The Reason Why the Forsaken Fake Returned Chapter 71

Evan Diponz was locked up in a high tower of the prison until he could be brought to a formal trial. Compared to the underground cells, which stank like a sewer and were filthy beyond belief, it was the better place by far. An arrangement made in consideration of his high status and the fact that his sentence hadn’t yet been finalized.

 

Following the guard up the tower to visit his son, Duke Diponz never once let the scowl leave his face. He had never set foot in a place like this in his life, and he had always assumed he never would.

 

“You have a visitor.”

 

“Father!” Dressed in a prisoner’s uniform, Evan rushed to the small iron bars set high in the door.

 

At the sight of his son after a while, the duke sighed inwardly. No matter how heinous the crime, Evan was still the sole heir to one of only three ducal families. The duke knew his son’s bed and meals were far superior to those of the other prisoners, yet he looked an absolute wreck. Dark circles hollowed his eyes, and his cheeks were sunken, as if the unfamiliar surroundings had kept him from sleeping at all.

 

The duke slipped the guard a few coins and sent him back downstairs, then rounded on his son with a roar. “You idiot! Do you have any idea what a disgrace this is? Kidnapping and assaulting some lowly singer!”

 

“Father, she’s not just some lowly singer!”

 

“What?”

 

Lowering his voice, Evan whispered to the duke. “Sasha Grice is Shailoh. That bitch who disappeared.”

 

“You’re insane!” The duke recoiled in horror, as if the very words repulsed him.

 

Evan rushed to add, desperate. “You’d recognize her the moment you saw her face! She’s been brazenly showing her face, working as a singer!”

 

“And you expect me to believe that? After what she went through, how could she have the guts to pull something like that?”

 

“That’s—!” Evan, who had started to raise his voice in frustration, hurriedly lowered it again. “Because the second prince is backing her.”

 

“Don’t tell me Claire as well…”

 

“You’re the one who told me not to save her separately, Father.”

 

“Ha.” Letting out a hollow, incredulous sound, the duke scrubbed a hand over his face. “So we’ve fallen for the same kind of trick twice. All because of one damn woman.”

 

“Who could have known she’d throw her own body out as bait? She’d already been assaulted once by Prince Albert, so I figured she was a more careless woman than I’d thought and tried to seize the chance, that’s all.”

 

“Shut up, Evan.”

 

“…”

 

“Don’t make excuses. You and Claire both brought this on yourselves because of arrogance. You thought that because you’d crushed her once, you could easily crush her again.”

 

Unable to deny it, Evan dropped his head.

 

Clicking his tongue, the duke finally delivered the news he had come with. “Listen carefully. Prince Albert’s birthday is coming up. Queen Ingrid will declare special pardons. You’ll be among those included.”

 

“Truly?”

 

Normally, such special pardons were granted only to criminals with light sentences, such as petty fraud, small-time theft, and so on. But this time, it was a little different.

 

“I’ve already lost Her Majesty’s favor to Duke Perus as it is. Do you have any idea how much I’ve had to offer up to her over this mess? Whether it’s the second prince pulling strings or not, the story is already all over the press. Public opinion of our family might as well be mired in a swamp.”

 

Flushed with shame and self-loathing, Evan bowed his head until even his ears burned. “…I’m sorry to have disappointed you. But what are we going to do? That woman is dangerous…”

 

“With all eyes on her, we have to leave her be for now. Fortunately, the situation is still on our side.” The duke let out a heavy sigh, then gestured for his son to lean closer. Evan nodded and pressed his ear to the bars, and the duke whispered in a low, secretive voice. “Her Majesty has hinted that His Majesty will pass away before next year comes.”

 

“T-That means…”

 

“It means that before the second prince can do anything, the third prince’s reign will come quickly. There will be those who insist on primogeniture and make a nuisance of themselves, but on the day His Majesty dies, they’ll all be removed in ‘unfortunate accidents.’”

 

Evan froze as every hair on his body stood on end. It was a chilling piece of news that foretold a storm of blood.

 

“We’ll quietly get rid of that woman the moment the second prince falls from power.”

 

“…”

 

“So in the meantime, let her enjoy this little victory to her heart’s content.”

 

At those words, Evan couldn’t help but smile. “I’ll get to watch that presumptuous bitch fall into despair all over again.”

 

Their sinister laughter circled the tower once and then faded away.

 

* * *

But the duke’s plan fell through, and Evan’s hopes were crushed before he could even try. The instant a special pardon was issued a few days later, Shailoh slapped a fresh charge on the Diponz family for tax evasion and trafficking in contraband.

 

“This is bullshit! How?” Just when he’d thought he was finally getting out, Evan went berserk, overturning the table laid with a modest meal. “That bitch is spouting nonsense. How the hell is any of that being accepted? If any of you have a damn mouth, then say something!” He bellowed at the top of his lungs, but no one answered.

 

The moment Evan, panting with rage, shoved his face up to the bars, ready to grab anyone and spit curses at them, the click of heels rang out, and someone came into view, circling up toward his cell.

 

“Shailoh!” Bloodshot eyes, wild with fury, recognized her. Evan glared, murderous.

 

Having sent her escort away, Shailoh faced him from outside the door. “Greetings, Lord Evan.”

 

“You…” His bloodshot eyes sharpened with killing intent. Evan all but lunged at the bars, as if he meant to wring her neck. “What kind of magic did you pull?” He narrowed his eyes, glaring at her like he might spring at her any second. “How did you find out about the tax evasion and the smuggling trade? So the leader of Grid Merchant Guild did leave something behind, didn’t he?”

 

“That’s right.” Shailoh nodded without a fuss, accepting his guess. “While you were locked up here and your father was tearing his hair out trying to get you out, I found it.”

 

Evan’s lips twitched. He drew a slow breath. “So you’ve seen it. Then you know. What are you planning to do after this?”

 

“…After this?”

 

“Of course you have a plan. You really think you can bring us down with just that?”

 

“…”

 

Shailoh pressed her lips together, biting down.

 

At that, as if a bell had gone off in his head, Evan’s mouth twisted. “You… actually don’t have?”

 

“You’re free to delude yourself.”

 

“No. It’s not a delusion. You haven’t found it yet, have you? So you pulled a desperate stunt because you figured you had to keep us pinned down for now.”

 

Shailoh offered no reply.

 

“I don’t know what fantasy you’re clinging to, but stop soaking in false hope all by yourself and confess every last one of your crimes while I’m still giving you the chance,” she said evenly.

 

“Crimes?” Evan frowned, eyebrows shooting up.

 

Shailoh met that incredulous face and spoke the words she’d prepared, crisp and clear. “Every crime you committed, hiding behind your rank and power. Not just tax evasion, embezzlement, and contraband trade, but killing Oliver, the leader of the Grid Merchant Guild, and Olivier. Trying to kill me and pinning a murder charge on me. And everything else besides.”

 

“…”

 

“I’ll say it again: I’m giving you a chance right now. For the sake of the eight years we spent as a family. A chance to confess of your own will and get even the slightest reduction in your sentence.”

 

A cold laugh scraped unpleasantly against Shailoh’s eardrums. Bristling like a drawn blade, Evan sneered at her. “And if I do get a lighter sentence? At best, it’ll be life in confinement, with my title and every last coin stripped away. So I can end up just like vermin like you, crawling in the dirt?”

 

“…The duke is already under house arrest. It won’t take long for every crime he’s committed to catch up with him.”

 

“I don’t know what kind of magic you pulled, but things won’t go your way, Shailoh.”

 

“…So it comes to this, in the end.” Whether she still had more to say, or was only now thinking of the words, she hesitated for a heartbeat, then suddenly turned on her heel and walked back the way she’d come.

 

A voice, hoarse with spite, chased after her. “I’ll tell you this for old times’ sake. In the end, you’ll lose everything, Shailoh!”

 

“…”

 

“You’ll never be happy. Never!”

 

Shaking off the curse clinging to her like a shadow, she stepped out of the tower. Dusk had already fallen outside. Caleb, who had been waiting by the carriage, came to meet her. With a weary face, Shailoh took his hand and sat down opposite him.

 

“What did he say?”

 

“He doesn’t look like he has any intention of admitting anything or confessing.”

 

“Told you, didn’t I? He’s not the kind to ever repent.” Clicking his tongue, Caleb hooked a finger under her chin and tipped her face up. “Don’t tell me you’re getting soft now?”

 

“No.” Shailoh gave a bitter little smile and denied it. “I just think even a devil should be given one chance. He’ll take his punishment all the same. But he should still have the chance to come clean on his own and ask for forgiveness.”

 

Her bright blue eyes, staring straight into his turquoise ones, took on a strange light. On an impulse he couldn’t quite name, Caleb caught her wrist with his other hand.