Chapter 4

I kneeled in Jordan's courtyard for a full day and night. When the sun finally rose and I staggered to my feet to leave, I saw the Minister of Justice rush over in a hurry.

My gaze was immediately drawn to the Fordham family's written order in his hand, and I followed him. I arrived just in time to hear Jordan sobbing so hard that his voice broke.

"I… I never imagined the one who framed my father would be Hugo's father! If not for the suffering faced in prison, Father would never have caught the plague and died there… Tabby, you have to stand up for me. You have to stand up for my father. He was your teacher!"

Tabitha looked heartbroken as she gently wiped away his tears and tried to soothe him. "Don't worry. I'll make sure of it. Father already knows the truth. He's ordered the Fordham family's estate to be confiscated and the entire clan thrown into prison. I'll get justice for you and your father."

It made my mind go blank.

Father and Mother had treated me well since I was a child, but I'd cut ties with them ever since I decided to start doing my mission. After all, my reputation was in tatters, and I refused to drag them down with me. The system had also told me that this wasn't part of the original plot at all.

I rushed inside before Tabitha could leave and grabbed her sleeve. "Tabby, my father would never do something like this. There has to be some mistake. I'm begging you—please investigate this again."

She halted mid-step, her brows knitting together. Before she could say anything, Jordan stepped forward, his eyes red. "Hugo, there are witnesses and physical evidence. Even His Majesty has issued the decree, and you're still calling it a misunderstanding.

"I know you feel bad for your father. Put yourself in my shoes—my heart aches as badly for my father. He's been wronged for many years, and we've finally found the true culprit. How do you expect me to wait for another investigation?"

With every single word he said, Tabitha's expression grew darker. I softened my tone, about to argue further, but she didn't give me the chance.

She said sharply, "Enough of this! The evidence is ironclad. There's no room to turn this around. You should be grateful that you're my prince consort now and don't have to suffer in prison yourself. Go back to your wing and reflect on your mistakes!"

I kept shaking my head. Suddenly, a sharp pain exploded at the back of my neck, and everything went black. It wasn't until midday that I was jolted awake by a nightmare; I was drenched in cold sweat.

In the dream, my home was awash in blood. My heart pounded wildly as I rushed over there in real life, only to freeze at the scene before my eyes.

My family had really been slaughtered. Tabitha and Jordan stood under the eaves, listening to a subordinate's report. "The family had a total of 231 people. They're all dead."

That sentence echoed again and again in my mind. All dead.

Tears instantly blurred my vision. I opened my mouth, but no sound came out.

Jordan spotted me first. He walked over, feigning surprise. "Hugo, what are you doing here? Some of the bodies had their faces destroyed. Why don't you take a look and see if you recognize anyone?"

He lowered his voice. "I heard that they were still calling your name before you died."

A piercing ring filled my ears, leaving me dazed. My fists clenched on their own as the system's voice blared in my head. [If you clash with the male lead now, everything you've done will be for nothing! Just five more minutes, and you can exit this world. Don't be rash!]

I couldn't think about any of that. I'd already raised my fist.

But before I could punch Jordan, Tabitha rushed in front of him and slapped me hard across the face. "Even now, you dare to try to hurt him? Are you that eager to die?"

My head snapped to the side from the blow. In that instant, I saw my old nanny lying on the ground, blood covering her entire being.

For a moment, I felt like I'd been nailed in place. Searing pain shot through my heart, like it had been stabbed by countless needles all at once.

Meanwhile, Jordan shrank behind Tabitha, looking wronged and upset. When Tabitha looked back at me again, there wasn't a shred of warmth in her eyes.

"Guards, bring those few bodies over so the prince consort can identify them!" she barked.

Two guards pinned me down and forced me to face the five corpses who had been disfigured. I recognized them at a glance—Father, Mother, my brother, my sister-in-law, and my nephew.

One of the guards lifted Father's head and asked, "Who is this, Your Highness? Do you recognize him? And this one? Do you recognize this one?"

Rage and grief surged up at once, and I spat out a mouthful of blood. Somehow, I found the strength to break free. I lunged forward and scooped Mother's body into my arms. I roared like a cornered beast, doing everything I could to keep them from coming near.

Tabitha hesitated, a flicker of heartache flickering in her eyes. "That's enough. Everyone, stand down! Hugo, come here."

But her voice never reached me. I kneeled on the ground, bending over each one of my family members in turn, hoping against hope that someone might still be breathing.

But reality crushed that hope all over again.

In my mind, the system's voice blared. [Beginning exit countdown. Five, four…]

I laughed when I heard that. Then, I mumbled, "I'm sorry for being such a horrible son. I'll join you and make it up to you now."

I stood and snatched a guard's sword.

[Two… One.]

In that final second, I slit my own throat. Blood sprayed across Tabitha's face, stunning her for an instant. Then, she let out a hoarse, furious scream. "Hugo!"