I Abandoned the Male Lead Who Cheated with the Villainess - Chapter 171

Aiden mourned for his mother, who left this world without a single word of farewell. He longed for her warm embrace that always comforted him.

— Make sure to treat the Empress with utmost care. Even more than this mother.

The bond between the Emperor, Empress, and the Queen was undoubtedly due to the Queen’s considerate efforts.

“Now isn’t the time to cry.”

Aiden roughly wiped his eyes. He had to save his brother, save the Empire from the temple’s grip, and then honor both Herix and his mother together.

“Even now, Herix… Herix…”

Aiden truly loved Herix.

So, Herix had to wonder about all of this—he had to talk to him. He needed to clearly understand where his real enemy lay.

But Herix had spent too many years living like an animal. He knew how to be ignored by a rat, but he didn’t understand how a human could cherish him.

“Herix! How did you get in here?”

Why was Aiden so glad to see Herix, yet so exhausted and trapped?

“Brother should have come earlier and spoken to you.”

Why did Aiden refer to himself as ‘brother’?

“Look, this orb—this is the essence of the goddess Novnie. It was difficult to steal, but with this, I can break the curse your father and Marquis Cyand placed on you, Herix.”

What was this pink orb he showed?

“What is that sword… Herix, wait… Her—!”

Without asking, without curiosity, without speaking…

— Crack.

The child, terrified of becoming an animal, had killed the only family member who was struggling to lift the curse.

“….rix.”

⚜ ⚜ ⚜

Watching his young son silently head toward Aiden to kill him, Arnold thought:

‘A colt, bound by thick chains since childhood, will find it impossible to break free, even if the chains are later replaced with ropes after maturing.’

Learning is terrifying.

‘He’s just like a fool.’

Arnold, without any sense, mocked Herix, who had become no different from the limbs of his enemy, and lazily flopped onto the bed. He felt light.

‘It should be fine now.’

As he closed his eyes, the prophecy from three years ago buzzed in his ears.

[No glory for those who do not believe in God.]

This was the prophecy given by Novnie, the god in the form of the Pope.

Marquis German Busse Cyand didn’t know the full details, but had condensed a magic only ancient wizards could handle. He created a curse that would turn someone into a fox at Arnold’s command.

Herix, the intended target, would likely never know this until his death.

The prophecy that suddenly arrived after seven years, a time during which everything seemed safe and secure, was enough to send Arnold back into a state of fear.

— How much more must I be faithful?!

Startled, Arnold increased the time he spent praying without reason. He fasted and reduced his sleep, reading the Bible of the Novnie Faith and striving to follow it faithfully. He increased his donations to the temple and focused on furthering his obedience to the Pope, even trying to fill his pockets.

In Arnold’s subconscious, the true god was not Novnie but the Pope. Perhaps out of gratitude for his devotion, a timely piece of advice, like rain in the wilderness, came his way.

— These days, Crown Prince Aiden’s actions seem suspicious.

If it weren’t for the advice of the High Priest, who regularly relayed the Pope’s messages, things might have gone terribly wrong. Arnold almost ended up shouldering the sins of his son and losing the long-lasting glory, as well as the Emperor’s position and his throne!

‘And Aiden has indeed been sneaking around the basement where Herix is kept.’

Not only that, but Aiden, suspicious of the current Pope, had been digging into ancient texts and seeking out the original interpretations of old legends that the former Popes had written.

‘Tch, ungrateful wretch. He doesn’t even know why I took his name from paradise and the other name from hell!’

Herix’s original name was supposed to be Humason, meaning the ideal human, but after seeing the ‘Emperor’s mark’ hidden beneath his eyelids, Arnold changed his mind. He decided that Herix, the one who would drag him into the abyss, should have a cursed name from the very start. The reason Arnold had summoned Herix back was because of Aiden.

— Still, he is my son, it’s too much.

Worried that he might lose his position, that he might die, or not survive, Arnold was agitated, and the Pope mocked him.

— See things from my perspective!

Arnold thought the Pope lacked empathy. He slammed his fist on the desk and yelled, but before he could come up with a reasonable plan, the Pope provided him with another suggestion.

— The Empire is barely stable. The way you’ve come to despise Prince Herix was unexpected, but… it’s not entirely bad. However, acting too hastily now and spilling more blood is dangerous.

— But what should I do? It’s not about my position. No, how dare I doubt Novnie? How could I question the temple? Isn’t Aiden despicable?”