The already heavy atmosphere sank even deeper.

Cold sweat overflowed in Duke Hersher’s hands.

If it were him in the past, he would have immediately strongly objected that it couldn’t be true.

Because the Aria he knew had a gentle personality and would never harm others.

But now, he thought that perhaps Aria really might have done it. That’s how much Aria had changed.

The others, except for the Duke, seemed to feel the same way, as they looked shocked rather than questioning Clea’s words.

“If that is true, then the princess has committed attempted murder.”

Oberon was the first to break the long silence.

“Duke, what on earth happened? Even if Her Highness wasn’t royalty at the time, this is clearly a crime.”

“Did you perhaps order the princess to act that way, Your Grace? Otherwise, how could that kind-hearted princess have changed so much?”

“That, that is…”

At his words, everyone glared at Duke Hersher with piercing eyes.

It seemed they were demanding an explanation of what exactly had happened.

Their gazes were so fierce that the initially cold looks now seemed gentle in comparison.

The Duke was equally perplexed, as he had only now fully learned the truth of the incident.

Until now, he had thought it was something Aria’s personal maid had done for Aria’s sake.

‘Even if it’s true, I should strongly deny it, but…’

There seemed to be no way out.

Many people had already seen Aria visit the Odoi mansion that day.

If the date matched when Clea left the palace and she did indeed head to the Odoi mansion, then naturally more weight would be given to Grit’s testimony.

If Grit hadn’t taken her side here, there would have been at least some leeway.

“My family and I know nothing of this matter.”

Duke Hersher made his decision.

It was already nearly impossible to save Aria.

The Emperor and Empress, along with all the nobles, were on edge about this incident.

This issue was not simply a matter of distinguishing between the imperial faction and the noble faction.

It was a blatant attack on one family.

The Duke was willing to do anything to survive this attack.

Since he had resolved to do so from the moment he boarded the carriage, given how things had turned out, he intended to abandon Aria.

Though she was his daughter, he thought it was an unavoidable choice to continue his own and his family’s lineage.

“You don’t know?”

Clea, who had been keeping her mouth shut, asked with a chilling smile.

The Duke, who had met Clea when she was young, doubted if this was really the same person.

She had clearly been an emotional and timid child, lacking confidence and appearing passive in her actions.

That child was now wielding power and uniting the nobles present here.

Duke Hersher swallowed hard.

Somehow, he felt a fear from her that he had never felt even from Odin.

“It doesn’t seem like this will end easily by simply saying you don’t know.”

“I deeply regret that Her Highness had to go through such an ordeal because of my child. And our family will certainly take responsibility…”

“How exactly do you intend to take responsibility?”

Clea completely withdrew her smile and asked again.

To the question of how he would take responsibility for this incident, Duke Hersher forced himself to speak.

This issue had to be resolved here and now. He might not even have a chance to speak later.

Bowing his head to Clea, he answered.

“We will expel Aria Hersher from the Hersher family… and the ducal house will offer compensation commensurate with the harm done.”

Having made it clear that the Hersher family would no longer protect Aria, the Duke was prepared to accept whatever demands Clea might make.

Even if she demanded an enormous sum, he would give it. Surviving was the priority now.

Having offered the maximum he could, the Duke thought this would satisfy the other party.

But unfortunately, the Duke seemed to have forgotten the meaning of this gathering.

“My, I don’t want any of that.”

“Your Highness?”

At these unexpected words, he suddenly raised his head.

“Aren’t you also guilty, Duke? I find it hard to understand why you keep trying to shift all the blame onto Aria.”

“What do you…”

No sooner had Clea finished speaking than the tightly closed door opened.

Duke Hersher’s expression hardened at the sight revealed as the door opened.

“This is!”

Where his gaze fell, armor, shields, and swords were strewn about haphazardly.

There was no noble who didn’t recognize which family the emblems engraved on them belonged to.

The point to note carefully here was that there were bloodstains here and there on those weapons and armor.

Outside the door stood the Grand Duke, who was thought not to be attending this gathering.

Seeing this, Duke Hersher felt as if he was completely crumbling.

“Doesn’t the Duke know why such items are in the imperial palace?”

It was never a fight from the beginning.

“Didn’t you personally send the family’s knights to the imperial palace to kill the maid who took the blame in Aria’s place?”

“I, I don’t know anything about this.”

He should have completely distanced himself from the start, using repentance as a starting point.

He should have abandoned his position in the capital and fled to the countryside, citing reasons like a need for recuperation or something similar.

“Haha, what an amusing thing to say. Are you saying Aria moved the knights then? What authority does Aria have to mobilize the family’s knights? Or did the knights move independently without any orders?”

Though she was the only child of the Duke and Duchess, Aria had no authority in family matters.

They had only allowed her to spend unlimited money on beautifying herself, thinking she would become the Crown Princess.

Apart from that, since she was going to leave the family anyway, they hadn’t entrusted her with anything.

Even if he wanted to lie to escape this situation, it was impossible because there were many people present who knew the Hersher family well.

Watching this, Clea sighed in exasperation and rose from her seat.

As she stood up, people’s gazes naturally converged on one point.

Clea ignored all those gazes and approached Duke Hersher.

“Are you still looking for a way out?”

Looking at her figure that had come right up to his face, Duke Hersher finally raised the white flag.

“I was wrong.”

He knelt down on the spot and declared his surrender.

“I was wrong. It’s all because I was incompetent and failed to manage the family properly.”

He really didn’t know about the matters related to Aria, but it was difficult to escape with just saying he didn’t know.

Even though the Grand Duke’s influence was behind sending the family’s knights to the imperial palace, there was no way to prove that either.

Even if he had committed wrongs, in the past he would have used force to suppress it. But now, the forces that had supported him had completely turned their backs.

The Duke could no longer protect himself.

“Your Highness, this is treason.”

“Deploying the family’s private forces to the imperial palace is clearly a challenge to the imperial family.”

Having learned of Duke Hersher’s atrocities, the nobles shouted as if there was nothing more to consider.

To brand him with treason and end everything here and now.

That was the direction the nobles present wanted.

But Clea’s thoughts were a little different.

“No matter what, we can’t ignore his years of devoted service to His Majesty.”

“Your Highness?”

She thought.

Wouldn’t it be merciful to end it right here?

Wouldn’t it be better to repay him a little more viciously, a little more cruelly, just as Aria had done to her and Admund?

There was a saying ‘an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth.’

“The Duke should have a proper chance to defend himself, so let’s set a date for the trial.”

At her words about setting a trial, the Duke looked up at her adoringly.

Did he take these words as a green light?

He seemed to think that even the slightest hope was hope, that he still had a chance.

But Clea had not given him a chance.

‘I’ll make everyone know your ugly side.’

She would expose Aria’s ugly side, who had been praised as a saint, to everyone.

She would reveal the aspects that Aria had been hiding all this time in front of people and put a complete end to it.

That’s why she was giving a little more time instead of ending it here and now.

The downfall of the Hersher ducal family was already decided.

Even if Clea let him off, he would fall due to the presence of one person who was not attending this gathering.

And no one would help the Hersher family.

‘I wonder how you’ll fare until then.’

The Duke would probably drive Aria out as soon as he returned home.

No matter how much the Duchess tried to dissuade him, he wouldn’t listen at all.

Clea imagined Aria’s appearance after being driven out of the family.

‘There must be more than a few people who hold grudges against you.’

She immediately thought of one man whose life had been ruined because of her.

Lloyd, who had nothing but pride.

In the end, he had begged for his life, calling out her name.

She knew she had suffered great hardship for ignoring him, having no reason to save him, but by now he must know too.

That it was all because of Aria that he ended up that way.

Clea turned her gaze, thinking about what would unfold from now on.

Amidst everyone’s indignation, her eyes fell on one person who alone seemed to be enjoying this situation.

‘Your turn will come soon enough.’

There was still one more thing left to settle.

Clea planned to completely deal with the Odoi ducal family right after finishing with the Hersher ducal family.