I've Suffered for Five Years, Now It's Your Turn. ~The Crown Princess Has No Intention of Forgiving~ - Episode 17

After a long scream, Camilla looked up, breathing heavily.
In her eyes, there was a clear sense of resignation—she had no will left to resist.

“I… I had no choice.”

“Excuse me?”

Bl00d dripped from the hand she had injured herself, and with a twisted expression, Camilla muttered to me.

“I was betrayed… betrayed by the man I loved. He looked at another woman, not me… Can you even imagine how painful that was?”

I couldn’t help but react to those words.
There could only be one man she was talking about.

“Are you saying… His Majesty King Harvin betrayed you?”

“Even after marrying me, he loved his mistress… Do you have any idea how humiliating, how miserable that felt?”

“…”

I already believed the royal family was corrupt, but…
To think even His Majesty had such a secret.

“When I found out the truth, the royal family at the time covered it up by getting rid of the mistress. And I—knowing all of that—could only continue living in a lie with the man I once loved!”

“So that’s why you tried to fill the emptiness with Count Lot.”

“I lived a life without material hardship. I even had the status to make demands of His Majesty. But… not once did I ever feel truly satisfied. Because the man I loved never gave me his heart. I wanted to fill that emptiness that had been inside me for decades…”

The reason for her affair—and the truth she’d discovered—was heavy.
Or rather… there were just too many rotten people in this royal family.

Even King Harvin had secretly loved his mistress while having a queen.
And he had erased all the evidence of that wrongdoing, making it almost impossible to bring him to justice now.
Suppressing my growing anger, I muttered quietly.

“I understand the situation. But I’m sorry… I can’t sympathize with you. You’ll have to face the consequences of your actions.”

“…Ah… f-forgive me. I… I just…”

Though I felt sorry for Camilla as she began to cry, I couldn’t forgive her.
The schemes she carried out over the past five years, and the suffering she caused me, were unforgivable crimes that could never be erased.

“I have a few more questions… Tell me why you conspired with Erik.”

“H-he wanted it. Not long after getting married, he came to me, desperate to find a way to be with Rosaline, the woman he truly loved…”

“This is a matter that affects the entire kingdom. As queen, you should have known the weight of it. Even if it was for your son… why go so far?”

“Don’t you see? If Erik became king one day, all my embezzlement and wrongdoings would eventually come to light.”

“…”

“So… I tried to gain his favor ahead of time. I built a relationship of mutual secrecy, where we could cover for each other’s crimes.”

From Camilla’s perspective, it made sense.
Conspiring with the future king, Erik, would make it easier to keep her crimes hidden.
Even if the truth came out one day, as long as Erik held power, he could cover it up.

“One more thing. Tell me where the doctor is—the one who falsely diagnosed me as unable to have children.”

“…”

“If you don’t speak now, your punishment will be even worse when the truth eventually comes out, Camilla.”

“…He’s now the private physician of the Rosaline ducal house. It’s true that young lady has a chronic illness.”

I see…
Rosaline’s illness would be a disadvantage in a political marriage.
That’s probably why they kept a private doctor to manage her condition and hide it.

We couldn’t find the doctor before because the ducal family had been hiding even his existence to keep her illness secret.

“Then, one last thing.”

“W-what is it now…”

“I heard from Count Lot. His records showed that he purchased armor used by the Sylvan Royal Knights. He said that order came from you… Why?”

“W-why are you asking me that? You’re the one who left the note ordering it to be done!”

What was she saying?

Camilla kept talking.

“You left a note in the queen’s chambers, telling me to buy the Sylvan armor and place it in a specific location…”

“What? Why would you follow such a strange instruction?”

“Because the note was left along with evidence of my embezzlement! W-what choice did I have?”

This new revelation left me confused.
Someone had blackmailed Camilla with proof of her crimes, forced her to act, and had her purchase Sylvan knight armor?
But who? And why?

“W-wasn’t that your order? Lady Filia?”

“You think I gave that order? What are you talking about, Camilla?”

“B-but… You were the only one who had the evidence of my embezzlement. When you showed it to me before, I thought it was you who had left the note…”

That explained something.
Back then, Camilla had been unusually scared when I confronted her with the evidence.
So she had already been threatened once before.

“…”

For now, I needed to organize everything I had learned.
I grabbed a pen and paper and wrote:

Queen Camilla held a grudge against King Harvin, who loved his mistress more than her. In response, she had an affair of her own.

To keep her crimes hidden, she worked with Erik. The doctor who falsely told me I couldn’t have children is now with the Rosaline ducal family.

The Sylvan armor was placed where it was because Camilla was being blackmailed with evidence of her embezzlement.

That about covered it.
The situation had grown more complicated, but this was the most urgent lead.

The doctor who gave me that false diagnosis—he’s with Rosaline’s family.
I need to expose Erik’s lies by confronting that truth first.

“Camilla… You’ll be taken in by the knights now. There, you’ll tell them everything.”

“…”

There was no longer any resistance in Camilla’s eyes.
Shoulders slumped, she sat there sobbing in front of the overwhelming pile of evidence.

Soon, the knights arrived and took her into custody.
Despite their shock at the queen’s crimes, they calmly carried out their duties.

That was when it happened.

“Mother…”

The voice belonged to Prince Luans, the second prince, who had come after hearing the commotion.
He called out to Camilla as she was being taken away.

“Mother… I heard you committed treason. Why… why would you do such a thing?”

“Luans…”

“Why… Why would you do this, Mother?”

“Shut up! Shut up! SHUT UP! You’re not even my child! Don’t speak to me! If only you had never been born!”

Camilla’s face twisted with rage as she screamed.
Luans froze, and my eyes widened in shock.

No way… Luans…
He’s the son of King Harvin… and the mistress who was erased?