villainess'ss Secret Service

c153

The truth

'What is he saying? How is it that they already know? Is she truly gone?'

Damien felt indifferent to both the uprising and his imminent arrest. What preoccupied him was the unsettling reality that Rosalie had vanished, leaving him clueless about her whereabouts and the reasons behind her departure.

His pale face turned toward the Emperor, who also appeared confused by the unfolding events.

"Is it true, Damien? Has your wife truly fled?"

Luther's voice, icy and calm, finally reached the duke's ears. Damien flinched, narrowing his eyes, still thinking about the kind of response that might protect Rosalie's innocence amid the escalating turmoil.

A flood of thoughts and emotions surged through his mind, only to eventually render it blank. Reluctantly, he released a long exhale, trying to stall for more time before speaking in a composed tone,

"Rosalie has no connection to any of this. I don't understand why His Highness Prince Loyd believes that Lady Rosalie has demonic powers. I beg you to direct your accusations at me alone. If trials are to be endured, let them be mine and mine alone."

"Do you truly believe you have any control in this matter, Your Grace?"

The Crown Prince shot Damien an irate glare, raising his eyebrows incredulously at the audacity of his plea.

"At this very moment, you are nothing more than an arrested criminal. I advise you to choose your words wisely."

"Enough!"

The Emperor finally rose to his feet, advancing toward his son and the shackled duke.

"Your Highness," Luther began, addressing his son, "You executed the arrest of Grand Duke Damien Dio without my prior knowledge. However, I acquiesced under the premise that you possessed a compelling reason to believe in his guilt. Now,"

His Majesty redirected his gaze to Damien and continued,

"While I agree that the nature of Damien's marriage remains rather unusual, and this signed document only adds to that confusion, the absence of Her Grace Grand Duchess Rosalie here prevents us from conclusively establishing her connection to the Demonic Cult. Moreover, we remain unsure if she made a deal with a demon, giving her any special abilities."

Luther took a few deliberate steps toward Damien, stopping right in front of him, their faces just centimeters apart. He held his sharp gaze on the duke for a moment, though he would have preferred more time to think. The urgency of the situation forced him to speak again, turning his face away once more.

"Whether guilty or not, the urgent concern demanding our attention is the rebellion."

Facing Damien again, Luther's eyes narrowed as he continued,

"His Grace and every member of his personal order of knights are to be confined within the palace dungeon. The rebellion must be quickly stopped. Those who resist surrender are to be dealt with decisively, and those who yield are to be captured. It is time to bring an end to this matter, even if it means filling the capital with the crimson hue of resolve."

"No, stop it!"

Abruptly, the entire assembly in the Imperial Hall turned in unison as the familiar female voice echoed through the large space. Much to everyone's surprise, the voice came from none other than Princess Angelica.

With a poise exuding confidence and determination, she strode purposefully toward the Emperor, positioning herself before him. Clasping the sides of her dress, she fixed her bright blue eyes on her father's face, which showed confusion.

"Angelica? Why have you come here? I told your personal guards to ensure your safe escort to the shelter!"

Luther placed his hands on the princess's tense shoulders, his eyes wide with concern. However, Angelica shook her head, dismissing his worry, and firmly swatted his hands away from her shoulders as she said,

"There is no time for such gestures, Father! We must act quickly to end this mess! I have a solution to stop the rebellion without more bloodshed!"

"What are you proposing, my child? Guards, take her to safety immediately!"

"Father, please, hear me out!"

In a gesture filled with both fear and earnest concern, Angelica took her father's hands in hers, locking eyes with him as her face showed the weight of fear and conviction.

"You knew it too, didn't you? Our mother's hidden powers. You knew she was extraordinary; that's why you intervened to save me when she chose to end her own life! I saw it all! I glimpsed into our mother's memories!"

The Emperor froze in place, a sudden and completely unforeseen realization crashing over him like an overwhelming wave.

She knew it. His daughter knew everything.

She knew about her mother's self-inflicted death. She knew that Luther himself was the reason for that choice. Moreover, she realized that, despite her father's efforts to shield and suppress, his own heart remained perpetually exposed and raw.

"What... What are you trying to say, Angelica?"

The Princess examined her father's concerned face, locking her deep blue eyes with his, and eventually graced him with a smile—a smile full of warmth and assurance.

"I understand it now. I see why you restrained me from certain paths, wanting only a life of peace and ease for me. Like Mother, you also feared what would happen if my extraordinary abilities were revealed to the outside world."

"Angelica—"

"It is all fine, Father. If revealing my powers is necessary to stop this hostility, so be it. It pales in comparison to the blood already shed and that which may continue due to persistent deceit and discrimination."

"What are you trying to say?! Father, what is she talking about?"

Loyd hastened toward his family, his face exhibiting a distinctive blend of confusion and incredulity. Angelica released the Emperor's hands and extended a smile toward her brother as she said in a serious voice,

"I am the Holy Power this Continent venerates. I am the Saintess everyone is looking for, Brother.".