Turning

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Chapter 170

Originally, it was a tradition in the imperial aristocracy's funerals to momentarily open the coffin before the ceremony ended, allowing the family to bid their final farewell to the deceased and place flowers.

Unless the deceased's body was damaged beyond repair, this was always observed. Therefore, the body of Lenore that was revealed within the opened coffin appeared as if he was merely sleeping, perfectly restored to an undamaged state.

'It seems there's nothing wrong with it at all.'

'What can he possibly find out from that?'

Kishiar nonchalantly scanned Lenore's body, unaffected by the numerous suspicious glances cast in his direction. After a moment, he turned his head and signaled to a burly member of his group standing closest to him, issuing an order.

"Devran Hartude. It's your turn."

"Understood. Leave it to me."

Without hesitation, the Cavalry member known as Devran strode forward, igniting a large flame above his palm. He brought it dangerously close to the body in the coffin, heedless of the priest's protest.

"Hu-huh. What the…!"

A commotion erupted, marked by panicked screams and gasps from all corners. One thought swirled in everyone's mind.

'Duke Peletta has brazenly come to burn the body...!'

'Was it all a lie about discovering a new clue, about receiving a previously unknown letter?'

"What the hell are you…!"

Even Aishes, who had permitted the opening of the coffin, cried out in shock. Kishiar, however, remained unfazed, a steady smile on his face.

"Just as I thought, it's still there."

"…What?"

Startled by his calm voice, those in attendance turned their heads back and cautiously focused their attention on one spot. The large flame conjured by Devran remained still, right in front of the body.

"Devran. Do you see it?"

"Yes. I see it. Just as you said, Commander."

As Devran murmured excitedly, Aishes, who had been leaning on a servant for support, barely managed to steady himself.

"Duke Peletta. What are you doing? You tried to set the coffin on fire without a word. Do you understand the consequences of such an act…?"

"Well, that's unfortunate phrasing. We've done no harm to the body of Lenore Shand Apeto. The flame was only necessary to reveal evidence still present. Now that what I wanted to confirm has been revealed, why don't you come closer and see?"

Aishes, perplexed by his remarks, gathered strength in his legs while he heard the murmurs of the confused spectators behind him. While his heart was strained, he did not want to show his weakness in front of others.

"…Support me to that spot."

"Yes, my lord."

Aishes had planned to rebuke Kishiar's rudeness loudly if he saw nothing unusual about Lenore's body. But when he stood right next to the Cavalry member that conjured the fire, he felt as if his heart, which had just started beating again, was once more on the verge of stopping, and he gasped in shock.

"This... What is this?"

"Do you see it?"

"What in the world... the light...."

The corpse of Lenore, which had seemed clean, was glowing under the flame in an eerie color. As if there were invisible stains under the skin, it was chilling.

"That is exactly the evidence I wanted to confirm. It is proof that the deceased had first absorbed another poison before drinking the poison that led to death."

"Another... poison?"

"A poison made by grinding a mushroom called Dudureli. Have you heard of it?"

He hadn't. As Aishes responded with a blank expression to the name he heard for the first time, Kishiar explained it kindly.

"It is mainly dissolved in water or absorbed through the skin in powder form. After being absorbed, it leaves traces on the skin for a few days until the poison completely fades, and those traces can only be seen under fire. The effect is rather mild, just inducing severe thirst, but I suppose that wasn't sufficient for what they wanted."

Severe thirst. Aishes realized what Kishiar was trying to say.

"Do you mean to say that someone made Lenore absorb that poison and then led him to drink the poison cup?"

"That's right. The deceased likely absorbed it without knowing anything. Normally, he would have had to drink a lot of water and would have been fine after a bit of suffering, but it seems that the unfavorable surroundings led to this outcome."

Aishes quickly noticed that the glowing stains on Lenore's corpse were most concentrated on his neck, chest, and the hand he'd brought together. Looking at the stains glowing more intensely under the pale bluish discolored fingers and fingernails, he felt dizzy again.

"But still... how can I believe you without reservation, given what people are saying about the Duke at the moment?"

"Ah, the rumor that I summoned Lenore Shand Apeto and made him drink from the poison cup."

At such a blatant remark, the surprised onlookers buzzed. Aishes bit his lip and kept silent for a while before opening his mouth.

"That's correct."

"I see. You might think that even revealing the nature of this poison now could be part of the plan. I understand that this cannot be definitive proof of my innocence. But."

With the word "but", Kishiar, who had crossed his arms, turned his head towards the back.

"Didn't I mention it earlier? Your youngest brother received a letter. Revlin, come out and show it."

"...Revlin?"

Behind Kishiar, who had a strong presence like the sun, a small boy who had been hidden among the exceptionally tall and large members stepped forward with a stiff expression. He was accompanied by another boy standing protectively next to him.

"It's been a long time, brother."

Only then did Aishes recall the servant's words when he first rushed in, that Revlin and Duke Peletta had arrived together, and he scowled. Instead of looking ill, the face of his youngest brother, who had regained his health since becoming an Awakener, was resolute. Seeing this made Aishes, who only remembered the timid Revlin who couldn't speak properly and always looked frightened, quite nervous.

"So, Revlin, what is this thing you want to show?"

"It is a letter that our late brother Lenore sent to me. Before he went to the party that day, just before entering the palace, he entrusted this letter to a servant, instructing them to bring it to me in case anything happened."

Revlin carefully took out a letter from his pocket and held it up for all to see.

"I swear to God, this letter was indeed written by Brother Lenore himself. Through this letter, I discovered who Brother Lenore was going to meet that day, and thought I should let the Commander know. The Commander, after realizing the poison that was present on the letter I gave him, conducted an investigation himself. Thanks to that, we were able to quickly understand the truth."

The truth was, Kishiar, who had obtained the letter through Gakane, had first confirmed its content. Then, he informed Revlin and they planned this course of action together. Although this dialogue was pre-arranged, no one had any suspicions.

From the start, Revlin showed no interest in any letter written by Lenore. Half of what Lenore wrote was nonsense, and the other half was about his ill-advised choices. If the pathetic letter served to vindicate Kishiar in some way, then it was fortunate.

The sole reason for Revlin's attendance at Lenore's funeral, a place he initially had no intention of attending, and for participating in this charade was a request from Kishiar, who had kept his promise to save his lover.

"...So, I heard that the servant who was supposed to perform duties on the day Lenore died ran away and never returned. Looks like he brought the letter to you."

Aishes, like everyone else, had no doubt about Revlin's words. He cast a fleeting glance at the nobles who were watching them in silence from behind, then let out a brief sigh.

"Alright. So what's this truth? Is it written in there who invited Lenore to the party that day?"

"Yes."

The voice of the beautifully doll-like boy echoed heavily enough for everyone to hear.

"The person who called Brother Lenore to that place that day, who cunningly orchestrated the events by even smearing poison on the letter to him, is now in the Bright Palace."

"..."

When one hears such shocking news, they become speechless. The chatter among the crowd abruptly ended, even the temple personnel who were unable to hide their anger, and even Aishes, who everyone thought wouldn't be surprised by Revlin's words, fell into silence for a moment.

After a long pause, it was Aishes who broke the silence first.

"Do you... understand what you're saying right now? Even a single mistake could lead to more than your downfall. You know what you're saying, don't you?"

"I've merely mentioned the fact written in Brother Lenore's letter."

There was no way that could be true. Why would the Crown Prince do such a thing? There was no particularly close relationship or resentment between him and Lenore, and he had no reason to contact the Apeto family, who were about to face trial. Furthermore, the Crown Prince was the one who almost drank the poison that day, and above all, he had the illustrious backing of the Diarca Duchy.

The notion that Revlin, the obedient, doll-like boy, was asserting the real culprit who lured Lenore was the Crown Prince - a figure who had never once stepped ahead of the Duke of Diarca since his selection as Crown Prince - was utterly incomprehensible.

It sounded as if he was practically launching a direct attack on the entire Diarca family. The implications were bound to be perceived as highly controversial.

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