Tangled By Fate

"Where were you the day before yesterday after you left the tower?"

"The day before yesterday? Arthur, did you forget that I fell from a high place and was resting in bed afterward?" Aria became emotional.

She shed tears and continued, "Whole night, I was lonely. No one came to accompany me. No one came to care for me either. Weak and sick, I couldn't get up from the bed. How can you accuse me, Arthur? Anyone but you should trust me. I don't know anything about killing."

"Keep your crocodile's tears to yourself, sweetheart," Darius stated in delight. "The thugs already confessed. Anyone can copy your appearance but the ring in your middle finger, it's only one piece in the world."

Aria's expression changed. "What do you mean by that? What ring?"

"The ring with the golden snake and its head was covered with a fireball. Sounds familiar?" Arthur asked.

"They… must have been lying. I'm being framed!" Aria complained.

"Oh really?" Arthur raised an eyebrow. "And how would some street thugs would know about your family heirloom, Aria? You are known for only talking to nobles. Commoners aren't your type."

Aria remarked, "Some other people might have framed me."

"Why will everyone frame you? How many people's lives did you ruin for them framing you?" Veronica inquired with an innocent face.

Aria gritted her teeth and glared at her. "No matter what you say, I'm tell you that I was framed. I'm innocent."

Everyone who was present found this laughable. Ovior couldn't stand it anymore and used magic to teleport the thug.

The thug leader suddenly appeared in the middle of the room. He cowered in the extreme light. The prison was dark and cold, opposite environment of where he was now.

Aria's expression twisted. She could barely recognize the thug leader. His entire body was treated as a chopping board. There wasn't a place where his skin wasn't injured.

"If you don't speak up now, your situation will end up like this fellow over here," Ovior threatened her. Then he urged the thug leader, "Tell us if you can recognize her ring."

'If I can find that woman, I will be spared. I won't be tortured anymore,' the thug leader realized that, and his face lit up. He was enthusiastic as he approached Aria.

Aria knew she was she was about to be doomed. She retreated subconsciously. She didn't want to end up like that thug. She took a great care of her body for so long.

She turned around and began to run. Arthur used magic to shut the door and then, he sealed it with magic.

Aria stopped. Her path was blocked. She tried to use teleportation, but it didn't work since she didn't have the permit to do so anymore. Either Arthur or Ovior evoked her permission.

Her heart was beating fast. She nervously turned around. The thug leader also caught her arm and checked her ring.

His eyes shimmered with thousand lights when he recognized the ring. "This is it! This is the ring! That's the hand. I remember this hand. Since I couldn't see the face, I memorized the hand and the ring. I won't mistake."

"How are we going to punish you, Aria?" Arthur calmly questioned the culprit.

Aria raised an eyebrow. She slowly exhibited her real expression. "Why? Why do you want to hurt me? Are you upset that I wanted to harm your mistress?"

"Phhtt!"

Catherine was drinking tea. She sprayed some of it while drinking. Using a magical cloth, she wiped her table.

"Mistress? Are you mistaking Catherine as Arthur's mistress?" Veronica inquired.

"What I said is the truth. Arthur and Catherine have a secret relationship," Aria confessed.

Catherine wiped her mouth. "And how do you know that we are meeting secretly? Did we go for a stroll or something?"

"I've seen you intimately touch him when other women couldn't." Aria glared at her. "How can you touch him but I don't?"

"What do you mean by I intimately touched him?" Catherine stood up from her chair. "When did I ever do that? I'm already dating someone to marry him. Don't try to ruin my reputation. I never hurt you in any way."

Darius shook his head regrettably. 'Sebastian, brother, I feel sorry for you. Don't worry. I'll find you a beautiful woman who is good at both cooking and riding in bed.'

"…" Veronica and Arthur exchanged glances. They were puzzled as well.

"You are dating someone and then touch Arthur's back intimately in front of me? I've never seen a shameless woman in my entire life," Aria sneered.

"I can't believe touching my friend's husband's back to push him out of the room would be considered intimate." Catherine panicked. "Ver, what should I do? I think I did adultery. I'm not pure anymore!"

Veronica covered her face. She recalled the day before yesterday Catherine pushed her and her husband's back to push them out of Aria's room.

'I have never considered that was an intimate move. Is that really intimate and inappropriate?' Veronica considered deeply. 'I've also patted Urulas and other men's backs. Does it mean I've committed adultery as well?'

Ovior stroked his forehead in annoyance. "Catherine, you hadn't done any adultery. It was a simple gesture toward your friend, nothing more. Committing adultery means having an affair with someone else's spouse."

"But, wasn't that an intimate gesture? I patted Ironin's back. Did I have an affair just because I did so?" This time, Veronica freaked out.

Arthur's eyes dangerously narrowed. At that moment, he wanted to bring Ironin here and slice his back. He took a deep breath to calm his heart.

Then, he grabbed Veronica's hand who was sitting next to him and told her, "That's not an affair. As long as you don't have any romantic feelings involved, it wouldn't be considered intimate or adultery."

"…Is that so?" Veronica finally sighed in relief.

"Then, did I get kidnapped and hurt because I just Arthur's back?" Catherine was confused. "This doesn't make sense!"

"What do you mean by it doesn't make sense?"