I’m Not A Saint Though?

chapter 14

“Wh-What investigation?”

The Duke’s jaw dropped.

A house search?

What crime had he committed to suffer such humiliation?

‘Am I dreaming?’

But the paper presented by the knight commander clearly bore the Emperor’s seal, along with the statement authorizing a search of the Veloce Dukedom.

‘What in the world…’

The Duke, his mouth agape, finally regained his composure and asked, “What exactly are the charges? This unprecedented house search is happening to this venerable family with a history of over two thousand years, so I deserve to know the reason!”

“The charge is murdering the legitimate heir of the Veloce Dukedom 13 years ago and assuming his identity.”

“What, murder? Identity theft?”

The Duke’s jaw dropped open again.

The legitimate heir of the Veloce Dukedom referred to him.

But to say that he had murdered himself, and even impersonated himself…?

“What kind of bullshit is this!”

The dumbfounded Duke yelled.

“Did you really cause this commotion based on Shaen’s, that bitch’s, nonsense?”

“Watch your language.  She is the Saintess, bestowed upon this land by the Goddess after 13 years.”

“Ha, Saintess my foot! How can you call a disloyal child who falsely accused her own father a Saintess!”

Growling with a darkened face, he spread his arms wide, blocking the knight commander’s path.

“A house search? I won’t suffer such humiliation because of a scammer.”

“Step aside. Can’t you see His Majesty’s seal here?”

“Ha, what’s a mere seal?”

The Duke scoffed.

“Do you not know where this mansion is? This is the Veloce Dukedom, the Veloce Dukedom! The history of the Empire, built alongside the founding of Catalon!”

“…”

“To search such a place, you must be joking! If you want to search my house so badly, tell His Majesty to come himself. That’s the proper etiquette!”

Panting, his nostrils flaring, the Duke seemed to have run out of breath from yelling.

He looked like a boar on the verge of collapsing.

The knight commander, staring at him, asked with an impassive expression, “So you refuse to cooperate?”

“What did you think I was saying! If you want to search my house, at least His Majesty himself should… *gasp*!”

The vehemently protesting Duke suddenly gasped.

The commander had drawn his sword and pointed it at his neck.

“Aaaaaah! Wh-What are you doing?!”

“Get that sword away from my father right now!”

Madam Magda and Melina screamed and tried to intervene.

But they couldn’t help but gasp and shut their mouths at the knight commander’s next words.

“He who defies His Majesty’s order is a rebel.”

“No, wh-what! How is refusing to accept an unjust treatment considered rebellion… H-Hey!”

The closer the sword got to his neck, the longer the Duke protested.

A cold blade pointed at his neck, with barely enough space for a single strand of hair.

The Duke’s eyes trembled uncontrollably.

“Will you obey His Majesty’s order, or will you walk the path of rebellion? Choose.”

“A-Alright. Alright, so put the sword away.  Hurry!”

Cornered, the Duke hurriedly raised the white flag.

The knight commander, finally sheathing his sword, gestured to his subordinates.

“Search the premises. Focus on the books mentioned by the Saintess.”

“Yes!”

The knights, receiving the order, instantly dispersed throughout the Dukedom.

“Ha, to suffer such humiliation because of one bad daughter.”

The Duke, collapsing onto the floor as his legs gave way, laughed hollowly.

“So, what did that wench say? Did she say some evidence would be found if they searched the books in my house?”

“She said she received a revelation to that effect.”

“What, a revelation?”

He had only scoffed when Shaen said to search the books, never expecting it to be true.

“That shameless girl.  Not only did she impersonate the Saintess, but now she’s even fabricating the Goddess’s words?”

“…”

“Fine, do as you please. But if no evidence is found after all this commotion, I will not let this go!”

The Duke issued a firm warning.

It stemmed from his confidence.

He was the legitimate heir of the Veloce Dukedom; how could any evidence be found by searching his house?

‘But why did that wench tell such a lie?’

Could it be that Shaen had held a grudge against him all along and hidden fabricated evidence beforehand?

Pondering, the Duke shook his head.

‘No, that can’t be.’

He clearly remembered the moment Shaen, who had entered the cave, returned with the lion and was hailed as the Saintess.

Shaen had a bewildered expression at the time.

The foolish people, blinded by the return of the Saintess after 13 years, might not have noticed, but he had clearly seen it.

Without a doubt, Shaen wasn’t the Saintess, and the accusations against him weren’t prepared in advance but fabricated on the spot.

‘It must have been the moment I claimed she should be punished.’

Because that was when Shaen’s eyes had changed.

As he pieced together the situation, his momentary anxiety subsided.

‘Yes, she must have been trying to frame me using the Saintess’s position.’

But that was Shaen’s mistake.

She had even mentioned a revelation from the Goddess to corner him, but if no evidence was found, everyone would doubt her.

‘She acted so smart, but she’s digging her own grave, blinded by revenge.’

The Duke sneered and then his eyes suddenly lit up.

‘Come to think of it, I should also get proper compensation from the Emperor.’

Even if he was the Emperor, he couldn’t let this disrespect slide, being completely fooled by a scammer’s words.

‘If I play my cards right, I might be able to get back all the assets that wench handed over, and even more on top of that.’

It seemed like he hadn’t suffered a loss, but rather gained something.

Just as the Duke, in a good mood, was grinning from ear to ear,

“Commander, we found it!”

“Huh?”

A voice filled with joy echoed from somewhere.

Startled, the Duke turned his head and saw the knights rushing towards something.

“Wh-What did you find? Evidence?”

That’s absurd…

Muttering with a bewildered look, the Duke hurriedly followed the knights.

The source of the voice was the study, filled with old books.

It was the previous Duke’s study, which had been empty since his death.

‘What evidence could there be here…’

As the Duke furrowed his brows, the knight, presumably the owner of the voice, handed a piece of paper to the commander.

Judging by its neatly folded thirds, it seemed to be a letter.

The knight commander carefully unfolded the paper and began to read it in a calm voice.

“To my one and only companion, Cassia.”

Cassia was the Duke’s mother, the previous Duchess’s, name.

‘A letter from my father to my mother? But how can that be evidence…’

The Duke tilted his head and listened to the knight commander’s voice again.

“Today marks exactly ten years since you returned to the embrace of Goddess Hedel.”

“The old man must have been scribbling a letter again, missing Mother. He had a surprisingly sentimental side, despite his appearance.”

Despite the Duke’s frivolous laughter, the knight commander continued reading the letter.

“I placed a bouquet of flowers on your grave and was returning when dark clouds gathered in the clear sky and a shower poured down.  The rain felt like your tears, so I couldn’t bring myself to avoid it.”

“Wow, what beautiful writing.  That old man, I have to hand it to him for his writing skills.”

“What should I say to ask for your forgiveness? I swore I would never let those beautiful eyes shed tears, but I ultimately broke that promise.”

The Duke, who had been chuckling throughout the reading, paused for the first time.

‘But what sin did my father commit against my mother?’

They were a couple known for their exceptionally good relationship.

He had never seen them fight, even after sharing a bed for so many years.

So what could there be to apologize for so earnestly?

As he wondered, the knight commander continued reading.

“I can’t even lift my head, having driven a nail into your heart by falling into the wicked ones’ trap, and now, even our child has been lost at their hands.”

“Huh? Lost a child?  Did she have a miscarriage?”

It was the first time he had heard of it.

But it wasn’t particularly strange.

It was a possibility, considering his mother’s frail health.

Clicking his tongue, the Duke listened to the knight commander again.

He felt a strange sense of interest as unknown stories unfolded.

But then…?

“I’m sorry, Cassia. Never forgive me for not being able to punish the one who killed our son and took his place, even though he’s of our blood.”

“Wh-What?”

The Duke’s face turned pale.

Now that he thought about it, wasn’t this letter completely supporting Shaen’s claims?

“Th-This is absurd… No, this is all a lie! Shaen, that’s fabricated evidence she made up!”

The Duke raged.

“Shamelessly, I still miss you.”

Ignoring him, the knight commander finished reading the last sentence and looked at the Duke with cold eyes.

Sensing a bad omen from that look, the Duke tried to flee, but

“Musikan Veloce, you are under arrest for the murder and impersonation of the legitimate heir of the Veloce Dukedom. Seize him.”

It was already too late.