The Nymph Wants to be Plundered - Chapter 80

Given the circumstances, Iel didn’t bother the king with distracting words and instead waited, standing a couple of steps behind him while remaining vigilant of the surroundings. Even though he had terribly disliked Evelyn’s presence all this time, this situation was so outrageous that he couldn’t just let it pass. Even if Cassis ordered him to ignore it, Iel intended to punish the culprit personally.

There was no need to weigh the severity between looking down on a nymph and committing violence while breaking the rules. Jupiter’s order! The glory! How dare someone commit such an atrocity in front of this sacred place where the World Tree looks down upon? It was only right to thoroughly investigate the perpetrator’s identity and bring them to justice.

Cassis continued his treatment, openly channeling his essence. Lest Iel find it strange, he also opened a bottle of potion he kept in his chest and put it in her mouth. Of course, that helped in this situation too.

The yellow and white spores of the World Tree that had been floating in the air suddenly flew in together to form a wall, beginning to block the harsh sunlight pouring down on him and the collapsed Evelyn. Her breathing, which had been continuously labored, had now subsided to the point of being nearly inaudible. At least outwardly, she appeared to be peacefully asleep.

Cassis placed his finger against her nose, and still not reassured, bent his head down to check. She had improved more than he expected.

Whether she had internal injuries would need to be confirmed after taking her to the bedroom, but having initiated the recovery process, it seemed he could now focus on the remaining treatment. For the time being.

Only after meticulously checking her condition did Cassis open his mouth.

“An action threatening the stability of the castle.”

Though his voice didn’t show anger, his intention was clear. He must be referring to the attacker who had fled? Iel, who had already been eyeing the trail where the culprit’s feet had dragged while escaping, called out.

“It’s not too late, I’ll chase after and capture them. Ah, there’s an arrow left here that was shot, so I’ll investigate this… Wait, what?”

The reason he stopped, despite preparing to run off before an order was given, was unexpected. It was because the feather attached to the end of the arrow stuck in the ground looked familiar.

‘Good heavens. This is!’

It belongs to Polyxene.

Returning guards offered an arrow each to the World Tree according to old tradition. Since they were made by hand as part of their training, each looked different, and Iel had seen them for the first time then. He had felt proud that Polyxene had matured and done better than expected. But, but…

Cassis, seemingly having realized something, silently opened his mouth.

“Leave it as it is for now.”

“Pardon?”

“The World Tree just sent me a message. It says it found who it was. Hmm… Though they used a weapon carelessly, they had only one target in mind with malicious intent, so things will be quiet for a while. If we go to catch them now, it’s obvious that the atmosphere in the castle will become chaotic, so I’ll have them arrested immediately when night falls.”

“…Your Majesty, I have something to say.”

Iel felt somewhat guilty because he thought he knew why Polyxene did it. Polyxene was a child who had stubbornly continued to look up to the young and charming king they served, without giving up. How desperate must she have been to say she would endure becoming a guard, known for harsh and difficult training, rather than leaving the castle?

Someone like her would have been desperate to hear news of Cassis as soon as she returned to the castle, and he should have foreseen that she might resent Evelyn, whom the king had personally taken in due to difficult circumstances. He should have consoled her carefully so her heart wouldn’t be hurt. If he had done that, Polyxene wouldn’t have committed such a serious crime today and faced the risk of being expelled from the castle…

It wasn’t right to feign ignorance when evidence of the crime was clearly visible before his eyes. As Iel was chewing on his predicament, Cassis’s foot tapped the arrow stuck diagonally in the ground.

“It’s not who you think it is.”

“Pardon?”

“The owner of the arrow might not necessarily be the shooter. Iel, you act too much like a knight at times.”

Only then did Iel’s expression brighten as he understood Cassis’s meaning. It must mean that the innocent Polyxene had been thoroughly used! He had thought his relative had committed an act that would leave him with nothing to say even if she were immediately expelled from the castle, but it wasn’t so—what a relief indeed.

“Yes, I understand.”

“For now, since there’s been a disturbance, control the area around the sacred site and collect and preserve this arrow. I will take care of Evelyn.”

“Yes, sir.”

While Evelyn had usually been a thorn in Iel’s side, it seemed she had barely survived, which was good.

The care of the newly born nymph was the first decision Cassis had made independently since becoming king. Although it was said to be a bitter ending with a predetermined conclusion, what would have happened if Evelyn had died right here, beaten to death without living very long?

The mere thought was too disheartening.

‘His Majesty must have been furious. All that effort turns into meaningless bubbles. Ah, I was worried for nothing. How could our Polyxene do such a thing? She may be blinded by love, but how could someone so clever think of killing an annoying person? If everyone did that, wouldn’t the castle become a sea of blood?’

His thoughts were excessive. Polyxene might have lazy tendencies, but there was no way she would act maliciously.