How?

How is this even possible?!

'Did we have a traitor in our midst? No… that is unlikely! I took every possible precaution!'

As Julian drowns in his befuddlement, the Third Prince steps out from behind the rows of Royal Knights and appears right before Julian.

"P-Prince Claus?!"

Julian's eyes widen even more as he rests his gaze on the young man before him.

Rumors have it that the third prince is highly favored by the King and will likely take over the throne once his father dies. Having such a prominent figure here can only mean this case is even more severe than Julian gave it credit for.

All his earlier composure starts to crumble as he takes a step back and his clenched fists loosen.

"W-what are you doing here? Can someone explain why—?!"

"Normally, you would be right, Julian. The Royal Knights would indeed be breaching the laws by suddenly barging into your estate. I suppose that would make us, the Royal Family, tyrannical and completely unworthy of our position… isn't that what you meant?"

"N-no… I didn't say that…"

Beads of sweat slowly fall from Julian's face as he stares at the sly gaze of the young prince.

He can tell… Something is off somewhere.

Something doesn't feel right.

But what?

'Does the Royal Family really have justification to act like this?!'

"Julian Ravenwood, we have strong reason to believe that you have engaged in treasonous behavior, conspiring against your fellow Nobles and also the Royal Family. Many sources have linked you to the Dark Guild, as well as the recent death of Count Kaelen Thornvale, as well as the destruction of his Main Estate."

"W-what?"

To say he is dazed would be a gross understatement.

The more Julian tries to process the accusations hurled at him, the less sense it makes.

Him? The Dark Guild? Killing Count Kaelen?

Since when?

"Due to all of these reasons, we have more than enough justification to forcefully search your manor. Even if you are a Duke, this matter borders on a kingdom-wide scale and concerns the security of the people at large. So will you resist this search and stand in the way of justice? Or will you cooperate? If you are truly innocent, then you should have nothing against this arrangement, as it will clear your name."

"You think I'm stupid?! You can easily plant evidence to frame me!"

"Hehe…" The third prince chuckles the moment he hears this. "Indeed, we can… but we don't need to. We are confident that you are the perpetrator. In fact, you can accompany us on the search and serve as a witness to our investigative methods."

Julian hears this, and his frown deepens.

'I already got rid of anything that can implicate me. I'm also not guilty of most of the offenses that they listed out, so as long as I carefully observe the search, they won't be able to pull anything out of their ass.'

"Fine!" He confidently steps forward, his eyes flashing with resolve. "Let's do it!"

************

[Moments Later]

"H-how…?"

Julian's face is aghast as he watches the pile of evidence laid bare before him.

True to their words, the Royal Knights did not plant any evidence or even make any suspicious movements. Yet, they found overwhelming evidence against Julian and the other Nobles who allied themselves with him.

Naturally, this includes Earl Klaus Gerondester.

This not only proves the conspiracy against the Nobility and Royal Family, but also clearly links the young Duke with many affairs of the Dark Guild. Finally, there is proof that Julian ordered the death of the Count and the burning down of his abode.

"I happened to speak to the Count, and he confided in me about your schemes involving defecting from the Royal Faction so you can take over the Noble Faction," Javier speaks up at this point, wiping imaginary tears with a napkin. "Poor Count Kaelen… he never wanted a part in your dirty scheme, and you knew it…"

Prince Claus steps forward and glares at the dazed Julian.

"You must have sensed his hesitance to join you, so you decided to kill him to prevent him from leaking out your plans, isn't that right, Julian?!"

"What? But I…?" At this point, Julian is flabbergasted.

The amount of evidence stacked against him is almost enough to make him even doubt his own innocence. It is simply too staggering!

"E-even if I was involved, which I am not, would I be so stupid as to leave behind so much evidence? Come on… You people set me up!" Julian can only yell, his body trembling with all manner of emotions.

"How dare you besmirch the glory of the Royal Family? The prestige of the Royal Knights? The honor of Sir Javier Aditi? You accompanied us and clearly saw that we followed due process and didn't tamper with anything, yet you are still giving this useless excuse?"

"B-but… but I didn't…"

"You and all the Nobles you have conspired with… all of you will be arrested!" Prince Claus immediately orders the seizure of all the present Nobles, and they are easily rounded up.

Even the High Rank Knight mixed among them does not even attempt to resist.

Compared to Royal Knights, they might as well be amateurs.

Just like that, Julian's scheme collapses in its entirety.

A look of disbelief remains on his face as he is dragged away, only catching a fraction of Javier's true expression.

It is nothing but a sinister grin, reeking of absolute malevolence.

Upon seeing Javier's cruel expression, something within Julian begins to bubble up—emerging from the depths within which it was banished all of these years.

A deep-seated sense of inferiority.

'JAVIER….!!!' His blood red eyes bulge to the extreme as he looks at the young man with hate.

Deep, unfathomable hate!

"You bastard! Not only did you steal the heart of my bride, but you also always made me feel like a fool in any gathering we were in. Always hogging all the spotlight, despite being from a mere Knight Household. How dare you look at me that way? You worm… You insect… You maggot piece of shit!"

Javier merely snickers upon hearing this.

"Dude… did you just admit to being cucked by me? Come on, man…"

"You hateful bastard! I know there's something going on between you two! I found out about everything… about your affair with her!"

"Eh? Affair? What's that all about? For your information, I never did anything to your wife."

"Still denying it, huh? She already admitted to it!"

Javier merely chuckles at all of these accusations, shaking his head.

"Serena and I are just friends. But the fact that you think like this must mean she hasn't been treating you like her husband, huh? Such a shame…" Javier laughs aloud, his petty words piercing Julian in ways that blades never could.

"… It appears your wife would have rather been in an imaginary affair with me than a real relationship with you."

"Y-you…" Julian falls to his knees, his eyes twitching. "D-did nothing really happen? B-but she… but you… ahhh… but… what have I done? Why? Why did she…? I loved her… I truly loved her… yet she… she always chose you…. WHY?!"

"I suppose I was the better man in the end. Now, if you'll excuse me…"

Showing no compassion at all, Javier simply walks away, not even bothering to cast another glance at the pathetic man who now trembles in despair.

"Take this disgrace of a man away."

The Royal Knights nod and drag Julian off. While being carried away, his eyes rest on Javier's back as he helplessly squirms, barking useless words that no one even pays attention to.

"It was him! He did all of this! It was all Javier Aditi's fault!!!"

*************

'What a stupid fellow…'

As I walk down the hallway, I can't help but think about Julian and his pathetic efforts to undermine me and prove his long-desired superiority.

In the end, he failed in the most pathetic way possible.

I didn't even have to try too hard.

It was too easy.

'I previously hesitated to bring the Royal Family into this because of a lack of justification, but with the invitation I received and everything being set up so nicely, it became a perfect scenario that I just had to take advantage of…'

Just like that, the big pain in the ass, Julian, is no longer a threat to me.

He'll likely be executed, and the other Nobles will face severe punishments not inferior to his own. I would have felt bad for them if not for the fact that they all conspired to have me killed.

Compassion is wasted on such fools.

'Even Earl Klaus won't escape this just because he was absent today. He'll likely lose his position in the Academy, alongside his Noble Title. Hehe… I've been meaning to have my revenge on that man for so long, and the time has finally come.'

Many people view themselves above such a petty emotion as revenge.

Not me.

I actually revel in it.

Men like Earl Klaus Gerondester are plagues upon the world. Not only did they make it extremely difficult for me in the Academy, but they've also negatively affected the lives of others.

Getting rid of them is doing the Kingdom a big favor.

'Of course, with politics involved, not all of the arrested Nobles will be executed. I reckon only a few need to face such extreme punishments to set an example. In fact, if Duke Marcus appeals for his son, he'll likely not get such a severe punishment.'

Speaking of Duke Marcus, thanks to the thorough investigation done by the Royal Knights, we found out where he was being kept. We also found the underground cellar where he had his own wife, Serena, imprisoned.

The moment Serena saw me, she hurried into my arms and shed tears of joy.

Apparently, Julian had kept her under house arrest the moment he took over the Ravenwood Duchy, which explains why she couldn't reach out to me. Although she didn't tell me about the whole affair matter, since she fell unconscious not long after we embraced, I can only imagine that Julian's insecurities took hold of him and he made her confess.

I could detect signs of mild torture and malnutrition on the poor girl, and she probably admitted to all of those things just to satisfy Julian.

I imagine that his suspicions were greatly fueled after watching us hug and seeing me personally carry her unconscious body to the medical room. But these are all things that friends do for each other, so I don't consider it a romantic gesture.

What a fool…

He abused his wife because of his own insecurities and even planned to have me killed out of the same uncontrollable jealousy.

At first, I thought he could also be furious about the death of his two siblings, but he never even brought them up during his arrest. It's clear that all of his efforts were truly far, which only makes him all the more pathetic.

Now that he has been taken away and I've confirmed Serena's safety, it's time to see the Duke.

We already found the Duke's chambers during our search, and judging from the state of the place, it's clear that Julian didn't care too much for his father.

I'm even in doubt that he actually sought ways to cure his father's stroke.

But, that aside…

"Hello, Duke Marcus." I walk in front of the completely paralyzed man seated in a wheelchair next to the window, a warm smile on my face.

This man and I don't have the closest relationship, but I did help him save his family.

He was also Dahlia's father, which means… sigh…

"I have come to offer you a cure to your ailment, Duke. I apologize for taking so long to visit, but… it couldn't be helped." I slowly wheel him from his former position to the bedside, after which I carry him and place him on the bed with ease.

"Here, let me help you…"

After sitting him up and making sure his back is well supported by the pillows, I carefully feed him the Grade 5 Potion I specially prepared for his condition.

Just as expected… it works wonders!

A bright light envelops his body, and he slowly begins to twitch, subtly moving his limbs with sluggish motion. It will take time to fully become accustomed to all bodily functions, but the miraculous effect of the Potion is undeniable.

In an instant, the Count has been completely healed!

"Javier…" He stares at me gratefully, tears slowly forming in his eyes. "Thank you."

"No need for thanks, Duke Marcus. I should… actually be apologizing to you. It has been long overdue, but… what happened to your two children… I—"

Before I can finish speaking, Duke Marcus Ravenwood raises a hand to stop me.

Then, he shakes his head.

"I don't blame you, Javier. We are who we choose to be. A man's choices determine his fate… and reflect his identity. They made their choice to help you and died in the process… and you made your choice to help me, proving what kind of person you really are."

"Duke…"

"You already saved my family before, Javier. For that alone, I am grateful. Not only that, but you also saved me from the machinations of my selfish child."

My eyes immediately widen the moment I hear the Duke's last statement.

"Y-you mean—?!"

"Indeed…" He slowly nods and chuckles bitterly. "That bastard boy actually poisoned me and sent me into this state. It seems he had been planning it for some time, but after his older brother was out of the picture, he figured it was his perfect chance to strike."

"My goodness…"

"Hehe… He must have used their deaths as an excuse for my stroke. And with his older brother gone, he became first in line and inherited the Duchy. What a conniving brat…"

To be honest, I am speechless.

To think Julian's thirst for power and his desire to prove his superiority would make him do such a thing to his own father… such cruelty is monstrous. Just how deep does obsession have to go for a child to do such a thing to their own parent?

"He must have caused you a lot of trouble, but the fact that you are here means he has been overcome, isn't that right?"

"Yes. He has been arrested for some crimes…" I explain the whole situation to the Duke, wondering what his reaction will be.

"Hahahaha!"

The most unexpected laugh suddenly rises from him, and his throaty chuckle eventually leads to a less-than-pleasant cough.

"It seems I will be losing yet another child of mine…"

'Looks like the Duke doesn't intend to bail Julian out. After hearing what he did, I'm not surprised, but it seems this man is also just as cruel to his enemies—even if it is his own son.'

No judgment exists in my thoughts, however.

I actually feel a tinge of sorrow.

Dahlia's death… it has suddenly become more real to me at this moment.

More real than it has ever been.

"I'm sorry, Duke Marcus…" Tears flow from my eyes as I stare emptily into the room. "I am truly sorry for what happened to your family."

"Yeah…"

He holds my hand, and when I look at him, I see tears streaming down his face as well.

"Me too, Javier." He softly mutters. "Me too."

I have no recollection of how long we spent in the room together, but it felt like a long period.

Both of us just sat there, mourning the death of our loved ones in tears.

It was the first time I cried in so long.

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