Chapter 256. The Proof of Blood, Part XII

Translator: Khan Editor: Aelryinth

Dian pulled out the pillow that Regina’ head rested on. When her head was suddenly bent back, Regina opened her eyes with difficulty. She looked puzzled at Dian holding the pillow.

Dian covered Regina’s face with the pillow and pressed it down as hard as possible. There was no naïve, bright old Dian; she pushed down the pillow without shaking, even looking at Regina as she struggled to survive.

Oswald stepped into the Asta Palace with an urgent step. As he approached Killian’s office, he saw a familiar person. “Sir Albert, where is Mrs. Grayson?”

“His Majesty called her, and she went to the main castle.”

“How long has it been?”

“It’s been a while.”

Oswald turned right away when he heard the answer.

“What else happened?” Albert’s worried voice rose behind him, but there was no time to reply. As soon as he arrived at the main castle, he came across the Grand Chamberlain Crisver coming out of the waiting room.

“The Count of Crisver, do you happen to know where Countess Maribel Grayson is?”

“Your Excellency Marquis Oswald, did you not go to Vicern?”

Oswald answered urgently at the Grand Chamberlain response, “I was in a hurry to get back. Where is Mrs. Grayson?”

Count Crisver pointed to the waiting room he had just come out of. He was curious about what was going on, but when he saw the sweaty face of Marquis Oswald, who had always been elegant, neat, and relaxed, he had no choice but to retreat quietly.

Without knocking, Oswald opened the door to the waiting room Count Crisver had pointed out.

“Your Excellency the Marquis?” Maribel and Phoebe got up in surprise.

Marquis Oswald found only the two women in the wide waiting room, opened his mouth. “Regina appeared in the Vicern Temple. She insists that she is Princess Kiellini.”

“My God!” Phoebe closed her mouth with her hands before she could scream.

“What about the princess?” Even the bold Maribel could not hide her trembling voice this time.

“The princess said that she’d get the Proof of Blood again if I would bring Mrs. Raban. The ceremony will resume tomorrow. The problem is that the archbishop knows Regina, who came to be tested as an illegitimate child.”

Maribel thought that Julietta had an idea and would have said that she would get the Proof of Blood, but her eyes grew big again. “How the hell did Regina get to Vicern?”

“The maid that Sir Caden brought with him betrayed us. His Highness also suspects Sir Caden.”

Maribel shook her head to Oswald, who looked at her to see if it was true. “There was no sign of that at all. But I think it’s a good idea to make sure.”

It was a cool-headed remark, just like her. He didn’t have blood ties with her, but he was still a grandson. But if she felt that her grandson would threaten Julietta’s safety, she would cut the connection.

“I don’t believe it, either. Count Adam is down there, and he wouldn’t be unaware of Sir Caden’s change of mind. But I have to send a message.”

“Why would Dian do such a thing like a betrayal?” Phoebe exclaimed incredulously.

Oswald answered in an unseemly cold voice. “She came to Vicern with Regina, as if she was deceived by sweet talk, even though we promised to give her a social debut as Valerian’s cousin.”

Maribel put her hand to her forehead. As things had happened all at once, the child who she did not even have any doubts and pay much attention to had changed her mind, when there were not enough people to trust. That was why they shouldn’t trust people…

“We’ve already asked for an audience in the name of the lady of Kiellini. What should we do when we’re waiting for His Majesty to call us?”

The stupid girl blinded by greed had put everyone in danger.

“You can’t help it. Introduce Phoebe as a cousin of Count Valerian. You came to Austern with the lady of Kiellini, but she suddenly disappeared, and instead you came to deliver the Duke’s will.”

Maribel thought she would have to turn Phoebe into the lady Pauran, and would deliver the words of the Duke of Kiellini to the Emperor. However, considering the aristocracy’s mindset that even death should be noble, it was too strange for Duke Kiellini to commit suicide without saying a word to his daughter.

Now was the time and place to be fit. Phoebe would pretend to be a maid that Iris, the main line of descent, had sent to the illegitimate child Regina, and talk about what she had seen and heard next to her.

Phoebe’s face turned pale. She had barely mastered her role, but now she had to take on another one. When Phoebe inadvertently shook her head, Maribel grabbed strongly at Phoebe’s shoulders. “Phoebe, do you remember what I said to you, who came out of the theater after watching an opera?”

Phoebe’s frightened eyes met Maribel’s black eyes.

“I once said that I felt sorry when you hummed a song of the opera that you had heard once.”

Phoebe thought of what had happened then. She thought she was lucky to see a beautiful opera before she died. “Yes, I remember. You said I have a talent. I was very happy…”

“Yes, you have a talent. If I had met you in a different time, I would have made you Eileen’s star actress. So you have to believe in your talent. Do your best for your future.”

“My future?”

“Yes. If you can’t be a lady of Kiellini, you should be a cousin of Count Valerian. Dian was greedy for what you were getting, putting you, Julietta, and everyone involved in this at risk. She took away your guaranteed future. Are you just going to be stupid like this? Aren’t you angry?”

Phoebe recalled her past with Dian. “Why did she do that?”

Maribel spoke bitterly to Phoebe who murmured sadly, as if she had never wanted to believe. “A person can change. That’s why I don’t believe you, either.”

Phoebe’s frightened eyes looked up at Maribel.

“I’ll kick you out whenever I think you’re doing any harm to Julietta. Dian’s work made my belief that I would never trust anyone more certain. And if I can’t, His Highness won’t let you go.”

“Mrs. Maribel.”

“Call me Countess Grayson. Prove that you are useful. Show me that you are different from Dian, who returned the price I had saved from the brothel to me as a betrayal, unless you want to go back to the brothel.”

Oswald looked pitifully at Phoebe, who was frightened by mention of the brothel. But that was all.

Because of what Dian had done, Phoebe was also the subject of endless vigilance. From now on, they were forced to doubt her true intentions.

No one would doubt Julietta’s identity if she safely finished the Proof of Blood with Mrs. Raban tomorrow. Oswald knew Julietta would be able to do that.

The Duke of Dudley, who had raised suspicions about Princess Kiellini’s status, would face a thorough retribution as punishment for this incident. It was no longer important that he was Duke Dudley. The Prince would inquire thoroughly into the sin of disdaining his fiancée. It would be the same for the poison that they spread in the capital.

If so, there would be no one who could talk about Princess Kiellini’s status in the future. There was no need to use magic or overcompensate people to silence those who knew the secret. In a way, this case was an opportunity to silence people’s suspicions from the beginning. It was an opportunity to escape from the variables of Regina and Dian for the rest of their life.

So, Oswald did not want Phoebe to stay with them, nor did Maribel. Phoebe also appeared to be one of the dangers.

“It’s too much to send her back to the brothel if it fails. Let’s just finish by letting her go out. Of course, she won’t have any help or support.” He was still smiling kindly and well-mannered. However, his eyes were cold, unlike his soft mouth that stretched over his uniquely beautiful appearance.

Phoebe recalled her past life in the brothel, and when she was handed over to a man she didn’t know just because she got on a wagon. Her expression firmed up. “I never want to go through that.”

“You should not. I’ll tell you what to say when you’re called on by His Majesty.”

Phoebe listened to Maribel carefully. She had to regain the things that had been taken by Dian: her protected life, and her chance to live safely. Having experienced how cozy and happy it was, she would not return to the past!