Chapter 255 255. The Proof of Blood, Part XI
Editor: Aelryinth
Killian frowned at something he had never thought of before and faced Julietta. "The Archbishop must have recognized Regina. We can reveal that Regina is the Duke’s bastard."
"We have to send a person to Austern as soon as possible. Phoebe should not be introduced as the Duke’s illegitimate child."
Oswald stepped up at the words of Julietta was full of fear. "I’ll go there myself."
"Your Excellency the Marquis, please."
Oswald replied earnestly to her who looked urgent. "I’ll solve it no matter what happens. So don’t worry too much, just get over the work here."
When Oswald left the room, and had even sworn a trustworthy oath, Killian sat next to Julietta and raised her hand. "Why did you refuse the priest’s treatment earlier?" He looked sadly down at the cross-shaped cut on her index finger.
"I just wanted to finish the ceremony as soon as possible. I didn’t want to be caught because I was so nervous at the time. I didn’t want to waste time for the treatment."
It was the same reason she herself cut her finger. Julietta looked at her finger and said to Killian. "But I’d better get some treatment now. I think it’s better to be prepared for any doubts."
Killian understood Julietta’s words immediately, and ordered, "Ian, call a priest."
"Please call the archbishop too. I want to hear about Regina’s condition."
As Ian went out to follow the order, Julietta looked up at Killian. "Your Highness, if anything goes wrong tomorrow, you have to pretend you didn’t know anything about me."
"That’s nonsense." Killian got angry and turned his head.
"You have to. Promise me."
Julietta made a strong demand, but Killian remained tight-lipped.
"You have to say that you were completely deceived by the Duke of Kiellini. Say you didn’t know anything and get out of this and save me."
Only then did Killian face Julietta. "Save you?"
"Yes. I can’t die like this. So, you have to save me at all costs. I don’t want to die, even if I live my whole life as the maid Julie."
Killian laughed. It was his Julietta. He thought she wanted him to be the hero of the tragic event and abandon her and survive, but that wasn’t it. "Yes, for that reason I would never know this. That way, I can protect Julie for the rest of her life."
At Killian’s friendly reply, Julietta nodded. "I wish you hadn’t been a Prince of the main line of descent."
The remark, which was not fit for the situation, made Kilian doubt. "Why?"
"If you had not been, I would have begged you not to marry for the rest of your life, even if I had to live as a maid."
"I would not have to marry, regardless of whether I am a Prince of the main line of descent."
"You have to produce a successor."
"I can make the child a maid Julie gave birth to the next Emperor."
"Not long ago, you told me that because of your position, you would marry Princess Kiellini, and that you would take a maid named Julietta as a concubine," she reminded him.
"Things have changed. If I dispose of Francis and the Duke of Dudley, and seize all those involved in this matter, I will have greater imperial power than ever. So, I won’t have to read the countenances of others."
Julietta laughed brightly then. "I didn’t know you loved me so much."
Killian tilted his head as if he didn’t understand her. "Where was my love confession in my words?"
"You don’t have to know. All you need to know is that there’s something like that. But tomorrow I’ll be standing next to you, no matter what happens, after completing the Proof of Blood safely."
The mere thought of what could go wrong was terrible. Even if she managed to escape, she would not be able to save Simone, Vera, Gibson, and others who might have been involved in this.
Julietta had to be recognized as Princess Kiellini tomorrow by deceiving people right before their eyes.
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Dian shook Regina who couldn’t stay conscious, even after the archbishop came and left.
"Stop it." Regina’s nanny pushed Dian and got angry.
"Stop it? Who was this all for? I betrayed everyone and came all the way here because of the words that she is going to make me the lady of Kiellini! How can you tell me to stop?" Dian leapt from the floor where she had fallen and grabbed the nanny.
"You don’t know who you are and you’re greedy for yourself! Who are you blaming?"
Anger erupted at the words of the nanny who was mocking her. "Do I not know who I am? Do you think I’m the same as you? If it hadn’t been for this woman lying here, I would have lived a new life proudly as a noble lady!"
"Do you think I am going to let that happen? You are a part of those who have repaid the grace of the Duke and the lady with treachery. Even if I have to send a petition to the imperial court, I will reveal your identity. Wake up from your dream!"
Diane turned pale. When Regina came back to her senses, she was going to ask her to keep her word. ’Why didn’t I know it was such a ridiculous idea?’
The anxiety, frustration and anger that she had endured erupted. She hated the nanny who swore to interrupt her future in the end.
The nanny shed tears putting a towel on Regina’s forehead, as if she were no longer paying attention to Dian.
Dian looked around the room and found a bronze vase. Then she lifted up the vase which was too heavy for her with superhuman force, and brought it down on the nanny’s head.
Dian couldn’t overcome the weight of the vase and fell on top of a falling nanny, but managed to get up after a long time. She was in a daze because she couldn’t believe what she had done. She soon came to her senses. When she saw the nanny lying motionless, she was terrified. She bit her lips tightly.
’Get a hold of yourself! It’s not the time to release your spirit.’
Dian approached the nanny and put her hand under her nose. She only realized what she had done when she could not feel any breathing, even though she had been doing it for a long time.
Outside were the knights of the Duke of Dudley. She had to dispose of the body in a hurry because it was a big deal if they came in. She rolled the nanny’s body over, turning pale, and hid it under the bed where Regina was laying. Unlike the nobles’ beds, they did not hang sheets over the hard temple beds, so if they looked down, they would see the body of the nanny. But right now, there was nowhere else to hide her.
Dian picked up a vase that was rolling on the floor, wiped off the bloodstains and set it up as it had been. She then wiped away the bloodstains on the floor with extra clothes from the nanny and Regina, and put the clothes back in the bag. She then took a chair that had been placed up against the wall, covered the faintly stained floor, and wiped the blood off the bed. Because she could not do anything about the blood on the sheet, she decided to make the excuse that the sick Regina had vomited it up.
When she quickly finished her work, she sat down on the chair she had brought and began to ponder. ’Shall I run now? If I run away, where?’
It was horrible to have to live as a maid again. The life of a noblewoman she had lost right before her eyes had blinded Dian. As Dian’s thoughts were running aimlessly, Regina groaned as if trying to come to her senses. Dian’s mild brown eyes looked down at Regina.
’The nanny is dead. And what if Regina dies?’
No one would care about the death of the nanny. Even if a corpse was found, she would insist that it was something she didn’t know about. It was clear that they would think that the people of the Prince and Julietta, who considered Regina an eyesore, had killed her.
The archbishop had said that Regina would die soon, so even if she died now, no one would doubt it. Without these two, she would be able to say that she was the illegitimate child of the Duke of Kiellini. They were not above board, either!