In A World Full of Silence, My Heart Will Find Its Way To You - Chapter 109

Inside the palace walls where the royal guards stayed. Eric, seated at the office table, slowly lifted his head at the sudden sound of knocking.

Without waiting for a reply, Henry hurried in.

He must have run the whole way—his curly brown hair was wildly scattered as usual.

“Captain, good news. The head maid of the Bailey family finally confessed. She secretly obtained poison under the Countess’s orders.”

Henry held out a white piece of paper. When Eric unfolded it, a small amount of herbs with a unique scent was inside.

“They say it’s a rare herb you can’t find in the Empire. Just a tiny amount can be deadly. If mixed into tea with a stronger scent, its own smell disappears. It seems the Countess used that method.”

Henry repeated exactly what Jacob had once told Eric.

As soon as Henry finished, a heavy silence filled the room.

‘Jacob was right.’

Now that all the details fit perfectly, Eric slowly opened his eyes.

“Good work finding out.”

“Actually, it wasn’t easy to get her to talk. We expected it, but just like you said, the head maid wasn’t easy to break. She even endured harsh torture.”

“She was trying to survive.”

Hearing Eric’s quiet reply, Henry lowered his voice and furrowed his brow.

“To think Count Bailey was poisoned… I still can’t believe no one noticed anything suspicious. But, Captain, how did you figure it out?”

“Who knows.”

Henry had asked just in case, but quickly shut his mouth. As expected, his superior didn’t answer.

Too impatient to wait endlessly, he quickly changed the subject.

“What will you do now? Will you question the Countess yourself?”

At his cautious question, Eric’s face slowly stiffened.

A woman who had insulted and cursed him. Anyone else would have gladly twisted her neck with their own hands, carving pain into her skin.

But in Eric’s heart, there was only a heavy guilt weighing him down.

He had resented her for so long, but in the end, he was the one who had brought her to this point.

The death of Count Dennis, the fall of the Bailey family—none of it let him move forward or turn back.

A quiet sigh slipped from his tightly closed lips.

“This isn’t easy…”

What made him suddenly open his closed eyes again was an unexpected voice.

“Why don’t you leave the Countess to me?”

Henry, who had read his superior’s mind, broke the silence.

But Eric shook his head slightly with a blank expression.

“No. This is something I have to finish myself.”

“In that case…?”

“I need to see her with my own eyes.”

“The Countess? But that’s…”

Isn’t that pointless? Henry swallowed the words rising in his throat.

Trailing off, he rubbed the back of his head.

This was a serious crime worthy of torture. But saying he wanted to face the criminal directly left Henry visibly unsettled.

Eric noticed the look in Henry’s eyes deepen.

“You’re clearly thinking it—like she’ll talk that easily.”

“You know me well.”

“Then let me ask the opposite. Even if we torture her, will she really confess? When her son hasn’t even been caught?”

“T-That…”

Meeting Eric’s cold gaze, Henry’s mind went blank.

There was no flaw in his superior’s reasoning. The Countess would never admit her crime herself.

Doing so would only destroy her son’s status.

They’d seen it before, even in the palace. When people are cornered, they grit their teeth and hold out.

Even if it ends up costing their lives.

“Then what do you plan to say to her?”

“A mother values her child more than anything else. We have to use that maternal instinct to get her to speak.”

“Use her motherhood? What do you mean by that…?”

“Has there been any news on her son’s whereabouts? Don’t tell me he’s still missing?”

“They found the carriage he was riding nearby, but his whereabouts are still unknown.”

At Henry’s words, Eric’s face hardened.

It had been a long time since the man had disappeared.

A chill seeped into Eric’s blue eyes.

Like a sharpened blade, his cold and terrifying gaze was enough to stop anyone from breathing.

“Find him, no matter what. Bring me his body if that’s all you can get.”

“Yes, sir. I will find him.”

Henry bowed his head to Eric’s short and icy command.

Just then, someone knocked on the door. It was one of the guards assigned to Aria.

“What is it?”

“Captain, I apologize for the sudden interruption. His Majesty has summoned Miss Reynolds. He ordered an immediate report once she was called, so I came as quickly as I could.”

“What?”

Eric frowned and stood up at once.

Henry glanced at Eric and spoke carefully.

“It’s just like I said. His Majesty is avoiding you by summoning her at this hour. Once he sets his mind, he never changes it. By now, Miss Reynolds is probably crying her eyes out…”

“Silence!”

Eric’s sharp glare made Henry drop his gaze to the floor.

Eric pulled his harsh stare away from Henry and turned to the guard.

“How long has it been since she left for the Imperial Palace?”

“Less than an hour, sir.”

“Get the horses ready. Now.”

At Eric’s order, Henry raised his head in surprise. Frowning slightly, he asked,

“Aren’t you worried you’ll just anger His Majesty?”

“I don’t care.”

Even at the mention of the Emperor’s wrath, Eric’s expression didn’t change. He calmly put on his coat.

Henry had expected this reaction from his superior, but still shook his head at the boldness.

Eric headed straight outside.

Watching him through the window, Henry smiled faintly.

“Maybe I’ve gone mad too. I can’t help but respect him, even now.”

With a strange look, he turned and followed outside.

“Why are you silent, Miss Reynolds?”

“Your Majesty…”

“If you give up on Eric, I will provide your family with a massive donation. Is there any reason to refuse?”

“I—I…”

Before Aria could finish, silence settled thickly over the audience chamber.

As she looked up slightly, she noticed the Emperor’s sharp gaze was on the ring on her hand. Unconsciously, she clasped her hands together.

“Seems you don’t want to restore your family’s honor. You can’t have everything. There is always a price.”

His calm and dignified voice echoed through the air, and Aria’s brown eyes trembled.

Her body shrank slightly. She understood why the Emperor had summoned her.

It was to separate her from Eric.

Aria froze in place. To ease the tension, Carlos curved his sharp eyes into a smile.

“You’re not the kind of lady who can’t take a hint. I didn’t bring you here to pressure you. Just to offer a deal. Though the word ‘deal’ might not suit an Emperor.”

Aria lowered her gaze, surprised by the Emperor’s blunt pressure.

He was more direct and assertive than she’d expected.

A man who knew how to intimidate without revealing his true thoughts.

What could she possibly say to him? Was there even a choice?

As she bit her lip, Eric’s voice, which always gave her courage, echoed faintly in her mind.

“So don’t waver. Stay by my side—just like now.”

The cost of choosing him. And the cost of being chosen by him.

Aria was ready to accept whatever came.

No, she had to—if she wanted to stay by his side.

After taking a quiet breath, she looked at Carlos with a calm gaze.

“I know it’s more than I deserve, but Sir Eric proposed to me, and I gladly accepted. I’m also aware of the marriage talks between him and Miss Stuart.”

“Hm…”

“It may be greedy of me. My humble background may tarnish his reputation.”

Her voice gently settled in Carlos’s ears.

Everyone who had come here before couldn’t even meet his eyes, always trying to read his mood.

But Aria, showing no effort to hide her emotions, caused a flicker in Carlos’s eyes.

To calm her nerves, Aria gripped her hands tighter.

“Your Majesty asked me to make a choice. But for me, there is only one path. I decided the moment I came here, even if it costs my life. I will never let go of Sir Eric’s hand.”

“Miss Reynolds… Are you saying you would give up a vast fortune?”

Carlos raised one eyebrow as he asked. The two of them stared at each other with contrasting expressions.

Unlike the conflicted Aria, Carlos looked completely composed.

He glanced lazily at her and slightly lifted the corner of his mouth. Her empty gaze, with nowhere to go, clung helplessly to her skirt.

Carlos thought Aria was still wavering between love and wealth.

As expected. Foolish love. That woman wouldn’t be able to change her fate.

After all, nobles were meant only to enjoy their privileges. And surely, she was no different.

Just as Carlos hardened his expression and was about to end the obvious conversation—

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