Episode 102. Traitors are fooled by lies
Knock knock knock.
Isabelle, who slowly entered, was dressed in black from head to toe. She was wearing a black veil even on her face, which made her look somewhat gloomy.
It seemed as if she was protesting to Jan about the death of the Duke of Rodwell.
“It’s been a long time, Sister-in-law.”
Jan quickly greeted her, but she passed by and approached Maurice.
“You must be Priest Maurice. It’s an honor to meet you. ”
Maurice also stood up and greeted her politely.
“The Duke’s case is not good. I express my condolences.”
“No. I am deeply grateful that he was able to leave the mansion where he was imprisoned.”
It was a sarcastic remark about the Emperor’s soldiers surrounding the Duke of Rodwell.
“Imprisonment!”
The Empress flared up, but Isabelle ignored her words.
“I know it’s a small thing, but if there’s anything I can do to help, please let me know, Priest Maurice.”
“Thank you for your words, but the Vatican will handle matters of the Vatican. I have arranged a meeting today because I think you two have something to resolve.”
Mediating civil wars and wars was also one of the Vatican’s jobs.
“This isn’t something that can be resolved with words. Isn’t that right, Your Majesty?”
Isabelle turned to Jan and asked meaningfully.
“Since the priest is here, we should speak later, Sister-in-law.”
“Why, are you afraid that I will say that Your Majesty killed my husband and my father?”
“Sister-in-law!”
Kwaang!
Jan slammed the table fiercely.
Isabelle slowly pulled back the black veil covering her face and laughed.
“If you say more, will I also be killed without a sound?”
Jan’s expression distorted fiercely. He looked as if he would rush at Isabelle and cut off her neck at any moment.
However, since Maurice was looking at him with sharp eyes, he couldn’t move recklessly.
Instead, Jan spoke to Maurice with a very sad face.
“It’s embarrassing to say, but since my brother, the former Emperor, passed away, my sister-in-law has not been in her right mind. And recently, she even mourned his father... I think it would be best to let my sister-in-law rest.”
Knock knock knock.
Isabelle, who slowly entered, was dressed in black from head to toe. She was wearing a black veil even on her face, which made her look somewhat gloomy.
It seemed as if she was protesting to Jan about the death of the Duke of Rodwell.
“It’s been a long time, Sister-in-law.”
Jan quickly greeted her, but she passed by and approached Maurice.
“You must be Priest Maurice. It’s an honor to meet you. ”
Maurice also stood up and greeted her politely.
“The Duke’s case is not good. I express my condolences.”
“No. I am deeply grateful that he was able to leave the mansion where he was imprisoned.”
It was a sarcastic remark about the Emperor’s soldiers surrounding the Duke of Rodwell.
“Imprisonment!”
The Empress flared up, but Isabelle ignored her words.
“I know it’s a small thing, but if there’s anything I can do to help, please let me know, Priest Maurice.”
“Thank you for your words, but the Vatican will handle matters of the Vatican. I have arranged a meeting today because I think you two have something to resolve.”
Mediating civil wars and wars was also one of the Vatican’s jobs.
“This isn’t something that can be resolved with words. Isn’t that right, Your Majesty?”
Isabelle turned to Jan and asked meaningfully.
“Since the priest is here, we should speak later, Sister-in-law.”
“Why, are you afraid that I will say that Your Majesty killed my husband and my father?”
“Sister-in-law!”
Kwaang!
Jan slammed the table fiercely.
Isabelle slowly pulled back the black veil covering her face and laughed.
“If you say more, will I also be killed without a sound?”
Jan’s expression distorted fiercely. He looked as if he would rush at Isabelle and cut off her neck at any moment.
However, since Maurice was looking at him with sharp eyes, he couldn’t move recklessly.
Instead, Jan spoke to Maurice with a very sad face.
“It’s embarrassing to say, but since my brother, the former Emperor, passed away, my sister-in-law has not been in her right mind. And recently, she even mourned his father... I think it would be best to let my sister-in-law rest.”
Then, he motioned to the soldiers behind him to quickly drag her out.
At that moment, Isabelle burst into laughter.
Everyone paused, but she stopped laughing and stared at Seira.
“It’s been a while, April.”
The Emperor and his wife were rather taken aback by her reaction.
Did Isabelle really not recognize April?
Seira, who had been next to Maurice until just now, went to the corner cabinet to organize her teacups. It was to get away from Isabelle’s gaze.
She was wearing April’s clothes and had the same blond hair, so maybe she didn’t recognize her...
“Yes, hello, Aunt.”
Seira quickly bowed her head in greeting and turned back to the cabinet.
Isabelle stared fiercely at Seira’s back.
“But you’re becoming more and more like Seira.”
Thud!
Seira almost dropped the teacup she was arranging.
“I guess you became close friends...”
She said, barely controlling her trembling voice.
“Really? But you can’t be Seira. Just like Seira can’t be you. You understand?”
“I’ll keep that in mind.”
Isabelle smiled again, staring at the Emperor and Empress.
That smile was a threat.
“Since the priest has prepared this for me, let’s have a talk with Your Majesty alone. Is that okay, Your Majesty?”
Isabelle said, holding the teapot and filling the cups with elegance.
The Emperor dismissed not only Maurice and the priests, but also everyone else.
Only Jan and Isabelle were left in the reception room.
“Tell me your true intentions, why you pretended not to know that the Princess was a fake.”
At Jan’s words, Isabelle quietly drank her tea and looked around.
“This used to be my daughter’s room. She died before she was ten.”
“Is it my fault that she got sick and died?”
“Of course not. She left with the love of many people. We even said goodbye to her.”
Isabelle put down her teacup with a bitter smile.
“But I’m so worried that I’ll let my son go without saying goodbye.”
“...”
“He’s the only one I have now. So I’m going to do whatever it takes to protect him.”
Isabelle’s brown eyes, staring at Jan, were unusually dark.
Hatred, resentment, determination, resolve...
All those emotions were tangled together and seemed to suck people in like a swamp.
Jan laughed as if he didn’t understand the declaration of war.
“Don’t worry. Grand Duke Rustis is in perfect health, right?”
“Of course. April is in perfect health, too.”
Jan’s face distorted at the meaningful words.
“What is that...?”
Isabelle got up from her seat and covered her face with her black veil again.
“I’m taking care of April right now.”
Clang!
The Emperor got up abruptly, and the chair fell backward.
“What on earth are you talking about!”
Isabelle also got up from her seat and glared at Jan.
“Withdraw the soldiers surrounding my house right now. And let’s negotiate step by step.”
Clang, clang.
Jan’s eerie voice could be heard from behind Isabelle as she left the reception room.
“The girl you have is not my daughter. So kill her or let her live, as you wish. And the price for daring to go against the Emperor will be paid with blood and tears.”
“Then how about this?”
Isabelle slowly turned around, one corner of her mouth rising from her veil.
“...A blank document."
In an instant, Jan’s arrogant expression paled noticeably.
“Ah... it was more important than your daughter. Well then, I’m off.”
Isabelle opened the door wide with both hands and left.
Her footsteps were now unstoppable.
Late at night, Jan quietly entered the office.
Most of the servants in the palace and the priests of the Vatican were asleep.
He closed the curtains and lit a single small candle on the desk.
As if he didn’t want anyone to find out about his actions.
Then he opened the bottom drawer of the huge mahogany desk.
The heavy drawer was filled with junk.
However, when he closed and opened the drawer again, the junk disappeared as if by magic, and a single red scroll appeared.
The drawer space was divided by a secret device.
After confirming the red scroll, Jan felt a quiet relief.
“Yes, it’s here. What nonsense!”
He had been anxious ever since Isabelle mentioned the blank document during the day.
Could it have fallen into her hands?
However, he had not dared to check because the priests were running around the palace, claiming to be investigating.
‘But what does Isabelle know about the blank document?’
‘No, she must have heard that bastard Christine and tried to find out for no reason.’
If he had not been careful, he would have been caught.
Just as he was about to put the red scroll back in, whirring...
A gust of wind blew, and the curtains fluttered.
And the candle on the desk went out.
He's sure the window was closed...
“Who is it!”
Feeling eerie, Jan quickly reached out his hand to the sword hanging on the wall.
At that moment, a cold sensation touched his wrist in the darkness.
If he moved his hand just a little more, he could feel the murderous intent that would cut him down.
If there was someone who could threaten the Emperor with this level of murderous intent...
“Christine Weiss?”
Just calling that name made Jan shiver without realizing it.
“I hope you understand that I’m here at such a late hour, I have something to talk about.”
“How dare you come here...!”
Jan quickly tried to hide the red scroll inside his sleeve.
“You don’t have to try so hard to hide it. It’s fake, that’s it.”
“What do you mean fake...!”
Christine put away his sword and sat on the chair in Jan’s office. He naturally placed both legs on the desk.
Since the candle was out, Jan could only see a vague figure.
However, Christine, who had sharp night vision, seemed to have no trouble moving.
“Oh, I forgot to mention it. I already switched it a while ago. A blank document.”
“What?”
“How did I know it was there? You know I’m an animal. Since Adele kept it for so long, I can smell her body on the document.”
“Lies. But the palace security can’t be that lax...”
“Even though the Papal knights were all over the place, I came in like this.”
And Christine knocked over the picture frames on Jan’s desk with his fingertips.
The Empress, April, and the Prince fell to the floor one after another.
“As the captain of the guard, I came to know the secret passages of the palace like the back of my hand. Furthermore, Lady Isabelle taught me the secret passages that only the Emperors could use. Thanks to that, getting in here was easy. Getting out was the same.”
“Traitor! Did you end up joining hands with Isabelle?”
Crunch.
As Christine stood up, the sound of a chair being pushed away was eerie.
“Jan Valencia. I’ve given you countless opportunities so far. You’ve only been plotting to stab me in the back of the head. Who do you think is the traitor?”
“I admit that my judgment was wrong. To make Kalame a strong country, I had no choice...”
“Then you shouldn’t rule the country even more. No subject will be loyal to a lord who doesn’t even trust his own.”
“Hey, give me another chance! Please!”
Jan shouted as if pleading.
However, he couldn’t turn back once he had turned his back.
“I already gave the blank document to Isabelle. The wizard, April, and she have it. What will happen when that document is revealed to the world?”
“Ahhh...!”
In the darkness, Jan groaned in sorrow and grabbed the desk. His shoulders were visibly shaking.
Christine put the pistol down on the desk.
“You only have one choice, Jan.”
The silver pistol gleamed eerily under the moonlight.
“Otherwise, your family will suffer terrible things because of you.”
“Haa...! Haa!”
Jan clutched his chest as if he couldn’t breathe.
His eyes were trembling with fear.
Like a weak animal in front of its prey.
The man who seemed to be the emperor of the empire would be arrogant forever.
However, there was no mercy in Christine’s expression as everyone watched from the darkness.
“Haa... Damn it...”
Jan had no choice but to pick up the pistol and gasped for breath with a distorted face.
“My family... haa... will protect them... haa, haa... promise me.”
“I’ll try.”
After Christine left the office, a moment later,
Taang!
A quiet, thick gunshot rang out in the darkness.
Christine returned to the training camp mansion before dawn.
“A blank document.”
He barged into Leana’s room and handed her a red scroll.
Leana, who had been in a deep sleep for a while, rubbed her eyes and looked at him. Her expression was clearly annoyed.
“Yes, a blank document. No matter what, it’s rude to enter a lady’s room at this hour... Wait, a blank document?”
She muttered in a sleepy voice, then suddenly came to her senses and shouted.
“Yes. It’s sealed with magic, but you can read it, right?”
In fact, it was a lie that he had switched the blank document and given it to Isabelle.
What Jan had was the original.
Nevertheless, he had committed suicide due to psychological pressure.
Jan, who had always been unable to trust Christine’s loyalty, eventually believed his lies and chose death. It was quite ironic.
“You came back safely. What happened?”
Adele, who had been unable to sleep while waiting for him, also entered Leana’s room.
“Everything went well. The Emperor’s obituary will sound soon.”
“Yes, you’ve worked hard.”
Adele’s body was trembling slightly as she hugged him. She had been worried until his return.
“That’s why I said that your worries were the most useless worries.”
He smiled while gently patting Adele’s head.
“Yeah, I won’t worry anymore.”
It was Leana who summoned the two people who had been lost in their own world back to reality.
“But it’s a little strange.”
“What?”
“If it’s a blank document, why is it red?”
Christine furrowed her brows.
“There’s nothing in it.”
Leana opened the scroll. As she had said, there was nothing. All that was there was Jan Valencia’s handwritten signature.
“Your mother was probably the one who sealed it with magic.”
“Ahhh...”
Leana carefully stroked the red scroll and closed her eyes.
Then she began to recite the spell with her lips pursed.
At that moment, Isabelle burst into laughter.
Everyone paused, but she stopped laughing and stared at Seira.
“It’s been a while, April.”
The Emperor and his wife were rather taken aback by her reaction.
Did Isabelle really not recognize April?
Seira, who had been next to Maurice until just now, went to the corner cabinet to organize her teacups. It was to get away from Isabelle’s gaze.
She was wearing April’s clothes and had the same blond hair, so maybe she didn’t recognize her...
“Yes, hello, Aunt.”
Seira quickly bowed her head in greeting and turned back to the cabinet.
Isabelle stared fiercely at Seira’s back.
“But you’re becoming more and more like Seira.”
Thud!
Seira almost dropped the teacup she was arranging.
“I guess you became close friends...”
She said, barely controlling her trembling voice.
“Really? But you can’t be Seira. Just like Seira can’t be you. You understand?”
“I’ll keep that in mind.”
Isabelle smiled again, staring at the Emperor and Empress.
That smile was a threat.
“Since the priest has prepared this for me, let’s have a talk with Your Majesty alone. Is that okay, Your Majesty?”
Isabelle said, holding the teapot and filling the cups with elegance.
***
The Emperor dismissed not only Maurice and the priests, but also everyone else.
Only Jan and Isabelle were left in the reception room.
“Tell me your true intentions, why you pretended not to know that the Princess was a fake.”
At Jan’s words, Isabelle quietly drank her tea and looked around.
“This used to be my daughter’s room. She died before she was ten.”
“Is it my fault that she got sick and died?”
“Of course not. She left with the love of many people. We even said goodbye to her.”
Isabelle put down her teacup with a bitter smile.
“But I’m so worried that I’ll let my son go without saying goodbye.”
“...”
“He’s the only one I have now. So I’m going to do whatever it takes to protect him.”
Isabelle’s brown eyes, staring at Jan, were unusually dark.
Hatred, resentment, determination, resolve...
All those emotions were tangled together and seemed to suck people in like a swamp.
Jan laughed as if he didn’t understand the declaration of war.
“Don’t worry. Grand Duke Rustis is in perfect health, right?”
“Of course. April is in perfect health, too.”
Jan’s face distorted at the meaningful words.
“What is that...?”
Isabelle got up from her seat and covered her face with her black veil again.
“I’m taking care of April right now.”
Clang!
The Emperor got up abruptly, and the chair fell backward.
“What on earth are you talking about!”
Isabelle also got up from her seat and glared at Jan.
“Withdraw the soldiers surrounding my house right now. And let’s negotiate step by step.”
Clang, clang.
Jan’s eerie voice could be heard from behind Isabelle as she left the reception room.
“The girl you have is not my daughter. So kill her or let her live, as you wish. And the price for daring to go against the Emperor will be paid with blood and tears.”
“Then how about this?”
Isabelle slowly turned around, one corner of her mouth rising from her veil.
“...A blank document."
In an instant, Jan’s arrogant expression paled noticeably.
“Ah... it was more important than your daughter. Well then, I’m off.”
Isabelle opened the door wide with both hands and left.
Her footsteps were now unstoppable.
***
Late at night, Jan quietly entered the office.
Most of the servants in the palace and the priests of the Vatican were asleep.
He closed the curtains and lit a single small candle on the desk.
As if he didn’t want anyone to find out about his actions.
Then he opened the bottom drawer of the huge mahogany desk.
The heavy drawer was filled with junk.
However, when he closed and opened the drawer again, the junk disappeared as if by magic, and a single red scroll appeared.
The drawer space was divided by a secret device.
After confirming the red scroll, Jan felt a quiet relief.
“Yes, it’s here. What nonsense!”
He had been anxious ever since Isabelle mentioned the blank document during the day.
Could it have fallen into her hands?
However, he had not dared to check because the priests were running around the palace, claiming to be investigating.
‘But what does Isabelle know about the blank document?’
‘No, she must have heard that bastard Christine and tried to find out for no reason.’
If he had not been careful, he would have been caught.
Just as he was about to put the red scroll back in, whirring...
A gust of wind blew, and the curtains fluttered.
And the candle on the desk went out.
He's sure the window was closed...
“Who is it!”
Feeling eerie, Jan quickly reached out his hand to the sword hanging on the wall.
At that moment, a cold sensation touched his wrist in the darkness.
If he moved his hand just a little more, he could feel the murderous intent that would cut him down.
If there was someone who could threaten the Emperor with this level of murderous intent...
“Christine Weiss?”
Just calling that name made Jan shiver without realizing it.
“I hope you understand that I’m here at such a late hour, I have something to talk about.”
“How dare you come here...!”
Jan quickly tried to hide the red scroll inside his sleeve.
“You don’t have to try so hard to hide it. It’s fake, that’s it.”
“What do you mean fake...!”
Christine put away his sword and sat on the chair in Jan’s office. He naturally placed both legs on the desk.
Since the candle was out, Jan could only see a vague figure.
However, Christine, who had sharp night vision, seemed to have no trouble moving.
“Oh, I forgot to mention it. I already switched it a while ago. A blank document.”
“What?”
“How did I know it was there? You know I’m an animal. Since Adele kept it for so long, I can smell her body on the document.”
“Lies. But the palace security can’t be that lax...”
“Even though the Papal knights were all over the place, I came in like this.”
And Christine knocked over the picture frames on Jan’s desk with his fingertips.
The Empress, April, and the Prince fell to the floor one after another.
“As the captain of the guard, I came to know the secret passages of the palace like the back of my hand. Furthermore, Lady Isabelle taught me the secret passages that only the Emperors could use. Thanks to that, getting in here was easy. Getting out was the same.”
“Traitor! Did you end up joining hands with Isabelle?”
Crunch.
As Christine stood up, the sound of a chair being pushed away was eerie.
“Jan Valencia. I’ve given you countless opportunities so far. You’ve only been plotting to stab me in the back of the head. Who do you think is the traitor?”
“I admit that my judgment was wrong. To make Kalame a strong country, I had no choice...”
“Then you shouldn’t rule the country even more. No subject will be loyal to a lord who doesn’t even trust his own.”
“Hey, give me another chance! Please!”
Jan shouted as if pleading.
However, he couldn’t turn back once he had turned his back.
“I already gave the blank document to Isabelle. The wizard, April, and she have it. What will happen when that document is revealed to the world?”
“Ahhh...!”
In the darkness, Jan groaned in sorrow and grabbed the desk. His shoulders were visibly shaking.
Christine put the pistol down on the desk.
“You only have one choice, Jan.”
The silver pistol gleamed eerily under the moonlight.
“Otherwise, your family will suffer terrible things because of you.”
“Haa...! Haa!”
Jan clutched his chest as if he couldn’t breathe.
His eyes were trembling with fear.
Like a weak animal in front of its prey.
The man who seemed to be the emperor of the empire would be arrogant forever.
However, there was no mercy in Christine’s expression as everyone watched from the darkness.
“Haa... Damn it...”
Jan had no choice but to pick up the pistol and gasped for breath with a distorted face.
“My family... haa... will protect them... haa, haa... promise me.”
“I’ll try.”
After Christine left the office, a moment later,
Taang!
A quiet, thick gunshot rang out in the darkness.
***
Christine returned to the training camp mansion before dawn.
“A blank document.”
He barged into Leana’s room and handed her a red scroll.
Leana, who had been in a deep sleep for a while, rubbed her eyes and looked at him. Her expression was clearly annoyed.
“Yes, a blank document. No matter what, it’s rude to enter a lady’s room at this hour... Wait, a blank document?”
She muttered in a sleepy voice, then suddenly came to her senses and shouted.
“Yes. It’s sealed with magic, but you can read it, right?”
In fact, it was a lie that he had switched the blank document and given it to Isabelle.
What Jan had was the original.
Nevertheless, he had committed suicide due to psychological pressure.
Jan, who had always been unable to trust Christine’s loyalty, eventually believed his lies and chose death. It was quite ironic.
“You came back safely. What happened?”
Adele, who had been unable to sleep while waiting for him, also entered Leana’s room.
“Everything went well. The Emperor’s obituary will sound soon.”
“Yes, you’ve worked hard.”
Adele’s body was trembling slightly as she hugged him. She had been worried until his return.
“That’s why I said that your worries were the most useless worries.”
He smiled while gently patting Adele’s head.
“Yeah, I won’t worry anymore.”
It was Leana who summoned the two people who had been lost in their own world back to reality.
“But it’s a little strange.”
“What?”
“If it’s a blank document, why is it red?”
Christine furrowed her brows.
“There’s nothing in it.”
Leana opened the scroll. As she had said, there was nothing. All that was there was Jan Valencia’s handwritten signature.
“Your mother was probably the one who sealed it with magic.”
“Ahhh...”
Leana carefully stroked the red scroll and closed her eyes.
Then she began to recite the spell with her lips pursed.
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