It Seems Like The Infamous Trash Can is Right Here! - Chapter 116
Lionel leaned leisurely against the carriage seat.
“I never forget my promises.”
Halid replied, suddenly calm and composed as if his previous irritation had been an act.
Promise? What did that mean?
Noticing my puzzled expression, Lionel gazed at me gently and explained.
“Calitas and Luanax have something in common.”
It seemed he didn’t mean merely being ducal families. Perhaps he meant how unusually young both heads were.
“We both inherited our titles prematurely, before fully prepared as heirs. Both former Duke and Duchess Calitas and former Duke and Duchess Luanax died around the same time. And similarly, the exact cause of their deaths was never clearly established.”
Then that meant…
“We suspect the Imperial Family. Thus, we promised mutual support.”
So, Halid’s abrupt visit wasn’t simply due to impatience.
“Scheduling our meeting after the audience was intended as a signal to offer assistance if unforeseen issues arose.”
Goodness.
I had no idea such a promise existed.
“It seems being invited to an Imperial Banquet isn’t purely an honor.”
At my murmured words, Lionel smiled bitterly.
“Once, a Count and Countess were invited to an Imperial banquet. During the meal, a servant accidentally spilled wine on the Countess’s dress. Naturally, the Emperor ordered fresh clothes prepared, and the Countess left the banquet to change.”
As Lionel continued calmly, a chilling sensation crept into my chest.
“She vanished after that.”
“Vanished…?”
“Yes. A few days later, the servant who had escorted the Countess was found dead.”
This… this was beyond absurd. What was I even hearing right now?
“The Imperial Family paid the Count a sizable sum of money in compensation, but the Count, who loved his wife dearly, refused to give up and tried to find out the truth. The Count was then found dead shortly afterward, hanged in his chambers, presumably suicide.”
Lionel continued, as if there was still more to this terrible story.
“The Countess reappeared two years later. She reappeared pregnant. Carrying the emperor’s illegitimate child.”
The Emperor’s illegitimate child, no way…?
“The Countess was remarried to the Marquis of Ortatum, who were in financial crisis at the time, and the entire estate of the deceased Count passed directly under the control of House Ortatum, which had become the Emperor’s loyal supporter. She spent the rest of her life as the Emperor’s mistress.”
This had to be the story of Dantère’s mother, the late Marchioness of Ortatum, and the previous Emperor.
“No one can say a word against the Emperor; the only way to do so is to commit treason”
Did Dantère know this? Had his mother revealed this painful truth, or had she hidden it out of fear of losing her son?
Likely, she kept silent, terrified she might lose him as well.
“Unless you’re fully prepared, the best strategy is always caution and patience.”
“…I understand. I’ll keep that in mind.”
Lionel had been ambushed by three traitors among his knights. The mere thought of who might be behind those attempts made my breath catch.
Perhaps they hadn’t yet planned to kill Lionel outright, as his value to the empire and the Imperial Family was still considerable.
But one day, if Lionel ever became too troublesome, when the time came, they would use any means necessary, using the trust they had gained by working under his thumb to choke the life out of him.
ReadingRainbow9266
Wow this is really NOT NORMAL. You would think that the nobles would revolt if the imperial family is just doing whatever the hell the want like that…. 2 duke and duchess, and count and countess… and yet they get away with it?!