[Chapter 154] The end of the Castagna family (2)

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Doris was forced to kneel behind her father, whose head had been severed in an instant, denying reality.

"Something's wrong."

She raised her head, following the intense gaze, and saw Adria standing near the upper seat.

It was Adria who was supposed to die.

It was supposed to be her, not Adria, who was alive and dressed so beautifully.

"It's a trick! Adria! It's not Adria! Come to me! I'll see it with my own eyes! Come here now! Right now!"

It was her last struggle.

Adria raised an eyebrow as if surprised and took a step forward as Doris wished. Others tried to stop her, but Adria didn't care.

At the same time, the Duke's corpse was carelessly thrown aside like a beast hit by a carriage right in front of Doris.

A green fire sparked in Doris's eyes. She could taste the bitter taste of blood between her clenched teeth.

Expressionless guards dragged her to where her father had been and fixed her wrists.

The fear that it would soon be her turn crept into her bones.

"Pathetic Adria! Stupid Adria! It's your fault for being so stupid! A country bumpkin from the East! Should I follow you? No! It was you who tried to take my noble position without knowing your place! So it was you who followed, not me! Damn it! Nobody knows that! I could kill you a hundred times more, a worthless, stupid bitch like you!!"

Before she died, she thought she could die smiling if she could only see Adria's distorted face, the one who had twisted her mind so much.

"No, you're not Adria! Damn it, does that make sense? You're Bardenaldo's real Crown Princess? That's ridiculous! That impotent bastard Bardenaldo, as if he could love anyone! It's just a lie that those ignorant people are spreading..."

But contrary to Doris' expectations, Adria's face was overly calm and even had a subtle smile, making her look infinitely gentle and meek.

Contempt and pity.

A pathetic look at an ignorant person.

Doris stopped cursing and stared blankly at that smile without knowing what to say.

She couldn't understand why Adria was looking at her like that when it was Adria who had been deceived. So this time, she tried to curse outright.

"Good for you, Doris Castagna."

Before the fake Adria could say those words.

The breath she had taken to curse was stuck in her throat.

Doris' eyebrows twitched slightly.

Adria smiled softly at the devil in front of her, waiting for her to collapse.

And, bending down, she brought her face closer to Doris's.

The noble face that seemed almost holy for a moment distorted like a demon was possessed and then spread out like a lie.

And in front of Doris, who was holding her breath, Adria whispered with gleaming eyes.

"It doesn't matter if you die."

For a moment, Doris's eyes, which seemed to have lost sight of reality, stopped at one point.

Doris, who had been stiff as if time had stopped, suddenly opened her eyes wide at the memory that flashed through her mind like lightning.

Her dark green eyes, wide open, flickered wildly like a fire about to go out.

"You... how did you..."

While Adria nodded as if it was okay to execute her brother and moved away from Doris without any hesitation, Doris felt a creepy sensation rising from the soles of her feet to her ears.

"Those words were definitely, definitely…"

Click.

A new iron blade was fitted into the terrifying guillotine that had severed the lifeless neck of her father.

"Kill her! Kill her!! Kill the devil!!"

In front of the crowd that was madly pouring out cheers and insults, Doris finally couldn't take her eyes off Adria, who was still looking at her even with the terrifying sword above her head.

Her dry cheeks turned pale as if they were facing a fear greater than death.

Thwack!

The executioner cut the tightly stretched rope with an axe in one stroke.

"You... how..."

Swoosh!

The sharp, honed iron blade slid between the two long wooden poles towards her white neck.

With a shiver that ran through her whole body, Doris desperately reached out.

"How did you do that!!!!!!"

With a thunderous scream, her head, which she had shaken as if denying reality, soon rolled on the ground.

The white dress she wore, like a priest, turned red, absorbing the blood of the dead man and his father.

Death was instantaneous, and the cheers continued forever.

From the head rolling on the ground, green eyes were still staring at Adria, losing their light.

Adria did not avoid those eyes. A single tear fell from under her green eyes, which were lifted up powerfully as if in a staring contest.

Bliere, who was standing behind, quietly approached and took Adria's hand, squeezing it painfully.

"Don't worry," Bliere whispered. "Because we were the most miserable."

At those words, all the uneasy feelings flew away like the wind.

Leaning on Bliere's trembling hand, Adria smiled.

It was finally over.

****

The Duke of Castagna, who had ruled the West, was executed.

Doris Castagna, his daughter, became a notorious villain in the mouths of bards after her death.

And starting with that execution, a terrible storm of blood blew through the capital for a while.

One by one, red lines were drawn on the names that Vincenzo had written down.

They were the names of those who wanted to kill Roardnes' lover and make their own daughter the future empress.

As soon as red lines were drawn over all the names and the leader of the West changed, the Emperor was ready to announce Roardnes as the new Crown Prince of Ronta.

No noble in the capital who had even a little sense could offer any objection.

Because I had seen firsthand how Roardnes, who had gained experience on the battlefield and handled the country's big and small affairs, destroyed families that displeased him without even leaving a trace of their genealogy.

The Duke of Pireta in the east suddenly stepped down on his own, and considering that he was a father to two miracle-like saintesses who had appeared in Ronta, he was not held accountable for any great crime.

It was a magnanimous treatment, unlike Roardnes.

Considering the fact that Blier, Countess of Acacia, became the new Viscount of Pireta after seeing which families had fallen at the hands of Roardnes, his intentions were clear.

'If she were to conflict with Blier, Countess of Acacia, his scandal partner, there would be nothing but death.'

It was firmly ingrained in the minds of the nobles.

Officially announcing Roardnes as the new crown prince was only a matter of time, but there was no such thing as a grand coronation ceremony.

However, due to Empress Grace's firm will that the empire's prestige could not be overlooked, the Atilchard Hall was opened even before the smell of blood had faded.

Although it was not a grand coronation ceremony held in the heart of the capital, there was an opinion that at least a grand coronation party in the imperial palace was necessary.

Naturally, a cloud of people came to the palace to catch the eye of the powerful and beautiful unmarried crown prince.

"You're quick. Why come to a party where your ex-lover is the main character?"

"..."

"If you think about it, you're really cold-blooded, my lady. You don't even cry. How can you do that when you clearly loved him?"

"How long do I have to listen to this prince's nonsense?"

Blier whispered to me ominously, her voice drowned out by Epero's incessant muttering who was escorting me.

Blier looked completely fed up.

Epero seemed unable to understand why Roardnes suddenly became close to me and why Blier didn't seem to mind.

"Still, it's reassuring to have Prince Epero escorting me like this, thank you."

"Hmm."

Epero looked at me menacingly, as if he were scolding me on behalf of Blier, but when I complimented him, he looked away awkwardly.

"That prince... I think he liked you, Adriene."

Blier pressed her lips close to my ear and spoke.

I felt a little uncomfortable.

"Why don't you try it with Blier? In fact, Epero said your face is his type."

"That immature head..."

"Shh! It's almost New Year's. It doesn't matter if you become an adult."

"Hmm."

Blier stroked her chin and glanced at Epero, who was trying to look only forward. A satisfied smile hovered around her lips.

"Still, he's handsome when you look at him. Save him for later."

"?"

"Save him as my new husband candidate."

"Stop talking like that, my brother would go crazy if he heard you."

"Gregory is more than enough for your nagging."

Blier said haughtily, naturally pulling Epero's arm. Epero's ears turned red instantly, and his pace quickened.

I sighed deeply and stepped into the Atilchard Hall.

Even if I looked around, it seemed like Roardnes, the main character, hadn't arrived yet. Just by looking at the noisy atmosphere, I could tell he wasn't there.

I tried to ignore the uncomfortable stares directed at us and moved to a relatively secluded seat.

But the attention showered on me and Blier, twin sisters who had barely reunited after a childhood tragedy and who had become the protagonists of a life reversal, was considerable.

Even with Epero standing guard over us, it was impossible to fend off the noblewomen I knew.

"Lady Blier!"

Noura Jusetta, who approached with loving eyes, especially for Blier, and Irene, who followed cautiously, were difficult to refuse.

"How many letters I've written! Oh my, I'm meeting the Grand Duchess. Or should I call you Lady Pireta now? I'm Noura Jusetta, Baroness."

"It would be better to call me Grand Duchess for convenience. The title of Grand Duchess still suits me better in people's perception, and the Duchess's status has not been completely decided yet. Isn't that right? Oh, I'm Irene Ciscometin, who worked with Lady Blier, Your Highness."

Blier was silent, as if she didn't want the attention that had been focused on me for a moment to shift to her. Seeing her reluctant attitude, Noura made a sullen expression.

"My husband is also attending the party today. Everyone knows that today's party is no different from the Crown Prince's coronation, right? You have to come out on days like this. So, by the way... my husband really wants to meet Lady Blier, who is your benefactor. When can you meet him?"

"Since I met you after a long time, please join us. And if you don't mind, please be the chaperone for my debutante next year, Lady Blier."

Blier's face turned pale.

It was because, from her point of view, strange women were trying to get close to her by acting familiar.

"Excuse me, but could I take on the role of chaperone for Miss Irene?"

"Oh my goodness!"

Irene's expression brightened immediately at Blier's lukewarm response. Irene clung to me, as if she was overwhelmed by my kind voice.

"I'll be so, so happy if the Grand Duchess herself takes on my chaperone! I feel so close to Your Highness for some reason, maybe because you two look alike... Would it be disrespectful to Your Highness?"

Irene asked me, blushing innocently. I smiled and gently took her arm.

"Of course not. If you're Blier's friend, then you're my friend. I hope we can build a good relationship in the future."

Irene's young face turned rosy.

Irene quickly cheered up and said she had to go tell her friends about her new chaperone, then said goodbye and left.

"Get rid of this woman too."

Blier whispered to me as if using ventriloquism.

"She wants me to have dinner with her husband, but I don't want to eat with strangers."

Baroness Jusetta was standing far away, propping herself up on crutches, waving cheerfully at the baron, and kept talking without stopping.

Blier stared at her with bored eyes.

I moved closer to Blier and opened my mouth.

"Take this opportunity to expand your social circle a bit. Baroness Jusetta has a firm grip on the capital's social circles, so it will be helpful in the future."

"I don't know who this woman is."

Blier said through clenched teeth.

"You'll get to know her."

Just as Blier was about to open her mouth as if to swear at my cheerful answer,

The giant bell of the Atilchard Hall rang exactly three times.

"His Majesty the Emperor and Her Majesty the Empress are coming, and so is His Highness Prince Roardnes II!"

The atmosphere of the noisy Atilchard Hall changed.

The Emperor, with a worried face, Empress Grace, whose complexion had improved, and Roardnes, who boasted an overwhelming beauty that took everyone's breath away, entered the second-floor landing of the hall.

Roardnes didn't look around but found me right away.

As soon as I met his red eyes that shone clearly even from a distance, I felt as if an invisible hand was gripping my body tightly and wouldn't let go.

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