[Chapter 130] Noura Juseta's betrayal

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I pulled the box towards me, ignoring her protest.

"No!"

And I opened the box.

A strong herbal scent that numbed my nose.

It was a very familiar scent to me.

Slap!

I closed the box irritably and pushed it away.

Noura looked dumbfounded as if I had pushed her instead of the box, and then she sank into the sofa with a look of ten years' worth of anxiety.

"You know something, don't you, Lady Noura?"

"Please, please don't ask me anything. Madam."

Noura mumbled, burying her face in her hands.

Her pale face looked even paler, with veins bulging on her withered hands.

"If you don't tell me, I can only think that Her Highness the Crown Princess and Lady Noura conspired to kill me."

Noura's horrified eyes widened through the gap between her hands.

"Oh my God, oh my God! Why am I involved in something like this...?"

"This isn't the first time Doris has asked you to do things like this, is it? Things like delivering these gifts. Haven't you been doing a lot of strange things lately?"

A clear fear appeared in Noura's eyes.

She shook her head as if she couldn't believe my lips saying Doris's name so freely.

Soon, she couldn't stand it anymore and jumped up from her seat.

"I, I did everything I was told, so I'm going. Thank you for your offer to take a bath, but I'm a busy person. I can't stay like this forever. Please understand that. And don't ask me anymore. Just do as I told you. It's advice for your own good!"

I squinted my eyes and watched her put on the shawl she had taken off.

When I didn't say anything, she seemed uneasy and glanced at me, then she bit her lip and headed for the front door.

We hadn't even walked twenty steps in the rather narrow mansion when she suddenly stopped.

"Oh dear, it seems I have a prior engagement."

Just in time, a dark figure appeared at the entrance.

I slowly got up and walked behind Noura.

"Long time no see, Countess Juseta. How's your jewelry business going?"

A tall old woman with elegant white hair swept back strode forward.

The noblewoman, who seemed almost holy, as if she had spent a long time in the temple, looked down at Noura with eyes that were clearly those of a great beauty in her youth.

Her sky-blue eyes, the same color as Vincenzo's, moved past Noura and onto me, who was standing behind her.

I quickly confirmed that Vincenzo was following behind me and immediately realized who the charismatic old woman in front of me was.

She was Countess Canula Winster, Roaldness's grandmother and the inheritor of her husband's title through the law of succession for wives.

Then, I noticed the Winster family crest brooch on her military jacket.

Noura must have realized it as well, because she bowed as quickly as I did.

As I lowered my gaze, I saw the long cane she was leaning on.

The cane, adorned with sparkling jewels, seemed to assist her somewhat slow steps despite her confident posture.

"You must be Count Acacia, the master of this mansion. Contrary to the rumors of being a seductive vixen, you're cuter than I expected."

"Grandmother, there's no need to say such things when you're an uninvited guest who didn't even contact me in advance."

"Vincenzo, didn't I tell you not to call me grandmother outside? Because of you, I can hear my honor as a Countess being tarnished."

Vincenzo escorted Canula silently.

Canula passed Noura and Adrienne and sat on the sofa as naturally as if it were her own home.

"Are you going to stand there, ladies?"

****

A cold silence enveloped the lobby.

Vincenzo seemed uneasy that I was alone with the Countess without Roaldness, and Noura, unable to turn her back on the Countess, eventually sat back down.

"Why are you, who must be very busy in the capital, here in such a rough place?"

Noura, sitting next to me, fidgeted nervously.

"Her Highness the Crown Princess gave me a gift and asked me to bring it to you, Madam."

I calmly pushed the box towards the Countess.

"She told me to burn it alone as it is a precious incense. Since you are a distinguished guest, would you like to take a look? I'm ignorant about incense."

"If you wish."

When Canula nodded, Vincenzo opened the box. Canula's face hardened noticeably.

"Countess Juseta."

"Yes, yes?"

Noura replied quickly at the stern voice of Canula.

"What is your purpose in bringing such a dangerous thing here?"

Noura looked at me with eyes that seemed to have lost all hope in the world.

Her eyes were begging for help.

"Do you even know what this is?"

"I, I... I don't know exactly what it is! But..."

Noura, who was completely intimidated by Canula's fierce aura, replied timidly, her neck retracted like a frightened lizard.

"Duke Castagna, who received this scent, collapsed the next day. I, I may be speculating, but this scent..."

"Your speculation is correct."

Canula sighed deeply.

"This is a herb I taught to Bardenaldo when I visited the Winster manor as a child. It's a herb that grows in the Winster territory. It has a pretty scent, but it's a poisonous herb that slowly kills people."

Canula, who had been somewhat arrogant, fell into deep thought.

Having come all the way here after hearing the whole story from Vincenzo, she must have already heard something about Bardenaldo's wrongdoing.

It was easy for Canula to guess that Bardenaldo had subtly told Doris about this herb.

"Madam. Please, I beg you, just pretend you don't know. All nobles who serve the royal family have at least one dark side, don't they? I have served Her Highness the Crown Princess for a long time, and in any case, she is the benefactor who helped me when my husband was injured and my life was difficult."

Noura trembled at the word poison, but suddenly raised her voice.

"If she ordered me to, I did it. This is just part of that job. I didn't bring this incense because I have any personal feelings for Countess Acacia. Madam, just pretend to burn the incense as I said. Okay? I have also carried out Her Highness the Crown Princess's order to deliver this incense, and I have not contributed to Madam's death. That way, everyone will be happy. Don't you agree?"

Canula's downcast gaze turned to Noura. Noura, thinking this was her chance, straightened her shawl and stood up abruptly.

"Excuse my rudeness, Madam. Madam, I'm going now."

Noura took another step forward with a flushed face.

Then.

"Countess Juseta."

Canula grabbed Noura with a low voice.

"Do you really think Doris Castagna is your benefactor?"

Noura's neck stiffened visibly.

She stood still as if she had decided never to turn around.

"It's been years since Countess Juseta lost one of her legs and became a recluse."

"Madam."

Noura called Canula lowly as a warning.

"The Count, who lost one leg while suppressing the rebels, was Noura's sore spot and pain."

"I've kept my mouth shut until now because Doris Castagna is my granddaughter-in-law and has been doing suspicious things. The Count's condition was no accident."

Finally, Noura slowly turned around.

Noura's expression as she looked at Canula with a pale, green face was a raw shock that I had never seen before.

"What... what do you mean?"

"There were no rebels from the beginning, Madam. Count Juseta was just a scapegoat sacrificed by Doris, who coveted your wide social circle and jewelry business. In fact, after he was injured and unable to run his business normally, didn't you inherit it and Doris actively help you?"

Canula replied with a heavy heart.

Noura returned to the sofa with a terrifying force.

It was a terrifying face, different from before.

"There were no rebels?"

"To prevent Roaldness from setting foot in the capital, Duke Noebian seems to have played a trick. The Crown Prince knew but pretended not to know, and Duke Castagna provided the location. Doris might not have known that the rebels were fake, but I confirmed that she sent your husband, who was not a soldier, to the rebellion suppression operation. It was said that his leg was torn off by a monster stationed in front of the rebels."

This time, I widened my eyes. The disgusting face of the Crown Prince, who pretended not to know that there were no rebels, suddenly popped up in my mind.

"Isn't Duke Castagna a victim?"

"A victim? He actively cooperated in cleverly trampling on the territories of vassals who were starting to gain power. That's why he and the Duke have been growling at each other all the time, but they have gathered under the Crown Prince."

"Madam!!"

Noura's scream echoed through the lobby.

Her face was flushed red from her neck to her head, and she was crying profusely.

The shawl she was holding was scattered on the floor, and her well-manicured long nails were digging into her palms.

"Just to have a noblewoman like me as his own... my, my husband..."

"Yes, that's how you can think of it. But Doris would gladly do that to make a noblewoman like you completely her own."

"Ah-!!"

Noura slapped her cheeks hard and howled.

"Did you know that too, Madam? And you condoned it? Why!!"

"When you serve the royal family, everyone has at least one dark side. I only found out the details recently when I started investigating. The rebels were honestly a bit of a shock."

"Aaaa-!!"

Unresolved anger burst out of Noura's mouth. I could understand Noura's feelings better than anyone else.

"Madam. It's not too late."

I held her hand tightly as she cried uncontrollably and slapped her cheeks.

"Do you want to take revenge on Doris Castagna?"

I asked her in a sinister voice, trying to comfort her. Noura, who had been in despair, looked up at me eagerly.

"I..."

It took a few more minutes before Noura's lips, which had been hesitating in despair, opened.

"How can I help?"

Her eyes, with all the blood vessels burst, were bloodshot red.

"How can I take revenge on Doris Castagna?"

Noura muttered, trembling but with an intense longing.

Terjemahan Bahasa Inggris:

"Do you want to get revenge on Doris Castagna?"

I asked her in a sinister tone, trying to comfort her. Noura, who had been in despair, looked up at me eagerly.

"I..."

It took a few more minutes before Noura's lips, which had been hesitating in despair, opened.

"How can I help?"

Her eyes, with all the blood vessels burst, were bloodshot red.

"How can I get revenge on Doris Castagna?"

Noura muttered, trembling but with an intense longing.

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