Queen of Revenge - Chapter 81

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 81
‘Duke Uter… I saw him often when I was young.’
The Uter Duchy was a house renowned for its scholarship.
It had produced more Royal Academy professors than any other family in Elovis. The current Duke himself was a former professor of history at the Royal Academy, and moreover, he was the scholar who had served as the Late King’s mentor during his youth.
My mother, Charlotte, frequently invited him to the palace to seek his counsel on the history of the Elovis Royal Family.
I remember sitting on my mother’s lap, listening intently to the Duke’s dignified words.
The catalyst for the Uter Duchy’s descent into ruin was the murder of Prince Uter.
I rubbed my weary eyes and reviewed the case file.
“A lovers’ quarrel between two young nobles over a woman—the essence remains unchanged.”
Prince Uter had harbored an unrequited love for a female student since his academy days.
Unable to confess his feelings, he spent years circling around her, until she fell in love with the Second Son of Count Montfer.
Of all people, it was a rival who had clashed with the Prince throughout their time at the academy.
On the eve of their betrothal, the two men encountered each other at a social club in the Capital, and they quarreled so violently that their voices echoed through the halls.
Prince Uter then lured Montfer’s second son outside the club and murdered him in the courtyard behind the warehouse.
The only eyewitness at the scene was Veronica Robert—the betrothed of Montfer’s second son and the object of the Prince’s unrequited affection, who had rushed there upon hearing of the fight.
However, those who had been at the club that day provided corroborating testimony.
Prince Uter had exhibited strange behavior and aggressive tendencies in the days leading up to the crime, and his condition was particularly severe on the day of the murder.
“Witnesses say he repeatedly muttered ‘must kill him,’ ‘must eliminate him’ in the hours before the crime…”
I bit my lip hard.
It was exactly as I remembered. It was an incident I could never forget.
The sole heir of the Uter Duchy—a house that had remained scrupulously honest and steadfast, maintaining neutrality through countless factional struggles for generations—was now facing execution for murder.
The nobility of Elovis was thrown into upheaval.
‘Benedix. He surely made that proposal knowing full well it would be disadvantageous to me.’
I should have expected as much from him.
I buried my face halfway into my pillow and laughed with a sigh.
“How fortunate…”
From what had transpired in the dining room, I had discovered something unexpectedly crucial.
Benedix does not remember the past.
Benedix knows that I am immortal, but he does not know that I have returned to the past.
Had he remembered the past, he would never have proposed such a task to me.
The one who knows what will unfold always holds the advantage over those who do not. Always.
I rose from my bed.
Four days remained. Even working diligently would be tight, so I had to hurry.
Prince Uter is imprisoned in the Prison.
‘First, I must leave the Royal Palace without drawing Catherine’s attention.’
I no longer have Lucian or Bara to move at my command like extensions of myself. I had to find a way alone.
The moment I opened the door, the Butler appeared as if he had been waiting.
“Is there something you require, Your Highness?”
“I need to see the Royal Physician.”
“Are you unwell? Shall I summon them at once?”
“No. I’ll go myself if it’s just to pick up medicine. There’s no need for you to follow.”
At least the servants of the Main Palace were directly managed by the King, making them easier to avoid than Catherine’s people.
For now, I planned to observe those coming and going from the Royal Palace under the pretense of stopping by the Pharmacy.
‘It would have been better if Ahil still worked in the Palace….’
The moment I arrived in the Capital, I sought out news of the boy first.
Ahil, who had been registered into the House of Marquis Melshier, had left the Royal Palace that very day and now lived in the Marquis Residence.
Though I had felt relief at this fortunate turn of events, how fickle human nature proved to be—now I found myself missing the boy’s presence.
The Pharmacy was located at the western end of the Main Palace. Few people lingered in the Main Palace just after the Duke and Crown Princess had passed through.
The fragrant scent of medicinal herbs permeated the corridor leading to the Pharmacy. Behind the Pharmacy lay the Royal Family’s Herb Greenhouse.
‘Perhaps I should venture out that way….’
I lingered aimlessly near the Pharmacy, and that was when I noticed the door was half-open.
Faint voices drifted from within.
“Still, your throat has opened up considerably compared to your last visit.”
Someone was already in the Pharmacy.
“The recovery has been swift because the psychological factor was significant from the start. The Marquis will be delighted.”
I belatedly stopped myself from knocking on the door.
Through the narrow gap, barely a finger’s width, the Royal Physician’s voice leaked out.
“Since your vocal cords haven’t been used for so long, they’re simply stiffened. There’s no need for further medication now. You need only massage the throat muscles regularly with your hands to loosen them.”
There was clearly a patient present, yet no voice answered. Only the rustling sound of the Royal Physician rummaging through drawers could be heard.
“Ah, this is a medicinal herb the Marquis requested be prepared. Have the Marquis Household’s maidservant steep it in warm water for two minutes like tea. It’s an excellent herb for calming and relaxation… Yes?”
The Royal Physician seemed puzzled.
“Outside the door, you say? Then allow me a moment… Oh, there’s no need for that.”
I heard someone rising from their seat.
I reflexively released the door handle. But the other person approached faster than I could retreat.
Someone from inside grasped the handle and yanked the door open. I had no time to prepare.
Sunlight poured from within, drenching me in its brilliance.
My eyes stung. Squinting them shut, a shadow fell across my head.
“…?”
I furrowed my brow and lifted my gaze. The figure’s face, obscured by backlighting, gradually came into focus.
“Ah.”
A soft exclamation escaped me.
I looked up at the person who had emerged from the doorway, scarcely believing my eyes.
Red hair resembling the Late King’s, though slightly shorter than I remembered. Golden eyes that had been hidden beneath unkempt bangs were now clearly visible.
The boy was equally startled upon seeing me, his golden irises widening belatedly.
For a moment, it felt as though time itself had frozen.
“…Ahil?”
I called out his name uncertainly.
In that instant, the boy drew a sharp breath. Seeing the panic bloom in his golden eyes, I gained my certainty.
“Ahil!”
The boy covered his mouth with the back of his hand and hastily stepped backward. But my immediate pursuit rendered his escape futile.
Iolet grabbed his forearm as he tried to step back further.
“Are you alright? I heard news a few months ago, but you’re already able to move around like this?”
It was last spring when he collapsed after drinking poisoned tea in place of The King.
Though not fatally toxic enough to threaten his life, Kairon Winterbark had mentioned that depending on the dosage, he could have been bedridden for several months.
“I heard you went to the House of Marquis Melshier. Your body seems to be doing well….”
Iolet suddenly looked down at the forearm she was grasping.
Had Ahil’s arm always felt this firm?
She had never held it before, so she couldn’t be certain, but from what she could see, it hadn’t felt like this….
Now that she was paying attention, she noticed several differences. His eye level was half a span higher than she remembered. His shoulders also seemed slightly broader.
The Silent Boy couldn’t hide his face or shake off Iolet’s hand as his lips moved silently.
Ahil cannot speak.
That was how it was known publicly, but he was not congenitally unable to speak—he simply chose not to. Compared to Bara, there was a clear difference in his throat muscles and tongue movement.
If he had kept his mouth shut to survive long in the Royal Palace, there was no need for that now that he was in the House of Marquis Melshier.
‘Could there still be a reason he hasn’t opened his mouth? Is Catherine still threatening him?’
Iolet gripped Ahil’s arm firmly and pulled it downward. The boy’s face was completely revealed beneath the sunlight streaming in.
Only then did Iolet understand why the boy had been so flustered.
His pale cheeks were flushed a deep crimson. The boy’s confusion, embarrassment, shyness, joy, and excitement were all laid bare.
“….”
This time, it was she who found herself at a loss for words. Iolet realized for the first time that there existed faces so beautiful that merely looking at them could dispel every trivial thought in the world.
‘How beautiful. So radiant….’
The flustered boy finally seemed to make a decision and faced her.
“…Sister.”
His voice was slightly deeper than she had imagined.
From his voice, which was beginning to carry a masculine weight, emanated a sweetness reminiscent of creamy milk tea.
“I didn’t know you had come to the Capital….”
The boy, holding back his embarrassment, murmured but ultimately could not continue. It was because Iolet was smiling brightly.

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