When The Moon Tilts West - Chapter 10 - [Part 3]
Chapter 10 – [Part 3]
Translator and Editor: Effe and Nabi
────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────Chapter 10 – Part 3
Leon saw it and said.
“Duke, I said ‘evidence,’ not someone’s ‘testimony.’ It seems that there is a character that you’re pointing at.”
At that moment, Duke Grande realized his mistake.
He entrusted the quest to the famous assassins’ guild with a reliable servant. And, he disappeared a while ago. So, when Leon said “assassination,” the Duke guessed that Leon had captured the man. That was the only evidence he thought.
A daughter who has been taken hostage, a missing servant, and Leon who drove himself in front of the ministers… Duke Grande, cornered, lost his composure for the first time.
People, too, now looked at Duke Grande with strange confidence.
“Going back to my father’s death, the reason I doubted Duke Grande was that he had changed my father’s will.”
“What do you mean will?”
“At the time, there was an issue that my father discussed with me while he was alive. It was very important to me, and my father knew it, too. Though my father’s will, spoken by Duke Grande, was the exact opposite of that.”
“What is that?”
“Fiancée. It was about my fiancée. He said that my fiancée is Princess Grande.”
It was not a surprising fact that the Duchy of Grande and the Duchy of Deorc, who were close in relationship, to get married. No, everyone expected that. It was because the beautiful Princess of the Duchy of Grande was not getting married, as if waiting for Leon that had gone to war.
However, that wasn’t it…? People were puzzled.
“My fiancée wasn’t Henrietta Grande, to begin with.”
“Then, who is the Duke’s fiance?”
Eric asked with a curious expression. So were the people.
If Princess Grande wasn’t his fiancée, who was she that was supposed to be Leonard Deorc’s fiancée from the beginning? There was no way that the heir of that great Duchy would have been without a fiancée.
Maybe, it was a woman in their own family…
Gazes filled with strange anticipation turned to Leon.
“From the beginning, my fiancée was Olivia Claudel.”
People couldn’t stand the unexpected answer and made a sound of astonishment.
They had heard the news that a little girl with the name, Olivia Claudel had been brought in by the previous Duke. Nevertheless, the topic quickly faded from social circles, as she did not appear, nor did the previous Duke show any action.
Although not long ago, she appeared at an imperial banquet, no one thought she was the Duke’s fiancée.
As if realizing his own true mistake, Duke Grande widened his eyes and looked straight ahead. He came to his senses and spit in his mouth, and shouted.
“Lies! The Duke must have been mistaken. Henrietta is the Duke’s fiancée! This is something I talked about with your predecessor. If you’re going to get engaged, shouldn’t it be natural to announce it when she’s brought in!”
“The kingdom of Roheim and this country were in a state of tension, how could I have announced my engagement to a woman from that country? My father postponed the engagement to a later date because of possible rumors.”
“….”
“Even his Majesty the Emperor was displeased with this, so I joined the war against the Roheim Kingdom. The reason I went to the battlefield itself was to get recognition for my relationship with my fiancée, though it doesn’t make sense that my father verbally promised to be engaged to Princess Grande.”
People were shocked again.
From the moment the man went to war, they thought something was strange. However, the reason was to get permission to have a relationship with his fiancée!
“Nonsense!”
“I have found the will, so it is useless to say anymore.”
“Whe, where did you get that…!”
Hearing his words, Duke Grande’s face turned pale blue. People were already trusting Duke Deorc more than Duke Grande.
“After tracking the Assassin’s Guild for a long time, I found out that Duke Grande was behind it. Nevertheless, I also thought it was a tactic to separate our family from the Duchy of Grande, so I did not believe it easily.”
“….”
“But the will was gone, and the fiance suddenly changed. Even Princess Grande was not engaged until she was of marriageable age. It’s like you’re trying to fulfill that rigged engagement.”
“….”
“The assassins attacked and manipulated the will. So, I had my doubts. The suspicion that Duke Grande may have been deeply involved in my father’s death…”
“….”
“So, my father’s body was again dug out of the grave.”
People held their breath again. It was because they did not even dare to guess what a son would feel when he had to dig up his father’s grave again. Regardless, Leon was more rational than anyone here, and his voice was calm.
“My father’s body, to be exact, his bones were all black. Poisons that cause the bones to turn black are uncommon. When I found out about the poison, it was a precious poison that couldn’t be detected even on silverware, and it was possible to disguise itself as a disease and kill a person within a fortnight.”
“….”
“At that time, we have evidence that Duke Grande purchased the poison.”
At that, Duke Grande burst into laughter.
“Duke, you are really crazy. Yes, let’s say I bought the poison. How do you think I would have put it in the mouth of Duke Deorc?”
He stared at Leon with his eyes scorched as if in a last-ditch effort.
“And, the employees are all my people? Is that something I can do as I want? How could I, someone outside the mansion, be involved in the Duchy’s internal affairs?”
“Isn’t it too obvious? It was possible if someone in the Deorc family became an accomplice. A man who could lead the mansion, give orders, and whom my father could have softened his boundaries and trust.”
“….”
“My brother, Kevin Deorc, was an accomplice.”
Even before the shock of the people was gone, Leon blinked at the attendants standing behind him, and the door to the audience opened.
Then, Kevin Deorc, who was screaming, was dragged in. He looked around with a terrified look. The figure of the soldier, who had always been of equal strength, had long since disappeared.
“Crazy, accusing your brother…”
As Duke Grande muttered with a pale face, Leon only glimpsed coldly at his captured brother and opened his mouth.
“It is a fact that has already been confessed. I also have the letters that the Duke and my brother exchanged.”
Leon walked over to Kevin, who was tied up. He looked frightened as he saw Leon approaching. With the older brother terrified of the younger brother, people had no idea what was going on between the brothers.
As soon as Kevin found Duke Grande while looking around, he shouted.
“Your Majesty! No, I didn’t do anything wrong. He did it all!”
Kevin said almost desperately, pointing exactly at the Duke with his finger.
“What do you mean?”
“He threatened to kill me and Leon, if I didn’t obey. I have done nothing wrong.”
“You filthy bastard! What do you do mean when you say you want to become a duke after getting rid of your brother…!”
“No. That person is a liar. Duke Grande lied to, and he persuaded the previous Emperor to send my brother to the battlefield to kill my brother!”
Leon gave a twisted smile.
For him, who went to war because of Olivia Claudel, the lies of Duke Grande seemed ridiculous.
“I was powerless. So, as the Duke ordered, I changed all the people in the mansion to the Duke’s.”
“You bastard!”
“That man gave me poison to kill my father, the former Duke, though I refused. However, someone poisoned him and killed my father. I knew it was Duke Grande… Still, I was afraid, so I remain silent.”
The people of the Capital knew how much strength was on the shoulders of Kevin Deorc, who was a member of the Imperial Guard. But, today, he was saying, “he was silent because he was afraid,” with a more humble expression than anyone else…
“You brat! Didn’t you poison him!”
“What are you talking about…! I’ve never poisoned him. The Duke secretly ordered his servants to give the poison without me knowing.”
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