Rumors spread quickly. It was only natural.
‘That famous scoundrel of high society, Valoa Edvane Crawford, committed an open outrage over her famous obsession, Clyde Dalton.’
Of course, had it only been that, it would have been dismissed as just another one of Valoa’s typical antics, a mere minor happening.
The problem was that this time, the Crown Prince himself was involved.
Moreover, it occurred in the exceedingly dangerous situation of a fire.
‘Is that why? Everywhere I go lately, people are buzzing with this story….’
Look at now, for instance. Even though she had fled from place to place and come to a secluded corner of a cafe, the story was drifting over from behind her back once again.
“Did you two hear? That incident at the masquerade ball?”
“How could we not? It’s the hottest topic these days.”
“I heard Lady Crawford claimed it was all a frame-up and that she’s being wronged.”
“Some of it is probably true, and some of it isn’t. It’s strictly my personal opinion, but it feels real that she had no intention of deliberately harming His Highness.”
“I agree. Archduke Alec is so close with His Majesty the Emperor, after all. Though, it does seem true that she tried to kill Sir Dalton and Lady Hartwell.”
“But didn’t she say later that the shock of her beloved’s marriage was so great that she had no memory of what happened then?”
“Yes, she even submitted a therapist’s opinion and prescription as evidence. Was it a mistake caused by delusions and, what was it? Delirium?”
“Well, it’s hard to believe, though!”
It was a story she had heard more than four times today alone. However, even if the speakers were different, one detail remained unchanged: Valoa Edberose Crawford wouldn’t be able to just slip away this time.
‘Come to think of it, this is only natural.’
Even setting aside whether or not she truly intended to kill her and Clyde, Crown Prince Crowell was involved in this matter.
Regardless of whether it was intentional or a mistake, as long as the Imperial Law labeled such a situation as ‘treason,’ no one could easily get her out.
In fact, according to the story Crown Prince Crowell passed on, Archduke Alec himself had knelt before the Emperor and the Crown Prince.
‘Your Majesty, it is due to my shortcomings that I failed to properly educate my daughter. Even though I knew she acted rashly, the fact that she was growing up under my care alone without a mother was always on my mind….’
‘That cannot be a reason to overlook this incident. I already gave that girl one chance.’
‘Yes. I know Your Majesty has already shown generosity. However, I implore you to believe that she and I have no intent of treason.’
‘I know the Archduke has no intent of treason. Personally, I do not think Valoa intentionally tried to harm the Crown Prince, either.’
‘…Your Majesty.’
‘However, the law is the law, and the circumstances of that girl trying to harm two nobles of the House of Dalton and the House of Hartwell are too distinct. I have no intention of letting this slide, no matter what evidence you present.’
‘Your words are perfectly just. I will accept it even if you banish that girl from high society.’
‘Then….’
‘However, as I am also responsible for failing to manage Valoa properly, I ask that you allow me to bear a portion of the punishment as well.’
As much as he cherished his daughter, she had expected him to appeal for leniency, so it was unexpected that Archduke Alec asked to share Valoa’s guilt.
Well, she didn’t know if those words came from the heart or if it was to prevent his daughter from becoming an example and receiving a harsher punishment now that there were so many eyes watching in the Empire.
‘Anyway, the important thing is that I can suppress Valoa’s threat for a while.’
It was said that while her next punishment was being considered, Valoa would be confined to a prayer house under the order’s jurisdiction and perform community service.
Archduke Alec was also to be dispatched to the western border, which had recently been hit by monster raids and famine.
It hadn’t been announced to the nobles yet, but it was something everyone would know before long.
‘I don’t really… think Valoa will actually reflect with just this much. But anyway, since she’s been cleared away according to plan, I guess it’s fine?’
“Hmm, the aroma is nice.”
Beatrice stopped her thoughts for a moment and stared blankly at Clyde in front of her.
He had changed his hair color with a special magic dye made by Beatrice’s father, Jedaric, and was even wearing glasses, claiming it was to avoid people’s attention.
He was currently enjoying teatime and drinking coffee, unbothered by the various rumors surrounding them.
‘Scary b*stard….’
As someone who had bickered with him for a long time, Beatrice could be certain.
Clyde Dalton must have foreseen the current situation from the moment he first told her that they “just needed to go around making it obvious to everyone how happy they were.”
Unlike her, whose motto was to do what needed to be done when a situation arose and to solve things with her body if her head couldn’t manage it, Clyde was a meticulous fellow.
‘Unlike his slick appearance.’
She hadn’t asked him directly, but he was a guy with a lot of petty thoughts, so it was obvious he must have agonized quite a bit over whether to share the full details of this plan with her.
‘He was extremely wary of me being with Valoa during the wedding and the ball… Hmm, maybe he suffered some incredibly cruel treatment in the past?’
Recalling Valoa Crawford’s personality from what she experienced at the masquerade, she was confident she wouldn’t be surprised even if Valoa had committed some heinous act in the past.
And what if, conversely, he was the only one who knew about it?
‘Mmh. I wouldn’t bother explaining everything to Clyde Dalton either.’
There are times when it’s better for some truths to pass by unknown.
Just as Beatrice was blinking without moving as her thoughts spiraled, Clyde’s voice pierced her ears along with a light flick to her forehead.
“What is it now? Stop staring intently like you’re trying to scare a person, and just spit it out like you usually do.”
“What are you talking about? Do I look like some animal that acts on instinct to you? And what about this is scary? You didn’t even blink an eye after seeing Valoa suddenly set a fire.”
“To me, you—who won’t even lift a finger despite having all sorts of desserts in front of you—are scarier than Valoa Crawford. It’s like you’re possessed by a ghost.”
At the slick provocation, which was just as usual, Beatrice snorted and shot back at his words.
“Oh, whatever. If you’re going to talk nonsense, just drink your coffee quietly.”
“Why? Since we’ve even regressed, it’s possible to be possessed by a ghost. Anyway, aren’t you curious why I feigned ignorance with you? Or about what happened in the past with Valoa Crawford.”
“Look at you. Since you’re bringing it up first, I guess your conscience is pricking you?”
When it comes to being kind, I don’t lose to anyone else, after all.”
Always has to have the last word. Beatrice looked at him as he rested a hand on his chest and gave a benevolent, angelic smile, then she spoke with a look of disbelief.
“Forget it. There must be a reason why you aren’t saying anything, and you’ll tell me if you need to.”
“…What’s this? Are you really possessed?”
“No, I’m not. Regardless, we cleared Valoa Crawford away without any trouble thanks to the stage you set based on your experience and the Crown Prince card.”
“We didn’t clear her away completely. Be careful. I told you, as she is someone whose own feelings are the most important, she isn’t someone who will stay cleared just because someone else moved her.”
“Mmh….”
Beatrice recalled Valoa Crawford on that day, shouting among the crowd gathered in the garden that she was being wronged and screaming that the relationship between her and Crowell was suspicious.
Even when disbelief, embarrassment, and shock appeared in everyone’s eyes, she instead blamed those around her for not believing.
‘What did she say? Did she ask why they even bothered carrying heads if they couldn’t even recognize the truth right in front of them…?’
At any rate, the degree of the commotion became so excessive that Valoa was eventually carried out unconscious with Crown Prince Crowell’s tacit approval. Thinking of her appearance then, Clyde’s advice seemed quite plausible.
“Well. I requested this disposition from His Highness with the intention of keeping her nearby and watching her.”
“Eh?”
“I’m planning to head to the western border, where Archduke Alec is going, before long.”
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