RAMHM - Chapter 126

The Count's expression changed from moment to moment, and he sighed deeply.

“As I approach my time of death, I am faced with such a situation. It is too difficult for an old man from this remote area to accept, Madam. In any case, Blie indeed saved my life.”

“Me, or Blie?”

“Yes. If there was a will, it was her who told me to hide it. It was also Lady Blie who told me that the Archduke or Crown Prince would kill me the moment I got on his nerves.”

“So the Count’s death was planned from the beginning?”

“Yes, the carriage in which the accident occurred was empty. I pretended to get in and got out in the middle. The mansion was so small that I was fortunate to know in advance who the spy was. I confirmed that the spy was communicating with the Grand Duke more frequently, and I conspired with my escort to deceive him before I was caught.”

The heartbreaking moment of not being able to find the Count's body until the end. And then, the face of Noevian, who had been insisting that he was not the one who killed Count Acacia, came to mind one after another.

It wasn't that Noevian lied. It was just that the Count pretended to be dead when he was about to kill him.

I blinked my eyes slowly, feeling heavy as if they were crushed by the weight of the truth.

“Anyway, it is true that the Grand Duke tried to kill the Count.”

“Lady Blie said that His Highness the Crown Prince and the Grand Duke would definitely stop at nothing to get the mana stone mine. Perhaps the reason Lady Blie married me was to use the law of inheritance by wife so that the Grand Duke could get the mine.”

My fingertips quickly became cold.

“It wasn’t that great of a will left by an old man without an heir. When I die, Lady Blie will become Count Acacia, and the Grand Duke, who is her lover, will seduce Lady Blie to get the mine. She said he might forge the will. The Grand Duke is a very sure-footed person, so she said he would put in double and triple safeguards.”

Also.

There is no way that Noevian would have made the bomb named Blie as his government just for love.

[Count Acacia was also a person who was in cahoots with Noevian Trovica and was then abandoned.]

It was clearly written in Blie's diary that was found in the Count's safe.

Blie knew that Noevian wanted to use him to get the mine.

“But Count. How could you believe everything Blie said? She didn’t seem like a very trustworthy person.”

“How could I not believe it? Even before Lady Blie and I became a couple on paper, she had been in contact with His Highness the Grand Duke. Not only did she already know about the Mana Stone mine, but the Grand Duke even explained to her in detail why he created the law of wife inheritance.”

Unbelievable stories poured in.

I followed Count Acacia through the cave and stared at him, alive and well.

'This is what it feels like to see someone you thought was dead come alive and moving.'

The longer the Count spoke, the more I felt that he was alive, and my heart sank.

Because I always felt like I was carrying a rock in my heart, thinking that he died because of me.

“Although Lady Blie was a bit rough and extravagant... Contrary to what the servants thought, she was sometimes incredibly smart. I didn’t get to see her often because I was busy, but she once said this to me.”

I listened to the traces of Blie coming from the Count's mouth.

“Even if I suddenly become strange, complete the task we have planned.”

Rossi, who was walking ahead of the Count, turned her head with a gleam in her eyes and looked at us. I immediately met Rossi's eyes.

“She said that from the moment she asked for a divorce, she would probably have to be prepared for death all the time. She also said that if she behaved a little, she would ask for the mistress’s bundle of keys.”

The Count smiled faintly as he thought about that time.

“Didn’t you like it when I said I wanted a divorce because you hated Blie?”

“Yes, well... Indeed, I was actively involved in the divorce because I was caught in the middle and it was difficult. I listened to the words of advice that Lady Blie gave to this poor old man as a final word before she went to His Highness the Grand Duke. I always wanted to continue the legacy of my predecessors, who guarded the mines while staying in the territory, rather than enter central politics.”

“That’s just how it was. She has a rough mouth. She seems to say whatever she feels like, but she’s always thinking of something else and is good at plotting. She’s a master at deceiving people. That’s why she deceived me, her master, and ran away with the medicine.”

Rossi, who had been listening silently, spoke as if she was amazed, but I was amazed as I guessed where exactly the picture Blie had drawn started and ended.

“Miss. We have a long way to go. There might be other variables, so let’s wake up Blie and hear the whole story.”

I agree with that statement.

Even if I were to trace the past, I would only be amazed. For now, I had to recognize the magical power that might be in my body and wake up Blie with Rossi's help.

I glanced at Rhodnes, who was quietly following us.

His darkened gaze briefly touched my face and then dropped as if he had done nothing wrong but was not confident enough to look me in the eye.

He flinched and pushed away whenever I tried to approach him, perhaps because he was concerned about his body still smelling of blood.

“Your Grace, it’s nice to tour the mines, but we came here to borrow some ore for a little while.”

In the end, I postponed the conversation with Rhodnes and asked the Count with a sigh.

“Yes. That’s not difficult. But what about the mine investigation that Lady Blie asked us to do?”

“Is the job that Blie ordered you to do to investigate this mana stone mine?”

“Yes. In fact, the Grand Duke and Crown Prince knew of the mine’s existence, and they asked for it to be offered as proof of loyalty. However, the mine is the only thing in this barren and small territory, so I only agreed to lend it to them for a short time...”

Compared to the small entrance, the inside of this mine, which extended out like an ant hole, was so large that it was like another world.

We passed through a maze of twists and turns and finally arrived at our destination.

A thorn fence erected to prevent anyone from entering greeted us.

It was like the thornbush that covered the entrance to this cave.

As Rhodnes strode over and tapped the fence, the thorny hedge began to squirm, clearing a path for him.

And then, as Rhodnes entered the fence, he suddenly stopped at the entrance.

The Count nodded as if he had expected it, then spoke with a slight tremble.

“As you can see...”

As we walked towards Rhodnes, past the Count who was unable to continue speaking, both Rossi and I were speechless and could not even utter a single word.

Without realizing it, my trembling gaze shifted to Rhodnes.

Rhodnes' eyes, which seemed to have forgotten to breathe, flashed in the reflection of the torch the Count was holding and then collapsed in an instant.

"What's this?"

We heard the sound of another group behind us.

There were Ephero and Neil, who seemed to have been secretly following us, and even Vincenzo, who was supposed to be in the capital.

“What is this!!”

The sound of Ephero screaming echoed through the cave walls and shook the space.

Ephero, who had passed the frozen Rhodnes, ran inside through the thorn fence.

Then, the sound of Ephero taking a deep breath was clearly heard in my ears.

I approached Rhodnes with trembling steps and held his hand tightly. Just like before, his hand, which had no intention of avoiding me, was cold and trembling.

In the inner space where our gaze is focused...

There were seven glass coffins containing the bodies of seven people, including Empress Letina.

“Her Majesty Empress Letina and... If I remember correctly, they are the six Princes and Highnesss sent by Her Majesty Empress Grace, the current Empress.”

After countless screams, gasps, and silence, the Count finally answered.

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