Chapter 13 – Betrayal of Betrayal (Part 5)

“Ha, really!”

She felt helpless. If Tartenon had figured it out, others could too. This worried Reubellina. The owner of The Scene had no direct connection to her but was closely linked to the Musen Trade. If any of those arrested knew about this relationship, it was only a matter of time before it was exposed.

“It mustn’t be exposed.”

“It won’t be.”

“How do you know that!”

Growing anxious, Reubellina’s nerves got the better of her. She snapped at Tartenon, but his calm demeanor remained unchanged.

“If they knew, the knights would have raided the Musen Trade.”

“……”

“Besides, it’s not easy to mess with a trade company holding so much money.”

Reubellina, recalling the amount of donations the Musen Trade had made to the imperial family, felt somewhat relieved. It was a sum too significant to arrest anyone without concrete evidence.

‘But I can’t rely on just that.’

Reubellina bit her lip. The more she thought about it, the more she felt like she was sinking into a quagmire. The idea that someone was chasing her made her even more uneasy. From the Musen Trade to The Scene, the fact that the gossip papers pointed to the Second Prince, Inferno, was also a problem.

‘There hasn’t been an article about the Crown Prince in The Scene, right?’

She tried to remember if there had been any articles about Monterno but found none. That was a small relief. If there had been any bad press about Monterno, who valued his reputation, he would have taken action himself.

‘What was the insignia on the knights who arrested that girl?’

She couldn’t remember if it belonged to Monterno or Inferno.

As she continued to bite her lip, Tartenon reached out to stop her.

“I told you, it will be fine.”

“I can’t remember the insignia.”

Muttering to herself, Reubellina was startled when Tartenon moved closer.

“I saw it.”

“Whose was it?”

Reubellina turned to look at him, surprised by his proximity but more concerned with the information. Tartenon, brushing her red lips with a light kiss, answered.

“It was the insignia of the Second Prince.”

***

The palace grew noisier by the day. Sometimes it was Inferno causing trouble, and other times it was Selena. However, compared to Inferno’s actions, Selena’s were insignificant.

“Arrest them immediately!”

“The knights have already left the palace. They will bring them in.”

“How dare they write such an article?”

Inferno fumed as he looked at today’s edition of The Scene. In his hand were the torn pieces of the gossip paper.

“A woman’s cry? So what if someone cries! She took everything from me, so she can at least vent that much!”

No one dared to agree with Inferno’s outburst. They simply bowed their heads, hoping his anger would pass.

‘Nothing has gone right since I broke off the engagement with Reubellina!’

Though he had cared for Bellaruse, it was just a fleeting emotion. Inferno’s face remained grim. He believed that if it weren’t for Bellaruse, who didn’t know her place and desired him, he could have enjoyed much more. Inferno began to turn increasingly violent.

The first time was difficult, but the second was easy. He felt no guilt because she was just a baron’s daughter. Compared to his imperial status, a baron’s family was at the bottom.

No one in the palace stopped him, not even his older brother, the Crown Prince.

Since the Crown Prince, who valued public opinion, did not intervene, it became clear what position Bellaruse held in noble society. Thus, he extended his hand without guilt.

“I am imperialty! How dare they write an article against me?”

Inferno, unable to distinguish right from wrong, raged. Continuous failures, the emperor’s disdainful gaze, and Monterno’s ongoing violence had left Inferno unable to think clearly.

He grew increasingly desolate. Bellaruse became his outlet, and he called for her more frequently.

Today, Bellaruse stood silently by Inferno’s side. As he ranted, he turned his gleaming eyes toward her.

“It’s all your fault!”

Inferno raised his hand against Bellaruse. With a loud slap, she fell to the floor. A fleeting emotion flashed in her eyes before disappearing. Bellaruse clutched her dizzy head and stood up. No matter how many times she was hit, she never got used to the violence.

Soon, there would be a palace banquet. Watching Reubellina suffer at Selena’s hands might bring some relief.

She resented Reubellina for dumping Inferno on her. Consumed by hatred, she occasionally regained her senses and looked around. There was no one who cared for her.

Her father, who bowed to the imperial power, Inferno, who whispered love but turned to hatred, Monterno, who looked at her like an insect, and Selena, whose thoughts were inscrutable.

Life in the palace was far from comfortable. She wasn’t married to become Inferno’s consort, so she also faced the disdain of palace maids. Every time Inferno called for her, the maids’ jealousy grew. When his abuse became known, she could no longer endure their open gossip.

Bellaruse clenched her fists.

“You think it’s my fault?”

“Isn’t it? If it weren’t for you, I wouldn’t have had to break up with Reubellina!”

“You were the one who said you liked me!”

“Ha! And you accepted it without considering the difference in our statuses? You’re just a baron’s daughter, and I’m imperialty! Do you expect me to take you as my consort and mortgage my future?”

“Inferno!”

Bellaruse’s voice echoed through Inferno’s chambers. He had been the one to pursue her. Though she had initiated it, he had finished it. How could he say such things now? She couldn’t stand it.

“How can you say that? You said you loved me! That there was no one but me!”

“Yes, I thought so at first. That’s why I chose you over the Duke’s daughter.”

With cold eyes, Inferno whispered to Bellaruse. Approaching her, he asked softly,

“So what have you done for me?”

“What do you mean…?”

“Did you support me? Or did you offer your body? Or did you elevate my reputation?”

“Inferno! Please!”

“Because of you, my life is in ruins!”

“No!”

It wasn’t true. Bellaruse believed everything Inferno said was a lie.

Reputation wasn’t something she could give him. He needed to be outstanding to earn it, so how could she elevate his name? Inferno, who only knew how to spend money and had nothing to show for it besides being imperialty, talking about reputation was laughable.

The idea of a baron’s daughter supporting a imperial was also impossible. Her body? They weren’t even married yet. How could she give that away without being married?

Bellaruse knew that her pride was all she had left. If she had given herself to Inferno, she couldn’t survive in the social circles. The pride of a noble lady was that lofty.

Bellaruse glared at Inferno, who had trampled on her pride. She realized she had done nothing wrong. Inferno had pursued her, promised her the position of consort, and failed to keep his promises. She had fallen for his sweet words.

“I thought you loved me.”

Bellaruse’s voice, filled with despair, reached Inferno. He sneered.

“What nonsense!”

“Wasn’t it true?”

“Love? Expecting love from imperialty? Are you crazy?”

Inferno repeated the words Monterno had once said to him.

His father, the emperor, was right. She was a woman who should have been taken as a mistress. He regretted ever considering her as a princess over Reubellina. He wanted to kill his past self who had thought that way. If he hadn’t let go of the wealth of the Asillious Duchy, things would have been different.

He might have gained enough power to challenge Monterno. Thinking this, Bellaruse seemed even more insignificant. She was no longer lovable. The bruises from his beatings marred her beauty.

“Are you crazy?”

Bellaruse raised her head. Her eyes met Inferno’s, sparkling as they had in the past. The tear-filled green eyes that once made him want to protect her.

Seeing those tear-filled eyes again, Inferno couldn’t answer Bellaruse’s question. As he struggled to speak, Bellaruse asked again.

“Do you not love me anymore?”

“……Y-yes.”

“I thought you still loved me.”

Bellaruse’s sorrowful voice reached Inferno’s ears.

As he tried to grab her shoulder, he felt a sharp pain in his chest. Inferno pushed her away forcefully.

“Ugh!”

Blood spurted from Inferno’s mouth as he tried to speak. The hairpin from Bellaruse’s hair was lodged near his solar plexus. The crimson liquid flowed ceaselessly, staining the floor. The palace servants who witnessed the scene cried out to Inferno.

“Your Highness!”

“Quickly! Call the imperial physician!”

Amidst the people rushing about frantically, only Bellaruse stood calmly. Someone screamed at her, accusing her of killing His Highness the Prince.

‘Killed? Me?’

No, she hadn’t killed Inferno. She had only tried to bring back the Inferno who once loved her. She believed that after a brief rest, he would wake up and whisper his love for her again.

Her lips curled into a slight smile as she looked at the fallen Inferno. She murmured softly,

“It’s not my fault.”

The knights who entered the chamber bound Bellaruse and forced her to her knees. Even so, Bellaruse remained calm.

“This is all your fault, Inferno.”