Quickly, I headed to the Grand Duchess' closet.
The place was still quiet, probably because she hadn't arrived yet.
Cautiously, I left the room and scanned my surroundings. In the distance, I spotted the Grand Duchess heading towards one of the nearby halls. Without hesitation, I rushed through the door before it closed.
“We have to end this here and now.” She said in a firm tone.
"My mom!"
“And what other option do we have? Finding the prince’s belongings in that servant’s room is clear evidence that he was blinded by greed and ruined everything.”
The Grand Duchess let out a bored sigh as she clicked her tongue in dissatisfaction.
“If the prince asks to take care of the servant himself, the situation will be out of our hands….I must resolve the matter before that happens.”
If the servant falls into the prince's hands, then Delaney's plans will be fully revealed.
The Grand Duchess was determined to silence the servant before the matter came to this stage.
Somerset was shaking his legs nervously, making an annoying knocking sound.
I furrowed my eyebrows in annoyance, but it seemed that the Grand Duchess did not like his behavior either.
"Somerset, whoever will be the future head of the family must learn to control and hide his feelings. This behavior does not suit you. You must correct it." I scolded him sternly.
“But mother! The prince clearly favors Daedric! There is no way I can ally myself with that illegitimate son—”
“The prince’s admiration for Daedric does not mean that he will make him grand duke. Everything depends on political interests, not on friendship or affection.” The Grand Duchess said in a calm tone, trying to calm him down.
“We were unlucky this time, but we will have other chances.”
“Do you think Deedric is behind this?”
“No, that boy didn't do it.”
“But the servant insists on his innocence!”
“People like him always claim innocence. Don’t worry about that.”
The Grand Duchess' calm finally allowed me to catch my breath.
She didn't suspect Deedric.
Considering how he was trembling in front of her, it was not surprising that she couldn't imagine him doing something so bold.
Her bias was in my favor, though I wasn't sure how long that would last.
At least, for now, I can catch my breath a little.
“Somerset, if you become the heir, the prince’s support for you will be natural. Whether he likes you or not, it doesn’t matter.”
“Really? But I thought I should try harder to win his approval...”
“I was thinking of getting closer to the Empress, but the opportunities are many and there is no need to rush.”
“I should have tried harder... Sorry, mom.”
The Grand Duchess smiled gently at her apologetic son.
"Somerset, there's no need to apologise. Just carry on as you are, and I'll take care of everything. If need be, dealing with a concubine wouldn't be out of the question."
“But mom!”
cried Somerset in alarm, but Delaney looked at him sympathetically, as if his behavior aroused her pity rather than annoy her.
“Yes, I also don’t want to deal with women of such a low level, but we can’t completely ignore the Emperor’s approval.”
This was true to some extent.
But the real power in the palace currently leaned more in favor of the Empress than the Emperor.
The Emperor was similar to Somerset in character—hesitant and easily influenced by others.
“We cannot remain subject to the Empress forever. We have too many cards to play, we just have to choose the right one.”
Somerset nodded hesitantly, but quickly asked in confusion:
“Mom, can’t you meet the Empress directly instead of dealing through the Second Prince?”
“The Empress doesn't like me very much.” Delaney admitted frankly.
As she said, the relationship between the Empress and the Grand Duchess was not good.
In their youth, they were the two most noble ladies in the empire, which made them constantly clash.
But that was in the past.
Now, the Grand Duchess seeks to build a relationship with the Empress to ensure Somerset's influence.
“In the original novel, it worked.”
But not this time.
Once Perez returns to the palace, he will tell his mother everything.
The Empress, who was already intolerant of Delaney, would completely break off relations with her over this incident.
“What are you going to do with the servant?”
“As usual, of course, before it falls into the prince’s hands...”
A calm smile appeared on the Grand Duchess's lips.
“We will charge him with another charge and hasten his execution immediately.”
“As you command, ma’am.”
Hmm…. I put my hand to my chin thinking.
Killing him was the easiest way to silence him.
Anyway, he was doomed to die at the hands of Delaney, but still….
“The only problem is that they will kill him very quickly.”
If the Prince had been able to question him, he would have revealed the truth about Delaney himself…..
He would not ignore a crime as bold as the theft of his property.
But if they kill him now...
“What if I helped him escape secretly?”
But I quickly shook my head.
If you release him, he may run away, but he will not go to the Crown Prince of his own free will.
I didn't feel sorry for that server.
He tortured Daedric and stole the prince's possessions to frame him, all on the orders of the Grand Duchess.
Why did the Duchess choose him specifically?
Because he enjoyed hurting Deedric and was willing to do anything for money.
“He brought this fate upon himself.”
Quietly, I followed Jemma as she left the hall.
I had to inform Deedrick of everything as soon as possible.
Two days have passed since the robbery.
The Duchess sent a letter of apology to the Crown Prince, explaining that the servant had committed many crimes and even attacked a knight, forcing her to execute him immediately.
She even feigned remorse, claiming that if she had known about Perez's desire to interrogate the servant, she would have tried to keep him alive by any means possible.
As a sign of her apology, she sent him a precious jewel as a gift, but he politely declined it.
Instead, Perez tactfully implied that Deidrick didn't have a proper formal party outfit.
The Duchess took the opportunity to show her generosity, and sent Diderick a luxurious outfit as a gift.
“It's unfortunate, but I have no choice but to settle for this.”
“Well, we'll be lonelier in the future.”
“...That's true, but still.”
I got up and sat in front of his desk.
"It's a little disappointing, though. I've been making good progress in my studies."
“Do you want me to teach you something now?”
“Do you know when he will return?”
“Even just one word.”
Deidrick pulled his notebook from his side, and something slipped out.
I quickly caught the flying paper before it fell in front of me.
"Look! I caught her!"
How's that for quick wit?
But what is this? There's a lot of writing on it.
I stared at the densely written text, trying to read it.
"What is this? Lil... Liliana? No, Liliana?"