Your Regrets Are Late

The knights, who came in imagining Lillian threatening Charelize, were very embarrassed.

“What are you doing? Take the sinner, Lillian Ludisa de Buzz, to Helsen Prison.”

The knights, who had a blank look on their faces, came to their senses and arrested Lillian.

“I will kill you… Cr*zy bitch. You crazy b*tch.”

Lillian spit on the floor and put nasty words into her mouth. Charelize threw down the sword she held in her hand, drew close to Lillian, and grabbed her chin.

“This. I guess we should also commit the crime of insulting the imperial family.”

“Let me go! Let me go!”

To get out of her way, Lillian turned her face side to side, but at the same time, Charelize grip increased.

“You really… look like the duke. When you get angry, you start by rushing without thinking… Not knowing what was going to happen, even making fun of your mouth.”

Charelize was genuinely impressed. Anyone could have mistaken that Lillian was the duke’s biological daughter.

“…”

“I didn’t live lowly enough to die for you.”

Charelize whispered quietly in Lillian’s ear.

“So, I’ll stop before I really kill you.”

Lillian and the knights on either side of her were the only ones who heard that. For some reason, the knights were more nervous than Lillian. They knew it was their last chance when Charelize warned them. Even that was an unusual generosity.

Lillian’s gaze slowly descended, which had filled with killing intent to Charelize just a moment ago. She shuddered and wept. She couldn’t even look straight at Charelize. Even though she felt wronged and angry, what was even more unbearable was the reality that there was nothing she could do right now.

“Take her away.”

“I accept your command.”

“Yes, little Duchess.”

The knights bowed their heads when Charelize spoke in a low voice.

The next morning, a vassal meeting was held to decide on Lillian’s punishment.

“I knew she’d do this one day. How dare she wield a weapon against the little Duchess! How ungrateful.”

“Didn’t you say you wanted to introduce your son to the ungrateful person last time? Pretending like nothing happened and trying to brush it off like that, it’s quite amusing.”

“Th-that’s… just. That was just a joke! To believe it so seriously just because it slipped out while drinking, you really have no sense of humor.”

Upon hearing the news that Lillian was trying to kill Charelize, the vassals raised their voices.

“Humor? I don’t know about anyone else, but I’m dumbfounded to hear that from Count Roian.”

“What did you just say? You want to give it a try?”

“Ha. You thought I’d be scared?”

Eventually, it led them to attack each other as they always do.

“Everyone, sit back.”

“… Y-you’re here.”

“But, Your Highness! Count Roian first…!”

“Didn’t I tell you to sit down?”

“…I apologize.”

“And Count Roian, Lillian is no longer a princess. I erased her name from the family register. Still, if you want to matchmake her with your son, send the marriage proposal to Baron Buzz’s family.”

“Th-that’s not true, Your Highness. I was kidding.” Sweating profusely, Count Roian sat down.

“The sins of Lady Buzz are as follows. The crime of selling the information of the Marsetta family to Lebanon through her exclusive maid, Chenia Rote van Marlin.”

Seeing that the heat in the meeting room had cooled down for a while, Count Luwen listed Lillian’s sins.

“The crime of drinking poison and conspiring against the little duchess, the crime of threatening Lady Luer…”

“Anasha, no… Did she even threaten the daughter of Count Luer?”

“Chenia Rote van Marlin has made a full statement. She did it on the orders of Lady Buzz.”

Count Luwen replied, showing Chenia’s statement.

“Then…”

Anasha’s uncle, Viscount Blanche, bit his lip.

“Little Duchess.”

“Speak up, Viscount.”

“Lady Buzz still has a pending sentence to serve for the crime of impersonating Princess Penelope. I heard that the former Marchioness Radiasa paid the bail and got her released. Shouldn’t that also be taken into account?”

He sighed in disbelief and recalled the incident where Lillian impersonated Princess Penelope.

“And you have to sue the former Marchioness Radiasa as well.”

“It’s not that I don’t understand Viscount’s feelings, but… I received a separate request from the grand duke. He doesn’t want that incident to be brought up into the world anymore.”

It was the last time she went to the Grand Duchy Innovestin. After receiving a definite answer to be a witness, she tried to get on the carriage. Still, after this, she was asked to keep quiet about that incident.

“…If Your Highness said so, I can do nothing about it.”

“Don’t worry. The crime to imprison Lillian is still listed. Count Luwen, keep talking.”

“Yes. The crime of rushing to the little duchess and trying to harm her and insulting the duchess with disrespectful words. There are a total of five crimes.”

“Tsk, she did everything with an innocent face.”

“That’s right. I never imagined it.”

At Count Luwen’s words, they all kicked their tongues and shook their heads.

“Your Highness. Based on the work of Lady Enz before, she could be imprisoned in the Helsen Prison… But are you really not going to hold a trial?”

“That’s right. Your Highness, please reconsider.”

“Don’t you think it’s just embarrassing to list her crimes? Holding a trial would only tarnish the reputation of the Marsetta family.”

“Indeed… after hearing that, it seems so.”

Most agreed as Viscount Blanche nodded as the leader.

“And as for the trial… It will be held in the Kingdom of Luang. I barely stopped them from trying to summon her right away for doing something with the Lipecha tea.”

“Is there any news about Lady Esmeralda? She must be the one who provides the Lipecha to Lady Buzz in the first place… Maybe she will help her with the trail in the Kingdom Luang, just like the former Marchioness Radiasa…”

“Looking back, Lady Esmeralda doesn’t seem to have anything to do with her.”

“I heard that she was ordered to be put on probation by Marchioness Schubertine. A letter written by the marchioness herself a few days ago arrived. She asked to forgive her daughter’s ignorance. If I didn’t bring it up again, she would give the mining rights in the Laira mine for half a year.”

“Huh… the Laira mine… Your Highness, let’s just let Lady Esmeralda go.”

“That’s right, Your Highness.”

Some of the vassals who calculated the profits from the Laira mine continued slightly excitedly.

“I thought Marchioness Schubertine only cared for her second and third daughters, but to the extent that she handed over the Laira mine on the condition that her daughter wouldn’t be mentioned again… That’s really surprising.”

“Yes. By the way, since Lillian doesn’t have parents who can pay off her crimes by giving away mining rights like Lady Esmeralda, everyone should share their opinions.”

Charelize treated the duke as if he didn’t exist at all while mocking him in the Helsen Prison.

“This time, how about Ribelv, the place where sinners can’t go away even if you pay the bail?”

“Ribe…lv? I-isn’t that too harsh…?”

“Harsh…? Do you still feel pity for her? After all, the little duchess could end up in a dangerous state!”

“That’s not what I mean. Ribelv… is a place you’d rather die than be alive… Everything, including the environment, is so harsh…”

While speaking in defense of Lillian, Count Roian looked into Charelize’s eyes.

“She will spend a week in Helsen prison, and then she’s going to have a trial in the Kingdom of Luang. I will put the Ribelv on hold for now.”

“A week? Is there any particular reason?”

“Particular reason… Well, it’s nothing.”

Charelize couldn’t tell them that the day she chose to die was just a week after she had been imprisoned in Helsen Prison.

“Have the knights check if Lillian had anything sharp. For example… dagger or poison… Don’t forget to put a handkerchief over her mouth so she doesn’t kill herself by biting her tongue.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

“I understand, Your Highness.”

“Then, let’s wrap today’s meeting here. Good job, everyone.”

* * *

The butler, who said he had something to report early in the morning, visited her office.

“Master, Baron Buzz and his wife have announced their intention to abandon Lillian from their family registration. Application forms have already been received.”

“Abandon?”

“And… they asked me to tell the Master that Kashan Villa is also returned to you.”

The butler handed over the relevant documents and waited for Charelize’s reply.

“If it’s Kashan Villa…”

“It’s a place built with Lady Lillian’s own money in the name of Baroness Buzz.”

“…Anyway, they’re quick. Butler, where is Anasha now?”

“I heard she went down to Count Luer’s estate.”

“Through Viscount Blanche, tell Anasha I will give Kashan Villa to her. She must have suffered a lot, so I must compensate accordingly.”

By giving her Kashan Villa, she forgave her for her false confession.

For Charelize, the party involved, quietly moving on, was the same as not to mention it later. She also rejected Viscount Blanche’s suggestion to add the charge of impersonating Princess Penelope, so she could save his face.

“I will tell that to Viscount Blanche.”

“Yes, you can leave now.”

“Yes, Master.”

After sending out the butler, Charelize took a deep breath. Now, she felt she couldn’t describe it in words as the only person left was Harbert IV.

According to Royal Princess Veloche, her cycle of dizziness has been shortened. Including the imperial doctor, both the chief chamberlain and the Royal Princess Veloche were deceiving him.

Before she knew it, it was already Lillian’s last day in the Helsen Prison. Considering the vassals’ opinions, Lillian went to the trial in Kingdom Luang and headed straight to Ribelv.

Charelize went to see Lillian to inform her about the event that had unfolded with the Baron Buzz couple and advised her on how to live her life from now on.