Celebrity Lady - Chapter 152

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————

Celebrity Lady
Episode 152
* * *
A day in February.
Main Store, the tailor shop of Becky Whitman.
“Oh, how could such a masterpiece exist…….”
Rebecca, the maid who had come to receive an update on the progress of the ordered dress and tuxedo, could not hide her admiration.
“It’s so beautiful. Really.”
Sarah Vigo, the Imperial Court’s greatest actress, who as an exclusive model had the privilege of seeing beforehand the “masterpiece of the ages” that Becky had created, stood with her mouth agape in astonishment.
“Ahem.”
Becky wiped her nose with a satisfied expression.
The pristine white mermaid-style wedding dress was a commission from the Crown Princess-to-be, Rubetria Diolus, ahead of the State Wedding on May 19th.
“The design was all done by our genius director.”
The design, which laid bare every curve of the body with exposed shoulders, was daringly unconventional.
It was utterly removed from any wedding dress form she had ever seen.
“Hehe. Once the State Wedding is over, I expect all wedding dress designs will be unified by this style.”
Yet the store manager, Isolde, had no doubt that this wedding dress design would become fashionable.
“Oh, that’s right! This morning the florist sent over bouquet design proposals too. The Lady asked us all to look them over together and choose whichever suits best! This is a time that calls for collective wisdom!”
When Rebecca pulled out several bouquet proposals, they all gathered their heads together.
“Ooh! So pretty!”
“My goodness……. I think this one looks the prettiest. The bouquet with pale pink roses and daisies.”
“Oh, Sarah agrees with me too.”
As Becky, Sarah, and Isolde spoke in turn, Rebecca smiled contentedly.
“I also thought the roses and daisy bouquet proposal looked best. Should we go with this one?”
“I’m for it. But who is supposed to receive the bouquet?”
“That’s right. Wasn’t she going to throw it?”
As Becky assented and asked, Isolde tilted her head in uncertainty.
Rubetria had inserted several special events of her own devising into the traditional State Wedding ceremony, and throwing the bouquet at the end was one of them.
“Normally we pluck them one by one and distribute them to the guests, but……. Does that mean only one person can receive the bouquet flowers?”
As Isolde murmured with a slightly wistful expression, Rebecca laughed and spoke.
“Don’t be too disappointed. The Lady said this is a lucky bouquet, so it must be received by a woman who is about to be married soon.”
“Oh, is that so?”
“I see. Then who…….”
Becky and Isolde came to a halt.
Rebecca was gazing at Sarah with a mischievous gleam in her eyes, her face flushed.
“Well, I’m planning to wrap up my schedule this year and then……. come year’s end.”
“What, what?! Sarah! You never said a word to me!”
Becky’s eyes widened in shock.
“My goodness! The Imperial Court’s greatest actress, Sarah Vigo, is getting married! Who is the lucky man?”
Isolde exclaimed in surprise.
“Romeo! The man who has stolen the hearts of every lady in the Imperial Court! Heron Rodriguez!”
“Hiiieeek!”
“My word!”
As Rebecca spoke, Becky and Isolde’s mouths fell open.
The play Romeo and Juliet had been a massive hit, and the name was that of a famous male actor who, alongside Sarah, had become one of the two top stars of the Roland Theater Company.
Heron was an old colleague of Sarah’s, but…….
“Sarah! When I asked before, you said you were just friends~!”
Becky was aghast.
“Well, what male-female friendship exists between opposite sexes? Ten years ago, I couldn’t have imagined sharing a bed with my childhood friend husband, much less having four children.”
As Isolde murmured those words, Sarah’s face flushed even deeper as she quietly opened her mouth.
“It’s……. because of Romeo and Juliet. There are so many kiss scenes, and, well, anyway…….”
“She’s lost it, lost it. The Imperial Court is going to be in an uproar again.”
“Ahem! Rebecca, but why didn’t the Lady come with you? Weren’t we all supposed to have a party at her place today?”
Sarah, now embarrassed, changed the subject.
It was Rubetria who had invited everyone to her estate on the outskirts of the Imperial Court today, saying they needed to hold something called a Bridal Shower.
Rebecca let out an exclamation, then grinned and spoke.
“The Young Duke went to visit the twins in jail today. He said he’d come after seeing those wretches’ faces.”
Ricky Diolus and Lilia Diolus.
Rather, having long since been excommunicated and having taken the maiden name of Molga, they had become Ricky Bert and Lilia Bert, sentenced to thirty-five years imprisonment.
“They deserve divine punishment. Tsk tsk.”
Isolde added with a clicking of her tongue.
“Even though she knew everything about what that devil of a woman had done.”
The charges were accessory to murder and concealment of a crime.
* * *
The Public Prison, where the Imperial Court’s first-class criminals were locked away.
Rubetria laughed softly as she took Biego’s hand escorting her out of the carriage first.
“I honestly never thought you’d go this far.”
“What?”
“The twins could have just been excommunicated, but I never thought you’d have them testify falsely in court and put them in prison.”
At Rubetria’s caustic words, Biego came to a halt.
The twins, who had stood as witnesses at Molga’s trial, had testified that “they knew everything about Mother’s crimes.”
If that were the case, it was only natural that the law would be applied to them for their silence despite knowing.
“It’s not false testimony.”
“What?”
At Biego’s words, Rubetria’s steps came to an abrupt stop.
Seeing her suddenly stiffen, Biego swallowed a sigh.
* * *
It was the day Molga had been transported by the Military Police.
“Let go! What is this?! Hyeaaah!!”
“Kyaaaagh!”
Shrill screams mingled with the sound of military boots thundering through the halls.
Even as the commotion raged outside, Biego remained unmoved, merely scribbling his pen across papers in his study.
Then, with small, hurried footsteps, the study door burst open.
“Oh, u—ugh, Brother!!”
It was Lilia.
With eyes red from crying and weeping, she rushed toward him, followed by members of the Military Police and Victor.
The moment Biego stood, Lilia threw herself into his embrace.
“O—oh, Brother. I’m scared. Who are these people? Why are they taking Mother away, and why do they——.”
“It’s all right.”
Comforting Lilia, Biego turned to Victor and asked.
“Why are you taking the twins too?”
“They are needed as witnesses to testify in court, Young Duke. We appreciate your cooperation.”
“I understand.”
Biego nodded with a show of sympathy, then gently stood Lilia up and knelt to meet her eyes.
“Lilia, listen carefully.”
“H—hic.”
“I know it’s hard to believe, but I was shocked too. The Duchess——, I mean, Grandmother. She apparently had a hand in a murder.”
Lilia went rigid.
A strange glimmer flickered across her eyes.
A trembling she could not hide.
‘Ah.’
Biego, observing that keenly, soon understood and swallowed a bitter smile.
‘You knew all along…….’
“Wh—what, w—what are you saying? Brother, Mother couldn’t have…….”
“Right, of course not. I don’t know how this happened either. But the Imperial House says they have evidence.”
“…….”
“If she’s innocent, she’ll be released without trouble. If she’s guilty…….”
Biego leaned close to Lilia’s ear and whispered.
“She’ll have to pay with her life.”
“……!”
“But you and Ricky, don’t worry.”
Biego, holding Lilia’s shoulders, smiled reassuringly.
“You can both come back safely to your brother. In exchange, you must answer truthfully to any questions. Whatever you know, whatever you’ve heard—tell it all.”
“……I, I——.”
“If the Duchess’s crimes are proven true, then you and Ricky will…….”
Have nowhere to go. Though she didn’t know the full details, one thing was certain: the life they had lived as nobility bearing the Diolus name would end.
Lilia’s mind instinctively began to calculate.
She was clearly weighing whether she could sell out her mother and just how far she might survive.
“Lilia.”
Understanding that fleeting expression, Biego gently smiled and embraced Lilia, urging her forward.
“Just tell the truth.”
Tell the truth that you knew and remained silent.
That way, without needing to lift a finger myself, you two can still receive your punishment.
“Then you can come back safely to your brother. Understand?”
“…….”
With anxious eyes, Lilia hesitated for a moment, then her hand fell lifelessly, and without further resistance, she was dragged away by the Military Police.
The mansion fell silent.
Everything that should never have been there had finally disappeared.
It was a long road back.
* * *
“……I half-suspected it, but did she really know everything?”
Rubetria’s pale face broke into a hollow laugh.
Starting from the deaths of the previous Duke and Duchess of Diolus, through the poisoning of Lona, Rubetria’s biological mother, and even the fact that they had been bribing the physician to administer drugs to Leonard…….
The twins had confessed to all the specific circumstances in court, and Rubetria had believed Biego had coerced them into perjury.
“I didn’t say a word. Everything the twins said in court was simply facts they already knew.”
Before the doors of the visitation room connected to the detention block.
Before opening the door, Rubetria stood with her eyes shut, swallowing her anger.
“Brother.”
“Huh? What?”
Biego, flustered by the unfamiliar form of address, stumbled slightly.
“Can I link arms with you when we go in? If you don’t mind.”
“What do you mean?”
“Because that cute Lilia is always made to link arms with you, I thought I’d ask too.”
Biego, at a loss for words, averted his gaze.
“Every time Lilia links arms with you and you say, ‘Oh my, Rubetria~ hehe~,’ I get so angry I can’t sleep.”
“……I’m sorry.”
“What made me even angrier was that I felt more envious than annoyed.”
As Rubetria spoke with complete honesty, laying bare her long-held feelings, Biego’s eyes wavered.
“I think I wanted to be the favored younger sister too.”
“…….”
“Well, I’m not asking for your favoritism now. I just wanted to give the twins a taste of their own medicine, so I asked if I could link arms——”
“You don’t need to ask.”
Biego cut off Rubetria’s words and opened the door.
“Not even a question.”
And he stepped in first.
“Hmph.”
Rubetria watched his retreating figure with a shrug.
* * *
The twins, having received word that Biego had come to visit, made their way to the visitation room with swagger.
“Ptui!”
Ricky spat at the guard escorting him.
“You’re finished now, you bastard. Didn’t I tell you? My brother’s coming soon?”
“…….”
The guard calmly wiped his face without expression.
“Everything you’ve done treating us as criminals so far, you’re going to pay for it all. We’re going to make you choke on that bland prison slop you fed us. Get ready.”
Lilia, being dragged along beside him, sneered.
Soon they entered the visitation room.
The moment Biego’s face appeared beyond the glass partition, the twins felt a sudden surge of emotion.
“Broooother!!”
“Big brother!!”
The twins rushed forward at once, their voices breaking.
“Why did it take so long——.”
Lilia, who had already begun to shed tears, came to a halt.
She had spotted Rubetria following behind Biego.
Unlike the twins in their drab prison garb, Rubetria was dressed in all her finery.
She deliberately hooked her arm through Biego’s.
Then, grinning wickedly, she waved her hand at them tauntingly.
“Long time no see~”

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————