The Grand Duchess Escape

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Asella tightly gripped the hem of her nightdress. A vague sense of unease crawled up from the tips of her body to her heart.

“Your Highness.”

Margo’s voice was unusually somber. Asella’s pounding heart seemed to resonate loudly, almost echoing outside her body.

“Madam Romain, what’s the matter? What happened?”

“…”

Asella couldn’t sit still any longer. She had no remaining composure or patience. Even if she tried to ignore it, a certain thought kept resurfacing in her mind.

With trembling legs, she approached Margo, who stood upright.

“Madam, please tell me. What’s going on?”

Asella’s question was filled with desperation.

Margo let out a sigh. A few moments ago, the Grand Duke’s men had arrived through the front door carrying a command. It was quite bewildering content for Margo, and somewhat troubling. Who in the world wants to be a villain, especially when it’s to someone like her current hostess?

However, the Grand Duke’s orders were clear: inform the Duchess in advance.

Reluctantly, Margo rubbed her forehead. She had seen the embroidery that Asella had meticulously placed on the handkerchief over the past few days.

The neat stitching on the pure white handkerchief contained the crest of the Chartus family.

Undoubtedly, she would be greatly shocked and devastated. Margo couldn’t understand her master’s decision in the slightest.

‘But there’s no other choice.’

There was no room for debate. The Grand Duke’s orders were absolute to Benvito’s vassals.

Margo finally managed to speak, delivering words that were both shocking and cruel to Asella.

“A few days ago, the Chartus family was destroyed.”

Asella stared at Margo with a dumbfounded expression. She couldn’t comprehend what was being said. Although some information had entered her mind, her brain refused to process it.

“I… I didn’t hear you clearly, madam. Could you please repeat that?”

“The Chartus house was accused of treason. By the order of His Majesty, every resident of the mansion was executed.”

Slowly, very slowly, Asella understood those words. Her mind went blank. It felt as if her body was being sucked into a distant abyss. She desperately denied it.

“No, it can’t be… It can’t be true.”

“There was an official announcement from the imperial court. Both Philip and Anthony Chartus, who were involved in the treason, were executed on the spot.”

As soon as Margo finished speaking, Asella’s body collapsed.

“Your Highness!”

“No… It’s a lie…”

Destroyed. Treason. Asella muttered in disbelief.

She choked as if someone was on top of her, strangling her. Her heart raced madly, and her breathing became rapid. She clutched her chest, gasping for air.

‘Why did this happen? How did it come to this?’

She couldn’t even begin to guess where things had gone wrong. Asella’s surroundings turned dark. The mental grip she had desperately held on to, not letting go, was overwhelmed by the shock and abruptly snapped.

And then, all that she was left with was darkness.

***

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