Now This Family Belongs to My Mother Chapter 52

“Yo-Your Majesty! This, this is a misunderstanding! I never put a poison pouch in the dress!”

 

“A misunderstanding, you say?”

 

“Yes! I don’t know anything about poison or medicine!” Diane, who had been pleading desperately, suddenly grabbed my wrist with a venomous expression. “Epirosa, you’re the one who told me to wear this dress, didn’t you? This is your doing, isn’t it? You set me up!”

 

I looked up at Diane with a terrified expression. “T-That’s because Aunt picked out my dress first, so I just suggested we wear something similar. Aunt was the one who bought the dress, and it was all your employees who brought it over.” I stammered, on the verge of tears, as I spoke.

 

“Let go of her hand this instant!” Marchioness Gent, unable to watch any longer, pulled Diane away from me. “After committing such a heinous and despicable act, you dare try to pin it on your young niece!”

 

“It’s a misunderstanding! Your Majesty, I truly don’t know anything about this!” Diane collapsed to the ground, wailing.

 

And then it happened.

 

“Was what you did to me also a misunderstanding?”

 

A clear and delicate voice rang out from somewhere.

 

“This…!”

 

“It can’t be…!”

 

Several noblewomen, recognizing the owner of the voice, gasped in shock. I turned to look in the direction of the voice. A slender young lady with vibrant green hair was crossing the garden.

 

Marchioness Gent recognized her and smiled brightly as she spoke. “Lady Elizabeth Kanto!”

 

At her words, everyone else was taken aback. It was known that Lady Elizabeth Kanto had been in seclusion after suffering burns to her face from boiling water. But the young lady before them appeared perfectly fine, without a single injury.

 

“I asked if I could be invited, and you really sent me an invitation. Thank you so much,” said Lady Elizabeth, her face bright with joy.

 

“Of course I had to invite you. I thought you weren’t coming because it was late, but I’m glad to see you. However…” Marchioness Gent asked carefully, “Is your injury alright?”

 

“Ah, actually…. I wasn’t injured at all.” Lady Elizabeth replied with a smile.

 

Everyone was shocked, but Diane looked as though she might faint from the surprise.

 

“You weren’t injured? Then what about the rumors?”

 

“I let the rumors spread on purpose. It was to catch the person who tried to attack me. And today, I requested an invitation so I could meet the culprit.” Lady Elizabeth explained as she approached Diane. Slap! And then, right there, she slapped Diane hard across the face.

 

Everyone froze in place. It was common knowledge that Lady Elizabeth had a personality behind her delicate and innocent appearance. But no matter how strong her personality or how powerful her family was, to think she would strike the countess from Blanche’s family was unthinkable. Even the emperor held his breath, eager to hear the story behind this.

 

“What do you think you’re doing?!” Diane snapped, her voice rising.

 

Lady Elizabeth only smiled coldly. “I’m just so grateful.”

 

“What are you talking about?”

 

“Thanks to the loyal maid you have, I was able to avoid disaster.”

 

“A loyal maid? What are you even saying…?”

 

“A loyal maid? What are you even saying…?”

 

“You must know Mona, don’t you?” Lady Elizabeth smiled sweetly.

 

Diane’s face then turned ashen.

 

“She told me everything. That she was ordered to ruin me, but her conscience wouldn’t let her go through with it.”

 

“W-What kind of nonsense is this…!”

 

“If you find it hard to believe, why don’t we bring Mona here and hear it for yourself?” Lady Elizabeth turned her gaze to the emperor. “If we bring Mona, we’ll also find out who tried to poison Marchioness Gent.”

 

The emperor nodded. “Go to the Blanche duchy and bring Mona here!”

 

Not long after, Madam Mona, who had been at the duchy, was dragged in. She had a calm expression, as if she had known this day would come from the very beginning.

 

“Everything Lady Elizabeth said is true.” The moment Madam Mona knelt before the emperor, she confessed.

 

Diane let out a scream. “Why are you spouting nonsense, Mona!”

 

“Please stop, Madam. I can no longer help you commit such evil.” Madam Mona spoke firmly instead. “Didn’t you order me to harm both Lady Elizabeth and Marchioness Gent?”

 

It was all part of the scenario I had crafted. Telling Lady Elizabeth the truth, instructing her to hide and wait for the right moment to catch the culprit. And now, appearing to reveal the truth and bring Diane to ruin.

 

“Your Majesty, Your Majesty! Don’t believe Mona’s words! She’s always been a liar!” Diane knelt before the emperor, pleading desperately.

 

“You made someone who lies so easily your maid?” But the emperor’s gaze remained cold.

 

Madam Mona glared at Diane and spoke. “Your Majesty, if you wish, I can tell you a hundred more of her misdeeds. I, too, wish to break free from this chain of evil.”

 

“Mona, stop! Stop it!”

 

“Even Lady Stella, your daughter…”

 

“Shut your mouth!” As soon as her daughter Stella’s name was mentioned, Diane lashed out and slapped Madam Mona across the face. As if that wasn’t enough, she even tried to strangle Madam Mona.

 

I already told Madam Mona. If Stella’s name comes up, Diane will destroy herself.

 

The maids quickly pulled Diane away from Madam Mona.

 

The emperor frowned. “Put both of them in the underground prison. I’ll interrogate them later.”

 

Madam Mona was quietly dragged away, already resolved to sacrifice herself for the sake of her revenge. But Diane was different.

 

“Your Majesty, Your Majesty! This is unfair! I’m innocent!” She kept screaming as she was dragged away, though her outburst was utterly meaningless.

 

* * *

When I returned home with a terrified expression, what awaited me was the Blanche family, who had gathered after hearing the news.

 

“You came back alone! So it’s true that Diane was arrested?” Gale asked in shock.

 

I looked at him with tearful eyes and nodded.

 

“Aunt… was imprisoned along with Madam Mona on charges of attempting to harm Lady Elizabeth and Marchioness Gent…” As I spoke through sobs, deep wrinkles formed on Hubert’s forehead.

 

“What were you doing while my mom was being taken away?!” Nicholas came running out and grabbed my arm roughly, shaking me. I screamed in pain.

 

“Nicholas!” Hubert shouted sternly.

 

Gale quickly pulled Nicholas away from me.

 

At that moment, Stella cautiously opened her mouth, glancing around. “Epirosa, are you okay? I heard you were involved in the commotion at the imperial palace. Nothing happened to you, right?” Her question was cunning. She pretended to be concerned about me, but her intention was to imply that I was also at fault. I rubbed the arm Nicholas had grabbed, as if it hurt, and shook my head.

 

“Compared to what happened to Aunt, what I went through is nothing. You don’t need to worry about me.”

 

Stella’s face stiffened. “Still, it doesn’t make sense that my mom was taken away, and yet nothing happened to you when you were with her.”

 

I looked into her brown eyes with a delicate expression. “When Madam Mona mentioned your name, Stella, Aunt became so agitated that no one paid any attention to me.”

 

“…M-My name was mentioned?” Stella’s brown eyes wavered violently.

 

Even Hubert seemed surprised by that.

 

“What did Mona say about Stella?”

 

“Grandfather, I didn’t do anything!”

 

“Stella, I’m asking Epirosa right now!”

 

At Hubert’s commanding tone, Stella shut her mouth with an anxious expression. Gale, who now found himself entangled not only with his wife but also with his daughter, turned pale.

 

I shivered slightly as I spoke. “I don’t know what Madam Mona was trying to say about Stella. As soon as she mentioned Stella’s name, Aunt stopped her from speaking any further.” After finishing my words, I locked eyes with Stella. Unlike the fierce glare she had given me earlier, Stella quickly averted her gaze this time.