroom. He opened the clamshell door and saw a canopied bed in the distance. He quickly closed the door before the cold wind came in. Angie was lying under the fluttering canopy. Even though the sun was high in the sky, her pale face was fast asleep and did not move.
It was worth putting a sleeping pill in the glass of water last night because she couldn't sleep at all. Michael was sitting on the armchair across from the bed, watching her, and then he came closer to the bed. At that moment, Angie's eyes opened wide. She instinctively jumped up as soon as she saw Michael.
“No, don’t come any closer!”
Between the messy hair, and the green eyes radiated intense wariness and rejection. Michael soon got hurt and stepped away from the bed. As he sat back down in the chair, Angie also put on a robe over her pajamas and sat on the edge of the bed.
“What about Mrs. Dunst? Has Jerome not come yet?”
“Louis will be coming from the capital tomorrow...”
“What about Kyle? Is he still in jail?”
“Maybe so...”
Angie sat up straight, unable to contain her agitated emotions.
“Michael. It’s been three days since I got here! I don’t know why you’re doing this to me, but please, send me to the capital. I need to go to Hedestad and see how Kyle is. That’s why I came to Vintergar in the first place. No...”
The words that she had left Noah behind were about to spill out, but she stopped herself. Angie took a deep breath and looked at Michael. He was trying to calm her down and persuade her, just as he had been doing for the past three days.
“Angie, Kyle is hopeless now. According to Louis’s message, he is already imprisoned in the Stone Tower and will be executed soon. If you go to the capital in this situation, you will be in danger too. That’s why I brought you here, I’ve told you several times. I feel sorry for him too. But since he committed a crime, you deserve to be judged accordingly.”
"Lie...!"
Angie's lips trembled. Michael's face was as kind and pure as when they last met three years ago.
But he was definitely a different person three days ago. The Michael Randall who had forced the sleeping pills into her mouth in the carriage was another man she had never met before.
“I know I’ve told you this many times, but stop lying, Michael. You don’t care at all about Kyle’s situation...”
He was already acting like the owner of Te Deum. Within the mansion, any trace of Kyle was quickly disappearing. The helpers and servants immediately took away any items with Kyle's initials engraved on them. The maid who had worked with her before even whispered something to her when they were alone.
"Angie. I really don't know what's going on. What's going on overnight? We sub-maids have no choice, we have to follow Mrs. Dunst and Chamberlain Jasmine's orders. We meet secretly every night and worry about the Duke, but... If we get caught, we'll probably have to be prepared to be kicked out."
In addition, according to her, the Duchess Leticia and Michael's wife Charlotte died of robbery and murder, respectively. The timing of their deaths was also suspicious. How could they die on the same day and at the same time without someone planning and plotting behind the scenes? The person who benefited the most from their deaths was Michael.
“Michael. How can this be? It’s your dead wife’s funeral... and the mourning period isn’t even over yet.”
“Angie, stop being so guarded and listen to me.”
Michael approached her cautiously again. Except for the light blond hair, the sad eyes, the bridge of his nose, the shape of his mouth, and the neat features certainly resembled the portrait of the late Edward. He was similar to his half-brother, but Kyle’s was sharper when he wasn’t smiling.
“Just let me say this...”
“Don’t come any closer. I’ll tell you in advance that if you touch my body, I will never let you stay still. Especially if you plan on continuing Eternity.”
“Angie, you don’t have to worry about that. I didn’t bring you here with me. I...”
He paused for a moment and then opened his mouth again. His face was grave as if he was about to reveal a secret he had not yet told anyone.
“I can’t have children.”
Angie flinched and closed her mouth. She seemed genuinely surprised by those words.
“So for two and a half years, there was no child between Charlotte and me. No one knows this yet. Not Mrs. Dunst, not the helper...”
“But I don’t understand. Wasn’t the reason the helpers sat you down and treated you like the next Duke because they had hopes that you could become the successor to Black Mass... Eternity?”
“I admit I let myself be led to believe that. But I too, like Kyle, was put on Eternity by my Aunt Hester when I was young. The first side effect was the change in eye color due to albino disease, and the second was a recent symptom. I can’t have a relationship with anyone anymore, Angie."
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