kscans

Chapter 14 - The Villainess and Her Exit

"Suspicions! Yes, all evil stems from Lady Scott!" Valona pointed at Sumika with a new black ostrich Crim.

"That little wench seduced Lord Tagi! What a wicked woman!" At her outburst, Sumika’s shoulders flinched.

"Wait," Tagi said, stepping forward. With a sweep of his cloak, he stood in front of Sumika, shielding her.

"I annulled the engagement of my own free will, daughter of Duke Philbard." At Tagi’s formal address, Valona gasped.

"You may call me Valona, Lord Tagi!" Tagi’s purple eyes, the mark of royalty, narrowed.

"I would ask that you use my title. We are no longer betrothed."

"But—!"

"Have you forgotten you are in the presence of the King?"

Tagi was, after all, the Second Prince. To disobey royalty was to invite suspicion of treason against the King himself.

"M-My apologies, Your Highness Tagi…" Valona fell silent, her lips trembling. If the engagement were to be officially and justly annulled after she’d given him cause, it would be unbearable.

"B-But, could this not be some sort of conspiracy?" Valona stammered, trying to recover.

"Why is a mere girl from a minor noble family, with no backing, wealth, or power, able to attend a prestigious night party hosted by the Royal Family?" Jin, who had been watching the events unfold, tilted his head.

"Wasn’t it because she received an invitation from the Royal Palace?"

"That’s impossible!"

Valona shrieked. Overwhelmed by the furious Duchess’s Daughter, Jin recoiled.

"N-No, but… Lady Sumika’s name was on the invitation list Lord Furas had, wasn’t it?"

Spirld shuddered. With unfocused eyes, he looked up at Jin, who stood near the dais.

"Is that not so, First-Class Court Secretary Furas?" Stared down by the earnest Jin, Furas gave a slow nod.

"…As you say, the list I possess does have… the name of the Viscount Scott’s daughter."

"Give it to me, Spirld." Spirld took the list from his breast pocket and handed it to Bald.

"Hmm. Indeed… no matter how many times I look, the name Lady Sumika Scott is here." Bald stroked his white beard, troubled.

"In the Grand Hall, you explained that Litt had forgotten to write it. And that you, upon noticing, sent an invitation to the Scott family by express rider… That was your account, was it not, Spirld?"

"…Yes." Spirld’s complexion had gone beyond pale to the deathly, ashen color of a corpse.

"Did you know, Touli? Beheading someone is actually quite difficult." Litt cut through the flow of conversation with stunning irrelevance.

"Lord Litt! It’s your head that’s about to be chopped off!"

"The neck is thicker than the arm, and depending on the angle of the blade, it can hit bone and bounce off. If it’s a sloppy cut, it’s excruciatingly painful, there’s screaming, blood sprays everywhere, the blade gets stuck and won’t come out… it’s a total mess."

Litt tapped his own neck with his right hand.

"To get a clean cut like in the stories requires a high level of skill."

"Why are you telling me this now?!" Touli pleaded, half in tears at his master’s outrageous behavior.

"This is no time for jokes!"

"Alteration of public documents is a capital crime."

Litt’s ominous words were anything but light.

"Did you think the invitation list His Majesty decided upon and His Highness Raoul ordered me to write was the only one in the world?"

Raoul held a list sealed with the royal crest.

"This is a copy. It was destined to be burned once the night party concluded without incident." Raoul broke the wax seal. The folded paper opened with a series of soft flaps.

"The invitation list," Raoul stated, "also serves as the guest list for the night of the party. Only the list with attendance checked off is preserved as a public document."

Flap, flap, flap, flap.

The folded list cascaded from Raoul’s hands to the floor. The list, bearing over five hundred and fifty names, was long. It spread lightly across the floor.

Flap, flap, flap, flap. Flap, flap, flap. Flap, flap. Flap-flap-flap.

"Oh?" Raoul picked up the end of the paper, a puzzled look on his face.

At the very end of the list. Number five hundred and fifty-seven. The name Lady Sumika Scott was—not there.

"What is the meaning of this?" The First Prince’s purple eyes shot toward the trembling First-Class Court Secretary.

"…In consideration of… His Highness Tagi’s feelings… I added it," Spirld confessed, as if spitting blood.

"Spirld! How could you!" His master’s words finally connecting, Touli turned pale.

"…Alteration of public documents… is a capital crime."

"Take him away."

At Raoul’s command, the Captain of the Royal Knights forced the collapsing Spirld to his feet. Accompanied by guards who had been waiting in the adjoining room, he vanished from the Hall of Crests.

"He used the Second Prince as an excuse, so I suppose they’ll add a charge of high treason to the list?"

"Hmph. We’ll consider it."

Raoul snorted at Litt’s comment. He shoved the unfolded copy of the list at Bald.

"Oh, how could this happen?" The Court Secretary-General’s tears fell onto the paper.

"Your Highness Raoul," Bald said, looking up at the First Prince.

"First-Class Court Secretary Spirld Furas is my subordinate. This was due to my failure of supervision. Please punish me as well. And I ask that you lighten Spirld’s sentence." Raoul grimaced.

"Have you gone senile, Court Secretary-General Bald? You plead to the wrong person." All eyes turned to the King. All authority rested with him.

"A judgment will be rendered in due time. You are dismissed, Bald."

"…Yes, Your Majesty."

Still kneeling, Bald made his parting salutations. He rose slowly and looked at Litt. The old man said nothing.

"Silence can be eloquent," Litt commented. Bald left without responding.

"Now then." Litt’s voice was disconcertingly light for the situation.

"Let’s move on to the main event." Litt’s green eyes focused on her.