The Villainess's Secret Bedroom Service
Chapter 53: Confession

Chapter 53: Confession

As mandated by the Imperial Law, every prospective ruler of the Empire of Rische had to undergo a compulsory and comprehensive legal education within the House of Judges. This prestigious institution assigned each aspirant a knowledgeable and proficient mentor, who held significant authority in the Courthouse as the first assistant to the judge.

Loyd Rische’s esteemed mentor was none other than Eugene Hemill, the eldest scion of Viscount Hemill, a distinguished member of the esteemed Imperial Council. Eugene’s unwavering commitment to legal scholarship made him a promising contender for the honored position of the next Imperial Judge.

Eugene’s role extended beyond merely mentoring the Crown Prince; he served as an impartial investigator, gathering evidence and witness statements for upcoming trials. This separation from the prosecution ensured the legitimacy and accuracy of the entire legal process.

His presence at the duke’s manor indicated one thing – the Crown Prince harbored suspicions about Lady Ashter and sought Eugene’s judgment on her innocence.

Although anxiety engulfed her, Rosalie composed herself and gracefully motioned for him to sit, while she settled onto the couch across from him and spoke,

"What brings you here, Lord Hemill? How may I be of assistance?"

Eugene composed himself, placing his hands together on his knees, and spoke in a calm yet serious tone,

"I am here for your interrogation, Lady Rosalie. Your statement will be crucial for the outcome of your brother, Lord Raphael Ashter’s trial."

At the mention of her brother’s name, Rosalie couldn’t help but flinch. Memories of her abduction were still painfully fresh, and although she knew she was innocent of his crimes, she couldn’t entirely shake off the unease that the original Rosalie might have been involved.

Nevertheless, she resolved to remain stoic and detached. She believed in Rosalie and most importantly – she believed in herself.

"Of course, I will share all that I know."

"Then, what can you tell me about your brother’s associations with the Demonic Cult?"

Lady Ashter shook her head and released a weary sigh.

"I have no knowledge of such connections."

Eugene arched an eyebrow, evidently taken aback by her disappointing response. Leaning slightly forward, he interlocked his fingers under his chin, resting his pointed elbows on his knees.

"How come you do not know anything, Lady Rosalie?"

It was a reasonable question, after all, the Ashter family was small, with its members seemingly close to one another. However, as someone who knew the truth that was hidden behind closed doors, Rosalie had to shatter the man’s expectations with her genuine ignorance. Moreover, since this event never occurred in the original novel, the girl had absolutely no idea as to why and how Raphael got involved with the cult in the first place. At least for now, she did not really have to lie.

"Neither my father nor my brother ever bothered to enlighten me about the specifics of their work, therefore, I’m afraid my knowledge is rather limited. However,"

Rosalie paused and reached her slender hand into the long sleeve of her dress, retrieving a white crumpled envelope that served as the primary culprit that led to her subsequent abduction. She subconsciously slid her hands over the rough surface of the paper in an attempt to smooth out its creases, then looked back at the man in front of her, and stretched her hand out, offering him to take it from her hand.

"This is the letter that I received before I was abducted. Someone managed to get their hands on the golden ink from the Holy Temple."

Lord Hemill took the envelope in his hands, examining it closely for a few moments. He then raised it above his head and turned toward the window, holding the paper against the bright morning sunlight.

’Interesting. It is undoubtedly a forgery.’

Turning his whole body back to face the girl, Eugene carefully tucked the envelope into the inner pocket of his vest and finally replied in a rather cool voice,

"I will hold onto it for now, Lady Rosalie, as this has become a piece of evidence against your brother."

Rosalie simply nodded in response.

What followed next was an awkward silence. Neither Lady Ashter nor Eugene Hemill knew how to proceed, as it seemed his visit was proving to be futile. With a rather audible sigh, the man ran his fingers through his short, spiky, brown hair and asked, expecting yet another disappointing response,

"Since there is no information you can provide me with regarding Lord Raphael... Is there anything else you would like to share before I take my leave?"

Rosalie’s mind was now torn between sense and sensibility. On one hand, she wanted Raphael to pay for what he had done, on the other... She was not sure if the original Rosalie would have wanted to face all the difficulties that her further confessions might bring.

Yet, a decision had to be made. As one with the original Rosalie, the choice became apparent, regardless of potential consequences.

Still reluctant to step forward, Rosalie hugged her body with both arms, tightly gripping her skin with her nails and biting her lower lip. Finally, she let out a long, resigned sigh and spoke in a quiet yet determined voice,

"I have... something else I would like to share, if you have the time."

***

Lord Hemill expressed his gratitude to the Head Butler for escorting him out of the mansion. Stepping into a tall, silver-colored carriage, which glistened brilliantly under the warm morning sun, he closed the door, then fixed his gaze on the man sitting on the opposite seat and knocked on the wall behind his back, signaling the coachman to depart.

"Well, what did you discover?"

Eugene let out a weary sigh and handed a white envelope, retrieved from Lady Ashter, to his companion.

"She is innocent, Your Highness."

Loyd Rische accepted the envelope from his mentor, noticing a delicate layer of transparent powder smeared across the golden letters. He then held the paper against the coach window and couldn’t help but smirk as the letters began to shimmer with a myriad of tiny purple sparkles.

"Someone in the Tulip Room learned to forge the Holy Ink, huh? How peculiar."

The prince handed the letter back to Eugene and continued, his voice adopting a colder tone,

"Was there anything else she told you?"

Lord Hemill averted his gaze for a moment, contemplating all the possible ways of proceeding with his reply. Then, after a few moments of silence, he finally fixed his eyes on Loyd and answered in a low and serious voice,

"You had better prepare yourself for this, Your Highness."