Chapter 127. Preparation, Part XII

Translator: Khan

Editor: Aelryinth

"I'm fine, so go on. Why did Julietta become Iris and make her debut in society?"

"Julietta didn't like my plan. She said she'd rather leave the theater. She got a job as a maid and left the theater in more disguise than she'd ever used before."

Maribel smiled unknowingly at the boldness Julietta had shown at the time.

"A maid...?" Robert tore his hair as if he could not believe it.

Even though she was an illegitimate child, she was the blood of the family of Anais! Even if she was not allowed to enter the family registry, she was a child with her own right to live without touching water for the rest of her life!

"I didn't mean to let Julietta rot as a maid for the rest of my life, but I wouldn't have done that, either. But her beauty was a hindrance. She was a beautiful maiden with no background, so I could see how difficult her future would be. But I thought it was too cruel to be in disguise for the rest of your life, as Julietta did. When I was thinking about what to do, the Duke of Kielini came to see me."

After seeing the Prince, who had not been able to breathe properly, Simone looked at the Marquis. "I think it would be better for Mrs. Raban to tell you about this later part."

Maribel smiled as if saying "Make yourself look good" at the glance of the nervous Marquise Raban. Simone carefully opened her mouth, relaxing her tight neck.

"Iris has been told by doctors many times since she was a child that she won't live long. The priests of Vicern who said they could cure poison or even a fatal disease, gave up on Iris' disease. Even the word 'curse' went around. It was a disease of unknown cause."

Simone took a sip of tea to wet her dry mouth.

"The priests' holy power did not cure the disease, but it helped extend the life of Iris, who was about to die. She had to stay in bed most of the time, but she had been judged to be able to live more than twenty years if she doesn't overdo it. As the faint future of Iris was assured, my brother was nervous. No matter if he could get the ailing Iris married using the power of the Duke's family, it was evident what would happen to the future of a woman without successors. If my brother died suddenly, he was worried about Sir Raven, a distant relative who would be the new Duke, taking care of Iris to the end."

At Simone's words, Robert guessed what had happened. "He decided to use Julietta."

At Robert's anger, Maribel cut in quickly, "At that time, as I heard the plan, I thought Julietta would be the right fit since she would be protected by the Duke of Kiellini. The Duke's plan, the princess's social debut, would be over in a month. In the meantime, the original Julietta was made to seem dead so that she could escape the eye of Marquise Anais and not reveal her identity to Your Excellency."

"If that is the plan, why is everyone here now, including His Highness Killian?"

At Robert's words, Simone replied, "My brother is going to kill Julietta."

"Why the hell? Everything went according to his will. Why the hell!?"

When Robert couldn't contain his anger and shouted again, Maribel quickly stepped in.

"At first, the Duke wouldn't have felt that way. I didn't sense the atmosphere at all. But my grandson in Tilia told me that Princess Iris asked him to get rid of Julietta. It seems that His Excellency has decided that it would be better to get rid of those who know about everything after hearing the princess's request."

"Do you mean including you, Mrs. Raban, and Julietta?" asked Killian, who had listened to them in silence so far.

"Yes, Your Highness. So, we had to find a way."

Robert looked back at Killian, then he stared at Maribel, who bowed her head as if she were ashamed.

"Do you think the solution is His Highness? I don't understand. What does this have to do with His Highness?" On the contrary, it was surprising that the Prince would not punish everyone for such a scam!

"Of course, it does matter to me if I am going to marry Julietta?"

Robert, wondering if he had misheard the great thing the Prince had said casually, asked,

"I'm sorry, Your Highness. I think I heard the wrong thing. Could you repeat that?"

"No matter how many times. I will be the next Emperor, and Julietta will be the Empress."

At the unbelievable words, Robert forgot his pain and his eyes were glazed, "You… are making Julietta the Empress?"

"Yes, the Marquis. I was going to take Julietta as my concubine. But Julietta suddenly disappeared, then reappeared in front of me by raising her status, so should I think highly of her spirit?"

Robert unknowingly shed tears of relief.

This enormous task of having a false identity was a terrible sin that could not have been avoided, even if the Prince wanted to kill Julietta right away. The Marquise was going to beg him, if the Prince would just spare her life, he would hide her for the rest of her life…

Killian added, looking at the Marquis quietly shedding tears. "So, the Marquis, you must join in making me Emperor."

"Yes, of course, Your Highness. Of course! I will devote my life to making you Emperor!"

"Live and try. What's the use of your dead life? These days, there are so many people willing to give their lives to me that I do not know what to do with them. I'm not a corpse collector, so don't say that."

Robert managed to stop crying and then asked about the most worrisome part. "But how are you going to deal with the Duke of Kiellini? Can you threaten the Duke with this? Rather, he might threaten you with what makes Julietta the Empress."

Killian laughed, as if not to worry. "My aide will go down to Tilia Territory in a few days. He'll go and look around Tilia and see what the Duke is doing. Then I am going to infiltrate my knights into Tilia Territory."

After a pause, he looked at Mrs. Raban. Simone lowered her gaze politely, as if she agreed with the Prince.

"At the end of the season, I will visit the Duke and make a suggestion. Julietta will be Iris Kiellini and marry me, and the real princess will join the family as the Duke's adoptive daughter."

Killian smiled cruelly and said to Simone, as if to warn her, "It was a very difficult decision for me to give this much generosity to the Duke and his daughter, who ignored and tried to kill Julietta. Mrs. Raban, she'll still be a foster daughter, and she'll inherit the title of Duke, so you'll have to thank my broad heart."

Simone replied quickly to Killian's words, "These are the ones who tried to throw me out. I will never be shaken by blood ties or betray you. I'm just grateful to you, because this will give me the power of the Duke's family."

At Simone's reply, Killian softened his expression with satisfaction.

Robert raised an objection. "Would the heir, Sir Raven, remain silent when the Duke says he will hand over the successor seat to the adopted daughter? The Duke wouldn't have thought of using Julietta in the first place if that was possible."

Robert shook his head as if the idea were nonsense, but Maribel said, "Your Excellency, it will work if he says she is an illegitimate child. Even an illegitimate child can be his successor if he proves that her blood is of the family of the Duke."

In Austern, with the exception of the families of Dudley and Kiellini, the founding contributors, only the male nobles could be successors. As a result, it was customary for a nobleman to have children from outside openly, if there were no boys.

In order for an illegitimate child to enter the main house and become a successor, he had to be certified by a Vicern priest as the biological child of the head of a family. Of course, Iris was the Duke's biological daughter, so there would be no problem of proof.

Robert was struck by the plan he would not dare to think of. 'Whose plan was this?' Their enemy, the family of Duke Dudley, was pitiful in comparison.