I took off my veiled hat after seeing Alex looking fine.
He took off his black mesh gloves as well, went in front of Ryan, who was standing blankly, and stroked his cheek.
"See? It's nothing, right?"
"..."
Our lion's mental state is completely shattered right now.
Because he said he had seen Alex's body after the fall and had come in person during the autopsy to find out the truth of the incident.
Amazingly, he returned from that spot without killing his father.
"It's okay. Let's just pretend we saw something and erase it from our minds now. Yes?"
I hugged Ryan and patted his back to comfort him.
"...Yes."
I sighed and felt upset. The man who should be stronger than anyone in the world. To see him slump into my arms, drained to the point of being ridiculous.
"Father! Sister! It's more fun with lots of people, so let's play together! Come here!"
I heard Alex's voice, speaking with a deliberately bright smile, as if trying to soothe Ryan in his own way.
I looked back at him.
Alex was scheduled to appear in court at the next second trial.
And, before the second trial began.
Wassenberg must have already met their end.
***
Castle of Duke Wassenberg.
There was still a continuous stream of mourners at the cemetery inside the castle.
Edgar Wassenberg continued to stay on the estate and welcomed visitors every single day without fail.
Everyone felt sorry for Edgar, who was in sorrow, and expressed their condolences.
However, the only emotions Edgar felt in the face of his son Mario's death were anger, bewilderment, and puzzlement.
'Why did you handle the work so stupidly?'
Even his anger was directed at his dead son.
Edgar saw the two bodies with his own eyes and confirmed the circumstances, indicating that one side was the perpetrator.
Mario, who tried to kill Alexander by strangling him. Alexander's counterattack and the physical struggle between the two led to a fall.
However, Edgar felt puzzled from the very beginning of the incident.
Why did you have to blatantly strangle the defense attorney currently handling the Konrad Massacre retrial, fabricating evidence as if providing it to them?
Documents recording Mario's criminal acts were found at the scene, and judging from them, it seems Alexander provoked him first, but...
Nevertheless, Mario, whom Edgar knew, was never the kind of guy to handle things that way.
The situation is clearly staged.
Of course, only Edgar is certain of it; since even Alexander is dead, the way to prove it has vanished forever.
'It wasn't supposed to get this big.'
He was tired. As things took a completely unexpected turn, a sense of anxiety that felt like it was grabbing the back of his neck began to rise.
Definitely from before...
He is missing something very big.
Edgar had no choice but to withdraw his mercy. Since he had dared to bare his claws at a being with supernatural abilities, waiting any longer would have been foolish.
First, to sort out the dreadful procession of mourners, he asked the aide standing beside him.
"When will Gabriel arrive?"
Because of his fourth son, who is late in paying his respects because he is leaving from Romeir, he hasn't even been able to shove the coffin into the hole yet.
.
At that time.
Two soldiers came running, breathing heavily, cutting through the silence.
"Oh, Your Excellency...!”
The soldiers' faces turned pale for some reason.
Edgar's eyes sharpened as he sensed the ominousness.
***
The capital, Marquis Ballack's mansion.
Diana Wassenberg, lying in the bathtub being attended to by maids, was furious. It was because of the 'salvation potion' in her hand.
"It seems you don't value your life at all. How dare you pull off such a scam?"
This salvation medicine was not made by Diana. Several medical departments had suddenly stopped trading with it, yet it was a medicine of unknown origin that was still being openly distributed there.
"That academy professor might copy your medicine. It never hurts to be careful, so you'd better take your time and distribute the salvation medicine slowly."
The plan to establish a medical cartel was already being delayed due to the absurd concerns of the second-oldest brother, Elliott.
With what skill does an ordinary person possibly mimic the power of someone with supernatural abilities?
"He is someone with a history of supernatural ability transplant experiments. The essence of supernatural ability transplantation is, anyway, replicating our power."
Diana, who had scoffed at the preposterous suspicion, could not contain her rage when the fake salvation medicine actually appeared before her eyes.
"Carl."
As she gave the command in a low voice, the attending maid handed her a dagger adorned with ornate jewels.
Diana took it and immediately ran it down the inside of the maid's arm.
"Ugh, huh."
“Drink.”
Ignoring the maid's pained expression, Diana handed her a fake medicine.
The maid, hesitating because she knew the medicine was fake, could not withstand Diana's fierce gaze and drank it.
Then.
...The wound is restored in an instant.
All the maids watching held their breath in shock. Diana's eyes also wavered, unable to find a clear direction.
Fake?
No, as long as the effect is the same, this cannot be fake even though it is fake.
He dared to steal her talent, which should have been unique under the sky, and became the 'real' one.
"Aaaargh!!!"
Unable to control her anger, Diana let out a scream.
Splash, other maids quickly dressed her in a gown as she rose from the bathtub.
"Why didn't you kill that damn rat sooner, Elliott!"
It must be eliminated immediately.
Diana left the bathroom breathing heavily.
The maids followed behind and wrapped an additional layer of indoor outerwear over Diana's thin shower gown.
“M, Miss!”
Just as she was about to go down, a pale-faced maid came up from the first floor of the mansion.
"What."
"In the imperial court..."
What's going on? Diana frowned. Sensing unfamiliar movements downstairs, she hurried down to take a look.
"...?"
And Diana was stunned by the sight that unfolded before her.
Imperial knights in red uniforms.
He stormed in without warning, stomping in with his boots, and subdued all the guards inside the mansion.
"What the hell is this?"
Diana let out a hollow laugh at the absurdity of the situation.
Then the man at the head of the knights spoke.
"Diana Wassenberg, you have been ordered to be taken into custody for investigation into allegations of various illegal acts within the capital. I have the authority to forcibly transport you."
It was a familiar face.
The Third Prince, a Dog of the Imperial Family.
"However, the investigation is still pending, and since you are still an Imperial noble in Valencia, I will treat you with respect and refrain from forcibly taking you away. I ask that you cooperate with the escort as quietly as possible."
He gives commands with an expressionless face, as if spitting out lines that were programmed into his head.
Without fear.
Diana could not understand this situation at all.
But she knew just one thing.
From the moment the Third Prince, a mere dog that wipes the imperial family's shit, dared to step on the threshold of this house with his filthy boots.
That this guy's life is over.
"Hey. You arrogant bastard."
Diana, who was not at all intimidated even in front of the strong men, approached the Third Prince closely and whispered with venomous eyes.
“Can you handle it?”
***
“Can you handle it?”
When Diana dared to hold her head high and sneer in front of the royal family.
'Aha'
Kali, who was watching from among the knights, immediately realized it.
'So that is why the young lady told me to go with him.'
Kali had come with the Imperial Investigation Team at Vania's request.
With his face covered by a mask.
"Even if they have the authority to forcibly escort her, it would probably be difficult to quietly take Diana away."
What's so hard about escorting a woman who isn't even an offensive ability user?
She thought so.
"Ah, I get it. The reason you're acting so brazenly. You even knelt like a dog, yet I acted completely heartless back then, didn't I? Back then?"
Watching Diana continue her mockery of Nike's face, Kali finally understood the young lady's deep intentions.
"Diana is a woman, and the Prince is a knight, after all..."
He has the prestige of a knight, so unlike a man, he wouldn't be able to openly fight or argue with Diana.
"...No, putting all that aside, there’s no way she wouldn’t run her mouth. If anything frustrating happens during the escort, you handle it."
"Did letting your subordinate die that day leave such a deep grudge?"
"..."
A crack appeared on Nike's face.
Kali was not sure, but it looked like Diana had scratched his wound.
"And Kali, you have a grudge against Diana, too, don't you?"
A truly benevolent young lady who even creates an opportunity for revenge.
Kali grinned from under her mask.
She remembers the day she first saw Diana in her ruined hometown.
Diana, pouring that precious healing power onto the corpse that had already run its breath.
Even though Kali begged her to treat her brother, who is still alive, Diana heartlessly pushed her away and shouted at her.
"Ack! Aaaah!! Aaaah!!!"
"How arrogant! Do you know who I am!"
"Do you think I came to this corner of the village to do some volunteer work?!!!"
Kali still hasn't forgotten.
It is as if the Diana of that day made today's Kali.
"You won't be able to face your subordinates in hell, so are you trying to take your anger out on me?"
He really grew up like that.
As Vania expected, Nike is just silently listening to the trashy words.
Judging that Diana showed no intention of following willingly, he simply untied the long ropes used to forcibly take her away.
'This is so frustrating.'
Kali wishes he would snap back with words, but is Nike the type to just chirp along?
Then, how about punching that blabbering mouth?
...That won't happen again.
Kali was once again impressed by Vania's propaganda.
"If you had time to kneel before me like a dog, why didn't you go lick up the guts of your torn-out subordinate yourself? You fucking bastard."
Hey!
Kali immediately pushed her way through the knights in front of her.
And she roughly grabbed Diana by the hair.
"Aaaah!"
Quadang!
She threw Diana to the floor.
“Mi, Miss!”
"W-What the hell are you doing!"
"You're crazy! Argh!"
The only ones making squawking sounds were the maids who were watching.
Diana, thrown to the floor in a disheveled state, remained silent with her eyes wide open.
She just stared blankly up at Kali, as if she couldn't believe what had happened to him.
"What the... Aaaargh!"
Before she could even be asked, Kali grabbed Diana's hair again. Then, as if to show off, she shook it wildly with all her might.
"Aaaah! Aaaah! Ack!"
The light body swept the floor here and there as it gripped and shook. It was a truly miserable sight in front of everyone.
"Ah, ah..."
Kali grabbed her hair and snapped it back, forcing the head to tilt back, then bent down and faced Diana.
Red eyes filled with tears in the meantime.
A trembling body.
"Someone like you should be grateful that we're showing you consideration just because you're a noble. You're getting into this mess because you insisted on acting up."
Only after Kali used force did Diana realize her infinitely weak situation and feel fear.
"Let's rip your guts out of your belly and shove them into your mouth."
Kali, who had stood up without letting go of her tightly clenched head, turned around.
Then, she gestured to Nike, who was silently watching the situation while holding the ropes.
“Let’s go.”
"Ah! Aaaah!"
Kali dragged Diana out of the mansion by her hair, preventing her from even walking out on her own two feet.
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