n

n

n

nTranslator: Latte Editor: Adulldoll

nTristan pressed the end of a cigarette to his lips.

n“Haa…” He sighed while exhaling a puff of smoke.

nThe basement was filled with cold air.

nThe Grand Duke of Valentine usually used this place to interrogate suspects or criminals.

nHe leaned back on a chair and put back the cigarette into his mouth.

nThe smell of cigar smoke filled the room, and the place became nothing more than a smoke-filled haze.

n“So, have any of you ever seen his face?” The Grand Duke said as he pointed to Vincent.

nThe young lad was paralyzed to the spot, the menacing aura holding him in a tightening grip as he bit his lips out of sheer panic.

nThere were two men lying flat on the floor in front of all the important people present in the interrogation.

nBoth of them were prey of the rats.

nOne was captured by Count Beauport, while the other was captured by the Grand Duke himself.

n‘Bloody hell, I can’t believe he actually caught one,’ Count Beauport, who had been watching from the side, thought as he broke into a cold sweat.

nAlthough the man he caught had been proven as an actual prey of the rat, the Grand Duke of Valentine still held many doubts. Thus, Tristan went out of his way to capture one on his own.

nAnd he himself might have even personally gone to the gutter as well.

nIf the statements of the two prey differ from one another, it will be them, not Vincent, who would be having knives on their throats.

nWhat if they didn’t get their money’s worth?

nCount Beauport glanced to his side.

nThe vassals, including Rosen, shook their heads with resolution in their eyes.

n‘Everything should go according to plan.’

nAll of them smirked.

nIt seemed that they were sure of their victory.

nSeeing their determined expressions, Count Beauport felt a bit relieved and decided to relax his mind.

n“If you don’t tell me the truth, I will intercept your master’s hard-earned spices distribution rights.”

n“……”

n“Still thinking of lying?”

nEven after being threatened and tortured, the prey did not talk at all.

nThe prey’s tongue had already been cut off, it was to prevent them from exposing their masters.

nThey would only open their mouths if the gutter rats were harmed or killed.

nOnly then did the prey captured by the Grand Duke opened his mouth.

nThe Grand Duke threw him a mana stone that enabled him to use telepathy.

n—I’ve seen him before.

nThe prey’s message resonated in everyone’s minds through telepathic magic.

nCount Beauport sighed out of relief. He smiled as he began to feel more confident.

nOn the other hand, Vincent couldn’t help but feel more and more anxious.

n“When did you see him?”

n—When he was nothing but a mere child. He had a striking appearance. So he had always been famous in the gutter.

nTristan narrowed his eyes.

nHe suspected that the prey was just spouting nonsense, but he had nothing to benefit from doing so.

nRather, he should know that doing so could only lead to raising the Grand Duke’s anger.

nSurely, the prey of the rats wouldn’t be willing to make such a risky decision.

nThat should have been his last choice if he actually wanted to safely get out of this dilemma.

nTristan was convinced.

nWithout a doubt, Vincent did come from the gutter.

nAt that moment, his expression hardened.

n“……”

nTristan briefly recalled the old days.

nVincent Valentine.

nA lone child who crossed the Ingo Mountains without a single weapon on him.

nHis face had no trace of life other than not being blue. He was injured, and was wearing nothing but rags on his frail, skeletal body. It was like he was breathing without really being alive.

nThe child proved in front of the Grand Duke and his vassals that the blood of Valentine was flowing within him.

nBut that was not the only thing he was able to prove.

nHe showed the Grand Duke that he was a genius of the century that will never come forth again from this earth.

n“Your Majesty, please adopt me. I promise Your Majesty won’t regret it.”

nHis bold words were ridiculous and absurd. Yet, it was so daring, so conspicuous and cunning to the point that it caused the Grand Duke himself to accept his proposal.

nTristan briefly turned his gaze to Vincent.

n“I don’t care where he is from,” he said in a sharp tone.

nThe Duchy of Valentine’s heirloom has confirmed that Vincent was indeed of royal blood.

nIt didn’t matter where he was born and raised.

n“What I want to know is whether Vincent is a spy or not.”

n—I don’t know…

n“You do not know?”

n—The master’s right hands, whose tongue has not been cut off, are much more knowledgeable than lowly prey like us. There’s no way we’d know anything about that.

nIt was a dead end.

nThe Grand Duke laughed while shaking the cigarette he held in between his fingers.

nHis gray eyes reflected a blaze-like madness, representing the discomfort in his heart.

n“Then, I’ll just capture them all.”

nHe was on the verge of starting a war with the gutter rats right now.

nThe prey continued.

n—I don’t know if he’s a spy, but I’ve seen the boy in the feeding den.

nThe feeding den.

nIt was a place where many of the prey’s activities were held. A place that could never be visited unless the person had connections to a rat.

n“…See!”

nCount Beauport immediately cried out as if he had seized his victory.

n“He was in the feeding den!”

nThe testimony came from the prey that the Grand Duke had caught.

nThis meant that Count Beauport couldn’t have meddled with the prey in advance. Making his words more precise!

nThis was absolutely irreversible.

nThe count was convinced.

nThe Grand Duke stared at Count Beauport with a cold gaze and spoke to the prey, “Do you have anything else to say?”

nThe Count trembled back in fear.

nHe had nothing to be afraid of, but the Grand Duke had the scariest expression he had ever seen.

nThe prey shook his head.

n—No.

n“……”

nThe Grand Duke of Valentine could only do so much to protect his adoptive son.

nTristan thought that it was impossible for Vincent to be a spy.

nEven if he was one, he couldn’t get anything out of it.

nRather than having something to gain, Vincent would only lose everything he had acquired and just fall into hell.

nBut it seemed that Tristan had misjudged him.

n“Is it true?”

nAnything related to the gutter was an extremely sensitive matter.

nHe had no choice but to interrogate Vincent.

nThe boy parted his lips, “…It’s true.”

n“Why were you in the prey’s feeding den?”

n“..….”

nThere was no answer.

nHe avoided his gaze and bit his lips.

nTristan frowned.

nSilence is an admission of guilt.

nHe might have thought that he would fail to escape even if he desperately tried to explain himself.

nAlthough Vincent was adopted, the Grand Duke did not discriminate against his sons.

nHe treated them the same and loved them both equally.

nIf the vassal claims were true, this was the most bitter betrayal that the Grand Duke has ever suffered.

nHe was angry and his heart was shattered to pieces.

n“Are you a spy?”

n“No.”

n“Then why were you in the feeding den?”

n“Because I made a foolish judgment.”

nHe admitted his sins.

n‘Even though I gave you a chance.’

n“Ha! Vincent…”

n“……”

n“I hate answers that would only lead to more questions. This is your last chance. Answer me truthfully.”

nHe had been very considerate of Vincent.

nThe moment Vincent became a suspect, Tristan did not immediately cut off his head or imprisoned him in a dungeon like what he usually did to the others.

nHe did not even summon the vassals to hold a meeting.

nBefore the trial was held, only the five vassals and scribes, Vincent, and the two prey were summoned to the basement to be investigated.

nThat alone showed how patient Tristan had been. He tried to give Vincent a chance to redeem himself.

nIt was a special treatment.

n‘And yet…’

nThe boy didn’t even open his mouth.

nSo that was how it became.

nThe vassals exchanged glances and smiled at one another.

n“…Lock him up and put him in jail,” Tristan ordered.

nAs if he didn’t want to see him anymore, he looked away from the regretful scene.

nAs soon as the words fell out of the Grand Duke’s mouth, the Black Falcons moved in unison. They grabbed Vincent and dragged him away.

nAt that very moment, Aria’s words quickly passed through Vincent’s mind.

nIf you survived because you are a genius, then you’ll also die from the same cause by the people who considered you a genius.

nHer prophecy became a reality.

nThe boy gritted his teeth but didn’t say a word.

nAs his shaking eyes slowly turned dull, he closed his eyes tightly.

nSuddenly, the basement door slammed open with a large thud.

n“…!”

nSomeone had just grabbed his hand.

nThe hand was small and soft.

nStartled, Vincent slowly opened his eyes.

nIn front of him was a girl wearing a cute rabbit mask, her ruby eyes staring deep into his soul.

n“Why are you here…” Vincent muttered, confused.

nHe couldn’t believe it.

nThe Black Falcons could not forcibly remove Aria’s hand.

nHowever, it would be cumbersome not to violate the order.

n“…Refrain yourself from unnecessary contact,” Lloyd said as he took Aria’s hand away from Vincent’s.

nHe was the one who opened the basement door.

nTristan furrowed his eyebrows in annoyance.

nHe spoke, “I’m sure I told you not to let anyone in.”

nCount Beauport joined in.

n“I apologize, Your Majesty. Your Highness, I’m afraid you must leave… Of course, I understand that you must be concerned about your younger brother…” he said, staring at Lloyd and Aria alternately with an irked expression.

n“Who’s worried about who?” Lloyd snarled as he cut the count’s speech and stared back at his father.

n“I am not here because of him.”

n“Then, is there anything more important than that?”

nIf that was not the case, then he would have to pay the price for interrupting such an important moment.

nLloyd silently grabbed Aria’s hand and lifted it into the air.

nEveryone’s eyes turned to Aria and to the object she was holding in her hand.

nShe was holding a branch.

n‘…What the? A twig?’

nIt was dried up and looked like it could crumble in a single hit.

nThe scribes and the vassals were confused beyond reason.

nHowever, the expressions of the Grand Duke and the Knights changed in an instant.

nBecause they could feel the object’s energy.

n“Th-that’s!”

n“It’s a holy relic?!”

n“What? A relic?!”

n“Wait, a holy relic?!”

n