CH 156

‘What do you mean by ‘oracle’?’

My heart started pounding.

Wasn’t that the ‘oracle’ that I feared the most for a while?

Because it was like my death sentence.

‘But already, the oracle has come down…?’

There was something a little odd about it.

In my experience, the oracle only happened much later.

No, no… 

Obviously, Johann said he would implement the plan ‘soon’.

‘It’s already become a completely different story from the original. The timeline can’t be right.’

In addition, as the regressions were repeated, the oracle gradually advanced.

“Your Majesty, are you okay?”

“Ah.”

As if awakened by Duke Orléans’ question, I raised my head slightly.

Without realizing it, it seemed that I was unable to control my expression.

“It’s okay. I was a little dizzy.”

“……”

“Okay, what’s in the oracle?”

I already knew the contents, but I couldn’t say that I already knew, so I asked just for ‘courtesy’.

I was prepared to pretend to be surprised when I heard it.

“The oracle is about the ‘sun’.”

“……What?!”

Nevertheless, I was genuinely surprised by what Duke Orléans said.

* * *

[The damn oracle has come down! The gods really have no sense!]

Toulouse sat on a statue that looked exactly like it, chattering dissatisfied.

[Besides, the content has also changed this time… What trouble, I really hate it!]

Shortly after Johann and Toulouse informed Marsephone of their plans, the oracle came down.

The contents of the oracle were:

‘Tomorrow at noon, the sun in the sky will disappear and the sun will rise on the earth.’

While the time was precise, the content was utterly abstract.

Even Johann and Toulouse, who would be working tomorrow at noon, couldn’t figure out what it meant.

Since the situation had changed, the contents of the oracle might have changed, but would the parties come without knowing it?

Thanks to this, Johann stopped the steps that were about to head to Berylia with great patience, and sat instead, looking at the parchment with the oracle written on it.

“The sun in the sky disappearing…”

Toulouse took over Johann’s words.

[How does the sun rise from the ground?!]

‘In any case, you guys in the sky, if you tell me precisely, I will be a little better off.’

Toulouse’s three heads shook as if it was tired, then its eyes widened.

[Oh, I see!]

“….…”

Johann’s gaze quietly turned to Toulouse.

[The emperor and the crown prince, the suns of the sky, die, and finally, this great Toulouse descends on the earth and becomes a new sun.]

Seeing Toulouse smirking, a sneer briefly crept across Johann’s lips.

“Right.”

When something was not satisfactory with the reaction, Toulouse snorted and flapped its wings.

That was then.

Tak tak. After knocking on the door twice, Melfis came in and said,

“Someone wants to see the Archduke.”

The hope that it might be Berylia touched Johann’s heart.

“……Who?”

“He’s a beggar-like man, and he introduces himself as ‘Madam Deborah’s father.'”

* * *

1 hour before.

“Deborah! Deborah!”

Bang bang.

Baron Travino Jun knocked on the door of his daughter’s mansion.

But there was no sound from the inside.

“….…”

Meanwhile, Deborah had been suffering from a mild illness since she stole the divine core from the Graveyard of Stars under Johann’s instructions.

She fell into a deep sleep so she didn’t even know he was at her door.

She no longer had a maid or a servant to take care of her now, so she couldn’t help but not register it even if he made a fuss outside.

Bang bang!

“Hey Deborah! Deborah!”

Baron Travino was knocking on the door of the mansion almost like he was going to start a riot, and then spit on it in disbelief.

“Hey!”

‘This crazy thing, are you not opening the door on purpose?’ Baron Travino grinded his teeth, glaring at the mansion door.

“I’m sure I saw you being called to the Archduke’s residence…! Are you going to turn away from your father because you’ve got a lot of money?!”

He groaned.

The money Deborah had given him had long since been wasted on gambling.

He couldn’t even eat, so the skin on his body became so thin that his ribs were exposed.

Even more painful, though, was not that he could not eat, but that he had no money to gamble.

He couldn’t go to the gambling house.

“Give me the money! Bitch!”

Bang! Bang!

This time, Baron Travino, overcome by anger, kicked the door with the force to break it.

Deborah’s new house, the one after her divorce due to the affair and after she had lost all of her assets due to ‘forced donation’, looked like it was going to collapse easily with just a mere kick as it was old and shabby.

So, more strength entered Baron Travino’s feet.

Bang!

“Since I raised you, you have to pay the price! Do you think that only you need to eat and live well, even abandoning your parents?”

Bang!

“Without blood or tears, you bitter bitch!”

Baron Travino Jun wheezed and glared at the door as if it was Deborah, and blew his dry nose.

That was then.

Baron Travino had a good idea.

‘I can go to collect the money directly from Archduke Marquis…?!’

‘If it’s money he’ll give to my daughter anyway, what’s the difference if he gave it to me?’

‘I am Deborah’s father.’

‘Won’t he give me money?’

Normally, he wouldn’t have dared to go to meet ‘Archduke Marquis’ when he was just a baron, but…

Maybe it was because he was crazy about gambling.

In addition, the reputation of Archduke Marquis that was ever-circulating gave him great courage.

‘It’s said that he is a very good and faithful person who only prays. Ahaha!’

‘He will treat this poor, pitiful, old man with warmth!’

And so, Baron Travino went to see Johann.

However, he couldn’t help but panic at his first impression of Johann, who looked quite cold, contrary to what he had imagined.

The splendid mansion, Johann’s signature deep black eyes, and the aura emanating from the one who held half of the imperial power; Baron Travino was overwhelmed.

“What did you find me for?”

“That’s… that.”

Baron Travino immediately regretted coming here.

Even though he had acted against Deborah, it was difficult to keep his mouth shut.

Sweat dripped down his back.

But he just couldn’t go back.

Baron Travino said with a servile smile showing his yellow whites.

“Our Deborah said… I heard from my daughter that she’s in charge of the Archduchy…”

The eyebrows on Johann’s expressionless face lifted slightly, and his chin clenched.

The change in expression alone gave Baron Travino a prickly and anxious feeling.

But he couldn’t stop what he was saying, so he spoke almost like being pushed.

“Well, maybe… I was wondering if I could take Deborah’s salary instead…”

His voice was as low as the sound of an ant crawling into a burrow.

That was then.

Baron Travino’s eyes were tightly closed. Then a soft low-pitched sound like a breeze could be heard.

“I see.”

“!”

Baron Travino opened his eyes.

Surprisingly, Johann was smiling with his characteristic ‘good’ eyes curved.

His expression didn’t change much, but he looked like the Archangel Gabriel.

“Then I’ll make sure you get paid.”

“!”

“Melfis, go to the underground treasure trove and give jewels to Baron Travino.”

“Yes, I understand.”

Melfis replied, focusing the pupils under his drooping eyelids on Baron Travino.

There was great joy on Baron Travino’s face.

‘All right, all right!’

“Thank you thank you!!!”

Baron Travino followed the guard under Melfis’ guidance.

Johann felt a mild disgust at the foolish man who followed him without a doubt.

The baron was excitedly heading for the ‘underground treasure trove’, which was not even in the mansion in the first place, and would eventually be tragically killed in the darkroom where he arrived.

Most of the humans that Johann had dealt with had a bit of a stupid, disgusting side to them.

Those who didn’t… There was only one such person in his life.

“…But he’s her father, if we kill him, will Deborah accept it?”

After a brief ‘death guide’, Melfis returned to the drawing room and said that.

As if it was stuffy, Johann undid the button on his shirt, almost ripping it off, and holding a ‘naked’ bottle of wine, he poured the Dew of Montaigne into his mouth.

Then he licked his wet lips and whispered in a low tone.

“I knew Deborah’s mouth was cheap, but I didn’t expect her to make fun of me like that even though her life was at stake…”

“…….”

“What on earth was she thinking when she told him that she had something to do with me?”

Discomfort flashed clearly on Johann’s face.

A low sound, as low as underground, spouted languidly and blandly. 

“…I’m disappointed, Deborah.”

There were so many things to be concerned about, and he couldn’t believe her father made this visit.

“What about Deborah?”

Melfis asked for his master’s thoughts instinctively.

Johann replied, swallowing the strong wine.

“I don’t need a dog that gives a lot of work.”

“…….”

“Call Deborah tomorrow morning. I’ll take care of her.”

“……”

Melfis foresaw Deborah’s death, and without a word he bowed his head in submission to his master.

As if tired and feverish, Johann tilted his head and rested it on the sofa.

His deep breathing ‘thickened’ his neckline, and his rib bones shook greatly.

He unfastened all the buttons on his shirt, but the heat that rose through his body did not subside easily.

It was not enough that he had to struggle all night with jealousy, then the sudden oracle, and now, even Deborah’s father… He had a lot of work today.

What was even more surprising was that he thought of her all the way through these many experiences.

She was not erased for a moment.

Not even for a second.

“…I’m going to go see Berylia.”

It was then that Johann was about to finally stand up from his seat.

Melfis announced that there was a new visitor.

“Someone is asking to see the Archduke.”

Irritably, Johann asked, pressing his temples down.

“Who?”

“It’s Her Majesty the Queen.”

“!”

In an instant, Johann’s black pupils dilated greatly.