"Duchess, I bring the guard on duty last night."
Ophelia entered with a guard behind her. Jane glanced at her.
After Princess Ellena's tea party, she instruction Ophelia to tell her about last night's incident. Emotions and curiosity are uncontrollable. She found it incomprehensible that her younger brother was a party to this incident.
There were never any problems between their family and the Duke or Duchess's. Never.
Then how come her younger brother attacked the Duchess?
"Come in," Jane called out.
"Tell me everything," she demanded further. "What happened to the crime of last night's incident? Ophelia said, you brought her out right away when she was caught."
"Duchess, that's correct. After caught 'him', we immediately brought him right away to the magic tower," the guard said.
"What the Duke did. Did he give instruction it?"
The magic tower is a holy place. Prisoners who want to flee are unable to breach it quickly. It was a place for rebels, high-class criminals, prisoners and people who would be executed hanging.
Such a significant could matter just only be decided the duke.
Even to someone who planned to kill her, the charitable Duchess Irina couldn't possibly impose such a severe penalty.
'Duchess Irina Theodora is famous for her kindness. Like a Saintess'
The guard was silent for a moment. He saw Ophelia.
"What's wrong?" Jane asked, confused. She saw Ophelia and the guard were hiding something.
"Duchess, I'm sorry but Duke didn't know about this until this morning," Ophelia explained.
The guard confirmed by nodding, "Duchess, that's correct. Only this morning did news of the incident from last night reach the duke's place in southern region. "
"How is that possible? Even Princess Ellena was aware knew about it."
"Duchess, that happened because 'Her Royal Highness' found out about it from 'The Honorable Edric,' who was assisting in arrange up permission to put prisoners in the magic tower, " Ophelia explained.
"Edic Evander?"
Ophelia gave a nod, "And also one who gave the punishment to 'traitor' was yourself, 'Your Grace."
'Impossible.'
Jane ceased speaking. She clenched her fists together to keep from shouting in front of her maid because she felt like her chest was being squeezed.
Today brought on far too many surprises. Her younger brother, the Duke's family and her fiancé- Edric, gave her headaches.
Jane took a deep breath. She saw the guard.
"You may leave," she commanded.
Ophelia was left in the same room as her when the bodyguard left.
"Duchess, I brought you the report on the magic tower as you instructions," she muttered. Ophelia continued. "There are three families who have been sentenced to death tomorrow afternoon. The Baron Carters are one of them. They will be exterminated along with the rest of his family. Including Mr. Paul Carter, who was involved in last night's incident. "
"What about Viscount Evander's family?"
There are relationships between Edric's family and her.
"Lord Evander? What does the Duchess mean?"
"The daughter of Baron Carter is engaged to Edric Evander. They are distantly related as well. Were they also accused of being rebels?"
"Naturally not, Duchess," Ophelia stumbled to find the right phrase.
"Edric Evander is Duke Isaac Theodora's right-hand man, and the Viscount Evander family is one of Duke Theodora's retainers."
Jane is shocked. There was a great burden that suddenly fell on her when she found out that fact.
She didn't know that Edric was the Duke's right-hand man.
Her younger brother's attack on the Duke's family and her family's subsequent conviction as rebels were both mysteries to her.
She knew her father, her family, and even her younger brother.
They could not have been a part in the rebellion or the murder of the royal family. What happened? Did Edric betray her? Was he the one who framed her family with the rebellion case? But why? They weren't strong people; their families were even poor, not well-known nobles.
*****
It was windless, overcast, and black outside. Jane had a black dress on, and her face was partially hidden a lace fascinator.
"Duchess, we can retreat to behind if you don't want to look at it too closely," Ophelia whispered.
They were in the line of people who wanted to witness hanging of rebels in the town square.
Jane held her hand tightly. Her body was sweating nervously. The place was crowded, she could hear the chatter of people. Jane was unable to move, but she could make out the gallows that looked just like the nightmare she experienced the night before.
"Duchess, are we-"
"No. I want a close-up look at it."
'Witnessing the death that was previously about to happen to her.'
"I understand, Your Grace. "
Ophelia didn't speak anymore. They watched as the prisoners were executed at the gallows one by one.
Jane could still breathe calmly until Certer's boron figure rose to the execution location. Her chest ached and felt constricted. Her hands were trembling erratically. She couldn't do anything.
Her father, Baron Certer was not executed on the gallows but was stoned with a sharp sword.
Jane sitting on the ground and saw to execution floor with her father's severed head and nearly screamed as blood spurted out.
Jane had her mouth covered. Her head felt abruptly lightheaded. That horrific execution's shadow always surfaced.
"Duchess!!"
"Duchess!!"
Ophelia screamed several times. She panicked. Jane glanced at her. The people who had been silent while watching the execution were now running. All of suddenly chaos had taken over. Near the location of execution, a sizable fire could be observed.
Jane couldn't think. It was like being thrown into the ocean. Her eyes grew darkened, and she started to perspire icily.
"Is this death?"
"Duchess, wake up. Our have to get out of here. At the location where the prisoners were being moved, a large fire started. Most likely, several of them got away."
Jane couldn't hear clearly. But she understood that rest of the prisoners who had not been executed were likely to have escaped during the fire.
'Is her younger brother fleeing at the moment as well? She sincerely hopes that she would be able to make up her sin for leaving her own family.'
Jane was exhausted. She was unable to hear any more sounds, but she vaguely caught a glimpse of a man catching her as she nearly fell to the ground.
'Duke... '
To Be Continued...