Chapter 224

Chapter 11 The Falling Flowers and Flowing Water – Part 2

“The grandfather…Rodney IV, was hailed as the wisest and most valiant king in the history of Ethenberg. That year…he led the most elite German knight corps from Tasir to the Rose City, quelling the rebellion led by my great-uncle in the north, completely ending the twenty-three-year-long Rose War…”

Her words floated out like a sigh, elusive and hard to grasp.

“Later on, due to the truce agreement, I married your father…”

“Mother, I don’t want to hear this.” Victoria frowned, interrupting her, “No matter what you say now, it’s not a reason to collude with heretics.”

…

What!

Heresy, related to the Empress Dowager?!

I immediately widened my eyes, staring at the pale face of the Empress Dowager hidden under her disheveled hair.

She was still smiling. Her lips slightly curled, revealing a somewhat sickly beauty. In her golden eyes, similar to Victoria’s, a mix of madness, indifference, or despair intertwined, reflecting a light that I couldn’t understand.

“Victoria, on what grounds do you make such an assertion?”

“This is what I have witnessed.”

Victoria stared unblinkingly at the Empress Dowager, speaking clearly and rapidly.

“That night, all the city gates were sealed, yet a batch of silk was transported out of the city, claiming it was for the Empress Dowager to send to the workshops in nearby towns for clothing. Yesterday, the Cannyri Sword found that batch of silk outside the city, and everyone responsible for its transport was dead. The horned horse carriages were from the palace, and those bodies were confirmed to be from the palace… According to the guards that night, they saw an elderly man among those transporting the silk, but we did not see him at the scene… Mother, do you want me to continue?”

With that, I took a deep breath, instantly understanding the current situation.

That is to say, on the night we fought with Teresa, after Victoria ordered the city gates to be sealed, it was the Empress Dowager who helped the old gatekeeper open the gate… using gold coins, favors, or perhaps taking advantage of the chaos, she worked together with Teresa, one openly and the other covertly, ensuring the safe passage of the blood pearl out of the city.

When I looked at the Empress Dowager again, I was clenching my teeth in anger.

She seemed about to argue, but at that moment, the prince lying on the side suddenly clasped his chest and cried out loudly, “Daphne! Cough, cough, I never imagined… ever since my brother died, I supported you so much, I treated you like a real sister! But you, you actually got involved with heretics!”

He struggled to stand up, pointing at the Empress Dowager with trembling fingers, his brows furrowed and his face full of sorrow.

“I am… ridiculous, ridiculous! I was too foolish, to be deceived by you… From now on, I have no sister like you! And you can stop calling me your elder brother!”

After saying that, he limped towards Margaret, but was stopped by a Church knight, so he halted and wiped the sweat from his forehead anxiously, saying, “Holy Maiden, I have nothing to do with this matter! I didn’t know anything about the Gate of Truth! If I had known earlier, I would have done everything in my power to stop it! Please believe me!”

Margaret merely glanced at him indifferently, showing no intention of responding.

Instead, the Empress Dowager sneered.

“You might as well be silent; it’s too late to say anything now.”

“You—” Prince殿下 trembled with rage, “What do you mean by that? Are you trying to frame me? Want to drag me down with you even as you want to die yourself! I really… I know nothing, you tell them quickly, I really know nothing!”

“Would it help if you told them? Would they believe you?”

The expression on the Empress Dowager’s face gradually faded, the light in her eyes flickering on and off.

“They have already made up their minds. Perhaps Victoria… my daughter, has long regarded me as an enemy.”

“I haven’t made any such determination,” Victoria said. “Mother, I have never considered you an enemy, nor did I wish for things to reach this point. However…

“What’s happening to the heretics isn’t something I alone can decide. Please go and explain it clearly to the Holy Church first, Mother. Rest assured, I’ve already discussed with Her Holiness the Maid. They won’t send you to the underground prison of the Church before everything is clarified…”

“Haha—”

The Empress suddenly burst out laughing, her disheveled hair covering half of her face, looking like a madwoman.

“Victoria! I don’t need your fake sympathy! Do you know how you look right now? Exactly like your grandfather! You people…are smart, domineering! No matter what happens, you always only believe in yourself! You only see success or failure, all you have in your heart is grand ambition! Nobody can interfere with your thoughts…a great hero, huh…”

Her voice started to tremble as she spoke, tears welling up in her eyes.

“No matter what…Victoria, even once, did you ever consider my feelings…you never did…you’ve always been like this…from childhood to adulthood, you’ve never truly listened to me…”

“You think Father’s death has something to do with me…you think I did it for personal gain, colluding with the Clive family to empty the treasury…you think I see you as an enemy, wanting to harm your life…now, you think I’m that damned heretic…whatever you think, I am your mother…how can you treat me like this…”

“Mother…things have come to this, what do you want me to do?”

Victoria raised her head.

“I don’t want to believe those things. I don’t want to believe that Father’s death was real, I don’t want to believe that you and the Clive family did those things behind my back, and I certainly don’t want to believe that you’re a heretic…but your actions make me不得不翻译完整句子：

“…I don’t want to believe that you’re a heretic…but your actions make me不得不 believe…let’s end this here.”

“I won’t pursue the matter of today’s assassin anymore, let’s put an end to this—”

“That assassin wasn’t sent by me! It wasn’t me!”

The Empress rushed forward like a madwoman, her beautiful eyes fierce as she tried to grab Victoria’s face. I instinctively stepped in front of her, but the Empress had no chance to get close; she was pushed forcefully backward by Reckert, stumbling several steps and sitting heavily on the ground.

“…Hahaha…”

Her maniacal laughter echoed throughout the entire hall of the church.

I looked up and saw Victoria’s eyes dim.

“In that case, there’s no need for further discussion…”

She said softly, then turned to look at Margaret, who had remained silent.

“Sorry, Her Holiness the Maid…please take them away.”

Margaret nodded.

She waved at the knights, and they went over to help the fallen Empress up. On the other side, the Prince was also supported by two knights and dragged towards the door.

“I am the Prince of Ethanbell—I can’t be treated like this! Her Holiness the Maid! I’m not a heretic, please understand!”

No one paid any attention to his cries.

“Wait.”

At this moment, the Empress spoke again.

“Her Holiness the Maid, I will go with you. But before that, I have something to say to Victoria. It won’t take long, okay?”

Victoria, who was about to leave, stopped and turned around.

Margaret looked at her and then nodded at the knights.

“Let go of the Empress…keep it brief.”

“Her Holiness the Maid! I have something to say too—”

Seeing this, the Prince seemed to want to argue further, but next moment he heard Victoria’s cold voice: “It’s unrelated to him.”

“No! You can’t do this…Victoria! Victoria, tell your uncle to listen to reason…tell him…say something—!”

His figure quickly disappeared outside the door.

In sight, the Empress slightly adjusted her clothes and slowly walked to an undamaged pew, picking a seat to sit down.

“Come on, let’s talk.”

After a moment’s hesitation, Victoria walked over and sat opposite the Empress.

“That night…was it you, Mother, who sent the items out of the city.”

“Yes.”

The Empress answered crisply.