I was stripped of the crossbow I was holding and dragged by the knights to be locked in the northern tower of the palace.
Fortunately, it wasn't a dungeon where violent criminals would be imprisoned.
It was a relatively clean and decent room where nobles awaiting trial were kept.
It would be hard to believe it was a prison if not for the iron bars on the door.
‘What the hell is going on…’
As I glanced around the room, I sighed deeply and sat on the bed.
‘How much of a fit will Derek throw…’
Honestly, I was more worried about the sinister mutterings of Derek than being accused of attempting to assassinate a noble.
- If I disgrace the family again, it won't end with just being imprisoned.
He said he wouldn't let it go if I disgraced the family, and here I am.
“Haha.”
I laughed in resignation.
I have no idea how far this crazy game's story will extend.
However, one thing is certain: the situation I'm in now is part of an episode.
I carefully took out the dagger I had hidden inside my jacket.
Indeed, I was afraid of the terrifying skills of Ecart.
They confiscated the crossbow I was holding, but they didn't search my body.
That's why I can remain calm now.
“An assassin's emblem…”
In the cave, I was too distracted to examine the reward closely.
At the bottom of the blade of the poisoned dagger that stabbed the crown prince, there was an unknown emblem.
It was undoubtedly a symbol representing a certain family.
- Lady! What are you doing?
- Why are you cutting your perfectly fine hair with a knife?
When I tried to cut my hair to use as a brush, the crown prince suddenly grabbed my hand.
At the time, I thought he was just being fussy…
‘Did he already know it was poisoned?’
I felt a bit complicated as I turned the dagger over and observed it.
Not only the emblem, but the tip of the dagger also had a decoration made of blue silk thread.
It looked like a gift given by someone wishing for safety.
“…Now, if I can just figure out where this emblem is from, will I rise from the trials of a villain to become a hero?”
Muttering to myself, I carefully put the dagger back inside my jacket.
It wouldn't be good if someone noticed I had evidence of an assassination.
At that moment,
“Penelope Ecart.”
Someone called out to me through the iron bars of the prison.
Under the eerie torchlight, a pair of cold blue eyes were revealed.
“…Young Duke?”
It was Derek.
I slowly got up from my seat, feeling a bit dazed, and approached the door.
Perhaps because of the special environment of the prison,
Even though he clearly came to scold me, seeing his face again after nearly two days felt quite pleasant.
I first checked above his head.
[Goodwill 29%]
It hadn't dropped further since the last time I saw him.
That was a relief.
“They say you shot a bear with a crossbow.”
Just as I was letting out a sigh of relief,
Derek began, perhaps starting his scolding.
“Ah, yes. That was….”
I was about to make an excuse when,
“Are you… hurt anywhere?”
I heard something I couldn't believe my ears.
I looked at Derek with unfamiliar eyes.
His face was expressionless, making it impossible to guess what he was feeling.
However, the fact that he didn't immediately start berating me but instead showed concern made my throat and chest tighten.
Perhaps, without realizing it, I felt quite wronged about being labeled as a 'noble assassin.'
“Is your father or the young duke… alright? What about Leonard?”
“Leonard left the palace in a hurry to bring a mage who can engrave magic on your crossbow bolts. We need to prove it wasn't for killing.”
“I'm sorry. I caused so much trouble….”
I muttered weakly.
But my mind was working quickly.
Anyway, before the 'real lady' appeared, the Ecart members had been protecting the 'fake lady.'
Although it eventually led to death,
‘Maybe handing over the emblem to Derek now could be a solution.’
After thinking it through, I decided to give him the dagger.
“Young Duke, this is a clear frame-up. There's a way to resolve it. In fact, I….”
“Penelope Ecart.”
Just as I was about to spill everything that happened yesterday,
Derek abruptly cut me off.
“There are over six witnesses who say they were hit by the crossbow you shot.”
“…What? What do you mean….”
“Moreover, at the tea party you attended on the day of the incident, you threatened the ladies, saying you would turn them into fools with your crossbow.”
I widened my eyes.
The rumors had already spread so widely.
“That….”
“Your crossbow is only enchanted to make people faint and lose their memory.”
“….”
“But Count Tulet, the fiancé of Countess Kellin and the nephew of Duke Ellen, was hit by your arrow and really went insane.”
“Huh?!”
“He's drooling and looking for a pink-haired goddess of hunting.”
“…”
I was speechless at the absurdity of it all.
‘What's going on? Is one of the assassins the fiancé of the blue-haired one?’
I frowned and thought seriously.
I didn't know which side Count Kellin's faction was on or who Count Tulet was.
But from the fact that he was the 'nephew' of Duke Ellen, the queen's relative, I had a rough idea.
“So, why did you say something different at the tea party? Or rather….”
While I was lost in thought, Derek seemed to have already finished his speculation.
“Tell me why you were so upset that you shot at the nobles this time.”
“….”
“To give you some leniency.”
At that moment, my mind went blank, and I was at a loss for words.
I naturally expected Derek to ask me for the whole story.
I thought this situation would lead to clearing my name and shaking off my past infamy.
But Derek's words sounded like he was assuming,
‘…that I shot at the nobles because I was upset, as if it were a given.’
Of course, I did shoot the crossbow, but it was at the masked assassins, not at the nobles.
Unable to find the right words, I asked in a defeated voice,
“…Don't you think I might have acted in self-defense for a reason?”
“Viscount Garbo, who was carried in unconscious, testified that….”
Derek replied coldly.
“You suddenly appeared in front of them while they were working together to kill the bear, and you started shooting your crossbow, saying you were going to take their prey.”
“What…?”
“He pleaded that they didn't have time to dodge because the bear also went wild.”
“Huh, you believe that?”
I laughed bitterly and asked.
Even if it were the real Penelope, that would be absurd.
How could a noble lady alone handle so many people?
‘Of course, I did do it.’
But if it weren't for the system, I would be walking the path to the afterlife with the crown prince by now.
“Whether I believe it or not isn't the important part.”
But Derek didn't seem to think so.
“The bigger problem is that a rumor is spreading that you tried to assassinate the crown prince and were eliminating witnesses.”
“Assassinate…?”
The situation was getting more and more absurd.
I didn't hide my shock, and it showed on my face.
“What could I possibly gain from assassinating His Highness the Crown Prince?”
“The goal is to eliminate Ecart by using you as a pawn.”
“Young Duke, the assassins weren't me, but from that group.”
Realizing that the focus of our conversation was drifting, I decided to tell the truth.
“That bear was my prey. His Highness the Crown Prince, who happened to pass by, helped me when I was struggling and cut off the bear's head.”
“….”
“How could I, a single person, take down so many men? It's absurd that anyone believes such nonsense. The truth will be revealed in the investigation….”
“The truth is.”
Derek suddenly interrupted me, speaking in a low voice.
“The truth is whether you shot the crossbow at the nobles and the bear or not.”
I lifted my gaze from his lips and slowly looked at him.
“…Young Duke.”
“And the fact that the only one who could vouch for your story, the Crown Prince, is now fighting for his life due to poison is also the truth.”
“…Poison?”
I was shocked to learn that the Crown Prince had collapsed due to poison.
But what surprised me more was Derek's attitude towards me.
His piercing blue eyes, unwavering as they looked at me.
‘Ah.’
I finally realized.
He had no faith in me from the start.
“If it's just a prank by the Thunderbolt, it can be contained.”
In other words, it couldn't be contained if it went beyond that.
“Ha….”
A bitter laugh escaped my lips.
Unaware of this, I was grateful and relieved that he came to the prison to see me…
I even thought about handing over the only evidence I had.
“Young Duke… you don’t believe anything I say, do you?”
“….”
“You don’t even intend to verify if the rumors are true or not.”
“It’s better to wrap this up quickly before the rumors spread further.”