I Became the Heroine’s Stand-in - Chapter 79

From the moment the imperial palace accused Rinnel Parlier of attempting to assassinate a member of the royal family, misfortune followed relentlessly. The once-prestigious House of Parlier crumbled in an instant, its long-standing reputation reduced to nothing.

The crime of regicide. An attempted poisoning.

Even if she were to receive a lighter sentence, exile would be the best possible outcome. At worst, she could face execution.

Sensing the impending downfall of the family, the servants had long since fled. Now, with only the direct family members remaining, an unexpected guest arrived at the desolate Parlier estate.

“D-Duke Valencia!”

“To think that the once-glorious House of Parlier would fall so easily… Life is truly unpredictable.”

Ersivan Valencia.

The very man who had been the victim of Rinnel’s alleged crime.

Rinnel looked at him with despair-filled eyes. She couldn’t even ask if watching her family collapse brought him satisfaction.

“Y-Your Grace! P-Please, spare me!”

“Spare you? Are you not the one who tried to take my life?”

But he had come because he needed her.

Desperate and wrongfully accused, she had no choice but to beg for a lifeline from a man she had never spoken to before—a man who surely resented her.

“I never put poison in the tea! I was never given such an order, nor would I have any reason to do so. What possible motive could I have for harming Your Grace?”

“Hmm…”

“If—if it really were me, do you think I would have been so careless as to be caught this easily? Your Grace is well aware of my family’s reputation! I am not so foolish as to commit such an obvious crime!”

Ersivan idly tapped his shoe against the dusty marble floor, his posture exuding a lazy indifference. Rinnel had no way of discerning whether he believed her or found her words utterly absurd.

Then, he silently observed her with dry, unreadable eyes before pulling out a chair and taking a seat.

For a brief moment, Rinnel panicked—realizing she had not even offered him a place to sit in her desperate state.

But her flustered thoughts were quickly interrupted by his commanding voice, as steady as ever.

“So… you claim you are innocent?”

“…….”

“You are on the verge of being declared a traitor. Almost no one knows the full details of this case, meaning you have nowhere to turn for help.”

“…D-Does this mean Your Grace is willing to listen to me?”

Rinnel’s pupils trembled uncontrollably, brimming with overwhelming emotion.

For a moment, the light in her eyes flickered with undeniable hope.

The rhythmic tapping of Ersivan’s fingers against the desk came to an abrupt halt. Then, he removed the hat he had been wearing and placed it on the desk.

“I will help you.”

“…!”

“But if you wish to live, you must comply with every one of my conditions.”

It was difficult to understand why the victim was offering to help the accused criminal.

But Rinnel was in no position to question anything. Right now, any lifeline was worth grasping onto.

“O-Of course!”

“Even if you have doubts, even if you are afraid—you must follow through. There is no chance of us losing.”

There was something almost threatening in his firm tone. But despite that, Rinnel did not falter.

A soft smile curved onto his striking features.

“I look forward to working with you, Rinnel Parlier.”

Because sending letters would be too risky, Ersivan came to the Parlier estate in person, time and time again.

Even then, he took extreme precautions—not once bringing a carriage, to avoid drawing attention.

Each week, he brought her news. And one week before the grand banquet, he finally delivered the completed plan.

“A grand banquet will be held in Valencia next week, on the third day. That is when you will make your move.”

“M-Me? You want me to go?”

“Yes. Naturally, you will not receive an invitation. As an unwanted guest, you will be turned away at the gates. But you must come. No matter how humiliating it is, no matter how forcibly you are removed—you must find a way to break through and enter. And then, you must say this.”

“…What should I say?”

“You must declare, ‘I am not the one who attempted to poison His Grace!'”

Then, all she had to do was follow the script he had prepared, and her safety would be guaranteed.

For a moment of disgrace, she would be securing her survival.

And Rinnel could endure far worse than humiliation if it meant she could live.

Even if she had to crawl through the mud, she would one day take pride in her survival.

And so, today—the day of the grand banquet at the Valencia estate, with countless guests gathered—was the perfect moment.

“Last month, Your Grace visited the imperial palace with the Duchess. On that day, an unfortunate incident occurred. …I acknowledge that I was the one who served Your Grace’s tea, but I swear I did not commit the crime. I merely delivered the teapot that was handed to me!”

Rinnel had rehearsed this moment countless times. She pushed down every trembling word, forcing them out with deliberate precision.

Was it because of the weight of this moment? Or was it because of the sheer humiliation?

Her throat burned, as if it had been pierced by needles.

Among the gathered guests, she could see the horrified expressions of those staring at her.

Some of them were former acquaintances, people who had once held close ties with her family.

“Then are you saying that the person who brewed the tea is the true culprit?”

“That is not the case either! Tea preparation is typically a divided responsibility. With so many people watching, it would have been impossible for someone to poison it unnoticed!”

“So, you do not know who the culprit is, but you expect me to believe that you are innocent? Tell me, Lady Parlier—”

No—was she even worthy of being called that anymore?

It was an unmistakable mockery.

Ersivan played his role so convincingly that, for a fleeting moment, Rinnel feared that she had been betrayed.

Even if that were true, it was too late to turn back now.

Even if she had fallen for the devil’s lies, she had to see this play through to the end.

Steeling herself, Rinnel recited the next line from memory.

“T-There is a ledger!”

“A ledger?”

“Yes! Two weeks before the incident, a foreign merchant visited the empire. As it was his first visit, he was unaware that selling certain poisonous herbs was illegal. The very poison that was used against His Grace… was the same substance that merchant had sold!”

“You mean to say you have obtained the merchant’s ledger?”

“Yes! So if we track down the person who purchased the poisonous herb…!”

She had nearly reached the final lines of the script. Judging by the reactions around her, things were proceeding as planned.

But then—Ersivan abruptly changed course.

He ran a hand along his chin, a subtle gesture of contemplation, before suddenly raising a question that was never in the script.

“However, Lady Parlier, there is a contradiction in your statement.”

“Pardon?”

“It wasn’t you who brought the tea, nor was it the servants who brewed it. Then at what point was the poison supposedly added? No one else had access to the teacup.”

This was not part of the script.

Caught off guard, Rinnel visibly faltered, her lips parting soundlessly, unable to find the right words.

What is this? Had she failed to memorize the script properly? No—this situation was never in the plan.

She pressed her lips together, trying to buy time before she attempted to respond.

“That…”

“Ah. There is one possible person.”

Oddly enough, it was Ersivan himself who answered the question.

“W-Who are you referring to…?”

“My mother, who was in the room earlier.”

His mother? That meant… the Empress.

Was he implying that his own mother had poisoned him?

Rinnel stood frozen, her expression mirroring the stunned audience behind her.

“…Excuse me?”

“My mother would have had unrestricted access to the teapot, wouldn’t she? Perhaps it was merely a prank on her part…”

“…….”

“Or maybe she mistook me for another enemy and made a terrible mistake.”

His tone was so calm, so indifferent, that it was impossible to tell whether he was joking or not.

Without realizing it, Rinnel had already begun to agree with him.

The Empress had promised not to make the incident public—allegedly as a final act of mercy toward the House of Parlier.

But if she was the true culprit, then everything changed.

If she had deliberately framed someone else to cover her tracks, if she had silenced any investigations to keep the truth hidden…

Rinnel didn’t know how to respond.

Should she speak up? Or should she remain silent?

If she confirmed Ersivan’s claim, some of the blame would be lifted from her shoulders.

But if the Empress wasn’t the real culprit, then House Parlier would face yet another accusation—this time for slandering the royal family.

As Rinnel wrestled with the impossible choice, Ersivan effortlessly shifted the focus elsewhere.

“In any case, this situation calls for an investigation, wouldn’t you agree, dear brother?”

And just like that, the responsibility was passed on.

This time, the burden fell upon Kain Demenhardt, the Crown Prince of the Empire.

Caught completely off guard, Kain and Epel, who had been lingering in the background, suddenly found all eyes on them.

Kain cleared his throat, attempting to mask his discomfort, before responding with a confident tone.

“I’m not sure what answer you expect from me, Brother.”

“I am requesting an investigation. Lady Parlier has vehemently pleaded her innocence—will you simply dismiss her claims?”

The daughter of a once-proud noble family was openly demanding justice.

And with so many people watching, those who had once been connected to House Parlier began to rally behind her, urging Kain to act.

Forcing himself to maintain a composed front, Kain tried to weasel his way out of the situation.

“I don’t think this is something I should be handling…”

“Now, don’t be like that. You are the second sun of the Empire, after all. When our mother and father are absent, it is your duty to uphold their authority. You do understand that, don’t you?”

Ersivan’s voice was laced with mocking amusement.

Kain had certainly enjoyed the benefits of that privilege plenty of times before.

And now, Ersivan lowered his voice, murmuring just loud enough for only Kain to hear.

“You cannot simply ignore this, dear brother.”

Kain barely had time to react before Ersivan swiftly cut him off, seizing control of the conversation once more.

“And so, dear brother—no, His Highness, Crown Prince Demenhardt—please, grant Lady Parlier the fair investigation she desperately seeks.”

Rinnel stared blankly at Ersivan, utterly bewildered.

Behind him, Kain reluctantly nodded, clearly realizing he had no other choice.

“We will win this.”

Ersivan had been right all along.

She had grabbed onto what she thought was a rotten lifeline.

But in the end—Ersivan Valencia had been her savior all along.

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