Chapter 68: [Chapter 068] We have eliminated all rebels
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Noevian's study was surprisingly similar to that of Count Acacia. A bleak and desolate atmosphere. The only difference was that it was a bit larger and a few gloomy paintings or tapestries were hung for decoration.
Although I had lived in this mansion for two years, I had never been in this study since he first showed it to me. The mansion was very large, and with my initial lack of stamina, I was too busy commuting between my study and bedroom to learn about the duties of the Grand Duchess. Besides, since he didn't stay at the mansion very often, there was no need for me to come to this study. As I briefly reminisced about the past, I closed the study door and approached the desk piled with all kinds of documents. It was a complete mess, which was completely out of character for him, who was usually very neat. I was afraid that I might leave any trace of my presence if I touched something carelessly, so I only looked around with my eyes. Important documents would not have been left lying around in this space, which the butler cleaned every morning. Most of the desk drawers were locked. I lowered my posture and began to open each drawer one by one, searching for the matching keys. In addition to documents written in all sorts of foreign languages, there were only trivial titles and documents related to the management of his estates that he had acquired through his achievements. It took a long time to organize the documents I took out and put them back in and lock the drawers again. I got up from time to time to look outside. Roardnes' knights were still guarding the front gate. With so many people standing in front of the mansion, even if Noevian tried to enter through the back door, he would have no choice but to go that way. Trying to calm my pounding heart, I opened the safe under the desk. Instead of gold bars as I had expected, like in Count Acacia's case, the safe was filled with bundles of documents. All the document envelopes were the same shape, material, and color. When I took out the topmost document, it said 'West.' The next one too. And the next one too. And the next one too, all said 'West,' which seemed very suspicious. The only image I had of the West was Castagna's territory, the battlefield where Roardnes had been for several years. It was very strange to have so many document envelopes to fill a small safe like this, as there was nothing else I knew about the West. All the envelopes were sealed with wax, but the envelope that seemed to have been put in most recently was not waxed. I quickly opened the envelope and took out the document.
"...!"
Short sentences, considering their thickness, were deeply imprinted in my eyes. The content was roughly as follows: [Send rebels to the West again.] My hands, wet with tension, almost dropped the document. I focused all my attention on not crumpling it. Anyone who read a document stating that troops should be moved to the West from a certain region could only see that the person who wrote the document was "deliberately" sending rebels. My body trembled. At the same time, my mind went blank as if someone had taken away all my thoughts.
"What... what does this mean?"
I understood the content, but I couldn't understand why he was doing this. I looked at the sealed document envelopes in the safe with a desperate heart and took out the innermost one. It was definitely the oldest document, and it was sealed with wax, but I couldn't help but open it. I couldn't be sure if I would have another perfect timing like today. As I read the contents, I felt as if someone was grabbing my brain and messing with it. What on earth...
"What on earth are you thinking?"
There were words I couldn't understand at all.
[Plant mana stones in the West and summon monsters.]
[Focus the rebels on the West.]
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The neat letters typed on official documents were violently disturbing my mind. Monsters and rebels, things that sounded terrifying. The contents of sending them to the West. And what I couldn't understand the most was the very last part.
[...Tie up the Second Prince Roardnes and prevent him from entering the capital.]
I crumpled the old document, unable to hold it back any longer. The monsters and rebels who had prevented Roardnes, who had just become an adult, from even setting foot in the capital. The dangerous things of Ronta that made him a battlefield warrior were not inevitable but were deliberately sent by someone, or rather, by Noevian. It was his truth, hidden in his office, in his safe.
"Why are you going to such lengths?"
In the study, devoid of even a single ordinary portrait, I spat out the words as if addressing Noevian directly.
"If you wanted me, why couldn't you have been satisfied with just me?"
I didn't feel a shred of patriotic sentiment about why he was wasting the nation's resources in such a pointless way. Instead, I was overcome with a deep sense of sorrow for Roardnes' wasted time, and my face contorted in anguish.
"What did Roardnes do wrong that you're treating him this way? Did you hate him that much? Did you hate it that much when he came to me?"
Noevian's voice, which had once wailed about having nothing, now seemed pitifully pathetic, despite the coldness that had crept into my heart. It churned my insides.
"Just because you don't have something, does that mean you can take it from others?"
In this manner? While you and I went through the motions of a wedding, and foolishly, I gave my heart to you, all the while you deceived me and sent Roardnes to battlefields? Who would compensate for that time? As I gripped the document in my hand tighter, I felt something beneath it. It was a note, added later.
It asked, "Where are the rebels?" Another note, scrawled below it, seemed to be an answer: "There are no rebels." "We're just creating them."
I laughed for a long time. I had no more tears left. Instead of a heart-wrenching sob, a hollow laugh echoed softly through the spacious study.
The 'rebels in the West,' the excuse that had been used to send Roardnes to the battlefield, had been Noevian's doing.
I remembered the news articles about the West, always in turmoil due to the rebels. How Second Prince Roardnes had gone to quell the rebellion but was always hindered by mysterious monsters, and how he had spent more time hunting monsters than rebels. Those monsters would appear out of nowhere, ravaging the villages in the West, and the soldiers sent to slay them would have their arms hacked off from so much swordplay.
I remembered Roardnes' body, scarred and wounded. There were faint scars all over his shirt, the marks left by a young prince who had been thrown into the battlefield. My mind, which had turned blank from shock, grew hot. It was a clear, burning anger.
As if someone was pulling me, I forcefully sat down at Noevian's study desk. My heart pounded loudly in my ears. Since I had torn open the wax-sealed document, if Noevian were to open this safe and search it, no matter what was inside, he might notice if he was unlucky.
From the moment I reached for a deeper truth, there was no turning back. Despite my pounding heart and hot head, I continued to laugh senselessly, as if someone would think I had gone mad. Was this the truth Blier was talking about? Did she already know?
If so, I wish she had told me what to do. I looked down at the letter from Doris that I had tucked into my bosom. As I read it over and over, I picked up a piece of letter paper from the pile on Noevian's desk. It was a high-quality letter paper with the Trovika family crest clearly imprinted on it. It was nothing short of a symbol of Noevian Trovika himself. I could feel bloodshot veins in my eyes. With those bloodshot eyes, I picked up Noevian's quill without hesitation and wrote a reply to Doris.
"If you doubt my loyalty to Your Highness, I would be disappointed. No matter how much I love His Highness the Duke, if Your Highness recognizes my abilities and trusts me, I am ready to leave him at any time."
I wrote quickly, but my handwriting was very neat. As if to engrave the content in my heart, I read it repeatedly, and then picked up another piece of letter paper and continued to write.
"Isn't it true that you find Noevian Trovika bothersome?"
Even though it was just one sentence written by hand, my breath was ragged as if I had been running. After barely catching my breath, I stared at the damned documents in front of me and gripped the quill tightly again.
"I found something quite interesting, and I wonder if it might be helpful to you."
Wouldn't this be enough reason for the Crown Prince to abandon Noevian Trovika? More than enough, in fact. The bundle of documents that could no longer remain in his safe was right in front of me. It was definitive proof that Noevian Trovika, the Emperor's strategist and the head of the Crown Prince's faction, had been continuously sending rebels and monsters to the West.
I held it as precious as a treasure. At that moment, the outside became even more noisy. I walked slowly and looked out at the now darkened outside. The front gate was brightly lit, and I could hear another argument. A large carriage with the Trovika flag was in sight, and I could see Noevian getting out of it and walking towards Roardnes. It was time to leave this study.
Lifting the hem of my layered dress, I tucked the bundle of documents securely under it and approached the desk. I added a few more words to the letter.
"If you don't understand why I'm suddenly doing this, even though I love him, let me add that I didn't intend to do this from the beginning."
Yes, my head was so hot, and my heart felt like it was about to burst. If I didn't talk to myself, I thought I would go crazy. It was all because of Noevian Trovika. He had made me this way.
"Not until I found out that he was betraying my love and having an affair."
That was the face that had only wailed when the ghost of Adrien demanded the truth, and that felt relieved as if all his sins had been forgiven when I told him to live happily with Blier.
Leaving everything in place except for the document envelope, I went downstairs as if nothing had happened and greeted Noevian. Noevian, who had entered with a distorted expression, looked at me with a solemn face.
"Second Prince Roardnes is at the front gate."
"Yes, does it matter?"
I greeted him with the most beautiful smile I could muster and hugged him tightly. I could see the servants around me covering their mouths at the unreserved expression of affection. Noevian, who had been stiff, hugged me back.
"It doesn't matter who does what at the front gate when I love you."
As if he had gotten the most satisfying answer he could hear from me, Noevian relaxed his expression and ordered Gaspal to prepare bathwater, as if he had never frowned. Ignoring Gaspal, who was looking at me disapprovingly, I patted my shoulder encouragingly and glared at Noevian's back as he went up to the bedroom. Over his disappearing figure, the sentences I had added to the letter to Doris floated like a mirage.
[Your Highness, I want to take revenge on him. I don't care about the position of Grand Duchess.]
[As long as I can bring down the man who trampled on my love.]
Blier Acacia, who was blinded by love and foolishly dreamed of becoming a Grand Duchess. Blier Acacia, who was so blinded by betrayal that she could see nothing else. No matter what Doris thought of me and how she used me, the result would be the same. That is, Noevian Trovika would fall in the most pathetic and miserable way.
"Yona, please deliver this letter directly to Lady Irene of the Ciscometin Count's residence and ask her to pass it on to Her Highness, the Crown Princess."
Of course, it was I, Adrien Piretai, not Blier Acacia, who would create that result, so I didn't need to repay Doris for her help. I was just using her too.
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