“Ahahahahaha! What the f*ck! Instant death?!”
Marina, bound and trembling, only moving her eyes, nose, and mouth strangely.
Ryan watched Marina laughing like she was crazy, and then said.
“It wasn’t because you were stupid that this happened, so don’t be so self-deprecating.”
I held Ryan's hand still at the sound of his complicated voice.
Of course, he was prepared, but in any case, this is the first time he has taken a human life.
The moment you cross the 'line' of no return.
Even Marina, no matter what crime she committed, was a face Ryan had 'never seen before'.
‘So, rather, that’s what I was trying to do...’
Ryan said as if he were showing mercy.
“You, apologizing to the innocent people you have killed so far.”
“...”
Marina closed her eyes tightly in silence.
When she opened her eyes again, they were wet.
In tears, and... in madness.
"Father, I'm sorry. Please forgive me for leaving without being able to repay the favor you gave me! I should have ripped out the guts of those damned traitors and laid them out in front of you!"
“Oh, shit...!”
Ryan flinched.
“Dear Father, may you be safe and see glory!”
Marina smirked as she called out to her father, mocking Ryan for his last act of mercy.
“...I gave you my word for nothing.”
Ryan, muttering in anger, hid me behind his back as if he didn't want to show me the scene of death.
Instant Death
the next day.
The small town is noisy from morning.
Ryan was looking out the window.
The villagers tremble in fear.
The security guards of the territory.
Imperial knights investigating an untimely murder.
And... in the center, three corpses covered with white cloth.
It's the same scene as when Max died, except it's not Max, but Marina's subordinates who are dead.
The assassins were killed instantly last night without any physical harm, but now they are being made to look like they were murdered by someone else.
“Let’s make it look like Marina betrayed her father.”
Because that was Vania's plan.
Marina's 'death' itself is 'hidden'.
Marina will be declared 'missing,' and the reason she will not return to the family will be 'betrayal'.
"We need to officially file a 'murder case' and have it investigated. That way, Father can hear how those assassins died."
The Cerberus mercenaries, including Max, took care of the aftermath of the assassins' instant death, leaving a clean cut on their necks.
This is Marina's assassination method.
To make it look like Marina got rid of them.
Vania said that her intention was simply to 'confuse' her father.
To make sure Marina's 'death' wasn't confirmed, she was listed as 'missing'...
It's confusing whether she's dead or has betrayed and run away.
“Aren’t you seeing your father too sporadically? What did you write in the note?”
“Marina’s last greeting to her father.”
Vania tied a note to Marina's owl's ankle and sent it flying.
A messenger bird that has lost its master will return to its father as it has been taught.
"I wrote down the truth that only my father and Marina know under the sky. No one but Marina would ever know. So, my father would probably go crazy from confusion."
Hmm...
Since further thought wasn't going to give him an answer, Ryan decided to just trust Vania.
Of course, his father is not an easy man, but still, how can he defeat a regressor?
Did she just regress?
As Vania gains each of her brothers' abilities, she becomes stronger.
Now really... if it’s taken away, it’s over!
Even if Vania gets upset and runs away, it's over!
Ryan took a deep breath and looked at Vania, who was standing right next to him.
Vania is watching the scene of the incident with very longing eyes.
‘Why are you doing that...?’
Follow the gaze.
...you are not at the scene of the crime, but are looking at your boyfriend (special: amnesia) who is in the middle of dealing with the crime.
'Ha, I'm screwed.'
Ryan opened his mouth cautiously as the thought of the accident came to mind.
“Vania.”
"Yes."
“You asked me for help before, didn't you? Since the Third Prince suffers from 30-minute amnesia, you wanted me to assist him. You wanted me to tell him I'm not incompetent, and that I harbor resentment toward Wassenberg. Right?”
Marina, bound and trembling, only moving her eyes, nose, and mouth strangely.
Ryan watched Marina laughing like she was crazy, and then said.
“It wasn’t because you were stupid that this happened, so don’t be so self-deprecating.”
I held Ryan's hand still at the sound of his complicated voice.
Of course, he was prepared, but in any case, this is the first time he has taken a human life.
The moment you cross the 'line' of no return.
Even Marina, no matter what crime she committed, was a face Ryan had 'never seen before'.
‘So, rather, that’s what I was trying to do...’
Ryan said as if he were showing mercy.
“You, apologizing to the innocent people you have killed so far.”
“...”
Marina closed her eyes tightly in silence.
When she opened her eyes again, they were wet.
In tears, and... in madness.
"Father, I'm sorry. Please forgive me for leaving without being able to repay the favor you gave me! I should have ripped out the guts of those damned traitors and laid them out in front of you!"
“Oh, shit...!”
Ryan flinched.
“Dear Father, may you be safe and see glory!”
Marina smirked as she called out to her father, mocking Ryan for his last act of mercy.
“...I gave you my word for nothing.”
Ryan, muttering in anger, hid me behind his back as if he didn't want to show me the scene of death.
Instant Death
***
the next day.
The small town is noisy from morning.
Ryan was looking out the window.
The villagers tremble in fear.
The security guards of the territory.
Imperial knights investigating an untimely murder.
And... in the center, three corpses covered with white cloth.
It's the same scene as when Max died, except it's not Max, but Marina's subordinates who are dead.
The assassins were killed instantly last night without any physical harm, but now they are being made to look like they were murdered by someone else.
“Let’s make it look like Marina betrayed her father.”
Because that was Vania's plan.
Marina's 'death' itself is 'hidden'.
Marina will be declared 'missing,' and the reason she will not return to the family will be 'betrayal'.
"We need to officially file a 'murder case' and have it investigated. That way, Father can hear how those assassins died."
The Cerberus mercenaries, including Max, took care of the aftermath of the assassins' instant death, leaving a clean cut on their necks.
This is Marina's assassination method.
To make it look like Marina got rid of them.
“Yeah, Dad's gonna fall for it~.”
“Yeah, I don't think he will~.”
To make sure Marina's 'death' wasn't confirmed, she was listed as 'missing'...
It's confusing whether she's dead or has betrayed and run away.
“Aren’t you seeing your father too sporadically? What did you write in the note?”
“Marina’s last greeting to her father.”
Vania tied a note to Marina's owl's ankle and sent it flying.
A messenger bird that has lost its master will return to its father as it has been taught.
"I wrote down the truth that only my father and Marina know under the sky. No one but Marina would ever know. So, my father would probably go crazy from confusion."
Hmm...
Since further thought wasn't going to give him an answer, Ryan decided to just trust Vania.
Of course, his father is not an easy man, but still, how can he defeat a regressor?
Did she just regress?
As Vania gains each of her brothers' abilities, she becomes stronger.
Now really... if it’s taken away, it’s over!
Even if Vania gets upset and runs away, it's over!
Ryan took a deep breath and looked at Vania, who was standing right next to him.
Vania is watching the scene of the incident with very longing eyes.
‘Why are you doing that...?’
Follow the gaze.
...you are not at the scene of the crime, but are looking at your boyfriend (special: amnesia) who is in the middle of dealing with the crime.
'Ha, I'm screwed.'
Ryan opened his mouth cautiously as the thought of the accident came to mind.
“Vania.”
"Yes."
“You asked me for help before, didn't you? Since the Third Prince suffers from 30-minute amnesia, you wanted me to assist him. You wanted me to tell him I'm not incompetent, and that I harbor resentment toward Wassenberg. Right?”
“Oh, yeah!”
“Of course I did, but that doesn’t mean I should just ram it in now... does it?”
"Right? You shouldn't say it now. Once you two have built up some trust, the opportunity will come. If you go on subjugation expeditions, there will be a lot of deaths..."
Vania added with a sigh.
"...Perhaps if Dad had said he could help in that situation, he would have agreed without hesitation. Then it would have been easier to trust Dad. After all, he'd told his secret to save his comrade."
“...”
Yes, that's right.
Ryan also intended to approach Nike slowly, as Vania had said.
But to secure Vania's safety, he went to Nike and attacked him first.
'No, but shouldn't we have a plan B?'
What if things go wrong? Why would you act without any countermeasures?
Of course, fortunately, there was no situation where he needed Nike's help...
Spilled words cannot be taken back.
'You'll be angry, right?'
He imagines Vania getting really angry if he confesses to the accident.
"What, what did you say? I'm not incompetent. I know you have the blessing of regression. If something happens, I'll have to turn back time, so just cooperate obediently. Is that what you said?"
Of course, it wasn't as blunt as he had imagined, but anyway, there was nothing wrong with the content.
The conversation with Nike the other day was only a polite request on the surface, but in reality, it was more like a threat.
Nike had been caught in his secret weakness, so he had no choice but to help Ryan.
“You know, bunny...”
Ryan opened his mouth and looked out the window absentmindedly.
He met Nike's eyes.
“Wow.”
For a moment, Ryan ducked down under the window.
Vania followed suit and crouched down.
"What the heck! Why are you acting so suspiciously? If you keep doing this, they'll think Dad's the culprit!"
“...I'm indeed the culprit.”
“...That’s true.”
Vania slowly got back up.
And then she was surprised.
“Hey, I think he's coming here?”
“What! Who! The Third Prince?”
"Yes."
“Wow, this is crazy!”
Ryan woke up in shock.
“What should I do?!”
“Act as calmly as possible.”
“But what if I still get caught?”
“Hmm, then...”
Vania said, rubbing her chin in thought.
"There's nothing we can do. Just live in Abyssinian for another ten years and then come out. Leave the rest to me."
“Oh, are you kidding me?!”
“Ahahaha!”
Vania seemed unconcerned.
"It's okay. How could you get caught without evidence? I handled the aftermath properly. If Dad were to be treated as the culprit, he'd be caught, too."
“...”
Vania is saying this without knowing about the secret conversation between Ryan and Nike...
Didn't you tell Nike that 'something dangerous might happen to Vania'?
Nike would definitely have guessed that Ryan was involved in this to some extent!
Knock knock.
At the sound of a knock, Vania quickly opened the door. As expected, the visitor was Nike.
"Hello."
"...Yes."
Nike came inside, closed the door, and spoke to Ryan.
“I have something to say.”
“Oh, yes...”
"We'll investigate the identities of the dead, but they're probably assassins, so it won't be clear. We'll pretend to investigate and then close the case as an unsolved case."
“...?”
Vania, who had been listening, blinked in a daze.
Ryan swallowed hard upon seeing Vania's reaction and... stopped talking for a moment.
"I see. But why are you telling me that? Is it something I really need to know?"
“Because you did it.”
Gyaaaaah!
“I just came to tell you because I thought you might be worried about how to handle the aftermath.”
“Do you have any evidence?!”
“If the conversation you had with me just now is evidence, then it is.”
Gyaaaaah!
Only then did Vania look at him with a strange gaze. Ryan felt his heart sink.
“I’m not really the culprit, but... you’re not going to arrest me and investigate me separately or anything, are you?”
“Would you like me to catch you?”
"No?!"
"The assassins of Wassenberg never miss their target. If you're being stalked, it's wise to strike first before they kill you. So, if something like this happens again, don't hesitate."
Ryan's mouth fell open.
There is a royal family member who advises against considering murder...?
“If something irreversible happens, come to me.”
If anyone dies, you will personally rewind time...?
Nike's attitude is so cooperative that it's hard to understand.
This isn't just because Nike is afraid Ryan will reveal his secret, and he's trying to cooperate.
'It's because of Vania.'
Ryan was sure.
Nike said she would help without hesitation, even though Vania might be in danger...
But what is the reason?
I don't know.
A person with amnesia who has forgotten all the memories of their time together would do this for a thirteen-year-old child whom he has only seen twice?
Isn't this a situation that really doesn't make sense unless Nike is a pervert?
Besides, if you think about Vania that much, why are you saying this in front of a child?
“And... Vania Belzer.”
Finally, Nike called Vania.
That moment.
Ryan became ominous.
He guessed that the reason Nike came here was because of Vania, and that he brought it up in front of the child on purpose...
“I would like you to answer the questions I ask you from now on honestly.”
“Yes? Oh, yeah...”
“Are you the biological son of Duke Edgar Wassenberg?”
Vania paused.
"Your Highness? Please only ask questions related to the case you're investigating. And Vania is my daughter..."
"Yes, that's right."
Ryan, who had been trying to stop the questioning by interfering with Nike and Vania, closed his eyes tightly and sighed.
‘F*ck, what is love...?’
The Third Prince openly says that he will allow murder.
Vania, who revealed who her biological father was in just one second.
Why on earth do they reveal secrets without a second thought that have no benefit to them?
“Then, are you also a person with superpowers?”
Oh, this is really not going to work.
Ryan pressed his face right in front of Nike with an angry expression.
“Do it in moderation.”
“...”
Nike stared at Ryan. His face looked somehow pained.
“...I know it’s hard to trust me. But I promise your secret won’t get out.”
“It’s no secret. Vania is incompetent.”
"Please..."
Nike spoke as if he already knew the answer.
“It’s really important to me... It’s an important issue, so that’s why...”
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