Chapter 90 – Recruitment

[Translator – Peptobismol]

Chapter 90 – Recruitment

“Did you just say Holy Blood?”

Feigning ignorance, I kept a blank expression.

I tried to look as innocent as possible, but inside, I was burning with anxiety.

I swallowed hard, my throat feeling as rough as sandpaper.

‘Did they already find out?’

The Duke had explicitly demanded the immediate return of the stolen Holy Blood.

This was no surprise; I had anticipated such a scenario.

Even though I had swapped it with a counterfeit, a fake is still a fake.

It was only a matter of time before the Duke noticed the subtle differences.

Yes, this was bound to happen eventually.

But...

‘This soon?’

It was too quick, far too quick.

The Duke wasn’t supposed to realize the switch until after I had crossed dimensions.

I had solid reasoning for this.

In the main storyline of the original work, the Duke only opened the vault when the family faced annihilation.

So why did he suddenly decide to check the depths of the vault now?

‘There’s only one possibility.’Cheêck out latest novels at novelhall.com

Either the family was already in the same dire situation as in the original, or someone had leaked the information.

I glanced around surreptitiously.

Winfred’s knights were blocking the path, their numbers overwhelming.

Then, at that moment,

“Kyle?”

Luna stepped down from the carriage.

A crack appeared in the Duke’s calm facade, a deep-seated malice flickering in his eyes.

It was not the look a parent should give their child.

“Luna Winfred.”

Despite the Duke calling her name, Luna remained silent, glaring at her father with pure contempt.

The Duke let out a slight chuckle, then spoke in his usual tone.

“Perfect timing. Join Kyle and come over here.”

“Are you seriously talking to me right now?”

“I heard you’re being chased by the Royal Family. There’s still a way out, so stop wandering and come back to the estate.”

Luna’s eyes hardened.

She murmured softly.

“Ha, Father.”

“I’m listening.”

“I appreciate the concern, but could you first get rid of the killing intent?”

Luna had noticed it too.

The Duke’s murderous aura was unmistakable.

The Royal Family must have pressured him.

Including the incident where Luna had drawn her sword on the Princess, all her past deeds were now catching up to her.

“Surprising, though. I didn’t expect you to come looking for me, Father.”

“What?”

“Did the Royal Family offer you a deal? Hand me over and they won’t touch the family?”

“No, it’s not that.”

“Disappointing. I can’t believe you fell for such sweet talk.”

“Enough nonsense, Luna Winfred.”

The Duke’s voice rose momentarily, but he clenched his teeth and swallowed his words.

“If what they wanted was your life.”

He spoke with a voice full of cracks.

“I would have drawn my sword and beheaded you without hesitation.”

The conclusion was clear.

The Royal Family never intended to spare Winfred. They only needed an excuse.

Though it was just a wild guess, the Duke couldn’t easily dismiss it.

The relationship between Winfred and the Royal Family was terrible in many ways.

This wasn’t a baseless assumption.

In a certain route of the original story, the Duke plotted a rebellion against the Royal Family.

“From the beginning...”

The Duke’s eyes grew harsher, a cold blue light flashing fiercely.

“Of course. The Royal Family never intended to spare the Winfred.”

“.....”

“Telling you to bring the Holy Blood was just a pretext. How could you retrieve something that’s already in their possession? They never expected you to succeed. They only planned to use it as an excuse to destroy Winfred.”

The Duke did not respond.

Instead, he looked back and forth between Luna and me with beastly eyes.

“This is strange.”

The Duke frowned.

“Why confess to me now?”

He asked why I was revealing everything all of a sudden.

“It’s nothing much.”

I pretended to be calm, as if I had anticipated his suspicion.

“The Royal Family didn’t uphold their end of the bargain.”

The Duke scrutinized my face.

Without any further questions, he closed his eyes tightly.

When he opened them again, his piercing blue gaze cut through me.

“So, you’re trying to use me for your personal revenge?”

Got him.

From here on, it was easy.

“Exactly.”

“.....”

“Do you have a problem with that? You don’t have a choice, do you? If you delay any longer, you’ll never get the Holy Blood, and Winfred will be crushed under the Royal Family’s wrath. Is that what you want? You’re the kind of person who’d do anything for your family, right?”

I slowly walked towards the Duke.

The knights drew their swords, but the Duke, with a chilling expression, held them back.

“There’s no choice. Either get annihilated for no reason or rebel and seize the throne. If it’s the latter, time is running out. With the current chaos due to the absence of the Papal See and the war with the Eastern Continent, now is the perfect time to strike the Royal Family.”

I taunted him with a cold voice.

But the Duke only glared at me without responding.

“You’ve already thought about this, haven’t you?”

I was now right in front of the Duke.

Bending down, I whispered coldly.

“You might need some help...”

I smirked devilishly.

“Want to hear my offer?”

The Duke’s blue eyes froze, an icy glare piercing through me.

He lowered his head and laughed menacingly.

“Interesting.”

I watched him with a calm gaze.

And after a moment,

“Let’s hear it, then.”

Srrrng—

The Duke drew his sword, pointing the tip at my neck.

His answer was clear.

“Speak.”

Ah, as expected.

I barely suppressed my laughter.

[Translator – Peptobismol]