After Lady Dahlia and the others left, my fellow maids asked me various questions about Lady Edith.

“She carries emotional scars, so I believe she’ll understand Lady Dahlia’s situation,” I answered.

Upon hearing this, my fellow maids looked relieved.

Lady Edith lost a friend seven years ago. I remember clearly how painful it was to see her tormented by regret, thinking she should have noticed her friend’s unusual behavior sooner.

She seemed to be superimposing Lady Dahlia’s image onto her friend, and when they first met, it felt like she was projecting the feelings of those left behind onto her.

Lady Edith has heard about Lady Dahlia from both me and Prince Rix. If anyone will treat Lady Dahlia with care, it’s her.

At the very least, she won’t pull any foolish stunts like that former fiancé of hers.

Since Prince Rix said he would speak with Lord Loin, I decided to join them. I offered to handle reporting the results to Lady Edith myself.

I can’t forgive Lord Loin. After sending such terrible letters and poison, I can’t believe he still has lingering feelings for Lady Dahlia.

What’s more, he actually requested this meeting himself, saying he had something he wanted to convey to Lady Dahlia, which just makes me even angrier.

Perhaps because of my unsettled feelings, I barely slept at all and greeted the next morning exhausted.

“What’s that?”

When I went to Prince Rix’ quarters after getting ready, he looked at me curiously and asked.

“It’s a silver tray product called Tear Tray. It’s popular in the Rofeus Kingdom as both a weapon and protective gear for noblewomen.”

“So, you can protect yourself? But why are you carrying that around now?”

“I have strong grip strength, and when I’m trying to contain my anger, I tend to break glasses if I hold them. So, I thought I’d grip this instead.”

“I… see.”

I could tell Prince Rix was clearly taken aback.

…What am I doing? I’m sure I could have come up with a better reason!

“Let’s go.”

“Yes!”

After nodding, I asked quietly as we started walking.

“How is the investigation of Their Majesties going?”

I asked Prince Rix as we headed toward the room where Lord Loin—no, Lord Zerath—was waiting.

“Mother is claiming she orchestrated everything. She’s even saying that Loin attacked my sister.”

Lady Ramula only appeared saintly. In reality, she only ever thought of herself. Perhaps the King’s doting on her made her even more selfish, but by twenty years old, she should have been able to exercise proper judgment.

“So, the knights haven’t heard Lord Zerath’s side yet?”

“They said they’ll question him after they finish speaking with us.”

“Why is the King making such futile struggles? Lady Edith has already contacted the King of Rofeus, and if Lady Dahlia speaks, everything will come to light.”

“He probably intends to paint Dahlia as a liar. Since Dahlia is disliked by many people, he thinks she won’t be believed.”

Lady Dahlia, treated as an illegitimate child, has had her very existence denied by heartless people. Apparently, it was Prince Rix’s idea to keep her from attending the academy to shield her from hearing the voices around her.

If he cared about Lady Dahlia that much, I wish he could have shown her more kindness behind the scenes.

…Well, he was doing his best to survive in this environment too. The real villains are Their Majesties!

Just as I thought this, we arrived at the reception room. When I entered with Prince Rix, Lord Zerath, who was sitting on the sofa, furrowed his brow.

He seemed displeased by my presence.

Well, I find your very existence displeasing!

But that’s not something I should say out loud.

With Prince Rix’s permission, I sat down beside him. Lord Zerath was diagonally across from us.

After finishing his greetings, Lord Zerath immediately appealed to Prince Rix.

“I have something I want conveyed to Princess Dahlia.”

“…What is it?”

You cheated on her, so just give up already!

Suppressing the urge to speak my mind, I hugged the silver tray tightly.

“I’ve decided to protect Dahlia. My actions weren’t wrong, she’s just misunderstanding.”

“You call sending poison an act of protection?”

Prince Rix showed Lord Zerath the envelope containing the letter and poison powder.

Lord Zerath made a face like he’d bitten into something bitter.

“…The letter still exists?”

“Yes. According to this letter, you could be charged with assisted suicide or suicide solicitation.”

“What I sent wasn’t a lethal dose. It would only cause enough suffering to make her collapse, and if she vomited immediately, it wouldn’t be a serious problem.”

But it would definitely be painful! And there’s no guarantee she wouldn’t die. How dare you say such a thing!

I’m glad Lady Dahlia isn’t here. If she heard this, she’d definitely be shocked.

“You have some nerve saying that so shamelessly right in front of me.”

Prince Rix’s gaze and tone were icy cold, and Lord Zerath flinched momentarily.

“What was your goal?”

“…To prevent Dahlia from being married off and to bring ruin upon Lady Ramula and the others for their foolish schemes.”

Are you saying you prepared poison to prevent Lady Dahlia from being married off? That’s completely unacceptable!

Chapter 21 The Scheme of the Former Fiancé ④ (Nana’s Side)        02/22/26          4

I was seized by the impulse to slap Lord Zerath’s face right then and there, but violence is never the answer.

To suppress my anger, I gripped the silver tray tightly, only to dent the part I was holding.

Both Lord Zerath and Prince Rix looked at me with startled expressions, but I decided not to care anymore.

Then, Prince Rix cleared his throat and resumed the conversation.

“You claim you had no intention of killing Dahlia because it wasn’t a lethal dose of poison, but that alone doesn’t prove you had no murderous intent. And what do you mean by not letting her marry?”

“Exactly what it sounds like. Surely you wouldn’t take someone in poor health straight back to the Rofeus Kingdom?”

“…Were you trying to buy time?”

“Yes. I intended to ask His Majesty to introduce me to another woman instead.”

“That’s a naive plan.”

Prince Rix muttered under his breath.

I agreed with Prince Rix. Lord Zerath’s thinking was far too naive. The King only wanted to make Lady Dahlia miserable, so he would have tried to marry her off to Lord Edith no matter what.

“Looking back now, I think so too.”

As Lord Zerath hung his head and spoke, Prince Rix asked, “So you admit you gave the poison to Dahlia?”

“I prepared the poison, but it was Lady Ramula who delivered it. I truly had no murderous intent. Besides, as long as Dahlia herself doesn’t speak up, I shouldn’t be charged with any crime.”

There have been many cases where incidents were never treated as crimes because the victims remained silent. He probably thinks that if he explains his feelings to Lady Dahlia, her gentle nature would prevent her from making a big deal out of it.

“Even if Dahlia doesn’t press charges against you, you’ll still be arrested.”

“…What do you mean?”

“You might claim you approached my sister under royal orders, but it seems she’s saying it was against her will.”

“Unbelievable!”

After shouting, Lord Zerath covered his face with both hands.

“I’m such a fool! I should have known her purity was only skin deep!”

It’s too late for regrets now.

In his case, he could try to escape by claiming it was the Queen’s orders. Though whether Her Majesty would admit to it is uncertain, the ducal house isn’t foolish either. They would surely take some countermeasures.

Lord Zerath would likely claim he was ordered by royal command to approach Lady Ramula and that she was the one who pressured him. This could potentially lead to civil unrest.

I wonder which side Lady Ramula would take when that happens.

“Prince Rix, I may have done wrong. But my feelings of caring for Dahlia weren’t false. For her sake too, please let me tell her the truth myself.”

After glancing at Lord Zerath who stood and bowed deeply, Prince Rix turned his eyes to me and stood up.

It seemed the conversation was over.

As I rose, Prince Rix spoke.

“I refuse. I’m not Dahlia. If Dahlia ever says she wants to see you herself, I’ll tell her you said that.”

“Your Highness!”

Lord Zerath lifted his head with a pained cry.

Neither Prince Rix nor I looked back as we left the room together.

As I let out a small sigh, I could hear Lord Zerath’s sobbing from behind the closed door.

“Dahlia, being sent to a neighboring country like that. She can’t do anything without me.”

Lord Zerath is just like Lady Ramula. Claiming to act for others while ultimately only thinking of themselves.

It’s truly fortunate that Lady Dahlia woke up.

In the end, with conflicting testimonies from both Their Majesties, Lady Ramula, and Lord Zerath, no resolution was reached that day.

The next morning, a messenger from the King of Rofeus Kingdom arrived with orders for me to remain in the Yusers Kingdom a while longer, as they were gathering evidence to expose the crimes of the Yusers Kingdom’s royalty.

Chapter 22 The Reason for the Conclusion                 02/26/26                4

After staying at the villa for two days, we headed to the royal capital by carriage. It took three days from the villa to the royal castle, but since we stayed at inns at night, it wasn’t as grueling as the sea voyage, and the days passed in the blink of an eye.

The investigations into Father and the others, as well as Loin, were at a standstill with neither side willing to concede. Since there was no physical evidence, both testimonies lacked decisive proof, making it difficult for the knight order to reach a judgment.

After arriving at the royal castle, I greeted Their Majesties of the Rofeus Kingdom and apologized for the trouble I had caused.

Their Majesties said that it was only Father and the others who lied who were at fault, and that I had done nothing wrong.

They also requested that I spend some time as a fiancée, deepen my relationship with Lord Edith, and then consider marriage.

Given the ongoing dispute over Father and the others, I don’t think it’s the right time to be discussing marriage.

His Majesty took the opportunity of my stay in this castle to order Lord Edith to stop hiding his face. At the same time, it was decided that he would reveal his true face in public at the upcoming engagement announcement party.

As I left the audience chamber and was being led to my room by a maid, Lord Edith asked me, “Why would your mother protect her husband?”

“I can only speculate, but I think it was said to be for my sister’s sake.”

“Was the Queen particularly fond of Princess Ramula?”

“Yes. It’s not that Mother dislikes my brother, but I don’t think she was particularly fond of him either.”

“Could it be because Prince Rix didn’t dote on Princess Ramula?”

“I think so.”

If he had pretended to dote on my sister, even if it was a lie, my brother might have had an easier life. But he didn’t do that probably because his pride wouldn’t allow it.

Seeing me nod, Lord Edith made a troubled face, so I asked, “Is something wrong?”

“No, I’ll tell you the rest when we’re alone. Though it might be too soon for us to be alone in your room.”

“We’re engaged, so I don’t mind.”

“Then let’s talk in your room.”

As I smiled, Lord Edith gave an embarrassed grin.

The room I would be living in from now on had a fireplace and sofa at the far end, an armchair by the window, a large canopy bed, a writing desk, a dresser, a bookshelf, and more—it was even more luxurious than the room I had in the Yusers Kingdom.

“Wow!”

“I’m glad you like it,” the maid said with a smile, quickly prepared tea, and left the room.

As we sat side by side on the sofa, Lord Edith began to speak.

“According to a message from Nana, it seems the King has started saying that Prince Rix isn’t his son either.”

“…Why would he say that? I’ve heard that my brother’s features resemble Father’s from his youth.”

As I expressed my surprise, Lord Edith answered with a wry smile.

“My parents also knew about the dispute over your hair and eye color being different. During our journey, my father contacted me, saying they had secretly investigated it back then.”

“Is that so? Um, by ‘investigated,’ do you mean whether my mother was unfaithful?”

“No, not that. It’s the opposite.”

“…The opposite?”

“They investigated your father.”

“Father?”

Why would they investigate Father? Even though it was Mother who gave birth to me.

“Dahlia, didn’t you think it was strange that the King stubbornly suspected the Queen of infidelity?”

“I did. My brother said the same thing.”

“Right. So, my parents thought there must be something that made him suspect infidelity. Apparently, other royal families from different countries thought the same.”

He paused there, took a sip of tea to moisten his throat, and then continued.

“As a result of the investigation, it was found that the King had been frequently traveling abroad around the time Prince Rix was born.”

“So, he assumed she was unfaithful during the times he was away?”

“That’s right. Do you understand why he would think that?”

The fact that he’s frowning means it’s not good news.

The reason he stubbornly suspected infidelity.

…Could it be?

“Because he was unfaithful himself?”

“Exactly.”

So, he felt guilty because he was unfaithful, and that’s why he assumed Mother was too!

If that really was the reason, I’m too stunned for words!