Fakes Don’t Want To Be Real - Chapter 86

FAKES DON’T WANT TO BE REAL

~ 86 ~

 

A silent astonishment engulfed the meeting room.

In other words, Glorielle’s sins are of his parents, likewise, her innocence is also Leas’s innocence.

The nobles on the emperor’s side, who were watching the emperor’s eyes, stammered out their lips.

 

“No, you are being too much. No matter how much you care for Glorielle, denying the incident from 20 years ago is-”

“Could I do this without any evidence?”

 

He tilted his head sarcastically.

 

“The Duke is overreacting. I just told the truth, but you’re in denial.”

“Do you know anything about it then?”

“I don’t know.”

 

These were the words he said vaguely.

Before the meeting, he could have visited Lillian and snatched her necklace, but he did not.

The first was that Psychke did not want him to intervene in Silkisia’s affairs.

The second reason was that as long as the emperor was present, Leas’ name could not be cleared even if he had the necklace.

 

“Then why didn’t you ask for a reinvestigation?”

 

As expected, the emperor stepped forward.

 

Verndia resisted the urge to respond to the Emperor with, ‘Don’t say things you don’t mean.’

“I couldn’t spend Your Majesty’s time on something I’m not even sure about.”

“Not sure, then, now?”

“Now-”

“I will take responsibility for the investigation together with Duke Lestir.”

“…?”

 

What kind of trick was this again?

Verndia turned his head towards the sound and it was Logan who spoke softly.

 

“Even though you say that, as the head of Silkisia, I can’t sit still. This time, I will make it clear so that there are no unsavory rumors.”

 

Verndia hadn’t expected Silkisia, the last place he wanted to be, to take an active role in the Leas case.

But, he judged.

 

‘I’ll take care of it, so I’m telling you to shut up.’

 

The perpetrator of the Leas case was the former Silkisia, and the victim was the imperial family.

Although he was betrothed to Psyche, a descendant of the former Silkisia, strictly speaking, Verndia was an outsider who had nothing to do with the case.

So, if he wanted to step out of present-day Silkisia, he had no reason to intervene.

He doesn’t know if it was because he was the one looking for Psychke, the person who was actually in charge of her.

 

‘Because even the princess said she wanted to solve it herself anyway.’

 

Logan’s attitude was displeased, but he roughly accepted it and moved on.

There was no intention of holding a battle for the truth about the Leas incident here.

The meeting hall fell silent as Verndia shut his mouth.

Assuming that Leas was really innocent, each started to roll their brains.

 

“It would be good to rest for a while.”

 

The emperor declared a break in the endless silence.

 

* *

“What do you know?”

“Is Leas really framed?”

 

Aristocrats gathered around Verndia like a cloud.

Even those who were not on good terms with him cast curious glances, even from a distance but

Verndia replied leisurely.

 

“It’s not something I’d like to reveal here.”

 

Then, after getting out of the crowd of nobles, he approached Psychke, who was standing at a distance, and spoke to him in a whisper.

 

“I’m sorry I made you listen to something displeasing.”

“No, I insisted to come anyway.”

“Sorry.”

 

Even though she was okay, he kept apologizing. As if to soothe a crying person, he held her cheek with his large hand.

 

“Are you okay?”

 

Psychke raised the corner of her mouth. But she couldn’t bring herself to smile.

It was then.

 

“Gasp!”

 

A nobleman who was talking on the other side looked at the two and sighed.

Realizing that he had made a mistake, he hurriedly looked away, but it was too late.

Verndia frowned.

 

“What is it?”

“Oh, no, nothing.”

“Don’t speak nonsense.”

 

The people around him were taken aback by his remarks that were not aristocratic.

Knowing that Verndia’s temper wasn’t good, he avoided it.

The path to the nobleman parted like a sea opening instantly.

Berndia strode towards him.

 

“I asked what do you want.”

“N, no, th, that.”

“Is it necessary to have a mouth that cannot answer questions?”

“No, I will tell you. I will tell you everything!”

 

The nobleman waved his hand at the formidable threat.

He looked at Psychke behind Verndia with fearful eyes, trembling and said something like a plea.

 

“I’m just telling you what I heard. My thoughts are not mixed in the slightest.”

 

Verndia nodded his head to mean that he understood.

He was slowly feeling the limit of his patience at the answer that didn’t come right away.

The noblrman, who had grown pale with an even worse expression, stammered.

 

“Th, that… To say that Princess Psyche has another man…”

“What bull****.”

 

Another man, nonsense. Even if he tried hard next to him, she’d be just annoyed.

Verndia’s momentum became vicious. Anger at that nonsese sparked a perfect bottom line.

 

“Do you want to die?”

“No, I did not do that!”

“Who did it?”

 

With quick motions, he pointed to a nearby nobleman.

The designated aristocrat hurriedly waved his hand.

 

“I heard that, too!”

“To whom.”

 

His finger pointed to the other.

After taking a few steps like that, Berndia was able to meet the source of the rumor.

It was the Marquis of Esland.

Surprisingly, he readily apologized.

 

“I think my daughter said it wrong when she was talking with me. My apologies.”

“Wrong?”

 

Verndia laughed openly.

There was no way a man of the rank of a marquis would make a mistake in a place like this.

It must have been to damage Psychke’s reputation and to create a rift in her relationship with him.

 

“You almost got a man killed. You live an easy life, Marquis.”

“You almost killed him.”

“It must have been a political question.”

“Could that be? But I am just telling the truth.”

“Honestly?”

“Yes.”

 

Despite the ferocious eyes, the Marquis of Esland only flinched and did not change his words.

Verndia growled.

 

“What facts?”

“Princess Psychke is having a relationship with another man.”

“It’s amazing that you know a relationship I don’t even know.”

 

Psychke stood in front of Berndia who was about to step out with his actions.

 

“Does the Marquis know who that man was?”

“I’m sure you’d know best, but I do know that you had a secret affair on the 12th day of the second month of Vicente.”

 

The aristocrats who had been listening on the specific date were agitated.

Did Princess Psychke really have another man?

Then, how was her relationship with Duke Lestir? Doesn’t that mean they don’t have it anymore?

 

‘The second month, the 12th.’

‘The second month, the 12th.’

 

Psychke chewed on the date.

It was the day she hid her identity and infiltrated the auction house with Verndia.

Lillian said that she had left the house and hadn’t returned, so she wondered if Hilvia had put on enough weight.

She couldn’t understand the attitude of the Marquis, who seemed overly confident to be so.

 

‘Isn’t it too risky to just believe what his daughter says and attack her in a public place like this?’

 

Psychke answered calmly.

 

“Never before.”

“There was a witness who said she saw the princess that day.”

 

The words of the Marquis that followed were quite specific.

Someone said they saw a silver-haired woman entering an inn with a certain man around 2:00 in the morning.

At first, she thought she was just a lover wandering around late at night, but at the word ‘Silkisia’ that came across her, she knew that the woman was Princess Psychke, she voiced out.

 

“I’m sure I’m not the only Princess of Silkisia.”

“Princess Lillian said she went to bed early. The only one who vacated her house at that time that day was the princess.”

 

‘You believed Lillian?’

 

The question rose to the top of her throat and then disappeared.

It’s not going to turn the tide, and it’d end up feeling like she was trying to pin the blame on the good guy.

So, in this case, you must make a claim based on facts, not appeal to emotion.

 

‘Although the lack of witnesses was a problem.’

 

“I don’t think you want to claim that the princess has two bodies.”

 

Will she have no witnesses?

Shocked inside her, Psychke only rolled her eyes and looked at Verndia.

Surprisingly, he had a relaxed expression.

The Marquis of Esland’s face was puzzled.

 

“What are you talking about?”

“At that time, the Princess was with me.”

 

The Marquis’ eyes widened.

It wasn’t because he believed Verndia’s words, it was because he didn’t think that such a fault would be covered up. Verndia sneered.

 

“I think that was a lie, but there are witnesses.”

“Even if we put the person of Lestir in the spotlight-”

“I saw it.”

 

As if waiting, a young man with ultramarine blue hair raised his hand.

At the impossible story, Psychke reflexively turned her head.

The man who raised his hand was the first person she had ever seen. No, if she look closely, he seemed to be someone she had seen somewhere.

 

“Count Luan?”

 

Marquis Esland’s startled voice echoed in the air.

Luan, Luan family supports the emperor and they don’t get along with Lestir, too.

 

‘Why is he helping me?’

 

And why is the duke looking at Count Luan with an obvious face?

 

“To take a short break during swordsmanship practice, I look at my watch and go out to remember. I clearly saw the two of you walking along the lakeside around 2:00 in the morning.”

“I said so.”

 

Verndia shrugged his shoulders.

Everyone’s attention was focused on the Marquis of Esland.

If it wasn’t Princess Psychke, then the question of who the silver-haired Silkisian woman the witness had seen was.

 

“I-I don’t know.”

 

The Marquis of Esland withdrew his foot in panic.

But no one here knows the answer.

 

Someone muttered, “It’s a relief that the Duke of Silkisia isn’t here.”

 

In the meantime, Marquis Esland, who was trying to escape quietly, was called, and stopped by Verndia.

 

“Where are you going, Marquis?”

 

A cool smile hung on his lips.

 

“You almost killed someone and trying to get away with it?”