Chapter 37
“It was found in the young lady’s luggage!”
The captain’s cold gaze snapped toward Adelaide. His eyes were sharp enough to cut, and under that pressure, she stammered.
“Th-there must be some kind of misunderstanding—”
What the knight held up was none other than Killian’s ring.
The Crown Prince’s signet ring? That couldn’t be right. It was a gift Killian had given her.
“Take them all.”
Finding her words weren’t even worth hearing, the captain issued his order. The count, the countess, and Roem were dragged away by the knights.
Adelaide was no exception.
Two knights hauled her roughly to her feet where she had collapsed.
But unlike her family, the men restraining her did not lead her outside. Instead, they dragged her up the stairs. Behind her, the heavy clatter of the captain’s armor echoed.
They brought her to her room.
“Untie her.”
“Yes, sir!”
The ropes were removed, leaving angry red marks on her wrists. The skin, rubbed raw, stung, but fear overwhelmed her so completely she barely noticed the pain.
Adelaide’s eyes trembled. The captain looked at her with open disdain.
“Listen carefully, Lady Eport. His Highness is on his way here as we speak.”
He clicked his tongue.
Even now, the Crown Prince was being lenient with House Eport. Otherwise, the entire family would have already been thrown into prison for treason.
“He intends to interrogate the culprit personally. So take my advice—don’t try any half-baked lies. If you want to save your family, you’d best tell His Highness everything you know.”
His tone made it clear he thought of her as a fool.
And perhaps that was only natural. After all, she was rumored to be so lacking in refinement that she could barely even step outside.
Her appearance might have been unexpectedly pleasant, but his prejudice ran too deep. Even her fear-stricken expression looked nothing more than pathetic in his eyes.
“No doubt your father or brother slipped the ring into your luggage. A woman’s belongings would attract less suspicion. So if you simply tell us who entered your room today, there’s a good chance even the innocent servants will be spared. Don’t try to be clever and make things worse for yourself.”
“No, no, that’s not it. There’s been a mistake. I have nothing to confess. That ring, that ring is—”
“Enough.”
The captain cut her off coldly.
“I have no interest in speaking with you. I’ve said all I need to. Think carefully about what the wise choice is.”
He turned his back on her and strode toward the door.
Soon, his voice echoed from outside.
“Keep a close watch on the girl until His Highness arrives. Post guards at the door and the stairs, cut off all escape routes. Don’t underestimate her just because she’s a woman. Treat her as a traitor who laid hands on His Highness’s property.”
“Yes, sir!”
“If she tries to flee, you are authorized to use your swords.”
The chilling words drained all warmth from Adelaide’s body.
The room was in ruins. The luggage she had carefully packed lay shredded across the floor. At last, tears began to fall.
There had to be some kind of mistake. There was no way that could be the Crown Prince’s signet ring.
But her mind was too muddled to even begin tracing where things had gone wrong.
The Crown Prince…
She had heard of him as her brother’s acquaintance, but she had never once stood in his presence.
For a fleeting moment, a terrible thought crossed her mind. What if Killi had stolen the Crown Prince’s ring and given it to her?
She shook her head violently.
That couldn’t be. Why would he ever do such a thing?
His face, earnest as he confessed his love, was still vivid in her memory. The ring he had given her with a proposal, there was no way it could have been stolen.
“I don’t understand… I don’t understand anything…”
Adelaide sank to the floor, her back against the bed. Drawing her knees close, she buried her face and began to sob, her shoulders trembling in uneven waves.
The Crown Prince was coming.
What should she say?
With a single word, she could determine the fate of both her family and Killi’s.
If she told the truth, Killi might be executed.
If she lied, her family would bear the blame for a crime they didn’t commit.
How much time passed like that?
Then, suddenly, noise erupted outside. The sound of many footsteps surged upward from below.
“We greet the Crown Prince!”
At the guard’s voice, Adelaide’s eyes shook violently.
She still hadn’t decided what to say.
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