“Celiya Brilliyon.”
An expression of bewilderment crossed Erphia’s face at the unexpected name.
Ileon spoke in a gentle tone.
“As Your Majesty the Empress can see, that woman, she stimulates men’s basest desires. Young men and old men alike.”
“…What does that have to do with Ben harming Jeremy’s face…”
“Did not His Highness the Crown Prince declare it? That Celiya Brilliyon is his mistress.”
Ileon smiled, his eyes curving prettily.
“At that time, almost all the men in the banquet hall, regardless of marital status, must have turned their backs on His Highness. Not giving the most precious position to the most beautiful woman in Abelon, but merely the position of a mistress.”
Ileon continued speaking as he elegantly sipped his chamomile tea.
“Trying to possess alone the beautiful flower that everyone coveted aroused resentment. If he had said it after ascending the throne, it might have been different. Declaring her as his mistress at the birthday banquet was a rash action.”
Erphia found it difficult to understand Ileon’s meaning.
Because there seemed to be no connection between men coveting that woman and Jeremy’s face being ruined.
“So the Duke wants to say that that wench, knowing I tried to ruin her face, instead drugged Jeremy and framed me as the culprit?”
“Surely not. How could a woman who has barely been in the imperial palace carry out such a deed?”
“Clearly, did you not just say with your own mouth that that woman was the culprit?”
Ileon smiled gently. Setting down the half-empty cup of chamomile tea on the table, Ileon spoke in a languid tone.
“It would not be impossible if someone who knows the situation in the palace well had helped her, rather than acting alone, would it?”
“!”
“The person that woman is closest to is Duke Calypso, is it not?”
Erphia’s hand holding the teacup trembled finely. It felt as if blood was surging in an instant.
“…Are you saying Ben was Dietrich’s man?”
“Well. I merely suggested the most plausible possibility.”
Ileon’s eyes curved narrowly.
“Your Majesty once complained to me that Ben acts like a lonely old man. Not talking about his family.”
She clearly remembered saying such a thing. Ileon was from the same family, and always wore a gentle expression, so he was easy to talk to.
In contrast, Ben was loyal, but hardly spoke. He did not speak unless absolutely necessary.
“If Ben fell in love with that woman at first sight, and the two of them used this in reverse, it is not a completely implausible story, is it?”
Is that really so?
“Currently, I believe the person closest to the culprit is the one who has the worst relationship with His Highness the Crown Prince. A woman who became a mistress against her will and Duke Calypso who is close to that woman. Of course, this is merely my opinion,”
Erphia was completely persuaded by Ileon.
Indeed, there is no reason for Ileon to harm herself and her son.
He is already said to be more of an emperor than the Emperor himself, and doesn’t he very easily take care of things when she fails to handle them properly?
“Duke, you haven’t told anyone about this, have you?”
“How could I go around talking about such things? I’m not even part of the imperial family.”
When Ileon said this firmly, Erphia felt even more reassured.
Of course, she was inwardly seething at the fact that Dietrich, whom she had been eyeing covetously, had done such a thing, but she did not show it outwardly.
“As expected, there’s no one but you, Duke. By chance, could you look into a way to restore Jeremy’s ruined face to its original state? Jeremy won’t listen to me at all, so I’d appreciate if you could convey the message separately.”
Ileon nodded slightly.
“I will do so, Your Majesty. Please do not worry too much.”
[This is the timeline separator]The night was deep.
Celiya was carefully examining the bookshelf located on one side of the wall, using moonlight as her lamp.
The books on the shelf were all thick volumes.
Thinking there might be some helpful clue, Celiya discovered one book that caught her eye.
‘The War History of Abelon.’
Flap.
In the silence, only the sound of Celiya turning pages could be heard.
Celiya’s hand, reading the book containing war records, stopped at one place.
The book, which contained many ancient war records, also had records of Abelon invading its own kingdom.
[Imperial Year 313, September 13.The 13th Emperor of Abelon personally led the conquest of the Shan Kingdom.]
It was just one sentence.
A single sentence written from the invader’s perspective.
No reason, nothing else was written.
Feeling her blood boiling, Celiya turned the pages back.
But there was nothing written on the back.
Celiya closed the book.
As soon as she put the book back on the shelf, a long shadow fell over Celiya from behind.
‘When on earth?’
Even Dietrich’s mansion was not a safe place.
Judging that it would be too late to draw her dagger, Celiya immediately used her ability.
The scent of hyacinths that bloomed from Celiya’s body instantly enveloped the intruder.
At the same time, the intruder stopped moving. Celiya turned her head sharply to look at the intruder.
“You!”
Celiya immediately withdrew her ability upon confirming the intruder.
The person who had intruded silently was none other than Dietrich.
“Why did you approach without a sound? You nearly gave me a heart attack.”
“…I have something to tell you.”
Celiya wondered if he really had to sneak up at this late hour to say it.
Dietrich’s lips parted slightly, reading her gaze.
“It might be too late if I wait until tomorrow, so I’m telling you now.”
“…Why?”
“Ileon has cornered you and me. He seems to have firmly convinced the Empress that you and I were the ones who poisoned the Crown Prince.”
Why is there not a single day in this imperial palace when one can be at ease?
Celiya felt suffocated.
“The real culprit is Ileon. He showed me the poison first and asked if I would use it. I refused.”
Dietrich’s pupils dilated, as if hearing this for the first time.
“…This is not good.”
“What?”
“It’s not good, I say. The situation.”
Dietrich looked at Celiya with furrowed brows.
“The page you were just reading, it was definitely about the Shan Kingdom, right?”
“…”
“Then you must be from the Shan Kingdom. I thought there were no survivors. Seeing that you have an ability, you must be royalty from the Shan Kingdom.”
Celiya was surprised by Dietrich’s accurate deduction.
Was he just guessing? But Dietrich seemed completely certain.
“I heard from my mother once before. That a princess with the ability to control people’s minds was born in the Shan Kingdom. That she could paralyze the five senses of reason with the scent of flowers.”
Celiya felt her heart sink at Dietrich’s words.
“Don’t tell me you think I’m that princess?”
When Celiya snapped sharply, Dietrich closed his mouth.
Perhaps because of the moonlight, his eyes shone calmly.
Celiya was about to say that she also knew Dietrich was from the Inata Duchy.
“You, on the other hand, are from Inata…”
But Dietrich cut off Celiya’s words.
“That’s right.”
Dietrich did not deny it. Instead, he tucked a strand of hair clinging to Celiya’s cheek behind her ear.
“I am from the Inata Duchy.”
As he said this, Dietrich’s gaze looking at her was infinitely gentle.
His gaze was so affectionate that she felt foolish for having been wary.
“I wish I had known you were alive sooner.”
Although they had first met in this imperial palace, he looked at her as if he had known Celiya for a very long time.
“…Did you know me from before?”
“Even if I’ve never seen you, I heard about you endlessly from my mother. How else would I know that your pet name is Asha?”
Celiya became a little afraid of Dietrich.
To know even her pet name from when she was a princess, just how much…
Celiya knew there was no use in denying it.
She had already lost the initiative at the point where the other party knew everything about her.
However, she could not end the conversation without any gain.
“Who are you, and who is your mother?”
Dietrich shook his head and answered.
“I told you. I’m from the Inata Duchy.”
“…What I want to know is your true identity. How much are you hiding from me?”
“Do you want to know?”
Dietrich asked in a joyful tone.
Celiya had never seen Dietrich look so happy before. Not knowing how to respond to this sight, Celiya nodded slightly.
At that, his usually expressionless face broke into a genuinely delighted smile.
Below his straight eyebrows, his eyes curved, and his stiff lips drew a gentle arc.
Even the moonlight seemed to lose its luster to that smile.
Celiya, for some reason, could not take her eyes off Dietrich’s brightly smiling face.
At the same time, she felt uneasy.
That if she came to know everything Dietrich was hiding, she would never be able to escape from the man before her.
It was a kind of intuition.
But more than that, Celiya wanted to know the truth.
Dietrich leaned towards Celiya.
“I’ll tell you who I am just once. Listen carefully.”
Soon, hot breath settled on Celiya’s ear.
“I am…”
______
In This Life, I Won’t Be Foolish To Lose You Again (Female-dominant)
When Shen Yuan encountered Su Jin again in his previous life, she had already become the Prime Minister of the current dynasty. As for him, the former top young master of the capital, he had long since fallen into the abyss, becoming a singer on a pleasure boat.
After a song ended, he was redeemed and sent to the Su Residence.
Su Jin respected and cherished him, gave him a roof over his head, and bestowed him with warmth. Shen Yuan fell deeper and deeper, but before he could express his feelings, Su Jin passed away.
Shen Yuan died to follow her in death, but instead, he returned to when he was fifteen years old.
At that time, he was not yet engaged, and Su Jin was just a poor scholar.
Shen Yuan gritted his teeth, casting aside all his pride, and thought of ways to coax and entice her every day.
The colder and more indifferent Su Jin was towards him, the more proactive Shen Yuan became.
He was not afraid of being mocked by the world, only wanting to marry his Wife-master early, to hold her hand and never let go for a lifetime.
[Note: This story will not specifically point out the male lead’s reincarnation time point; it’s all in the details. Whenever you feel that the male lead is acting strangely, he has most likely been reincarnated.]
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