Chapter 46


    As Mikhail continued to give out an intimidating aura, a crooked smile appeared on his lips.


    “Fine. You asked whether I still think that Violet poisoned Aileen, right? It’s only a given. In this residence! Violet is the only one who hates that poor child! Who else do you think is there who’d poison the Ducal Lady?!”


    “……”


    Roen took a step back from Mikhail.


    Violet used to argue back against Mikhail even in a situation like this.


    Realizing just how much spite had umted within his younger sister, Roen smiled bitterly.


    “You just keep saying useless things.”


    “Violet didn’t do it. There’s evidence to prove it, isn’t there?”


    “Evidence or documents like that can be forged many times over. <i>You</i> of all people should know that.”


    “So you’re saying that Father’s investigation was wed?”


    “He is Duke Everett. The man who has and always will be blind towards that viiness he calls his daughter.”


    “It’s true that Father’s favorite is Violet. But do you really think that that child is evil?”


    “You call her so tenderly now, huh.”


    “At the very least, I can say that we’re closer to each otherpared to you, Brother.”


    The dog growled, whereas the snake responded nonchntly.


    Mikhail replied, “…You must be going crazy, too.”


    As Mikhail let out a frustrated huff, he continued.


    “That kid is crazy. She wouldn’t hesitate to do anything to hurt Aileen. She doesn’t see any importance in her family or a clean reputation. You know that fact better than anyone else, don’t you? What a joke it is that you’re insisting otherwise now.”


    “……”


    “You don’t <i>really</i> believe that she’s not evil, Roen E. Everett.”


    As Mikhail continued to speak, Roen’s expression hardened.


    “It wasn’t like that from the beginning.”


    “What exactly are you getting at?”


    “Have you ever thought about <i>why</i> Violet had to act like that?”


    Mikhail snorted.”


    “I knew it, you’ve gone crazy now, too. It’s deplorable how <i>no one</i> in House Everett is sane.”


    As he had be antsy due to the spreading rumors, Mikhail scowled viciously.


    Roenughed. He agreed to what Mikhail said just now.


    How had Violet been able to breathe all this time when not one single person around her was sane?


    He had no idea how suffocating it was to be unable tomunicate with other people. It felt as if he was talking to a wall.


    Roen sighed.


    “As expected, you shouldn’t be the next duke.”


    “You talk as if you’re going to do something about it.”


    “Why, yes, I <i>am</i> going to do something about it from now on. It’ll be a huge pain in the neck if the likes of you will be the next duke.”


    At his ambitious younger brother’s deration, Mikhail’s eyes were set aze. In response, Roen merely smiled and took a step back. If looks could kill, he’d have been impaled by now.


    Once upon a time, Mikhail loved Violet dearly. It was very, very long ago, and even Roen couldn’t remember when that time had been.


    How in the world did ite to this?


    But Roen knew that he was not so different from his older brother. He swept a hand over his face, exasperated.


    He’s <i>this</i> frustrated after talking to that wall for only a few minutes—just what kind of world did Violet have to live in until now?


    Thinking about his younger sister, Roen smiled despondently with a dark look in his eyes.


    For the sake ofpletely overthrowing Mikhail from his position as the duke’s sessor, there was going to be a lot for Roen to do.


    * * *


    Aileen had been unconscious thus far from the poisoning incident—which happened while Violet was confined to the annex, by the way—but she finally woke up.


    As soon as she did, she examined her condition and dressed up.


    The next thing she did was listen to theints of the maid who was responsible for what’s been done to Aileen.


    “Mdy! I’m so d that you’re safe…”


    With tears in her eyes, the maid recounted the events that had transpired while Aileen was unconscious.


    The bulk of herints was about the fact that Violet had been deemedpletely innocent, and this led to strange rumors going around within the ducal residence.


    “Really? I’m fine. Sister, she… I don’t believe she’d try to harm me on purpose. I believe in my older sister.”


    “Mdy…”


    Aileen smiled. The maid cried once again as she was graced with the smile of the angelic ducaldy.


    “Mdy, you are this sweet and lovely. Who else out there would want to hurt you if not for that viiness—ah, no, the First Ducal Lady?”


    The maid continued like so.


    At this, Aileen just smiled wordlessly.


    The maid cried for a long time after that, then eventually left the room, saying that she would call for the doctor.


    After seeing off the maid, Aileen was now alone in her room. She pped a fist against the wall irritably.


    Not only was she unable to bring down that great noble Violet due to this incident, but negative rumors were now spreading about Aileen, too. This was a huge blow to her.


    ‘Just what the hell was that bitch doing in that shabby ce?’


    Aileen tore hair out, terribly frustrated.


    When Violet had been teetering between life and death after theke incident, the duke had spent an astronomical amount of money just to call a priest to heal her.


    On the other hand, Aileen was assigned only the duchy’s family doctor to tend to her after she had been poisoned.


    She still had a long way to go.


    ‘I guess something really happened to her when she almost drowned to death.’


    As Aileen was anxiously biting her lower lip, she suddenly heard a knock on her bedroom door. This made her scowl.


    “Come in.”


    “Are you feeling better now?”


    It was Roen.