Ines clenched her fist. Delmonsi’s actions toward her were tantamount to treason. Yet there must be a reason he would take such a risk.

Her throat burned with an ominous feeling.

“Why are you doing this to me?”

“Now we can finally have a proper conversation.”

Delmonsi continued with a sinister smile.

“You need to show us the ability you possess, Your Majesty.”

At the word ‘ability’, Ines’s shoulders twitched.

“…Ability? I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Though she tried to maintain her composure, her trembling eyes already revealed her tension.

“There’s no use pretending. We already know you have healing power.”

Ines held her breath at Delmonsi’s words.

He already knew everything.

How on earth did he find out?

Even in the House of Claudia, only direct family members knew of Ines’s healing power. Duke Claudia had kept Ines’s ability strictly secret.

He had maintained tight security to use Ines’s ability when he needed it. Even though Baron Delmonsi had been her father’s right-hand man in the past, her father wouldn’t have revealed the secret himself.

‘Then how did he find out?’

As Ines searched her memories, she recalled recently using her ability.

‘Could it be then…’

Not long ago, she had healed an injured child’s wound. It was something she would never normally do, but strangely, she had been moved by compassion that day.

She clenched her fist tighter.

It was her mistake. To do such an irresponsible thing in such an open space.

As Ines deeply regretted her actions, she composed herself and spoke.

“It seems you’re mistaken, Baron. Logically, how could I possibly have such an extraordinary ability…”

“The Sun’s Flower.”

“…”

“They say when a woman eats that flower and conceives a child, that child gains a special ability. Your mother ate that flower, and that’s how you gained healing power.”

Baron Delmonsi already knew everything. He hadn’t come to ask if she really had an ability. He had merely come to verify what he already knew.

Delmonsi started talking before Ines could give any answer.

“Come to think of it, it was truly strange. His Majesty’s legs, which were said to be incurable, became perfectly fine overnight. The people praised His Majesty as heaven-sent because of that incident.”

Delmonsi lifted his head as if reminiscing about that day.

“Back then, I too thought His Majesty was heaven-sent. That’s why I believed without doubt that he would become this country’s new master.”

Indeed, public opinion about Carlos changed after that incident. From a war hero who had turned the tide of a losing war to a savior who would rescue a country heading toward ruin.

Ines felt increasingly uncomfortable remaining here. The ominous feeling was now beginning to choke her throat.

She turned her head and continued to feign ignorance.

“I really don’t understand what you’re talking about. Let Margaret go. Then we can pretend today never happened…”

But before Ines could finish speaking, the man cut Margaret’s arm with his knife. The man covered Margaret’s mouth as a scream escaped her lips.

“Margaret!”

Tears streamed down Margaret’s eyes.

“Show us right here. That your ability is real. If you refuse, the maid’s neck is next.”

“…Do you think you’ll be safe if you leave here like this?”

“We’ll see about that. Now, what will you do?”

Ines’s eyes shook violently. She saw Margaret’s pained expression, the blood staining the floor, and the knife threatening her white neck.

‘What should I do?’

If she let the baron discover her ability like this, she didn’t know what he might demand from her in the future. He would have a fatal weakness to hold over her.

‘But if I ignore this…’

Margaret would die.

Could she really live with the guilt of letting Margaret die?

Margaret was the only person who had approached her when she was lonely.

She had taken her side and supported her without asking for anything in return. Was there any meaning in letting such a precious person die?

When she was young, she had thought about it whenever her father exploited her ability. That someday she wanted to use this ability of her own will for someone precious to her.

The first had been Carlos, and the second had been her mother.

And Margaret was someone who held that much value to her as well.

“Well, what will you do?”

Delmonsi urged the hesitating Ines once again.

With a resigned sigh, Ines quietly moved forward.

Without her cane, she limped noticeably. Silently approaching Margaret, she placed her hand on Margaret’s arm where the flesh was visible through the tear.

Golden light spread from the hand touching Margaret’s wound.

“Ah…”

Delmonsi let out a gasp watching this. He had the expression of a believer witnessing a sacred power.

As the golden light swallowed the darkness, a long wound began to appear on Ines’s previously clean arm. It was identical to the wound that had been on Margaret’s arm.

“Ugh…”

The light faded with her pain-filled groan. When she removed her hand, Margaret’s arm was clean as if it had never been injured. Meanwhile, red drops of blood were falling from beneath Ines’s sleeve.

“…Is this enough now?”

At Ines’s question, Delmonsi, who had been in a daze, burst into hearty laughter.

“More than enough!”

As Delmonsi shouted, the man holding Margaret released his grip. Margaret’s body collapsed to the floor.

Ignoring the pain from her deep wound, Ines first moved to support Margaret.

“Margaret, are you alri…”

But Ines stopped speaking at the faint laughter reaching her ears.

“Hahaha!”

Margaret, whose shoulders had been slightly shaking, threw her head back and burst into loud laughter. Frozen in confusion, Ines called Margaret’s name.

“Margaret…?”

But Margaret easily ignored Ines’s words and got up, dusting herself off. Then she spoke to Delmonsi.

“I was right, wasn’t I, Baron?”

“Indeed! Just as you said. You’ve done well all this time.”

Ines blinked slowly, unable to grasp what was happening. Her mind went blank like a white sheet of paper.

Margaret approached Ines and rolled up her sleeve. The wound that had been on Margaret was clearly visible. Looking at it, Margaret murmured in a pitying voice.

“It wasn’t just simple healing power. The ability to take others’ wounds as your own… how pitiful.”

Finally coming to her senses, Ines stammered.

“Margaret, what is this…”

“From the beginning, I entered as a maid to discover your ability.”

“Then just now, that was intentional too…?”

“Of course. You’re such a careful person, I knew you wouldn’t easily show your ability. I’m touched, Your Majesty. To think you would go this far for me, how grateful I am.”

It felt like her heart was plummeting to the ground.

Margaret had betrayed her.

No, she had been acting from the start to discover her ability. Ines forcefully steadied her trembling legs. As Ines struggled to recover from the shock, Delmonsi spoke.

“You’ll need to meet with Marquis Descartes soon.”

Ines raised her head at Delmonsi’s words. Her voice was sharp.

“Why should I? I won’t use this ability anymore.”

“No. You will use it.”

Margaret answered instead of Delmonsi and continued.

“For the sake of the child in your womb, and also…”

Trailing off, Margaret pulled up the corners of her mouth.

“For your mother who’s living a hard life on the farm.”

“What…?”

Ines’s face hardened at those words. Her expression showed even greater shock than before.

“The scar on your back was suspicious, so I did some investigating. And it turns out the person we thought was Duke Claudia’s legitimate daughter is actually a bastard child. Moreover, one born to a stuttering maid.”

“…”

“Can’t you already see the future of your unborn child? Not only did your mother commit adultery with your father’s brother, but when we thought you were at least of noble birth, you turn out to be illegitimate. And your father goes without saying. Not just the child, but His Majesty would be shocked to learn this truth, wouldn’t he?”

Delmonsi nodded as if agreeing with Margaret’s words.

“There’s truth to the saying that birds of a feather flock together. In the end, it’s just two bastards getting together.”

—

T/N: Everything is just going down right now.