Chapter 104

Chapter 104

‘…I shouldn’t let go of my hands because I’m scared and afraid. I have to come to my senses.’

Everything will be fine. The truth will come out, and I will be cleared of false indictments.

“Ugh…!”

After repeating that, Min-ha let out a painful sound as she clasped her head with both hands.

‘But, how… how can I clear my name? How?’

Now that her true identity had been revealed to the world, Seth was the only one who would believe in her innocence. No, perhaps he might be blaming her for putting his knights in danger.

In a situation like this, where everyone accused her of being a liar and only those who maliciously interpreted their good intentions, what would she say that would work?

‘…At a time like this, it would be nice if you appeared in my dreams and helped me, Minase Persen! If you brought me into this world, you should take responsibility! Is it the end if you run away alone like this?!’

If only the strange dreams she’d always had would give her a hint, a vague clue, or something to reason with…

She resented Minase Persen for bringing her into this world.

It was the time when Min-ha tore her hair out, saying that she had to come up with a way to save her life and save Gareth and Bediviel, who were wrongfully imprisoned…

“I don’t think you would come up with a good method.”

“….!”

As she immediately turned her head at the sudden unfamiliar voice, Min-ha could see a man wearing a robe that covered his whole body standing outside the bars of her cell the next moment. Alone in a vast dungeon with only the light of a burning torch to illuminate his mouth beneath his robe cap, he looked very suspicious.

Thinking that to herself, Min-ha stepped back a little as the man smiled.

“Normally, when someone’s accused of being a witch and brought to the dungeon, they give up everything and wait for the day they die though the Duchess seems to still have a glimmer of hope. By any chance, do you think that if you wait, someone will come to rescue you?”

“….”

“Ah, come to think of it, you’re not even a ‘Duchess’ anymore. I’ve done a great disrespect, ‘the witch of another world’.”

“…Don’t call me that. It’s true that I’m from another world, but that doesn’t make me a witch.”

“Alright. So, what should I call you?”

“Before you ask someone their name, shouldn’t you tell them yours first?”

“Oh, dear. I’ve done another disrespect. I apologize, it’s been a while since I’ve been dealing with a lady.”

When Min-ha asked sharply, the man stammered and apologized before getting her with a fairly polite gesture.

“It’s a little late to say my greetings, but my name is… let’s call me Judith for now.”

“Why did you come looking for me? Apparently, no one is allowed to enter this place, so how did you get in here?”

“I didn’t want to come to a place where such nasty magic was being practiced either, but I had no choice. The person paying me said I had to convince you.”

“Someone who gives you money? Then…”

“Yes. It’s Viscount Rupert Guinivis.”

“Ugh!”

The moment she heard Rupert’s name escape from Judith’s mouth, Min-ha groaned and stepped back even further.

‘…After driving people to such a predicament, what else does he have left to say?’

Seeing that he even sent a person, it seemed that he had something he wanted to hear or something he wanted to say though Min-ha had no intention of doing as he wished. She turned her head away coldly as if she didn’t want to meet his eyes before opening her mouth stiffly to Judith.

“Go back. I don’t think I have anything to say to you.”

“Oh, does the mere mention of the Viscount’s name disgust you?”

“So, I’m supposed to like the person who got me and my loved ones into this mess?”

“It’s not like that.”

“If you understand, then you can leave now. I have nothing to say.”

“…Hmm. Are you sure you’re okay with sending me away like this?”

“What do you mean?”

“Even if you have nothing to say to me, I have something you’d want to hear… for example, the situation of the two knights who were imprisoned with you?”

“….!”

Min-ha, who had been coldly responding to Judith’s words, turned her head away when he mentioned Gareth and Bediviel. Quickly got her body up, she approached the iron bars where he was standing and asked in an urgent voice.

“Wh-where are they now? They’re alive, right? How are they? Did something happen to them?”

Oh, my. You’re going to run out of breath. What are you in such a rush for?”

“Answer me quickly! Are the two of them okay now?!”

“Well, if you are asking in the sense of ‘if they are still breathing,’ then… Yes, they’re still ‘alive’.”

“Oh, my God…”

At Judith’s reply, Min-ha cried and gripped the rusty bars tighter.

It was all because of her.

‘I should have been more careful… I should have fooled them by pretending to be in love with Rupert when I met him. However, my identity was revealed and it caused them an unbearable hardship…’

She opened her mouth to Judith, constantly blaming herself inwardly.

“They didn’t do anything wrong. It’s all my fault, please… Rupert, tell him, and please tell him to release Sir Gareth and Bediviel!”

“Hmm, I don’t know. It looks like it’s going to be difficult at this rate.”

“…What does that mean?”

“When I came in here a little while ago, I was told by the guards that Sir Bediviel had asked for his own punishment, saying, ‘I’ll take all the blame, so only punish myself,’ so the guard in charge of the place went to call for the Pope and the paladins.”

“….!”

“He’s never been one to give in to any kind of torture, but they say that when they brought up the subject of his fellow knights and the Duchess, his complexion changed before he confessed, which is a remarkable display of loyalty and camaraderie, isn’t it?”

“Oh, my God… No, what do I do…”

Hearing the shocking story, Min-ha could feel her entire body loosen up. It was so unfair and it didn’t make any sense… why on earth would he take the blame alone?

She shouted at Judith, roughly wiping away the tears that were now blurring her vision.

“No way! Wh-why does Sir Bediviel have to take the blame for everything? Why?!”

“Well, what can you do? Everyone says no, the evidence and witnesses are clear, and those who watched the trial want the witch to be judged thoroughly. People are now beginning to suspect that the Duke of Persen was also involved in this… so what do you do? Wouldn’t it be finished only when someone climbs to the stake?”

“Burning at the stake? No way! Absolutely not…!”

“Then what? It’s not like you’re going to die for him, are you?”

“….!”

No matter how desperately she cried out, Judith wouldn’t budge.

Min-ha felt the despair in her heart that she’d been trying so hard to suppress a moment ago grow frighteningly large. In the end, all of this happened because of her, and she could be responsible for the deaths of innocent people and endanger Seth as well.

‘…What am I supposed to do now… am I really out of options? Am I supposed to stand by and watch Sir Bediviel die?’

Without bothering to wipe the tears that were now streaming down her face, she reached out and grabbed the hem of Judith’s robe outside the cell and begged.

“Is there really no way I can do anything… anything at all? Is there really nothing?”

“….”

“Ah, Rupert! Let me meet him. If I can’t meet him, at least tell him that I’ll do anything, so please… please don’t hurt those two…”

“…Hmm.”

“Please, I’ll do anything… just don’t touch those people, okay?”

Judith looked down at Min-ha, who was sobbing and pleading at his feet. Then, invisible to her, the corners of his lips curled up slightly beneath his robes before he stroked his face with one hand.

Bending down to follow the cowering Minha, he reached into the cell and grabbed her arm.

“It’s not that there isn’t a way.”

“…Really? What’s the way?”

“If you confess all the sins you’ve committed.”

“….!”

“Then, well, everything will be sorted out in an instant.”

His words made Min-ha’s heart drop to the bottom of the pit.

Was this what had to happen in the end?

She asked Judith while listening to her heart pounding with anxiety and fear.

“If that happens, what will happen to me? Will I be burned…?

“That would be unlikely. Even if it’s not you, the owner of the body, Minase Persen, was a former royal and no one would dare to burn a precious body of former royal origin, even if her body were possessed by a witch from another world. Perhaps they would finish the task by confining you in the imperial tower for life?”

“….”

He answered the question in a light tone as if thinking of a solution for her.

At those words, Min-ha lowered her head in thought as though she was lost in thought while Judith watched her silently until she answered. Even though she said she would do anything if she could save them, considering that she would spend her entire life confined to the imperial tower, it wouldn’t be unreasonable for her to hesitate.

As he was thinking so while waiting for an answer, Min-ha, who roughly wiped her wet face with her two hands and glared at him with her wet eyes, uttered.

“Why did you wait until now to tell me how? If I had known, I would have confessed before Sir Gareth and Sir Bediviel were hurt like this.”

“This…”

“What’s this reaction?”

“You seem to have no hesitation in your answer. Isn’t it scary? Being imprisoned in the imperial tower means that you will never be able to go out into the world again.”

…Maybe she didn’t understand the meaning of the word?

When Judith asked with a hint of doubt, Minha answered without much hesitation.

“Still, I’m not going to die, right?”

“….!”

“If I’m alive, I still have a chance to change my situation someday, but if I’m dead, that’s the end of it. Even if everything changes later, the dead don’t come back alive. It’s not like I’m trading my life for theirs, but if I could save those two lives just by being imprisoned, I’d do it.”

“….”

“…However, there’s a condition.”

“What’s that?”

Min-ha stared straight at Judith and continued with a trembling voice.

“Let those two get out of this prison alive, or I’ll never confess until then.”

“….”

“If I ever get the news that those two are wrong, then I’ll never let neither Rupert nor you get away with it. I’ll drag you both through this hell together, no matter what!”

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