Chapter 7 – Part 14

“Breaking off the engagement won’t solve all the problems, Duke Miles.”

At that, Duke Miles’s head snapped toward Ruby.

“What do you mean?”

“Regardless of the imperial family’s breakup with the Duke of Miles, the Marquise of Grit will make it public, and we will strip Lady Miles of her nobility.”

“Marchioness.”

“There will be no negotiations.”

At Ruby’s adamant words, Duke Miles quickly concluded that he would have to make her change her mind at this point.

A moment later, setting the papers down on the table, he rose from his seat and knelt. There was not the slightest hesitation.

Everyone in the room was surprised by his sudden action, but they didn’t stop him.

“Can you please reconsider, I beg of you?”

“…….”

“I will punish her as you wish, stripping her of her noble title. I will send her to a convent, where she will repent of her wrongdoing every day, for the rest of her life. I will promise in my will that no one will be allowed to take her out of the convent, and that she will not be treated as a noble in the Duchy of Miles. I will put it in writing. Will that be…… enough?”

“No!”

Emily, beside her, shouted instead. Her eyes were fierce.

Instead, Ruby stared at the duke kneeling before her without saying yes or no.

“My husband has been wounded before my eyes.”

Ruby’s voice echoed in the silence.

“He was bleeding nonstop; his whole body was covered in blood, and there was nothing I could do; all I could do was tell him he was going to be okay until he collapsed.”

Ruby’s eyes reddened slightly as she spoke, but her voice remained steady.

“That’s why I can’t forgive her, especially for the sake of my husband, who had to get hurt for no reason.”

Duke Miles could hear the sentiment in her voice, but he was too mute to argue.

“There will be no negotiation; I will have her stripped of her nobility.”

“……I will remove Arlen’s name from the Duke of Miles, just don’t make it public.”

“…….”

“And let the Marchioness decide where Arlen will live. Is that enough for you?”

“……I will grant it, if you will be a witness, and if you will write the vows here and now.”

Ruby said as she looked at Duke Miles kneeling before her. Her fists were clenched in her lap.

At her words, Duke Miles squeezed his eyes shut tightly, unable to hide the complexity of his thoughts.

“I will do that.”

Leton handed him a blank piece of paper from beside him, and he sat back down to write his vows.

He would henceforth disown Arlen Miles as Lady of Mile, and disinherit her of any titles or estates.

He also wrote that she would spend the rest of her life wherever the Marchioness of Grit chose.

The Duke of Miles’s seal of approval was affixed, and Shannua, Ruby, Emily, and Leton all swore as witnesses.

“As soon as the Marchioness of Grit gives us a place for Arlen to stay, we’ll move her. Until then, she will stay here.”

Shannua said. At first glance, the words sounded reassuring, but they were also meant to cut off any other tricks the Duke of Miles might have up his sleeve.

“May I see my daughter……?”

“I will allow it, on the condition that a knight be present.”

“Thank you, and I’m very sorry, my lady.”

The Duke of Miles could not ask how Eli Grit was doing without him here. He didn’t need to ask why he wasn’t here.

Ruby didn’t accept his apology, and Shannua gestured toward the door as if to leave.

“What’s Eli’s status?”

Only after Duke Miles had left did Shannua inquire about his condition.

“Still as you saw him, Your Majesty.”

“Do they say there is no sign of improvement?”

“For the moment…… yes.”

“I’ll have him escorted around the temple, just in case.”

“……Thank you.”

Ruby replied weakly.

* * *

After their meeting with the emperor, the three of them started to head to the temple, but Ruby stopped them.

“You two have had a hard day; you should get some rest.”

“Are you sure you’re okay to go alone?”

“Of course.”

Ruby was the one who needed to rest more than anyone, but they knew she wouldn’t rest until Eli woke up, and neither Emily nor Leton could talk her out of it.

“Then we can talk about where to send her later.”

Emily tried to figure out where to send her to make the rest of her life more painful.

“Don’t worry, I’ve already decided.”

“Did you know that Duke Miles would come out like this? ”

Leton asked, surprised by the unexpected answer. Ruby shook her head.

“I was just thinking about it the whole time I was with Eli, wondering how I could pay her back.”

“…….”

“I just thought that executing her would be too convenient.”

Neither of them said anything, unable to believe the words had come from Ruby.

But they clearly agreed with Ruby.

* * *

“My Lady, a visitor has arrived.”

Jerron, who had found Ruby back in the temple alone, approached and reported.

“He says he has come to see you and shown me this letter.”

Jerron took the letter from the guest and handed it to Ruby for confirmation.

“Where is she now?”

Ruby asked, instantly recognizing it as a letter from him.

“She is with the captain.”

“Then show the visitor to Eli’s room, please.”

“Of course.”

A few moments after Ruby reached the room, there was a knock on the door, and it opened. Ruby looked through the door and said.

“I haven’t seen you in a long time.”

Marie stood in the doorway, dressed in shabby clothes.

Her demeanor was dour, but her eyes grew fierce at the sight of Ruby, though she was no threat to her now.

“Come in.”

Ruby stepped aside, making room for Marie to enter.

“It’s been a while since you’ve seen Eli.”

Marie stepped into the room and flinched when she spotted Eli.

However, Eli remained motionless even when Marie came in.  The son she knew would never do that.

“Isn’t it strange? ”

“…….”

“You’re right, he’s not getting up right now.”

“……Why.”

It was the first thing Marie had said since she’d entered the room.

“Someone tried to kill him. He’s not dead, but he’s hurt badly enough that he can’t wake up.”

Marie’s eyes widened at that.

“Do you know anything?”

“…….”

“This should be you.”

Ruby’s mouth dropped open. Like someone who realized something.

“No……. I’m…… I’m…….”

Marie stepped closer to Eli, but she didn’t touch him. As if they weren’t supposed to be touched.

“Yes. It’s me who you wanted to die, not Eli.”

“…….”

“But this is what happened.”

The words made Marie’s eyes widen, and she glared at Ruby.

“You knew all along; you made my son do this, and that’s why you’re the only one who’s okay!”

Her voice wasn’t as booming as it used to be, as if she’d lost a lot of energy, but you could tell it was all she could master.

“It’s all…… because of you. Because of you!”

“It’s not my fault. You’re the one who gave Lady Miles the jewel and asked her to do this. You made her do this.”

Ruby said, stepping closer to Marie and not losing her temper.

“Did you really not know that Lady Miles would order the two of us killed? Or did you just not care at all?”

“Nonsense, nonsense…….”

Marie sank back in her seat as if her body couldn’t take any more. Her body trembled as she sat on the floor.

“It was you, not me, who made Eli like this and ruined the family.”

“No. That can’t be true. That can’t be true…….”

Marie tried to cover her ears as if she didn’t want to hear anything, but Ruby stopped her.

“All the jewelry you gave Arlen is in evidence, and Cash’s had it appraised.”

Ruby said, emphasizing each word and holding out a partial ledger and appraisal in Cash’s own handwriting.

Marie took the papers in front of her, her hands trembling as she read through them, then dropped them to the floor with a thud.

“Since it’s worked out as you wanted, smile. If there’s anyone who should be smiling in this situation, it’s you. That’s what you wanted, right?”

Ruby said, clenching her fists and setting her jaw. It didn’t matter if Marie wasn’t listening already.

All the anger she’d been holding in was directed at Marie.

But Ruby’s words had no effect on Marie, who was already mesmerized.

“Lady Miles will be stripped of her noble title and will spend the rest of her life atoning for this.”

Ruby turned to Marie, who was staring blankly into space.

“She will be sent to a place where she will be made to repent for her sins in the harshest of ways.”

Marie’s dead eyes lit up for the briefest of moments.

“Oh, you might even meet her there. She’s going to the Lauf Convent. You know about it, right?”

Located near Viscount Starlet’s estate, the Lauf Convent was notoriously harsh on those sent there.

They were forced to kneel for hours on end in cold prayer rooms with stone floors and walls, praying penitential prayers.

If they didn’t truly realize their mistakes, they were starved of food and not allowed to leave the prayer room. The standard of realization was set by the nobles, who wanted to receive apologies from those locked in the convent, so even if you screamed and repented of your sins, you could only leave if you were as broken in body and mind as the nobles wanted you to be.

Ruby knew Marie often used the place to punish her employees.

Sometimes, after getting drunk, she would visit Ruby and describe the place to her. It was as if she wanted to send Ruby there.

Ruby listened, uncomprehending at first, and then tried to do better each time she heard it.

“You’ve always wanted to send me there, and now the Lady Miles you cherished so much is going there. Isn’t life ironic?”

“…….”

“…People are truly unpredictable, aren’t they?”

Marie, who had been so deep in thought that Ruby’s sarcasm didn’t seem to deter her, stood up as if to leave.

“Don’t even think about dying. Whatever happens, I’ll keep you alive.”

Ruby warned, not bothering to stop her as she turned to leave. Marie didn’t even bother to respond to the warning.

Ruby has finally relaxed.

“What about the guests?”

Jerron came in to ask Ruby when he spotted Marie staggering out of the room after her conversation with Ruby.

“Please see to it that they are safely escorted to their carriage.”

“Understood.”

“Thank you, Jerron.”

The Marchioness, now more exhausted than when she arrived at the temple, expressed her gratitude.

TL NOTE: More advanced chapter of this story is already up to the site. Visit dusk blossoms for more advanced chapters and stories