Chapter 50

The Arrival of the Imperial Investigation Team

Sitting across from Riona at the table and drinking tea, Essika looked like a scene from a painting.

Her silver hair swayed gently whenever the wind blew, sparkling in the sunlight, while her blue eyes shone with the detached brilliance of jewels.

Her fingers were white and slender, delicate enough to seem as though they might break if touched, yet when it came to etiquette, she held her teacup and drank with precise, measured movements.

His wife, Essika Klaus, was like a work of art created by a god.

Was the old me insane, or is the current me insane?

Feeling his heart pound, Kallian slowly approached them.

But at some point, Kallian suddenly stopped.

Riona, who had been talking with Essika, had abruptly picked up her teacup and splashed hot tea directly at Essika.

Seeing Essika take the tea head-on, Kallian’s mind went blank for a moment.

“……”

What just happened?

I didn’t see that wrong, did I?

His mother was somewhat strict, but she always behaved according to reason.

There was no way she would commit such a disgraceful act.

There had to be a clear reason why she had done it.

For an instant, an impulse to pretend he had seen nothing and simply walk away took over his mind.

How many times had he thought like this before?

But Kallian could no longer turn away and pretend nothing had happened as he once had.

The tips of Essika’s hair were wet, dripping with water.

His heart ached unbearably.

“……Mother!”

In the end, Kallian shouted and stepped forward.

He immediately pulled a handkerchief from his breast pocket and wiped Essika’s face.

She had certainly been struck by hot water, yet there was no redness on her face.

Kallian was relieved that she had not been injured.

Then he turned his sharp gaze toward Riona.

“What on earth is going on? How could you splash tea on Essika?!”

At Kallian’s furious gaze, Riona’s eyes trembled for a moment.

Her son, Kallian Klaus, had never once openly confronted his mother like this.

Kallian had always been a good son.

Seeing him raise his eyebrows as he protected that eyesore of a woman made Riona feel as though her insides were turning upside down.

Meanwhile, Essika calmly stared at her without changing her expression even once.

Whether Essika had truly changed or had merely been hiding her fox-like intentions all this time no longer mattered.

Either way, Essika Klaus was an insolent and wicked woman whom Riona was now determined to drive out of the Klaus Ducal Estate at all costs.

“Are you all right?”

After wringing the water from the wet handkerchief, Kallian wiped Essika’s hand again.

The sight of him fussing over her like a maid attending a noblewoman made Riona seethe with rage.

“Duke.”

Riona had to turn this situation around.

No matter how thoroughly Kallian had recently become bewitched by that bewitching woman, he was still her deeply filial son.

“This mother…… sob……”

Riona raised a hand to cover her face and burst into tears.

Kallian flinched.

No one noticed the faint trace of mockery that briefly passed across Essika’s lips.

“This mother has been wronged so deeply that I don’t even want to live anymore…… sob……”

Riona’s sobbing began to spread through the quiet garden.

Kallian, who had stood frozen, slowly approached his mother.

While Kallian’s back was turned, Essika picked up her teacup and took another sip.

The hot tea Riona had splashed earlier had been blocked by Essika’s protective inner energy before it could even penetrate her skin.

The heat had immediately vaporized, leaving nothing more than the effect of having lukewarm water splashed over her.

She could have instantly vaporized the moisture on her face as well, but she had sensed Kallian’s gaze for some time and deliberately refrained from doing so.

“What happened? What exactly are you saying you were wronged about? Please tell me.”

Unlike his usual tone when speaking to Riona, Kallian’s voice was agitated.

“……Sob, Kallian. My daughter-in-law is accusing me of hiring people to kill her.”

Kallian’s eyebrow twitched.

Riona briefly stopped crying.

With tears in her eyes and a sorrowful voice, she appealed to Kallian.

“Although I was somewhat strict with her in order to maintain discipline in the household and teach her the proper conduct expected of a Duchess, how could she accuse me of something so absurd and confront me over it? Apparently, she encountered some thieves while she was out, and now she is claiming that I hired them and ordered them to attack her!”

“Mother……”

“This is an insult to me, who has devoted decades of my life to supporting the Duke and managing the family’s finances without sparing myself, all for the sake of House Klaus. It is also an insult to the entire ducal family. This mother…… I am so ashamed that I wish I could die.”

Riona had not expected Essika to suddenly bring up that matter.

She had been somewhat flustered by it.

However, ten days had passed since the incident without Essika saying anything.

Judging from the fact that she had waited this long, Riona was certain that Essika had failed to obtain evidence.

If so, she intended to turn the situation around and use it against Essika.

Meanwhile, a violent storm of confusion began to rage inside Kallian’s mind.

Kallian slowly turned his gaze toward Essika.

Essika neither confirmed nor denied anything.

She merely stared at Riona with inscrutable blue eyes.

“……”

If this had happened before, I would have gotten angry with Essika without even checking the facts.

Accusing one’s mother-in-law of hiring thieves after clashing with them outside was, just as Riona said, unthinkable.

“Duchess. What is this about? If something like this happened, you should have told me first……!”

“……”

Essika did not answer Kallian.

There was no need to.

She already knew who was coming today.

“Were you injured? Is there anything wrong with your body……? This is serious. We need to strengthen the security around you.”

Kallian frowned as he worried about Essika regardless of the fire burning in Riona’s eyes.

Only afterward did he return to the matter at hand.

“But hiring people…… It seems you have seriously misunderstood Mother. Did you really say that to her?”

If Essika had truly confronted Riona about the incident, Kallian could not simply let it pass.

His devoted mother, Riona.

And his wife, Essika, toward whom feelings were beginning to grow.

The conflict between the two women was far too much for Kallian to handle.

“Yes.”

“Duchess……”

Kallian sighed and spoke with emphasis.

Unlike the previous situations, this was clearly Essika’s fault.

How could Essika attempt to accuse his mother of such an outrageous crime?

Kallian knew that Riona’s judgment had become somewhat clouded with age, but he had never imagined that she would do something like this to her daughter-in-law.

“There are witnesses.”

At Essika’s words, Riona’s eyes shook for an instant.

Impossible.

If there had been witnesses, Essika would have brought them forward and confronted her about the matter long ago.

“Don’t say such nonsense. How could there be witnesses to something I never did?!”

Riona shouted angrily.

In any case, this was the territory of House Klaus.

Even if Essika somehow brought one of those men here, Riona could simply deny everything.

Kallian felt a headache coming on at Essika’s confident attitude, but decided to calm her down and restrain her.

“Duchess, enough. Apologize to Mother first. I’ll make sure the investigation into the incident involving the thieves is handled properly……”

“I’m afraid that matter has already been handled. The people who interrogated the men who attacked me…… are coming over there now.”

Essika’s voice remained calm, without the slightest change in tone.

Riona’s eyebrow twitched.

Handled…… already?

The people who interrogated them are coming? What does she mean?

“……”

Only when long shadows began stretching toward her feet did Riona finally focus her eyes.

The footsteps did not stop.

Step.

Step.

Each sound seemed to tighten around her throat.

She finally realized that the situation had gone terribly wrong.

“……!”

Behind a man wearing an elaborate uniform embroidered with the Imperial crest stood nearly ten officials and young knights.

“You……”

“It has been a long time, Your Grace, Duke Klaus. I am Count Pertos Riheim, head of the Imperial Investigation Team.”

The Imperial Investigation Team was the empire’s foremost intelligence and investigative organization, responsible for handling both external and internal classified information and eliminating groups displaying suspicious activities before they could become a threat.

Pertos Riheim was its leader.

Their authority was so formidable that the threat “If you don’t behave, the Imperial Investigation Team will come and take you away” was one of the most effective warnings given to noble children.

Having the Imperial Investigation Team set foot inside a noble household was an extraordinarily frightening matter.

Their arrival was usually followed by one of two outcomes:

A spectacular promotion—

or the complete destruction of a family.

“……Welcome.”

Even Kallian Klaus, Duke of one of the empire’s oldest and most prestigious families, could not help but stiffen at the unexpected appearance of the Imperial Investigation Team.

“But why has the Imperial Investigation Team come to my estate without any prior notice?”

“There are suspicions that the Grand Duchess of House Klaus has colluded with subversive forces.”

Riona’s face went deathly pale.

What kind of bolt from the blue was this?

“Ten men attempted to harm Duchess Essika Klaus, but failed. One of them was handed over to our Imperial Investigation Team. After a thorough investigation, two facts were uncovered.”

Count Pertos spoke calmly.

“First, the assassination attempt against Duchess Essika Klaus was commissioned by the Grand Duchess of House Klaus.”

“N-No…… That’s impossible! Why would I?!”

Riona staggered to her feet, gripping the table.

The Imperial Investigation Team’s involvement had been completely unexpected.

“And second, there are indications that they were involved in the Ganeshoff Rebellion.”

The Ganeshoff Rebellion had been a major incident that occurred ten years ago in the Ganeshoff region, involving rebels and those accused of treason.

Essika had expected the Imperial Investigation Team to be sent.

But Lesvan had gone one step further than the part Essika had planned.

Riona’s eyes widened in utter disbelief.

Somewhere, Essika could almost imagine Lesvan smiling.

Her fingertips twitched slightly.