Chapter Twenty-Seven and a Half: An Ultimatum (Part 2) ~Alphonse’s POV

“Aah, how cruel.”

When Margaret was brought before my eyes, no trace of her former beauty remained. I asked to see her face, which had received lackluster treatment. After the gauze and bandages were removed, I saw a hideous scar.

They had replaced her extravagant dress with a coarse female prisoner’s clothing. Margaret, who sat on a chair with her hands bound behind her back, still had a cheeky glint in her hazel eyes.

Impressive. One would be forced to acknowledge her brazenness.

I dismissed everyone else, leaving only Caddock by my side. There were no windows in the bleak stone room. The only light in the room came from the wall sconce.

“—Where is she!? How dare she lay a hand on a count’s daughter even though she’s just a mere servant! This is a murder attempt!!”

As soon as I sat down, Margaret kicked up a fuss, and I frowned.

“Shut up already.”

I should’ve left the gag on.

Before I came here, I tweaked my appearance in an attempt to disguise myself. I used a special powder to transform the color of my honey brown hair and wore glasses. My hair would revert to normal after washing, but when will she realize that she was in the presence of the crown prince?

“Still, what a terrible injury. It hurts, doesn’t it?”

“Obviously!? She made it worse by shoving me down!! Make her suffer the same thing!! And Liliana too!! That wretched monster ordered that woman to do so, I’m sure of it!”

“The marchioness?”

“Yes, that vixen who outsmarted me and became the marchioness! She must’ve seduced the marquis!”

Those two are still clean, though. I blurted out in my heart.

I felt sorry for the adorable Cedric for being related to this woman in any way. I guess one could say that he was lucky because they were only half-related.

“Liliana isn’t even the daughter of a count! How can someone who is whipped and forced to skip meals like her be a noble lady anyway? Think about it! Isn’t it strange that a woman who used to wear rags, lock herself in a room, and couldn’t even socialize properly is above me? Same goes for Cedric, why is he the only one who obtained the guardianship of a marquis and gets to live in such a splendid mansion? Even though he’s like a creepy doll with no real purpose…”

Margaret snorted and tilted her head.

“Yes, what a strange story.”

When I nodded, Margaret became even more talkative, thinking that I agreed with her.

She blabbered without even as much as a pause, cursing Liliana and degrading Cedric like breathing. I was impressed by how she could curse so much.

Behind me, I could tell that Caddock was getting frustrated, which was uncharacteristic of him.

Caddock was mute and had a large scar on his face, so most women and children stayed away from him. But not Liliana and Cedric. To Caddock’s immense pleasure, not only did they reach out to him, but they also listened to his side of the story. Since then, he’d occasionally brought up the picnic, and even asked William if the two of them were doing well.

For Caddock, whose sight aroused great fear in those around him, the existence of Cedric, who begged for a hug with an innocent smile, and the existence of Liliana, who made an effort to get to know him and understand his words, must be important.

—The same goes for me, too. My best friends are very important to me because they make me happy.

Long story short, this woman was truly nasty.

“…I’ve been wondering, do you understand your position?”

I asked, propping one elbow on my desk and resting my chin on my hand.

The woman shut her arrogant mouth and knitted her eyebrows questioningly.

“I am Margaret Sandra de Allwyn, daughter of the Count of Eighton.”

She spoke as if it was obvious.

…Didn’t William explain to her that she wasn’t the count’s daughter? Considering how idiotic she was, it must’ve gone in one ear and out the other.

“You’re simply ‘Margaret’—you don’t have a surname anymore.”

“W-what are you talking about?”

It seems that she refuses to accept my words.

I heard footsteps, and Caddock opened the door. The one who appeared was Mario, clad in a knight’s attire, with his short black hair slicked back and holding a cigarette in his mouth.

“Hey, I guess you aren’t Marietta today.”

“Marietta is a designer. Right now, I’m Mario from the intelligence corps. …Oof, how ugly. That girl must’ve been the culprit.”

The woman was surprised because of the intruder. Mario came over to me and took a quick look at her face. His sepia eyes narrowed with contempt.

“Hmph, even without a scar, you’re nowhere near as beautiful as Lady Liliana.”

“Ohok, ohok—! W-what!? How dare you! W-who is this rude person!? What’s with you!?”

Mario blew his cigarette smoke right on her face, and the woman glowered at Mario while choking. Mario laughed and blew smoke at the woman once again without any remorse.

What’s so wonderful about Lily is that even my twisted best friend adores her.

Lily was a very honest and innocent girl. The girl had only known hardships for most of her life. For 15 years, she continued to be exposed to malice and the wretchedness of people. In spite of that, she didn’t forget how to love and never stopped caring for Cedric. She didn’t harbor any malice or resentment towards those who had wronged her, and that was why she was very beautiful.

Even to me, she was a little too dazzling. I had the illusion that if she was around, I’d be purified and disappear.

The same could be said for William. He was also an upright man. Lily was the right person for him.

“Here, this is the item you asked for, Deputy Division Commander.”

Mario ignored her screams and handed me two letters he’d fished out of his pocket. I took them and looked through them.

The first one was signed by Count Eighton, who was under house arrest in his territory after learning the truth, admitting that his only children were Liliana Rutherford and Cedric Allwyn.

The other was a copy of the latest family register of a woman named Margaret. It was an official document, handwritten and stamped with the seal of the House of Lords.

“That was quick. I thought it’d take longer.”

“To my surprise, the old butler from Allwyn that I spoke with knew that she wasn’t the count’s daughter. The count, who trusted the old man, believed the old man’s story. He was slightly aware of the fact that she looked nothing like him. However, adamant not to lose his wife, he turned a blind eye to it.”

“I guess he was really enamored with her.”

“So much so that he welcomed her in before the mourning period was over.”

Mario put the shortened cigarette into the ashtray that Caddock handed him, then took out a new one and held it in his mouth. With that in mind, I spread out the two letters on my desk.

The woman looked at me with suspicion. Warily, she stared at the letters, and her complexion changed as she read each sentence.

“…W-what is this? Why has my surname been erased!? Also, why am I married already!? Who is this man!?”

“It is as you see. It is somewhat a blessing that you can actually read.”

I smiled heartily.

“You’re no longer Margaret Allwyn and have fallen to the status of a commoner. However, since I’m kind-hearted, I arranged a marriage proposal for you. Since you have nothing but your pride, I thought you wouldn’t be happy with being the ninth mistress, so I arranged for you to be Lord Boniface’s older brother’s legal wife.”

“Who cares! Who cares about any of this! I’m the Marchioness of Springfield… R-right, His Highness the Crown Prince has also asked for my hand in marriage!? I refuse to marry this nobody!!”

As expected, even I was somewhat startled. Mario and Caddock were also staring at me in shock. I panicked and shook my head. I didn’t recall ever doing such a thing!

…So, the rumors are true after all? I have a long-lost twin somewhere, and he proposed to her. Was he THAT out of luck!?

“Since His Highness the Crown Prince has proposed to me, that would make me the crown princess!! I want a proper knight!! All of you here will be sentenced to death for lèse-majesté!”

“What on earth is this disrespectful little thing saying? When did the crown prince propose to you?”

Mario asked, caught off-guard.

“That young butler from the marquis family told me!! He said that I shouldn’t have turned down His Highness the Crown Prince’s offer of marriage…!! My father probably turned it down because I didn’t know about any of it!!”

“This is just amazing! I’ve never met someone with such a selective hearing before!”

I couldn’t help but applaud.

Frederick probably threw that bait on purpose. If all went well, she’d be charged with lèse-majesté and sent to the gallows. That butler was even crueler than Elsa, and several times more merciless than William.

“I admit that you’re fun to look at, but unpleasant to spend time with, so I’ll have to turn you down. If I’m going to marry someone, I’d like a woman who makes me feel happy spending time with her. In respect, Lily is perfect. She also comes with the adorable Ceddie.”

Caddock nodded.

“I know, right? She’s so lovely and calming to be around. I want to decorate her with lace. Frills would suit her too. Because of her inherent beauty, she looks even prettier without anything too superfluous! I’ve already decided on the color of the first dress she was going to order! It’s either purple or blue!”

“Oh, here comes Marietta.”

When I eyed him skeptically, Mario cleared his throat and fixed his posture.

“What are you trying to say!? You aren’t making any sense!! Are you trying to say that I’m inferior to that hideous woman!?”

“No, no, no, you don’t even compare to her. To begin with, she’s a legitimate daughter of a count turned marchioness, while you’re a hag with only a quarter of your bloodline known.”

“Wha—”

The woman sputtered in anger. Her face turned red as she gritted her teeth at the insult. She put so much strain on her face that her scar began to reopen.

“Make fun of me too much, and you’re bound to regret it! My mother will become the Duke of Fuchsberger’s second wife!! If that happens, I’ll become the duke’s daughter!!”

“Fat chance. Your mother has also been removed from the family register of Baron Disley, so she’s just Sandra. Although the duke is hiding that woman out of gratitude, he won’t welcome her as a wife. She’s no longer an aristocrat, while the Duke of Fuchsberger is a family who has deep blood ties with the royal family. Not like someone from a baron family can marry such a figure in the first place.”

I stood up, picked up the water jug that was placed in the corner of the room, and poured it over my head. Caddock instantly rushed to me, but I stopped him with my hand. Instead, I removed my glasses and handed them to Caddock. With an astonished look on his face, Mario held out a handkerchief to me. I wiped my head, brushed up my bangs, and stared back at Margaret Boniface.

Her hazel eyes were about to pop out as she stared at me incredulously. Apparently, no matter how dumb she was, she remembered the crown prince’s face.

“Unfortunately, I don’t remember proposing to you.”

The woman stiffened, choking on her words.

“Do you know who it was that you attacked and tried to hurt.”

“N-n-no one will be in trouble if such an ugly woman gets hurt!!”

Mario facepalmed.

“The one you tried to harm is Liliana Rutherford, the wife of my most trusted subject. I, the future king. William Rutherford is a treasure of this country, the one and only hero.”

I climbed on the desk and sat down, resting my feet on her thighs.

Perhaps overwhelmed by my atmosphere, or maybe she finally realized the gravity of her action, she trembled and averted her gaze, trying to escape.

“You’ve committed a crime so serious that you’ve made the entire nation your enemy. You could even be publicly executed and beheaded for it. But I, as a generous king, have decided to spare your life. Boniface’s brother is an illegitimate son just like you. Although the pair of siblings has an amicable relationship, he was a pitiful man who grew up without being loved by his parents. Compared to his sadistic nature, his younger brother’s perverted sexual habits can be considered relatively mild.”

I yanked the woman’s hair and forced her to meet my eyes.

Perhaps because of all the screaming, her wound had opened and blood was oozing again.

“His younger brother, who adores him very much, is worried that his 50-year-old brother is still unmarried to this day. So when I offered you to him, he was so glad. His younger brother is an excellent businessman. Thanks to you, the business deal I’ve been wanting to put forward for a long time will be successful. Aren’t you glad? By marrying him, you’ll be of use to this kingdom, so there’s no reason to object. Or am I wrong?”

The woman looked up at me with a gaze full of despair while trembling.

I put my hand behind my back. Someone handed me a knife, which I proceeded to point at her slender neck.

“If you are unhappy, I’m afraid this is goodbye. If I let you live, you’ll only attack my friend and his wife again, right? That’s just dangerous. I’m really fond of them, you see.”

With just a slight movement, the well-maintained blade left a thin red streak on the woman’s neck. As blood seeped out, I smeared it onto her white skin.

The woman let her eyes wander. She seemed to be asking Caddock and Mario for help, but they didn’t budge. When the two merely stared at her coldly, it finally dawned on her that the icy blade pressed against her neck could easily take her out.

“I-I, I-I’ll happily oblige…”

I put down the knife and smiled at her almost inaudible reply.

“That’s wonderful!”

I returned the knife to Caddock and got off the desk.

“I’m giving you this letter as a present, so think carefully about what it means while you’re in prison until you’re ready to be married. Caddock, put her back to where she belongs. Oh, don’t forget the gag.”

Caddock nodded, receiving the letter and sliding it in his pocket. Then, he grabbed the woman who’d toppled over as she tried to escape, gagged her, and hoisted her on his shoulder. Meanwhile, I left. I could hear all the screaming and thrashing around. Against someone as sturdy as Caddock, resistance was futile.

“I applaud you for not killing her.”

Mario spoke with admiration while blowing purple smoke.

“Isn’t it obvious?” I replied, laughing as I removed my soaked coat. “She’s an important gift. I wouldn’t kill anyone as long as they can still serve their purpose.”

“I honestly think you’re being generous.”

Mario laughed, exhaling a deep plume of purple smoke.

“Right? Now, let’s head back upstairs. I need to get changed.”

“Who was it that doused himself in water?”

While saying that, Mario grabbed a candlestick from the wall, opened the door for me, and started walking, leading the way.

What a lofty man.

Be it morning, noon, and night, the dungeon was pitch-black, noisy with the prisoners talking to themselves, sobbing, and yelling.

“…Still, it’s unusual for you to come here in person.”

Mario, who was no longer able to hold a sword as a knight, chose to live as a designer and an informant. Ever since then, he rarely visited this place as a knight. Not only because he wanted to avoid getting caught, but also out of respect for his pride as a knight. He was probably reluctant to show up there. Even though I asked him for those letters, I’d expected him to send a messenger.

“Will seems to be busy, so I wanted to avoid him, hence why I came directly. The real culprit behind the attack on Lady Liliana has been identified.”

“Good job finding it. That was nine years ago, right?”

I was honestly surprised.

Nine years had passed since the war. The perpetrator was later apprehended in a separate case, and since he confessed to the incident, he was hanged for attacking a nobleman. Nevertheless, the leader of the organization to which the perpetrator belonged was still at large.

I never thought we’d find him.

“Their robbery and kidnappings weren’t without a purpose.”

Mario’s profile was illuminated by the light of the candlestick. He seemed utterly repulsed.

“It was an attempt to assassinate Count Eighton, Ramos Allwyn… and Countess Liliana Allwyn.”

As someone who grew up in the royal castle, I had guessed as much. It wasn’t surprising, but terrible nonetheless. Before I knew it, Caddock had returned and was following me like a shadow.

“What do you mean?”

“I’ll fill you and Will in on the details soon, but it seems like that woman hates Lady Liliana even more than we or Lady Liliana think…”

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***T/N: Damn, did Margaret just confess her crimes in front of all the guards?

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