CH 125

The Emperor gritted his teeth.

The top-level magic contract, which required double collateral, had a device embedded to determine what the contractor valued.

It was the ‘eye that distinguishes the truth’ right away. 

Usually, it is only triggered by the confirmation process at the final stage of the contract, but Serdel has drawn the function so that it can be used from the middle of the contract by skillfully writing the content of the clause. 

The magic contract seemed perfect at first glance, but it was just a well-made fix system.

It could not flexibly catch up with people’s complex thoughts and various intentions.

Serdel caught them off guard properly. 

As he watched from hiding, the Lord of the Wizard Tower stuck out his tongue. 

“What the hell is this! How dare you—” 

At that moment, the light energy emitted from the contract suddenly took on the shape of red eyes. 

“Answer for the clause.” 

Serdel didn’t care that dark flesh was coming from his boiling eyes. 

He wouldn’t have tried it if he knew he would be overwhelmed by this force.

“Did Your Majesty kill my mother?”

“Lord Serdel!”

“Answer me, Your Majesty.”

A count began to open in the middle of the red eyes.

10, 9, 8, 7…

There is a risk of not answering when the count reaches ten. 

Serdel’s face became as cold as ice. But, on the other hand, the Emperor’s face gradually got darker as he felt more pressure. 

His eyes turned to the decreasing numbers. The moment it just entered 1—.

“I didn’t kill—!” 

The Emperor hurriedly spat out an answer.

At the same time, the count stopped.

“Then who did it?”

“How can I do that—Ugh!” 

The Emperor’s complexion, who had been expressing his anger, suddenly turned blue.

The nature of the energy contained in the red eyes changed, and the power that flowed out of it tightened the Emperor’s neck.

“Ugh… I don’t know who killed it… the one who harmed my Queen Consort… didn’t it…!”

His eyes were full of dirty blood.

When he vomited out his hidden feelings, the energy that had put pressure on the Emperor was removed.

Touching his neck several times, the Emperor’s eyes lit up.

“Are you talking about Her Majesty, Queen Consort Velia?”

She was the mother of the 2nd prince, Falden, and the only person the Emperor loved. 

She died after a five-year illness caused by her weak body after giving birth to Falden, and many believed she was cursed because she couldn’t be healed even with the highest level potion, wizard’s heal, and priest’s divine power. 

For the sake of the stability of the imperial family, the Emperor had to dismiss it himself. 

“…the Countess’s corpse condition when she returned to the Count…”

This time, strength entered Serdel’s fist.

“The same goes for Queen Consort Velia. She was sick, so I sent her to a nursing home— and she died in the carriage returning to the palace. Her face… was damaged a lot.  It was so unrecognizable that I doubted if it was really her a dozen of times—no, hundreds more.”

The Emperor’s chin trembled enough for her to hear the sound of his teeth clinking together as if he were trapped in that time’s terrible memories.

“The only words that had spread throughout the palace that she must have been cursed stayed in my mind and wouldn’t leave. But I’m the Emperor. There were so many people who wanted the Imperial Family to be shaken, so I had to suppress the rumors somehow.”

The emperor, who was about to sweep the mouth with his hands and pull the rope, paused.

In this situation, it was not possible to call a maid.

The Emperor gave up drinking water and swallowed saliva to calm his dry throat. 

“I secretly released my subordinate, but I didn’t find out anything. I couldn’t find any evidence from the people I suspected. In the end, I had no choice but to ask the question quietly in my mind.”

His voice cracked as he struggled with his emotions.

“But… years later, the Countess’ accident happened. The moment I received a report on the condition of the Countess’ corpse, I thought of the Queen Consort Velia.” 

The Emperor turned his angry head as if to ask if this answer was good enough. 

Clearly, Queen Consort Velia and her mother had a strangely similar accident.

However, unlike Empress Velia, who died in her carriage, her mother was kidnapped.

Moreover, they even disguised her death with someone else’s corpse.

‘Wait…Perhaps Queen Consort Velia was also kidnapped and then was disguised…it’s not, right?’

Serdel got goosebumps at the sudden suspicion.

“…After that… didn’t you know more?”

“I know. I didn’t have anything in my hand.”

“Your Majesty… who do you think is the culprit?”

“I can’t tell you exactly who. To me, everyone seems to be the culprit, and not everyone seems like one.” 

Nothing is more dangerous than determining the criminal based on rash assumptions. Even now, the Emperor didn’t dare say the names of the people he had strong suspicions about.

“However, didn’t the person who killed me also harm the two of them? Now, shouldn’t Lord tell me who is it? Who kill me?” 

“Before that, the contract I wrote were not yet finished. Please take a look.”

“….” 

“It won’t be the same as it is now, so you can read it with peace of mind.”

The Emperor carefully scanned the remaining parts without taking away the suspicious face.

– If the death of the Countess is irrelevant, the Emperor will unconditionally cooperate with Serdel Robbesta.

– The Emperor and Serdel Robbesta do not keep secrets about the information they want.

The Emperor can’t be pushed too far, so Serdel has added a clause that will satisfy him.

As expected, the Emperor’s eyes lit up at this point.

The Emperor, who had read all the way to the end, put down the contract.

All they had to do was sign each other.

“Please wait a moment, Your Majesty.”

Serdel, with a fountain pen, added a line of text at the end.

– The only people who can see the content in the contract are the Emperor and Serdel Robbesta, who are the contract’s parties. The witness can’t check what’s in it.

At the same time, light burst through the contract, making the conditions clear.

It could be seen well by Serdel and the Emperor, but it would only be recognized as a blank paper by the witness. 

“Who will be the witness?” 

“Wait for a moment.” 

The Emperor pressed the jeweled part of the bracelet he was wearing and immediately ordered someone.

“Come to my office for a moment.”

Perhaps, the Chamberlain Viscount Chapelta will come. As I was waiting with that thought in mind, the door opened, and an unexpected person entered.

It was the Duke of Belters.

“I had to sign a contract, so I called you as a witness. Come here.”

As he approached, he glanced down at the contract. 

It felt like the tension was pulling on the muscles in her back. 

If he was the Duke of Belters, he might be able to see through the invisibility of the magic contract. 

[I don’t think I can fool his eyes.]

As expected, the Lord of the Wizard Tower’s voice echoed in his mind.

“The Duke has a very heavy mouth. I think he can be trusted as a witness, do you have any complaints?” 

“There’s no such a thing. However—” 

Serdel held out the fountain pen to the Duke of Belters. 

“As a witness, you have to keep everything you saw and heard here a secret, and I think it would be more reliable if you could fill it out.”

“That would be nice.” 

The Emperor agreed.

The Duke of Belters, who took the fountain pen, wrote it down without missing a single toe, just as Serdel said with a soft smile. 

After that, he signed it.

“Is this all right?”

He’s looking at the emperor, but his question is directed at Serdel.

“It’s enough.” 

The answer, of course, came from the Emperor’s mouth.

The Duke of Belters stepped back. The Emperor scrawled his signature to finish it.

Finally, when Serdel finished signing, the energy from the magic contract tied her and the Emperor. 

※ The first contract has been completed. Please put something valuable as collateral. 

At the same time, the eyes that distinguished the truth with the phrase rose above the air.

The Emperor beckoned Serdel.

“Lord, you can do it first.”

Serdel thought for a moment. 

“Serdel Robbesta. I’ll bet myself.”

In the past, there was nothing precious other than Siri, but now it is different.

There were too many.

Her mother crossed the dimension to save herself despite the chaotic world and complicated circumstances. 

Regardless of her feelings being ruined, her father always protected her.

And when she remembered who she was and found out that Addis, Redan, and many other people in the Count love her, Serdel became very precious to herself.

So Serdel bet herself. So that even if her contract is broken, it can only hurt her.

The energy of the red eyes that read her sincerity was calm. 

“It’s Your Majesty’s turn.”

“…I will stake my fortune.”

The nature of the energy coming from the red eyes changed, and the Emperor grabbed his chest.

“Ugh!” 

“I think you should be honest. Your Majesty.”

The Emperor gritted his teeth at Serdel’s ridicule.

“I will bet my position!” 

Ugh! A thin stream of blood flowed through the Emperor’s gums. Then, as the Duke of Belters was about to approach, the Emperor stretched out his hand.

“Don’t come near me!”

The Emperor’s eyes were red with heavy breathing.

After enduring the pain for a while, he soon said. 

“…2nd Prince, I’ll bet on Falden. If anything happens to my son, I won’t stand still!”