The Impact Of The Villainess’ Fake Marriage On The Ending

“Say something that makes sense! How dare you say that!”

The emperor shouted to Kael with a face red from anger.
Nevertheless, Kael did not move, only staring at the emperor.

“It’s your duty to send soldiers defending the capital! Don’t you know what will happen if you disobey that obligation? Do I look that easy, speaking of treason since earlier? Huh?”
“How could you look easy, Your Majesty?”
“Then what is this? Insulting me in this way…”
“You are the first emperor in the history of the empire to turn his back on the North. How can I, the ruler of the North, regard such a magnificent person as easy?”

It was full of sarcasm. It was uncharacteristic of Kael to speak like that, but knowing that it worked best for the emperor, he deliberately did so.
Unsurprisingly, the emperor’s face twisted into an even greater rage.

“Marquis Tien said he was also withdrawing his defense forces.”

Enoch moved even faster than Kael.
After confirming Adeline’s safety, he immediately came to the emperor and declared that the army of the East would no longer defend the capital.
The grudge had already accumulated since that happened to Leo, so when Adeline was added to the mix, it was only natural.
The emperor made all kinds of threats, but it didn’t work at all for Enoch, and a week later, the Knights of the East decided to leave the capital.

“You still have the defense forces in the south and west, so you will be able to hold out, Your Majesty.”

There was no way he could hold out. Kael knew that better than anyone else. That was why he spoke sarcastically.
The emperor’s face was gradually turning pale.
All sides sent soldiers to the defense forces, but the size of the north and east was overwhelming. Their skills were also unmatched by the other two sides.
So, it was obvious what the consequences would be if Kael and Enoch’s soldiers left.

“I heard that the imperial family has not yet come forward to find out the truth. You’re not investigating at all to find out who the real culprit is, or how Adeline was classified as a suspect during the investigation.”
“…”
“That’s why I’m going to do it myself. No matter how long it takes, I will definitely find out and hold them accountable.”

Kael clearly conveyed his intentions in a calm but strong voice.

“Shouldn’t they suffer twice as much as what the Grand Duchess did?”

At that, the emperor’s eyes trembled sharply.
Seeing the emperor’s agitation, Kael swallowed his laughter. He looked pathetic, as if he had rammed into the North without measures and was only now feeling the gravity of the situation.

“I’ll take my leave now, Your Majesty. As I said, I have a lot to investigate.”

The longer he faced the emperor, the more anger rose as he remembered how Adeline suffered and collapsed.
Kael could only see her wrists, but it was reported that the bruises created by the vines covered her entire body.
Considering Adeline’s pain, he wanted to grab the emperor by the collar and shake him right now. Even though it was a waste of time because he would only hear nonsense after a long audience, he had to leave to suppress that urge.

“Hey, Kael!”

As Kael was walking towards the door resolutely, the hesitant emperor grabbed Kael.

He was more dispirited compared to when he called him in a rage.

“What should I do to keep the defense forces as they are?”

Kael slowly turned around to face the emperor again.

“I’m really sorry. It was my mistake. Who knew things would turn out like this? You’re human, too. Every human being slips like this sometimes. So…”
“Why are you apologizing to me?”

Kael cut off the emperor’s words as he finally lost his confidence and babbled.

“It is not I who Your Majesty should apologize to, but the Grand Duchess. The Grand Duchess whom you personally ordered to be tortured.”
“Look here, Kael. I…”
“Apologize politely to the Grand Duchess in a place where all the nobles are gathered. Then I will think about the issue of the defense forces.”

As soon as the emperor heard those words, he approached Kael enraged again.
Never before had the emperor publicly apologized to a noble in front of everyone.
Even if the fault lay with the emperor, everything was forgiven because he was the ’emperor’. That was the position of the emperor and the nobles.

But now, Kael was thoroughly ignoring that position.
‘I don’t care that you are the emperor, so apologize politely to my wife who was hurt by your mistake,’ was what Kael was saying in the end.

“Are you kidding me right now?! How dare you! I’m the Emperor!”
“Do you not realize it yet, Your Majesty?”

Kael lightly stopped the emperor, whose veins were once again popping out.
The emperor stopped, startled at the sound of his voice, which had sunk incomparably to how it was previously.

“You have brandished a sword against the loyalty of the North. The North, which, with just loyalty, was considered as the shield of the empire instead of devouring the capital.”
“…”
“You should have thought before taking Adeline. Even if Adeline was the real culprit, you should have erased any thoughts of taking her. But since you took an innocent woman and hurt her, shouldn’t you pay the price?”

There was a new spark in his blue-grey eyes. Kael’s cold anger could be felt in every syllable he pronounced.

“Please remember, Your Majesty. The people of the North never forget nor forgive those who touch what they have.”

Kael stared at the emperor with disdain as if he was no longer worthy to deal with, then strode out of the office.

“Ah…”

As he walked out, Vanessa and her brother were walking across the hall.
Vanessa let out a faint gasp and stopped walking as soon as she saw Kael.

“Greetings, Grand Duke Inver.”

The moment Kael’s gaze reached her, Vanessa spoke with a clear voice as if she had been waiting. She carefully grabbed the skirt of her dress, bent her knees slightly, and greeted him.
He could see that she was struggling to look pretty and elegant.
Kael was not interested in those things at all.
In fact, had it not been for Vero’s words, he would have passed her without even glancing at her.

“Your Grace. Do you have anything to say?”

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As Kael approached Vanessa, her brother, Jeffrey, stepped forward first.
His temperature was different from that of Vanessa, who was just busy blushing.

“When the Red Knights investigated the incident, they heard my wife’s name coming out of the Lady’s mouth.”

However, Kael did not give Jeffrey a glance and asked Vanessa in a cold voice.
Vanessa’s eyes shook violently at the mention of the Red Knights.

“From now on, please keep your mouth shut. It is too noble a name to come out of the mouth of the daughter of a mere count.”

Kael’s words were cold enough to make one’s bones shiver, and Vanessa’s expression, which was swollen with anticipation, instantly turned pale.

“Your Grace. There seems to be a misunderstanding. She didn’t know anything about the situation, she just trusted His Majesty and cooperated with the Red Knights. She didn’t make up things that didn’t happen and just told the truth about what happened that day.”

When Vanessa couldn’t say anything, Jeffrey came forward and covered his sister.

“I am also sorry to hear about Her Grace. Vanessa feels the same way. Please don’t push her too hard.”

As Jeffrey stepped forward to protect his sister, Kael’s cold gaze slowly shifted to him.

“My sister is also a victim, Your Grace.”

The blue-grey eyes and light brown eyes met each other.

“I really hope so. Count Felix.”

A voice that was lower than usual gave a warning, and the gaze, which seemed to cut one’s body just by looking at it, turned to the two siblings.
Kael then immediately looked away and headed out of the imperial palace, as if it was a waste of time.
He had to quickly find the person who made Adeline go through this. That way, Kael’s anger would be released.

***

“Adeline?”
“Ah, you’re here.”

Adeline was out of the bedroom, wearing a dress that wasn’t a chemise for the first time in a long time.
Kael, who naturally thought she was lying down and resting, opened his eyes wide.

“Your body hasn’t fully healed yet.”
“I’ve been given permission to go around now. It’s not my temperament to just lie down. Don’t worry.”

Adeline, wearing a green dress and with her long, wavy blonde hair down, gave a pale smile.
Kael quietly watched Adeline shining in the sunlight.
She had always been a person who attracted attention, but he couldn’t take his eyes off her today.
She didn’t look as glamorous as when attending a party, she was just lightly dressed up as usual, but she looked strangely eye-catching.

‘Is it because I haven’t seen her like this in so long?’

Adeline had just stayed in bed for a while. Kael found a reason, saying that it was because her dresses had become unfamiliar in the meantime.
He asserted that it was never because his feelings grew bigger or because he cared more and more about her.

“Is there something on my face?”
“No. Nothing.”

Adeline asked first, seeing that his gaze didn’t leave her.
Kael immediately said no, but his eyes were still fixed on Adeline. Only Kael himself didn’t notice that.

“Kael. Do you have anything to say to me?”

In the end, Adeline asked again, and Kael looked at her somewhat bewildered.
He moved his lips slightly, but he couldn’t answer easily.
It was because he was surprised to find that he had been looking only at Adeline, and also because he felt that Adeline was drawing a strange line unlike before.
It was a distance that Kael wanted more than anyone else. But funny as it was, he felt dissatisfied.

“Your Grace.”

Just as Kael was about to answer, the butler came upstairs and called him.

“A guest came. I’ve said multiple times that you can’t meet her without an appointment, but she won’t listen. I told her firmly, but she has no intention of going back… And she’s not someone we can just let outside without worrying.”

The butler looked at Kael with a very embarrassed and sorry expression.

“Who is it?”

Kael asked, furrowing his brows slightly, and the name that followed surprised both Kael and Adeline.

“Lady Vanessa Felix.”