Chapter 45: Misunderstanding

 “Malicious rumors, you say?”

 It was a calm question fitting the quiet dining atmosphere.

 Clea wasn’t particularly concerned.

 There had already been plenty of unfavorable rumors circulating about her.

 She thought this would undoubtedly be another pointless rumor.

 Meanwhile, the expressions of everyone else had completely hardened.

 They glared at the aide, clearly displeased with the current situation.

 The aide cleared his throat and then explained about the rumor.

 “There’s a false rumor spreading that Clea Odoi is a m-murderer.”

 “Ha, a murderer. Now that’s amusing.”

 “I agree. This skinny girl committing murder? Even a passing dog would laugh at that.”

 “Anyone who could fall victim to Clea must be quite something.”

 “Edmund, how can you say that when I keep biting you?”

 The more she heard, the more it seemed they weren’t defending her but teasing her.

 Clea frowned, but they were already laughing.

 A murderer? They thought it was such a ridiculous story that it showed on their faces.

 But the aide’s expression remained grim.

 “So who is the supposed victim?”

 “Well……”

 “Aide, speak without hesitation. I don’t have the patience to wait.”

 The person who urged the aide was neither Odin nor Edmund, but Elina.

 She was very curious about who was the subject of the rumor.

 Having suffered several times from rumors in her youth, she didn’t want Clea to walk the same path as herself.

 So she wanted to quickly hear from the aide who the other party was.

 With these kinds of rumors, one should first suspect the alleged victim.

 After a moment, the name of the other party flowed from the aide’s mouth.

 “It’s the lady of Hersher.”

 “……Who?”

 “The lady from the Duke Hersher’s family.”

 Those who heard the aide’s words were all dumbfounded.

 “Is she dead?”

 “No, she’s not.”

 “Then calling me a murderer seems quite wrong, doesn’t it?”

 “Since it’s a rumor……”

 “If false rumors are spreading, shouldn’t we correct them first?”

 Clea was right.

 If false rumors were spreading, the first step should be to find the source of the rumors and cut them off.

 Not leisurely making reports here.

 But the aide swallowed and looked at Clea.

 In fact, most people in the imperial palace, except for those in the Crown Prince’s palace, didn’t look upon her favorably.

 Generally, the higher the nobility, the more their future could be considered predetermined.

 Among those predetermined futures, until recently, the position of crown princess had been almost certainly decided on one person.

 They had spent years preparing to welcome the new crown princess who would be born.

 Not for Clea, who suddenly appeared out of nowhere, but for Aria.

 “We haven’t received a response from Duke Hersher’s family.”

 The aide felt the same way. Perhaps that’s why his eyes looking at Clea weren’t kind.

 The ducal family had expressed dissatisfaction with this matter.

 In his personal opinion, Clea was not suitable to be the crown princess.

 He thought it would be right to consider the rumors about her before confirming her as crown princess. That’s why he prioritized reporting over explaining.

 Odin smiled at the aide.

 Seeing his smile, the aide bowed his head and smiled brightly.

 He thought Odin had understood his intentions.

 At least until he opened his mouth.

 “The intention is so obvious that it’s rather absurd.”

 At Odin’s first words, the aide looked at him with wide eyes.

 “Did they refuse to cooperate?”

 “Yes, that’s right.”

 “Then we might as well force them to submit.”

 “Y-Your Majesty! What are you saying!”

 “If the ducal family has first refused the imperial command, it seems we already have sufficient justification.”

 Odin’s eyes were shining fiercely.

 With the eyes of a beast looking at its prey, he didn’t look old at all despite the wrinkles on his face.

 He looked ready to take up a sword and visit the ducal family right now, but no one at the table tried to stop him.

 Rather, both Elina and Edmund seemed to be in agreement with him.

 The aide who watched this was bewildered.

 “So how are people reacting?”

 While he was urgently thinking about how to handle the situation, an additional question was heard.

 At Clea’s question, the aide looked at her in surprise.

 She was still smiling slightly with a wine glass to her lips.

 Even though he wanted to say that wasn’t important right now, he couldn’t because of the gazes of the three people.

 So he forced out an answer.

 “People seem to believe it completely.”

 “Why?”

 “Well, the stories of how you bullied the lady since your days at the academy are too well-known. That image is fixed in people’s minds.”

 “And?”

 Clea, thinking there must be more, demanded an answer from the aide.

 The aide, though unwilling, continued with the remaining words.

 “Not only the graduates of the academy but also current students, everyone without exception, are stepping forward saying they can testify.”

 This meant the rumors would have spread quickly.

 Clea looked at the three people for a moment. They were undoubtedly excellent at handling matters.

 Various clever strategies were mentioned by the three, but Clea felt that this time she shouldn’t leave it to them.

 “I’ll have to solve this on my own this time.”

 “What do you mean?”

 The first person to react to Clea’s words was Edmund.

 He probably intended to step in and handle the situation himself.

 Normally, she might have left it to him.

 Being terminally ill, she didn’t have time to take on troublesome matters.

 But this time she decided to move differently.

 “I’d like to resolve this myself, if that’s okay?”

 She looked at the three and asked.

 Odin and Elina looked at her with concerned eyes but soon nodded.

 Edmund still had an expression of being unable to accept it as he maintained eye contact with Clea.

 He didn’t want her to shoulder everything alone.

 He wanted her to have as light a heart as possible, especially since she was already carrying such heavy circumstances.

 But with one sentence from Clea, his firm resolve crumbled.

 “If I’m to be your wife, I need to gain not just your heart, but also people’s acceptance.”

 This wasn’t the position of just anyone’s wife, but that of the crown princess.

 If people’s gazes were unkind, it would naturally affect Edmund as well.

 Clea didn’t want that.

 Odin and Elina, recognizing Clea’s intentions, quietly stepped back.

 “Still, I don’t want you to push yourself too hard.”

 “I’ll push myself just this once.”

“Clea.”

 “If you’re worried, just stay by my side.”

 “I’ll always be by your side.”

 She smiled and continued with her meal.

 This topic was no longer important. The others felt the same way.

 They continued their meal in a pleasant atmosphere once again.

 But inwardly, each of them harbored a strange hostility toward Duke Hersher’s family.

 Clea alone was lost in different thoughts.

 ‘I knew this problem would come eventually.’

 As is typical for the final fate of a villainess, she had expected that someday she would await death amid people’s hatred.

 That’s why she had already anticipated something like today’s events.

 ‘I’ll show you how I escape the trap you’ve set for me.’

 * * *

 “Is this really the right thing to do?”

 “It’s true that she was the one who bullied our Aria first.”

 “That’s right. Clea bullied me throughout our school days.”

 The Hersher ducal family was busy at work.

 They gathered people who shared their views and spread rumors as much as possible to lower the perception of Clea.

 With rumors, even if there was no substance, having witnesses who claimed to have seen it greatly increased credibility.

 Since it was true that Clea had been mean to Aria from the beginning, it wasn’t wrong.

 “But I’m not sure if it’s right to ignore the imperial family’s request for cooperation.”

 At the Duchess’s concerned voice, the Duke spoke firmly.

 “The imperial family started it first. After all our loyalty to them, this is what we get in return? Does that make any sense?”

 “What if His Majesty becomes angry, thinking we’re being impudent?”

 “The emperor is old now. Meanwhile, our ducal family has grown significantly.”

 Hearing the Duke’s confident voice, Aria smiled.

 ‘Why did you covet Edmund’s side, Clea? That place beside Edmund is mine.’

 She was certain.

 Because of this incident, Clea would be abandoned not only by the emperor and empress but also by Edmund.

 No matter how much he liked her, how could he accept her into the imperial family when her reputation had plummeted?

 To become a member of the imperial family, one must be flawless.

 Especially for the position of crown princess, the Crown Prince’s partner, there must be absolutely no controversy.

 Everyone in the Empire already knew about Clea.

 As a wicked villainess, that is.

 The more she thought about it, the better she felt. Aria hoped that Clea would soon be punished as a villainess.

 Only then could she replace Clea and become the crown princess.

 “You’ve definitely cut ties with Lloyd, right?”

 “Yes, Father. I told him not to meet or contact me.”

 “Good, well done.”

 Aria nodded at the Duke’s question.

 Though some doubts remained, Aria thought she had cut him off.

 At least in her mind.

 The Duke was satisfied with Aria’s answer and praised her.