Episode 130
Elonia, along with Ethan and Ricardo, arrived at the Luneus dukal estate in the capital.
The Luneus family’s elderly butler greeted them with elaborate courtesy.
“It’s an honor to have you, Your Highness. I trust your journey was pleasant?”
“Yes, it was.”
“Excellent. Please follow me.”
Elonia, followed by her two knights, observed the estate as they walked.
‘I heard the Luneus Duchy was reclusive, but perhaps it’s different for their estate in the capital.’
It felt surprisingly open and welcoming. The abundance of plants and greenery gave it a natural, almost serene atmosphere, rather than a reclusive one.
Ethan and Ricardo, walking behind her, whispered amongst themselves.
“Her Highness definitely prefers bright hair.”
“Don’t be ridiculous. She denied it.”
“Then does she prefer the melancholic type?”
Elonia, too tired to scold them, ignored their whispers, especially since she could feel Ethan elbowing Ricardo in the ribs.
The butler stopped walking.
“We’ve arrived.”
He opened the door to the drawing-room, and Duchess Luneus, her face wrinkled with age, greeted Elonia warmly.
“May Ravanta’s infinite glory be with you. I’m honored by your presence, Your Highness.”
She resembled Caroline, her supposed sister. Elonia, feeling a pang of nostalgia for her academy days, despite having just graduated, softened her tone.
“The honor is mine, Duchess.”
They sat down at the table, facing each other.
“How is His Majesty?”
“He’s well, thanks to your concern.”
They exchanged a few more pleasantries, and then, after the tea had cooled slightly, Elonia got straight to the point.
“So, what’s happening in your duchy?”
Duchess Luneus, her hand freezing mid-air as she was about to take a sip of tea, blinked in surprise. Elonia thought,
‘She’s just like Caroline, pretending to be clueless.’
It was a topic that had to be discussed, but the atmosphere was strangely stifling.
Elonia, holding up the invitation, pressed on,
“Isn’t it a problem that even Young Master Luneus couldn’t solve?”
“…”
“I’ll ask why you contacted me directly, instead of going through His Majesty, after I hear your explanation.”
Elonia crossed her legs and leaned back in her chair, her posture conveying a sense of authority.
Duchess Luneus, her gaze dropping, finally answered,
“Yes, Your Highness. I apologize for my earlier evasiveness.”
She fidgeted, her hands clasped together, as if choosing her words carefully, then finally spoke,
“As you know, House Luneus isn’t known for its ambition.”
Elonia nodded. It was mentioned in the report Garnethia had given her.
Duchess Luneus continued, her voice soft and measured,
“My duchy is the same. They dislike change, just like any other rural community. But a few years ago, things started changing. People started flocking to my duchy.”
“…Isn’t that a good thing?”
It had been, at first.
Duchess Luneus hadn’t been pleased by the sudden influx of people, but the residents of her duchy had been happy, so she hadn’t interfered. But then, things had taken a dark turn.
“They became increasingly violent. Well, not everyone. Some became excessively withdrawn.”
There had been a wave of suicides in some areas, and violent clashes in others.
The entire duchy had become a breeding ground for crime and despair.
“I can assure you, my governance wasn’t the cause.”
“Then what was?”
Duchess Luneus held out a small vial.
It was a small ampoule filled with a clear liquid.
“What’s this?”
“…A traveling merchant brought it to my duchy. He called it a potion of luck. We investigated, and it seems to amplify the strongest negative emotion within a person.”
A potion of luck.
It reminded Elonia of Tristan’s prayer altars.
This wasn’t a coincidence. It was a holy tool.
A chill ran down her spine. She leaned forward, her voice urgent.
“Did you confiscate them?”
“We confiscated every vial we could find. It hasn’t been seen in my duchy for a while now. But we couldn’t find a way to reverse its effects.”
It was an improvement, or rather, a more insidious method, than the prayer altars.
The potion was single-use, but its effects were permanent. And unlike the prayer altars, which only amplified hope and faith, this potion could lead to death.
Elonia picked up the ampoule.
“Did you drink this?”
“…I don’t remember drinking it, but it might have been mixed into my food.”
And it didn’t have an immediate effect. Human emotions were fickle. You never knew when a negative emotion would consume you.
Elonia opened the vial and sniffed it, but there was no smell. It was probably odorless as well.
It was a colorless, odorless poison.
‘If this spreads to the capital…’
A disaster that had devastated an entire duchy could easily destroy the capital.
This wasn’t something she could handle on her own. She had to inform Artius immediately.
“Why didn’t you report this to His Majesty? Why contact me directly?”
Duchess Luneus, after a brief pause, replied,
“I initially tried to handle it myself. I didn’t want to cause a commotion. But there was no sign of improvement, and Cielun, before the debutante ball, advised me to contact you, Your Highness.”
She didn’t seem to be lying, but it was strange.
She had been so reluctant to cause a commotion, and yet, she had contacted Elonia based on her adopted son’s advice?
Elonia frowned and asked,
“I couldn’t find any information about Cielun Luneus’s past. Do you trust him?”
Duchess Luneus knew why Elonia was suspicious.
She had never shown any interest in adopting an heir, and then she had suddenly adopted Cielun.
An adult, sickly commoner with no special abilities and a mysterious past.
But she knew Cielun’s desperation.
“Cielun could have died during that riot three years ago. But he clung to life.”
Duchess Luneus fidgeted with her sleeve, as if remembering that day.
“He grabbed my sleeve, his eyes filled with a desperate plea. I couldn’t abandon him.”
“…So you listened to his advice, a boy clinging to life? I understand the adoption, but not this.”
Elonia murmured.
Duchess Luneus was surprised.
She had thought Elonia only resembled Artius in her eye color, but she could now see that she was truly his daughter, even without the physical resemblance.
Was it because of blood ties? Or was it because of the years they had spent together? Elonia hadn’t been like this when she was younger, so it must be the latter.
Duchess Luneus, a faint smile touching her lips, revealed something she had been keeping to herself.
“I found Count Rossi and his daughter. They seemed happy.”
Elonia’s heart sank.
Count Rossi and Noah had been declared bankrupt five years ago, after being charged with tax evasion and forced to pay a hefty fine.
But it had been a facade. They were living a quiet life, just outside Elonia’s reach.
“After my duchy was attacked by this suspicious potion, I realized that the tax evasion charge must have been a cover-up. They must have been involved in something similar. And yet, they’re still alive, thanks to your kindness, Your Highness.”
Duchess Luneus looked up at Elonia, her blue eyes, just like Caroline’s, fixed on her.
“I wouldn’t dare underestimate you, Your Highness. But His Majesty isn’t a compassionate man. You have the kindness he lacks.”
“…”
“Cielun might not be my biological son, and I haven’t known him for long, but I can guarantee, on my family’s name, that he’s innocent. And he’s also a victim, just like the other residents of my duchy. If I reported this to His Majesty and was executed for treason, there would be no one to care for him. He would cling to me, just like he did that day…”
Duchess Luneus smiled sadly.
“I don’t want anyone else in my duchy to get hurt.”
“…”
It was the answer Elonia had been dreading.
She couldn’t be harsh towards someone who was trying to protect others. It was her weakness.
Elonia uncrossed her legs, her posture relaxing slightly.
“You’ll have to face His Majesty’s wrath for hiding this information.”
“I’m prepared for that.”
Duchess Luneus replied instantly. Elonia, glancing out the window, then turned back to her, her voice serious.
“I should have asked this sooner. How is Young Master Luneus’s health?”
Duchess Luneus fidgeted with her teacup.
“I’m afraid he’s still bedridden. He’s been sleeping constantly. I apologize that you couldn’t speak with him, Your Highness.”
“Did he overexert himself at the debutante ball?”
“Yes. He wasn’t well enough to attend, but he insisted. He’s refusing treatment from the Temple, so it’s a miracle he hasn’t collapsed yet.”
“…I see.”
She was glad she had sent him a letter beforehand.
Elonia, having no further questions, and a sudden sense of urgency gripping her, stood up. Duchess Luneus also stood up and knelt before her.
“Your Highness, I apologize again for my disrespectful behavior.”
“…”
Elonia, looking down at her, thought,
Even with Cielun’s advice and her own observations, Duchess Luneus had probably contacted her because she found Elonia more approachable than Artius.
But if she had known about the potion sooner, some lives could have been saved.
What was the difference between a lenient emperor and a wise ruler?
Elonia was starting to understand why Artius had chosen to be a tyrant.
“Your Highness, how did it go?”
“Did she say anything suspicious?”
Ethan and Ricardo, as soon as they emerged from Duchess Luneus’s office, bombarded her with questions. Elonia couldn’t help but chuckle.
“You worry too much. It wasn’t suspicious, but I’ll be reporting this to Dad, so don’t even think about tattling.”
Ricardo and Ethan, silenced by her stern warning, nodded reluctantly.
“Let’s go.”
Elonia turned to leave. There was no point in staying any longer. She wouldn’t be able to see Lucius, or whoever he was pretending to be.
But Ethan, her voice filled with concern, asked,
“What about the person you were supposed to meet, Your Highness?”
“I’ll contact them through my communication device on the way back. They’re busy, so they weren’t sure if they could make it today…”
Elonia stopped mid-sentence.
She had spotted an unexpected figure.
“Young Master Lu…neus?”
She almost called him by the wrong name.
Cielun Luneus was approaching them.
He was dressed in his nightclothes, a robe hastily thrown over them, his face pale and drawn, the eye patch still in place.
He had looked so composed at the debutante ball, but now, he looked like he was on the verge of collapsing.
“Your Highness.”
He bowed his head, seemingly oblivious to his disheveled appearance.
Elonia felt like she had summoned him, even though it was she who had been summoned.
“Young Master Luneus, what can I do for you?”
“It would be impolite not to greet you, Your Highness, since you’ve come all this way.”
He was trying to be polite, but his pale complexion betrayed his true state. Elonia, her voice cold and sharp, said,
“It’s also impolite to force a sick person to greet you. It would be disrespectful of me to worsen your condition.”
Cielun looked slightly surprised, then, after a moment of hesitation, bowed his head.
“My apologies. Then I’ll take my leave… Ah.”
As expected, he stumbled, his body swaying precariously.
Elonia reacted instinctively.
“Careful…!”
A familiar, cool scent, like winter wind, filled the air.
She caught him, but his larger frame made him slump against her, his weight pressing against her.
“…”
“…”
An awkward silence hung in the air.
Ethan and Ricardo also covered their mouths, stifling their gasps of surprise.
Elonia, flustered by his closeness, his body much larger than she remembered, blurted out,
“…I’ll take you to your room.”
It was a ridiculous offer, considering the circumstances.