257: [Bonus chapter]The tunnel that led nowhere (part 1)

[Bonus chapter]The tunnel that led nowhere (part 1)

Stepping away from the seismic revelations that had shaken the Archduke's study behind her, Adela hurriedly walked through the garden with a clear image in her mind – that of a young, beautiful boy cradled in her arms, tears streaming down his cheeks.0

No. That's not him anymore.

The passage of time had transformed that boy into someone else entirely, someone who stood at a crossroads facing a defining choice, one between a kingdom's throne and the preservation of her life. In the end, he had relinquished his aspirations for her well-being, abandoning the ambitions he once held dear.

I have to see him.

As she moved through the garden, her fitted wedding gown felt like a cumbersome weight, dragging her backward, objecting to the destination that led her to a man other than her husband when all she wanted to do was run to Egon and forget any of the duel business that took place that day. The poise that usually accompanied her every step seemed trivial; she was beyond concerned with maintaining the expected grace of a noblewoman. At this moment, she simply couldn't bring herself to care.

Upon reaching the entrance of the manor, the somber-faced Majordomo greeted her with a respectful bow. The heavy doors swung open under his command, revealing the heart of the estate.

She zeroed in on a sole objective – the dungeon that lay hidden beneath the manor's foundation, her heart beating in that direction. Yet, in her crowded mind, the nagging persisted, she could not bear to leave this place and go home with her husband until she had spoken to the Crown Prince.

He's no longer our Crown Prince. She mused silently, her hands tingling with the uncomfortable realization, a lifelong perception that was abruptly shattered as her unconscious mind propelled her up the stairs, nearing her destination – the guest room that had been used by Claude during their forty days of seclusion.

Her heart sank as she beheld a platoon of First Order knights marching in disciplined synchrony along the corridor. Are they here to safeguard him? Or has my father already cast him into his own constructed cell? The questions pushed her onward to confront Claude.

I have to know.

Summoning a breath that seared her lungs, she raised her arm forming a fist and rapped her knuckles against the door three times.

Larissa, still in her bridesmaid gown, was the one who opened the door, her mother trailing closely behind.

"Adela?" Larissa breathed out, wondering what had prompted this untimely visit.

Adela's arm briefly brushed against Larissa's as she stepped into the room, her eyes swiftly shifting to their mother. "I need to have a private conversation with His Highness."

Both women refrained from contesting the request, sympathizing with the despondent bride. With a shared nod, they silently withdrew, leaving the room in an unspoken agreement.

As the door clicked shut behind them, Adela's focus honed in on Claude, seated on a distant sofa, his head buried in his hands, elbows resting heavily on widely spread knees. What remained of his knighthood attire were a partially buttoned shirt and pants devoid of footwear.

In this disheveled state, he appeared a far cry from his usual self.

He gradually raised his head, his vacant eyes meeting hers.  "The truth is out, isn't it? But they don't know yet… your mother and sister... I don't wish to see them when they do."

That wasn't the most auspicious beginning, but hope still thrived within her. Her fingers kneaded the fabric on the sides of her dress, bunching it up until the pressure became almost painful.

"Frankly, Dela. What drove you all the way here if you've got nothing to say?"

His acrid tone caught her off guard, but as she moved a step closer to him, his light green eyes betrayed his surprise.

"You… Aren't you afraid of me?"

Afraid? Of Claude?

"No."

His head dropped into his hands, muffling his voice.

"…Walking into my room in a wedding dress. Giving brief responses that rattle me to the core. I forgot how cruel you can be."

So be it. It was far better for Claude to perceive her that way; she needed to guide him to the end of the tunnel that led nowhere, ensuring he met that dead end no matter the cost.

"Even if I stood before you, stripped of all clothing, on a deserted island with just the two of us, even if I were enchanted into serenading you with a love song, it would change nothing. For I belong to Egon, and Egon alone belongs to me."

Claude's hands fell awkwardly to his sides.

"Well... Isn't he a lucky son of a bitc*."

Lucky? Adela found it hard to reconcile that adjective with her husband's starless fate.

"Ask me if I killed him."

She stared at him. That was indeed the reason she had come here, pointless to deny it.

"Did you kill him?"

He swayed slightly as he rose to his feet, revealing an empty bottle that had been concealed behind him on the sofa. It seemed the alcohol had been consumed, a substance he usually shunned for its loosening effects on his tongue.

"He met his end by his own blessed blade, piercing his heart," he began, his hand involuntarily scratching his face, nails turning into claws.

Adela stood her ground as he closed the distance between them in a frenzied rush.

"He murdered my mother! His lies, manipulation, and scheming were destroying Emoria!"

Claude's chest rose and fell in turbulent rhythm, his intelligent light green eyes belying his troubled state of mind.

"I am not the man you think I am! I... I have dreamt of exacting revenge on him in countless ways throughout my life! So many times that... when I finally saw his lifeless body, I was confused! Was this a manifestation of one of my fantasies or reality?"

The madness in his eyes slowly ebbed, replaced by unreleased tears.

"…I couldn't do it, Dela... I didn't kill him."

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