Just by adding one piece of information, the dots all joined each other one after another. There was too much circumstantial evidence to dismiss it all as a coincidence.
Suppose he’s the same person. Celia definitely knows his identity already. What do I do? Who knows what will happen if the past becomes public...
The biggest problem was how deeply Duke Huguenot had been involved in blaming Rio for the crime he had never committed. Stewart may have created the problem, but Duke Huguenot himself had pulled the strings to clean up the mess.
But back then, the Arbor faction had been gaining power, so Duke Huguenot had to do everything he could to avoid being caught in a scandal. Making his son take responsibility for the Second Princess nearly falling off a cliff was out of the question.
That’s why he had blindly believed Stewart’s testimony without investigation and arranged for the blame to be placed on Rio, who had disappeared from the scene. As an orphan, Rio had been an extremely convenient target to use as a scapegoat. There had been no reason to hesitate.
It had been the best move at the time. But now...
Now, Rio was the Honorary Knight of the Galarc Kingdom. King Francois had deep trust in him, and he was also close to their hero, Satsuki. He was no longer a person Duke Huguenot could afford to make an enemy of.
Now, it was the worst possible move I could have made. To think the person I discarded as a scapegoat would be the person we needed most...
Bitter regret washed over Duke Huguenot. If he hadn’t looked down on Rio for being an orphan and persecuted him, if he had treated him with fairness and respect—they may have received Rio’s assistance by now.
In fact, if the truth of how he had framed Rio ever came to light, Duke Huguenot’s life as a noble would be over.
Even worse, I sent an assassin after him to silence him... If that’s ever exposed, there’ll be no way of excusing myself.
It would have been troublesome if Rio ever returned and gave his own testimony. That’s why Duke Huguenot had sent the rare werebeast he had raised to track his scent and assassinate him. However, that assassin had never returned.
She must have been killed or left to die somewhere...
Up until just yesterday, Duke Huguenot had banished all memory of the assassin girl, Latifa, to a corner of his mind.
Either way, it’s clear she failed at the assassination. At least she had a Collar of Submission on, so she wouldn’t have been able to speak even if she was caught or defeated.
Indeed, back then, Latifa had been unable to speak in any way that disadvantaged her master due to the Collar of Submission. If she tried to pass information on while knowing it could harm her master, an agonizing pain would run through her brain. There was no way Duke Huguenot would have known that Rio had used spirit arts to imitate extremely difficult dispel magic to remove the collar.
As long as she doesn’t speak, there’s no way for anyone to prove I was the one who ordered the assassination. I should be more worried about information leaking from somewhere else. Right now, Queen Christina and the others are at his mansion...
Before realizing the truth, he would have considered it a good thing for the Restoration to become closer to him. But that was no longer the case. Christina, Flora, and Roanna had all been on the same team as Rio during the outdoor drill. And that wasn’t all—Christina and Roanna had been Rio’s classmates. Flora would have interacted with him elsewhere before too.
Master Rio.
The image of Sora calling Rio’s name flashed through Duke Huguenot’s head once again. Rio and Sora had teleported to the rooftop garden to face the golem. Christina, Flora, and Roanna had been standing right beside him, so they would have heard Sora’s words as well.
If I’ve noticed it, Queen Christina and the others will be able to notice it too. Or have they noticed already and are feigning ignorance? What if they’re gathering in the mansion right now to discuss the possibility...
It was possible they had noticed this a while ago. All kinds of potential scenarios flooded Duke Huguenot’s head, muddling his thoughts.
Should I disclose everything after all?
Duke Huguenot ruffled his hair with his right hand fretfully.
In reality, when he had met Christina earlier, his plan had been to bring up Rio to her. That was also why he’d had Stewart attend the meeting with him. But he had been unable to organize his thoughts in time and backed out at the last minute.
The reason for that was most likely as already mentioned—he feared what would happen if the fact he had tried to frame Rio was revealed.
It was only natural to fear it. The wrong move could result in Duke Huguenot losing his position, resulting in the Restoration disintegrating.
But even then...
The Restoration needs his power. It’s absolutely essential.
Duke Huguenot still believed that Rio was necessary to the future of the Restoration. That was why he was desperately racking his brains for the correct way of gaining Rio’s assistance.
It shouldn’t be impossible. He’s helped us in the past with our dilemmas, even if that was because of Celia’s presence...
Of course, he didn’t think Rio had forgotten about the outdoor drill incident either. The first possibility Duke Huguenot had considered was Rio getting close to them for revenge. It was a scenario he had gone over in his head many times now, but...
He’s had plenty of chances to get his revenge on us. But he didn’t. He’s intent on hiding his past.
In other words, Rio probably had no intention of seeking revenge. And he didn’t want to bring up the past again either.
There’s no reason for me to enter the lion’s den on purpose, is there?
If he was to seek Rio’s assistance for the Restoration, wouldn’t it be better to maintain his ignorance? But considering Rio’s character, a sincere apology might be necessary first.
I have to make a decision before the next time I meet Queen Christina.
Duke Huguenot was at his wits’ end for the rest of the night.