(25) Feel it too, despair. (4)
The chief investigator realized that Ariana couldn't answer properly because of Rachel's fierce glare, so he quietly blocked Rachel's path.
"You can be honest with me. Where have you been?"
"I... was doing laundry. With that girl the whole time."
Ariana pointed to the red-haired maid.
The chief investigator gestured, and the maid came running.
"Have you been doing laundry all this time?"
"Yes, Miss, we've been doing laundry since this morning."
Looking at the blankets hanging on the clothesline, it seemed like they had done the exact amount since morning.
The chief investigator's eyes hardened.
The situation was clear.
The chief investigator took out handcuffs and approached Victoria.
"As a witness in a murder case..."
"How insolent!"
Rachel stood between the chief investigator and Victoria.
"How dare you handcuff the Princess of the Bronte family!"
“His Majesty the Emperor has ordered that the investigation of murder be conducted regardless of rank, Duchess. He has ordered that anyone who obstructs the investigation be arrested, regardless of rank. If you do not wish to be dragged away, Duchess, then step down.”
“I am the daughter of His Excellency the Western Duke!”
“I am the head of the investigation bureau, personally dispatched by His Majesty the Emperor of the Empire. You must know that my authority over murder cases is greater than that of His Excellency the Western Duke.”
“You cannot take my daughter!”
“I will.”
“You cannot take her!”
The head of the investigation bureau winked at the investigators.
The investigators, who were from the West region, hesitated in confusion, but even they prioritized their own heads sent by the Empire over the Duke.
The investigators grabbed Rachel’s arms on both sides and dragged her away.
As Victoria was on the verge of being taken away, Rachel forgot that there were other ladies present and struggled.
The ladies covered their mouths at the sight of her ugly appearance and whispered among themselves.
Meanwhile, Victoria froze, staring blankly down at the handcuffs being placed on her wrists.
“What are you doing!”
At that moment, the Duke of Bronte returned from his outing.
The Commissioner of Investigation’s expression remained unchanged despite the Duke of Bronte’s shouts.
The Duchess and the youngest Princess had abused the second daughter and even tried to frame her for murder. It was obvious that the Duke of Bronte would be behind this.
The Commissioner of Investigation couldn’t bear to look kindly on the Duke of Bronte, who had abused and neglected Ariana simply because she wasn’t his daughter.
“What on earth are you doing?”
The Duke of Bronte strode forward and stood before the Commissioner of Investigation.
The Commissioner of Investigation glared at the Duke of Bronte.
“We were trying to bring in the youngest Princess as a witness in a murder case.”
“What? Murder? What do you mean? There’s no way our youngest daughter would commit murder!”
“Oh, the Second Princess is capable of committing murder?”
“What?”
The Duke of Bronte’s eyes wavered.
Only then did he see Ariana, standing anxiously in shabby clothes, and Rachel, held captive by the investigators.
The Duke of Bronte remembered Rachel’s words a few days ago, that she would take care of Ariana’s problem herself.
'It messed up!'
But he couldn’t rush in without hearing the detailed plan.
Besides, there were ladies from prominent families present.
Jacob Bronte was a man who valued his own reputation above all else.
He wiped away his anger and spoke calmly.
“There seems to have been a misunderstanding.”
“Then the youngest Princess will be free.”
“Do you really have to take our daughter? She’s still young.”
“The Duchess said the young Second Princess committed murder. What’s the difference?”
“...But Victoria is younger. She’s not old enough for that.”
“As I told you, we’re bringing her in as a witness. Once the interrogation is over and she's found innocent, we’ll send her back, so just wait. Since you’re the Duke, you know we can’t do anything about it.”
With the chief investigator saying that, Jacob had no choice. When Jacob couldn’t stop her any longer, Victoria shouted,
“Father!”
“Victoria, you didn’t kill him. Go and answer the questions honestly, and you’ll be released. Everyone will be polite, so don’t worry too much and act like a Princess of the Bronte family.”
“Father... I, I didn’t do anything. Please believe me!”
“Yes, yes. That too will be revealed when we investigate.”
“Father! Mother!”
No matter how mature she seemed, Victoria was still a child.
Suddenly, handcuffed and taken to the investigative agency, she couldn't help but feel terrified.
With a face as pale as snow, she called out to her mother and father, but her father didn't seem to have any intention of helping, and she was being held by investigators.
'If it had been Helena... If it had been Helena who was captured, he would have helped her somehow. He would have ensured she wasn't taken away.'
Despair welled up in Victoria's eyes. The despair, unable to bear the weight, flowed down her cheeks.
Through her wet, hazy vision, she saw the sky descending to earth.
Hair as clear as the clear sky, white skin as radiant as the sun in that sky.
She met those blue eyes.
Her eyes, as unwavering as a cold lake, shone as if they would swallow Victoria whole.
In that moment, Victoria realized that Ariana was behind all of this.
The moment she realized, the despair she had barely suppressed burst out.
"Ariana!"
Ariana smiled brilliantly.
Rosaline did better than Ariana expected.
Not only did she testify that she had been with Ariana the whole time, but she also had proof.
She had prepared enough laundry for the two of them to do for hours, and whenever she encountered the maids, she would say things like, “Miss Ariana must be thirsty because she’s doing laundry,” or “Miss Ariana is taking a short break from doing laundry,” so the maids thought Ariana had been doing laundry the whole time. Through all of this, Rosaline never once asked why she had to go to such lengths.
That was the best part.
“Victoria will be free soon.”
A handkerchief wasn’t enough to frame the Bronte Princess for murder. Jacob, Rachel, and the Western Duke would do anything to get Victoria out.
“But it’s a dent.”
Thanks to the arrival of the Chief of Investigation, Victoria was taken to the Investigation Bureau as a witness, so even without Ariana's manipulation, rumors would have spread quickly.
She hates to admit it, but without Cyrus's help, things wouldn't have gone this smoothly.
'I should be grateful. I must repay this favor someday.'
It was an unwanted debt, but she had to repay it.
If there was ever a time when she could help Cyrus, she would do it, at least once.
The problem was the letter.
The letter Rachel had secretly exchanged with the Western Duke while she was in the East.
That letter was the most crucial to Ariana's plan, but Cyrus's interference prevented her from obtaining it.
'Rachel will be leaving the West soon. I have to get that letter before she does.'
She didn't expect the Eastern Duke to accept her without any reason. Ariana had come to the West with Rachel almost immediately after she was born, and she hadn't seen her since then.
The Eastern Duke, whom she'd first encountered when she turned eighteen, had frowned disapprovingly at Ariana.
So even if a worthless Ariana had gone to the East and declared, "I'm your daughter," there was no reason for him to accept her.
"I need to bring something with me."
She'd painfully learned that a useless child couldn't escape being a scapegoat.
Going to the East with nothing would only lead to the same fate as in the West. She should have been holding the letter by now, but the thought of her failure made her resent Cyrus all over again.
But remembering how Victoria had been dragged away with his help, she barely suppressed her hatred for Cyrus.
"There's no use dwelling on the past. When Victoria returns, Rachel will be busy. The Duke of Bronte will be preoccupied with dealing with rumors. I can use that time to sneak into Rachel's room once more."
“What the hell are you doing?! If only Joyson were at the Academy, what could that kid have been thinking while watching his older sister get taken away!”
Jacob raised his voice, uncharacteristically. Rachel, who would usually smile coyly and comfort Jacob, was out of her mind today.
“Why is this my fault again? You lost your temper because of something at the party, so I couldn’t help it! What were you doing when Victoria got taken away? What if you didn’t stop her and just let it happen?”
“Then what are you going to do in front of everyone else? If rumors spread that you’ve become a Duke and are using your rank to suppress the investigation bureau, what will become of our family?”
“Are you that scared of rumors? Is your reputation more important than your daughter?”
“Then why did you do something useless to make this mess of things?”
The chief investigator realized that Ariana couldn't answer properly because of Rachel's fierce glare, so he quietly blocked Rachel's path.
"You can be honest with me. Where have you been?"
"I... was doing laundry. With that girl the whole time."
Ariana pointed to the red-haired maid.
The chief investigator gestured, and the maid came running.
"Have you been doing laundry all this time?"
"Yes, Miss, we've been doing laundry since this morning."
Looking at the blankets hanging on the clothesline, it seemed like they had done the exact amount since morning.
The chief investigator's eyes hardened.
The situation was clear.
The chief investigator took out handcuffs and approached Victoria.
"As a witness in a murder case..."
"How insolent!"
Rachel stood between the chief investigator and Victoria.
"How dare you handcuff the Princess of the Bronte family!"
“His Majesty the Emperor has ordered that the investigation of murder be conducted regardless of rank, Duchess. He has ordered that anyone who obstructs the investigation be arrested, regardless of rank. If you do not wish to be dragged away, Duchess, then step down.”
“I am the daughter of His Excellency the Western Duke!”
“I am the head of the investigation bureau, personally dispatched by His Majesty the Emperor of the Empire. You must know that my authority over murder cases is greater than that of His Excellency the Western Duke.”
“You cannot take my daughter!”
“I will.”
“You cannot take her!”
The head of the investigation bureau winked at the investigators.
The investigators, who were from the West region, hesitated in confusion, but even they prioritized their own heads sent by the Empire over the Duke.
The investigators grabbed Rachel’s arms on both sides and dragged her away.
As Victoria was on the verge of being taken away, Rachel forgot that there were other ladies present and struggled.
The ladies covered their mouths at the sight of her ugly appearance and whispered among themselves.
Meanwhile, Victoria froze, staring blankly down at the handcuffs being placed on her wrists.
“What are you doing!”
At that moment, the Duke of Bronte returned from his outing.
The Commissioner of Investigation’s expression remained unchanged despite the Duke of Bronte’s shouts.
The Duchess and the youngest Princess had abused the second daughter and even tried to frame her for murder. It was obvious that the Duke of Bronte would be behind this.
The Commissioner of Investigation couldn’t bear to look kindly on the Duke of Bronte, who had abused and neglected Ariana simply because she wasn’t his daughter.
“What on earth are you doing?”
The Duke of Bronte strode forward and stood before the Commissioner of Investigation.
The Commissioner of Investigation glared at the Duke of Bronte.
“We were trying to bring in the youngest Princess as a witness in a murder case.”
“What? Murder? What do you mean? There’s no way our youngest daughter would commit murder!”
“Oh, the Second Princess is capable of committing murder?”
“What?”
The Duke of Bronte’s eyes wavered.
Only then did he see Ariana, standing anxiously in shabby clothes, and Rachel, held captive by the investigators.
The Duke of Bronte remembered Rachel’s words a few days ago, that she would take care of Ariana’s problem herself.
'It messed up!'
But he couldn’t rush in without hearing the detailed plan.
Besides, there were ladies from prominent families present.
Jacob Bronte was a man who valued his own reputation above all else.
He wiped away his anger and spoke calmly.
“There seems to have been a misunderstanding.”
“Then the youngest Princess will be free.”
“Do you really have to take our daughter? She’s still young.”
“The Duchess said the young Second Princess committed murder. What’s the difference?”
“...But Victoria is younger. She’s not old enough for that.”
“As I told you, we’re bringing her in as a witness. Once the interrogation is over and she's found innocent, we’ll send her back, so just wait. Since you’re the Duke, you know we can’t do anything about it.”
With the chief investigator saying that, Jacob had no choice. When Jacob couldn’t stop her any longer, Victoria shouted,
“Father!”
“Victoria, you didn’t kill him. Go and answer the questions honestly, and you’ll be released. Everyone will be polite, so don’t worry too much and act like a Princess of the Bronte family.”
“Father... I, I didn’t do anything. Please believe me!”
“Yes, yes. That too will be revealed when we investigate.”
“Father! Mother!”
No matter how mature she seemed, Victoria was still a child.
Suddenly, handcuffed and taken to the investigative agency, she couldn't help but feel terrified.
With a face as pale as snow, she called out to her mother and father, but her father didn't seem to have any intention of helping, and she was being held by investigators.
'If it had been Helena... If it had been Helena who was captured, he would have helped her somehow. He would have ensured she wasn't taken away.'
Despair welled up in Victoria's eyes. The despair, unable to bear the weight, flowed down her cheeks.
Through her wet, hazy vision, she saw the sky descending to earth.
Hair as clear as the clear sky, white skin as radiant as the sun in that sky.
She met those blue eyes.
Her eyes, as unwavering as a cold lake, shone as if they would swallow Victoria whole.
In that moment, Victoria realized that Ariana was behind all of this.
The moment she realized, the despair she had barely suppressed burst out.
"Ariana!"
Ariana smiled brilliantly.
***
Rosaline did better than Ariana expected.
Not only did she testify that she had been with Ariana the whole time, but she also had proof.
She had prepared enough laundry for the two of them to do for hours, and whenever she encountered the maids, she would say things like, “Miss Ariana must be thirsty because she’s doing laundry,” or “Miss Ariana is taking a short break from doing laundry,” so the maids thought Ariana had been doing laundry the whole time. Through all of this, Rosaline never once asked why she had to go to such lengths.
That was the best part.
“Victoria will be free soon.”
A handkerchief wasn’t enough to frame the Bronte Princess for murder. Jacob, Rachel, and the Western Duke would do anything to get Victoria out.
“But it’s a dent.”
Thanks to the arrival of the Chief of Investigation, Victoria was taken to the Investigation Bureau as a witness, so even without Ariana's manipulation, rumors would have spread quickly.
She hates to admit it, but without Cyrus's help, things wouldn't have gone this smoothly.
'I should be grateful. I must repay this favor someday.'
It was an unwanted debt, but she had to repay it.
If there was ever a time when she could help Cyrus, she would do it, at least once.
The problem was the letter.
The letter Rachel had secretly exchanged with the Western Duke while she was in the East.
That letter was the most crucial to Ariana's plan, but Cyrus's interference prevented her from obtaining it.
'Rachel will be leaving the West soon. I have to get that letter before she does.'
She didn't expect the Eastern Duke to accept her without any reason. Ariana had come to the West with Rachel almost immediately after she was born, and she hadn't seen her since then.
The Eastern Duke, whom she'd first encountered when she turned eighteen, had frowned disapprovingly at Ariana.
So even if a worthless Ariana had gone to the East and declared, "I'm your daughter," there was no reason for him to accept her.
"I need to bring something with me."
She'd painfully learned that a useless child couldn't escape being a scapegoat.
Going to the East with nothing would only lead to the same fate as in the West. She should have been holding the letter by now, but the thought of her failure made her resent Cyrus all over again.
But remembering how Victoria had been dragged away with his help, she barely suppressed her hatred for Cyrus.
"There's no use dwelling on the past. When Victoria returns, Rachel will be busy. The Duke of Bronte will be preoccupied with dealing with rumors. I can use that time to sneak into Rachel's room once more."
***
“What the hell are you doing?! If only Joyson were at the Academy, what could that kid have been thinking while watching his older sister get taken away!”
Jacob raised his voice, uncharacteristically. Rachel, who would usually smile coyly and comfort Jacob, was out of her mind today.
“Why is this my fault again? You lost your temper because of something at the party, so I couldn’t help it! What were you doing when Victoria got taken away? What if you didn’t stop her and just let it happen?”
“Then what are you going to do in front of everyone else? If rumors spread that you’ve become a Duke and are using your rank to suppress the investigation bureau, what will become of our family?”
“Are you that scared of rumors? Is your reputation more important than your daughter?”
“Then why did you do something useless to make this mess of things?”
“Did I do it because I wanted to? It’s all... It’s all because of that girl Ariana!”
“Why is it because of her again? No, even if it was because of her, what good would it do if she committed murder? It would only tarnish the Bronte name!”
“She’s not Bronte! Just give me this!”
Jacob roughly grabbed Rachel’s arm as she jumped up.
“Where are you going? Hit Ariana and make people talk about it? Just stay still, just stay still! There’s no good in harassing her right now!”
“Then you’re going to leave the kid who did this to our Victoria alone?”
Jacob stared at Rachel, dumbfounded.
“You... are really scary.”
“What?”
“She’s a stranger to me... but she’s the daughter you gave birth to when you were sick. How can you hate her so much? What did she do wrong?”
Rachel felt like she’d been hit in the back of the head. She hadn’t expected Jacob to say something like this.
Jacob had been awkward with Rachel for a while because she married the Eastern Duke and had borne a child with him. She had also been harsher on Ariana to change Jacob's mind.
Look, Jacob. The child born to the Eastern Duke is nothing to me. I hate her so terribly. You knew I was abusing Ariana, but you pretended not to know, and now you're defending her.
Breathless with betrayal, Rachel gasped and asked,
"Are you blaming me?"
"Then who are you blaming? Are you blaming innocent Victoria? Yes? You're the one who caused this mess because of your useless tricks. You could have just quietly gone to the Empire and made Helena's debutante a success. Do you think Imperial society will even look after the Brontes anymore?"
“Why is it because of her again? No, even if it was because of her, what good would it do if she committed murder? It would only tarnish the Bronte name!”
“She’s not Bronte! Just give me this!”
Jacob roughly grabbed Rachel’s arm as she jumped up.
“Where are you going? Hit Ariana and make people talk about it? Just stay still, just stay still! There’s no good in harassing her right now!”
“Then you’re going to leave the kid who did this to our Victoria alone?”
Jacob stared at Rachel, dumbfounded.
“You... are really scary.”
“What?”
“She’s a stranger to me... but she’s the daughter you gave birth to when you were sick. How can you hate her so much? What did she do wrong?”
Rachel felt like she’d been hit in the back of the head. She hadn’t expected Jacob to say something like this.
Jacob had been awkward with Rachel for a while because she married the Eastern Duke and had borne a child with him. She had also been harsher on Ariana to change Jacob's mind.
Look, Jacob. The child born to the Eastern Duke is nothing to me. I hate her so terribly. You knew I was abusing Ariana, but you pretended not to know, and now you're defending her.
Breathless with betrayal, Rachel gasped and asked,
"Are you blaming me?"
"Then who are you blaming? Are you blaming innocent Victoria? Yes? You're the one who caused this mess because of your useless tricks. You could have just quietly gone to the Empire and made Helena's debutante a success. Do you think Imperial society will even look after the Brontes anymore?"
Jacob's contemptuous gaze was unfamiliar.
It was as if a man she didn't know was standing before her.
Rachel felt a deeper despair than when her marriage to the Eastern Duke was decided.
Her fingertips grew cold.
'It's because of Ariana.'
No matter how much she thought about it, it was the same.
It was as if a man she didn't know was standing before her.
Rachel felt a deeper despair than when her marriage to the Eastern Duke was decided.
Her fingertips grew cold.
'It's because of Ariana.'
No matter how much she thought about it, it was the same.
'Ariana, if it weren't for you, Victoria and I wouldn't be treated like this.'
At that moment, Rachel abandoned her plan to use Ariana to establish ties with the family she needed.
'She shouldn't have been born into this world.'
She tried to kill her while she was still in the womb, but she survived.
'It was a life given to you, so even if you die now, I won't regret it.'
At that moment, Rachel abandoned her plan to use Ariana to establish ties with the family she needed.
'She shouldn't have been born into this world.'
She tried to kill her while she was still in the womb, but she survived.
'It was a life given to you, so even if you die now, I won't regret it.'
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