INAT - Chapter 70

"Yeah, I thought I knew, but watching you lately, I’ve started to think that might not be the case. Why does it seem like he's getting closer and closer to that damn Princess as time goes by?"

"W-what are you talking about? His Majesty is someone who knows only me!"

"But then again, he seemed so infatuated with the Princess. Besides, unlike the Princess whom the Emperor visits every time, I heard he never sought you out first. Am I mistaken?"

"Th-that doesn't matter if she's a hostage or whatever; she's a guest from another country. We should treat her well. Right. That's why I said I needed a proper status, too!"

Lari, who had been acting like a timid wildcat, raised her voice as if hissing, seizing the moment with a look on her face.

"You promised to adopt me as your daughter. When on earth do you plan to keep that promise?"

"I need to be convinced myself. What makes me trust you to make such an investment! Just look at the current situation; nothing is progressing, yet you're all talk. Tsk."

Thierry was already extremely wary and was going crazy because of the woman Elisha, but Duke Joubert was furious at Lari's attitude of following him around just to get on his nerves. It was obvious that she was just trying to gain an advantage behind his back without doing a single thing, which made him feel even more enraged.

In the first place, her arrival here was not thanks to Duke Joubert, but was merely part of a plan.

When she opened her eyes, she suddenly found herself in a cabin, guarded by a handsome man wearing a suspicious cloak. What that handsome man said was even more ridiculous. To think that someone else had possessed her body while she was asleep.

Lari was flustered. It was one thing that time had passed, but she couldn't believe how that could happen. However, soon, such things didn't matter.

Lari didn't know exactly what had happened, but she had heard that the one possessing her body was on close terms with the Emperor of Podia. That caught Lari's attention.

If that person had disappeared, since she was the body anyway, as long as she only remembered the time they spent together, who would know even if that person was her? This might have been a situation arranged by God to give her a place worthy of her.

However, it was very unpleasant that such a scarecrow-like guy was putting the chosen one to the test.

"...If you keep doing that, I might suddenly become the Empress. You know that, right? If I sit on the Empress's throne by my own power, you won't get what you want then, Duke."

Although she had blurted it out in a fit of anger, she had no regrets, as it was something she had been holding onto for a long time. It was already frustrating enough having to secretly observe the situation and gauge the mood for that mysterious man, but she simply could not bear this situation where even that scarecrow was getting involved.

She resolved to take this opportunity to assert her dominance and ensure he would not interfere at all in the future. However, the moment she saw Duke Joubert looking her up and down with a look of contempt, she realized that something was wrong.

"You have lost all sense of fear! Who do you think you are to dare spout such insolent nonsense to me! If I were to step forward right now to confirm your true identity, you wouldn't be in this room; you would be dragged straight to the dungeon! How dare you speak so recklessly without knowing your place?"

Duke Joubert, too, shouted as if he had been holding back his emotions, exploding with rage. He even strode forward as if he were about to drag Lari to prison at any moment.

At the threatening sight, Lari was terrified and scrambled to back away.

"Ouch!"

A large shadow fell on her as she lost her balance and landed on her bottom, having moved too fast. Lari trembled uncontrollably and could not even lift her head. She squeezed her eyes shut at the sound of a figure slithering toward her face.

"I will be watching. If you appear to be of the least use, be prepared to disappear from this world, not just to prison."

Along with the sound of phlegm rattling, a spine-chilling whisper flowed into her ear. A deep sense of belated regret settled on Lari's face.

She became scared because she had a premonition that this place she had come to might become her grave.

She can't go on like this. It's a difficult situation to get out of here safely anyway. She has to get rid of that woman somehow and make Thierry focus on her.

As soon as Duke Joubert stormed out of the room, Lari hurriedly wrote a note. Just like last time, she placed it on the windowsill and waited, pacing around the room, hoping a bird would quickly snatch it up.

And a moment later, the sound of a bird's wings flapping was heard, and nothing remained on the window sill.

***

Thierry glared disapprovingly at Wagen, who called out to him at every chance he got. He wondered what on earth Wagen was capable of doing on his own, as Wagen was busy scurrying after him whenever something happened that Wagen could have handled things on his own.

The atmosphere with Elisha was just getting really good, but seeing Wagen suddenly call me out, saying he had something to tell me, he started to suspect at this point that it might be intentional.

"What is this?"

"She called the bird again."

"Hmm..."

Thierry, who had been shamelessly thinking that Wagen would surely have writhed in injustice if he had heard it, quickly focused upon the note Wagen handed him.

"It looks like there are others besides the one caught just now."

"I guess so. Whether my judgment is clouded or I'm just stupid to begin with, I didn't expect to read a book like this again."

The content of the note was simple. It said that she would try to lure Elisha herself and asked him to try again.

"What should I do with this woman? Should I bring her back?"

Thierry crumpled the note in his hand and raised his eyes.

"I'm setting things up to my advantage, so why bother? Just keep pretending not to know, just like you've been doing. Let them dig their own grave."

"That's not bad either."

"Did that guy open his mouth?"

"No, he won't even utter a word. The Elves themselves are famous for being ruthless. To the point where they would rather choose death."

"Then I’ll do as you wish."

Thierry stood up from his seat. He tossed the crumpled paper onto the floor, stomped on it slowly as if crushing it, and hurried toward the stairs.

"Surely you aren't actually going to kill him, are you?"

Wagen looked at Thierry's back with anxious eyes. He kept telling himself, "He's just saying that, surely he wouldn't actually do it," but no matter how he looked at it, the thought that he might actually kill an elf with that temper of his was strongly dominant.

"What a chance this is... Ha, this really isn't going to work..."

Wagen, who had been muttering anxiously as he chased after Thierry, stopped abruptly as if something had just occurred to him.

"...It can’t be helped. I have no choice but to use that method."

Wagen, who had been backing away step by step with a look of helplessness, turned around and moved quickly as soon as Thierry was out of sight.

Meanwhile, even though Wagen, who was chasing him, had disappeared, Thierry silently went his own way as if he had absolutely no interest.

The cold face, exuding a menacing aura, was so terrifying that people walking from a distance scrambled to catch their breath.

He had wanted to confront Elisha directly since what she had told him was not ordinary, so he thought it was a good thing that this worked out. Others might have dismissed it as nonsense and ignored it, but to Thierry, it was like a puzzle that put together the parts that had been frustrating all this time.

And considering she said it, how dare you doubt it?

If Elisha said that the sea is white, he would believe even that without a word of complaint.

Therefore, it was clear that Elisha was involved, whether she was a fragment of a dragon's soul or a reincarnation. Especially just by looking at how the elves kept coveting Elisha, it was obvious that they knew something and were moving to find her precisely.

"I greet the Sun of the Empire!"

“What about the sinner?”

“This way.”

Thierry followed the soldier guarding the prison entrance into the maze-like path. A damp and musty smell stung his nose.

The soldier immediately stopped, planted a torch in the wall near the closely spaced bars, and stepped back. The shadow of the burning torch flickered across the wall, pointing toward the person inside.

The elf, whose condition had worsened overnight, sat upright with his back straight, unlike his weary-looking face. Even as Thierry trudged closer to the bars, the elf's eyes, stubbornly closed, did not open.

"No matter what you do, it is useless."

As if thinking that Thierry had come to torture him personally, the elf even nonchalantly lifted his chin. Thierry, looking down at the elf blankly, twisted his lips as if finding it amusing.

"Even the elves are past their prime."

One of the elf's cheeks twitched.

"To think you would stake the survival of your race on such nonsensical, preposterous stories. Or were you just foolish to begin with?"

"...What would a nobody like you know?"

"At least I know more than that elf who lives hiding like a rat, pushed aside by that insignificant human."

The elf's eyes finally opened. The clear pupils characteristic of elves twinkled, not losing their light even in the darkness.

"Do you think Podia will come to your side?"

The elf's face contorted as he met Thierry's gaze, who was looking down at him with a look of contempt.

"I never chose you a long time ago, so why do you believe I will choose you this time?"

"What kind of nonsense is that! He was sacrificed in a human fight. He has nothing to do with the elves!"

"...Are you serious?"

"Humans have always turned their surroundings into ruins out of selfishness. Isn't the collapse of nature also due to that filthy barbarism of humans!"

Thierry's eyes narrowed. After observing the elf for a long time, as if gauging whether he was sincere or not, he slowly began to speak, looking intrigued.

"You really don't seem to know that elves were involved in the humans' battle long ago."

"... What?"

"Podia fought an elf hiding behind a human. Have you never once questioned why the elf is hiding all this time?"

"Of course, because of narrow-minded people, we... we...!"

"I lived a life of deception. Isolated, entranced by stories made up by others, blaming the wrong places."

The elf's jaw began to tremble noticeably. He repeatedly told himself not to be swayed, but he could not control himself at all. Anger rose to the top of his head.

Eventually, he strained his neck veins.

"Don't talk nonsense! How dare you try to insult us with that wicked tongue of yours! Just like a half-breed, you are truly petty to the core!"

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