Chapter 160 - North Korean rabbit

Chapter 160

Evangeline’s realization was a step too slow.

The hand Arpad extended was not a hand of salvation reaching out to her.

Arpad’s rough hand tore away the black veil that had been covering Evangeline’s face.

She tried to resist, but her reaction was far too late, and her strength insufficient.

*Whoosh!* As the veil ripped away, Evangeline’s face was laid bare.

“Aah!”

Evangeline screamed and covered her own face.

But those nearby saw the scar covering half of her face.

In truth, many had found it strange that Evangeline had been so active while wearing a veil that covered half her face.

Some had even glimpsed traces of the scar beneath the veil on occasion.

Whispers spread like ripples.

“Now that I think of it, what is that scar?”

“It seems to have appeared around three months ago.”

“Didn’t she wear a veil often even before that?”

“But she only started wearing it constantly, covering just half her face, from three months ago.”

In succession, gazes full of curiosity and anticipation turned toward the man and woman.

Because of the claim Evangeline had persistently made for three months.

“The child in my womb is His Imperial Highness Crown Prince Arpad’s child!”

If that were true, would it not mean that Arpad and Evangeline were secret lovers?

There had been much talk about the father of the child Evangeline carried, but now that the man in question, Crown Prince Arpad, had returned, it should be settled.

It was then that a twisted laugh burst from Arpad’s lips.

“Pfft, hahaha!”

The laughter, resounding loudly through the temple, made the listeners’ hair stand on end.

Because everyone first thought that this Crown Prince had finally gone mad.

Seeing Arpad like that, Evangeline tried to have a fit and flee.

“Aah! Aaah! No!!! He’s going to bite me again!!!”

The High Priest had to struggle to calm the frantic Evangeline.

“Your Holiness! Compose yourself! Your Holiness!!”

Arpad, who had instilled fear all around with his mad laughter, suddenly stopped dead.

And spoke coldly.

“Temple incident day. The wound from where I bit you seems to have healed quite well.”

Astonishment spread in all directions.

“That scar was made by His Imperial Highness the Crown Prince?”

“And judging by the fear she showed just now……”

The way Evangeline had just been terrified of Arpad and had a fit was, to anyone who saw it, not the attitude one would have toward a lover returned from the dead.

“Aaah!!!”

Evangeline was not in her right mind.

The terror and pain from that night, when her flesh had been bitten and torn, had revived within her with unbearable vividness.

By the time the High Priest beside her desperately soothed her and brought her to her senses, the atmosphere around them had completely shifted to one side.

When she finally collected herself and raised her head, she was bewildered to see only mocking and hostile gazes filling her surroundings.

‘Wh-what?’

Whispers flowed into her ears as if meant to be heard.

“How shameless. It was a lie after all.”

“I never believed it from the start. I’ve seen how much His Highness cherishes Her Highness.”

“But to commit adultery with Grand Duke Ludwig and then lie that the child’s father is His Imperial Highness the Crown Prince… It seems she deliberately tries to steal only Her Highness’s men.”

“Oh my. Really. There are women like that sometimes. Who only try to steal their friends’ men……”

“Good heavens, how vile. Her Majesty the Empress raised her daughter poorly.”

Contempt and mockery rained down like arrows.

Evangeline tried to salvage the situation belatedly, but it was useless.

“I……!”

Arpad cut off Evangeline’s words and interjected.

“You claimed the child in that belly is my seed?”

“……!”

The sharply upturned corners of his mouth were clearly filled with hostility.

“To try and brand me as one who creates bastards. Do you not know that is treason?”

Even in her state of frozen terror, Evangeline did not give up her obstinacy.

“N-no! It is your child! This child is the Crown Prince’s! It is of the Imperial bloodline!”

“If that child is truly of the Imperial bloodline, then it would be Ludwig’s brat. That is, if it is indeed the Imperial lineage. In truth, aren’t there plenty of other men around you? Including the High Priest right beside you.”

At these words, Bio erupted in fury.

“Your words are too harsh, Your Highness! Do you insult this servant before the altar of the Heavenly Lord?!”

“This side was insulted first. Why should I protect the honor of one who aided in tarnishing my own?”

“Your Highness!”

Ignoring High Priest Bio, Arpad spat cold words at Evangeline.

“I have never laid a single finger on you. Ah, no. There was exactly one time. Only the moment you approached me pretending to be my wife.”

“Yes, that time……!”

“No, all I did to you then was give you that scar on your cheek. Surely you’re not saying you got pregnant from that?”

Arpad openly mocked Evangeline, and this derisive laughter spread around them.

“Besides, isn’t the belly too large for a child conceived then? The temple incident was barely three months ago.”

Arpad spoke to the Emperor.

“I swear before Your Imperial Majesty. I have never sired a bastard with a woman who is not my wife, nor do I ever intend to. Therefore, my heir can absolutely only be one born of the Crown Princess, and I will never acknowledge any other.”

It was an exceedingly grave declaration.

It meant that even if Hilia were to pass from this world first, Arpad would not seek an heir from another woman.

Naturally, the child Evangeline would bear could never be acknowledged as Arpad’s blood descendant.

Arpad turned his head, approached his wife, and kissed the back of her hand deeply in apology.

“I am sorry, Hilia. To have let you suffer such a thing. I am ashamed.”

Hilia shook her head with a gentle smile.

“Please do not say that. I firmly believed you would never do such a thing.”

Once again, they were creating a world of their own, indifferent to the surrounding situation.

To any observer, they seemed to be flaunting a marital harmony that could not be better.

Evangeline stared blankly at the sight, scratching at the floor.

“N-no. This is absurd. This can’t be……”

As her daughter seemed completely out of her senses, the Empress intervened.

“But the child in Evangeline’s womb is clearly of the Imperial bloodline.”

The Emperor glared at the Empress with cold eyes.

Instantly, the Empress felt a murderous intent so fierce her legs nearly buckled.

“Ugh……”

She barely remained standing, but it was sheer luck.

The Emperor had never been affectionate toward her.

The gaze he showed her was not much different from the one he gave the courtiers or ladies-in-waiting around him.

Recently, during Arpad’s disappearance, he had displayed an even more hostile attitude, but this murderous aura was a first.

A sinister chill ran up Empress Isabel’s spine.

But she had no leisure to dwell long on her misery and distress.

In this situation, if Evangeline continued to insist that Arpad was her child’s father, it could only backfire.

‘This is why I said we should announce it as Ludwig’s child!’

Blaming her daughter’s foolishness, she struggled to somehow salvage the situation.

“That child is Grand Duke Ludwig’s. It is clearly of the Imperial lineage, and after birth, we can also prove it possesses dragon blood.”

The Empress was composed.

“It seems my daughter, unable to control her affection, temporarily fell into delusion.”

She claimed it was not an intentional deception.

It was both a minimization of the fault and a scheme to portray Evangeline as not in her right mind, so that she herself could become the guardian of the Imperial grandchild.

She calmly pointed out only the facts.

“But whether it is the Crown Prince’s child or Grand Duke Ludwig’s, it is clearly a descendant of dragon blood. To call it treason is excessive.”

The High Priest supported the Empress.

“That is correct. And it is also clear that it is an Imperial grandchild blessed by the Heavenly Lord.”

Thanks to Arpad, Bio brought the oracle, which had momentarily vanished from people’s minds, back into discussion.

“Did you not all witness the miracle earlier! The oracle said the child born from the Saintess’s body would break the Imperial curse!”

A buzz began to spread.

There had been some confusion when Hilia and Arpad appeared and intercepted the holy words.

But Evangeline had clearly uttered the oracle, and a miracle had occurred.

Then, was the oracle indeed given to Evangeline?

Just as such thoughts were about to spread among the people,

Hilia spoke solemnly.

“Though sudden, I too have received an oracle.”

“What?”

“Impossible!”

Evangeline’s eyes widened as she shrieked.

“Don’t lie!!! There’s no way you heard an oracle!”

Mocking the frantic Evangeline, Hilia relayed the oracle.

“The sin hidden in shadow shall be revealed beneath the sun. The false women shall be judged.”

“…!”

Evangeline felt a sensation as if an awl were piercing her spine.

That false oracle had undoubtedly been fabricated with her as its target.

She could not say that outright.

Confusion arose.

“Whose words are correct?”

“Both can’t be oracles.”

“Since Miss Evangeline spoke first……”

“Speaking first doesn’t guarantee it’s the true oracle.”

At that moment, when the situation had halted in bewilderment and confusion,

As if waiting for it, a woman slowly walked in.

People made way of their own accord before the old lady’s dignity. Thanks to this, she could easily approach the altar.

“Grand Duchess Axion!”

Arpad’s maternal grandmother, the mother of the late former Empress Roxelline.

She glared at the Empress with blazing eyes and cried out.

“I stand here to accuse the criminal who killed my daughter!”

Her wrinkled hand was pointing at Empress Isabel.