The crown i will claim — Chapter 24

FASADE DEALS IN ARMS, NOT KENNELS.

I FAIL TO SEE WHY YOU WOULD TAKE IN A TROUBLESOME STRAY DOG THAT NOSES ABOUT EVERYWHERE.

DO BE CAREFUL... BEFORE I BEGIN TO MISTAKE FASADE FOR AN ACTUAL KENNEL.

AH, YES...

THE RATHER AMBITIOUS BANQUET PREPARED BY THE CLAUDIO FAMILY ENDED IN CHAOS.

IN THE DAYS THAT FOLLOWED, IT WAS ALL THE NOBLES COULD TALK ABOUT.

AT THE CENTER OF EVERY CONVERSATION WERE ALWAYS MINISTER ETIENNE'S UNSAVORY PROCLIVITIES...

...AND THE CLAUDIO SIBLINGS.

Episode 24

AHHH!!!

I'LL KILL HER! I'LL KILL HER!!

CALM DOWN, VIRNA.

WHAT AM I SUPPOSED TO DO NOW?! EVERYONE SAW ME LIKE... LIKE THAT!!

HOW AM I EVER MEANT TO MARRY AFTER THIS?

NO ONE WILL EVER PROPOSE TO ME!

MY POOR DAUGHTER...

IT DOESN'T MATTER. NO ONE IN THIS SMALL LAND OF BALDINA IS WORTHY OF YOU ANYWAY.

YOU'LL MEET A FAR GREATER MAN. SOMEONE YOUNG AND CAPABLE... AN OUTSTANDING MAN WHO WILL HAVE THE WORLD AT HIS FEET.

THIS WHOLE INCIDENT ONLY HAPPENED BECAUSE MEDEA REFUSED TO LISTEN.

HOW DARE SHE HUMILIATE MY DAUGHTER?

DON’T WORRY, VIRNA. MEDEA WILL PAY FOR THIS. I WILL MAKE SURE OF IT.

THE MORE I THINK ABOUT MEDEA, THE MORE INFURIATED I BECOME.

NOT ONLY HAS SHE FAILED TO APOLOGIZE, BUT SHE ALSO HASN’T EVEN ASKED ABOUT YOUR WELL-BEING.

EXACTLY. MOTHER, YOU SHOULD HAVE A WORD WITH HER.

I WILL. AFTER EVERYTHING WE'VE DONE FOR HER, THIS IS SIMPLY UNACCEPTABLE.

FOR NOW, LET'S TRY TO FORGET ABOUT IT. HOW ABOUT WE GO OUT? I'LL GET YOU ANYTHING YOU WANT.

REALLY?

THEN I WANT THE NEW DRESS FROM THE LATEST COLLECTION... AND THAT NECKLACE WE SAW LAST TIME!

STILL... WHAT A RELIEF. IT MAY BE A HASSLE, BUT IT'S STILL SOMETHING THAT I CAN TAKE CARE OF.

WHAT KIND OF NONSENSE IS THIS?!

YOU EXPECT MY DAUGHTER TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY?! THAT'S ABSURD!

IT SEEMS MY WORDS ARE FALLING ON DEAF EARS.

IF NOT YOUR DAUGHTER, THEN WHO IS TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY?

BECAUSE OF THE DRUG LADY VIRNA GAVE ME,

I MAY WELL BE RENDERED IMPOTENT!

?!

A DRUG? VIRNA WOULD NEVER DO SUCH A THING!

A DRUG WAS DETECTED IN THE WINE I DRANK THAT DAY.

AND WE'VE UNCOVERED EVIDENCE THAT LADY VIRNA LACED THE WINE WITH IT.

YOU...!

YOUR GRACE, BE HONEST WITH ME.

DID YOUR DAUGHTER NOT ACT ON YOUR ORDERS?

MINISTER! DO YOU TRULY THINK I'D BE CRAZY ENOUGH TO DRAG MY OWN CHILD INTO SOMETHING LIKE THIS?!

LET'S JUST STOP HERE. WE'RE IN THIS TOGETHER, ARE WE NOT?

AS FOR WHAT VIRNA DID... PLEASE CONSIDER IT AN ACCIDENT AND LET IT GO.

I WILL COMPENSATE YOU WITH SOMETHING VALUABLE.

JOAQUIN. I'VE ALREADY GIVEN YOU MY ANSWER.

YOUR DAUGHTER HAS INVOLVED HERSELF IN THE MATTER OF MY DESCENDANCE.

IT'S ONLY FITTING SHE TAKE RESPONSIBILITY AND RESOLVE IT HERSELF.

IF LADY VIRNA BEARS MY HEIR, THIS WILL ALL BE SETTLED.

THIS IS MADNESS! I WILL NOT ALLOW IT!

ALLOW? DO I LOOK AS THOUGH I'M ASKING FOR YOUR PERMISSION?

M-MOTHER.

I DON’T WANT THIS!

I DON’T WANT TO MARRY THAT OLD TOAD. NEVER! I’D RATHER DIE!

I’D SOONER DIE THAN MARRY HIM!

I’D SEVERELY PUNISH HER RIGHT AWAY IF I COULD, BUT NOW IS NOT THE TIME.

THAT PIG, ETIENNE, IS EXCEPTIONALLY SKILLED AT NEGOTIATION. IT’S ONLY A MATTER OF TIME BEFORE JOAQUIN IS PERSUADED.

I'LL HAVE TO ACT QUICKLY.

YOUR GRACE! I'M INNOCENT!!

INNOCENT, YOU SAY? IF YOU FAILED YOUR DUTY TO YOUR MISTRESS, THEN PUNISHMENT IS ONLY FITTING.

I-I ONLY DID AS THE YOUNG LADY ORDERED...!

SILENCE.

KEGH! KLEGH!!

URGH, ERRGH...!!

MOTHER...

SHEILA WAS THE ONE WHO DRUGGED COUNT ETIENNE.

WHEN HE PUT YOU IN A DIFFICULT POSITION, SHE CONFESSED OUT OF FEAR AND TOOK HER OWN LIFE.

UNDERSTOOD?

YOU WILL GO TO A CONVENT. STAY THERE AND BEHAVE UNTIL THINGS SETTLE.

IT'S TIME YOU GREW UP.

YES... I-I WILL.

WRITE A CONFESSION IN SHEILA'S BLOOD AND DELIVER IT ALONG WITH HER BODY TO COUNT ETIENNE'S RESIDENCE.

YES, YOUR GRACE.

I'VE RECEIVED A MESSAGE FROM TOM. IT SEEMS ONE OF HOUSE CLAUDIO'S CARRIAGES LEFT THE ROYAL PALACE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT.

HE REPORTED THAT IT CARRIED A SACK THAT APPEARED TO CONTAIN A BODY,

ALONG WITH A BOX WRAPPED IN A DISTINCTIVE VELVET.

JUDGING BY THE DIRECTION IT TOOK, IT SEEMED TO BE HEADED TOWARD COUNT ETIENNE’S RESIDENCE.

IF IT WAS A BOX WRAPPED IN A DISTINCTIVE VELVET, IT MUST’VE BEEN THE "BOOK OF THE SAGE."

IT SEEMS MY UNCLE HAS GROWN RATHER IMPATIENT.

THE "BOOK OF THE SAGE"...? ISN’T THAT A ROYAL TREASURE?

IT IS. THE FACT THAT HE’S OFFERING IT UP MEANS ETIENNE MUST BE IN QUITE A FOUL MOOD.

HAVE YOU CONFIRMED WHOSE BODY IT WAS?

YES. IT BELONGED TO THE DAUGHTER OF A VASSAL FAMILY THAT HAS SERVED HOUSE CLAUDIO FOR GENERATIONS.

INFORM THAT FAMILY DISCREETLY,

AND TELL UMBERTO THAT VIRNA HAS FLED TO A CONVENT.

YES, YOUR HIGHNESS.

YOUR HIGHNESS, ABOUT UMBERTO...

CAN HE TRULY BE TRUSTED? HE'S A SPY FOR THE KAZHEN EMPIRE.

HE MAY BE FOLLOWING YOUR ORDERS NOW TO MAINTAIN HIS COVER, BUT I'M WORRIED ABOUT WHAT MAY COME AFTERWARD.

IT WILL BE FINE.

I HAPPEN TO KNOW HIS MASTER QUITE WELL.

UMBERTO IS POSING AS MINISTER ETIENNE'S SERVANT,

BUT HIS TRUE IDENTITY IS THAT OF A SPY FOR THE EMPIRE.

THE PROOF WAS THE BADGE I SAW THAT DAY.

IT BORE THE EMBLEM OF "RED FOX,"

AN INTELLIGENCE UNIT UNDER COUNT KENSINGTON KNOWN ONLY TO A SELECT FEW WITHIN THE EMPIRE.

IN MY PAST LIFE, COUNT KENSINGTON LED "RED FOX" AND PERFORMED MANY DISTINGUISHED SERVICES FOR THE EMPEROR OF KAZHEN.

BUT HIS EXCEPTIONAL ABILITIES ULTIMATELY AROUSED THE EMPEROR'S SUSPICION.

IN THE END, HE WAS HUNTED BY THE EMPEROR'S SHADOW AND MET A MISERABLE DEATH.

RED FOX... UMBERTO'S MASTER IS SOMEONE WORTH FORMING AN ALLIANCE WITH.

THIS INCIDENT WILL SERVE AS A SORT OF BRIDGE BETWEEN US.

SHE SAYS IT LIKE IT'S NO BIG DEAL.

JUST HOW FAR AHEAD HAS SHE THOUGHT ALL THIS THROUGH...?

ABOVE ALL, MY UNCLE CHERISHES VIRNA. BUT COUNT ETIENNE HAS NO INTENTION OF COMPROMISING.

THIS INCIDENT WILL CERTAINLY DRIVE A WEDGE BETWEEN THEM.

NOW IT'S TIME FOR THE HUNTER TO MOVE.

ONE MONTH LATER

APPREHEND THE CRIMINAL!

USE FORCE IF HE RESISTS!

EEEEEK!

CHANCELLOR SISAIRE?!

HOW DARE YOU BARGE INTO MY HOME AND CAUSE SUCH A RUCKUS?!

LARQUE E. ETIENNE. YOU ARE UNDER ARREST FOR HUMAN TRAFFICKING, MURDER, AND VIOLATIONS OF MILITARY LAW.

WHAT IS THIS NONSENSE YOU’RE SPOUTING?!

YOU WON’T DENY KNOWING FORMER HEAD MAID QUEZIN AND THE CHILDREN WHO VANISHED FROM THE PALACE, WILL YOU?

YOU ABDUCTED CHILDREN FROM THE PALACE, TREATED THEM AS YOUR PLAYTHINGS BEFORE KILLING THEM, AND SOLD THE ONES WHO SURVIVED.

YOU THEN USED THE PROFITS TO BUILD YOUR SLUSH FUND.

EVEN HELL WOULD REJECT SOMEONE AS VILE AS YOU.

AS YOU CAN SEE, THE EVIDENCE IS CLEAR. I SUGGEST YOU COMPLY PEACEFULLY.

HOW ARROGANT. DO YOU THINK A FEW DEAD COMMONER BRATS ARE ENOUGH TO BRING ME DOWN?

MINISTER, I SAID "VIOLATION OF MILITARY LAW."

ARE YOU AWARE THAT THE CHILDREN SOLD HERE WERE RESOLD TO FOREIGN COUNTRIES THROUGH THE BLACK EYE MERCHANT GUILD?

THAT GUILD ALSO SUPPLIED YOUR SLUSH FUND.

IN OTHER WORDS, YOU LEAKED PALACE PERSONNEL TO FOREIGN COUNTRIES DURING WARTIME.

DURING WARTIME, ANY VIOLATION OF MILITARY LAW IS PUNISHABLE BY IMMEDIATE EXECUTION.

TAKE HIM AWAY.

YES, SIR!!

DAMN IT... IS ANYONE THERE?!

Y-YES, MY LORD!

CLAUDIO! INFORM DUKE CLAUDIO IMMEDIATELY!

GO NOW! TELL HIM I'VE BEEN ARRESTED!

Y-YES, MY LORD! I'LL SEND HIM A LETTER RIGHT AWAY!

QUICK! I NEED TO HURRY...

THIS IS KARMA... YOU BASTARD.

UMBERTO, MEMBER OF RED FOX