Rosie's Games - Chapter 474: Cruelty of Korusta

“Your Grace…” The General bowed his head, acknowledging the truth in the Duke’s words. Indeed, Seraphina had narrowly escaped a tragic fate. The man they encountered displayed no remorse or hesitation; he was clearly accustomed to taking lives. A cold-blooded individual would not hesitate to deliver a fatal blow.

Before the Duke and General could continue their conversation, the door to the study burst open, and the Duchess stormed in, fuming with anger. Her reputation for fierceness paled in comparison to her love for her daughter, Seraphina, whom she had coddled excessively. The Duchess could not bear to see her daughter suffer.

“This is your fault! How do you plan to compensate my daughter?” she seethed, pointing an accusing finger at the General. “Give me your hand! A hand for a hand! How could you fail to defend my daughter? You put her life in danger!”

“Enough,” the Duke’s calm voice cut through the heated atmosphere. “General, leave us alone.”

“Yes, sir,” the General acquiesced quietly and left without another word.

But the Duchess would not be deterred. “No! Where are you going!? You can’t just leave without—” she began to protest.

“That is enough,” the Duke asserted, signaling the General’s departure. He turned his attention back to the Duchess, who still burned with anger.

“You—how can you let your daughter suffer? How could you allow this man to escape punishment for his crime?” she demanded, her face flushed with emotion. “Seraphina lost her hand. We don’t even know if the Lux Family can help restore it! Yet you’re simply letting him walk away, scot-free? Are you still worthy of being Seraphina’s father?”

The Duke’s expression remained composed, but a hint of sadness flickered in his eyes. “What crime are you talking about?” he questioned, his voice tinged with confusion.

“You—” The Duchess faltered for a moment. “You still dare to blame the victim? Your daughter lost her hand! How dare you—”

“She lost her hand not because of someone else’s actions, but because of her own arrogance,” the Duke stated firmly. “Did the General provoke the man who cut her hand? Did he instruct the man to do it? The answer is no. This was your daughter’s fault.”

“You—You’re still defending him? How can you be so heartless when our daughter is suffering?” the Duchess cried.

The Duke’s expression softened with compassion. “I’m not heartless and both of us knew that,” he said gently. “I love Seraphina just as much as you do. But she needs to learn from this incident. Her arrogance could have cost her life, and I cannot allow her to go on without realizing the consequences of her actions.”

The Duchess’s anger wavered, replaced by a mix of sadness and concern. “But she’s lost her hand…”

“And she’ll have to bear that burden for the rest of her life,” the Duke said solemnly. “But if she doesn’t learn from this, she might end up losing more than just her hand. She must understand the value of humility and the strength that comes from it. This incident will serve as a turning point for her, a chance to grow and become a better person.”

She slammed her hand on the table, her voice resonating with agitation. “You’re so unbelievably calm! Our daughter has become the talk of the entire Empire. Her own fiancé failed to protect her, and now she’s lost her hand to some stranger. And yet, even her own father refuses to take decisive action! Are you truly Seraphina’s father? Have you no shame?”

The Duke, with a heavy heart, shook his head in response. It was clear that reasoning with his wife at this moment would be futile. “I have already dispatched people to find the man Alexander mentioned,” he replied calmly. “We sent a sketch of the man’s face, as well as the woman accompanying him. However, I must warn you that it won’t be easy to locate someone like him. The fact that he had no qualms about harming the daughter of a Duke suggests he’s not an ordinary individual. Alexander said he couldn’t even perceive the man’s movements—the cut was incredibly precise, indicative of vast experience. We can’t take this matter lightly. I’ve also reported the incident to the Emperor, but he’s currently preoccupied with Korusta’s actions. For now, we must take matters into our own hands.”

His wife frowned, but her anger seemed momentarily abated. She picked up the sketch from her husband’s desk and studied it closely. “Is this the face of the man who hurt our daughter?” she asked, her voice softer now.

“Yes,” the Duke confirmed with a sigh. “Alexander believes the man’s demeanor sets him apart; he’s not a commoner. I have my suspicions, but I lack concrete evidence.”

The Duchess’s mind was ablaze with thoughts, her suspicions deepening as she pondered the possibility of Korusta’s involvement. “Do you think this is all part of Korusta’s plan?” she questioned, her voice laced with uncertainty. The rumors of an imminent attack by Korusta had been circulating, and in response, the Emperor sought to project strength by hosting a grand festival, hoping to appease the citizens.

But the Duchess knew that such a tactic might work with the general populace, yet it wouldn’t deceive the nobles. She understood the true threat that Korusta posed—an empire armed with formidable weapons and boasting powerful blessed individuals. Engaging them head-on would undoubtedly put Sloryn at a severe disadvantage. However, what shocked the Duchess the most was the possibility that Korusta might resort to underhanded strategies to sow chaos within Sloryn’s walls.

In the midst of the Duke and Duchess’s contemplation, a chilling realization dawned upon them. If Korusta had indeed orchestrated the incident that befell Seraphina, it meant they were not only capable of attacking the battlefield but also infiltrating their very home, striking at their family’s heart.

The Duchess’s expression darkened as she spoke, her voice tinged with a mix of anger and fear. “To think that they would resort to such despicable means to create chaos within our own city… How cunning and ruthless they must be!”

“I cannot say for certain, but it does appear that Seraphina was deliberately targeted. Though I fail to comprehend why Korusta would provoke us in such a manner,” the Duke replied thoughtfully.

“Isn’t it obvious? It’s because of your soldiers!” the Duchess retorted with a sneer. “Their courage knows no bounds! Did they really think I’d let them get away with harming my daughter?”

The Duke understood his wife’s anger, but he knew the situation wasn’t that simple. “We need to act with prudence,” he implored. “Rushing into things will only lead to more chaos. Let us gather more information before taking action. We’ll find the responsible party and ensure justice is served, but we must tread carefully.”

The Duchess’s face contorted with frustration and fury at her husband’s cautious approach. “Tread carefully?” she spat, her voice tinged with bitterness. “Is that all you suggest? They dared to provoke us, and you want us to tiptoe around the situation like cowards? Fine! If you don’t take decisive action, then I will seek help from my father. We need to make Korusta pay for what they’ve done! How could they inflict such cruelty upon our poor daughter?”

The Duke’s expression remained stoic, but he understood his wife’s pain and desperation. He, too, yearned for swift justice, but he also recognized the gravity of the situation.

….

A/N: So Lucas just ‘Accidentally’ framed Korusta. Hehehe