So I Was the Persecuted Grand Duchess Destined to Die? Chapter 117

Chapter 117

“W-What kind of outrageous remark is that?! Grand Duke! We will not let that statement pass lightly!”

The nobles aligned with the Empress sprang to their feet, only worsening the situation.
Even as they blustered, they seemed terrified—constantly rubbing their hands along their trouser seams as if trying to wipe away sweat.

“It seems you still don’t understand the situation.”

“…”

“I’ll ask one last time.”

Xavier didn’t even spare them a glance as he looked back at the Empress.

“What did you do with my wife?”

“Why are you asking me about your wife?” Isabella snapped. “And Grand Duke—surely you understand you have just committed lèse-majesté. I will treat this gravely.”

“Lèse-majesté.”

A thin breath slipped between his teeth.

“If I’ll be branded a traitor no matter what I do… then wouldn’t it be only fair to commit real treason, at least to justify the resentment?”

“Eek! Stop—stop this, you insolent—!”

Xavier reached for the Empress without hesitation.

She shrieked, recoiling in panic—

And then—

[How about stopping for now, descendant?]

A voice boomed inside Xavier’s head.

A presence far too familiar now.

It was Ternox.

After that—

“…!”

At what Ternox said next, the Grand Duke’s eyes widened.

He turned sharply—and, as abruptly as he had appeared, he vanished from the council chamber.

“Where do you think you’re going, Grand Duke of Celeste?!”

The hall, left behind, immediately filled with uproar.

“T-That indecent brute! Seize the Grand Duke at once and throw him into the palace dungeon!”

“This is clearly a direct challenge to Her Majesty!”

“Hah… enough, enough!”

Bang!

The Prime Minister, presiding over the meeting, slammed down a stack of documents to restore order.

“This is… We will continue the council, for now.”

Callian moved quickly—reading the room, smoothing things over, forcing order back into place.

Damn it. Damn it…

Felix, who had witnessed everything, went pale as death.

In the very center of chaos, the supposed heir—the one this whole succession dispute revolved around—hadn’t been able to open his mouth even once.

The humiliation and pain were so sharp that Felix clenched his teeth.

“…Putting the Grand Duke’s punishment aside, we must first verify the authenticity of the will,” an elder noble proposed.

“Exactly! His Majesty could not have changed his mind so suddenly!”

Several nobles from the Crown Prince’s faction seized the chance to protest.

Once again, the council devolved into endless accusations and arguments.

Predictably, no agreement was reached.

“Calm yourselves—calm down, just for a moment!”

The Prime Minister let out a deep sigh and looked around the table.

“Verifying the will will likely take several days. In the meantime, how about summoning all nobles from across the realm to the capital and holding a second council? These matters do not seem appropriate for a small group like ours to decide alone.”

At the Prime Minister’s neutral proposal, everyone finally found common ground.

“Then we shall reconvene at the second council.”

And so, despite having postponed even the Emperor’s funeral to convene it, the meeting ended—pointlessly, emptily.

As Felix rose to follow the Empress out, he suddenly met Callian’s eyes.

“…!”

Felix quickly lowered his gaze.

The reason he hadn’t lifted his head throughout the council—

Even beneath the shadow of his bowed posture, his golden eyes shone brilliantly.

The Crown Prince saw my gold eyes return. Maybe the Grand Duke did too.

He didn’t know how much they understood.

But Felix couldn’t bear to meet Callian’s gaze again—eyes that felt as though they could see straight through him, deeper than Felix himself knew.

So he hurried forward.

His feet felt heavy, like massive shackles.

No. I can’t keep going like this.

Felix stopped in his tracks, then quickly turned around—

And walked, of his own will, into the trap his mother had laid for him.

Meanwhile — Underground

“Anyway… that’s why the Grand Duke can’t move freely right now, either. The capital is flooded with imperial knights under the pretense of maintaining order. Several divisions are stationed specifically near the Celeste townhouse. It’s probably not ‘public safety’ at all—they’re watching him.”

“My goodness…”

After hearing Felix’s detailed report, I bit down on my lip.

I already knew I couldn’t simply leave this place, but it was still crushing to hear how dire things were.

Even so, I couldn’t give up.

Pressing close to the bars, I stared straight into his eyes.

“Then Your Highness must meet Xavier and ask for his help.”

“Me? But… would he even trust me?”

“He will. Xavier will trust you—because I’m asking. Tell him I asked. And…”

I pulled my hand back through the bars and scanned the ground.

Not long after, I found exactly what I needed.

I grabbed it without hesitation.

“Renée! What are you doing?!”

Felix’s startled voice rang out.

With a sharp shard of stone, I cut off a handful of my hair and held it out to him.

“Show him this as proof you met me. And please—make sure it reaches the Grand Duke’s aide.”

I didn’t remember all the details clearly, but Ternox once said spatial movement magic worked better with physical contact…

Hair is still part of my body. Maybe—just maybe—magic can use it as a link.

I didn’t need to explain that to Felix.

If he thought of it as a token, that was enough.

Thankfully, he treated it as one more of my strange impulses.

“Seriously… you’re something else. Fine. I get it.”

With a reluctant expression, he accepted the hair and tucked it into his clothes.

Once I saw it disappear into his inner pocket, I reached through the bars and clasped both his hands tightly.

“Your Highness, you need to steel yourself. In this situation, the only one who can still move freely is you. Don’t provoke the High Priest or Her Majesty. Pretend to obey, and wait for the right opening.”

“…Yeah. I’ll try. Somehow.”

Felix nodded, forcing himself to be brave.

Then he fell silent, just watching me.

Why is he staring like that?

Just as I began to feel self-conscious—

“Renée. I swear I’ll get you out of here. I’ll stake everything I have on it.”

His voice was low, deadly serious.

E-Everything?

“That’s… not something you need to stake,” I said, laughing awkwardly. “Just stake your sincerity—come back for me. And if possible, bring Xavier with you. Oh—and tell him not to worry about me. He needs to look after himself first.”

“Xavier, Xavier—can you stop chanting his name for one minute? Do you like your husband that much?”

“Huh?! W-Why would you say that all of a sudden?! …Is it that obvious?”

“…Ugh. Annoying. I shouldn’t have asked.”

The moment Xavier came up, Felix—who had been so resolute—pouted and stood up.

Still, he looked strangely lighter, as if he had finally sorted something inside himself.

I smiled.

“I’ll do what I can from here.”

“You? How?”

“The High Priest didn’t kidnap and lock me up without a reason. I don’t know what that reason is yet… but I think I’m useful to him.”

“Useful… huh.”

Felix wiped his face roughly with his sleeve, his eyes hardening.

“I’ll be back soon.”

“Yes. Please be careful.”

Even as he left, he kept looking back at me again and again—until his figure finally disappeared into the dark.

I watched the empty corridor long after he was gone.

Please… let everyone survive.

What else could I do besides pray?

Emotion surged in my throat again.

All I could do was bite my lip and endure it.