“Bring him in.”

At Aidan’s command, Kai brought a man before the Emperor and ministers. The ministers stirred at the sight of the man with his shoulder tightly bandaged.

“State your affiliation and name.”

The Emperor asked the man. The man, Liam Smith, looked back at Aidan. When Aidan nodded, his chest heaved as if taking a deep breath. Several ministers seemed to have already recognized who he was, their faces turning pale.

“Liam Smith, from His Highness Lloyd’s knights.”

The room erupted in commotion at the mention of Lloyd’s name. The Emperor’s face hardened as well.

“This is nonsense! Why is one of His Highness Lloyd’s knights appearing here? This must be a false accusation!”

One of the ministers jumped up from his seat in protest. He was one who had always spoken in support of Lloyd and the Empress.

“Are you suggesting I would stab myself just to falsely accuse someone?”

The minister who had stood up hesitated at Aidan’s cold voice. Aidan looked toward the ministers and pulled up his uniform top. Though the bandages were now removed, a dark scar remained clearly visible on his abdomen.

“Are you suggesting I did this to myself?”

Aidan asked again.

“That’s not it, but…”

Even though Aidan and Lloyd were opposing each other, it made no sense that he would stab himself. Moreover, Aidan was famous for being timid and cowardly.

“Couldn’t there be a different culprit who’s trying to frame His Highness Lloyd?”

A minister who had been pondering shouted loudly. Other ministers supporting Lloyd agreed. Watching their reactions, Aidan pulled up the corner of his mouth in a smirk.

“What do Your Excellencies think caused the wound on this man’s shoulder?”

All eyes turned to the bandage wrapped around Liam Smith’s shoulder.

“He could have been injured during training…”

“Does it make sense to get injured like this during training?”

The minister who had spoken turned his head away with a groan at Aidan’s rebuttal.

“Couldn’t His Highness have inflicted that wound while threatening him?”

Someone shouted, causing another stir.

“Me?”

Aidan let out a hollow laugh. He realized once again that people truly believe what they want to believe and see only what they want to see.

“Liam Smith, you answer. How did you get that wound on your shoulder?”

“I…”

Liam began speaking with difficulty. Unable to properly raise his head, seemingly burdened by all eyes focused on him.

“On the night of His Highness Aidan’s wedding, I received orders to ambush His Highness as he returned from a tryst, so I attacked him while wearing a mask.”

His voice trembled as he confessed his crime. The council chamber fell silent as if doused with cold water at those words alone. It was clearly treason against the imperial family. Regardless of whose orders they were, he couldn’t escape the charges of treason and attempted murder of a prince for carrying them out.

“It wasn’t my will! I had no choice but to follow the orders I received!”

Liam pleaded on his knees.

“I have an elderly mother and a young sister. I didn’t know what harm might come to them if I didn’t follow orders… It truly wasn’t my intention.”

Though the ministers frowned at his claim of being threatened and having no choice, they couldn’t find words to respond. The Emperor too watched him with deeply furrowed brows.

“How did you get the wound on your shoulder?”

The Emperor asked again. Liam continued speaking with his head bowed low.

“After the ambush failed, my lover who had informed me of His Highness Aidan’s movements… Emily, a servant who worked cleaning bedrooms in His Highness Aidan’s palace, was found murdered by someone.”

A sigh escaped from somewhere when it was revealed that Liam had an accomplice who was a servant working in Aidan’s palace. It was the sigh of someone concerned for Aidan’s safety.

“The moment I saw Emily’s corpse, I sensed I was also in danger and fled immediately… but was attacked by pursuers. This wound… I received it from them just before jumping into the river to survive.”

Liam’s gaze turned to his shoulder wound. The Emperor exhaled long and quietly. They tried to eliminate everyone involved in the ambush. The same premise formed in everyone’s minds. It meant whoever had ordered Liam to harm Aidan had tried to kill him. And that person was probably…

“This is slander!”

Everyone turned toward the entrance at the Empress’s voice. The Empress was walking in with Lloyd.

“This man’s words are cleverly trying to frame Prince Lloyd as Prince Aidan’s would-be assassin.”

The Empress strode up beside Liam, holding her dress skirt. She glared at Liam with sharp eyes.

“This person is trying to pin all crimes on Prince Lloyd under someone’s instigation!”

The Empress’s sharp voice rang throughout the council chamber.

“N-no! Why would I do such a thing!”

Liam shook his head, protesting his innocence. Aidan stared at Lloyd who had entered behind the Empress. When their eyes met, Lloyd pulled up one corner of his mouth in a smirk. He showed no signs of anxiety about his deeds being exposed.

Something’s up.

An ominous feeling crept up his spine.

“I never ordered this person to harm Aidan.”

Lloyd reported to the Emperor with a dignified attitude.

“Your Highness! Didn’t you clearly order me?”

Liam responded desperately. Lloyd drew his sword and pointed it at his neck.

“I don’t know why you dare try to defame me. If you continue these lies, I’ll tear out your tongue.”

Liam’s face turned pale at Lloyd’s warning. The ministers began murmuring again. They couldn’t tell who was lying. Those supporting Aidan believed Lloyd was lying. Liam Smith’s very existence was definitive proof. Meanwhile, those supporting Lloyd insisted that Liam was making up false claims under Aidan’s instigation. The council chamber quickly descended into chaos.

Clang! A sharp metallic sound made them close their mouths. It was the sound of Aidan deflecting Lloyd’s sword that had been pointing at Liam with his own sword. Lloyd grimaced and rubbed his sword-wielding wrist with his other hand as if it hurt.

“You bastard…!”

He glared at Aidan while grinding his teeth. Unlike Lloyd, Aidan’s expression remained calm. He had expected this kind of reaction.

“So you’re saying you didn’t try to harm this person?”

Lloyd snorted at Aidan’s question.

“Because I had no reason to.”

It was an answer said without a moment’s hesitation. Aidan let out a hollow laugh at the lie that went beyond shamelessness.

“Bring him in.”

Aidan commanded Kai while keeping his eyes fixed on Lloyd. Kai bowed his head and gestured, and other knights brought in a bound man.

“Who is that person?”

The Emperor asked with furrowed brows.

“This is the man who tried to kill Liam Smith. When Liam Smith’s fate became uncertain after jumping into the river, this person had been hunting him to kill him until recently. Last night, this man came to where Liam Smith was staying to recover from his wounds and tried to kill him again. If I hadn’t fortunately arrived at that moment, Liam Smith would have appeared before Your Majesty as a corpse now.”

The man’s face was covered in minor wounds. It seemed he had fought with either Liam or Aidan’s group.

“Besides this man, there were several more in his group. We’ve captured and restrained them all, so you may verify this.”

The man had a gag in his mouth. Aidan explained they had gagged him because he had attempted self-harm.

“Please verify this person’s identity.”

Though he wouldn’t reveal his identity or affiliation himself, he was certainly someone acting under Lloyd’s orders. There would be no other reason to try to kill Liam.

“Please verify his identity and prove he has nothing to do with me!”

Lloyd added loudly. The Emperor tilted his head at Lloyd’s request. If he had truly tried to kill Aidan and then tried to kill his own knight who participated in the attack, as Aidan claimed, he couldn’t be this brazen.

“Your Majesty need not go to the trouble. I know this man.”

The Empress answered after looking at the man’s face. A sneer spread across the Empress’s lips. The man’s eyes wavered as he looked up at the Empress. He too seemed to clearly recognize her.

“He is one of Marquis Belmont’s subordinates.”

Belmont? The ministers stirred, wondering why his name suddenly came up. The man’s eyes also widened. The ministers were agitated. They couldn’t help but be shocked since it was the Empress herself who had named Marquis Belmont as the culprit.

“Marquis Belmont?”

The Emperor’s face contorted. He too considered him a close friend.

“I’m certain. This man is Marquis Belmont’s most treasured subordinate.”

The Empress couldn’t fail to recognize Belmont’s people. So these words must be true. The man’s disturbed expression also proved her words were correct.

The Empress’s face gradually darkened as she quietly looked down at the man.

“It seems Marquis Belmont… showed excessive loyalty.”

“Excessive loyalty?”

The Emperor frowned as he repeated the words.

“Unfortunately…”

The Empress now brought a handkerchief to her eyes. To Aidan who stood nearby, no tears could be seen.

“Prince Lloyd sincerely wished for the marriage between Aidan’s consort, Karina Hewitt. So much that he’s still wandering in lingering attachment.”

The way she dismissed his affair with Kate Spencer as a moment of wandering didn’t even make him laugh.

“It seems his devotion to Prince Lloyd made him cross a line he shouldn’t have.”

Aidan swallowed a hollow breath at her words.

We’ve been had.

This woman was now trying to pin all the crimes on Marquis Belmont.