Rostin's brow furrowed as he observed Duke Rubellite persisting in his absurd denial.
It seemed ludicrous to refute the undeniable resemblance of the girl to the former Duchess.
Rostin inquired,
"Then who is she? She looks exactly like the former Duchess."
It wasn't merely the face; even the height and figure were indistinguishable.
Despite the undeniable truth, Duke Rubellite staunchly denied it.
"No, I do not know what the Duke has perceived, but my lady is not such a dreadful entity!"
"But the butler has asserted that you abandoned her yourself ten years ago."
"The butler is mistaken! What would a man of his dogmatic eccentricities comprehend? My eldest daughter is frail and has been convalescing for a decade!"
This narrative had been disseminated to the world – she was severely ill and in prolonged recovery.
What could a child with limited worldly experience possibly retort with a scowling face?
Perhaps some matters were best left unchallenged with mere words.
Ignoring the rigid presence of Rostin, the Duke proceeded into the room where the butler was confined.
The butler, handcuffed and detained like a common criminal, unusually reclined comfortably on the bed, seemingly at ease despite committing a felony.
Certainly, the butler appeared worn and fatigued, prompting the Duke to assume he had endured torture and exhaustion.
"Y-you!"
The butler's expression turned contemplative as Duke Rubellite burst into the room with an exclamation.
"Y-Your Excellency!"
Not only had he erred in exposing the princess's presence to the northern duke, but he had also attempted her assassination, leading to his arrest. Safety was certainly not guaranteed for him now, and the repercussions could extend to the third, fourth, and fifth generations.
In a reflexive attempt to kneel, the butler's forgotten handcuffed wrists caught on the bed frame, producing an odd sound.
The duke, seizing the butler, delivered a resounding slap on his cheek.
Slap-!
"What on earth have you been doing, deceiving him and, more absurdly, claiming that I've abandoned my daughter? How could you utter such nonsense!"
It dawned on the butler that the Duke was not impulsively denying Reina's existence; it was a calculated decision.
Ever since abandoning her initially, he had concealed her presence, asserting she was unwell and recovering abroad.
Since the age of eight, no one had seen her, and even the distinctive features of her family—her eye and hair color—had changed.
Either she was a substitute, or she met an untimely demise due to some ailment.
It was more accurate to say that she was a stranger.
Despite their lack of shared opinions, both arrived at the same conclusion, possibly due to their similar insights.
Faced with the necessity for survival, the butler concocted a plausible lie.
"A-actually, something malevolent, wielding black magic, is impersonating the Princess, so I tried to handle it on my own...! I didn't mean for this to escalate, and I apologize...!"
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BL999DP
Romance*Don't vote on chapters. She'd transmigrated inside a game, not as a protagonist, but as a demon king (Lv.999). "How could such a terrible demon come from our family!" Being born a demon was enough to be disowned from the family for 10 years, and...
