“I can’t admit it!”
In a space where silence and noise coexisted, Doris shouted with all her might.
The gazes of the people below the stage were now filled with hostility rather than kindness. It was unbearably painful.
“Your Eminence! Are you truly without a single shame under heaven? Even the prophecy of my father’s condition! Even the prophecy of the appearance of demons in the North! All of that came from the mouth of Doris Castagna, not you!”
Now it was not the Emperor or the nobles who were getting fed up, but the high priest.
'You dare betray me?'
Doris avoided people's gaze and smiled crookedly at the High Priest.
A thin stream of blood flowed out from her bitten lower lip, but she couldn't stop her mouth from tearing upwards.
'I will never die alone. There is still a chance!'
“What? What is the truth?”
“If it was the Crown Princess who made the prophecy, then the Saintess is not the Grand Duchess, but the Crown Princess...”
“The oracle I just heard was false?”
“But the dead came back to life. Back in the old days, only Saint Marini could bring the dead back to life...”
People were even more confused by the look on the High Priest's face, who seemed at a loss.
'In the end, I'm the one who has the last laugh.'
Doris trembled involuntarily at the sight she saw with her own eyes, but she did not hide the desire boiling beneath her cold heart.
'I don't know what trick they used, but in the end, I...'
And then.
“Your Highness, please stop lying.”
A voice that shouldn't be heard here now cut through the commotion.
It wasn't a very loud voice, and it wasn't an unfamiliar word, but the sincere contempt in the voice brought silence back to the surroundings.
Doris's unlit gaze followed the voice down to the platform.
“I no longer wish to be ashamed before the Lord and His Majesty the Emperor. I denounce Doris Castagna for deceiving the people with lies!”
“Noura Giuseppe!!”
Noura.
Noura Giuseppe.
The woman who accompanied Doris until she ascended the stage.
Noura Giuseppe, who had been glaring at Doris with her eyes that were burning black for some time.
Her most foolish and loyal maid began to scream, shedding heavy tears.
“Noura, what the hell are you talking about!”
“Your Highness! You deceived the High Priest and made a false prophecy! You deceived me and told me to deliver poison disguised as incense to the fallen Duke of Castagna!”
“It's a set-up!”
In a space where silence and noise coexisted, Doris shouted with all her might.
The gazes of the people below the stage were now filled with hostility rather than kindness. It was unbearably painful.
“Your Eminence! Are you truly without a single shame under heaven? Even the prophecy of my father’s condition! Even the prophecy of the appearance of demons in the North! All of that came from the mouth of Doris Castagna, not you!”
Now it was not the Emperor or the nobles who were getting fed up, but the high priest.
'You dare betray me?'
Doris avoided people's gaze and smiled crookedly at the High Priest.
A thin stream of blood flowed out from her bitten lower lip, but she couldn't stop her mouth from tearing upwards.
'I will never die alone. There is still a chance!'
“What? What is the truth?”
“If it was the Crown Princess who made the prophecy, then the Saintess is not the Grand Duchess, but the Crown Princess...”
“The oracle I just heard was false?”
“But the dead came back to life. Back in the old days, only Saint Marini could bring the dead back to life...”
People were even more confused by the look on the High Priest's face, who seemed at a loss.
'In the end, I'm the one who has the last laugh.'
Doris trembled involuntarily at the sight she saw with her own eyes, but she did not hide the desire boiling beneath her cold heart.
'I don't know what trick they used, but in the end, I...'
And then.
“Your Highness, please stop lying.”
A voice that shouldn't be heard here now cut through the commotion.
It wasn't a very loud voice, and it wasn't an unfamiliar word, but the sincere contempt in the voice brought silence back to the surroundings.
Doris's unlit gaze followed the voice down to the platform.
“I no longer wish to be ashamed before the Lord and His Majesty the Emperor. I denounce Doris Castagna for deceiving the people with lies!”
“Noura Giuseppe!!”
Noura.
Noura Giuseppe.
The woman who accompanied Doris until she ascended the stage.
Noura Giuseppe, who had been glaring at Doris with her eyes that were burning black for some time.
Her most foolish and loyal maid began to scream, shedding heavy tears.
“Noura, what the hell are you talking about!”
“Your Highness! You deceived the High Priest and made a false prophecy! You deceived me and told me to deliver poison disguised as incense to the fallen Duke of Castagna!”
“It's a set-up!”
“You instructed me to kill Countess Blie Acacia, who was your faithful maid, in the same way!”
A boiling scream shook the stage.
There was no noble who did not know how long Noura Giuseppe had served as the Crown Princess.
Even the commoners who were interested in the royal family knew about it.
Doris, who was spitting out curses in a low voice with bloodshot eyes, desperately raised her head.
“Noura! Stop lying! I don’t know who ordered you to do it, but you’re saying things without any evidence...”
“The death of the awakened Grand Duchess is also something that was instigated by Your Highness!”
"No!"
Doris, who was trying to pretend to be pitiful, conscious of the eyes of those around her, rolled her eyes and shouted.
“No!! Talk about sense!! Noura! Do you think you can get away with framing your former master? Where the hell am I, and with no witnesses or evidence whatsoever!!”
“What Countess Giuseppe said is true!”
An old but strong voice once again cut through the crowd.
Doris's angry gaze turned to a place not far from Noura.
“I am Sophie, the head maid of the Grand Duchess of Trovica. Her Royal Highness the Crown Princess once ordered me to burn some good incense for Her Royal Highness the Grand Duchess! If I had known that the incense was poisonous, I would never have done it!”
Sophie, the head maid who was thought to have gone into hiding after failing to assassinate Blie Acacia, was coming up to the stage with Noura Giuseppe.
“There was an incident in the past where Countess Blie Acacia was kidnapped after a carriage accident. That was also instigated by her. I would like to take this opportunity to ask for forgiveness for my sins and to denounce Doris Castagna, who is trying to pretend to be a Saintess!”
Doris Castagna.
No, Doris Ronta.
One of the most noble bloodlines in Ronta.
A woman who no one doubted would become a merciful Empress as the wife of the 'Saint' Bardenaldo Ronta, and who everyone even believed was the Saintess of the oracle.
People were left with no answers in the image they had of Doris Ronta and the series of revelations that followed.
Naturally.
The eyes of those who wanted the correct answer moved to the seats at the top.
The gazes that had been focused on the Emperor, who seemed to be on the verge of collapsing with a pale face, the frail Empress, and the frozen Second Prince, finally turned to the revived Grand Duchess, who was standing with shining eyes in the center of the stage.
The look of confusion that had previously appeared on the face of the Grand Duchess who had died and come back to life was nowhere to be found.
“The Lord spoke to me in Abadelia.”
A sigh-like voice leaked out between her slowly open eyes and twisted lips.
“If someone is impersonating a Saintess, who is not me who died unjustly and will come back to life..."
Doris's gaze, whose face was about to burst, fell on the Grand Duchess's cheek and had come back to life.
Unlike Doris's eyes which had lost their sense of reason, a wicked smile appeared on the Grand Duchess's calm face for a very brief moment.
“He’s a demon who deserves to die.”
“This crazy bitch...!”
Everyone held their breath as the curses poured out without restraint.
Among the noble ladies who had always known only the affectionate and kind Crown Princess, some covered their mouths with both hands and suppressed their screams.
“That woman is the devil!”
Noura Giuseppe shouted with rising momentum as she felt the atmosphere turn around in an instant with her whole body.
“That woman, that woman is not a Saintess! That woman is a devil!”
Noura looked straight into Doris' eyes as she crossed the line of anger, and laughed while crying.
“Doris Castagna killed Grand Duchess Adrienne. It is clear that Doris Castagna also killed His Royal Highness the Crown Prince Bardenaldo! I am a witness!”
***
Unlike the atmosphere in the West, where sighs follow the successive revelations.
The place where the Easterners gathered had a strangely reminiscent atmosphere.
The Duke of Piretta's eyes began to sparkle as he observed Doris's antics and the reactions of the Westerners.
“Father. Have you seen Father?”
Yeah, I saw it.
“Our Rien is alive!”
A Blie Pireta on the stage.
Gregory, who was crying out in excitement, shook his body as if he was about to climb up onto the stage.
On the other hand, the Duke, who had been looking at Blie, who had been making eye contact with him since a while ago, was quietly excited to the point of shaking his hands.
From the moment he met his eyes with Blie, dressed in the priest's robes and assisting the High Priest, a shiver ran down his spine.
'You're a different child from the weak Adrienne.'
He can't be sure whether Adrienne's resurrection was real or a trick, but he certainly knew that Blie, who had sent him the letter, had succeeded in seducing the Second Prince, Rhodnes.
Because he was watching the eyes of Rhodnes, who had discovered her, not leaving her for even a moment.
“A new sun in Ronta..."
Leaving the high priest mumbling his oracle like a madman.
Leaving Doris behind, who was making a fool of the people of the West.
Blie, who had met the Duke's eyes directly, asked openly.
'What are you doing?'
“!”
'Keep your promise.'
Although there was no way he could hear it, the familiar shape of the mouth was painfully etched into his eyes.
***
I clearly saw the desire in my father's eyes as he knew I was Blie.
And at the same time, from the mouths of the confused people, the name of Rhodnes, who was slowly walking towards the center of the stage, flowed out.
“Second Prince, Your Highness the Second Prince...”
“His Highness the Second Prince becomes the Crown Prince.”
“The legitimacy of Ronta lies with His Highness the Red-Eyed Second Prince!”
“He is the one who will protect us with the most powerful magic...!”
“Please, please conduct a thorough investigation into the matters related to Her Highness the Crown Princess!”
Leaving behind those who were still anxious, those who were fascinated by the miracle began to murmur and shout hurrah like wildfire.
“Oh, my goodness. My goodness, ma’am... your prophecy..."
And the thunderous cheers and the clamor that the Second Prince would become the Crown Prince completely erased the doubts of the High Priest Teln.
No, from the moment Blie came back to life, Teln's eyes, fascinated by the miracle, looked back and forth between me and Rhodnes, sparkling with awe.
If he knew that I was trying to achieve a cause by borrowing the will of God, he might faint.
“We in the East strongly support His Highness the Second Prince of Rhodnes!”
Starting with the father's passionate cry.
Like a melody placed on top of the people's cheers.
The voices of the nobles below the stage began to ring out madly.
“His Highness the Second Prince should become the Crown Prince!”
“The only successor who can handle this situation is His Highness the Second Prince...”
The west side, which had been watching Doris start to cry, had already turned pale.
The painting they wanted was of the Saintess Doris and Crown Prince Rhodnes with her halo, so there was a passing worry on their faces as to whether it was right to single-handedly support Rhodnes.
I turned my head toward the piercing gaze of the people who filled the square as the shouts and anxiety grew louder.
Blie stared at me with distant eyes that seemed indecipherable. And then.
Before I knew it, Rhodnes had walked out to the center of the stage and was staring at me intently.
That was when.
“Breaking news! Breaking news!!”
Up onto the platform leaped Lord Jimsker, son of Count Raylon and Noevian's lieutenant.
“The Grand Duke of Trovika, who escaped from prison and was being pursued, fell and died while being chased! His body was not found, but it is certain that...”
The sound of people's voices became so loud that it was deafening as if they were sobbing.
The eyes of Count Raylon, who had been silently watching the situation among the nobles supporting Rhodnes, shook violently.
'Noevian kept his promise.'
My mouth, which had been tense as I waited for news from Noevian, finally drew a shallow line.
“Then now, Adrienne Swann Trovica. Her Royal Highness the Living Grand Duchess..”
I, who had been pushed out of the main office and the center for a moment, took one step at a time.
I walked very slowly towards the center.
“According to the will of His Majesty the Grand Duke, and by the law of succession to wife which he created...”
At the same time, I smiled brightly as I looked into Blie's eyes, who was looking at me as if asking what I was going to do now.
“Your Highness the Grand Duchess of Trovika, then.”
"Oh my God!"
Someone's sigh continued.
In the end.
A bright light began to form in the revived Blie's eyes.
“Your Highness. Who does Your Highness support?”
Blie, who had been staring intently into my eyes and briefly lifting my arm, froze for a moment before rolling his eyes again with a wicked look.
As my gaze was drawn to the smooth smile, Blie's gaze turned away from me and towards Rhodnes, who was watching us.
“I, Adrienne Swann Trovica, the lord of the North and the sole Grand Duke of Ronta will serve Prince Rhodnes, the descendant of the first Emperor, Caldeion, as the sun and my lord.”
A firm voice filled the entire square.
Teln burst into tears with emotion as the fake prophecy finally came true.
The somewhat angry face of Rhodnes, who seemed to be having difficulty bearing it any longer, turned towards me.
I didn't even look at him and apologize for not asking for his understanding in advance.
“I promised.”
Amidst the thunderous roar and the flower petals pouring down like torrential rain, I simply quietly hummed to Rhodnes.
“Noevian Trovica, I will kill him.”
The eyes that had been burning so intensely toward me suddenly became blank.
“I will make you... Emperor.”
A crack appeared on Rhodnes' face, which had been somewhat agitated and frozen.
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A bright light began to form in the revived Blie's eyes.
“Your Highness. Who does Your Highness support?”
Blie, who had been staring intently into my eyes and briefly lifting my arm, froze for a moment before rolling his eyes again with a wicked look.
As my gaze was drawn to the smooth smile, Blie's gaze turned away from me and towards Rhodnes, who was watching us.
“I, Adrienne Swann Trovica, the lord of the North and the sole Grand Duke of Ronta will serve Prince Rhodnes, the descendant of the first Emperor, Caldeion, as the sun and my lord.”
A firm voice filled the entire square.
Teln burst into tears with emotion as the fake prophecy finally came true.
The somewhat angry face of Rhodnes, who seemed to be having difficulty bearing it any longer, turned towards me.
I didn't even look at him and apologize for not asking for his understanding in advance.
“I promised.”
Amidst the thunderous roar and the flower petals pouring down like torrential rain, I simply quietly hummed to Rhodnes.
“Noevian Trovica, I will kill him.”
The eyes that had been burning so intensely toward me suddenly became blank.
“I will make you... Emperor.”
A crack appeared on Rhodnes' face, which had been somewhat agitated and frozen.
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