Married to the Villainous Duke

Chapter 37: Unescapable Fate

"Impossible! The Emperor's heart is beating again! He is... He's alive!" The Royal Physician shouts.

"How did that happen?!" Prince Henrik asks in disbelief. To the keen observer, it was as if the Crown Prince was unhappy that his father got revived.

Prince Henrik narrows his eyes and turns to where Estelle and Nikolaidis are standing, "you did something to the Emperor! You... You witch!"

Another gasp could be heard all over the room from the Crown Prince's bold accusation.

"That's untrue, your highness! You saw what happened, my wife didn't use any magic! She was only trying to help the Emperor!" Nikolaidis defends his wife.

"Then how do you explain her strange words? What did she mean when she shouted AED?! That was a spell!"

Nikolaidis didn't know how to answer the Crown Prince. The Grand Duke has no clue what an AED is. Estelle was shaking in fear and couldn't get a word out to defend herself. It was as if she was having an out of body experience looking at the scene in front of her.

"Bring the Emperor to his room," Prince Henrik orders and attendants of the Emperor bring out a stretcher to carry the unconscious man out of the ballroom while everyone else stood frozen in place.

"The gods are the only ones who can give and take away life," Prince Henrik speaks as he stands up.

Henrik looks around the ballroom, "even the Saintess, the greatest healer given to us by the gods themselves, could not bring a dead person back to life so how could an ordinary noble lady do such a feat?!"

"Y-Your highness, my daughter is not a witch! She doesn't have a single ounce of mana in her!" Estelle's father, the Marquess, stammers.

Beside the Marquess, his wife Marchioness Claristelle, was shaking in dread. Her son, Hancelle, holds his mother up to keep her from collapsing on the floor. Hancelle also wanted to speak out for his sister but he knew his words bear no weight as he is still a powerless child.

The Crown Prince glares, "Marquess Gautier, do you have proof of such claim? Was she ever examined by a sorcerer?"

"N-No, your highness, but I've been with my daughter for all her life and not once has she manifested any magical abilities. Please believe me, your highness," the Marquess pleads and kneels.

"The Grand Duchess is indeed a witch. She knows this would happen," someone suddenly speaks out.

All eyes turn to the brunette lady walking towards the center of the ballroom, "greetings, your highness Crown Prince Henrik. I am Lady Claire Wetherford, the only daughter of Marquess Luther Wetherford and I know that Grand Duchess Estelle is a witch."

"Liar!" Marquess Gautier shouts.

"Silence!" Crown Prince Henrik's red eyes looked like they were shooting out fire.

Prince Henrik turns his attention to Claire, "I will listen to your explanation Lady Claire. How did you know that the Grand Duchess is a witch?"

"I was invited to the Founding Anniversary Ball last summer and I overheard a conversation between the Grand Duke and Grand Duchess while I was strolling through the garden outside the ballroom."

"And what was this conversation about?" The Crown Prince says.

"I didn't hear their entire talk, but, I am certain that the Grand Duchess was telling Grand Duke Nikolaidis that she knows the future. She foresaw that she will be executed for accusations of witch craft."

So it wasn't just my imagination! When I sensed that Niko and I were being watched when I was revealing to him the reason why I avoided him so much in the beginning, it was Lady Claire who was secretly listening in!