Duke Ashburn took charge over Claude’s trial. After all, Lorelai had already accomplished her tasks by identifying Claude as the culprit and her father thought it would be too hard on her if she had to be the one to decide Claude’s punishment. 

Poor Irene had to suffer house arrest for a while until the trial could clear her of any wrongdoing. And Lorelai’s aunt, Countess Leyton, was the most distressed of all. After all, how can a mother accept that her eldest son was a murderer? 

Well, it was technically an attempted murder, but that doesn’t make it any better for her. 

Duke Ashburn went over the evidence that Lorelai had meticulously gathered with Carlyle’s help and gave his verdict: exile and disinheritance. 

It was a surprisingly mild punishment. After all, the victims of his attempted crimes were the heir of the Ashburn Dukedom, and the son of Duke Ashburn, and the niece of Duke Ashburn. But then again, the criminal in question was the nephew of Duke Ashburn. And despite their grave disappointment in their disgraced son, Count and Countess Leyton begged for leniency, which Lorelai allowed because no one had been seriously harmed from the incident.

Claude was removed from the house registry and stripped of his title, completely reduced to a commoner. In addition, he was exiled to the countryside where he would spend the rest of his life under the careful eye of Duke Ashburn’s men.

Abigail, on the other hand, was hanged.

“It’s not a good enough punishment.” Carlyle murmured to Lorelai as soon as the trial ended. “He could have killed you and gotten away with it.”

Lorelai frowned at him. “I’m the one who almost died. Why are your opinions about this stronger than mine?”

Carlyle shrugged, nonchalant as ever. His cravat was untucked as always, and while Lorelai had gotten used to that weird characteristic of his, her hands itched to fix it.

“How did you know he was going to escape through the window?” Lorelai lowered her voice.

Carlyle’s expression didn’t betray a hint of emotion. “It was an educated guess. We all know guards are stationed around every corner within the mansion. Security is especially tight ever since you were almost poisoned. So the only other way to escape was through the window.”

“You expected Claude Ashburn to break the window and jump out?”

“The drawing room was only on the second floor. It wasn’t a very long fall. And didn’t Claude have knight training? It wouldn’t be impossible for him.”

No, it wouldn’t. But if it were up to Lorelai, she would have fought her way out through the hallway of the west wing with her sword. Jumping through the window appeared rather cowardly. 

“Of course you wouldn’t do that.” Carlyle’s voice broke through her mind.

Lorelai blinked. Did he read her mind somehow?

“You’re too dignified to jump out of a window.” Carlyle gave her a thin smile.

“Don’t pretend like you know me very well.” Lorelai rebuked him.

“Tell me, Lorelai. Do I look like someone who would jump out a window?” Carlyle leaned in close to her.

Lorelai could feel her heart skip a beat, and she paused for a moment to think. “No, you would just teleport yourself away. If not, then you would blast your way out with mana. You don’t look strong enough to make the jump.”

Carlyle threw his head back and laughed.

Lorelai rolled her eyes. “Will you be returning to the capital now that this incident is behind us?”

Carlyle pondered this question for a moment. “Would you like it if I stayed?”

Lorelai could feel her face turning warm. “Why would I like that?”

“Well, I did save your life, after all.”

That’s right, he did. And he played a big role in capturing the culprit. 

“Why did you help me?” Lorelai asked.

Please don’t say it was to gain an alliance with the Ashburn family. Please don’t drag the Ashburn family into a political war in order for them to repay a debt.

Carlyle gazed into her eyes, his own eyes full of softness. “It’s my duty as a member of the imperial family to help the empire’s subject, isn’t that right?”

Lorelai released a breath she wasn’t sure she was holding.

Of course that was it. Carlyle was well known for his little crusades of justice. 

“Why did you come to Ashburn? Was it on the emperor’s order?”

“No, I just felt like it.” Carlyle answered.

For some reason, Lorelai didn’t feel as annoyed as she did the last time he tried answering evasively. 

Maybe his help this time had earned a crumb of respect from her. Annoying. But he really wasn’t as cruel as the rumors…

No, there was one rumor that wasn’t a rumor. And she wants an explanation for it.

“Carlyle, I want you to answer a question for me.”

“Of course. Ask away.”

“A little over half a year ago, my brother came to the capital for his knighthood ceremony.”

Carlyle’s face immediately darkened as he realized what she was trying to bring up.

Lorelai felt her throat closed up at the sight of his expression, but she forced herself to continue. She had to know. Neither of them were smiling anymore, and there was a new type of tension between them.

“After he and many other people were successfully knighted, they had a celebration. And then you appeared and randomly asked my brother to a duel for fun. ‘For fun’ you said.”

Carlyle’s face was filled with guilt as Lorelai forced out her next few words. “Why did you single my brother out for a duel, and went so far as to break his leg and insult him before all his fellow peers?”

Carlyle didn’t answer.

“Why, Carlyle?”

“I don’t have an answer.”

Lorelai’s heart dropped. Her blood seemed to freeze in her veins for one brief moment then anger flooded her body like liquid fire.

When she spoke again, her voice was frigid and cold. “Pack your things, Your Highness. Now that we have no more need for you here, please leave for the capital first thing in the morning.”

And with those words, Lorelai turned on her heel and marched away, leaving Carlyle where he stood as he watched her retreating back.

Carlyle wasn’t in the dining room for breakfast the following morning. Lorelai almost missed his presence, having gotten used to eating breakfast together in the early hours of the morning in the days before Claude’s trial. Every day, Carlyle had moved one seat closer and closer to her until his seat was right next to hers at the head of the table.

However, to Lorelai’s surprise, her father was having breakfast in the dining room. In the split second before she recognized her father, she felt both relieved at the thought that Carlyle didn’t take her seriously in her moment of anger and annoyed that he had stolen her preferred seat, but no…

She blinked and the mirage of Carlyle was gone and replaced by her father.

“Father?”

Duke Ashburn smiled. “It’s been a while since we had breakfast together, hasn’t it?”

Lorelai smiled and sat in the seat closest to him. “It’s not like you to eat breakfast so early.”

Her father chuckled. “It’s nice to eat early every once in a while. By the way, the second prince isn’t here this morning. Did the thought of eating breakfast with me scare him away?”

Lorelai’s smile became slightly strained. “I’m sure he was in a hurry to get back home. He has been prolonging his stay a bit thanks to Claude.”

“The two of you seemed to be getting along well.”

Lorelai’s fork froze in the air. “Prince Carlyle?”

“Who else?”

Lorelai resumed eating her breakfast. “I supposed he was a little different from the rumors. I honestly expected him to be worse.”

Despite what he did to Lorenzo, Lorelai couldn’t bring herself to hate him. She was angry at him, yes, but she didn’t hate him. 

“Actually, he was much worse at the capital. He seemed to mellow out a bit during his trip here. Maybe the atmosphere here isn’t as oppressive as it is at the capital.”

Lorelai scoffed at the thought of Carlyle being mellow.

“How can you think so positively of him after what he did to Lorenzo?”

“Lorenzo will live. There’s no serious harm done.” Duke Ashburn was surprisingly calm about the fact that Prince Carlyle had challenged Lorenzo to a casual duel, only to break Lorenzo’s leg and mock him in front of all the other knights.

“Except for his pride.” Lorelai reminded him.

“It won’t kill him.”

“Father, you’re being too heartless to your own son. Prince Carlyle is a vicious bully.” 

Her father looked her square in the eyes. “You weren’t treating him as such this past week.”

Lorelai flushed, but her father continued. “I’m surprised there weren’t any incidents between you two. I thought you would retaliate against him eventually.”

“Retaliate? I’m not carrying out Lorenzo’s revenge for him.”

“I don’t mean Lorenzo’s grudge.”

“What do you mean?”

“I'm referring to the rumors suggesting he played a role in your unsuccessful application for the position of knight captain.”

Lorelai’s fork snapped in her hand. Carlyle was responsible for the rejection of her application? He disapproved of her becoming the captain of an imperial knight squad? Who was he to meddle with her business?

“Oh.” Duke Ashburn noted her reaction. “I thought you knew.”

Lorelai took her word back. Angry at Carlyle? No, she hated him. She absolutely loathed him. He was a jinx, a curse, a blight in her life. If Lorelai ever saw him again, she will give him a piece of her mind.