episode_0176

“First of all, what is clear is that Ernst went to visit Isabella late at night. If it was a meeting at that time, it wouldn’t have been a visit to exchange pleasantries between mother and son. It’s too late.”

It certainly is.

Even if we had planned to talk secretly, we would have had time to talk alone after dinner.

Why did you go to the main palace around midnight? .

“It was not that rare for Ernst to have a private meeting with Isabella, but most of those times were around evening. Then, what happened yesterday was something urgent for him… It should be seen as an impulsive move.”

“Impulse doesn’t seem like a word that fits Ernst.”

I’ve never talked to him in person, but he seemed like a cold-hearted person like steel.

Surprisingly, once that type of person loses patience, they act without a plan… Was there a good reason for that?

“That would normally be the case… He cared for Matthias so much that he would not have known it if he had found out that his mother was responsible for Matthias’s death. At least as far as I know, the only things he does impulsively are Leonor or Matthias.”

“Of course, he looked particularly gloomy during the palace meeting.”

“… It’s just my speculation, though.”

Leopold also trailed off, as if he wasn’t entirely sure.

“If the reason Ernst visited the empress was to inquire about his brother’s death… There is a high possibility that there was some kind of conflict of opinion between the two.”

“That’s right. Looking at the result alone, it is safe to say that it was not just a simple clash of opinions, but bloodshed.”

Bloodshed.

Did they even fight each other?

“Did Ernst really point the sword at his mother just because his younger brother died?”

He must have known clearly that Leopold was the only one who benefited from such a rift between the two.

Even if the intention was to antagonize Isabella, wouldn’t it be reasonable to carry it out after ascending to the throne?

… I don’t know.

Perhaps he, too, had figured out something about Isabella’s identity or purpose.

What if she had known that her goal was not to elevate Ernst to the throne, but to lead the empire to destruction by manipulating Ernst as she pleased… .

Aiming a sword also made sense.

“Well, I don’t know what they talked about… . There may have been some other reason. However, it is clear that the conversation did not end there. Otherwise, I don’t know why there would be a need to kill seven people.”

“I guess so.”

“The question is, who won? If I hadn’t known Isabella’s identity, I would have been sure of Ernst’s victory… .”

You must have lost.

This is not an opponent you can defeat without knowing the strategy.

Even considering the combat abilities of Isabella’s subordinates and herself, it is impossible to break through each of her five powers with a single sword.

‘Farewell to the Underworld’, ‘Embracing Nightmare’, ‘Wriggling Nest’, ‘Black Rest’.

and… Even ‘Fable’.

It wasn’t something I could tell Leopold.

If you ask me how I know that, I have no answer.

If the deaths of the seven people were due to the sendoff from the underworld… Still, does that mean he somehow killed six or seven times?

That alone was an incredible feat.

It would be difficult to kill even master-level knights more than five times.

It seems like Ernst was strong from the beginning.

Even without Isabella’s treatment.

“If Ernst had won, Isabella would probably have been imprisoned. If she was dead, no matter how hard Ernst tried to use the excuse that it was an assassin’s act, it would be difficult to escape the suspicion that he killed her or at least aided her.”

Anyone who sees it will see it that way.

If the time of their death was after Ernst visited Isabella, it would be a strange situation in which Isabella was assassinated even though Ernst was present.

“On the other hand, if Isabella is alive, he will be able to make an excuse somehow, even by threatening her. In this case, this self-made play can be seen as buying time to explain his suspicious actions and prevent Isabella’s faction from collapsing. . They might be trying to blame me for being behind the attack.”

It’s a plausible statement, but ultimately it’s a mistake.

There was no chance that Ernst would have won.

Looking at the fact that the main palace was not destroyed, it is clear that ‘Dark Rest’ was not broken.

“What if Isabella won? Even if Ernst is strong, I don’t think he would have won against a witch who wielded multiple monsters comparable to a master.”

Even as I spoke, I had a rough guess.

Isn’t your brain being washed by now?

For now, I’ll have to keep using it as a prince… It’s probably not bug food yet.

“Then, wouldn’t this self-made play be just buying time to persuade Ernst to her way? I don’t know the means, but… When I break out of hiding, Ernst will no longer be the man I knew. It is safe to say that he is no different from Isabella’s puppet.”

“It’s a miserable ending.”

“I agree. Anyway, with this, my enemy has actually been reduced to just one.”

It’s not wrong.

I don’t know if it will be a benefit or a loss.

From now on, it is beneficial in that the only one of the two who survives needs to pay attention to Isabella’s heart… .

If the conflict between Isabella and Ernst was holding them back, it would become even more dangerous now that the shackles are gone.

“What do you plan to do in the future?”

“Nothing has been decided yet. If it’s Ernst’s doing, all I have to do is stop those who support me from being swayed by false rumors. By the time I gained the support of the Duke of Vienne, the tide had already turned. On the other hand, if it was Isabella’s doing… … Ah, I see! I forgot about that… !”

Leopold’s eyes flashed.

“Leonor! If Ernst had been planning to negotiate with Isabella, he would have at least given Leonor some hint before doing so. We have to secure her first!”

Oh yeah. There was Leonor… !

I forgot about it because I was only focusing on Isabella and Ernst.

I didn’t really like the word secure, but I also agreed that Leonor should be brought here.

Now that Ernst has fallen, there is no one left to protect Isabella from her hands.

The problem is whether Leonor will accept it willingly… Forcibly bringing people in is problematic in many ways.

“What if Leonor doesn’t agree to this? I don’t think they are going to forcibly detain you. If you think about the rumors surrounding His Highness right now… That’s a pretty dangerous method.”

If Leopold had forcibly captured Leonor at this point and the fact was revealed, it would have been a fatal scandal for him.

To people, it will become a piece of evidence.

This is evidence that Leopold has finally begun to cause open harm to Isabella and her children.

From then on, the rumor that Matthias was killed will no longer be treated as just a rumor, but as a half-truth.

He might even be falsely accused of trying to assassinate Isabella.

“Hmm… It’s definitely dangerous. I can’t help it. I have no choice but to leave this matter entirely to the princess.”

“No, me?”

“Weren’t you quite close with Leonor? If it were me, you would doubt it and see, but if it were a princess, it might be a different story.”

We’re not that close… ?

If you say it’s good or bad, it’s good, but if you look at it objectively, we only met twice and sparred once.

After that, I was very busy with various things, and as a Leopoldian, I refrained from meeting her for fear of causing unnecessary misunderstanding.

If we met, either I would be suspected of being a traitor or Leonor would be suspected of being a traitor.

Maybe it’s both.

Perhaps because he could not see that I was embarrassed, Leopold continued to make requests that were almost like orders without hesitation.

“After contacting Leonor, persuade her to take you out. If Ernst was harmed by Isabella as the princess thought, it wouldn’t be that difficult. After that, instead of bringing him here, you can tell him to hide for a while in a place where Isabella’s attention won’t reach.”

Are you telling me to hide Leonor?

Well, I can’t let her stay at the First Prince’s Palace, but technically, I’m living in a rented room at the academy… .

… Now that I think about it, there are a few places that are worth hiding.

Ophelia’s hideout is outside the system, so it would be impossible, so maybe I could ask for it at Asha’s factory?

Since we are using an entire building, there will be at least some space to avoid people’s attention.

“I think it would be possible to just hide it, but if it is for a while, how long? Didn’t you plan on making her testify to the Empress’ evil deeds?”

Leopold shook his head.

” As I said before, if you do something like that without physical evidence, will it only create the stigma that I kidnapped you and threatened you? Someday we will have to ask for testimony, but it is still too early.”

In the end, we have to somehow find physical evidence first… .

The situation has already gone awry once, but will the Seongguk spies that Lacey said will be able to treat them well?

—-

Instead of accepting Leopold’s request, he placed one condition.

Make sure Leonor is safe after all this is over.

Unconditionally, regardless of whether she testifies to the Empress’ evil deeds or whether the matter is concluded without any need for it.

Leopold looked worried for a while, but when there was no sign of his attitude changing, he eventually made an oath in Elfinel’s name.

I don’t know how much meaning his oath, who is not a priest, will have.