Chapter 190 : Chapter 190

Chapter 190: Staying Behind (4)

The ‍​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​​​​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​​‌​​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​‌​​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌​‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​​​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​​​​​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌​​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​‌​​​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌​​‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​​​​‌​‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​​​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌‌‌​‌‍old doctor looked down at his hand, where the bleeding would not stop.

The ‍​‌​‌​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‍cross sections where his pinky and ring finger had been cut off were clean.

Even ‍​‌​‌​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‍if he had cut them himself, he would not have been able to cut them neatly.

They ‍​‌​‌​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‍were no ordinary experts.

He ‍​‌​‌​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‍looked at his hand, which would not take strength, then slowly opened his mouth.

“......That ‍​‌​‌​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‍child is the child Lord Ran accidentally killed before. Lord Sein stopped properly organizing documents at some point, so it seems she has not been processed yet.”

The man stared at him as if weighing whether the doctor’s words were true.

Perhaps he found no agitation on the doctor’s face, because this time, the man looked around at the people gathered in the room.

Everyone kept their mouths shut and did not deny the doctor’s testimony.

At last, the man opened his mouth.

“Then you’re the last one?”

At the emotionless voice, the old doctor slowly closed his eyes.

Praying that his neck would be cut off as instantly as his fingers had been.

***

As ordinary prayers always went, the old doctor’s prayer was not answered.

And as most prayers always went, salvation appeared from a direction no one had expected, as it pleased.

“As far as I know, the bastards left here didn’t seem bold enough to commit a crime worthy of death.”

At the voice full of irritation, the old doctor snapped open the eyes he had closed in preparation for the pain to come.

What greeted him was the sharp blade that had stopped right in front of his nose, and a figure with golden hair tinged deeply with red.

Both were far too much for the old doctor’s fragile heart to bear.

Thud.

In the end, the old doctor collapsed on the spot as if all his strength had left him.

“Doctor!!”

Anna, who had been hiding behind Cellos Abalan, jumped out in surprise.

Cellos looked indifferently at Anna as she hurriedly helped the old man up, then turned his gaze to the intruders.

Upon seeing Cellos’s face full of displeasure, the intruders first withdrew their weapons.

“Even if he’s only half-baked, there should be some reason if you’re killing servants as you please inside the castle of someone from the Imperial Family.”

In other words, reveal your affiliation and the reason you came here to make a mess.

However, the people who had been threatening the servants’ lives only exchanged glances and gauged each other’s reactions. They did not give Cellos a proper answer.

Having his pride wounded was one of the things Cellos hated most.

The displeasure and irritation that had appeared on Cellos’s face deepened further.

“Do you not understand words, or are you looking down on me? Or could your ears be blocked? I won’t forgive either one.”

Cellos approached the one who seemed to be the leader of the group threateningly.

“Do I need to open a passage connecting both your ears before you’ll listen?”

It was essentially no different from saying he would make him unable to hear forever.

Only then did the intruder open his mouth.

“I apologize, Your Highness. Please forgive us for committing rudeness because we were flustered. We merely...... came to deal with the thieves remaining here after receiving an order we cannot disobey.”

“What thieves? I heard the owner of the castle tell them before he died to take what they needed and leave.”

“That too was revealed to be a lie, which is why they were being punished like this.”

The man politely stretched out his hand and showed Cellos the doctor’s fingers rolling across the floor.

Anna, who had instantly become a liar, opened her mouth in shock, but no words came out.

The moment she met the man’s chilling eyes, Anna could not even part her lips.

The corner of the man’s mouth rose.

“Look, Your Highness. When I asked as part of the investigation whether there was a child named Anna here, everyone here answered that she was already dead. But look at this.”

He instantly narrowed the distance with Anna and dragged her by the arm as she was supporting the doctor.

“Say your name.”

“A-ah, I......”

“This is not a situation where you’re allowed to lie!!”

The man barked and yanked Anna’s arm more violently.

If she confirmed it, the others would become liars, but she also could not lie before the obvious truth.

A satisfied smile formed on the man’s face as he looked down at the tearful Anna.

“Your Highness, as you can see, everyone here is a fraud and a thief. We are merely punishing that, so......”

“Are you ignoring what I said?”

“......Pardon?”

At the man’s question, Cellos’s expression crumpled further.

“Why are you spouting things I didn’t ask? I asked from the beginning. Whose order are you doing this under? You still haven’t answered.”

“But punishing those who deceived the Imperial Family comes first......”

Shing.

Cellos did not exercise patience, and drew his sword as it was, swinging it toward the man’s neck.

Right before the tip of his sword touched, Cellos stopped the blade.

“Do you think these things have the guts for that?”

At the insult, which was ambiguous to call a defense, Anna as well as the other servants felt a subtle gratitude.

As for Cellos, it was not as if he had done them a favor, so he had no interest in the servants’ gratitude.

The only thing he was curious about was the identity of the intruder before him.

“I’ll ask one last time. Who gave you the order?”

Emotion vanished from the man’s face.

Acknowledging that there was no longer any way out, he slowly opened his mouth.

“I cannot tell you.”

Cellos’s eyebrow rose crookedly.

But the man did not bend his will.

“Please forgive me for having no choice but to disobey Your Highness’s order, and for being unable to give you any answer beyond that.”

Cellos’s face, which had been considering how to kill the man before him, hardened.

That there was another order that allowed him to disobey his own order meant the one he followed was someone from the Imperial Family.

Judging by how this trash had delayed answering this much, there must also have been an order included to keep it secret.

Cellos withdrew his weapon.

He hated having his pride wounded.

But he could not uphold his pride while risking confrontation with another Imperial Family member.

Even if it was only a vicious cycle of his pride breaking again because he avoided the other party out of fear, he had no choice.

“......Go.”

“Thank you for your mercy.”

At Cellos’s permission, the man bowed deeply in thanks.

The men passed by Cellos, who had cleared the way while grinding his teeth.

Flames rose in Cellos’s eyes as he glared at their backs.

His temper flared, but there was nothing he could do.

He did not have the power to fight against their master.

Amid his rising temper, questions followed one after another.

Who on earth is it?

What is hidden around the vanished 7th Prince for this to......

“Y-Your Highness......”

At the voice touching his nerves, sharpened like needles, Cellos roughly turned his head.

A few servants who looked as if they would collapse at any moment were looking up at him together with Anna.

“I never gave you permission to speak to me.”

There was no way gentle words would come from Cellos’s mouth when his pride had been wounded as much as it could be by what had just happened.

The shame and inferiority complex, thinking everyone must have noticed his own weakness in letting those insects go because he was afraid of another Imperial Family member, provoked him even more.

“W-we apologize! We didn’t mean......”

“If you didn’t mean that, do I look that ridiculous to you? Seeing as you couldn’t say a word to those things and kept your mouths shut, then dared to speak to me, did you really have such irreverent thoughts?”

Cellos knew it himself.

That this was nothing more than taking out his anger.

But Cellos’s awareness did not mean much.

After all, he knew no other way to relieve his anxiety and inferiority complex.

At the absurd forcefulness and verbal abuse, the people who had turned white slowly backed away.

Except for one person, the one person who had directly confirmed that he was afraid.

Cellos looked down at little Anna, who had again been left alone.

Seeing the small maid left by herself calmed his head a little.

Perhaps it was because the cold face of the Empress came to mind.

Yes, in the first place, he had come to catch this bastard, and things had ended up this way.

The problem with the Empress that he had forgotten for a moment pressed down on Cellos’s shoulders again.

This was not the time to sit here getting irritated.

He still had to drag away the maid who was frozen and could not even move.

It was the moment the irritated Cellos tried to reach out to Anna.

“......They weren’t looking down on Your Highness. Everyone was only trying to say they were grateful you saved them. Truly......”

A clear voice flowed from Anna’s mouth.

Though the volume was still as small as an ant.

Having barely finished saying what she wanted to say, Anna clasped both hands tightly to endure the verbal abuse that would come back.

It was strange.

Since meeting the 8th Prince, she was facing Cellos at his most violent in the most frightening situation, yet strangely, he did not feel as frightening as before.

Of course, if someone gave her permission, she was confident she could faint on the spot right now.

But something she could not point to exactly was different from before.

To grasp the thread of that question, Anna quietly watched Cellos’s expression.

Fortunately, Cellos did not seem to have noticed Anna’s gaze.

He seemed distracted looking around at the servants focused on him.

Cellos, who had been silent like that, suddenly turned his head toward Anna.

Anna, who had been looking at him nervously, flinched in surprise and dropped her eyes to the floor.

“Stupid. You’re all dead now anyway. If you want to live, tonight is your last chance.”

A voice calmer than expected fell over Anna’s head as she was about to lose courage again and crouch on the floor.

When Anna raised her head in surprise, Cellos had already left the room.

***

Lucha Village at dawn was quiet and deserted, perhaps because not much time had passed since the conversation ended.

The place we headed to with our robes pulled low was Idan’s inn, located on the outskirts.

Fortunately or unfortunately, even though we opened the door and entered, there was no owner to greet us.

As Jing looked around the still quiet shop, he looked at Ria.

“Are you truly all right?”

Even at Jing’s worried question, Ria pulled up her lips and smiled.

“I’ll have to face him anyway. Rather than suddenly appearing in front of the villagers, Idan’s inn should be better.”

“Yes. It will be difficult for the villagers to accept the truth overnight.”

“In the worst case, the villagers may even try to kill us.”

At Ratel’s chilling warning, Ria gulped.

“As expected, people won’t believe us easily, right? I wouldn’t have believed it either if I hadn’t seen it with my own eyes.”

She muttered uneasily and looked at the village visible outside the inn window with a worried expression.

“Or maybe if they think it is God's will, they’ll fall into despair and give up. They might all rush to the Temple and say to take their lives immediately.”

Jing glanced at Ratel, who had once again put forth an assumption far from positive, but Ratel only turned his head away.

Ria’s eyes looking at the village deepened further with worry.

“You’re right. Everyone might give up. Lucha was the villagers’ hope......”

I looked at the peaceful village following her gaze for a moment, then opened my mouth.

“If they were saved by something insignificant, they’ll likewise gain hope again from something insignificant. So for now, could you move me upstairs first?”

I, who was being carried on Jing’s back, raised my hand and pointed to the upper floor of the building.

While the owner was absent, I wanted to quickly go inside and lie down.

Being carried on someone else’s back was also very uncomfortable.

Though I had no other choice since I had collapsed again after using my strength at the river.

“Ah, right. You need to rest now.”

Ria, startled by my voice, came back to her senses.

“Ran, hold on just a little. Once you rest in bed, you should be able to move.”

Instead of answering Jing’s not-at-all-comforting words, I pointed at the shelf.

Jing placed money on top of the ownerless counter, which also served as the entrance to the kitchen, and moved toward the stairs.

By the way, for there to be no customers at all, it seems Idan’s reputation really hit rock bottom after the last Lucha Competition.

“Still, it looks like the Temple hasn’t completely abandoned him. Considering he’s still running a shop without a single customer.”

Muttering that, Ratel stopped walking and looked up at the second floor.

“Or was he waiting for someone all this time?”

Ria, who did not understand Ratel’s words, tilted her head, then stiffened her face after confirming the person coming down from upstairs.

“R-Ria.”

It was Ria’s older brother, Idan.

Holding a rag in one hand and a bucket in the other, he looked exactly like someone who had come out while cleaning.

Ria turned around and went down the stairs as if she had seen something she should not have.

“Ria!”

He hurriedly tried to chase after Ria.

Clatter, crash.

It did not go as he wanted, because he tripped over someone’s leg and rolled down the stairs.

I glanced once at Ratel’s and Jing’s legs, which were sticking out especially far beyond the table, then turned my head away and pretended not to see.