“Whooo… Thank goodness…”
I sighed in relief, holding the note written in Yoo Jin’s handwriting tightly.
As long as I can have confidence that Yoo Jin is coming back, this waiting won’t seem as painful anymore.
I felt like I could wait with hope.
Of course, I had no idea what Yoo Jin’s answer would be.
Still, it was much better than being left with no promise.
It felt refreshing.
“Cornelia?”
I packed up all my things and shouted out into the hallway.
But all I heard was an empty echo.
It seemed like Cornelia really wasn’t around.
It was strange.
I couldn’t see Cornelia outside either.
Where could she possibly be at this hour?
“I owe you a lot.”
I wrote a note and stuck it on the door before stepping out of the mansion.
Holding a small bag in my hand.
It was now time to go back to normal.
“Priestess. I’ve heard you’ve woken up. Are you feeling alright?”
“Yeah, well, aside from feeling sore all over…”
“Here’s the hospital’s entry log. Thought you might be curious.”
“Yeah…”
I decided to visit the Sacred Knights.
I thought I might be able to catch up on the situation as they probably are sorting out this chaos.
But why give me a hospital entry log?
– 17:51. Michael Jackson
– 18:01. Nurse
– 19:18: Michael Jackson
– 20:00. Nurse
– 20:01: Michael Jackson
– 20:45: Michael Jackson
– 22:02. Nurse
– 23:55: Michael Jackson
– 01:28: Michael Jackson
– 07:13: Michael Jackson
– 08:03: Nurse
I was shocked.
It seemed that Yoo Jin had been diligently taking care of me during that time.
Yet, the commander of the Sacred Knights was looking at me with a slightly suspicious gaze.
I had no idea why and was simply confused.
“Um… Are you alright?”
“Huh? What’s wrong?”
“Ah, nothing. Forget it. You wanted to hear the status of the incident, right? Let me explain.”
While I was present at the incident, I was basically caught up in it.
I didn’t know how this all happened; I was just helping Yoo Jin.
But listening to the commander’s explanation made things much clearer.
A necromancer in the form of a spiritual body had seized Cardinal Nicholas’s corpse and was pretending to be him.
Only then did the mystery start to unravel.
Everything that didn’t make sense began to be explained.
“Michael Jackson played a crucial role in revealing the truth. It seems he has superior information-gathering capabilities compared to us… I proposed working with the Vatican, but he refused. Even promising a reward that exceeds what we could offer…”
“Yeah, yeah. I understand. You don’t need to make excuses, I get that you tried your best to catch him. After all, he’s not the type to be caught with mere money.”
I, too, couldn’t catch him.
After all, there’s no way to tie Yoo Jin down with something as trivial as money.
I get it.
“And there’s something that requires the Priestess’s testimony. It’s concerning Sola Artemisia. Given her frequent meetings with Cardinal Nicholas and her disappearance during the incident, we suspect betrayal. But she has kept silent all along, and Michael Jackson defended her, saying it wasn’t betrayal. What do you think, Priestess?”
“…”
The moment had come.
It was time to make a decision.
Sola Artemisia.
That scheming little brat.
It was clear that she had betrayed the Vatican and allied with the enemy.
If it were up to me, she would be executed on the spot.
That would be the punishment for her betrayal.
And it would be the price Sola must pay.
‘But Yoo Jin defended her… Why?’
That raised a question.
Why would Yoo Jin cover for a betrayer who had sided with the enemy?
Once a traitor, why wouldn’t she betray again?
Was Sola’s power tempting?
That would only make it riskier.
The mere thought of someone like Sola potentially falling into the enemy’s hands sends chills down my spine.
Wouldn’t it be better to eliminate her now and avoid future troubles?
“I guess I need to meet with the sub-commander first.”
“Very well. I’ll guide you.”
For now, I’d have to decide after seeing Sola.
Before heading to the detention center.
I decided to visit the hospital again.
“Priestess! I heard you performed my surgery!”
“No, not at all. I was just an assistant. It was all done by the engineering team. My contribution was something any recovery magician could have done.”
“My survival is all thanks to your miracle, Priestess. Thank you so much.”
Zenon, whom I met there, looked healthy.
There had been many concerns as it was the first artificial heart transplant, but he said there had been no side effects at all in the past 24 hours.
The artificial heart absorbs mana from Zenon’s body automatically, so there’s no sudden heart stoppage problem either.
The engineer Kerne was apparently worried about the engine malfunctioning and had stayed in the room for the past 24 hours…
It seemed like he had stayed up all night and was now sleeping on the hospital’s fold-out bed.
He truly was an amazing person.
“And what about my sister?”
“Well, you see…”
“She still hasn’t cleared the charges?”
“Yes…”
“I won’t make any unreasonable requests. I don’t know the details, but I sensed something was off with my sister recently. If her guilt is proven, she has to atone somehow. I won’t blame you for whatever punishment is rendered.”
“…”
Zenon forced a smile.
It seems he had an inkling about Sola’s betrayal.
Being a close brother, it would be easy for him to sense it.
Leaving the hospital, I headed towards the detention center.
Sola looked pitiful, as if she hadn’t bathed properly and had been interrogated continuously.
As soon as I arrived, I ordered the interrogation to stop and give Sola a rest.
After a brief rest, I could finally meet Sola, who was clean and tidy.
“Sola Artemisia. I need to hear everything that’s happened until now.”
“…”
“Are you going to keep silent? Have you forgotten that I can execute you for treason with just one word? I came here to help you. To help, I need to know a lot.”
“I understand… Though Mi Jeong told me to cooperate with you.”
“…”
I couldn’t help but furrow my brow at that mention.
Mi Jeong must refer to Yoo Jin.
Just how many aliases does Yoo Jin have…?
Anyway.
After hearing all that had happened from Sola, I could finally draw a conclusion.
Now I understood why Yoo Jin chose to spare Sola.
It all made sense.
“So in short, I ended up falling for Mi Jeong’s trick once again and killed the resurrection body of Heavenly King Kali. After that, Heavenly King Luna and Zenon, who was being manipulated by him, appeared…”
It was a simple reason.
This girl.
She was seriously clueless.
How could someone be fooled by the same person in the same way twice?
“Mi Jeong said that she is the Apostle of Justice appointed by the Celestial Being… that she’s a hero who fights against Draken. Only then did it click for me how she deceived me so skillfully. If she was indeed chosen by the heavens, it would make sense. Therefore, I have resolved to dedicate my body and heart to her for life.”
“…”
Let me correct that.
It’s three times.
Yoo Jin must think of this clueless person as a conveniently useful tool.
“Alright. What did that guy say again?”
Then, I would use her as well.
.
.
.
“Chuup, haa… Did she leave?”
“Yeah. Don’t worry.”
I gently patted Cornelia’s head and whispered quietly.
I definitely heard the sound of the door closing, but…
I had no idea when Jill would come back…
Still, it looked like she had left all her things behind, so the chances of her returning were slim.
“I didn’t expect her to come back so suddenly…”
“Good thing we made it six hours ago. Otherwise, we would’ve been caught red-handed.”
“Right…”
It was about time for me to leave as well.
Gently caressing Cornelia’s flushed cheeks, I stood up.
I had never expected Jill to return unexpectedly, which meant both of us had been holding back our breaths, filling the room with the sounds of our heavy breathing.
“Next time, I won’t be the acting mayor.”
“True. I’ll just be a count acting as a stand-in. Now just a wealthy widow.”
“Is there anything else you need? I feel bad that I keep relying on you.”
“Anything I need? Hmm… Once I give up being acting mayor, I might have a hard time convincingly reject marriage proposals. I want to get engaged to you… Is that not okay?”
“That would not be alright.”
“Ha ha, I was just joking.”
Cornelia looked noticeably downcast and lowered her head.
But she didn’t utter a word of complaint.
She’s probably just being considerate.
I sat back down on the bed and caressed Cornelia’s cheek.
“I can’t promise you an engagement, but I can promise you this. I love you, and this feeling will last forever.”
With my true identity needing to remain hidden, engagement isn’t an option.
But I can say for certain.
I have fallen in love with Cornelia.
And that love is mutual.
That much is certain.
This feeling will likely never fade.
No matter what happens in the future, whether I have to leave here or not, I will never regret loving Cornelia.
I won’t resort to foolishness by suppressing my feelings out of fear of parting again.
“You’re not saying you’ll only love me?”
“I can’t lie.”
“I know. The Priestess likes you, but due to circumstances, you’re forced to be apart. I’m just lucky enough to get in between. I know my place.”
“That’s not true. I’ve truly fallen for you and have no connection to Jill or anyone else.”
The order is reversed.
If it weren’t for Cornelia, I probably wouldn’t have had the courage to face Jill.
Otherwise, I wouldn’t have been able to sway Sola back or save Zenon.
Just imagining it gives me chills.
“No matter what anyone says, you were the first one I fell in love with.”
“Is that really true…?”
“Of course.”
The love that resonates between us is genuine, and this is the first time for me.
Both here and throughout my entire life.
Without Cornelia, I might still be stuck feeling frustrated.
I’m so grateful.
For loving me.
And for allowing me to love you.
Finally, Cornelia seemed satisfied and flashed a bright smile.
That smile brought me happiness with every glance.
“I guess I should go now.”
“Yes. Be careful on your way back.”
I planted a final kiss on Cornelia, who had curled up in the blanket on the bed.
Then I quietly made my way out of the mansion.
I had to be careful not to get caught by Jill or anyone from the Sacred Knights on my way out…
“…It’s late.”
“Uh-huh!”
“I’m sorry.”
Mi Jeong, who had been waiting outside the castle, joined forces with the nameless being that popped out from her sleeve.
Mi Jeong stuck to my side.
Nameless crawled up to my shoulder and nestled inside my neck.
Looks like this spot is to their liking.
I need to be careful not to crush them while lying down…
“…So where to now?”
“Now, it’s time.”
With traps set in Cologne,
It’s time to go hunting.
So first –
“I found you!!!”
“…?!”
Bang!
All my nerves shot up, and my legs moved on their own.
Mi Jeong and I instinctively retreated in opposite directions.
A large crater suddenly formed where we were standing, sending up clouds of dirt.
Standing in the middle was none other than the blood ghoul with silvery-white hair.
“Transylvania?!”
“Long time no see! Oh, wait, it feels like it’s been a while, but maybe not!”
I barely recognized her as her appearance had changed quite a bit.
In many senses, she’s become more feminine.
Her hair, once tightly tied up, was now pulled back into a ponytail.
The bandages wrapped around her bosom were loosened, revealing her ample curves.
Damn it.
I had no idea where to put my eyes.
“You! Have you intentionally decided to use a trick that lowers the fighting power of men? Coward!”
“Huh? What do you mean by that? I know nothing about tricks; I’ve become someone’s servant now. According to my master’s orders, it’s my job to capture you alive. Don’t take it too personally.”
“…”
Transylvania became a slave?
Just who could overpower Transylvania and make her a slave?
“Ah…”
I get it.
There’s only one person I can think of.
A superhuman who is the strongest in the world single-handedly.
“Prepare yourself! Holding you until my master arrives would be my victory!”
“Is Yerina coming?!”
“Ha ha! You caught on! Not like I was trying to hide it!”
I need to run.
Right now.
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