Chapter 57
“There was an uproar at the Grand Temple when they heard you’d disappeared. The two knights assigned to you were found discarded in some back alley, beaten to a pulp.”
I looked at Helion. He avoided my gaze, looking anxious. It wouldn’t look good if it got out that the Duke had manhandled royal knights for personal reasons, so Helion was in a difficult position.
“I figured Adel would know something since you vanished right after leaving the temple, so I had him look for you, but he just kept circling this area.”
So that’s what happened.
“He just kept parroting ‘go back’ when I asked if you were here. How could I not be suspicious? Backstabbing is one thing, but I never knew the b*stard was this sneaky.”
Reynard sighed, complaining about being betrayed, but he was hardly one to talk.
Still, I was grateful for his appearance. Being confined somewhere unfamiliar with no end in sight was something I truly never wanted to experience again.
“You look like death warmed over. Did that b*stard not even feed you, just… that? Let’s go.”
Reynard scooped me up, sheet and all. He lifted me as lightly as a feather and turned to leave, but Helion blocked his path.
“What are you doing? Helion, we agreed we’d do whatever it takes, but even so, kidnapping and confinement is not okay.”
Despite the pointed accusation, Helion stood firm.
“There are other circumstances regarding the kidnapping and confinement, but I won’t bother explaining them. However, Reynard…”
“What! What else is there?”
“If you just turn a blind eye, no one will know. Adelina being here is a secret between you and me.”
Reynard’s arms tensed around me. I instinctively clung to him.
“This villa was left to my mother by her maternal grandfather when she married. It’s practically at the bottom of the Duke’s property list and no one ever comes here. If we’re quiet, no one will find out.”
“Helion, what are you even saying…?”
“Even young Seikan, now a viscount, and even His Highness the Crown Prince received permission from Her Majesty the Empress to bring Adelina into the palace. Are you alright with that?”
“….”
“His Highness said to me, wouldn’t one out of two be better than one out of three?”
I couldn’t listen anymore. I was just about to open my mouth and tell him to cut the crap when Helion took a step closer to Reynard. He was clearly in a rush, wearing just a shirt and trousers, yet Reynard stumbled back as if facing a fully armed enemy general.
“Don’t you think so? One out of two is better than one out of three.”
His deep, melodious voice whispered seductively to Reynard. Long, elegant fingers rested on Reynard’s shoulder where he held me.
“You want to peel back this sheet and see Adelina, don’t you? You want to see what I’ve done, and how.”
“…Helion.”
The darkening of Reynard’s green eyes was enough to tell me that Helion’s words were affecting him.
I learned for the first time that when astonishment reaches a certain point, it becomes impossible to breathe.
He’s actually falling for this? They’re going to conspire to keep me locked up?
You b*stards, are you even human?
I struggled to draw a breath.
Then I realized. It wasn’t astonishment stealing my breath. I literally couldn’t breathe. Something was blocking my airway.
“Mmmph…”
“Adelina?”
“Lina?”
“Ha… Ha…”
It felt like someone had split open my chest, reached inside, and clutched my heart. As my vision faded, I thought, so this is how I die.
“This d*mned…”
This d*mned world. These sons of b*tches. God’s so petty and narrow-minded that he’s messing with me like this because he doesn’t like an insignificant extra acting up, and now he’s killing me off in such a ridiculous way?
If God truly is that petty and small-minded, if this world is truly such a horrible place…
This goddamn world, since I’m dying anyway, just go to hell!
***
“It’s poisoning.”
I cursed the world and passed out, only to be greeted by Hestia’s crisp declaration upon waking.
Buried in soft bedding and cushions, I rolled my eyes towards her.
“…Ah…”
“Having trouble speaking? Not just your voice, you probably can’t even move a finger, so don’t strain yourself.”
“Groo…”
“I told you not to force it.”
Hestia crossed her legs and closed the newspaper she was reading.
My eyes widened when I saw the newspaper.
The front-page article, with an illustration of an old book, was titled, “Relics of the Demon King, Tragedy of the Magically Tainted Land – Part Four.”
The very thing I’d asked the monocle man to do!
Part four? I thought he’d publish it all at once, but to think he’s serializing it… He must have had more material than I thought, or the response was bigger than expected.
He’s more capable than I thought, that man.
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