Chapter 38: The Fallen Prince (3)
“This is a lie… this has to be a lie!”
In Lucas’s pale green eyes, an unbelievable figure was reflected.
There was no way that man should be here—yet as if mocking Lucas’s fear, the Demon Duke stood there, as always composed, wearing that unreadable smile.
“It is no lie—my daughter seems to have been quite taken care of, so Prince Lucas, you are here, correct?”
His beautiful baritone voice fell over the room.
Yet its presence alone was enough to seize the hearts of everyone present with fear.
Standing before the open door the knights had left ajar was a tall man.
Ash-brown hair lightly tinged with silver, aquamarine eyes, and that same inscrutable smile.
He wore a deep navy mantle, a white coat embroidered with intricate silver-threaded vines and adorned with numerous medals, trousers of the same shade emphasizing his long legs, and a glossy gray vest.
Every gesture and detail of his attire was refined, his beauty so perfect it seemed ageless—the duke stood there exactly as he appeared when attending the royal court.
“Move aside.”
With just that single command, the royal guards who should have been protecting the room collapsed one after another, their knees buckling as they fell.
Only Walrig remained, dropping to one knee of his own will and bowing his head.
For the sake of his master, who could no longer respond properly, he stepped forward.
Lucas, meanwhile, could only gasp for air in panic, reduced to little more than a trembling creature.
“With deepest fear and regret, we acknowledge this grave disrespect. Duke Lattiche, please show mercy. We beg for forgiveness and leniency! His Highness is still young! We will ensure he is properly admonished, so please…! We will also report this matter to His Majesty the King. Please, we ask that you await his judgment!”
“I have already received His Majesty’s permission. There were conditions, but I was told to do as I please.”
Those words struck Lucas with shock.
He had always been aware that he was expected by King Lauzes, both as a ruler and as a father.
To hear that same king had granted the duke the authority to punish him was beyond belief.
Though he remembered being warned many times, he had never imagined this outcome.
The king should have known better than anyone how merciless the duke was toward those he deemed enemies.
The duke casually waved his hand.
In an instant, Lord Carreras was slammed into the wall with enough force to embed him into it, then fell unconscious, unmoving.
The one knight who had tried to stand for Lucas was effortlessly defeated.
“He had been causing problems for quite some time. If one goes too far, even a prince must bear responsibility for his actions. Privilege is not license for arrogance. A true retainer corrects such misunderstandings. Yet despite repeated warnings from His Majesty, Her Majesty, and the nobles, the prince has grown accustomed to tyranny. …Prince Lucas Orl Sandis, were you not told to be cautious around my house?”
He had been told.
Over and over since childhood.
So often it had become tiresome—even the king himself had warned him.
Never anger that duke.
He is not merely a demon—he is a true Demon King, the greatest monster of the Sandis Kingdom.
Yet, if not angered, he is the most reliable ally.
Lucas’s father had said that with a faint, playful smile.
But now, the duke appeared to Lucas as nothing but an omen of ruin.
“You see, I am generally uninterested in most things. However, matters concerning my daughter, Albeltiina, fall outside that scope. Prince—what exactly has Albeltiina done? She merely came to see her beloved younger brother and childhood friends. What fault lies with her? Our visit to the academy was authorized, albeit discreetly. Given our status, preparations were made in advance to avoid disruption. So what, exactly, was our failing?”
“Th-that is… that woman—no, she… she did something to Renaria…”
The duke’s eyes, like frozen tundra, pierced Lucas.
It felt as though his blood froze solid.
His tongue tangled in fear, his throat refusing to form words.
The pressure in the room intensified, the already cold gaze growing even colder.
What had the duke’s beloved daughter done to Renaria? Glared at her?
That would be natural.
A mere baron’s daughter acting overly familiar with a duke’s heir and a count would naturally be reprimanded.
It would not be strange for someone of higher standing to admonish her.
And the other party was the daughter of one of the four great dukes, born to noble parents of the highest rank.
If an inappropriate person lingered around the future head of the house, it would not be surprising for her to be scolded.
Moreover, that girl had seemed gentle and reserved—hardly the sort to act cruelly upon first meeting someone.
At most, there might be a verbal exchange between ladies, but rarely anything physical.
What Lucas had done, however, was truly abnormal.
Unable to endure the duke’s emotionless gaze, Lucas lowered his head.
Even the familiar carpet beneath him now felt foreign.
“Renaria… yes, Baroness Renaria Datches. It seems she has been spreading quite entertaining slander about my daughter, whom she has never even met. Portraying her as a villain of the ages, no less. Surely you did not believe such nonsense, Your Highness? Let me see—what were they? That she had bullied her stepbrother Kishtarial for years, manipulated people, seduced men into various relationships, even had others commit murder on her behalf. And that she oppressed lower-ranking nobles and treated commoners as less than human.”
Cold sweat ran down Lucas’s back.
Every word matched what Renaria had told him.
Did the duke already know?
Or had he investigated?
Renaria, a baron’s daughter, was not skilled in socializing.
Though she had many male acquaintances, she lacked equal female friends to share rumors with.
Only recently had flatterers seeking ties to royalty begun to gather around her.
“How strange. My daughter even keeps servants of foreign origin, whom our country tends to dislike, as her favorites. She cherishes them like younger siblings. Unlike me, Albeltiina is a very kind-hearted girl. She gets along well with her stepbrother Kishtarial, and my wife Lattine adores her. They share tea almost daily when schedules permit. She is timid and shy, but not someone who would harm others. In fact, she fears violence itself. Who, then, could possibly know enough about her to spread such rumors? Even within my estate, she is carefully protected. Our servants are loyal, and those who come and go are strictly vetted. She is deeply loved—perhaps even more by the servants than by me. Neither Lattine nor Kishtarial would ever slander her. The only others with knowledge would be the Domitrius family, who owe her a great debt and would never betray her. I investigated thoroughly, yet found no connection whatsoever between my house and this Renaria. So where did such information come from?”
The duke spoke fluently, but each word cornered Lucas further.
If the duke had investigated, it was as though the entire nation had been mobilized.
Yet nothing had been found—meaning there truly was nothing.
The gap between the great Lattiche ducal house and a mere baron’s family was insurmountable.
And now, baseless slander had severely damaged his daughter’s honor.
In noble society, such matters could lead to serious conflict.
Yet Lucas had nothing to refute him with.
The Albeltiina Lucas knew was a tragic noble lady, scarred after being kidnapped in childhood.
A girl who should have been a prime candidate for crown princess, yet withdrew from society entirely after her trauma.
She never attended a single event again—not even her debut.
The royal family had invited her repeatedly, yet she never came.
Her story had become taboo, surrounded by rumors and speculation.
Even Lucas had never seen her face.
Her grandmother, Sistina, was King Lauzes’s elder sister.
She had been famed as a peerless beauty.
Her daughter Christina inherited that beauty, and Duke Lattiche had fought and defeated even her former fiancé to marry her.
Their love story was legendary.
At last, the pieces connected.
That girl… she resembled Aunt Sistina.
Her hair color and glasses had hidden it, but her features were unmistakably similar.
Lucas had seen that face many times in palace portraits.
Only now did he realize—
he had nearly killed an innocent noble lady of royal blood.
And worse, he had provoked the wrath of the Demon Duke.
“Prince Lucas, I have no intention of taking your life.”
Relief briefly loosened his rigid shoulders.
But the duke continued.
“However, this matter cannot be overlooked. Your troublesome ‘friends’ and ‘guards’ will all be dealt with. If you experience the pain of losing something precious, perhaps you will learn restraint.”
Lucas looked up in shock.
Behind the duke stood Renaria, restrained, her mouth covered, her face pale as she stared at him.
Not just her—Walrig, the knights, Graham, Joshua, and Cain were all bound, gagged, and shackled with magic-sealing restraints, lying helpless on the ground.
Leold, his half-brother, stood nearby under guard, equally pale.
As Lucas struggled to comprehend the situation, the duke smiled beautifully—almost enchantingly.
“I hear you intended to publicly condemn my daughter. Following your example, I have gathered an audience in the dance hall. I will read out their crimes and dispose of them one by one. Fix their faces in your memory, and never repeat such folly.”
“W-wait! Please stop! This was my mistake! The royal family will formally apologize! Please, calm your anger!”
Renaria was among those to be punished.
But now, Lucas could only cling to the duke’s mercy.
Throwing away all pride, he begged—but the duke merely tilted his head slightly, his smile unchanged, and brushed Lucas’s hand aside.
“Do not insult me, Your Highness. You seem to misunderstand your position.”
His words made it clear—neither Lucas’s apology nor the royal family’s meant anything.
It was too late.
The die had already been cast.
“Please… I beg you… at least spare Renaria…”
“If you insist, then I will allow you to choose the order.”
A dignified butler approached, presenting a sheet of paper.
Written upon it were familiar names.
The order in which they would be executed.
The realization struck Lucas with primal fear.
For the first time, he glimpsed the true nature of the monster named Grail.
“I am generally uninterested in most things.”
“However, matters concerning my daughter are different.”
Yes—
to him, nothing else held value.
Not knights, not nobles, not anyone around Lucas.