“How dare you participate in killing my emperor and empress?”

“Ah, no. This is a false accusation! Your Highness Ruans.”

The man trembled as he spoke to Ruans.

“What do you mean it’s not? Don’t make excuses.”

“It’s not an excuse.”

“Yuria-gyeong left all the evidence.”

Ruans smiled crookedly and pushed the man’s head back into the deep water-filled tub. Large ripples formed on the surface as air bubbles rapidly rose.

The severely struggling man wanted to lift his head, but his entire body was bound and he couldn’t raise it.

“Why do you think you’re being tortured like this? Because you’re not answering properly.”

Ruans lifted the man’s head up again and spoke chillingly. The man exhaled heavily and coughed.

“Please, spare my life.”

“What’s the point of living? Why should I let a useless bastard like you live?”

Ruans tightly grabbed the man’s hair again. The man felt the pain of his scalp being torn. The shimmering water surface was approaching before his eyes.

“I’ll talk. I’ll become someone worth keeping alive… Please…”

“Really?”

Despite the man’s desperate plea, Ruans pulled his head back and quickly shoved it into the tub again. The desperately struggling man splashed about. He couldn’t even scream properly. Water kept entering his nose and mouth.

As strength gradually left his body and no sound could be heard with water in his ears, a strong force grabbed his head and pulled him out of the water. The water he had swallowed flowed out like vomit from between his lips.

“Urkk. Blargh.”

Having spit out all the water, the man breathed in air like a madman and coughed again. Once he calmed down somewhat, the man’s gaze met Ruans’ expressionless green eyes looking down at him from the chair.

“I’ll ask again.”

“Yes. Your Highness.”

“Who dared to order the killing of the emperor?”

“It wasn’t me.”

“If not you, then who?”

“Yu-Yuria-gyeong. Everything was done under the orders of Yuria-gyeong of Amonga.”

“Really? Yuria-gyeong couldn’t have killed the emperor and empress alone. He must have borrowed the power of his family, Amonga. Right? Am I correct?”

“Yes. Your Highness is correct.”

“What about other families?”

“Huh??”

“I mean the families that were close with Amonga. You know they also cooperated with Amonga, right?”

Ruans clenched his fist. The man nodded, afraid of being tortured with water again.

“The Brulton Earl family that supported my elder brother Adrian must have also cooperated with Amonga, right?”

Barely lifting his head, the man only responded with “Yes” or “That’s right” to all of Ruans’ statements.

Ruans was about to smile with satisfaction when-

“Your Majesty the Emperor.”

The chief chamberlain urgently came looking for Ruans.

“What is it?”

“A letter has arrived from the Poloyd Empire.”

“What? From the Poloyd Empire?”

Could it be from Charlotte?

“A statement has come from the Duchy of Glosten.”

“A statement from the Duchy of Glosten?”

“That’s right, Your Highness.”

“What kind of statement is it?”

“I’m not sure about that either.”

“Can’t you even predict something like this, Chief Chamberlain?”

“I apologize.”

“The kind of people I hate most are ones who deliberately do things I dislike, like you Chief Chamberlain.”

Ruans roughly snatched the letter handed by the bowing chief chamberlain and read the statement from the Glosten family.

“Revoking the Lorencia earl family’s surname and adopting her as the Glosten ducal lady?”

At Ruans’ words, the chief chamberlain raised his head and examined his face. His complexion didn’t look good.

“What the hell is this nonsense?”

Ruans’ hand trembled. He crumpled up the letter. The letter stated that Lorencia was of the Glosten ducal bloodline.

“Summon Earl Pol Heredian to the palace at once.”

“Pardon? Ah, understood. Your Highness.”

Returning to his room, Ruans read the letter again and again. It made no sense to him.

Lorencia is the illegitimate child of the Heredian earl family. But the letter sent by the Glosten duchy emphasized that Lorencia was definitely their lost granddaughter and of their blood.

Knock knock.

“Earl Pol Heredian has arrived, Your Highness.”

At the chamberlain’s words from beyond the door, Ruans opened it and told him to enter.

“Your Highness. I am Brant of the Pol Heredian family.”

Ruans glared at Brant with an icy gaze. He had become very haggard since he last saw him. It made sense. His businesses were all able to grow with Daniel’s help, but that help was now gone.

“There is only one reason I summoned you today. Earl Pol Heredian.”

“Yes. Your Highness.”

“You will have to tell only the truth to the questions I ask.”

Brant bent his waist at Ruans’ words, indicating he understood. Ruans placed the crumpled letter on the table.

“It’s a letter sent to me by the Glosten ducal family in the Poloyd Empire. Read it. Earl Pol Heredian.”

Brant gulped. What kind of letter could it be? With trembling hands, he reached for the letter. He unfolded the thoroughly crumpled letter. And slowly read through it.

How did they know Lorencia wasn’t his daughter? Was that monster really the biological daughter of the Glosten family?

Then was Musilla the daughter of a noble?!

Brant’s mind grew more and more complex.

“You must have finished reading it. Earl Pol Heredian. Then do you have nothing to say to me?”

Brant, his face pale, took a big gulp. Something felt wrong.

“Actually, the truth is…”

How should he explain to Ruans that Lorencia wasn’t of his bloodline?

20 years ago, he brought in a woman as a concubine as instructed by Daniel.

She was so beautiful that he wanted to hold her once, but she was already carrying another man’s child. He wanted to ask Daniel why he made him take in a concubine he couldn’t even bed, but he stayed silent since he became the head of the Heredian family with Daniel’s help.

What did it matter bringing in a fake concubine and having a fake illegitimate child when it made him the family head?!

He had no choice but to do as Daniel ordered.

Daniel was in a position of power and wealth to easily topple him. But if he followed his words well, Brant could also have those 3 things.

“Speak the truth.”

“I cannot say anything.”

“Huh? That sounds like Lorencia wasn’t the illegitimate child of the Heredian family.”

Daniel’s words resurfaced in Brant’s mind. He must absolutely stay quiet.

“My words are so absurd that I say that.”

“So absurd that you can’t say anything?”

“That’s right. The letter’s contents are so preposterous that I cannot utter a single word.”

Brant inwardly sighed. He thought he spoke well, even in his own opinion.

“I believe Earl Spencer, who desires Lorencia, deliberately had her adopted as the ducal lady in order to marry her.”

Brant continued.

“Earl Spencer previously told me he would take Lorencia, and I opposed. Your Highness Ruans. If I, the family head, am against it, the marriage absolutely cannot happen.”

“That’s right. The family head’s permission is needed for marriage.”

“In my view, Earl Spencer used his wits. To have her adopted by a noble family in the Poloyd Empire and marry her.”

Ruans couldn’t hold back and slammed his fist on the table.

Bang!

“Y-Your Highness.”

Ruans, his two fists trembling, gritted his teeth hard enough to make a crunching sound. He couldn’t contain his rage.

“How dare he…”

Brant’s words made sense. Teishar said he liked Lorencia. He was doing dirty deeds to be with Lorencia no matter what. It was unforgivable.

“I must bring my monster at once.”

That monster is his. The monster born for him. No one can take her away.

“Your Majesty the Emperor.”

Ruans looked at Brant who called him carefully.

“If my hypothesis is correct, it may be wise to send a reply with conditions…”

“Conditions?”

“It’s setting the condition of revoking the Heredian earl family surname.”

“Explain it so I can understand.”

“Lorencia may also be in a very awkward situation there right now.”

Ruans nodded at Brant’s words.

“That ignorant Earl Spencer may be pushing Lorencia to marry him by force.”

“He’s definitely doing that.”

“So I believe we need to buy time until Your Highness can rescue Lorencia from Earl Spencer.”

“Buy time?”

“Yes. That wicked Earl Spencer must be doing all sorts of things to somehow marry Lorencia at this very moment.”

Brant felt cold sweat run down his back. He was spewing words as they came to mind to the point he wasn’t sure what he was saying. But surprisingly, Ruans was buying into it well.

He especially sensed Ruans’ satisfaction whenever he cursed Teishar.

“You’re going to rescue Lorencia, right? Unless you plan to let Earl Spencer, who will beat her to death, take Lorencia… Even if she’s illegitimate, she’s my daughter…”

Brant spoke while gauging Ruans’ reaction. His heart was nervous. Still, he considered this as keeping his promise with Daniel. Moreover, the current situation was another opportunity for Brant. He needed to go tell Daniel about his interactions with Ruans now. That he kept the promise he made, that he was a man of loyalty and integrity – this was a good chance to appeal that.

Then Daniel would praise him. Perhaps he might even revive his business.

“Of course I’ll go save her. But what conditions are you talking about? Explain it so I can understand.”

“Send a reply that you wish to be engaged to Lorencia on the condition of revoking the Heredian earl family surname.”

“What?”

“Regardless of whether my daughter has the Heredian surname or Glosten surname, you will take her as Your Highness’ concubine.”