80 – questionable chance
After hearing the unexpected news from Yulken, Lux has spent his daily life avoiding contact with Vincent as much as possible.
However, for about four days, it was rather frustrating because Vincent had been looking for him to the extent that it was noticeable.
‘He’s an old man with a short mind.’
What if they try to act according to their purpose?
Maybe because I’m getting older, my head is rather hardened.
Still, among the vassals, he said he was a bit sassy, so I collaborated with him, but I suddenly thought that this would only become a stumbling block.
However, from the fourth day onwards, Vincent’s activities became quiet enough to be unpleasant for some reason.
To the point where I was worried that I might have been purged ahead of time.
Two more days passed like that, and this afternoon Lux went out for a while, and when he came back, he heard that Vincent had been to his room.
“Did you say anything else?”
He asked while looking around the room while drinking a glass of water brought by an attendant.
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Lux’s attendant, who had pondered the situation a while ago, opened his mouth with a somewhat hesitant expression.
“That… You asked if I didn’t keep the correspondence separately.”
“Correspondence?”
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Lux repeated the words in a puzzled tone.
If it was a letter, it would surely refer to the letter in which they talked about the governor’s schedule.
Basically, Lux is not a person who trusts others easily, so he kept all his correspondence in case things went wrong in the future.
I kept it in a secret place only he knows in case it gets discovered, so there won’t be any problems if something happens.
However, he wondered why he was suddenly asking about it.
“Yes, actually, I asked you not to tell me about this… … .”
“Hmm… yes?”
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Lux tilted his head slightly, feeling uneasy.
Aside from asking about the whereabouts of the letter, it was questionable why he kept it secret from him and only asked the attendant.
If he really only wanted to know whether the correspondence existed, it would have been more appropriate to ask him directly.
‘It’s strange.’
I thought it was strangely quiet for about two days, but now why do I do this incomprehensible.
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Lux pondered for a while to figure out Vincent’s intentions, but the proper result was not produced.
“Oh, and this is said to have been sent by His Highness.”
“Well?”
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Lux expressed his doubts about a letter envelope that was suddenly placed on the desk.
To say that it was sent by Yulken, and not by anyone else. Why at this time?
I wondered if someone else had sent it falsely, so I checked the seal on the envelope and it was indeed sent by Yulken.
“Get out at once. I will call you if necessary.”
“Yes.”
The attendant bowed his head, filled an empty glass with a new one, and quietly left the room.
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Lux, who was watching the back side of him, took another look at the window and door for no reason, and opened the letter from Yulken.
For some reason, even though I hadn’t seen the contents yet, my heart started pounding violently.
‘There is no need to be anxious.’
Maybe after hearing that not too long ago, it seems that anxiety still lingers in my heart.
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Lux calmly calmed down and took out the letter that was inside without thinking about it.
And the text that caught my eye was a message that was too short and too shocking to be a letter.
‘Since I heard the whole story from Vincent, if the life of the clan is not a waste, take the head and offer it before midnight today.’
Already in that sentence, ‘Sir Vincent’ or the tone of respect for the opponent, such as Hao Che, was not visible even after washing his eyes.
The contents written there were shocking, of course, but it was at that part that Lux realized that Yulken definitely knew the whole story.
bang!
Feeling betrayed, Lux violently slammed the desk with his trembling fist.
‘I can’t believe that the old man betrayed me.’
The glass on the edge fell to the floor and shattered, but I didn’t have time to worry about that.
Somehow, he wondered if this letter was a paving stone to stir up alienation, but Lux quickly gnashed his teeth as he recalled the message from the attendant a while ago.
‘That’s why I asked about the whereabouts of the letter.’
From his point of view, since he entrusted most of the work to Lux, there are enough ways to create a hole to escape.
The problem is that if there is any evidence to hold him back, he could fall into the pit together.
And among the existence of the physical evidence, the one that can prove the whole story of the case most definitely is the letter the two people exchanged.
Perhaps the reason Vincent came to his room early today was because of that anxiety, Lux thought.
As long as it exists, you will never be able to create a situation where only you can escape.
‘Is this the reason why I was quiet?’
It is Vincent who has been looking for him for four days.
However, at some point, the trail suddenly became strange, and Lux was just curious.
In the meantime, he probably confessed everything to Yulken and stuck with him.
Of course, even Lux didn’t know why.
But one thing is for sure, it’s just that if you don’t step out on this side, you’ll end up using only dumplings.
‘I can’t die alone.’
If the incident has already been discovered, there is no choice but to die together or somehow reduce the quality of the crime.
Engaging enlisted soldiers or doing something nonsensical would only be a handshake in this situation.
The reason you can hit a rock with an egg in the first place is because only the egg breaks.
If you cross the line here, you won’t even be able to guarantee the life of your family.
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Lux decided to comprehend the situation as calmly as possible.
“First, gather the evidence. Midnight is plenty of time.’
Besides, even if this situation was discovered, it was Vincent and Lux’s theory the other day that the possibility of his head escaping was extremely slim.
In the first place, a man named Edgar wasn’t Ariel’s fiancé or anything, just a passing lover.
The two people who were preparing for the plot assured that Yulken would not go to such an extreme situation if he had an idea.
Even the target wasn’t dead, it ended in an attempt, so if you dig into that point and pray, you might be able to save your life.
With the idea of finding a way to live first, Lux began digging through the drawers of his desk.
* * * * * * *
“how… … .”
When Vincent opened his eyes, all he could see was pitch darkness.
No, to be precise, there was nothing in his eyes.
This sight, where not a handful of light came in, was somewhat lacking in terms of just darkness.
The field of view is so wide that you can’t even recognize that you have your eyes open.
Even the concept of dark adaptation did not apply in this place where even whitish fragments of light could not reach.
At some point, both hands and feet were tied tightly together.
I could tell it was a chain through the rustling sound and the cold feel of the metal that ran through my skin, but that was all.
The memory was hazy.
I definitely remember being called before Yulken, but I don’t remember anything after that.
How much time has passed here, and what kind of place this is. I couldn’t figure out anything.
Except for one reason why I am tied up here.
‘I never thought I’d go this far.’
It was obvious why he would go through such humiliation.
However, I never thought that Yulken would treat him so badly.
At most, I thought it would stop at the level of digging.
However, one question even for him was why he was locked up in a place like this without saying anything, and not punished as he deserved.
Don’t they usually come and ask why they did such a thing?
Even if the punishment that will be given at least, it would be a common procedure to tell them.
pod.
“Ugh… … !”
Just as he was questioning him, his vision was blurred by the sudden light.
It must be because the resistance to light in the eyes has weakened because they have been in the dark for too long.
“Have you waited long? Vincent.”
“… … .”
The person who entered the iron window with footsteps greeted him with a bright smile as if he was a little late for the appointment.
It was a very familiar face to Vincent.
However, I was just surprised because I did not expect to see it here.
“… It was you.”
“Did you throw away the title of lady?”
“Don’t you know that it’s useless to talk about it in this situation?”
Vincent sneers at Ariel and responds confidently.
Since he had already been branded as a traitor, it meant that there was nothing to be afraid of.
“Well, that’s it too.”
She also shrugged her shoulders and nodded indifferently, moving slowly in front of him.
Compared to Yulken, she was small enough to be called small compared to Yulken, but the sense of intimidation radiating from her body was comparable to Vincent’s.
“How do you know?”
“I was suspicious at first. On the day I returned to Hespania, I saw some faces I wouldn’t normally see.”
“… Well, that must have been a trap.”
I thought it was strange that they didn’t announce the events of the day, but I can’t believe they set the trap after discovering that there would be an enemy inside.
“The evidence is… How did you find it?”
“I couldn’t find it. I didn’t even think that you guys would have left any evidence or hidden it where you could reach it in the first place.”
“I guess so.”
I don’t know about Lux, but at least Vincent burned all the letters and other things that could be used as evidence.
That’s why he was careless. If physical evidence does not come out, in the end it will have no choice but to stop at the heart.
“Does that mean that you are persecuting me without physical evidence?”
“No way. Can you see this?”
“that is… … ?”
Even so, Ariel was holding a small wooden box in her arms, so when I did something, what appeared inside was a pile of envelopes.
As soon as Vincent saw it, he could quickly guess who it belonged to.
It must mean that Lux somehow managed to get the correspondence he left behind.
Thanks to that stupid guy, I ended up messing with work, so it seems that I had to look at the wrong person.
“Ah, if you think that your schemes were exposed because of Lux, you are mistaken. You did a great job as well.”
“… … ?”
Did you play a significant role?
Vincent questioned Ariel’s look at him with an obvious sneer.
He thought he had done everything thoroughly, but where did he find a gap?
“The letter I sent you, who do you think it belongs to?”
“Yes, Your Highness… No, in this case, it must be yours.”
At some point, the title returned, but neither of them cared.
“right. But did you ever think that the correspondence was fake?”
“Of course I tried.”
One side had their hands and feet tied, and the other side was standing firmly on the opposite side, talking in a fairly carefree tone for a story to be shared.
“But whether the letter is true or false, what’s wrong with my actions… … .”
Vincent didn’t understand.
Even if the contents of the letter were false, the actions he took afterward would not have been particularly noticeable.
At most, he struggled to confront Lux, but it was difficult to say that it was physical evidence.
“Yeah, thanks to you, Lux blows everything up.”
“… Yes?”
However, at Ariel’s continued words, he had to open his eyes wide.
did that cause it? How?
“Actually, before sending that letter to you, I asked my father to call Lux separately.”
“Are you saying it blew at that time… … ?”
“no way. That’s what I said at the time.”
‘A few people, including you and Vincent, are on the suspect line. However, after investigating you and Vincent, I thought you were innocent, so I secretly called you. I will tell this story to Vincent later.’
It wasn’t exactly what Yulken said, but Ariel recited it so that it sounded similar.
Vincent’s eyes began to widen as he pondered over her remarks, wondering if there was something wrong with the content.
He, too, knows that a man named Lux is not truly stupid.
If the perpetrator of the crime hears such words, can he really believe it?
At least Vincent didn’t think Lux was that carefree.
If so, what will Lux do next?
It would be two big things, but in Vincent’s view, it was narrowed down to one.
that is,
“The reason you blatantly avoided confrontation with me was… Is it because of that?”
“right.”
Ariel congratulated him for correct answer with a refreshing smile and even a brief applause.
It was as it was said.
When Lux heard that from Yulken, he kept his distance from Vincent, reluctant to even have a trivial conversation, thinking that he had to hold his breath even more.
However, Vincent’s reaction was in contrast as he received only a letter containing the contents of the alienation without receiving any story from Yulken.
In order to inquire about the authenticity of the contents of the letter, he tried to contact Lux somehow, and usually said about Vincent, ‘Old people are hard-headed and can’t look into the distance.’ Lux, who was aware of this, avoided it more blatantly, as if rebelling against it.
As this process continued for about four days, Vincent gradually had no choice but to believe the contents of the letter.
I don’t know if it was a few days ago, but the reason I went to Lux’s room and asked the attendant about the letter was to prepare for an unexpected situation.
“And the letter this side sent to Lux later. Would you like to see it?”
“… … .”
Since his hands and feet were tied anyway, Ariel had no choice but to come up to him and show him.
However, Ariel said she would be happy to read it because she was old and could not see well.
“Since I heard the whole story from Vincent, if the life of the clan is not a waste, take the head and offer it before midnight today.”
‘This is the letter that arrived the day you visited Lux’s room.’ Ariel smiled.
As soon as he heard that, Vincent lowered his head helplessly.
Because it was easy to imagine what would happen next.
“I didn’t think he would have made evidence because there was no evidence… … .”
“It was important to tie the two of you together. That was the part I asked my father for.”
There is a saying called “The Prisoner’s Dilemma”.
Commonly, when there are two accomplices, it usually occurs in a situation where the other person’s crime is requested on the condition of lowering the sentence.
If both of them exercised their right to remain silent at this time, the sentences for both would be reduced, but most criminals blow the other person’s crimes only to reduce their own sentences.
For this, it is important to keep the two criminals from contacting each other, which is what Ariel used.
Of course, there are differences in details.
However, what is certain is that both of them did not care about the other person’s well-being.
Rather than reducing the size of the case itself, he tried to find evidence on his own feet somehow in order to save his life.
As a result, Ariel was able to easily weed out the internal enemy who rolled in on her own without any proper investigation afterwards.
“… What do you plan to do now?”
“For a criminal, he is proud. Aren’t your lives worth it?”
“Of course it is a waste. However, looking at this situation, I think it is wrong to end it at best by destroying it.”
In the end, it was sad to go on like this without being able to purify a cunning little ant hiding in the Loveheim family, but I thought it was inevitable.
As if Vincent had already intuited his fate, Ariel, who had been watching this, sent someone inside with a smile.
“Bring it.”
“ancient!”
A man who was waiting outside brought in a man with a clean look who must have been over 30 years old.
He was dragged along with his eyesight sealed and thrown into an iron cage, where he was placed between Ariel and Vincent.
“Who… Are you?”
“I don’t need to know who it is, and I’m going to give you a chance from now on.”
“opportunity?”
What chance would you give to a traitor who was practically plotting a rebellion?
As Vincent stared at the man seated in front of him, dumbfounded, Ariel smiled and removed the blindfold that had sealed the man’s eyes.
“… … !”
As soon as his sight returned, the man tried to move his body with a surprised expression when he saw Vincent’s face.
The gag was so tight that even the slightest howl escaped.
However, Vincent’s expression was still blank.
It was hard to guess what Ariel was thinking, suddenly throwing a stranger in front of her and giving her a chance.
“You don’t know who this man is?”
“Yes.”
“Now, I’ll give you a chance.”
Ariel received a dagger from a tall man who was waiting outside, and slowly approached Vincent and placed the dagger in his hand.
It didn’t matter at all to her even if she rushed at it.
Because I had enough power to subdue it anyway.
“Before this man dies, cut out his body one by one. But don’t kill. Eyes, ears, mouth, whatever. I’ll give you one more year to live for each one.”
“ah… … .”
Only then did Vincent realize why the dagger was given to him and let out a low sigh.
Could it be that he feels enormous guilt for killing a complete stranger?
For him, who had spent decades on the battlefield, taking someone’s life was nothing new.
Iron gruck.
Soon, the shackles that bound Vincent’s body were released.
Ariel smiled and waved at him as if it was an opportunity, then closed the iron window and went out into the hallway.
In this situation, only the two of them were left without any disturbance.
A fishy smile formed on Vincent’s lips as he watched the unknown man, and the blade of the dagger shone even more sadly.
He had no way of knowing why he was offering such good conditions, but in such an extreme situation, he had no time to question it.
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Like that, Vincent slowly approached the tied prey.
The man’s hair, which reminded him of his childhood, glistened in the light.