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Episode 113: The Forest Connection (III)
In an instant, Gerard’s eyes darkened and the face of a young girl came to mind.
“Annette, how did you know the cigarette case was mine?!”
With her bright green eyes shining, she spoke with a pure face that didn’t even know lies.
“There was an imperial emblem on the front of the case. That’s how I knew it was a thing of the imperial family.”
“…….”
“So I reduced the scope by eliminating the options, Prince.”
—It was all lies.
She acted as if she was just a clever model student.
But in fact, she picked up his cigarette case in the grass, witnessed the death of the high priest, and quickly ran away from his arms.
‘Damn.’
He was so upset. His teeth trembled. He was fooled by a 12-year-old kid.
No, that little girl had grown prosperous and was holding her breath.
‘Was it like these eyes?’
The eyes that a person who has lived a humble life must bear.
The nobles around him were looking at him with eyes full of surprise and contempt.
‘This… I didn’t expect this.’
Upon receiving those eyes, panic came before anger. Because Gerard had lived his life with a noble reputation.
Stomping on the reputation like nothing happened, the girl opened her mouth again.
“He was an old man who was about to see his grandson get married.”
It was a loud and powerful voice.
“When I saw him cut off the old man’s neck mercilessly, I could never be his daughter.”
“……!!!”
The crowd roared.
At the cruel words of beheading, the nobles covered their mouths like it was terrifying.
The high priest’s face turned paler than before.
“So I ran away. For me as a child, the prince was too frightening.”
In the midst of silence, everyone focused on Annette’s voice.
Her gestures, gaze, and every action.
The new Duchess of Valienne, who had just become the head of the house, somehow had the power to lead and draw people’s attention.
Her mother, the former head of the house.
Like Derkis Valienne.
“I felt it was time to come back. To succeed in my mother’s footsteps and to uncover the truth.”
The image of a prodigal daughter who ran away after committing sins was reversed at once. Of course, so was the image of the generous father, who embraced that prodigal daughter.
“There is no evidence…! Are you going to listen to those crazy words? I couldn’t have done that, could I?”
There was madness in the eyes of the ‘generous’ prince. He pointed to his chest and shouted his innocence to everyone.
However, the momentum had already passed to the new Duchess Valienne.
Her claim was appropriate for all circumstances, and she was meticulously prepared with witnesses and evidence to support it.
Conceived lies become clumsy in the face of powerful truths.
No matter how reputable the prince was, he was bound to receive suspicion.
“Everyone, be quiet!”
Then, a voice like thunder struck everyone.
The high priest looked at Gerard and Annette alternately with stern eyes.
It was a calm and fair expression. However, there was a layer of wrath on his face at the loss of his predecessor.
“Whether the allegations against the prince are true or not, the Great Temple will conduct a thorough investigation!”
“…….”
Gerard’s eyes went black.
‘Shit.’
It was the death of High Priest Arthur, who was respected by all.
If it was just a matter of putting money into illegal childcare facilities, the high priest would not have come forward directly and brought the temple into this battle.
‘This is what they were aiming for.’
The reason why she brought up Arthur’s death from 10 years ago must have been because she wanted this kind of situation.
‘You’re a wicked and scary girl.’
He had to admit it. That he looked down on her.
Annette led the whole situation as I planned, and answered calmly.
“Thank you. High Priest… I promise to do my best to cooperate with you as a witness to prove the allegations are true, and as a citizen of the empire who desires justice in El Dorado.”
The light-green eyes moved slowly toward Gerard, who had hardened in place.
Faced with the raging anger head on, Gerard instinctively realized.
‘That girl knows…! Everything I did to her mother!’
If so, this would be just the beginning. The unbreakable will to destroy him was somehow present in those eyes.
A cold sweat ran down his spine.
‘I have to cut off the shoots.’
‘All I need is that power.’
As long as the breath was attached, wouldn’t it be possible to somehow extract power from the body that has Exordium?
―There is no need to keep her alive!
‘Like your mother.’
When Gerard was about to look around with glaring eyes.
Right next to him, Baron Tenesi, who was usually a strong supporter of Gerard, murmured.
“What a stinkin’ girl. Don’t care what kind of mud you were rolling in, pretending to be a duchess… You will be decapitated soon.”
Baron Tenesi, with his swampy dark green hair and gold eyes, twisted the corners of his mouth.
“Isn’t it?!”
For a moment, a dark red light flashed in Gerard’s red eyes.
「Mind control.」
The power of VenĂŠnum.
“……!”
The baron, whose eyes were loosened for a fleeting second, narrowed out like a scarecrow, and drew a sword.
It was the sword of the paladin approaching Prince Gerard.
The paladin panicked for a while, and the baron rushed towards Annette at an incredible speed that could not be called a human’s.
‘…I feel dizzy.’
After the death of her mother, Annette, who had been tense all day for several days, faced the sword with a bit of exhaustion.
“Ah.”
‘I have to avoid it.’
—Puuk!
A deep piercing sound was heard. Tak, tak. Red blood dripped onto the floor.
Stunned and alert, Annette lifted her head.
Darkened red eyes under the messy black hair. A face with a clearly visible high nose bridge and softly bitten lips.
Strong arms were holding her tightly.
It was Sislin.
“……!!!”
━━━━⊱⋆⊰━━━━
The night before.
In the high moonlight, Sislin was staring at his hand.
Lying on the wing chair, his dark hair was long and disheveled. Thanks to his tilted head, his sharp jawline and collar bones were particularly prominent.
His chapped lips muttered.
“It’s strange.”
A low voice rang out.
“It feels like ants are crawling in my veins…”
A sliver of moonlight was falling on his hand.
The cold air.
It was felt by heating up the delicate senses more sensitively than usual.
In the past, whenever his ability got stronger, he would be receptive enough to feel the flow of blood. Like now.
“Have you gotten stronger?”
“Yes.”
Uttering briefly in response to Owin’s question, Sislin poured out a drug that could suppress his senses.
Then he took a sip of strong alcohol and swallowed everything in his mouth. Like an injured beast, a long, hot breath was exhaled once.
But the feeling never calmed down.
—It was something close to pain.
“Recently, your symptoms have gotten worse. You were definitely getting better, but I don’t know why…”
“You’ve become stronger than ever. After coming to this ‘Bayonaire Island’. It’s a bizarre phenomenon.”
They remembered what the doctor said.
He hadn’t been to the Crevasse, but his strength was increasing and his suffering was getting worse.
“I don’t think Bayonaire is the problem.”
A shadow fell on Owin’s face.
The aide was hoping in his heart that the prince’s power was strengthened because of some topographical problem or the power of the island, but only then had to see that the hypothesis was wrong.
Even after leaving Bayonaire, his master’s symptoms were getting worse day by day.
It was, absolutely, a bad sign.
“She is already afraid of me. If it even causes seizures like this, it will be worth seeing.”
“…Is that the biggest problem?”
He must be in great pain, but he was just afraid that Annette would be scared.
The tenacity of his master was so consistent that Owin shook his head.
Shiik—
As Sislin stood up, a black silk robe rippled along his muscular body.
Walking barefoot, he said,
“We must find out the cause.”
Blinking the red eyes that suddenly became cloudy, he exhaled harshly as if he was holding back his senses.
“If I don’t find it, I’m either going to have a seizure or die from this pain.”
Owin couldn’t hide the sadness in his eyes, but soon returned to the expression of a faithful subordinate and bowed his head.
“I will help.”
━━━━⊱⋆⊰━━━━
“Ahhhhhhh!”
Recognizing the baron running towards Annette, Sislin threw himself over.
His cloudy red eyes flashed like that of a beast’s.
The red robes fluttered like waves of blood, and the moment he hugged her in his arms.
Right then;
He felt a burning pain in his body.
“……!”
Puk-!
The blow from the baron was something he could normally lightly avoid. Not this time however, since he had to block the baron’s sword with his hand.
When he was distracted by the sharp pain that spread all over his body in an instant… the tip of the blade narrowly grazed his abdomen.
“Uh-huh… Oh my god!!!”
As if he had belatedly came to his senses, the baron widened his eyes in surprise at what he had done.
High-pitched screams echoed around.
Red blood was dripping from the body of the crown prince, who was called the ‘Monster of Crevasse’.
“What is this…! I-I, I’ve s-sinned, s-sorry… Your Highness the Crown Prince, I’m sorry. P-Please, forgive me.”
Sislin’s red eyes became thin.
It was an instantaneous act to cut off the baron’s head with a sword.
Fearful screams were heard upon the decision, which had no mercy.
Gerard’s face filled with consternation.
“……!!!”
The man who was called a monster without blood or tears looked down at the little woman that was drooping in his arms.
As if her pulse had loosened, as if her legs had lost strength, she slid down.
He gently lifted her little body.
“This is the end of the banquet.”
Leaning slightly towards his left, Sislin gently walked away from the spot, holding Annette dearly.
Leaving behind the banquet hall devastated by blood, astonishment and suspicion.