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228: A finger of accusation (part 1)

Author: MerrySweet Word Count: 6465 Updated: 2025-06-07 10:05:56

A finger of accusation (part 1)

Apprehensive about the possibility of being witnessed within Egon's residence while in seclusion, Adela cautiously opened the door to the room, permitting the sounds from the first floor to reach her ears.0

"Leave it open," came a woman's authoritative voice. "Emorian traditions dictate that a single woman and a single man cannot stay under one roof with a closed door."

"You're old enough to be my mother, Princess," said Egon, seemingly unfazed.

Princess Sasha?

"You're old enough to know not to speak of a woman's age so casually," came Sasha's sharp remark. "I was appointed to protect you, but you are never in your house. And you appeared busy extending your condolences to Lady Adelaide at the fortieth yesterday?"

Adela was taken aback when the princess turned her last sentence into a question.

"Your protection is unnecessary," he replied confidently.

"Really? Well, I have news for you. I have a witness who claims to have seen you near the crime scene that night. Care to explain?"

A shiver of unease coursed down Adela's spine as she hastily adjusted her dress one last time, preparing herself to confront Princess Sasha. Adela and Egon had agreed not to reveal his presence in her room that fateful night. Nevertheless, recognizing the importance of facing the situation directly, she steeled herself to present his alibi if the need arose.

"I know exactly what you're talking about. And you must also be aware that this man holds a grudge against me. If you need proof, feel free to investigate his background," Egon retorted, his tone disrespectful. "You're welcome to leave now."

"Wow. You seem eager to be rid of me. Am I interrupting something?"

"Do you make a habit of asking questions when you already know the answers?" Egon retorted.

That's it.

Staying inside the room felt even more embarrassing at this point. Adela stepped out and descended the stairs, meeting the princess's gaze head-on.

Egon was right. Sasha didn't appear clueless about Adela's location at all.

Adela's eyes drifted to the door that was left ajar. A man that must be accompanying the princess stood by, closing it fully with his back.

"Since when do Emorian women enter the houses of single men?" Sasha inquired, directing her question at Egon, who was heading towards the stairs and offering a hand to Adela.

Placing her hand in Egon's, Adela took a couple of steps onto the first floor, her glare fixed on Sasha. It seemed extremely impolite for the princess to inquire about Adela's conduct while directing the question solely at Egon. Patiently, Adela waited for the princess to meet her gaze before responding to the question that Egon had chosen not to dignify with a reply. With composure, she observed how Sasha's eyes shifted from Egon's empty expression to the promise ring on Adela's finger, before finally locking onto Adela's eyes.

Now to put her in her place.

"You studied with Father in Latora, that much I know. However, Princess, much has changed since then,"

"Perhaps it is wise to shape the environment before the people change their behaviors," Sasha retorted before glaring at Egon again.

Adela held her head high, weary of these women from Kolhis who acted arrogantly. "The environment can only change when the people do," she countered, standing her ground.

Raising an eyebrow and displaying an annoyingly impressed expression, Sasha shifted her gaze to Adela again. Suddenly, her expression softened, adopting the look a Baroness might wear before scolding someone.

"Don't do anything that would break Kaiser's heart, Lady Adelaide," 

Another surge of annoyance coursed through Adela; she did not appreciate another woman speaking so freely about her father's heart, especially not one who hailed from Kolhis. A frown creased her brow as she recalled a previous conversation with her father, during which he had mentioned a woman who once held his heart before the Archduchess.

Could it be Princess Sasha? The thought lingered in Adela's mind, adding a new layer of strangeness to their encounter.

"Fine, I was not expecting an answer anyhow. Sir Egon, you will come with me if you don't want to complicate things here any further. Lady Adelaide, my bodyguard will get you home safely," 

Egon let out a snort, "Your bodyguard will accompany you back to the inn you are staying at, I will accompany the Lady back home."

Arms folded across her chest, Sasha questioned, "Under what title? What are you to her?"

Egon took a menacing step forward. "I'm her —"

"Knight!" Adela interjected, her voice faltering slightly. "Sir Egon... he is my knight," she said, her voice growing softer.

Sasha narrowed her eyes, unconvinced. "Your knight... The descendant of the last Emperor of your continent pledged his loyalty to you as an Emorian knight? Him, going down on one knee and kissing your robe. Is that it?" She grinned, as if she found the notion highly amusing.

A staring contest ensued between Adela and Sasha, brought about by Adela's inability to offer a convincing answer. Her tongue felt tied in a knot, rendering her unable to speak about the matter. The notion of Egon bending a knee and kissing her robe seemed far-fetched, even to her.

Amidst this tense moment, Egon let out a hearty chuckle, perplexing both women.

"Allow me to prove it,"

He went down on one knee, but instead of holding the bottom of her dress, Egon surprised Adela by doing something different. He gently wrapped his hand around her summer shoe, slowly lifting it to help her find her balance, and then he planted a tender kiss on the front of her foot. Afterward, he placed her foot back on the ground and stood up, wearing a smug expression on his face.

Adela's mind went blank, her thoughts completely scattered by the unexpected gesture.

"My, my…" Sasha singsonged, her tone teasing. "That changes things." The princess mused, considering the implications of Egon's display. "Well, even if your intentions are that serious, you still have to come with me. Let's take her home to Kaiser before that, all of us."

The days when Adela would allow herself to be brushed aside were long gone.

"I won't be going home; I am going to the inn with you two, we need to talk more about that witness."

"You shall do no such thing," came the Archduke's discontented voice from outside.

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1: Fateful encounter 2: A watchful eye 3: Death wish 4: Honor above life 5: A second encounter 6: Unknown depths 7: Low opinions 8: The rescue mission 9: Odd requests 10: Hisses of the late hours 11: Protective instincts 12: The banquet (part 1) 13: The banquet (part 2) 14: Drawing blood 15: Sinking deeper into debt 16: Postponed gratitude (part 1) 17: Postponed gratitude (part 2) 18: Fleeting hopes 19: An unpredictable turn of events 20: Matters of the heart 21: Her plan backfires 22: Irresistible offers 23: Hard decisions 24: Noble intentions? 25: Insufferable wounds 26: [Bonus chapter] The eyes of the King 27: Broken trust 28: Trojan horse 29: The root of the problem 30: Extraordinary events 31: Opening old wounds 32: The truth about one dark night 33: [Bonus chapter]A life for a life 34: Maskless confrontations 35: A buried history 36: The epidemic (part 1) 37: The epidemic (part 2) 38: His heartless offer 39: A featherless victim 40: Unable to let go 41: Coming back to a world without him 42: Of hunters and mountain goats 43: They meet again 44: His stolen happiness - Leopold’s POV (part 1) 45: His stolen happiness - Leopold’s POV (part 2) 46: His stolen happiness - Leopold’s POV (final) 47: Invading her room (part 1) 48: Invading her room (part 2) 49: Disturbing possibilities on the horizon 50: The Crown Prince of Emoria 101: A bite no one saw coming 102: Warming up to him 103: Desiring the impossible 104: Away from you 105: Retrieving what belongs to her 106: A future with her no more 107: Call from home 108: Startling Revelations 109: [Bonus chapter]What goes on in the King's mind 110: Wings for a featherless falcon (part 1) 111: Wings for a featherless falcon (part 2) 112: Allies on her side (part 1) 113: Allies on her side (part 2) 114: Allies on her side (part 3) 115: Allies on her side (final) 116: The Empress’s Heart (part 1) 117: The Empress’s Heart (part 2) 118: Before nightfall 119: Arkin's revenge 120: For the sake of his promise 121: [Bonus chapter]Rewriting history 122: The Lady is no coward (part 1) 123: The Lady is no coward (part 2) 124: Multiple personas 125: Her uncle's offer 126: Despite the vast divide 127: The massacre 128: Dangerous words (part 1) 129: Dangerous words (part 2) 130: [Bonus chapter]Dangerous words (part 3) 131: Two Ladies who brought about change (part 1) 132: Two Ladies who brought about change (part 2) 133: Two ladies who brought about change (part 3) 134: Loving fathers 135: A proud daughter 136: The rightful owner of the land 137: A promise they made 138: Meaningful gifts (part 1) 139: Meaningful gifts (part 2) 140: A feast shrouded in mystery (part 1) 141: A feast shrouded in mystery (part 2) 142: His return (part 1) 143: His return (part 2) 144: [Bonus chapter]Ripples of grand gestures (part 1) 145: Ripples of grand gestures (part 2) 146: Ripples of grand gestures (part 3) 147: Welcoming her in (part 1) 148: Welcoming her in (part 2) 149: Welcoming her in (part 3) 150: Unexpected love confession - Arkin's POV (part 1) 51: Dinner with His Highness 52: Undercover in the market (part 1) 53: Undercover in the market (part 2) 54: Subtle reminders 55: Far from a masquerade (part 1) 56: Far from a masquerade (part 2) 57: The pull between them 58: Pushing him away 59: By the Lady’s side 60: The dark side of the sun 61: Test before revelation (part 1) 62: Test before revelation (part 2) 63: With the company of an eccentric white wolf 64: Adela’s Lineage 65: By her bedside 66: Over a woman 67: The cover up 68: Another blow to a knight's pride 69: A sequel of firsts 70: The only pearl in sight 71: Behind closed doors 72: Breakfast with a huntress 73: Already taken 74: Misinformed 75: The day we died - Egon’s POV (part 1) 76: The day we died - Egon’s POV (part 2) 77: A royal reception in Destan 78: Ears inside the walls 79: The crosscurrent of conflicting proposals 80: Tribute to their past 81: Asking for Lady de Lanark's hand 82: Chasing men 83: A change that failed to reach the sky 84: Ambitious assumptions 85: The approaching end of old deceit (part 1) 86: The approaching end of old deceit (part 2) 87: Giving her the cold shoulder 88: The one that lived that night 89: One eyed monster (part one) 90: One eyed monster (part two) 91: Unless it is necessary 92: Falling right into the trap 93: Fake life for the oblivious  94: Losing their child (Kaiser’s POV) 95: Confronting the Archduke 96:  A long talk with Egon 97: [Bonus chapter]Those accountable and those to blame 98: To the desert 99: After her 100: The Lady’s authority 301: [Bonus chapter]A Healer and an Oracle 302: Her great escape (part 1) 303: Her great escape (part 2) 304: Her great escape (part 3) 305: The Healer and the Beast (part 1) 306: The Healer and the Beast (part 2) 307: Rising from the ruins (part 1) 308: Rising from the ruins (part 2) 309: In line for the throne (part 1) 310: In line for the throne (part 2) 311: The distance between them (part 1) 312: The distance between them (part 2) 313: Mysterious artifact (part 1) 314: Mysterious artifact (part 2) 315: Meeting with the von Conradies 316: The first descendant of Andreas 317: The transparent one 318: Coming full circle 319: The burden on Bastian's heart (part 1) 320: The burden on Bastian's heart (part 2) 321: The burden on Bastian's heart (part 3) 322: Through a different inferno 323: Under attack (part 1) 324: Under attack (part 2) 325: The funeral 326: Dark discoveries 327: I haven't missed you at all (part 1) 328: I haven't missed you at all (part 2) 329: [Bonus chapter]I haven't missed you at all (part 3) 330: Sisterly insights (part 1) 331: Sisterly insights (part 2) 332: Sasha's proposal 333: Adela's condition 334: Mothers and sons (part 1) 335: Mothers and sons (part 2) 336: Torn by doubts (part 1) 337: Torn by doubts (part 2) 338: I will wait for you 339: Leaving Lanark 340: The birth of hope 341: Bringing the lost son back home (Arkin's POV) 342: An unwanted return (Egon's POV) 343: Shared traits (Egon's POV) 344: The challenges of motherhood 345: Royal dynamics (part 1) 346: Royal dynamics (part 2) 347: Placed in an unreasonable position 348: Discovering the true Noctavian (Arkin's POV) 349: A full house in Lanark (part 1) 350: A full house in Lanark (part 2) 201: Collecting Collateral (part 1) 202: Collecting Collateral (part 2) 203: [Bonus chapter]A chain of errors (part 1) 204: A chain of errors (part 2) 205: Unconventional comfort 206: Triumph over the sinking ship 207: The price of honor (part 1) 208: The price of honor (part 2) 209: A painful return (part 1) 210: A painful return (part 2) 211: Holding on to broken promises 212: Contract marriage 213: The Puppeteers - Claude's POV (part 1) 214: The Puppeteers - Claude's POV (part 2) 215: The Puppeteers - Claude's POV (part 3) 216: Clash of Monarchs (part 1) 217: Clash of Monarchs (part 2) 218: Clash of Monarchs (part 3) 219: Washing him away 220: Crossing another line (part 1) 221: Crossing another line (part 2) 222: Crossing another line (part 3) 223: Royal pursuit begins 224: Egon's poem 225: The fortieth day 226: Egon's heartfelt proposal (part 1) 227: Egon's heartfelt proposal (part 2) 228: A finger of accusation (part 1) 229: A finger of accusation (part 2) 230: A royal courtship (part 1) 231: A royal courtship (part 2) 232: The Healer's choice 233: In Egon's chambers (part 1) 234: In Egon's chambers (part 2) 235: In Egon's chambers (part 3) 236: In Egon's chambers (part 4) 237: In Egon's chambers (final) 238: Grace's stand against Andreas 239: A wait worthwhile 240: [Bonus chapter]The Princess and the outsider 241: A tea of declarations 242: Plea for a swift union 243: The hunt that changed everything (part 1) 244: The hunt that changed everything (part 2) 245: The ripple effect of a miracle 246: Love beyond traditions 247: The seed of doubt 248: From bacheloress to bride 249: Facing uncertainty together 250: The wedding of the season (part 1) 151: Unexpected love confession (part 2) 152: Unexpected love confession (part 3) 153: Coping with his heart - Egon's POV 154: Losing himself - Egon's POV (part 1) 155: Losing himself - Bastian's POV (part 2) 156: Losing himself - Bastian's POV (part 3) 157: Unfulfilled promises 158: Letting go of her 159: Crying over Arkin's shoulder 160: His Excellency's mysterious guest 161: Visions of Varinthia 162: Another business proposal (part 1) 163: Another business proposal (part 2) 164: Heart to heart with the Archduke 165: His Holiness's talents 166: Different monsters (part 1) 167: Different monsters (part 2) 168: Different monsters (part 3) 169: Mood swings (part 1) 170: Mood swings (part 2) 171: Inappropriate questions - Egon's POV 172: Another Adelaide 173: Shadows of treachery 174: Entangled in deception 175: Forever regretted - Grace's POV 176: Fractured bonds 177: The intrigue of hearts and falcons 178: Larissa's return 179: Wings of trust 180: A confrontation with Andreas 181: The Archduke's request 182: The warrior king's secrets (part 1) 183: The warrior king's secrets (part 2) 184: The warrior king's secrets (part 3) 185: [Bonus chapter]The warrior king's secrets (final) 186: Twisted alliances 187: Sweet ride back home (part 1) 188: Sweet ride back home (part 2) 189: Sweet ride back home (part 3) 190: Sweet ride back home (final) 191: Beneath the surface 192: His gamble - Aldric's POV (part 1) 193: His gamble - Aldric's POV (part 2) 194: The paths to queenship 195: A dawn of borrowed sorrow 196: Left behind 197: Truth in words 198: The anklet's revelation 199: The trials of unprotected Healers (part 1) 200: The trials of unprotected Healers (part 2) 251: The wedding of the season (part 2) 252: The wedding of the season (part 3) 253: Traitors beneath the crown (part 1) 254: Traitors beneath the crown (part 2) 255: [Bonus chapter]Traitors beneath the crown (part 3) 256: Traitors beneath the crown (final) 257: [Bonus chapter]The tunnel that led nowhere (part 1) 258: The tunnel that led nowhere (part 2) 259: A bride in a dungeon 260: Their wedding night (part 1) 261: Their wedding night (part 2) 262: Their wedding night (part 3) 263: Their wedding night (part 4) 264: Their wedding night (final) 265: A long bath with her husband (part 1) 266: A long bath with her husband (part 2) 267: A long bath with her husband (part 3) 268: Pillow talk 269: A hospitable Egon 270: All the fires to put out (part 1) 271: All the fires to put out (part 2) 272: Inconsistencies between acts and words 273: Shadows of shame (part 1) 274: Shadows of shame (part 2) 275: Let's have a rational conversation (part 1) 276: Let's have a rational conversation (part 2) 277: [Bonus chapter]Regrets of an ancient vampire 278: Food for the soul (part 1) 279: Food for the soul (part 2) 280: Bastian's true significance 281: Royal plots across the oceans (part 1) 282: Royal plots across the oceans (part 2) 283: Proving trust (part 1) 284: Proving trust (part 2) 285: Proving trust (part 3) 286: Proving trust (part 4) 287: Proving trust (part 5) 288: Proving trust (final) 289: [Bonus chapter]The choice she embraced 290: Aldric's inferno of envy 291: Worse than death – Egon’s POV 292: Lady in captivity (part 1) 293: Lady in captivity (part 2) 294: Lady in captivity (part 3) 295: Vulnerable psyche (part 1) 296: Vulnerable psyche (part 2) 297: Adela's shapeshift (part 1) 298: Adela's shapeshift (part 2) 299: Unrecognizable 300: Two steps ahead 351: An absence worthwhile 352: Putting Egon's mind at ease 353: I belong to House de Lanark - part 1 (Noctavian's POV) 354: I belong to House de Lanark - part 2 (Noctavian's POV) 355: Between the past and the future 356: Spur-of-the-moment decisions 357: Conquering the skies and earth 358: A heart's second awakening 359: Our son (part 1) 360: Our son (part 2) 361: Parental authority 362: The Falcon Sovereign 363: Between knowing and listening 364: I can teach you (part 1) 365: I can teach you (part 2) 366: Making history together 367: Loyal knights 368: Mind control display 369: Letting go of the past 370: Bizarre occurrences 371: Indispensable confrontations (part 1) 372: Indispensable confrontations (part 2) 373: Indispensable confrontations (part 3) 374: A dreamlike truth (part 1) 375: A dreamlike truth (part 2) 376: A dreamlike truth (part 3) 377: A dreamlike truth (final)
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