The Villainess's Secret Bedroom Service
Chapter 154: The Truth

Chapter 154: The Truth

’What is he saying? How is it that they already know? Is she truly gone?’

Damien found himself indifferent to both the uprising and his imminent arrest. What preoccupied him was the unsettling reality that Rosalie had vanished, leaving him clueless about her whereabouts and the reasons behind her departure.

His pallid face turned toward the Emperor, who, too, appeared somewhat perplexed by the unfolding events.

"Is it true, Damien? Has your wife truly fled?"

Luther’s voice, icy and composed, finally reached the duke’s ears. Damien flinched, narrowing his eyes, still deliberating on the kind of response that might shield Rosalie’s innocence amid the escalating turmoil.

A raging current of both thoughts and emotions surged through his mind, only to eventually still render it blank. Reluctantly, he released a long exhale as if to try and stall for more time before speaking in a composed tone,

"Rosalie bears no connection to any of this. I am at a loss as to why His Highness Prince Loyd has come to believe that Lady Rosalie harbors demonic powers. I implore you to direct your accusations solely at me. If trials are to be endured, let them be mine and mine alone."

"Do you truly believe you hold sway in this matter, Your Grace?"

The Crown Prince shot Damien an irate glare, raising his eyebrows incredulously at the audacity of his plea.

"At this very moment, you are nothing more than an arrested criminal. I advise you to choose your words wisely."

"Enough!"

The Emperor finally rose to his feet, advancing toward his son and the shackled duke.

"Your Highness," Luther began, addressing his son, "You executed the arrest of Grand Duke Damien Dio without my prior knowledge. However, I acquiesced under the premise that you possessed a compelling reason to believe in his guilt. Now,"

His Majesty redirected his gaze to Damien and continued,

"While I concede that the nature of Damien’s marriage remains rather unusual, and this signed document only underscores that ambiguity, the absence of Her Grace Grand Duchess Rosalie here prevents us from conclusively establishing her connection to the Demonic Cult. Moreover, we remain uncertain as to whether she entered into a diabolic pact, conferring upon her any form of extraordinary abilities."

Luther took a few deliberate steps toward Damien, coming to a halt right in front of him, their faces mere centimeters apart. He held his sharp gaze on the duke for a moment, though he would have preferred further contemplation on the matter. The urgency of the unfolding situation compelled him to speak again, prompting him to turn his face away once again.

"Whether guilty or not, the imminent concern demanding our urgent attention is the rebellion."

Facing Damien once more, Luther’s eyes narrowed as he continued,

"His Grace and every member of his personal order of knights are to be confined within the palace dungeon. The rebellion must be swiftly quelled. Those who resist surrender are to be dealt with decisively, and those who yield are to be captured. It is time to bring an unequivocal end to this matter, even if it necessitates saturating the capital in the crimson hue of resolve."

"No, stop it!"

Abruptly, the entire assembly in the Imperial Hall pivoted in unison as the resonant tones of a familiar female voice thundered through its large space. Much to everyone’s astonishment, the source of the voice was none other than Princess Angelica.

With a poise exuding confidence and determination, she strode purposefully toward the Emperor, positioning herself before him. Clasping the sides of her dress, she fixed her glistening azure eyes on her father’s face, which bore an expression of perplexity.

"Angelica? Why have you ventured here? I explicitly directed your personal guards to ensure your safe escort to the shelter!"

Luther placed his hands atop the princess’s tense shoulders, his eyes widened in concern. However, Angelica shook her head, dismissing his worry, and firmly swatted his hands away from her shoulders as she conveyed,

"There is no time for such gestures, Father! We must act swiftly to bring an end to this mess! I possess a solution to quell the rebellion without further bloodshed!"

"What are you proposing, my child? Guards, take her to safety immediately!"

"Father, please, hear me out!"

In a gesture filled with both trepidation and earnest concern, Angelica took her father’s hands in hers, locking eyes with him as her face bore the weight of fear and conviction.

"You were aware of it too, weren’t you? Our mother’s hidden powers. You knew she was extraordinary; that is why you intervened to save me when she chose to end her own life! I witnessed it all! I glimpsed into our mother’s memories!"

The Emperor froze in place, a sudden and completely unforeseen realization crashing over him like an overwhelming wave.

She knew it. His daughter knew everything.

She knew about her mother’s self-inflicted demise. She knew that Luther himself was the catalyst for that choice. Moreover, she was privy to the realization that, despite her father’s efforts to shield and suppress, his own heart remained perpetually exposed and raw.

"What... What are you trying to say, Angelica?"

The Princess examined her father’s concerned face, locking her deep blue eyes with him, and eventually graced him with a smile—a smile brimming with warmth and assurance.

"I understand it now. I see why you restrained me from pursuing certain paths, desiring only a life of tranquility and ease for me. Like Mother, you also feared the repercussions of my extraordinary abilities being revealed to the outside world."

"Angelica––"

"It is all fine, Father. If revealing my powers is necessary to halt this unwarranted hostility, so be it. It pales in comparison to the blood already shed and that which may continue due to persistent deceit and discrimination."

"What are you attempting to say?! Father, what is she referring to?"

Loyd hastened toward his family, his face exhibiting a distinctive blend of confusion and incredulity. Angelica released the Emperor’s hands and extended a smile toward her brother as she said in a serious voice,

"I am the Holy Power this Continent venerates. I am the Saintess everyone is looking for, Brother."