The Crown I Will Take From You - Chapter 54

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 54

“How ridiculous.”

“What is?”

“Among all those people at the banquet, not a single one truly tried to protect that small girl.”

The Princess didn’t seem to expect it at all either.

Looking as fragile as a baby bird on one’s palm that would crumble with the slightest pressure, yet she tried to face alone that massive brute charging at her like a wild boar.

As if she knew only she could save herself.

Those dry eyes without expectation, adjusting her fan, lingered in his mind like a splinter under his fingernail—perhaps because he saw his childhood self in her again.

Garo snorted. Far from sympathy, he shuddered as if frightened.

“What? So now the Princess looks pitiful to you? Hah, you know she planned all that chaos today, right?”

Right. Minister Etienne’s bizarre behavior at today’s banquet was no coincidence.

Nor was it coincidence that Claudio’s children got caught up in it.

“Now I finally know who that impotence poison was meant for. The Princess orchestrated everything!”

“Doesn’t that make her all the more pitiful?”

With so little in her hands, desperately squeezing out what little strength she had to lay each stone with difficulty—even someone as stoic as him found it heartbreaking.

“Hah… Boss, we seem to have very different points for feeling sympathy. I’d understand better if you said you fell for the Princess because she’s pretty.”

Garo shook his head with eyes that showed complete incomprehension.

“Anyway, next time try to hold back your pity. The Princess wasn’t fazed at all even when alone. You just meddled unnecessarily, and now our Facade got called a doghouse along with those mutts.”

“…”

Should I kill him?

Chezare’s fingers twitched as if revealing his contemplation.

“My lord, the Book of Sages was reportedly inherited by Prince Claudio, the Regent, when he left the Palace.”

Just then, Zeta returned with perfect timing to report.

“I tried to investigate further, but the knights suddenly returned…”

They had returned earlier than expected, cutting short his search.

“Ah. The banquet ended early.”

“What happened?”

“Oh, plenty happened. First, our most noble lord in the Empire was treated like a clueless mutt— Ack!”

Garo jumped up.

“I know I can’t keep my mouth shut sometimes! But this is too much, Boss! Are you really going to kill your sworn brother like this?”

A silver dagger was embedded where Garo had been sitting moments before.

Right where his mouth had been.

* * *

The next day, rain poured down steadily.

“Did you hear? What happened at the royal banquet yesterday?”

“You mean Count Etienne? Of course. I saw it with my own eyes!”

Despite the gloomy weather, the salon’s atmosphere burned as vibrantly as blazing sunlight.

“Not only did he crush Princess Claudia, but he even harassed the young Prince. Telling that pretty-faced boy to serve him for the night.”

“The young Prince? Then the rumors were true? That the Minister is… you know?”

Not only were Etienne’s hidden intimate secrets completely exposed, but under the influence of drugs, he had even molested young nobles.

And the victims happened to be the Regent’s only son and daughter. How could such a thing happen?

“Hmm, didn’t the Prince personally send word last night to keep quiet about yesterday’s events? How can everyone here speak so carelessly?”

The Regent had hastily tried to control people’s tongues.

But it was too late.

“Hah. Go out on the streets now and see. Everyone’s talking about it. No matter how great the Regent is, how could he find out whose mouth it came from first?”

Since it was a banquet held in Medeia’s name, they had invited twice as many people as usual.

No matter how hard they tried, they couldn’t possibly silence all those eyes and mouths.

The Minister’s bizarre behavior spread throughout the entire Capital City before even a full day had passed.

“Excuse me, did you hear? At the banquet…”

“Oh my my my! Of course!”

As soon as someone casually brought up the topic, others eagerly chimed in as if they’d been waiting.

“Even completely drunk, he was so heavy that it took ten knights working together to barely pry him off.”

“My goodness, the Claudio siblings must have suffered terribly.”

“Exactly. The Prince’s family must have spent quite a bit on that lavish banquet yesterday, only to have a Minister they thought was an ally cause such chaos and ruin the event…”

Wherever you went, talk of the Claudio siblings naturally arose.

“Still, the Prince’s family will be fine. Did you see the dress Princess Claudia wore yesterday? With all those jewels dangling from her chest, dressed to the nines, I couldn’t tell who the real Princess was.”

And when conversations deepened, hidden true feelings inevitably emerged.

A noble lady lowered her fan and whispered.

“Honestly, it’s not quite appropriate, is it? When Princess herself is restraining from luxury and indulgence, yet there she was, dressed up like a peacock showing off…”

“That dress was originally made for Princess, but she threw a tantrum and stole it to wear.”

“Since her father organized the banquet, his daughter must be similar. Does the Regent need to mind anyone in this country right now?”

People sympathized with the Claudio siblings for being victimized by the Minister, while also taking secret pleasure in their humiliation.

“Did you hear Princess Claudia screaming while pinned down? Oh my, I thought a pterodactyl had returned. She was shouting even at people trying to help her.”

“I looked into the young Prince beforehand too. While his peers are out on battlefields for the country, he just swaggers around calling himself a young Prince. With his hair all greasy, no wonder such weird types are drawn to him. See, the Minister never even approached manly men like me.”

At tea parties, some thoughtless young ladies even openly mocked them.

“Oh my, is Princess Claudia feeling better? If only she had worn a lighter dress, she could have escaped quickly.”

Thus, the criticism and contempt that had been directed at Medeia in her past life instead became the Claudio siblings’ burden.

They had long enjoyed admiration at the pinnacle of high society by using Medeia as their scapegoat.

So naturally, there were plenty who had been waiting for their downfall.

“Why is everything flowing this way!”

For the Regent, it was maddening.

His children were complete victims, so why were they getting caught in the crossfire?

“Your Excellency, it would be best to refrain from going out and assess the situation for now.”

At this rate, they would only fuel more rumors, so the Claudio estate refused all visitors and locked their doors tight.

* * *

“Aaaaah!”

Virna pounded her pillow while screaming.

“Huff, haaah…”

Flushed red cheeks. Snorting breath and eyes crazed only with lust.

Virna could easily guess what the Minister had mistakenly consumed.

The problem was, why that subject…

‘Why did that pig drink the wine Medeia was supposed to have!’

Did his gluttony make him snatch and gulp down the Princess’s drink?

She had even gotten caught up when that crazed Minister charged like a buffalo.

Everyone saw the ridiculous spectacle of her tangled with the Minister, sliding across the banquet hall floor.

Even her wretched state, soaked in sticky cake and champagne with her dress ruined.

“I’m going to kill her!”

She felt like going insane.

“Virna! Don’t worry, dear. Mama is here. This mother will solve everything.”

Catherine hugged and comforted her daughter who was buried under the blanket.

She sighed, wishing her daughter had just quietly changed clothes as told, but seeing her tear-stained cheeks broke her heart.

“How? Everyone saw my dress, sob, that wretched state! How can I marry now? No one will propose to me.”

Virna wailed.

“It’s all because of Medeia. That girl ruined everything.”

Catherine’s teeth ground together.

She too was a person of the Claudio family, selfish to her bones.

‘If only Medeia had obediently worn that dress…’

Her daughter had been humiliated in Medeia’s place. Yet Medeia hadn’t even apologized, let alone asked about Virna’s well-being.

Using my daughter to maintain her reputation as a noble Princess?

A chill settled over Catherine’s beautiful face.

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