Chapter 46 The True Villain Is...
"Hearing there was an emergency, I rushed to the dungeon, and what on earth is all this noise!"
Without delay after Kaine's surprise attack, the king arrived at the dungeon with hurried footsteps.
Behind the king were several subordinates and the third prince, Werner.
Upon seeing Werner, Kaine made a face that clearly showed his displeasure and said, "I didn't call for the third prince..." It seemed that Kaine had already taken steps to summon the king first.
"Serio, Roldán! What is going on! Explain the situation!"
Suddenly scolded by his father, the king, Serio and Roldán, who had been huddled in the dungeon, shifted uncomfortably with embarrassed expressions.
"...I was thinking of carrying out a private execution, Father."
"As royalty, we have the right to decide the treatment of private individuals freely."
The words of the two princes sounded somewhat like excuses.
The king raised his eyebrows sharply.
"A private execution!? Did you make this decision without my permission!? Stanley, you are the captain of the knights! Why didn't you report the foolish schemes of these princes to me? You didn't fall for their nonsense too, did you!?"
Stanley, the knight captain, was scolded by the king and looked down weakly.
It seemed his pride was hurt after being easily defeated by Kaine, and he hunched over without even making an excuse.
Meanwhile, the true mastermind, Sarah Belts, was──.
"No way, this... this kind of development wasn't in the game..."
Muttering to herself, she slumped down on the dungeon floor, almost in a daze.
She probably hadn't expected the princes and knights she relied on to be defeated so easily.
"Honestly, what a flashy mess... So, who was it that tried to carry out a private execution?"
The king and Werner looked around the dungeon and both wore surprised expressions.
It was no wonder.
There, in the dungeon, was the only daughter of the Clahsen family, the person imprisoned was Rhiannon Mimi Clahsen.
Moreover, Rhiannon's clothes were in tatters.
"Isn't that my friend's daughter, Lady Rhiannon, in the cell? And in that state, could it be... she was tortured! Hey, hurry and get Lady Rhiannon out of that prison!"
While the king ordered his subordinates to bring the keys, Werner, who had been silent until then, glared at Stanley, the captain of the knights.
"Torture should have been banned in this country long ago! And she's a noble lady from the Count family! What is going on!"
Even Stanley, usually unflappable, faltered under Werner's intense glare.
"T-There's a deep reason for this...!"
"I'll hear your reasons directly. I'll consider your punishment afterward, but be prepared for demotion!"
With an authoritative tone, Werner shouted and immediately led Stanley and the knights out of the underground prison.
Rhiannon, who was locked up, could only watch the whole scene in confusion.
(Ah, the reason I look so ragged isn't because I was tortured, but because I tried various escape attempts...)
However, if she were to admit that, she would also have to recount the embarrassing episode of getting stuck in the drain.
(Well, there's no need to bring it up myself, so it's wiser to stay quiet here...)
Rhiannon decided to keep silent for the sake of her own honor.
Eventually, the keys turned, and Rhiannon was finally freed.
As she stepped out of the dungeon, Kaine took off his frock coat and gently draped it over her slender shoulders.
The warmth left in the coat and the heat from the man standing beside her warmed Rhiannon's body.
Kaine's thoughtful gesture gradually seeped into her chilled body.
"Kaine, thank you for saving me."
"...No, it was just my duty as a butler."
Kaine's response was as nonchalant as ever, but the relief in his eyes as he looked at Rhiannon was unmistakable.
The king bowed deeply to Rhiannon, looking apologetic.
"I'm sorry. I couldn't stop my princes from going out of control. I cannot apologize enough to Lady Rhiannon."
"Oh, no..."
Rhiannon wore a strained smile.
If the king couldn't stop the princes, then Rhiannon couldn't stop Kaine.
In fact, Kaine had mercilessly beaten the royal knights.
On top of that, Rhiannon knew he had ruthlessly punched the two princes about 3 times in the chaos.
Although he had a cool expression that suggested he wanted to say, "It was self-defense," it was clear to anyone watching that the villain was Kaine.
As expected, Serio and Roldán both started to complain.
"Father, there's no need to bow to that woman! She is a traitor who has oppressed my beloved! Also, that butler hit me! I've never even been hit by you, Father!"
"Be quiet, Roldán! Stop acting like a fool! You're a disgrace to the royal family! If you wanted to accuse her of wrongdoing, you should have taken it to court!"
"But this woman is the root of all evil! She deserves to be punished!"
"I won't listen to any more excuses except in court, Serio! You should have stopped your brother's rampage, but instead, you joined him in his madness!"
Roldán, usually mild-mannered, looked taken aback by the king's reprimand.
He probably never expected to be scolded like this by the king.
However, even at this point, Serio did not change his mind.
He pointed sharply at Rhiannon and declared loudly.
"Then, I, Serio Gehetz of the Tortone Kingdom, will judge you under the law in the name of justice. Your doom is already certain. You should prepare for it."
Before Rhiannon could react to Serio's confident declaration, Kaine, standing next to her, responded first.
"Well then, who should be the one preparing for their end?"
The atmosphere froze at Kaine's insolent remark directed at the prince.
Serio momentarily raised his fist in a threatening manner, but perhaps recalling Kaine's strength, he only glared back, his face turning bright red.
A brief, awkward silence filled the air, but suddenly, a voice that seemed out of place in the dungeon rang out like a rolling bell.
"Wait... Ah, um..."
Until then, Sarah had been mumbling something from the corner, but she stood up, swaying dramatically.
Her large eyes, which stirred a protective instinct, were glistening as if she might cry at any moment.
Sarah's entourage rushed to support her, but she rejected their help, kneeling at the king's feet and said.
"This was all Serio and Roldán's doing! The mastermind is Stanley!! I just caught up in this, I'm not at fault!"
""Sarah!?""
In a shocking betrayal at the last moment, the voices of the princes who followed Sarah harmonized perfectly.
The two princes couldn't help but join in.
"No way, this plan was suggested by Sarah! She said she was being bullied by Rhiannon Mimi Clahsen, and asked for help..."
"That's right! We banded together for you and managed to get this far!"
The two princes surrounded Sarah, accusing her, but she only pleaded for forgiveness from the king, ignoring their words.
Rhiannon, completely left out of the situation, was astonished and gaped at Sarah's rapid change of heart.
"W-well, I guess Sarah is really desperate..."
Rhiannon muttered softly, and Kaine nodded with a serious expression.
Of course, it was natural for Sarah to be desperate.
She came from a Viscount family and had no significant backing to protect her.
Once her reputation was tarnished, she could easily be expelled from society.
Sarah Belts was in a dire situation.
However, seeing her flailing about so recklessly was almost pitiful, crossing the line into absurdity.
For a while, the king silently observed the commotion among the 3, but eventually, he let out a deep sigh.
"Lady Sarah, your explanation is all jumbled and unclear. I will hear no more excuses; you will present them in court."
"!"
"Serio and Roldán. I am disappointed in you. Even though you are my children, I will judge this matter fairly. Do not expect any defense from me."
The king said only that and turned on his heel.
Sarah, with tears in her eyes, continued to plead.
"Your Majesty! I didn't do anything wrong! ...The princes acted on their own! Please listen!"
Realizing that the king wouldn't even look back, Sarah bit her lip in frustration and quickly changed her target.
"Hey, help me, Kaine... These people are being so pushy with me..."
Her beautiful eyes, filled with tears, looked at Kaine for help.
Her delicate shoulders seemed so fragile, and her trembling limbs were too thin.
Rhiannon felt a pang of protectiveness at the sight.
(Ugh, even as a woman, I want to protect her... Most men would feel the urge to protect a scared Sarah like this...)
But the situation was too dire.
Rhiannon glanced at Kaine's profile, but it was as cold as ice.
After a deep sigh, Kaine replied in a low voice.
"...Is that so? It must have been tough being pursued by 2 princes."
"Yes, it was! They are princes, so it was really hard to refuse..."
With a hopeful look, Sarah lunged toward Kaine's chest, expecting to be caught.
But Kaine elegantly dodged her.
"Eep!"
Sarah let out a pitiful scream as she fell to the dusty floor of the dungeon.
Kaine looked down at her with a cold glare.
There was no trace of sympathy on his well-defined face.
"Unfortunately, I have no obligation to help you. My loyalty is sworn only to Lady Rhiannon."
With a chillingly low voice, Kaine said this and gracefully took Rhiannon's hand.
Rhiannon, who had been watching the two with concern, was surprised when Kaine suddenly took her hand, but she quickly smiled.
"Ah, I apologize for my butler. If you're feeling regretful, you should also have a loyal butler, Sarah."
Rhiannon, who had carelessly pulled off her usual villainess move, let out a loud laugh as she left the dungeon with Kaine.
She had actually meant to say, "I'm sorry for what Kaine said," but instead, a villainous line slipped out.
It couldn't be helped; this was just how a villainess operated.
Left behind, Sarah was speechless and began to tremble.
The two princes hesitantly reached out their hands to Sarah, who was sitting on the filthy floor.
However, Sarah forcefully swatted their hands away.
"All of you are useless! This is a disaster! My plan is completely doomed!! I was supposed to end up with Kaine!"
Sarah's scream echoed through the dungeon.
Although the two princes were greatly flustered, Rhiannon and Kaine did not look back.
* * *
The next day, a trial was held against Rhiannon in the presence of the king and the nobles.
The plaintiffs were, of course, Sarah Belts and the two princes.
Stanley was there as well.
As the trial began, the princes loudly accused Rhiannon, but the nobles present were all sympathetic towards her.
"Lady Rhiannon is a wonderful young lady who does charitable work!"
"The princes must be misunderstanding Lady Rhiannon!"
"Isn't Sarah Belts the one lying?"
Thanks to Halesia's clever information strategy, the nobles' image of Rhiannon had completely transformed into that of a "young lady like a saint who engages in charity." Because of this, every time Sarah testified, boos erupted from the nobles.
Moreover, Sarah's testimony was filled with inconsistencies.
It was disjointed and made no sense at all.
Ultimately, Sarah's testimony was dismissed for lack of evidence, and suspicion even arose that Sarah herself had tried to poison Rhiannon.
The witness who appeared was a thin, blonde servant.
"Ever since Lady Sarah caught me stealing supplies from the royal palace to pay for my mother's medicine, I have been constantly exploited. However, when I handed Lady Rhiannon a drink laced with poison, Lady Rhiannon showed concern for me. That made me... unable to bear the weight of my sins anymore."
He appeared in court to testify alongside the Clahsen family's butler, confessing his guilt in tears.
Sarah, with a flushed face, denied it, saying, "That guy is a big liar!" But it was clear to everyone that the servant's heartfelt and painful words were the truth.
Eventually, the king, who had been listening with his eyes closed, let out a deep sigh and delivered the verdict to Sarah Belts and the two princes.
He said, "Go cool your heads abroad for a while." In plain terms, that meant exile.
It seemed that Sarah Belts and her faction had completely fallen out, leaving the courtroom while hurling insults at each other.
Before leaving the court, the king instructed his subordinates to give the golden-haired servant enough money for medicine.
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