"Speak slowly, Duchess."
I squeezed her hand as I spoke in a soothing voice. The duchess looked at me, her wide eyes laced with pain.
"He won't go to trial, Your Majesty."
"No trial?"
"The viscount's case won't go to the chief judge."
The chief judge was one of the duchess' advocates. If he had secretly told the duchess, it was likely that it was true.
"Why? Ah, is it because Miss Rashta is pregnant?"
The duchess bit her lip and nodded.
"Yes. I believe the Emperor will not charge Viscount Langdel for attempted murder of that woman, but for the near death of a royal baby."
In that event, execution was the indisputable outcome for Viscount Langdel. Sovieshu would want it to happen either way. If the case went to the chief judge, Sovieshu would be worried what Viscount Langdel would say at an open court.
"I've heard that after he stabbed 'that woman,' he was yelling."
"Yes."
"Viscount Langdel..."
The duchess took a deep breath and looked at me with earnest eyes.
"Viscount Langdel is an upright young man. He wouldn't do this for no reason."
"..."
"I know. Even if he had a reason, he shouldn't stab someone. But at least try get him a trial. That way, he can defend himself...!"
A tear escaped Duchess Tuania's eye and slipped down her cheek. It must be painful that a man who defended her honor was now under threat of execution. In the past, Duke Tuania's brother had taken his own life because of his love for Duchess Tuania. She never let herself show it, but the incident may have been traumatic for her.
"I was considering talking to him myself."
I rubbed her back and waited until she calmed down a little, and Duchess Tuania looked up at me with rounded eyes.
"Will you?"
I nodded in affirmation.
"I have my own suspicions as well."
"You mean...?"
"I suspected Miss Rashta was trying to discredit you."
"Then is the rumor true?"
"I will find out more myself."
Duchess Tuania tightened her fists.
"Right now, the Emperor is away. I don't think he'll send Viscount Langdel to trial, but don't worry, I'll visit the viscount. "
"Thank you. Thank you, Your Majesty."
The duchess inhaled deeply. I gave her my handkerchief, but she simply took it in her hand and did not wipe her tears. After a long moment, she folded it up and asked, "Can I have it?"
Why a handkerchief?
"Yes."
Despite my puzzlement, I agreed. The duchess put the handkerchief away and breathed a heavy sigh. Her next words gave some me clarification.
"However it works out for Viscount Langdel...I will repay this act of kindness to you someday."
"Kindness? Don't say that. It's not enough to be called a kindness."
"You reached out your hand to me in my most difficult time. That is kindness."
The duchess stared at me for a moment.
"Can I hug you once?"
I nodded, and she leaned over and wrapped her arms around me, rubbing my back as if to console me. She then pulled away. I looked at her questioningly, but she simply smiled and stood up.
Without explaining, Duchess Tuania bowed gracefully and left the room.
*
*
*
The next day.
I sent one of my knights to look into Viscount Langdel's status. The knight returned earlier than expected, right before noon time.
"Viscount Langdel's interrogation is over, and the Emperor has made a decision, Your Majesty."
"What is it?"
"He will be sentenced to death."
'Will that reallly happen...'
"Thank you for letting me know."
I left my office and headed straight to the prison where Viscount Langdel was being held. The guards looked surprised to see me, but they did not obstruct me from entering. Sovieshu must not have ordered them otherwise.
There were six rooms on the first floor of the prison where nobles were held, five of which were empty. I went to the only cell that was occupied. Although there were bars, the cell itself was furnished like an ordinary civilian room.
Viscount Langdel was seated with his head in his hands, and he weakly lifted his head up as he heard my approaching footsteps. His eyes widened in surprise, and when he tried to stand up, he teetered and stumbled onto the bars. As my eyes adjusted to the dark, I noticed that his face was bruised and blood trickled from his split lips.
"I'm sorry, Your Majesty. I should bow, but my legs won't cooperate."
"It's fine. You don't have to bow."
I remembered when he once looked as happy as a child when he was chosen by the duchess at the New Year's ball. Now he was in a dark jail cell, a bruised and broken man.
'But why is he smiling?'
My question was soon answered.
"Is everyone talking about what that woman did to the duchess now?"
"!"
Viscount Langdel mumbled through his broken lips.
"I shouted. Everyone knows, I screamed loud."
"..."
"It was stupid, now that I think of it. I should have confirmed the information I found, instead of visiting that woman first. I was too quick to end it..."
So that was why he yelled at Rashta as he was being held down by Duke Elgy.
Viscount Langdel leaned weakly against the wall, a self-mocking smile on his face. After a moment's consideration, I told him the truth.
"No one is talking about it. The matter is buried."
Viscount Langdel pulled back in surprise, his eyes wide.
"Buried? What that woman did is buried?"
"It was forgotten when it was discovered that Rashta is pregnant."
"Then...haaa. Pregnant? Pregnant. It can't be."
Viscount Langdel clenched his fingers in his hair as if to tear it out. He still had a smile on his face. He wasn't there when everyone heard about Rashta's pregnancy, and Sovieshu didn't seem to have mentioned it to him either.
"Viscount. You will be executed without trial."
Viscount Langdel clenched his teeth as if he hadn't known that either. He put his hands around his head, and made a pained sound and started muttering incoherently. I leaned down to his level, but he was in too much agony to notice me.
"Viscount. Look at me."
He turned to me at my voice, but his eyes were unseeing. I drew his attention by hitting the bars with my fingers.
"Viscount. Look at me."
His eyes finally focused on me.
"I wouldn't tell you this if you were going to die."
"!"
"Do you understand what I mean?"
"Is there a way to save me?"
"There is."
"How...?"
As soon as he asked the question, he answered it himself.
"Are you going to afford me one of your three immunity privileges?"
"It's similar."
"But Your Majesty...the Emperor is accusing me of almost killing a royal family member. Immunity cannot be used for crimes against the Imperial Household."
"That is my problem."
"!"
"All you have to do is tell me exactly what happened."
"...I have already told the Emperor, but to no avail."
Viscount Langdel weakly lifted the corners of his mouth.
"He will punish me, no matter what evidence I show. To him, that woman is more important to him than the duchess."
I tapped the iron bars again.
"Tell me everything first."
"..."
"As I followed the rumors about the duchess, I ended up at a village near the church where Lord Marian committed suicide."
He must have been determined to hunt it down all that way.
"They were talking about the duchess and Lord Marian at a bar. I traced the story back to people who first spoke those rumors."
His expression twisted.
"They all said the same thing. A noblewoman dressed in certain clothes looked a certain way and, at a certain time, visited someone. It was strange. Everyone said the exact same thing, when real truth can sometimes change when passed through several people's mouths. Besides, didn't it happen long ago?"
"Yes."
"I intentionally trapped the question, and asked the same question to everyone separately. As expected, once they broke off from the prepared answer, they were unable to match responses."
Someone must have given them money to rekindle the rumors.
"But that wasn't enough to tell me who did it. I didn't even think that woman was the culprit at the time."
His eyes shone fiercely.
"So I brought pictures of those who were recently active in society, and asked the people to point their finger to who paid them. I had them pick out the pictures separately, with the assumption they would all cover for the same person. There was only one picture that was not chosen."
Rashta would not have been in the lineup, as she had been in the palace this whole time.
"It was Viscount Roteschu."
Viscount Langdel seemed unable to suppress his hatred.
"That woman was the one who instructed him to spread those rumors."
"Why did you think it was Rashta?"
"Viscount Roteschu didn't even have a place in society until he became entangled with that woman. First he insults her, then he goes around praising her. Then the poor lord goes around spending lots of money."
"Did you tell any of this to the Emperor?"
"Yes. It didn't work."
"Did you investigate this by yourself? Do you have any reports?"
"Yes, I do."
"Where is it?"
"My study desk...it's just inside the drawer."
After a pause, I went outside and called Sir Artina.
"Go to Viscount Langdel's mansion and find an investigation report. It's in the drawer of his study. Immediately."
After Sir Artina left, I returned to Viscount Langdel's cell. He looked at me questioningly.
"Why the report?"
"I think I can use it to save you."
He didn't seem to fully process my words at first, but then his eyes filled with tears.
"Thank you."
"Duchess Tuania was the one who asked me to save you."
A look of surprise flitted across his face before he began to cry.
"How is she?"
"..."
"Is she not upset because of me?"
The viscount truly seemed to love the duchess. Looking more miserable than before, he put his forehead on his knee and sniffed. To love a woman even when his life was at stake...
His actions against Rashta were far from chivalrous, but his feelings towards Duchess Tuania were strong.
"You are not entirely innocent."
Viscount Langdel took his head off his knee and looked at me.
"I can change your punishment into exile."
"You're saying—"
"Yes."
"!"
"Tell me if you have anything to pack. I'll inform your butler."
*
*
*
When I returned to my room, I wrote down the list of items Viscount Langdel requested. I then summoned a lady-in-waiting close to Duchess Tuania, and ordered her to go to Viscount Langdel's mansion and deliver my note to the butler. Not long after the lady-in-waiting left, Sir Artina returned.
"While I was collecting the documents, I saw the palace investigators on horseback."
"Did you run into them?"
"I stayed away just in case."
Sovieshu would try to bury the results of Langdel's investigation.
"Well done."
I took the report from Sir Artina and skimmed it. It was as the viscount said, with the exception of one section.
'Did Viscount Roteschu receive the Red Flame Star from Rashta and sell it to the auction house?'
Viscount Langdel cited the ring as proof that Viscount Roteschu was connected to Rashta....
'How did he know?'
A ring with a red jewel. Not many people knew that it belonged to the Emperor, fewer still that he gave it to Rashta. Even I didn't know until Sovieshu asked me about the Desert Flower Ring. But how did Viscount Langdel know about this?
'No, it's not important right now.'
Right now, I had to deal with Viscount Langdel's fate. I stowed the report in a secret drawer in my desk and headed to the central palace. I went to Sovieshu's office instead of my own. He was studying his papers with a thoughtful expression, when he looked up at me in surprise.
"Empress? What happened?"
Sovieshu didn't seem to know about my visit to Viscount Langdel yet.
"Well."
"What's going on?"
"It's about Viscount Langdel."
"...The Empress should not interfere."
"Change his punishment from execution to exile."
"I said do not interfere."
Sovieshu spoke in a firm tone and waved his hand as if he found the conversation annoying.
"If that's what you're here to talk about, leave."
"Your Majesty."
"There are many reasons for me to be upset right now, but Rashta is pregnant. Viscount Langdel may not have intended it, but he almost killed my baby."
"Doesn't it matter why he did it?"
"No. His reasons don't matter to me, only that my baby almost died."
He pointed his finger at the door.
"So if you're here to fight, get out."
"Then I suppose I'll have to handle the results of Viscount Langdel's investigation myself."
I turned around and took a few steps towards the door, when Sovieshu stopped me.
"Wait. What do you mean, handle the results of the investigation yourself?"
"The reason he stabbed Miss Rashta. The case of the false rumors about Duchess Tuania."
"What?"
"An incident separate from your baby's near death."