“Is that so…”
“Yeah, so I’m starting to think that maybe the woman named Freddy is either the one who kidnapped your sister or somehow connected to that guy.”
“Uh-huh…”
Right after hearing Vicer’s story, I began to dive into another dilemma I hadn’t considered before.
‘The Dragona Empire is technically our ally… But that doesn’t mean they’re helping us out of pure intentions; they have their own gains, after all…’
It’s odd to think that such a great empire would sit quietly in this situation without any schemes.
However, despite Vicer’s testimony and the unfortunate events that have unfolded so far, along with the suspicious movements that usually hide behind a mask of anonymity, and especially the discord between Hestia and the Dragona Empire that actually occurred in the original work, I found myself in a position where expressing outright suspicion was a bit awkward.
The reason is simple…
“That can’t be true.”
“…Ah, I mean, not necessarily. It’s just that the situation is a little…”
“If that were the case, I would have naturally informed you. You can’t seriously suspect me right now, can you?”
Kazerose, outright denying Vicer’s words, seemed quite displeased with such claims, especially considering that she was the one handling Dragona’s affairs among us.
And there was absolutely nothing I could say in response to the lady’s demeanor.
“Of course, I can’t say that political schemes are entirely absent in our Dragona Empire. However, now that I am the actual representative of the Dragona Empire in these matters, I’ve consulted with Mr. Santana about everything that has happened without a single lie. Even if something seems suspicious, I would appreciate if you refrain from slandering me and my country over uncertain matters.”
“Uh… I-I apologize, ma’am…”
Kazerose’s slightly agitated words left me speechless, and seeing my expression, Vicer and Polena looked at me with what seemed like fresh amusement.
‘What can I say… It turns out that women are indeed the ones who rule over men. Those words aren’t wrong at all…’
Even though I thought I had gained considerable power and authority in this world, looking at Kazerose, who could sharpen her gaze just by looking at me, I had no choice but to acknowledge the truth in those old sayings.
At that moment, in the slightly tense atmosphere, Polena spoke up in her characteristic cheerful voice.
“Alright, you two, don’t fight. What matters now is how we should respond to the fact that Freddy has been taken. From what I see, it seems unlikely that she did anything, but given that they have openly decided to frame her, isn’t there a high chance she’ll get caught up in something regardless of the truth?”
“Uh-huh…”
“That does seem like a possibility…”
Thanks to Polena’s words that reminded us of the situation, Kazerose began to regain her composure.
Feeling grateful for her help once again, I noticed a light smile starting to form on Polena’s lips as she looked at me.
Just as we were about to discuss how to address Athena’s framing…
-Bam!
“Huh?”
The next moment, the door opened with a loud noise as if about to break apart.
Immediately, we saw Athena entering the room with a chilling expression filled with cold anger…
“What… What is the meaning of this? Who would engage in such rudeness here?”
“Rudeness? You’re the last person to talk about manners after playing tricks on me!”
With that, Athena threw down someone she had been holding in the air onto the floor.
Then, she began to raise her voice towards us with an icy tone.
“To think you would try to play tricks on me in this manner is utterly disgusting. When it comes to the Witch of Dragona Empire, it’s customary to address the highest authority, isn’t it? Enough with the nonsense; hand over Senel at once! She’s the most likely suspect behind this incident, so don’t think about brushing this aside…”
Athena was ranting at us.
However…
At that moment, we couldn’t hear anything anymore from Athena’s words.
What stood out in front of our eyes was a scene so shocking that it rendered us incapable of processing anything Athena said.
“Uh… S-sis?”
“…Wha… What… How…”
The identity of Freddy, which we had never even imagined…
She was nothing less than the Lady of House Andreas in Bohemia.
Queen Andreas herself.
‘Wha… What’s happening here? I thought the Queen was missing, but she’s actually Freddy? How did we end up in this absurd situation… Oh, wait a minute. If things have come to this… then this could work…’
The intense shock of realizing Freddy was the Queen awakened a clever breakthrough in my mind.
It was evident that Athena had attacked Freddy… no, the Queen, with the intention of interrogation.
With that in mind, I looked at Athena with cold eyes and began to speak firmly.
*
“What the hell are you doing?”
Santana, with a furious expression upon seeing the fallen guard, confronted Athena.
Athena, seeing his demeanor, smirked mockingly and replied.
“What am I doing? I’m merely exercising my rightful authority for a proper investigation. So stop with the nonsense and hand over Senel immediately…”
It wasn’t unusual for someone of rank to exert force during an investigation.
Especially since the opposing party isn’t even a formal participant from Bohemia but someone from the Dragona Empire.
In that light, Athena asserted her rights loudly, trying to brush off Santana’s interruption.
But…
“Rightful authority? Can you really say that when you’ve laid hands on a noble’s daughter like this?”
“U-uh?!”
The next moment, the unexpected statement came from Santana.
He then turned his gaze towards the unconscious Witch of Dragona Empire and said coldly.
“It seems you’re mistaking something. Although she is indeed the Witch of Dragona, she is also my sister and the Lady of Bohemia. She is Queen Andreas. When did it become acceptable to torture a noble’s daughter for an investigation?”
“…W-what?!”
The shocking revelation caused a momentary look of deep confusion to cloud Athena’s face.
‘What… What are they saying? The Witch of Dragona is Santana’s sister? How is that possible… No, wait. If that’s true, then what I did now…’
This wasn’t just any ordinary noble, but a key figure in the negotiations—Athena had tortured the sister of Santana to the point of unconsciousness.
Even if she hadn’t known, it was simply unforgivable.
This went beyond mere interrogation; this was an act that carried serious implications.
And with that realization, Athena began to understand that she had just received an unexpected blow from Santana.
‘Damn it! I knew that man was crafty, but… I never thought he would defend himself in such a way…’
If the fact that she had tortured Santana’s sister during the investigation were to come to light, the aftermath would be obvious.
The authority of Athena as a 12th-tier Mage, which she had relied upon to utilize this special situation, could not afford any notable blemishes; the moment it showed even the slightest crack, everything would collapse.
But at that moment, her authority was significantly damaged due to attacking a noble lady during an investigation.
She had broken the very principles she had upheld.
Recognizing that, Athena looked up at Santana, who was glaring down at her with a cold expression, and a heavy feeling of defeat began to wash over her.
‘Did everything go according to this man’s plan from the beginning? I never expected to fall so completely to him… Santana Andreas… how terrifying…’
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