Ivan, sitting on the throne, looked at the scene before him and thought.
Crazy.
Herdin Delmark was crazy.
Unless he was crazy, how was he going to beat a nobleman's heir to a pulp early in the morning and bring him to the palace?
No matter how serious the crime was, personally touching the heir of a noble family was a problem that could turn into a dispute between families.
It was not possible that Herdin had not thought of it.
That he had brought the firstborn of that family meant that he was willing to take on the Baldwin family.
He never thought that he would also bring Rachel, who was his cousin and close relative of the imperial family.
Ivan, pressing his throbbing temple, confirmed again what Herdin had said a moment ago.
"So the heir to the Baldwin family and Rachel tried to scare Blair at the hunting competition to cause a scandal?" And that Blair, while fleeing, had an accident?
-Yeah.
Everything Your Majesty has heard is correct.
Ivan looked at Wesley and Rachel with clearly annoyed eyes.
When Wesley met Ivan's gaze, he opened his mouth.
—The story of His Excellency the Duke is a little different from reality!
It's true that they tried to cause a scandal, but it wasn't their intention to really scare her.
Herdin, instead of refuting Wesley's words, showed Ivan a small jar and a parchment.
The chief servant, who was at his side, took it and handed it to Ivan.
—It's the medicine bottle that the kidnapper had, bribed by the eldest son of the Baldwin family.
It has been confirmed that the buyer was Wesley Baldwin himself.
Ivan, seeing the use of the medicine written on the parchment, frowned.
Then Wesley justified himself with a desperate face.
"I was only planning to use it to scare the duchess!" I swear, I had no intention of defiling the Duchess's body!
When Wesley began to justify himself, Rachel, who had been scared silent, looked at Ivan with pitiful eyes and opened her mouth.
—I, I just lent him the money, I really didn't know what I was going to use it for!
I just thought I'd wear it for the game, like always.
Herdin, who had been listening to him, asked in a cold voice without turning around.
"So, miss, how do you explain that you gave false testimony that the kidnapped duchess had disappeared with a gentleman?"
Just the pressure conveyed by his voice made her body jolt.
Rachel hesitated for a moment, her lips moving, and excused herself.
—That was because the Duchess had hurt me, and in a fit of anger, I lied to make her look bad.
The rest of the things I really didn't do.
Believe me, Your Majesty!
Then Wesley chimed in with a sarcastic laugh.
—Ha!
So you intend to free yourself?
—It's not freeing me, it's just that that's the truth!
Rachel was outraged.
When she asked him to borrow money, she said she would take care of everything, and because she messed up, she had ended up like that too.
Wesley, seeing Rachel, scoffed.
—How nice that they hurt you.
With what you said about me lending you someone else's husband.
Hearing Wesley's words, Rachel's face turned red.
—Don't invent things that aren't true!
—Ha!
And who is lying now?
They both began to raise their voices to the point that it seemed like they were going to hit each other.
As if they had completely forgotten what kind of place this was and who was present.
Ivan, looking at those two with a face of extreme embarrassment, swallowed his irritation.
If they are going to do something, do it well.
Are they still like they were when they were children, blaming each other?
If Herdin's goal was to annoy him, he had succeeded.
Ivan, who had been listening to Wesley and Rachel's increasingly loud voices, opened his mouth.
—Enough!
Then, as if a bucket of cold water had been poured on them, Wesley and Rachel fell silent.
Ivan, with a clearly upset face, asked Herdin.
"Well, what does the duke want?"
—I request that Your Majesty personally judge these two and impose the corresponding punishment.
Ivan glanced askance at the two pathetic men standing behind Herdin, but he had no intention of punishing them severely.
Wesley aside, Rachel was his cousin, with whom he had had a close relationship since childhood.
But if he imposed a lenient sentence on just Rachel, Marquis Baldwin's family would talk about fairness, so it would be better to give them a good scare and let them go.
So Marquis Baldwin's family would also look good.
—I order the eldest son of the Baldwin family, Wesley, and the eldest son of the Selden family, Rachel, to one month of house arrest.
Hearing Ivan's sentence, Herdin's face hardened.
Ivan proposed a measure to appease this Herdin.
—And that the Baldwin and Selden families pay Delmark, who has suffered psychological damage due to his immature prank, the corresponding compensation.
But Herdin's expression did not soften.
—Although it is reprehensible that they failed to control their personal feelings and ruined an imperial event, I think the matter has become too big, contrary to its original intention.
—So do you consider that, since it was not intentional, the seriousness of the crime is light?
-Yeah.
Also, in the end, Blair is fine, with no serious injuries, so closing the matter here would not be beneficial for Delmark.
Benefit.
At the word benefit, Herdin let out a sarcastic smile.
Despite knowing what kind of scandal this incident almost covered his sister with, and what dangers he had overcome, he still talked about such petty benefits?
Ivan, as an older brother, also did not forget to show his concern for Blair.
—I say this because if I punish the blood brothers, little Blair would also feel uncomfortable.
—Do you really think that's okay?
Herdin's cold eyes, as he asked, were meaningful.
—Because the lady, before being the hostess of Delmark, is the only sister of His Majesty and a princess of the blood of the noble imperial family.
—…
—His Majesty's ruling on this incident will remain as a precedent of merciful forgiveness towards the rebels who dared to attack the imperial family.
Iván then understood Herdin's intention in bringing up that topic.
—Could you issue the same ruling today if someone insulted or attacked His Majesty?
Although at first glance he seemed concerned about the dignity of the imperial family and Ivan, Herdin's gaze, when looking at Ivan, was almost a threat or coercion.
Ivan frowned at Herdin's insolence, but then his eyes changed to a strange expression.
For an unwanted wife, the daughter of his enemy, whom he should hate and want revenge?
…To be continued