Stolen by the Rebel King
Chapter 296: Scandal! V

Chapter 296: Scandal! V

"Look! This is your dress right here!" Duke Lanperouge continued, pointing to a scrap of fabric on the floor. He then gestured to his neck and shoulders, "And take a look at my body― would an unwilling woman leave me so many love bites?"

Atticus, Daphne, and Hazelle followed his hands. They were initially distracted by Drusilla’s nude body to notice the duke’s, but now, their attention was drawn towards his neck and shoulders. True enough, there were multiple dark red bruises all over, as though he had been mauled by an over-enthusiastic bear.

That certainly wasn’t a sign of an unwilling participant!

Sensing that she was in trouble, Drusilla went to seek help from the only woman who could pull her out of this predicament.

"Duchess Hazelle! You believe me, right?" Drusilla asked hopefully, turning her beseeching eyes onto Hazelle. "You know I’m not that kind of woman?"

Hazelle was her only hope; the only person capable of salvaging her reputation. King Atticus and Daphne would never give her a helping hand, but she and Duchess Hazelle were in the same boat. Alistair would be furious if he knew Hazelle didn’t help!

"I believe my own eyes," Hazelle shook her head, "Drusilla, you have disappointed me completely with your lack of judgment. Now there is only one way to resolve the situation― you must best hope that Duke Lanperouge decides to marry you to fix this mistake. He should, since he has dishonored you and ruined you for other men."

"I refuse," Duke Lanperouge said immediately, not even giving Drusilla the time to properly display her shock. "Drusilla isn’t a maiden, so I shouldn’t be forced to marry her!"

Drusilla shook with indignation, her face red with outrage. "After stealing my innocence, you deny its existence?"

Duke Lanperouge scoffed and gave her a contemptuous glance. "I have deflowered enough maidens to know when a woman is truly innocent or not. There was no maidenhood to speak off when I entered you, and you were definitely not unaware of marital relations! If you want proof, simply check the bedsheets. There is no hint of blood anywhere!"

At this, Duke Lanperouge finally stood up, with part of the sheets wrapped around his bottom half.

"King Atticus, Queen Daphne, Duchess Hazelle," he addressed each one of them solemnly, "Please look carefully at the bed. You will find there are no signs of bleeding."

Hazelle eagerly approached the bed, but Daphne shook her head.

"There’s no need for that. After all, I already knew that my sister had lost her innocence even before the Crown Conquest."

Hazelle’s mouth fell open in shock, while Duke Lanperouge looked highly gratified.

"What is the meaning of this? Who is responsible for such destruction?" A new voice interrupted the tension. To Drusilla’s dismay, it was none other than her father and Queen Anette. She wanted nothing more than to blend into the curtain wrapped around her, but it was futile.

"My goodness! Drusilla, you’re naked!" Queen Anette exclaimed, her serenity breaking apart at such an uncharacteristic sight.

Her eyes then darted to Duke Lanperouge and she let out a heavy sigh.

"I couldn’t believe my ears, but I see there was truth to the rumors," Queen Anette said, collecting herself.

She was once again the very image of calm, but inwardly she couldn’t help but rejoice at the downfall of Lady Josephine’s daughter. This simpering girl was a thorn in her side, too clever by half, and led her oldest son by the ear.

Anette had to use this opportunity to get rid of her for good.

"Rumors?" Drusilla echoed with a squeak, her hands trembling in fear. "What rumors?"

"The rumors about you behaving like an utter tramp!" King Cyrus roared, his face red with rage. "Drusilla, after all that I’ve done for you, is this how you repay my kindness? By making a laughing stock out of the royal family? You disappoint me!"

"But Father―"

"My nobles are now talking about my harlot half-daughter who is so depraved she even fornicates in the presence of others. What do you have to say for yourself!"

"Father!" Drusilla’s tears rolled down her face as she sobbed piteously. "It wasn’t my fault! I was taken advantage of! This man took me against my will! I’m ruined, Father! I might as well kill myself right now!"

King Cyrus felt his heart waver, his anger abating, when he saw Drusilla’s crying face. His precious daughter looked so devastated that he couldn’t bear to continue scolding her. Instead, he turned his ire towards the man― a man he personally awarded the dukedom to, Duke Lanperouge.

To think this man would steal the innocence from his beloved daughter!

"You scoundrel! It’s one thing to fuck a whore, how dare you fuck my daughter and ruin her marriage prospects! I don’t care― you have to take responsibility. Your wedding will happen in a week!"

"Your Majesties! Please reconsider," Duke Lanperouge said, immediately going down to his knees to beg, with the sheets bunched around his waist. "Princess Drusilla was never a maiden―"

The air grew heated as King Cyrus grew enraged at Duke Lanperouge’s words. "Lies! After deflowering my daughter, you’re still trying to shirk responsibility?! I’ll have you hanged!"

Duke Lanperouge paled immediately, giving the trio a desperate look, pleading with them to speak up on his behalf. He didn’t deflower Drusilla, so why was he forced to accept this burden? Marrying even a bastard princess would be an honor — especially since Princess Drusilla was King Cyrus’s most favored daughter — but Drusilla wasn’t a maiden to begin with.

He refused to marry a woman who couldn’t even hold on to her virtue!

Queen Anette’s eyes flashed, "Cyrus, wait. Duke Lanperouge, can you explain your earlier statement?"

"Drusilla wasn’t a maiden when I slept with her," Duke Lanperouge said, taking a shaky breath. "I did not feel a hymen breaking when I entered her. There has to be some mistake!"

He then desperately looked to Daphne, his eyes filled with pleading.

"Princess Daphne!" He fell to his knees, the blanket still haphazardly wrapped around his torso to cover all that mattered.

Atticus instinctively stepped forward, prepared to lop off the duke’s head if there was a need, but a part of him was curious as to what the duke wanted to say.

"You’ve mentioned just now that Princess Drusilla had lost her innocence even before the Crowned Conquest. Please! Please clear my name!"

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