“You, you little girl!”
The Duke, who had been snorting and flaring his nostrils, suddenly sat up.
His whole body trembled, perhaps due to the effects of my provocation.
But that anger soon had to disappear.
Elam!
“How dare this man speak such nonsense to the Saintess!”
The investigator slapped him across the face again.
“How much pain has the Saintess suffered because of your actions, and yet you have the shamelessness to say such rude things? Do you think you’ll come to your senses even if you’re tortured with water? Huh?”
The investigator yelled at him as if I were the victim.
The reason he does this is probably because I am a Saintess, but the bigger reason is probably because of the Duke's suspicions.
What a man who not only killed his father and usurped his throne, but also threw his daughter to the lions.
Who wouldn't be angry at that?
But I quietly dissuaded him.
“Don't do that.”
The investigator paused at my soft yet firm voice.
“I’m sorry, I’m sorry. No matter what, I shouldn’t have shown such a vicious appearance in front of the Saintess...”
Although I apologized honestly because of my status, he looked quite embarrassed.
That would be the case, isn't he the one who killed your father?
How can you be so serious just because I slapped that guy in the face?
'But can't you ignore the affection you've developed?'
I smiled faintly at the truth clearly revealed on his face and slowly approached him.
“Don’t overwork your hands just to guide someone like that. They are precious hands that protect the justice of the empire, so you shouldn’t overwork them.”
I carefully touched the investigator's hand.
It only took a moment for his bewildered eyes to turn to emotion.
“What a bunch. It’s my job to educate such shameless people.”
Then, once again, he hit the trash's head with a bang.
“You rascal! You’re looking at the Saintess with those eyes again. Can’t you get rid of those impudent eyes right now?”
Trash's shoulders flinched at the investigator's ominous attitude.
He seemed terribly dispirited by the violence he had experienced for the first time in his life.
But perhaps because he didn't want to lose face in front of me, he didn't lower his glaring eyes until the very end.
“This guy is really!”
It was at that moment that the investigator raised his hand again.
“Inspector, can I speak to him alone for a moment?”
“Yes? Even so, leaving the Saintess and this man alone is a bit much... He hasn’t even admitted his sins yet, and he’s such a vicious guy...”
The investigator looked troubled as if he was worried about my safety.
I smiled slightly and shook my head.
“Don’t worry. The Goddess’ representative is with me.”
Only then did the investigator's eyes widen as he noticed Delton guarding my side.
“Oh, I see. In that case... Yes, I understand. I’ll step aside for a moment, but if anything comes up, please call me.”
“I will, thank you.”
The investigator bowed his head politely to my words, then stopped walking.
Even though he is the messenger of the goddess, a beast is still a beast.
He seemed scared to pass by.
“It’s okay, I won’t ask.”
“Oh, yes!”
The investigator nodded, seemingly reassured by my affectionate tone.
But the fear did not completely go away, as he turned around to the opposite side of Delton and left the investigation room.
Finally, as the door closed, the trash let out a noise as if it had been waiting for it.
“You, you worthless woman! How dare you frame me with such a ridiculous accusation? An illegitimate child? Don’t you feel sorry towards your grandfather?”
“Of course I’m sorry. But what can I do? If I want to protect my family and bring down my father, this is the only way.”
I walked slowly along the edge of the room and answered indifferently.
'It's so poor.'
Even though it was a place to interrogate prisoners, this was too much.
The walls were covered in mold, the ceiling was covered in spider webs, and there weren't even any vents to circulate air.
Because of this, the acrid smoke from the tallow made from animal fat permeated the room and stung my eyes.
If the interrogation room is like this, how bad must the actual prison cells be?
'Oh, okay.'
He was a piece of trash who was born into the upper class and was all about cleanliness.
It was common for people to change their clothes two or three times a day, and he couldn't even tolerate dust floating in the air.
If there was even a small stain on the bed sheets, the house would be noisy all day long because he would be harassing the servants.
How miserable it must be for such a person to sit in such a filthy place.
I chuckled inwardly and sat down in the chair opposite the trash.
“Your face has been badly damaged in just one day? I guess life in prison is hard for you.”
“You’re saying that...! How can I be at ease when I was brought here for no reason and got slapped in the face by such a lowly person!”
“Oh, right. You got slapped too, right?”
I clapped my hands together as if I had forgotten, then grabbed the trash's chin and turned it around.
“Well, let me see. Your left cheek is a little red... Well, it’s okay. You’re already chubby, so it doesn’t look particularly swollen.”
“What, what is it?”
When I smiled faintly, the trash that had been making a dumbfounded expression suddenly furrowed its brow.
“This bitch said, ‘Let’s see!’ Is that what you say to your father, who is suffering this humiliation because of your ridiculous accusations? Wow, I raised such a beautiful girl as my daughter for 19 years!”
“Hey, why are you saying this all over again? I learned it all from my father.”
I shrugged.
The father who tried to kill his daughter, claiming that she was a woman who gave up being a sacrifice for fear of death, and the daughter who accused the father of being an illegitimate child and a murderer, were both in a state of chaos.
When I laughed shamelessly, the trash's face turned as dark as a rotten tomato.
But since it was true that he had tried to kill me, he had nothing to say in protest and could not bring himself to open his mouth.
The trash that had been flaring its nostrils ominously soon gritted its teeth and asked.
“So, what are you doing here? Did you come here to see how miserable your father is?”
“Well, there is something like that.”
“This is the kind of woman who would not feel satisfied even if she were torn to pieces!”
Do you have an intermittent explosive disorder?
I was frowning at the sight of the trash making the sound of a pig being slaughtered without warning, but then I calmly opened my mouth.
“Don’t get so excited. It’s not just for that reason. I came here to give you a chance, too.”
“Wh, what? A chance?”
I smiled at the trash that was looking at me as if to say, "What are you talking about?"
“Give yourself up, Father.”
"What?"
“You must admit to all the charges against you now.”
“Ha, you’re totally crazy. Why would I put a rope around my own neck? If I do that, I’ll be...!”
“Father is going to die anyway. There’s no way to avoid the death penalty.”
I cut him off firmly.
“Think about it. Who would spare the life of someone who dared to murder the heir to the Duke’s throne and usurp his position?”
“Isn’t that all a false accusation you’ve made? I am definitely the legitimate heir between the former Duke Maitland Veloce and his wife Cassia Veloce!”
“Well, who would believe that?”
"What?"
“Now that the evidence has been released, no one will believe my father. You will eventually be hanged. A miserable death in front of all the people of the empire.”
I brought up the story of my father's death with a blank expression on my face.
“You will struggle in agony, with the rope around your neck and not being able to breathe. But no matter how hard you try to roll your feet in the air, there will be no place to step. In the meantime, the rope will tighten around your neck even more.”
“..."
“Those lowly people whom my father had so often looked down on will laugh their heads off as they watch You struggle like a pig to survive. My father will die like that. In shame, having lost all honor and dignity.”
At my words, the trash's face darkened with fear.
The sight of him croaking and turning pale was so bad that I was worried he might stop breathing at any moment.
But that sight did not stir my heart in the least.
If I hadn't framed the trash, this would have been my future.
“Of course, there will be no one to collect the body. My father’s mistress and illegitimate child will receive the same punishment. My father’s body will be buried in a nameless mountain and rot away. There won’t be a single gravestone...”
“What, what is this? Did Magadha and Melina get captured too?”
“They haven’t been caught yet, but they will be soon.”
“That’s nonsense! Why are they being arrested? What crime did they commit?”
The trash cried out in a fit of convulsion.
It was a completely different look from when he insisted that I should kill him and ask the goddess for forgiveness.
'Is this guy really not my biological father?'
It was mind-boggling, but it didn't make my heart ache.
After all, he and I were father and daughter who were worse than others.
“It’s the crime of being my father’s mistress and an illegitimate child.”
He was astonished at my indifferent answer and then asked with a look of resignation.
“So what difference does it make if I confess? If I can’t clear my name, all three of us are probably dead anyway!”
“It would make a big difference. If my father admits your guilt, I will use that as an excuse to ask His Majesty to reduce your punishment.”
"...You?"
The expression on his face was one of complete disbelief.
Well, it was only natural that he became like this because of my three-inch tongue.
But I was sincere.
“But I feel bad about framing you and killing you, even though you are my biological father. I can’t pretend that nothing happened, but I will at least try to spare you from death.”
As I spoke as if I was doing a favor, the trash's face turned red again.
He clenched his fists and trembled until he finally couldn't hold back his anger and screamed.
“Ahhhhh!”
It seemed like he didn't understand how he ended up in this situation.
After screaming for a long time, he finally gasped for breath, perhaps exhausted.
Then he asked with a look of despair on his face.
“...Can I trust your promise?”
It was a voice that seemed to have lost some of his energy.
“Are you really going to save me, no, our family of three?”
“Of course.”
I smiled and nodded.
Their salvation, that's what I wanted.
The Duke, who had been snorting and flaring his nostrils, suddenly sat up.
His whole body trembled, perhaps due to the effects of my provocation.
But that anger soon had to disappear.
Elam!
“How dare this man speak such nonsense to the Saintess!”
The investigator slapped him across the face again.
“How much pain has the Saintess suffered because of your actions, and yet you have the shamelessness to say such rude things? Do you think you’ll come to your senses even if you’re tortured with water? Huh?”
The investigator yelled at him as if I were the victim.
The reason he does this is probably because I am a Saintess, but the bigger reason is probably because of the Duke's suspicions.
What a man who not only killed his father and usurped his throne, but also threw his daughter to the lions.
Who wouldn't be angry at that?
But I quietly dissuaded him.
“Don't do that.”
The investigator paused at my soft yet firm voice.
“I’m sorry, I’m sorry. No matter what, I shouldn’t have shown such a vicious appearance in front of the Saintess...”
Although I apologized honestly because of my status, he looked quite embarrassed.
That would be the case, isn't he the one who killed your father?
How can you be so serious just because I slapped that guy in the face?
'But can't you ignore the affection you've developed?'
I smiled faintly at the truth clearly revealed on his face and slowly approached him.
“Don’t overwork your hands just to guide someone like that. They are precious hands that protect the justice of the empire, so you shouldn’t overwork them.”
I carefully touched the investigator's hand.
It only took a moment for his bewildered eyes to turn to emotion.
“What a bunch. It’s my job to educate such shameless people.”
Then, once again, he hit the trash's head with a bang.
“You rascal! You’re looking at the Saintess with those eyes again. Can’t you get rid of those impudent eyes right now?”
Trash's shoulders flinched at the investigator's ominous attitude.
He seemed terribly dispirited by the violence he had experienced for the first time in his life.
But perhaps because he didn't want to lose face in front of me, he didn't lower his glaring eyes until the very end.
“This guy is really!”
It was at that moment that the investigator raised his hand again.
“Inspector, can I speak to him alone for a moment?”
“Yes? Even so, leaving the Saintess and this man alone is a bit much... He hasn’t even admitted his sins yet, and he’s such a vicious guy...”
The investigator looked troubled as if he was worried about my safety.
I smiled slightly and shook my head.
“Don’t worry. The Goddess’ representative is with me.”
Only then did the investigator's eyes widen as he noticed Delton guarding my side.
“Oh, I see. In that case... Yes, I understand. I’ll step aside for a moment, but if anything comes up, please call me.”
“I will, thank you.”
The investigator bowed his head politely to my words, then stopped walking.
Even though he is the messenger of the goddess, a beast is still a beast.
He seemed scared to pass by.
“It’s okay, I won’t ask.”
“Oh, yes!”
The investigator nodded, seemingly reassured by my affectionate tone.
But the fear did not completely go away, as he turned around to the opposite side of Delton and left the investigation room.
Finally, as the door closed, the trash let out a noise as if it had been waiting for it.
“You, you worthless woman! How dare you frame me with such a ridiculous accusation? An illegitimate child? Don’t you feel sorry towards your grandfather?”
“Of course I’m sorry. But what can I do? If I want to protect my family and bring down my father, this is the only way.”
I walked slowly along the edge of the room and answered indifferently.
'It's so poor.'
Even though it was a place to interrogate prisoners, this was too much.
The walls were covered in mold, the ceiling was covered in spider webs, and there weren't even any vents to circulate air.
Because of this, the acrid smoke from the tallow made from animal fat permeated the room and stung my eyes.
If the interrogation room is like this, how bad must the actual prison cells be?
'Oh, okay.'
He was a piece of trash who was born into the upper class and was all about cleanliness.
It was common for people to change their clothes two or three times a day, and he couldn't even tolerate dust floating in the air.
If there was even a small stain on the bed sheets, the house would be noisy all day long because he would be harassing the servants.
How miserable it must be for such a person to sit in such a filthy place.
I chuckled inwardly and sat down in the chair opposite the trash.
“Your face has been badly damaged in just one day? I guess life in prison is hard for you.”
“You’re saying that...! How can I be at ease when I was brought here for no reason and got slapped in the face by such a lowly person!”
“Oh, right. You got slapped too, right?”
I clapped my hands together as if I had forgotten, then grabbed the trash's chin and turned it around.
“Well, let me see. Your left cheek is a little red... Well, it’s okay. You’re already chubby, so it doesn’t look particularly swollen.”
“What, what is it?”
When I smiled faintly, the trash that had been making a dumbfounded expression suddenly furrowed its brow.
“This bitch said, ‘Let’s see!’ Is that what you say to your father, who is suffering this humiliation because of your ridiculous accusations? Wow, I raised such a beautiful girl as my daughter for 19 years!”
“Hey, why are you saying this all over again? I learned it all from my father.”
I shrugged.
The father who tried to kill his daughter, claiming that she was a woman who gave up being a sacrifice for fear of death, and the daughter who accused the father of being an illegitimate child and a murderer, were both in a state of chaos.
When I laughed shamelessly, the trash's face turned as dark as a rotten tomato.
But since it was true that he had tried to kill me, he had nothing to say in protest and could not bring himself to open his mouth.
The trash that had been flaring its nostrils ominously soon gritted its teeth and asked.
“So, what are you doing here? Did you come here to see how miserable your father is?”
“Well, there is something like that.”
“This is the kind of woman who would not feel satisfied even if she were torn to pieces!”
Do you have an intermittent explosive disorder?
I was frowning at the sight of the trash making the sound of a pig being slaughtered without warning, but then I calmly opened my mouth.
“Don’t get so excited. It’s not just for that reason. I came here to give you a chance, too.”
“Wh, what? A chance?”
I smiled at the trash that was looking at me as if to say, "What are you talking about?"
“Give yourself up, Father.”
"What?"
“You must admit to all the charges against you now.”
“Ha, you’re totally crazy. Why would I put a rope around my own neck? If I do that, I’ll be...!”
“Father is going to die anyway. There’s no way to avoid the death penalty.”
I cut him off firmly.
“Think about it. Who would spare the life of someone who dared to murder the heir to the Duke’s throne and usurp his position?”
“Isn’t that all a false accusation you’ve made? I am definitely the legitimate heir between the former Duke Maitland Veloce and his wife Cassia Veloce!”
“Well, who would believe that?”
"What?"
“Now that the evidence has been released, no one will believe my father. You will eventually be hanged. A miserable death in front of all the people of the empire.”
I brought up the story of my father's death with a blank expression on my face.
“You will struggle in agony, with the rope around your neck and not being able to breathe. But no matter how hard you try to roll your feet in the air, there will be no place to step. In the meantime, the rope will tighten around your neck even more.”
“..."
“Those lowly people whom my father had so often looked down on will laugh their heads off as they watch You struggle like a pig to survive. My father will die like that. In shame, having lost all honor and dignity.”
At my words, the trash's face darkened with fear.
The sight of him croaking and turning pale was so bad that I was worried he might stop breathing at any moment.
But that sight did not stir my heart in the least.
If I hadn't framed the trash, this would have been my future.
“Of course, there will be no one to collect the body. My father’s mistress and illegitimate child will receive the same punishment. My father’s body will be buried in a nameless mountain and rot away. There won’t be a single gravestone...”
“What, what is this? Did Magadha and Melina get captured too?”
“They haven’t been caught yet, but they will be soon.”
“That’s nonsense! Why are they being arrested? What crime did they commit?”
The trash cried out in a fit of convulsion.
It was a completely different look from when he insisted that I should kill him and ask the goddess for forgiveness.
'Is this guy really not my biological father?'
It was mind-boggling, but it didn't make my heart ache.
After all, he and I were father and daughter who were worse than others.
“It’s the crime of being my father’s mistress and an illegitimate child.”
He was astonished at my indifferent answer and then asked with a look of resignation.
“So what difference does it make if I confess? If I can’t clear my name, all three of us are probably dead anyway!”
“It would make a big difference. If my father admits your guilt, I will use that as an excuse to ask His Majesty to reduce your punishment.”
"...You?"
The expression on his face was one of complete disbelief.
Well, it was only natural that he became like this because of my three-inch tongue.
But I was sincere.
“But I feel bad about framing you and killing you, even though you are my biological father. I can’t pretend that nothing happened, but I will at least try to spare you from death.”
As I spoke as if I was doing a favor, the trash's face turned red again.
He clenched his fists and trembled until he finally couldn't hold back his anger and screamed.
“Ahhhhh!”
It seemed like he didn't understand how he ended up in this situation.
After screaming for a long time, he finally gasped for breath, perhaps exhausted.
Then he asked with a look of despair on his face.
“...Can I trust your promise?”
It was a voice that seemed to have lost some of his energy.
“Are you really going to save me, no, our family of three?”
“Of course.”
I smiled and nodded.
Their salvation, that's what I wanted.
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