Chapter 94.

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Translator: thursdays Editor: Sasha PR: LightBrin

1.

Is there anyone who thinks about you as much as I do?

Is there anyone who cares about you as much as I do?

Have you ever seen someone look at you with more desperate eyes than mine?

Have you ever felt a softer touch than my hands?

Theres no one. There wouldnt have been anyone.

I would not let them.

2.

Oh-hohohoho!

A peal of romance-like laughter rang through the garden.

The prince, whose genuine plea had been met with laughter, looked like he was about to cry.

Sy-Sylvia?

Ohohoho! What is it, Your Highness?

Isnt your laughter a little artificial? O-of course, your voice is like that of a baby bird. No matter how you chirp, it is music to my ears. Still, if you think about keeping up the appearance of n.o.bility.

Oh-hohohoho! I am very satisfied with this laughter!

I-is that so? the prince muttered, stuttering. I-I see. Thats how it is. No. No. Listening to it carefully, it seems to be all right. Um. Hmm. Yeah! Its all right. Its totally fine! Youre so beautiful. I discovered another charming point about you today.

Oi. Check out this ramen-head.

How did his love for the Lady of the Golden Silk not lessen even with this? All of the students around him were looking at him with slightly cold eyes.

-Zombie.

Bae Hu-ryeong, who had been quiet for a bit after entering the Apocalypse, opened his mouth.

-Ive been silently watching your play this time. I was trying not to interfere. I cant watch this anymore, though. Its too frustrating. Hey, arent you misunderstanding something?

A misunderstanding? What am I getting wrong?

-You think its easier to break someones love than to create it.

Yes.

-Im sorry, but that Its case by case.

That was what Bae Hu-ryeong said. He had the expression of a mountain gorilla, the prince of the jungle, suddenly being trapped inside a zoo.

Case by case?

-Yeah. You totally exude the aura of someone whos never dated, but people in love each have slightly different forms of love. Kiddo. Theres a type of love that cant be cut no matter how much you try to slice it away. It seems to me that the prince guy is.

The prince opened his mouth before Bae Hu-ryeong could finish his sentence.

Sylvia! You truly s.h.i.+ne in diverse ways, like a kaleidoscope. If there was snow on the branches yesterday, the tree now blooms with plum blossoms. Thats right. Is a humans laugh determined by their birth? What law prescribes the way n.o.bility laughs? I too will change the way I laugh now. Mwahahaha!

That crazy guy

A fantastic duet floated to the sky above the garden.

Ohoho!

Mwahaha!

Oh-hohoho!

Mwahahaha!

It was the birth of the couple of the century.

I was speechless.

Wh-what the h.e.l.l is love?

I was shocked.

-Youve never dated before. Did you think a kid whos never known the feeling of love could solve this twisted relations.h.i.+p?

Bae Hu-ryeong clicked his tongue.

-There are people who have thrown away their country to look good in front of the one they love. It was a good idea to stop the immersion by acting out, but it wont be enough to destroy love. Yup. Sometimes its just lacking.

Huh? All of a sudden, Bae Hu-ryeong began to look like an adult. Am I going to have an inferiority complex because Ive been single? To this mountain gorilla?

Isnt that too shameful?

..

Tap.

I stepped between the crown prince and the Heretic Questioner. As if saying, Look here. Naturally, the prince frowned when he saw me.

You.

Her ladys.h.i.+p has told me that she trusts me the most.

Now. Lets see if your love can hold against this.

Your Highness is a n.o.ble man. I am from humble birth. But Your Majesty is far away, while I am always by my ladys.h.i.+ps side. My mistresss family is my house, and my mistresss life is the life that I serve. Your Highness.

Screams of Kyaa! echoed in the garden. The voices belonged to the young ladies watching us.

-No. You. Crazy Hey. Hey!

Bae Hu-ryeong urgently shouted.

-You idiot! Ah, this virgin kid! You really dont know the rules of love! That guys the prince of the empire, so hell have a lot of pride! If you say that, the prince will become more jea..!

Ha!

The crown prince ground his teeth.

You think yourself so great because you stay by the ladys side, using the excuse of being a butler. Very well. Then I will take care of Sylvia, too! Ill watch over Sylvia myself when she is at the academy, so you may leave now.

What.

Hes the crown prince of this nation!

You can be crazy for love, but how could it be this much?!

Ohohohoho!

Mr. Heretic Questioner. Please stop laughing. I cant concentrate.

What in heavens is this fuss now?

It was then. The murmuring of the students stopped.

In one very brief moment. The commotion stopped for less than a second. The silence was only one second long, but that was enough.

The young sons and daughters of n.o.bility bowed their heads and cleared the path.

Lady of the Silver Lily.

Only the crown prince looked at her with his eyebrows furrowed.

There, the lady with the moonlight in her hair walked.

3.

I thought you asked for a sick leave this morning, the prince said. I thought that youd be absent from school today, but is your body feeling better again? Huh. The ladys heart seems to be quite the troublemaker.

.

The Lady of the Silver Lily did not respond right away. Instead, she glanced over our audience, one by one.

Flinch.

When she met their eyes, the students dropped their gazes. Until now, the students had been fired up by the imperial familys scandal. Only once they froze did the Lady of the Silver Lily part her lips.

Are you well? I was able to have a peaceful night thanks to your concern.

Is that so? Thats good. You call in sick and lay down half the year, so a day like today must be precious. The sun feels nice on this spring day, so you should take a leisurely stroll.

A cold expression.

[Take a stroll] was the same thing as saying, [Leave this place]. The crown prince was desperately cloying with the Lady of the Golden Silk, but he was ungenerous toward the Lady of the Silver Lily.

His cold-heartedness was a bit odd.

Even if hes from the imperial family, it shouldnt be good to treat someone from the ducal family this harshly.

However, the Lady of the Silver Lily was calm.

A stroll sounds wonderful. The magnolia petals fall when the spring breeze becomes even a little rough. I worry that if I enjoy the walk alone, the flowers will be lonely.

Unlike last nights struggle for words at the ball, the Lady of the Silver Lily had a silver tongue.

Your Highness. Dont let yourself be dirtied in this clamorous crowd. Would you like to accompany me on a walk in the comfort of springtime?

Ha. Why would I

Lady of the Golden Silk.

The Lady of the Silver Lily addressed the Heretic Questioner.

You should also walk together.

The prince shut his mouth.

All the eyes nearby were drawn to the Heretic Questioner.

Hmm.

The Heretic Questioner gripped his fan and glanced at me.

What should I do, Death King? is what his eyes told me. Should I follow them? His eyes showed that he would totally accept my decision.

Would it be okay?

The Lady of the Silver Lily and the crown prince. Both of them were dangerous. Merely being close to them deepened our immersions. The Heretic Questioner became closer to the Lady of the Golden Silk, and I became closer to the butler.

It was dangerous, but nothing would be solved if we stayed still.

What is your immersion rate now?

I whispered in a voice that would only be heard by the Heretic Questioner.

Did it rise?

Yes. It went up a little.

The Heretic Questioner whispered back, My immersion rate is now 17 percent. Aha, it rose one percent when the prince spoke to me. It rose another one percent when I saw the Lady of the Silver Lily. In total, its 2 percent higher than yesterday.

2%.

Compared to last nights insane increase, the immersion speed had definitely slowed down. Should we take the risk now and enter the tigers den? If not now, when would be better?

I met the Heretic Questioners eyes.

When spring comes?

The Heretic Questioner smiled brightly.

The magnolia falls, Death King.

Okay.

I made a decision.

All right. Lets follow along, milady.

I trust your judgment, butler.

The Heretic Questioner closed the fan with a smack.

Oh-hohoho! I cannot refuse when the Lady of the Silver Lily personally suggested a walk. I gladly accept your invitation!

The Lady of the Silver Lily frowned. Then, she lightly turned around.

Follow me quietly.

4.

The place she led us to was her own lodgings. The Lady of the Silver Lily, whose family had great power, did not stay in the dormitories. She stayed and ate at a separate villa.

This is where you come to [walk]? the prince complained, who had been half-forced into following.

The Lady of the Silver Lilys accommodations were fancier than the other students, but that was all. The prince was someone raised in the imperial palace. He didnt seem impressed by the luxury.

Do you think I would do that?

The Lady of the Silver Lily kept walking, unaffected by his words. Click. Click. The ladys shoes made a noise whenever they hit the hallway.

The walk was an excuse.

What?

There were many eyes in the garden. I couldnt tell you the truth like that. It must remain a secret.

A secret?

Yes.

Click.

Its about the a.s.sa.s.sins who dared to invade the cradle of n.o.bility. Your Highness. Rashly speaking can agitate the public.

.

The prince kept his mouth shut.

From my deductions, the prince was the one who hired the a.s.sa.s.sins. Maybe it was just her air, but the Lady of the Silver LIlys tone seemed to say [I already know what you did].

You mean you caught the culprit? Even I have not done so yet with my investigation. How could you?

The Lady of the Golden Silks butler gave me a clue.

Click.

Last night, I threw out the lady and her servant from the ball. I had been overreacting. However, I only ordered them to be taken away, not for them to be locked up anywhere. It seems that some of my subordinates had evil intentions.

The villa of the dukes daughter had a staircase that led to the bas.e.m.e.nt. Standing in front of it, the Lady of the Silver Lily looked back at us.

Her face was expressionless.

Shall we go down, Your Highness?

I dont see the servants. How bizarre. Where did the duchys servants go?

Are you worried? I suppose you must be. I will take the lead.

The Lady of the Silver Lily went down the stairs without answering the princes question. Her clicking footsteps seeped through the bas.e.m.e.nt. Click. Click. Soon, the darkness of the stairs buried the Lady of the Silver Lily.

The prince gulped and started going down the stairs.

The Heretic Questioner and I also followed them.

Something thickened in the air as we went down the stairs. It was something that my nose and my life were becoming too used to. The scent of blood. The Heretic Questioner and I werent fl.u.s.tered, but the princes shoulders ahead of us flinched.

I apologize for bringing you to such a squalid place, Your Highness.

In the bas.e.m.e.nt, three human beings were tied down in chairs.

All three were the duchys servants whom I saw last night, and

These are the people behind the a.s.sa.s.sins who attacked the Lady of the Golden Silk.

All three were soaked in blood.

.

The princes hands trembled.

Even I frowned a little. The only ones whose expressions did not change after descending the stairs were the Heretic Questioner and the Lady of the Silver Lily.

It was understandable why the Heretic Questioner was unaffected. He was the guild master of the Ten Thousand Temple, which carried out uncountable numbers of torture and interrogations in the Tower.

However, the other person was just a dukes daughter. She resembled the moonlight. Staggering and swaying like she would fall any moment, she appeared fragile. That girl stood here as if she was very familiar with these types of places.

This is the result of the investigation I did overnight.

Then, I remembered.

It turned out that they had done it for personal revenge.

The lady in front of me was the person who would destroy the world.

Personal revenge?

Yes. Would you like to hear about it?

The Lady of the Silver Lily grabbed a servant by his hair. Aghh! The servant opened his eye in agony. Could he not open his right eye? He looked at us with only his left.

His Highness the Prince has honored us with a visit. Pay respect.

Milady, euk Miladyyy

You and your colleagues ordered an a.s.sa.s.sination. The target was the Lady of the Golden Silk. Explain to the prince why you attempted to kill the lady.

Milady miss

If you tell the truth, your family will remain unharmed.

This person.

Th-the Lady of the Golden Silk The daughter of a lowly baron on the outskirts doesnt know her place and, and dares to chase the crown prince M-milady is His Highnesss rightful fiance Thats right, shes his fiance. The agreement was m-made a long time ago.

She was dangerous.

I was frustrated because angry because of the barons daughter, so Stop, I did something foolish.. I apologize. I apologize, milady. I apologize, Your Highness

Did anyone order you to hire an a.s.sa.s.sin?

N-no one. Theres n.o.body who pulled the strings

But there was.

Are you saying it was just the three of you?

This was a false testimony.

Yes Thats right, milady Thats right.

It was to protect the prince.

Are you certain?

Theres no mistake

All right. I see.

To protect the prince of this country, the Lady of the Silver Lily deliberately brought about a [false testimony].

She must have ensured the three of them would say the same thing, concocted an alibi, and perfectly manipulated all evidence.

These people would never be able to reveal the fact that they were [the princes agents].

The princes act of confining the Heretic Questioner and me in the warehouse was moved [behind the scenes].

So was his attempt to intervene and [pretend to be a hero] during the crisis.

The Lady of the Silver Lily was trying to bury all truth in the ground.

For none other than the crown prince.

For the man who would be affected the most if the truth were revealed.

Your Highness.

The Lady of the Silver Lily lifted her head and looked at the prince.

Please punish them.

The prince flinched.

What do you mean, punish?

These are the men who tried to kill the Lady of the Golden Silk, whom Your Highness cares about. They are criminals who invaded the cradle of n.o.bility. They deserve to be punished, and you can punish them. Your Highness is currently the foundation of this country.

.

Why do you hesitate?

The Lady of the Silver Lady asked,

Is there perhaps a different truth to this case than what I have discovered?

.

I tell you this not as a student of the academy but as someone who will be Your Highnesss va.s.sal. Your Highness, the foundation of the country. If you find my investigation to be insufficient, please push the punishment onto another. As this matter is serious, I will send notice to the emperors special operatives.

The emperors special operatives.

As soon as I heard that, a memory of the butler was revived.

They were hunting dogs under the control of one person and did not answer to anyone else. Made up of the empires top swordsmen and magicians, they were given absolute rights over independent investigation.

The reason why this prince was able to take over as the crown prince was because they swallowed up the former crown prince, who had been corrupt.

However, if you are satisfied with this investigation, there is no need for such troublesome work.

The Lady of the Silver Lily bowed her back.

On the bas.e.m.e.nt floor, there was a sword that seemed to have been prepared in advance.

In this place, please punish

The Lady of the Silver Lily rolled up her sleeves like she was familiar with the movement.

Both her arms had numerous scars marking her skin.

the one who didnt properly manage the servants of her family

Wounds from stabs, cuts, scratches, pulls, flogs, and torture took s.p.a.ce on every part of her arms, which were originally as white as lilies. No, it wasnt just both arms. Seeing the long dent in her shoulder that looked as if a worm had burrowed through, I knew that her whole body must be covered with scars.

The Lady of the Silver Lily, with her head down, whispered.

Please punish me.

The silver lily.

The villainous young lady of this world.

As always, I will bear the sin.

The crown prince trembled.