78 – intent
The next day, Yulken, who returned to the castle after completing the inspection, had to doubt his ears.
From the beginning, I was a bit anxious because my daughter had something to say secretly in a place where her mother was not even present, but this was shocking news beyond imagination.
“Hey, is that true?”
It sounds like asking if it’s true or not, but Yulken’s voice already had some certainty.
However, this question was close to the last psychological defense posture to deny the unbelievable situation a little bit.
Although he was born into the Loveheim family and had seen all sorts of political games since he was young, that didn’t mean he could always pass over all situations calmly.
Even the news that Ariel conveyed wasn’t a light story, such as that someone was behind the scenes or that a faction had been formed.
“Yes, Father.”
While facing Yulken’s frosty eyes, Ariel just nodded her head calmly without even changing her expression.
“I can’t believe it. Amman I was away, but some ungrateful guy did that… … .”
“I have already narrowed down the suspects. The problem is that there is no physical evidence.”
“Physical evidence eventually comes out when you dig. But that’s why you have to be careful with your heart.”
Yulken wanted to believe his daughter’s words straight away, but this was the reason why he tried to be as careful as possible.
This is because if you choose the wrong object to suspect in the stage of evidence, things are already twisted before the physical evidence is dug up, so it will get out of control later.
However, even if the suspect is completely narrowed down, it does not take much effort to find physical evidence later.
The most important thing he considered in this case was ‘through what criteria he narrowed down the suspect’.
If this process seemed convincing to Yulken, he could start right away.
“Father, can you look at this first?”
“… What is this?”
“I think you will know when you see it.”
Ariel knew this too, so she handed out a wad of paper she had written down to her father.
Every detail, from the beginning of the incident to the subsequent development of the situation, was written in detail.
Palak. Palak.
While Yulken was reading the papers one by one, Ariel watched him and drank tea.
With such a carefree attitude that it is hard to believe that he was a party to the incident.
It took about 20 more minutes for Yulken to turn over all the papers.
And the conclusion he draws is that there is certainly room for doubt.
However, there were some aspects that were lacking to take some action right now.
“I accept your reasoning, Ariel. However, you should know that you cannot move hastily with this alone.”
“of course. What I want to ask my father is not to arrest those on the list or to conduct a separate investigation.”
“Well?”
Yulken’s eyebrows twitched slightly at the unexpected answer.
He would be the same, because he thought that the fact that he was watching this situation with only a brief investigation was because there was an issue that needed his power.
If so, what do you want?
Of course, as a father, he should do everything necessary, but he was curious about what she really wanted.
“I would like to ask you two favors. Can you hear me? father.”
“Okay, just say anything.”
The smile on Ariel’s lips grew thicker at Yulken’s confirmation.
What she wanted wasn’t a big deal in the first place. It’s just a means to make things a little more certain.
Of course, I would have to sprinkle some bait in the process, so I wanted to leave it to Yulken.
“First, give me all disposition rights.”
“… All disposal powers. It’s a pretty comprehensive expression.”
It wasn’t Ariel’s way of expressing it in the first place.
Due to her personality, in order to be more specific, she would have said ‘the authority to dispose of all those involved in the crime’.
Yulken felt a sense of difference in that strange gap.
It wasn’t that I couldn’t anticipate her actions.
No, rather, that vague expression became a good foreshadowing of Ariel’s next move.
“Did you mean that you want to pay for your sins with more revenge?”
“Yes, are you going to dry it?”
Ariel didn’t even deny it, but rather asked her father.
“As a father, I want to stop… It’s hard for me to keep my mouth open because I’m not in a position to talk to anyone else.”
There is a saying that revenge begets more revenge.
However, Yulken was one of those who completely denied this.
He also had never been so coldly involved with the concept of revenge.
Where in the world was there a saying to pay back what was done?
If I was slapped on the cheek, sometimes I want to punch the other person’s stomach with my feet.
Besides, there are things that people value more than their own lives, wealth, and fame.
For Ariel, that was Edgar, and the other person had touched it.
In such a situation, can it be said that it is a refreshing revenge to end with just cutting the heads of those in charge?
“Don’t ask for permission. Instead, just remember this. Ariel.”
“Yes, Father.”
“The blood on your hands may be erased, but your sins will not disappear. You should keep in mind that revenge is to punish for crimes added to sins.”
“I will keep it in my heart.”
It was already expected.
She was born as the heir to the Loveheim family anyway, and she knew that someday she too would have to jump into the battlefield and have her hands stained with blood.
This is just a rehearsal for it.
‘It’s lamentable that I can’t protect my daughter’s innocence.’
On the other hand, although he gave permission, Yulken could not erase the bitter feeling.
I didn’t think that my daughter would live an innocent life without ever seeing the death of a person, but I didn’t know that the moment when she would stain her hands with blood for vengeance would come so soon.
Please don’t be consumed by vengeance.
I hope there is nothing to throw away precious things for the precious ones.
I just hope that this time will pass and I will be able to return as a daughter as always.
Those were all he could wish for as a father.
* * * * * * *
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Lux moistened his parched lips with saliva as he walked down the corridor at Yulken’s sudden call.
Just as a thief thieves numb his feet from old times, his case was exactly the same.
After the recent failed attempt, there were only days spent holding their breath.
I didn’t even have a conversation except for the one where I had set up a separate place for a brief discussion the other day, fearing that even contact with Vincent would be a scratch.
‘I’m going crazy.’
In such a situation, how can you not be nervous after receiving a sudden call?
Moreover, since the person who came to call did not even tell him the purpose of the call, his tension inevitably increased.
‘Let’s calm down. I just need to do it as usual.’
Just before reaching Yulken’s office, Lux stopped for a moment to catch his breath and patted my cheek with both hands.
To be honest, I didn’t know that it might have been a trivial reason.
There’s no point in worrying about it from now on, and it’s not too late to think about it later.
Anything that could serve as material evidence has been completely eliminated, so there will be no way for his actions to be found out.
“Are you okay?”
“Um, sorry to keep you waiting.”
When the man who had come to call him tilted his head and asked what was going on, Lux hurriedly turned his head and gestured as if to go.
In front of the office that arrived before long.
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Lux had no way of knowing why the dry door, which he hadn’t thought about every time he passed it, felt so grand and heavy today.
I put the message inside like that, and after a while permission was given.
He adjusted his clothes once more, which must have been adjusted dozens of times, and took heavy steps through the open door.
“Welcome, Lord Lux. I’m sorry I called a busy person.”
“I was playing chess with the attendant in my room, so don’t mind it.”
Yulken was well aware that Lux had no interest in chess.
It’s probably just saying that I had enough free time.
Normally, Yulken would have laughed it off as a pleasant joke.
However, for today, I guided him directly to his seat with a calm attitude and sat down on the sofa across from him.
And with only a series of actions, silence fell in the office in an instant.
“… Let’s get straight to the point. I trust you, so I want you to answer truthfully.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
Depending on what the question was, it would depend on whether or not to tell the truth, but Lux nodded because he had to express his affirmation in words.
Yulken’s mouth, which had been tightly closed against him, opened before long.
“Actually, I heard that my daughter was attacked by the enemy a few days ago. Have you heard anything?”
“There is not. when the hell… … ?”
“They said it happened on the way from Bellucci to Hespania.”
“Huh, these are the guys whose livers have come out of the boat.”
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Lux opened his eyes wide as if this was news he had heard for the first time, and reacted without exaggeration as much as possible.
“However, I heard that you are among the group suspected of committing the act.”
“Yes? However, Your Highness… … .”
“I know. That you’re not the kind of person to be. That’s why I called you secretly. Even Sir Vincent was included in that list, so this isn’t reliable information.”
Although he may not know the truth, Vincent is recognized externally as one of the members who served the Loveheim family for a long time.
Therefore, Yulken deliberately mentioned him and told him that Lux was a trustworthy person comparable to him.
Only then did Lux calmly nod and wait for Yulken’s words to follow.
“I’m thinking of calling Sir Vincent and discussing it later. However, I felt I should inform you before that.”
“Even Sir Vincent… Are you talking?”
“yes. I have nothing to say in front of you, but of all those now suspected, he is the closest to being innocent.”
Watching him talk as if the investigation had already been completed to some extent, Lux gulped.
‘It seems that it was carried out secretly without our knowledge.’
I almost got hit without even knowing why.
It was fortunate that we erased as much traces as possible and removed everything that could be material evidence.
Moreover, the hopeful news for Lux is that Vincent, an accomplice, is innocent.
If Vincent is innocent, there is a high possibility that he will not be investigated any more, and it is safe to say that there is no way that his actions will be caught from him.
‘However, it is strange. Why are you telling me this?’
However, since Lux was not an idiot, he could notice that this situation was somewhat unnatural.
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Looking at it calmly, he knew that among the vassals of the Loveheim family, his position was not very strong.
In addition to that, the fact that he is not trusted very much by the family owner, Yulken.
But why is he secretly calling himself to inform him of this news?
Rather, it would be a more appropriate response to keep your mouth shut and observe the reaction until the incident is completely resolved.
‘no way.’
Continuing his thoughts, Lux was able to find one strange thing.
I don’t know who these people are on the investigation list, but the fact that he and Vincent are included anyway means that their past activities were also investigated.
However, the two only had one contact after that incident, and they intentionally avoided meeting excessively in order not to create unnecessary noise.
So if you tried to find something suspicious, you couldn’t find it.
Maybe that’s why I came up with this strategy with a reverse idea here.
With the intention of intentionally informing the two of this fact, and capturing the moment when they were about to meet to discuss it after a fire broke out in their feet.
Acting pretending to trust in order to create physical evidence because there is no physical evidence. It is also quite possible.
‘That’s foolish.’
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Lux made an invisible sneer and settled down more comfortably on the sofa.
As long as you don’t contact Vincent anyway, it’s safe to say that there’s no fear of getting caught.
You don’t have to go back and forth. If we maintain our current attitude, we will be able to destroy whatever their thoughts are.
‘I’ll have to avoid contact with Sir Vincent in the future.’
At least until it was announced that this case was over and all the retainers knew.
It will be a rather long time, but if it is for the sake of a great cause, you have to endure it.
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Lux enjoyed the feeling of being a winner and moderately accepted Yulken’s words.
The content was of little nutritional value, but it was because seeing him struggling to the point where it was pitiful for the viewer, the sympathy to share at least a conversation welled up.