Chapter 119: Perfect Reversal

“Answer immediately. Who exactly did you call a criminal just now?”

The sword of Knight Commander Park Sung-min was pressed against Kim Hee-ra. There was a clear reason for this.

From Park Sung-min’s perspective, Kim Hee-ra had looked at Lee Hyun-seung and called him a criminal. Despite the official declaration moments ago that Lee Hyun-seung was not the culprit, her openly shouting such words was a direct challenge to the royal announcement, which could be seen as rebellion.

• gulp

Suddenly, Kim Hee-ra’s noisy mouth was shut.

‘I… misspoke.’

Forgetting that the Knight Commander was right beside her, Kim Hee-ra couldn’t hold back and shouted at Lee Hyun-seung’s smirk. No matter that she was the wife of the Artemis Guild master; she could not stand against the state. Though the royal court kept an eye on Artemis and the Mage Tower, that did not mean they were equals.

If unforgivable acts were committed, punishment would follow without hesitation. One such act was rebellion. Depending on her answer, Kim Hee-ra could become a rebel who denied the royal proclamation.

• drip drip

A little blood trickled as Kim Hee-ra’s neck brushed against the tip of Park Sung-min’s sword.

‘He’s serious…’

Kim Hee-ra met Park Sung-min’s cold, serious expression. If she said the wrong thing here, he would cut her throat on the spot.

Trembling, she tried to speak as calmly as possible.

“Th-there must be some misunderstanding.”

“A misunderstanding? What part do you misunderstand? I saw exactly where your eyes were looking.”

Right in front of the Knight Commander. He could not be fooled. Kim Hee-ra checked the direction she had been staring at — the place where Lee Hyun-seung stood. To look at Lee Hyun-seung, she had to look past Yoo Hee-yeon.

‘That… that’s right…’

As if remembering something, Kim Hee-ra hurriedly said,

“I-I think it could be misunderstood. Knight Commander, you assume I called Lee Hyun-seung a criminal, but that’s not true.”

“If you weren’t talking to him, then who exactly were you talking about?”

“Yoo… Yoo Hee-yeon! I was talking to my daughter.”

Yoo Hee-yeon stared blankly at Kim Hee-ra, with an expression that seemed to say, Why suddenly at me? Her mind went blank as if struck by a hammer on the back of her head.

“Mother…?”

Yoo Hee-yeon spoke, but Kim Hee-ra only shouted louder.

“Not long ago, during the Class Extermination Battle, she smuggled in an external artifact. Isn’t it appropriate to call her a criminal? With this latest incident added on, I was angry and snapped at my daughter. So please don’t misunderstand…”

At Kim Hee-ra’s words, Knight Commander Park Sung-min clicked his tongue and then withdrew his sword.

“Be careful with your words.”

Park Sung-min wasn’t entirely unaware that Kim Hee-ra was making excuses. However, since there was no clear evidence she had called Lee Hyun-seung a criminal, he could not press her further and accept this explanation for now.

Then, Knight Commander Park Sung-min added.

“The secretary beside you? Consider yourself lucky your reaction was slow.”

Then, Park Sung-min spoke to him in a cold voice.

“If you had drawn your sword, I would have cut your neck right away.”

• drip drip

Suddenly, the blood vessels on Kim Hee-ra’s secretary’s face burst. The Knight Commander’s mana had exploded, causing damage.

The secretary bowed his head at a 90-degree angle and said,

“I-I will be careful. Thank you for your mercy.”

After staring at him for a while, Knight Commander Park Sung-min shouted to the knights and mages who had come along.

“Let’s return.”

• step

• step

• step

As the knights began to leave, those who had been holding their breath finally breathed freely.

• Wow… This is the first time I’ve seen the Knight Commander up close.

• Did you see that? I didn’t even notice when he drew his sword…

• So Artemis Guild really can’t stand against the royal knights?

• Well, you never know. Guild Master Yoo Han-beom is considered one of the top mages.

Amusingly, people’s focus quickly shifted back to topics more interesting to them.

Yes, that’s how humans are by nature. Whether someone is falsely accused or trying to clear their name, no one really cares. What they want is their own benefit and entertaining issues to gossip about. That was the most important value and interest to the public.

Of course, despite that, this explanation was not meaningless.

“Lee Hyun-seung… I’m sorry for misunderstanding you until now…”
“I always believed you weren’t the culprit. You know that, right?”
“Hyun-seung… what I said before…”

Many people began to gather around Lee Hyun-seung.

Maybe the royal court was connected to him. If so, they feared repercussions for how they had treated him recklessly before. Their apologies were formalities or mere shells meant to protect themselves, but that was enough.

“Finally…”

Lee Hyun-seung began to smile faintly. The unjust accusation had finally been lifted. Perfectly, with no one able to contradict it.

• step

• step

• step

Lee Hyun-seung pushed through the crowd and slowly walked toward Yoo Hee-yeon.

Yoo Hee-yeon still sat on the ground, staring blankly into space.

“Why… why is everyone… looking at me like that?”

She murmured quietly.

Overnight, her fortunes had reversed. The academy students she had controlled like puppets had become her enemies. Her mother had used her in front of her own eyes to save herself. She thought that to others, she must look like trash. A miserable existence abandoned by honor, power, and even her own mother. She hated to admit it, but that was her current reality.

Lee Hyun-seung spoke toward the dazed Yoo Hee-yeon.

“I clearly said I did nothing. Did you see? The royal knights publicly declared it themselves. I’m not the culprit; Hilleon is. Then, you owe me some words, don’t you?”

He had no desire to receive an apology. He had already been through enough. He could no longer enter the Mage Tower. His mind was broken, and his daily life was ruined. He endured countless painful ordeals to get this far. None of that would be erased by a single apology, nor was it why he had endured so much.

Still, despite everything, he wanted to receive it. Her sincere apology.

• swish

Yoo Hee-yeon slowly raised her head and looked at Lee Hyun-seung.

Then, she quietly thought, looking at the many people surrounding him.

‘Why… why only you…’

She wasn’t recognized by her father, her mother only used her, and even everyone around her ultimately saw her as nothing more than money.

But Lee Hyun-seung was different.

The people around him moved even without him giving them money.

When his life was in danger, they willingly risked their lives to save him.

Hansung Gil, notorious as a thug, and Jung Eun-seo, who never cared about others, both showed excessive kindness to Lee Hyun-seung.

Even the father who had never acknowledged her had recognized Lee Hyun-seung and even scouted him to his guild.

‘It’s not fair…’

Everything she had desperately wanted, even willing to sell her soul for, seemed like something Lee Hyun-seung had gained too easily.

That’s why she wanted to deny it.

If she had to apologize to him here, it would feel like everything about herself was being denied.

Foolishly, she hated Lee Hyun-seung who had everything she had wanted.

• swish

She felt hundreds of eyes on her.

Everyone was watching Yoo Hee-yeon’s lips and expression.

They observed her as if dying to see what she would say or how she would react.

‘Why… why is everyone looking at me like this… why?’

Every single face was cold.

Some even smirked cruelly as if thinking she deserved it.

That kind of gaze made her stomach churn.

“Not going to apologize, huh?”

When Lee Hyun-seung spoke, Yoo Hee-yeon looked at him.

‘Yes… it’s all… your fault…’

If Lee Hyun-seung had never been in her life, she wouldn’t have fallen like this.

She wouldn’t have felt disappointment in her mother or failed to gain her father’s recognition.

By now, she could have topped every category in the academy and lived prosperously and arrogantly.

At the center of her downfall, unhappiness, and ruin was always Lee Hyun-seung.

That’s what she thought.

No, that’s what she decided to believe.

Because if not, she would have to take responsibility for everything herself—and she didn’t think her mind could endure that.

“If only… if only you weren’t here…!”

As Yoo Hee-yeon’s defiance showed, Lee Hyun-seung gave up on receiving an apology and whispered in her ear.

“Don’t be ridiculous. Fine, live like that until the end.

I’ll drag both you and Kim Hee-ra down into the abyss.”

Then—

“You arrogant bastard!”

Kim Hee-ra, who had been listening from afar, couldn’t contain herself and fired magic at Lee Hyun-seung.

• shiiiiiiik!

A massive shattering sound echoed from afar as a mana sphere headed straight for Lee Hyun-seung’s face.

• click

• taaaang!

Lee Hyun-seung fired his gun.

In an instant, the huge mana dispersed.

• Magic nullification cartridge hit. Targeted magic will be destroyed.

Then Lee Hyun-seung coldly looked at Kim Hee-ra and said,

“Do I look like a fool or an unawakened?”

He aimed his gun at Kim Hee-ra and spoke coldly.

“Only act within what you can handle.

Know your limits.”