My Ruin to You - Chapter 131

The double doors swung open as the Emperor, draped in a crimson mantle, entered the council chamber. Passing between bowed heads with measured steps, he advanced toward the imperial throne.

“To think my younger brother could be so indifferent.”

The Emperor paused before Valen’s position below the dais, his strange smile belying the infinite softness in his reproachful gaze. Though days had passed since Valen’s return to the capital, he’d avoided the palace under pretext of recovery.

Valen merely inclined his head in silent reply. Seemingly satisfied, the Emperor gave his shoulder a light pat before ascending the dais – only then letting his gaze briefly skim over Roseline’s crown. That fleeting glance carried tangled emotions. When the Emperor lightly raised his hand, the nobles took their seats, commencing the council.

The chamber doors opened again to admit Edan and Merrick. Dressed in full knightly regalia, they took position at the center of the U-shaped table where all nobles’ eyes would naturally converge.

“The severed head of Marquis Brün, Your Majesty.”

Edan knelt after placing a wooden case on the floor. A collective gasp swept through the nobles. As Merrick opened the lid, bloodstained silk lining was revealed, framing a severed head where a single earring bearing the marquis’ seal glinted dully through matted hair.

“You were present in the marquisate when the plague erupted?” a Duke asked sternly.

“I was, while carrying out my orders.”

“Explain in detail. What precisely was your mission?”

“To monitor Marquis Brün’s movements and ensure Lady Celodienne’s safety.”

Surveillance of both, Roseline interpreted. Glaring at Valen’s back, she felt his hand reach behind to briefly squeeze her knee before withdrawing.

“And what reason did Your Highness have for surveilling the Marquis?”

The Duke’s sharp question turned toward Valen. By now, the stench of rotting flesh had begun permeating the chamber. Nearby nobles pinched their noses or gagged. Only after the case was closed and the commotion settled did Valen respond:

“Likely the same reason you’re all gauging my reactions now.”

The composure of one who knew his position precisely. Though insolent before the Emperor, none dared call it out. His Majesty merely chuckled softly: “My brother remains unchanged.”

“Do you knights believe there exists a way to win wars without losing troops?”

Silence settled over the council chamber. Everyone knew this wasn’t a question seeking an answer, but rather a rhetorical prelude, so they waited in hushed anticipation. Valen’s gaze swept leisurely across the assembled nobles before continuing.

“The Marquis made me an offer – said he’d teach me that method if I gave him something in return.”

“Such…!”

“Highly suspicious words indeed.”

Roseline tilted her head in confusion. The shrewd Marquis would never have made such a reckless proposal, yet Valen was a man who might deceive but never outright lie. Most likely, he’d simply reversed the sequence of events. For these high-ranking nobles, it would be more palatable to portray the Marquis as having first provided cause for suspicion rather than admitting they’d been caught investigating him.

“Continue.”

At Valen’s slight chin lift, Merrick took up the account.

“While investigating suspicious experiments at a closed clinic, we discovered excrement and faint tufts of fur – evidence of vampire bats.”

Roseline became certain now. If the panicked Marquis, after being caught, had hastily cleaned the clinic and then approached Valen with an offer, the timeline made perfect sense. Yet regardless of sequence, the undeniable fact remained that Valen had sent Roseline there knowing full well what might await her. Her hands clenched quietly in her lap.

“Describe in detail the situation when the plague broke out,” the Duke directed at Edan.

“As guarding Lady Celodienne’s return was also my duty, we were en route past the clinic. Upon approaching, a strange man burst from the clinic doors – eyes bloodred, making animalistic cries as he immediately attacked a passerby, biting their neck.”

Nobles’ faces twisted in revulsion. Some hugged their arms against sudden chills, while others leaned toward neighbors to whisper. Muttered exclamations and stifled gasps gradually filled the chamber.

“I entered the clinic searching for the Lady but found no one. By the time we contained the escaped bats, the village had already descended into chaos. Though I needed to find the Lady, containing the plague took priority – so I sealed the outer gates and sent word to His Highness via messenger bird.”