Chapter 280

TL: Zimmings

Once again, the communication device cried. Seria and I smiled, as I connected the call.

[Please let us meet and talk. I’m in front of the mansion.….]

“I’m not at home right now.”

[I beg your pardon? Are you saying that you have violated the Imperial Palace’s prohibition?]

“At some point, the prohibition order was lifted. His Majesty gave his handwritten letter to Dubblede. Do you doubt me?”

Of course, what the emperor wanted to say was, ‘Please stop this protest.’ It seems that the investigators’ words also played a part.

They were very friendly to me. Because they also didn’t see me as the culprit for casting meteor.

“Hey, I guess Mina’s prohibition has not been lifted? Oh, right. She went to prison~! There is a danger of escaping!”

After mimicking the Empress Dowager’s frustrating speech, the sound of teeth grinding was heard from the communication device.

[Child.]

“But do you have time for this?”

[Yes?]

“Max remembered a person who cursed Johann in the mock battle of 7 families. He was a cardinal hearing from his description.”

[…….]

The moment they heard Max confessed, I could imagine Reginald’s eyes shaking.

‘The culprit will point to that guy.’

I smiled and continued talking.

“If I keep going like this, he might remember that he’s a cardinal with a mole on his cheek and a scar on his collarbone.”

It’s you.

Reginald with a mole on the cheek and a scar on the collarbone, you.

[……I know that lady ordered him to point at a cardinal.]

“I don’t know what you mean?”

[Stop it. If you return to the arms of God, I will come forward and reconcile the relationship between the pope and lady.]

“You know, Reginald.”

When I spoke in a gentle voice, Reginald sighed and replied [Yes.]

“Don’t make a fuss.”

[Huh?!]

“Don’t speak nonsense, if you want Dubblede and I to stop here, bring Benedict in front of me.”

[Not possible.]

“You don’t understand the situation.”

I smiled as I said that.

“Hey, Reginald. During the incident, the remaining thing left in the shopping district was divine power. So, me and Mina, who have the strongest divine power among those in the shopping district, became suspects.”

[…….]

“But I don’t think I’m the culprit. Then of course it will be Mina, right? But do you think the pope will let Mina become the culprit?”

Mina’s irreplaceable as a child of fate.

Since he cannot lose her, the pope will try to settle the case by handing over someone to the imperial palace.

“At that time, what would happen if Max pointed out Reginald as the culprit?”

He’ll try to put the blame on Reginald, who has become a criminal anyway.

“Bring me Benedict. We’re running out of time.”

So I ended the call.

“Seria.”

“Yes, child.”

“I will go there. Prepare the carriage.”

“You mean the place where the Duke Amity was hidden?”

“Yes.”

I lifted myself up from the sofa and headed there with Seria.

The place where the Duke of Amity, which could not be found even if the temple and Mina searched…

Is the Imperial Palace.

‘Did they even dream that he was hidden in the Imperial Palace?’

I laughed out loud.

***

Beryl Palace.

Cecilia named her beloved sister as her palace.

When I entered the Beryl Palace, Cecilia greeted me.

“What about him?”

“He’s in the basement.”

I followed Cecilia down to the depths of her palace. The Duke of Amity, trapped in iron bars, had both wrists bound and with a gag.

“Why did he become like that?”

When I asked, Cecilia said, covering her cheek with one hand.

“Won’t he bite the rope with his teeth, or break the iron bars with aura? I thought he’d escape if I let him be, so I took measures.”

The measure is brutal.

I laughed, squatted down and reached into the iron bars. When I lowered the gag, a shout broke out.

“What are you doing!”

“What are you doing, duke? You’re noisy.”

“What?”

He frowned and closed his eyes tightly. He looked like he could barely hold back his anger.

“If you release me, I’ll think of it as an excessive joke just this once. People learn by making mistakes.

“What are you talking about? How can kidnapping be a mistake?”

When I brought up the word “kidnapping,” which the duke had been unable to do, he burst into laughter.

I put my hands up to my waist and said,

“I lied that I was going to die, so I called the duke, our soldiers attacked you, and you were secretly transported to the Imperial Palace while tied in a dungeon, which is a kidnapping!”

When I said that kidnapping could never be a mistake, the Duke of Amity was speechless.

“What are you going to do by kidnapping me?”

“I’m going to make Mina nervous. That way, the temple won’t be able to respond properly to me because they’re being swayed by Mina. That’s the reason why, duke.”

The Duke of Amity sighed loudly.

“What did Mina do to you? Leblaine, the reason Mina and you have become like this is not because of her malice.”

“Do they have to have malice to be an enemy? Mina is not trying to destroy me because she has malice.”

“Leblaine.”

“There is no guilt because there is no malice? Can I ruin others just because I can’t help it?”

“Why did you change so much?”

“…….”

“Theodore. Did Theodore instill bad faith in you? Leblaine, be like before, when you’re so pure.”

“Really. It’s the same with Reginald, you are talking nonsense.”

“…… What?”

I grabbed the iron bars violently.

“To not face an opponent with a spear or a sword is just to die. They kill countless innocent people who try to harm me. Forgive them and understand?”

“You…….”

“I’d rather just die.”

“…….”

“But I don’t have any intention of just dying. That’s right. Mina is not guilty of this case. But I’m not guilty either.”

“…….”

“I’m going to fight the malice with malice. I won’t regret at all involving innocent people. I’m a villain, and if I have to pay, I’ll pay. Of course, I will try my best as a villain.”

The duke’s eyes shook.

“Anyway, the fact that you’re here is… Because I have a favor to ask of you.”

“Favor?”

“I’m going to cut some of your hair. A lot of it. Or just cut off one finger!”

Let’s shake Mina properly with that.

When Mina waver, the temple must also waver!

‘The pope is not normal, but he will waver.’

When I smiled brightly, the duke burst into laughter.

***

I left the Beryl Palace while humming. And with Cecilia, I took a light step toward the prison, where Mina is.

Cardinals and priests were kneeling in front of the prison and weeping. It seemed that they were trying to shake the hearts of the people and the emperor by somehow looking pitiful. That way they can see Mina.

I shook my head and said.

“Fools. What a waste of time. They have to take the quick and easy way like me.”

Then Cecilia opened her eyes wide.

“Easy and quick way?”

“It’s easy and fast to bribe His Majesty!”

“Bribery…”

“It’s a shame that the hope mercenary guild stopped distributing blue spinel right? I offered His Majesty a blue spinel and asked him to meet Mina.”

“Did he comply?”

“Yes!”

“That’s really…”

Cecilia frowned.

‘Of course, that’s not all.’

The emperor would have hoped that the war between children of fate would end as soon as possible.

I said goodbye to Cecilia and headed to the prison. The soldiers, who were ordered in advance, opened the door. The cardinals and believers opened their mouths to see me casually entering the dungeon, which they couldn’t enter no matter how hard they tried.

I was like an uncontrolled beast.

Things couldn’t have been this easy after throwing away all of my consciences.

Sometimes the memory of my first life asked, “Is it okay to do this?” But at that time, I can only think of Lea, who is in a coma.

Mina, who was in the prison, was like a broken doll. Her pale face, red eyes, and messy hair were more prominent than before.

Mina muttered to me.

“……It’s because I did something bad to you. You lied to punish me, right? Right? What did you do with my dad?

Tears filled Mina’s eyes, who was sitting down.

I looked at her outside the bars and threw something.

It was a bunch of hair.

“……!”

Mina recognized at a glance that it was the Duke of Amity’s hair.

“You you……!”

“Next is the arm.”

“Leblaine-!!”

“Then the legs.”

Mina’s whole face distorted. When I saw her sobbing on the floor, she whispered once again like in my first life.

“You are a bad child.”

I know.

“This villain.”

I know.

I looked at Mina with an indifferent expression.

“I’ll bring you his heart the last time, Mina. If you want to stop me, give me Benedict.”

Her eyes twinkled with intent.

“Bad girl! You’re bad…! I’m going to kill you!”

Her scream from the prison echoed.

***

After Leblaine went back, the gatekeeper visited the prison. He said to her who was sobbing while lying down.

“Here is the message from His Holiness.”

“…….”

“Only your decision can turn this situation around.”

Mina slowly raised her head.

“I’ll do it. I’ll do whatever it takes.”

That kid, I’ll never let you go.

‘It’s all your fault, Leblaine.’

Why did you push me and my poor father, like this?

‘It’s all your fault.’

The person said,

“His Holiness needed proof. Summon the angel in your etwal. You have to be a perfect child of fate and condemn the first.”

As Mina nodded, a silver etwal shone through her collar.

The fake Etwal made by Sandra’s son.

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