Chapter 190 - 2-72
Madam Banks and I sat in the room where she had just been speaking with His Majesty, occupying single-seater sofas facing each other across a table. Theodore-sama had gone to fetch Louis-sama at Madam Banks's request, as she wished for him to be present for the conversation. Unlike me, who sat in awkward silence, Madam Banks poured tea and offered it to me with a calm "Here you are," as if nothing were amiss.
It was strange. Her composure was exactly the same as always. How can she remain so dignified?
I stole a glance at her. Noticing my gaze, Madam Banks offered her usual, elegant smile.
"U-Um..."
Just as I summoned the courage to speak, the door opened. Louis-sama and Theodore-sama entered, their expressions grim.
"Would you two care for some tea?"
"No, thank you. I've heard the gist from Theodore, so let us get to the point."
Louis-sama declined firmly. He sat on a two-seater sofa, crossing his legs and resting his hands on his knees. Madam Banks chuckled at his bluntness.
"You certainly are impatient. Now then, where should I begin? I wonder how much Your Royal Highness already knows."
"I am certain that you are a spy for the Kingdom of Orta. Of course, I will hear your defense, for what it's worth."
I gasped at the word "spy." However, Madam Banks seemed to have expected this. Her smile never wavered as she gracefully lifted her cup and took a sip. Her dignified bearing was the same Madam Banks I had always known, bringing back memories of the many times she had shown me kindness.
"Madam Banks... it's a lie that you're a spy, isn't it?"
My voice trembled more than I expected. Madam Banks furrowed her brows slightly.
"Rachel-sama. Unfortunately, His Royal Highness speaks the truth."
"No... Since when...?"
"Since the very beginning. From the moment I accompanied Lady Aurelia as her lady-in-waiting when she married into the Kingdom of Dutoit. I connected with nobles who had ties to the Kingdom of Orta and reported Dutoit's information to His Majesty."
Madam Banks spoke the facts plainly, without excuse or remorse, as if she were merely making small talk. Louis-sama's eyes narrowed further.
"...I assume you are prepared to face the consequences of your crimes."
Madam Banks set her cup on the table, exhaled softly, and looked up. Everyone in the room held their breath at the intensity in her eyes.
"Of course I am. My life and my soul... they essentially died long ago."
I had never seen Madam Banks show such raw passion. Her smile vanished completely as she met Louis-sama's gaze and began to explain why she had made this choice. The story of Joanna Banks's life was far more tragic than I could have imagined.
♢
Born as the daughter of a Duke in the Kingdom of Orta, everyone likely assumed I lived an enviable life. However, my mother died shortly after I was born, and by the time I was old enough to understand the world, I was no longer treated as a member of the family.
On paper, I was a Duke's daughter. But to my father, his only family was his second wife and my younger half-sister. My mother's keepsakes and my own treasures were all taken by my sister. I was whipped under the guise of discipline and whispered about by the servants. I had no memories of happiness or being loved, at least until I met His Majesty.
Though I had no place in my own home, my father intended to use me as a political pawn. Since His Majesty and I were close in age, I was summoned to the royal palace once a week as his companion. Those hours were my only moments of peace.
As a boy, His Majesty looked and acted much like his nephew, Isaac—lively, bright, and possessed of a strong sense of justice. I quickly became infatuated with him, and he seemed to view me as someone special. After Lady Aurelia was born, His Majesty doted on his much younger sister and often brought her along when we met.
I had a blood-related sister of my own, but Minerva hated me from the bottom of her heart due to her mother's influence. Consequently, I felt as though Lady Aurelia, who adored me purely, was my true sister. I loved her dearly. I remember once, Lady Aurelia looked at His Majesty and me with her doll-like eyes and asked,
"If Big Brother and Jo get married, will you become my real big sister?"
His Majesty's face turned as red as a ripe apple.
"If that is what Joanna wishes."
He turned a steady gaze toward me. I couldn't say a word; I could only nod, my cheeks flushing as deeply as his. He watched me with sparkling eyes. Those days were like a dream. Even looking back now, I don't think I will ever experience such happiness again. However, the dream remained just that.
My stepmother and Minerva would never allow me to become the Crown Princess of Orta. They were greedy, cunning people. Like snakes, they let their prey swim freely, waiting for the perfect moment to strike and swallow it whole.
"Sister, I'm looking forward to the engagement ceremony tomorrow. Once it's official, you'll live at the palace for your royal education, won't you? Make sure you don't forget anything."
On the day before the ceremony, Minerva visited me. She had spent weeks making spiteful remarks and crying to our parents to replace me as the fiancée, yet she suddenly acted strangely demure. If only I had noticed her scheme then, my life might have been entirely different. But at the age Rachel-sama is now, I never imagined my own sister would drug His Majesty. When he failed to appear at the ceremony, I felt a terrible premonition. My father arrived in a panic and delivered the news.
"Joanna, the engagement is off. His Highness and Minerva have been united. It is impossible to marry you off to him now. Minerva will be the Crown Princess."
Minerva had sent His Majesty chocolates laced with hallucinogens and sedatives, claiming they were a gift from me. When he didn't show up, his aides found him in his bedroom, in bed with Minerva.
His Majesty was furious at her trickery and opposed the marriage. However, the royal family's power had been waning for generations. They were supported by the three Great Ducal Houses of Orta, who were often mocked as the "Shadow Royalty." Our house was the most powerful among them, and its head demanded the marriage between His Majesty and Minerva. The previous King accepted the proposal, ignoring His Majesty's protests.
I was sent back to my family home, confused and broken, only to be met by my stepmother's sinister smile. She had meticulously arranged to cast me out as the second wife of a rural noble. The man who called himself Count Banks was a pig of a man, older than my father, with a vulgar grin. He already had five adult children and had outlived three wives. Seeing him, I finally understood that I had been betrayed by my stepmother and Minerva.
And soon, I learned firsthand why his previous wives had died in quick succession. My stepmother had whipped me occasionally, but the violence from Count Banks made those days seem light. He was a man of sadistic tendencies. Before one bruise could heal, he would cover my body in new ones. He barely fed me, and I wasted away.
But the hardest part was the information he would occasionally bring me.
"The wedding of His Majesty and Lady Minerva has been held. It seems she is already pregnant. They looked very happy. I doubt they even think of you anymore."
Those words broke my will to live.
Ah, he has abandoned me too.
The only person who had ever loved me had chosen Minerva. Once I believed that, nothing mattered anymore. Count Banks seemed to lose interest when I stopped resisting his violence. Years passed in that mansion; eventually, I stopped keeping track of the date. I was moved from a sunless room to an attic, and finally to a basement. The meager meals I received grew fewer until they stopped entirely. I no longer had the strength to even move my fingers.
A human death is such a fleeting thing. If I close my eyes now, I may never see the light again.
Exhausted by life, I felt only relief that I would no longer have to suffer. But then, through my blurred vision, I heard a commotion outside the basement.
"...na... Jo... Jo!"
I didn't have the strength to open my eyes, but I felt myself being held in warm arms. I thought of how happy I would be to drift into heaven within this warmth. Yet, by some twist of fate, I woke up again. The sheets smelled of soap. When I opened my eyes, His Majesty was there, his face contorted as he held me with all his might, looking as if he were about to cry.
"Joanna... I am so truly sorry."
"Why... are you here? Am I not dead? Am I... still alive?"
"Of course you are! If only I had known sooner what you were going through... No, that's not it. It is entirely my fault for falling for that woman's trap."
His Majesty was different from the man in my memories. His eyes no longer sparkled. They were bloodshot and terrifyingly sharp, and he made no effort to hide the deep dark circles beneath them.
"That man... I killed Count Banks. No matter how much he begged for mercy, no matter that he was already dead, I could not stab him enough times."
"Wh-What! No matter who you are, you cannot get away with killing a noble!"
"I made it look like an accident. His face and body are unrecognizable. He did something worse than death to the only woman I love. Killing him wasn't enough."
My heart ached at his words.
"But you chose Minerva. You already have three children..."
"I was told you ran away because you hated the idea of marrying me. I begged your family to let me see you, but they gave me letters from you saying you were living happily and to leave you alone."
He produced several letters. Every one of them mimicked my handwriting and was sent in my name. They claimed that no matter how many letters he sent, my love for him was gone and I wanted no further contact because I loved my husband. Reading them made me feel sick. His Majesty seemed relieved to learn the letters weren't from me. At the same time, he apologized repeatedly for the fact that, despite the impossible circumstances, he had ultimately betrayed me.
However, I understood he had no choice. For several generations, the prestige of the royal family had been fading. Fewer royals possessed dark magic, and those capable of contracting with the Spirit of Darkness were dwindling. Conversely, my Ducal House had been steadily gaining power. I had heard from Count Banks months prior that the previous King had passed away. In that situation, His Majesty couldn't afford to make an enemy of the Duke.
"I do not love Minerva. You are the only one I will ever love. At the time, I was powerless and had no choice but to marry her as the Duke commanded. But once I gain more power, I will no longer have to move at the whim of Minerva or the Duke. Then, I will divorce her and take you as my Queen."
"Are you serious?"
"I am. Pathetically enough, I cannot give up on you."
"Your Majesty..."
"No matter how many years or decades it takes, I will gain power and restore the royal family's prestige. I will become powerful enough to be feared, without needing to follow a single order from a Marquis."
In that moment, because of those words, I decided to give him everything. I would dedicate my life and my all to the one person who wanted me. And so, I listened to his plan and followed it.