Chapter 61.1

The entourage, including Young Marquis Kieran, returned. All the carriages and horses belonged to Duke Claude Del Ihar.

Princess Rosina ran out of the chapel and got teary as she welcomed home those she missed dearly. As the maids all came out and surrounded the carriage, Kieran opened the door and disembarked.

Rosina first hugged the weary Kieran and then hugged Canillian tightly.

“Must have been a long trip, Sir.”

To think that this lovely child would harass anyone!

Rosina wouldn’t believe it even if she had seen it herself.

Canillian’s cheeks blushed, embarrassed by Rosina’s welcome.

“Isn’t this Eli? Duke Maximillian’s horse?” Rosina asked as she approached the confident horse.

The intelligent Eli recognized her and nuzzled his head against her in a show of familiarity.

“The Duke asked us to take care of him. Asked Canillian,” explained Kieran.

“Asked Sir Canillian?”

“Yes,” he confirmed.

Rosina felt that she understood the answer to her message even without looking at it. Eli is an elite horse with a title. To ask Canillian to take care of this precious animal meant that Claude placed in Canillian an infinite amount of trust and love.

“Then, come in,” said Rosina. “Marilyn is waiting for you.”

***

Lia found Marilyn sitting on a red velvet chair when she stepped into Princess Rosina’s palace. Marilyn, while clothed in lavish garb, looked thin. She stood up saying, “I’ve been waiting.”

There was no anxiety on Marilyn’s face.

Rosina regarded Marilyn as she sat down near her.

Was it because of Marilyn Shelby that a message was sent to the North?

Kieran maintained formality as he took out a letter from his pocket and put it on the table. Rosina knew that the answer to her question was contained therein.

Rosina turned to Marilyn and asked, “Marilyn Shelby, do you maintain your accusation and that the incident caused you to suffer great shame and resentment?”

“Yes. Sir Canillian harassed me. That is an undeniable truth. He, himself, admitted it. My maid and Sir Claude are my witnesses.”

Rosina nodded. Canillia was perplexed and started to step away, but Kieran gripped her arm as a way of telling her to stay put.

Lia pushed down the anger she felt and glared at the message Rosina now held. She now understood why Claude was so angry after having read the message.

“I,” Lia asked hesitantly, “harassed you?”

Marilyn scoffed and puffed out her chest as she saw Lia’s ears redden from anger and resentment.

“Yes, you did. You even apologized. That it was just an impulse. But, I never forgave you. Sir Canillian, are you actually going to claim that it’s not true?”

“I—”

“Stop!” exclaimed Rosina, who was already reading Claude’s response.

She felt angry, but part of Marilyn’s claim was true. From Rosina’s perspective, it wasn’t harassment, yet she understood that others could see it that way. There was no way to cover that with a lie.

Rosina considered that an error in handling this situation could put Kieran in a difficult position. Rosina clenched her fist and felt the pain. Rosina, having read the response, lifted her head with a faint smile.

Marilyn grabbed the hem of Rosina’s dress with trembling hands.

The Princess was essentially Marilyn’s last hope. The Marchioness was sick after having relinquished everything. And, Marquis Shelby was being tortured as he wouldn’t give up any information.

Marilyn knew her antics wouldn’t work on Prince Wade, but thought she could manipulate Rosina because of Rosina’s relationship with Kieran.

But Rosina’s response completely dissolved Marilyn’s hope: “The Duke has found the owner of the clematis.”

What does she mean?

The room was silent.

“What do you mean?” Marilyn demanded as she stood up, her face pale.

“Also, it says here that Canillian, with whom Claude is very close, never did such a thing. Claude found your claim baseless and rude. He included evidence of Marquis Shelby’s treason.”

The Princess smiled and came to Marilyn, displaying the evidence included in the royal communique.

Marilyn, her face ferocious, countered, “Ha! The Duke has no honor. I care nothing about the owner of the clematis! But, treason? There is no treason!”

Rosina lifted Marilyn’s trembling chin with the tip of a finger, leaned very close to her, and whispered. “I told you that defamation is a serious charge. It appears that you and your father are equally skilled at lying.”

“No! We have been wronged!”

“It might not have gone this way if you had waited for punishment quietly, Marilyn Shelby.”

“But, Princess—”

“Stop!” commanded Princess Rosina. “Guards! I order you to arrest Marilyn Shelby for falsehoods and defamation of character of royals.”

As soon as the Princess gave the order, the guards marched into the drawing room. Rosina wasn’t the weak Princess anyone might have thought she was.

“Princess, you can’t do this! Let me go!” shouted Marilyn.

As Marilyn struggled against the guards, her shoes flew off and the pearl necklace on her scrawny neck popped apart. The elegant white pearls dropped, bounced, and rolled all over the floor. Lia stared at the pearls with sad eyes.

Marilyn screamed as the guards dragged her out of the room. Based on the additional evidence, the Marquis would stand trial and be stripped of his title. Maybe Marilyn would have her life spared, but there was no guarantee regarding the lives of the Marquis and Marchioness.

After Marilyn’s screams faded in the distance, Rosina looked back and forth from Kieran to Canillia and asked, “Do either of you have anything you want to say to me?”

“It was a wise choice, Princess,” said Kieran.

“That’s not the answer I wanted, Sir.”

Princess Rosina looked at Kieran sternly and put her hand on his shoulder. The tip of her elegant fingers trembled slightly.

“Am I correct to assume that you know who the owner of the clematis is?” asked Rosina.

Kieran wrapped his hand around Lia’s without answering. Canillia, who was still replaying Marilyn’s arrest in her mind, couldn’t meet Rosina’s eyes.

The Duke’s clematis was with her. But he found the owner. If the Duke didn’t leave it by mistake, did that mean he left it on purpose? Lia’s head swirled with the thought.

“The clematis is with me, Princess,” said Canillian.