Chapter 84

In fact, Calypse had been worried about me ever since the date of Duke Pose’s execution was set.

He did not mind me attending, but apparently he hated the thought of letting me watch someone die.

“Tell me at once if you get frightened.”

Even after everything that had happened, Father still treated me like an ordinary child.

Lucas, sitting on my left, was even worse.

“Exactly. Dandelion, you’re so tiny! What if you see someone die, get scared, and faint? I’m worried too!”

He was only eight years old and tiny himself.

I may enjoy playing the beloved daughter everyone worries about, but...

This was going too far.

I was a former spy, you know?

I stared blankly ahead and dug a finger into my ear.

Of course, I understood why Father and my older brother were worried.

I had already endured something terrible. They probably did not want me to see anything else that might hurt me.

But—

“I want to see this through properly.”

I looked straight at Father and my older brother, who were watching me with concern.

Duke Pose had always been a chain around my ankle.

No matter how desperately I twisted fate in pursuit of an ordinary life, he had stood in my way like an unbreakable wall of glass.

And as though that were not enough, he had even exploited the very meaning of my existence as Calypse’s daughter.

“...I think I need to witness Duke Pose’s end today before I can truly bring everything to an end myself.”

The red eyes identical to mine slowly widened.

“You really are... Only five years old, and yet...”

Father hesitated as though at a loss for words, then sighed.

“All right. I understand. Perhaps it would be better for you to see it, as you said.”

He roughly ruffled my hair.

From beside us came Lucas’s indignant protest.

“I’m telling you, Dandelion is still innocent because she’s never seen anyone die! What if our Dandelion gets so shocked that she just flutters over and faints?!”

“Flutters over and faints? Who was it that rescued you again? I believe it was our little Dandelion.”

“Urgh...”

Lucas’s face turned bright red at Father’s leisurely mockery. He huffed and shut his mouth.

That was when the royal knights stationed along the stairs leading to the platform suddenly saluted.

At the end of their gazes stood King Argen and Empress Grace.

“His Majesty the King and Her Majesty the Royal Consort are entering!”

“The sun of the world shines upon the Frozen Kingdom.”

Everyone rose from their seats and bowed their heads toward the king.

Father, Lucas, and I did the same.

Once the grand greetings had concluded, the king gestured, and everyone sat back down.

“I am certain you are all aware that an unthinkable incident occurred during the Frozen Kingdom’s royal banquet, an event held only once each year. And at the center of that incident...”

The king stroked his chin, his expression grave.

“...stood Duke Pose. Driven by his ambition to unite the Frozen Kingdom and the Kingdom of Doctia beneath the power of the Pose family, he released giant orcs inside our royal palace. He also placed dark magic upon Lady Aisha to alter the color of her eyes.”

When he mentioned dark magic, King Argen’s gaze rested on me for approximately half a second before moving away.

No one else seemed to notice, but I understood precisely what that look meant.

Suspicion.

He was clearly wondering whether I knew that he had been the one to cast the dark magic.

For the moment, I pretended ignorance and nodded vigorously with a solemn expression.

King Argen appeared inwardly relieved and continued.

“...He also planted spies from the Pose family throughout the royal palace. Therefore, at this hour, Cray Pose shall be put to death!”

The nobles erupted in cheers at the king’s proclamation.

Then came the summons.

“Bring forth the criminal!”

Duke Pose emerged from behind the platform in a prisoner’s uniform.

His wrists were shackled, his appearance filthy, and he even dragged one leg as he walked.

“There he is.”

“That bastard ruined the royal banquet we waited an entire year to attend!”

Countless insults and curses rained down upon Duke Pose as the knights led him forward.

Even so, as befitted a man who had commanded spies, he was skilled at concealing his expression.

He maintained it as he climbed the platform.

He maintained it even as he placed his head beneath the guillotine blade.

“Cray Pose of the Kingdom of Doctia. You are hereby sentenced to death for attempting to murder members of the Frozen royal family, for fraud, and for employing dark magic—a crime forbidden throughout every kingdom. As of this moment, your ducal title is revoked. The king of Doctia has also formally consented to this sentence!”

As the attendant loudly read the royal decree, the executioners took their places on either side of the guillotine.

“Do you have any final words?”

At the king’s question, the man who had been staring downward slowly raised his eyes.

Then—

“Duke Kreutz.”

“......”

“Pillar of the Frozen Kingdom. Ruler of the north.”

He called to Father with a relaxed, crooked smile.

“Before I die, allow me to make one final prophecy.”

It sounded almost as though he were placing a curse.

“One day, your fame and honor will bring disaster upon you. Those who face you now may always be smiling, but...”

A chilling smile spread across his lips.

“...in secret, they will envy you and devise ways to stab you in the back. I am far from the only man who wishes to see you dead.”

Behind us came the sound of people sharply sucking in their breath.

King Argen cleared his throat.

Calypse, of course, did not so much as twitch.

“Is that so? Then it seems quite some time will pass before your prophecy can be proven...”

He even took a watch from inside his jacket and gave a faint smile, as though genuinely disappointed.

“What a shame you must die today without seeing it come true. Rest in peace, Duke.”

“Y-You bastard...”

The corners of Duke Pose’s mouth began to tremble.

It seemed that, since everything was already over, he had at least wanted to die with his pride intact.

That must have been why he had carefully arranged his expression until now.

“You seem to think everything will end when I die, but you would be astonished to learn who else is targeting you. It is Ar—”

“The criminal’s right to speak is revoked. Carry out the execution!”

That was when it happened.

Before his own name could be spoken, King Argen hurriedly cut Duke Pose off with a shout.

The guillotine blade plunged downward.

Or at least, I thought it did.

A hand abruptly covered my eyes, preventing me from seeing the final moment.

But I still knew.

“Making a racket to the very end... I gave him permission to say one thing, and the fool launched into a speech. Dispose of the body!”

Duke Pose was dead.

Once again, the original novel had gone off course.

And this time, it had changed in the most complete and ideal direction possible.

But—

Was this truly the end?

***

The next day.

After Duke Pose’s execution, the nobles began leaving the central region one by one.

At last, peaceful silence settled over the royal palace, which had regained a measure of calm after so long.

Or rather, it should have.

Bang—!

“Damn that idiotic bastard!”

King Argen, haggard from several sleepless nights, breathed heavily.

He never should have trusted Cray Pose.

“I even used magic again after all these years because of him!”

Duke Pose had been so consumed by his obsession with Calypse that his own ambition had devoured him instead.

Had Argen known the man was such a witless fool, incapable of judging the situation, he would never have used dark magic on that little brat named Aisha.

There was definitely no trace of dark magic around the brat on the day of the execution.

Unlike ordinary magic, dark magic possessed such a vile and distinctive quality that mages above a certain level could identify its presence by scent alone.

Controlling someone’s mind and altering part of the body were both extraordinarily complicated and difficult feats.

Yet Argen had sensed nothing at all from the dark magic he had placed on Aisha.

That could only mean someone had broken the spells.

Most mages would not even have been capable of properly deciphering the formulas...

...Unless it was someone of Grace’s caliber...

“?”

Surely not.

Grace?