(EP-259.2) #1

259 – Fight Fire With Fire #1

“As you said, Elga-nim, the problem is that they would want to support me. They would definitely get overzealous and escalate things. That would lead to an uncontrollable situation.”

The reason I hadn’t told Mirna was precisely because of this. If Mirna, who was loyal to the Angmar royal family, learned about my existence, she would undoubtedly stir up trouble, saying, “Drive out the usurpers!”

Elga seemed to understand this, nodding, “That makes sense.”

Then, she slowly spoke again.

“Then, just to be sure, have you touched Aira or that elf professor?”

“Unfortunately, not yet.”

“Yet? Yeett? That means you plan to eventually… You’re completely crazy!”

Elga clicked her tongue.

But my stance was firm.

“There will be no change in my plan for revenge. Once I set my path, there’s no turning back. This is my way as a man and my royal way.”

Perhaps she was awestruck by my impressive speech, Elga stood there with her mouth slightly open, eyes wide. Then, as if nothing had happened, she scoffed.

“Heh, what a remarkable avenger you are. If it were me, I wouldn’t have done that.”

“Then what would Elga-nim have done in my position?”

“If I had to take revenge, I would kill them all.”

I could hardly believe my ears at her immediate and unhesitant response. Kill them all? Wasn’t that too cruel?

However, Elga continued to explain her view as if it were the only correct one.

“If the Lioness family were utterly destroyed, I would make the others suffer the same fate. Otherwise, I wouldn’t get my justice. That’s what revenge is!”

She had a point.

The notion of ‘family revenge’ carried the scent of a blood-stained dagger rather than a pacifier. Perhaps revenge was inherently meant to be that way.

However, I was both Theo and the human, Lee Seong-eum. As I wore the mask of Theo, I performed that role.

Yet, at heart, I was still Lee Seong-eum, an ordinary person. I had no reason to carry out such cruel revenge, nor did I have any ill feelings. But explaining all this would be complicated and time-consuming.

Moreover, if I were to say, “This world is actually a book, and I am Lee Seong-eum, not an Angmar,” Elga might actually rip my head off.

“Ah fųck, I don’t know either!”

Elga spat out a curse and then stood up.

“You, I’ll be watching you for a while…”

* * *

A few days had passed since Opal’s execution.

The Bellhawk family members were massively prosecuted, causing the entire kingdom to be noisy and tumultuous.

Sitting quietly in the palace garden, you could hear people whispering everywhere.

━That crazy nymph raided the sugarcane farm and stole all the crops! The already high sugar prices might go up even more.

━Won’t that affect the desserts supplied to the court…? The Queen has only just started to seem a bit better these past few days…

━I heard the lion spiders are causing trouble everywhere too. Those Bellhawk scoundrels! They really know how to cause big problems…!

The fortunate thing was that the public sentiment and opinion about the Bellhawk family were also bad, so it was much easier to arrest and issue warrants for them. We also received a lot of cooperation.

Seuk-.

At that moment, someone approached me and said.

“It looks like things are going better than expected. The acquisition of the Bellhawk Board seems to be going well.”

“Yes, it does.”

I responded appropriately. Then, Mirna, who was facing me from the pavilion installed among the pond in the palace garden, placed her hand on my forehead.

The cool touch jolted me awake.

“You don’t seem to have a fever. Have you been overworked these past few days? You look quite pale.”

“Ah.”

Was my complexion bad?

Of course it would be.

I lowered my head from the railing of the pavilion and looked at my reflection in the blue pond.

The thoughts of Opal and Bellhawk had long vanished from my mind. The only thing occupying it was the fact that Elga had discovered my secret.

A few days had passed since my conversation with Elga at the pigeon tower. At the time, I thought I had somehow managed to avert the crisis, but as days went by, I felt increasingly anxious.

Would it have been better to get a promise or a written statement from her not to reveal my secret? Looking back now, Elga never said a word about cooperating with me.

I had only temporarily covered the fire.

Elga was a woman as fickle as a flame in the wind.

She could suddenly change her mind and report me. Thinking that way, I couldn’t concentrate on anything because Elga kept lingering in my mind.

… Could this be love?

Probably not…

I stopped gazing at the pond and asked.

“Do you know where Lady Elga is? I haven’t seen her these past few days.”

“Well, Lady Lioness is always busy, isn’t she? She’s probably off somewhere with her usual nonsensical work.”

Chwareureuk—Mirna Draco unfurled her fan with a rustle and huhu—chuckled.

It seemed Mirna didn’t know where Elga was or what she was doing either. For the past few days since we parted at the tower, Elga’s whereabouts had been a mystery.

Where could she be and what was she doing?

Just then, something hit my head. It didn’t hurt, so I didn’t scream, but the loud sound startled me, and I looked up to find Mirna frowning with her cheeks slightly puffed out.

“It’s a bit rude that you’re lost in thought when I’m next to you, no? Sir Theo, you need to respect and honor me, Mirna Draco, more.”

“Ah.”

“You’re not thinking about Lady Lioness, are you?”

If I said yes, Mirna would definitely erupt. “How dare you think about Lady Lioness when I’m right in front of you-!” she would say. Mirna especially couldn’t stand Elga.

The centuries-old grudge between the Draco and Lioness families, along with various feelings of entitlement and rivalry, made them natural enemies.

If an adversary joined the Draco faction, the opposing side would align with the Lioness family.

If someone seeked the power of the Lioness’ army, the opposing forces would call upon the Draco’s undead on the battlefield.

So, to keep the potentially unruly Elga in check, might Mirna be necessary? This might mean having two untamed beasts in my garden, but my situation didn’t allow for much caution.

“Lady Mirna. Mirna Von Draco.”

“……”

At my words, Mirna, who had been covering her face with a fan, widened her eyes. It was rare to address someone by their full name in Angmar.