.jpg)
She had never doubted for a moment that she was Blanche's daughter, but she had been afraid that her memory might be wrong.
Moreover, she couldn't relax, thinking that Rosia might use cunning tricks to manipulate the results once again.
However, as such a definite result was revealed before her eyes, a sense of relief finally washed over her.
"I knew my guess was right, Rosia. You were the fake. You were the one who manipulated the Magical Tool a year ago."
Rosia, who had been wailing, flinched at those words and glared at Ayla.
"What? Fake? Who are you calling a fake!"
But there was no way she could rush at Ayla, restrained by the Restraints and subdued by the knights.
"Well, the scam is all exposed, so give up now."
Baron Hyugen, who had grasped the situation, quickly changed his attitude and roughly grabbed Rosia's shoulder.
Then, he looked down at her with a fierce gaze.
"All the evidence that came out of the room is yours, isn't it? It couldn't have been that easy to infiltrate the Duke's Noble house."
"…Th, that's."
"Judging by this, even your appearance must have been fabricated. To look like a member of the Duke's Noble house. Just what is your identity?"
Tears welled up in Rosia's eyes at the Baron's questioning.
"I’m…"
Hostile gazes poured down on her from all directions. In that situation, it was impossible for even Rosia to brazenly continue lying.
Because if the Mages here wanted to, it would only be a matter of time before her true appearance, hidden by Magic, was revealed in front of everyone.
'If it's revealed that I'm a prisoner who escaped from prison a long time ago, everything will be over.'
Only then did the seriousness of the situation sink into her bones.
Rosia felt the strength draining from her body. She realized that there was no way to escape.
Now, all she could do was remain as silent as possible in the face of the investigator's questioning.
It was then, as she bit her lip tightly and lowered her gaze.
"You devilish…!"
Gerard, who had been silent until now, suddenly jumped forward.
Breaking through the encirclement of several knights, he grabbed her by the collar as if it were a lie.
Everyone gasped at his attitude, which had become so rough that the word 'young nobleman' seemed out of place.
"Because of you… because of your petty greed… do you know what I, no, what our family did to Ayla?! How could you do such a thing while wearing a human skin…!"
"Young Master Gerard, I understand your feelings, but please calm down! There's still a lot to investigate!"
Baron Hyugen hurriedly wiped away sweat as he tried to pull him away, but Gerard's anger did not subside easily.
"Because of you, what kind of wounds did I inflict on Ayla…!"
It was only after three or four knights clung to him that he finally lost strength in his body.
Rosia trembled helplessly in his hands. But no one pitied or sympathized with her.
The Duke roughly ran his hand over his face, which was distorted with shock.
Soon, he muttered in a voice that seemed to have gone completely hoarse.
"…Immediately."
Even the knights who had been waiting quietly stiffened at the chilling tone.
"Immediately seize that swindler and lock her up! Don't give her any food until I order it. From now on, she will know painfully what the price is for mocking the Duke Blanche's Noble house!"
Unlike other Noble houses, the Duke's Noble house had the authority to conduct its own trials without referring criminals to court.
Of course, that authority could not be abused at any time, but the story was different if the other party was a swindler who had mocked the Noble house.
Rosia, realizing the seriousness of the situation, froze completely. She stared blankly into the empty air with a vacant look.
She cast one last pleading glance at Kadin, but he completely ignored Rosia and didn't even look at her.
No, in fact, his gaze had never been directed at her, not even once, long before.
Only then did Rosia realize the reality, and a hollow laugh escaped her lips.
She was dragged away by the knights, bound by the cold Restraints.
After Rosia was dragged to the dungeon, a heavy silence fell in the drawing room.
The Duke took a deep breath and immediately gave instructions to Baron Hyugen.
He ordered him to pour all his manpower into guarding the criminal so that she could not escape, and to thoroughly investigate her identity and intentions.
The Baron was rather pleased to be able to escape this frozen atmosphere, and he hurriedly led his men out of the room.
Then, silence fell in the drawing room once again.
The people quietly kept their mouths shut and were only watching Duke Blanche.
At that moment, Marquise Late cautiously opened her mouth.
"…She's really no ordinary swindler. She brazenly drove out someone else's child, and even caused discord."
She held her hands tightly together and slowly approached Ayla.
"I can't even imagine how hard it must have been for Ayla for the past year… I wonder how resentful she must have been of us."
Ayla looked at the Marquise with an expressionless face.
"……."
"Ayla, our Kadin is a victim. He was deceived by Rosia. The annulment back then was all-."
Kadin belatedly grabbed his mother as if to stop her.
"Please stop, Mother."
There was no way Kadin wouldn't know her intentions to look good to Ayla now.
He firmly grabbed his mother's elbow and shook his head resolutely.
"Oh, you. Just stay still…"
"Enough."
Duke Blanche cut off the Marquise's words like a knife. Soon, he continued in a trembling voice.
"The rest of you, except for the Blanche family, please leave now."
Only then did the Marquess, who had sensed the unusual atmosphere, quietly lead his wife and son out of the room.
The remaining knights were the same.
As the door closed, only the people of the Blanche family remained in the room.
Duchess Irene was the first to approach Ayla and quietly hug her.
She gently stroked her daughter, who had suffered for a long time, and patted her on the shoulder. Ayla looked at her mother and her eyes turned red.
Cedric, who knew all the truth, only sighed repeatedly from afar.
At that moment, Gerard, who had been standing far away, broke the awkward silence.
"…Ayla."
Ayla slowly turned her head at the voice calling her name. Soon, a cold gaze pierced through him.
"What?"
It was just a short word, but at that moment, Gerard sensed it. That he would never be forgiven by her for the rest of his life.
Nevertheless, he tried to calm his mind. No matter what kind of contemptuous gaze she gave him, he had to apologize.
"…I'm really sorry."
His lips twisted terribly.
"I was really foolish. If I had turned around even once when you were pleading so desperately… I can't bear how pathetic I was for being deceived by a swindler and turning away from you."
He tried to look straight at Ayla, but it wasn't easy.
This was because the guilt of belatedly turning away from her, who had endured harsh treatment in front of people, washed over him.
"I'm really sorry, Ayla. I know no words can excuse me…"
Ayla only stared at him with an expressionless face.
Gerard couldn't say anything more and bowed his head deeply. Only a heavy silence lingered in the drawing room.
Calios, who had been standing still with a stiff face, cleared his throat.
"I… I want to apologize to you too. I couldn't have imagined that even the Magical Tool could be manipulated…"
The Duke, who had said that far, painfully distorted his brow.
"No, it will all sound like excuses from your point of view. Because there was no father as heartless as me during that time. I did a lot of terrible things, starting with doubting your abilities during that time."
The Duke, shaking his head as if to shake off his distracting thoughts, took a step towards her.
"So, even now, I'll correct everything-."
At that moment, Ayla stepped back as much as he approached.
Calios, who was momentarily flustered, looked at Ayla with surprised eyes.
"Ayla Blanche?"
"…No."
Ayla shook her head firmly and said.
"Don't call me that. I told you before, I have no intention of returning to the Noble house anymore."
"What does that…"
"I'm much happier now than when I was in the position of Princess Consort. So, if you're truly sorry to me, don't interfere in my life anymore."
.jpg)