episode_0020

“The person you like…?”

“Uh.”

Herreis scratched the back of his head.

“It’s obvious that you shouldn’t teach it. It has nothing to do with the current situation, and above all…”

“Bernassienne.”

“… Yes?”

“Right?”

“…”

At that moment, Herreis’ face froze coldly for a moment. A dark shadow settled over the man’s once light-hearted face.

Turup!

He grabbed Asher by both shoulders.

“What are you?”

He glares. He looks as if he might pull a knife out of his leather pouch if the opportunity arises.

“Even though you are the shadow of the royal family, you know the names of the servants in the mansion? And you even read other people’s minds?”

“… Aha.”

A story was drawn in Asher’s head.

Hereis mistook Ashe for a member of the Imperial Shadow – a special task force. And he probably thought she had been abandoned and unilaterally covered up the murder of Madame de Neterto.

So, he might have tried to collect or utilize the abandoned shadow.

‘I heard you’re still single so I asked… You’re really good at talking.’

Was the Duchess of Cambridge a servant?

‘But I didn’t see anything special in the Hall of Gasol.’

Asher narrowed his eyes.

There was no way I could have passed by Bernacien’s beautiful appearance without seeing it.

Perhaps she was not there because she was promoted to Duchess and was no longer a servant.

If not, then the Shiryeoldae where the Hall of Fame was built was after the Duchess moved in.

Asher’s eyes widened as his thoughts expanded to that point.

‘… uh?’

It seemed like the scattered dots in my head were connecting into lines.

The existence of Maid B – a beautiful woman with all sorts of charms.

Coincidentally, she is not depicted in the Hall of Fame.

And the huge portrait that came into view as one went up to the second floor was that of a Duchess whose beauty even impressed Ache.

Also, coincidentally, the Duchess in the portrait has hair color… a light wheat color.

‘Maid B. Bell… Belnacien Arkaden…!’

I burst out laughing.

It’s not a leap of logic. Doesn’t everything fit together perfectly?

“Bell… or so they call it.”

“Even a nickname…!”

Kwak!

Herace tightened his grip. After forcing Asher into a corner and slamming him against the wall, he continued his interrogation.

“How much does the royal family know? Tell me what you know right now. Otherwise, I…!”

“Sigh…”

Are you threatening me with violence just because I’m a grown man? It’s not funny.

Kuk.

Asher lightly twisted Haley’s wrist with Haley’s strength.

“Huh, what kind of woman’s power is this…?”

“Calm down. Next time it’s not your wrist, it’s your neck.”

“Ugh…!”

grasp!

Asher shook Herais’s wrist away as if he was throwing it away. He gently caressed the affected area with his other hand, feeling that his wrist was cold.

“Is it a big deal to know the maid’s name? Are you worried that the emperor might take her as a concubine?”

“… What?”

“She’s a pretty person, so I can understand being overprotective.”

“…”

Hereis’s gaze returned to its gentle form. He sighed deeply and muttered something incoherent to himself.

“I see… You don’t know that much. Well, there’s no way you could figure that out…”

Asher thought that he had escaped death and at least managed to survive. He looked relieved, as if his soul had been taken out of his body, and his attitude was relaxed, as if he would collapse if pushed lightly.

“… Are you plotting a rebellion?”

“Yes?”

“If someone who is a duke in front of the shadows is so shaken by this, it’s almost treason. Could it be that Belle is the hidden legitimate daughter of the royal family?”

“Wrong! It won’t happen even if the heavens and the earth turn upside down.”

“I guess so.”

It was fake that asked if the Duchess was a hidden royal. What she really wanted to find out was treason.

But judging from Herreis’ reaction, it doesn’t seem like he harbors any particular ill will.

“… But you’re saying that you fell in love with the royal family and are helping me? Are you asking me to believe that?”

“It’s a personal matter. Let’s help each other out because of that personal matter.”

“Mutual aid… That’s okay. If you betray me, I’ll kill you immediately.”

In reality, he can’t be killed. If he were to die, the flow of the painting world would be greatly distorted.

This world will not tolerate such presumptuous behavior.

“Then… Please take care of me, Mr. Sally.”

“Yeah.”

This is a temporary alliance only this time.

I’d like to just rip his neck off, but… in a world where everything is fake, it would be a futile revenge.

◇

As soon as the contract was made, Herais handed Ashe a piece of skin. I heard it was called a human face mask.

When I turned it over, the maid Sally’s face disappeared without a trace, and was replaced by someone else’s face.

He was indeed a man worthy of the nickname of genius.

“… So, what is your purpose?”

“There’s one thing I want to confirm. For that, I need the shadow of the royal family, Miss Sally.”

“You want to be a guide.”

“There’s no need for words.”

Of course, general guidance would be unnecessary.

Because the duke was well versed in the geography of the palace.

The path he wants to know is probably a secret passage in the palace. A passage that only a shadowy figure would know about…

In fact, after accompanying Herais, the secret passage that had been restricted from entry was opened.

“Ms. Sally, when things are finished, won’t you come to Arkaden?”

“I hate it so much I could die. That kind of mansion.”

Asher immediately refused. Hereis smiled awkwardly.

“Uh… I’m proud to say that it’s a pretty good place.”

“Of course. Like the disobedient hunting dog Hailey. Or rare art pieces. There must be a lot.”

“What on earth is the information power of the shadow…!”

He made his own mistakes and was shocked at his own discretion. Since it was a convenient situation, Asher left his mistakes alone.

“Then what are you going to do next?”

“I have to get revenge. I’m going to kill all the guys who drove me here.”

It had a double meaning.

I will take revenge on the damn Arkaden mansion, and the current royal family that tried to assassinate her in reality.

Herace, who recognized Ashe’s sharp atmosphere, was able to take a breath.

Because I believed that with this level of revenge, I would be able to keep the secret.

“By the way, what are you trying to check?”

“This could be a turning point in my life. I should tell you since you’ll be seeing it anyway.”

Inside the secret passage where footsteps clattered, Herais’s voice became quiet.

“A prophecy came down from the temple. It was a prophecy that would have a great negative impact on the imperial family.”

“Is it about a witch?”

“You know what I mean. Then there’s no need to hide it any longer. In fact, this isn’t the first time a bad prophecy has come down to the royal family.”

“I know. It came down during the reign of the 3rd emperor. It seems like it was somehow avoided then.”

“How do you think the royal family of that time avoided the prophecy, Mr. Sally? The prophecy is inevitable. It is a fate that cannot be changed by human power.”

“…”

It was a past I was curious about even when looking through history books. However, since it was not written down accurately, I had no choice but to just memorize it and move on.

“At that time, the royal family tried to avoid the prophecy through sorcery. They searched all over the place to find a sorcerer, and eventually found one.”

“There was a way to avoid the prophecy.”

“Yes. I finally found it. A way to change the fate of the world. ”

It is an absurdity to try to escape fate with mere human power. The imperial family of the time was arrogant enough to make it happen.

“They disrupted fate by calling in beings who had escaped the shackles of this world. Thanks to this, the empire survived and has maintained peace for over 500 years.”

Five hundred years is a long time for a great nation to experience the rise and fall of a great nation. Nevertheless, the empire is now enjoying its heyday.

The imperial family, led by seventy-two barons, enjoyed the absolute support of the people of the empire through unprecedented territorial expansion.

“I am sure that the modern royal family will do the same thing as the past. Because they are a race of people so arrogant as to dare to go against fate.”

Hereis added one last word.

“Isn’t the revenge of fate scary…”

“Hmm.”

Hereis didn’t lie. He just had something left to hide.

Asher had such insight.

If that was the only reason for Herais’s motive, he would not have recruited Ashe. Rather than being rebellious, he would have been loyal and openly offered advice to the emperor.

Surely, it is something that holds inner feelings that can never be revealed to others.

“The story you’ve told me so far…is it related to our approach to the Emperor’s throne room?”

“… Yes. Even though his wife was murdered, the Emperor himself went there with him. There must be something. ”

“Mirelda was estranged from her husband. It’s understandable that she doesn’t have any attachment to him.”

“Huh? That’s impossible.”

Herreis’s eyes widened as if he had heard something unexpected.

“The Neterto couple are a couple known in high society as a lovey-dovey couple. It’s not a political marriage, but a love marriage, so much so that it would be natural to say it’s a love marriage.”

“What? That makes no sense.”

“… Whatever the circumstances, one of us was fooled.”

The secret passage through which Asher and Herais passed led to the back of the audience room.

At the back there was a part cleverly disguised as a wall, which when pushed would rotate like a revolving door.

… This is the official path known to the general direct royal family.

Ashe, who was favored by the emperor, also possessed special knowledge that was passed down only to his successor.

“Give me that.”

“Oh, yes.”

Hereis took out the item that Ash had mentioned beforehand. It was a device that would light up when a button was pressed.

‘Let’s see… The part that strangely gets thinner, here! If I support this side…’

Part of the audience room wall was constructed with a special material. When heat was applied to that part, strangely enough, it passed through to the other side dimly.

In addition, the soundproofing function is also reduced, so even moderate sounds pass through.

“Oh my god… There was such a secret in the palace.”

“Shut up. They may not be able to see us from over there, but they can hear us equally.”

“Okay, I understand.”

Asher and Herreis stared at the wall that had become vaguely transparent.

The Emperor was sitting on his throne, conversing with a man believed to be the Holy See of Neterto.

“Is it okay? Good job.”

“Offer the companion of the brightest star in return.”

The Holy See responded with that sentence.

“… I started to lose interest from the moment I heard those words from the sorcerer.”

“Is that so…”

“Madam… Since she ended her life in the palace she longed for, she probably has less resentment. ”

Asher ground his teeth at Sungjak’s self-justification.

I don’t know the circumstances, but I know that Mirelda is not at fault. But her husband seems relieved and feels less guilty.

‘That piece of trash…!’

I know this world is fake, but I’ve been spending a lot of time with people who are kind to me, so I think I’ve grown attached to them.

Enough to sympathize with the Lady of the Castle, who was not even recorded in history.

At that moment, the emperor raised his hand and gave instructions.

“The magician will perform the ritual as soon as he is ready.”

“I will accept it, Your Majesty.”

The sorcerer was drawing something densely on the floor with a red liquid from a jar.

It seemed to be a magical spell, but Asher and Herais had indecipherable patterns.

Soon, he slowly retreated from the pattern that resembled a magic square.

“I am sorry and grateful, Seongjak. My heart aches when I see the food drawn with your companion’s blood.”

“… It was inevitable. For the survival of the empire. ”

“… That’s right. Everything is for the Empire.”

They are not human.

It was a thought that Asher and Herreis shared in common.

A moment later, the audience room was filled with bright light.

A dazzling light that seemed not of this world brightened all directions, even encroaching on secret passages.

“… Huh?”

Ashe, who opened her eyes late, was frozen in a daze.

The scene before my eyes is the hallway of the Arkaden mansion. And the butler with a seriously distorted face.

There were only those two.