Marquis Borneauās visit to the Grand Duchy will take place today.
I got dressed in a tidy black velvet dress as soon as I woke up in the morning. I waited for him to arrive while sitting on the couch in the drawing room.
It was the day of the showdown, so I ate a hearty breakfast.
Bonita, who is most preoccupied with my eating habits, advised me to eat moderately today, but for some reason I felt like I needed to eat well.
There must have been some misunderstanding, so if I communicate with Marquis Borneau clearly, the issue will be resolved.
Although Lucas spoke to me with affection, there was a hint of anger in his tone.
It doesnāt follow that I am one of the culprits just because the offender pointed the finger at me.
There must be something else that cannot be ignored, so he requested permission to visit the Grand Duchy.
Lucas did not appear to be happy that he had written such a letter, and he expressed skepticism toward me, the Grand Dukeās daughter and Astinaās closest friend.
In fact, when I found out that I was being held responsible for the crime, I went back to my room and gave it some serious thought.
Whoever it was, he was obviously trying to get me into trouble.
I suddenly thought of the man I met on my birthday who referred to himself as the God of the underworld.
Maybe that crazy guy has something to do with it. He could have ordered the kidnapping of Astina by pretending to be me.
How cheap is the god of the underworld to frame me this way? What made him do that?
Are you trying to abduct Astina in order to alienate me from my friends because it will be difficult to approach me in the future due to the protective magic of Grand Duke Estin and Rexās bracelet?
Bang!
In a fit of rage, I kicked the bed when I had that in mind. Heās determined to twist my entire life.
āUgh, it hurts.ā
I knelt down and used my hands to massage my feet. I cried because the pain was so intense.
I know why my foot hurts. But Iām not sure how to handle this rage.
I climbed into bed and began slapping my pillow.
Pak!
To me.
Pak!
Why are you doing this?
Pak!
I want to live a quiet life!
Soon, as my stamina began to wane, I collapsed on the bed, holding the pillow I was striking in my arms. I just stared blankly at the chandelier in the room.
Why? How? What reason? What do you want? What is Astina doing right now? Is Astina aware that Iām being framed? Does she think thatās true?
I had a lot of unanswered questions. And at the end of the question markā¦ā¦.
āI trust you, donāt worry.ā
There were the words from Grand Duke Estin. I shot out of bed, flung open the door, and left.
I went straight to Grand Duke Estinās office and knocked on the door. I wonder if heās here?
I was anxious as I knocked, but thankfully, I heard Grand Duke Estinās voice granting permission to enter.
Grand Duke Estin appeared quite surprised when I opened the door and entered, as if he had never anticipated my visit.
āLucas was supposed to come.ā
āItās not me.ā
Grand Duke Estinās eyebrows shot up at my abrupt words.
āYou said you would trust me. Really, I didnāt.ā
How can I do that when Astina is my favorite friend and I am aware of how terrifying kidnapping is?
I had a lot I wanted to say, but I kept it short.
Possibly understanding what I was trying to say, Grand Duke Estin relaxed his expression and smiled. The smile gave me relief.
āYes, I do.ā
Grand Duke Estin reassured me and led me to the bedroom where I quickly prepared for bed. I had a hard time falling asleep that day.
My feet will only get hurt if I kick the bed, and my energy will be depleted if I hit the pillow. Nothing has been resolved.
Therefore, I have no choice but to break through if I want to find a solution.
I therefore informed Grand Duke Estin the moment I awoke the following morning that I would like to attend the meeting with Marquis Borneau when he arrived.
Iām not sure what proof youāre going to present, but I just wanted to say that itās not me. This is a false accusation.
Iām currently waiting for a confrontation with him while sitting in this drawing room with Grand Duke Estin and Lucas.
I shook my head when Lucas said he would listen to their conversation and report it to me later. I needed to hear it for myself.
āMarquis Borneau has arrived.ā
The arrival of the Marquis Borneau was announced by Alberto. Finally, youāre here. I got up slowly from my seat.
Actually, this is the first time Iāve ever seen Marquis Borneau. I was a little curious in the meantime.
Alberto entered the drawing room, followed by a blonde middle-aged man.
Like Astina and Yohan, it was a man with blond hair. The gentle impression was strikingly similar to Yohan. That is also a life spoiler.
āIām Lawrence Bourne.ā
āNice to see you.ā
Actually, I expected the Marquis of Borneau to approach me and ask why I had kidnapped his child as soon as he arrived. I knew how to argue.
But he surprisingly gave Grand Duke Estin a calm greeting.
Even though he was a little bit shorter than Grand Duke Estin, he was still quite tall. He turned to look at me while I was just staring blankly at him.
He gave me an icy look as he regarded me. The chilly air made his already icy stare even icier.
I shivered, but eventually I regained my composure.
Yes, he believes I am the perpetrator. There is no chance that I will receive a welcoming glance. I eventually sat down without greeting Marquis Borneau.
Only myself, Lucas, Marquis Borneau, and Grand Duke Estin were present in the drawing room. Bonita carefully pulled out of the tray.
I drank tea to relax. My body appeared to feel a little calmer thanks to the chamomileās enticing aroma.
Grand Duke Estin was the one to break the awkward silence and speak first.
āIām glad you caught the culprit.ā
The Marquis of Borneau put down his tea. āYes, but itās not entirely resolved.ā
Since we had earlier made eye contact, Marquis Borneau appeared to be purposely avoiding my gaze.
I also made an effort not to run from his icy gaze, even when it returned.
I donāt need to turn my head to appear innocent.
āYes, the culprit is my daughter.ā
Without digressing, Grand Duke Estin immediately raised the main issue.
Marquis Borneau let out a long sigh.
āItās not that Iām saying it, but thatās what the perpetrator admitted to me.ā
āHmmā¦ā
āPardon my rudeness, but shouldnāt we definitely talk about what to do? As a father, Iām not comfortable doubting Grand Princess Mary, who is the same age as my daughter.ā
āOh, I understand. Yes, I know how difficult it is for the marquis, and I want to do everything in my power to assist in revealing the truth.ā
āThank you for thinking that way.ā
However, you must bear this in mind. My daughter must be hurt right now because she is being held responsible as the main culprit. The Grand Duchy of Conler will become an enemy of the Marquisate of Borneau if it turns out that my child is not the culprit.ā
Grand Duke Estin had a soft but distinct voice. The Marquis of Bourne briefly hesitated in response to the harsh words.
In the midst of it, I was moved. I canāt believe Grand Duke Estin spoke up for me with such authority.
You genuinely believe me. For fear of crying, I lowered my head.
āPlease be understanding; Iām also here for my daughter.ā
āI came here with that much determination, and as I said before, I also think itās absurd to think of the Grand Princess as the culprit. Also, as I wrote in the letter, the reason why I came here like this is not because I necessarily claim the lady is the real culprit, but because I wanted to check a few things.ā
After pausing to think, Marquis Borneau continued speaking as though he had made up his mind.
Grand Duke Estin nodded. However, his expression remained icy.
āA young boy named Brian was the culprit.ā
āWhat? Brian?ā
Why is his name being mentioned here?
Everyone in the drawing room turned to look at me as I spoke without realizing it and covered my mouth with my hand.
Because the culprit was revealed to be such an unexpected person, I was unable to conceal my surprise.
Astina was actually abducted by Brian, who claimed that I had given the order for him to do so.
Ha.
I couldnāt help but laugh.
āI know Brian didnāt get along well with my child.ā
As if he knew Brian only loosely, Grand Duke Estin added with a frown.
āTo put it bluntly, our Miss Mary and Brian didnāt get along well. It doesnāt make sense for those two to conspire. Given that, you should also consider the possibility that Brian purposely framed Miss Mary.ā
āOh, Astina said a similar thing.ā
Marquis Borneau nodded in agreement with Lucasā courteous assertion.
āAlthough I wanted to, the likelihood was not as great as I had hoped.ā
Following his declaration, Marquis Borneau pulled something from his bag and held it out.
I instantly recognized it and froze. I should retract my earlier statement that I was too shocked to hide my response.
Instead, there is no sound emanating if you are too surprised. My heart was pounding explosively.
āBrian claimed to have received it as collateral.ā
A dagger I believed I had lost was brought up by Marquis Borneau.