Ruel raised the corners of his mouth.
The stout man standing behind Adea was deas Tehel, who might know a way to remove his mark.
Adea swiftly analyzed Ruel’s expression, anticipating a hint of arrogance that was surprisingly absent.
“I was worried that I might have arrived too early, but seeing such a warm welco from you reassures .”
“How could I not extend a welco when you honor us with your presence, Your Highness? Please, take a seat,” Ruel gestured towards the table.
Adea moved toward it, and deas, standing behind him, bowed his head to Ruel.
“Nice to et you. I am deas Tehel. Thank you for your hospitality after your long journey.”
deas had an overall friendly face, which made a good impression.
However, Ruel couldn’t quite recall if he had attended the welco party.
“Pleasure to et you. I am Ruel Setiria. Please, have a seat.”
“Thank you.”
As Ruel observed Adea and deas taking their seats, he signaled with his head to Cassion and Ganien to indicate the door.
The two nodded before stepping outside.
Ttak.
With a sharp sound as his cane hit the floor, Ruel’s confident grin returned.
“No need for tea. It won’t be a lengthy discussion.”
Adea snorted at Ruel’s confident attitude, which implied that he expected him to concede to his demands.
“Is this arrogance your nature, or is it typical of the nobles of Leponia?”
“Both. In Leponia, nobility is treated with respect due to their status. Growing up in such an environnt, it’s unavoidable.” Ruel replied without hesitation as he took his seat.
No matter how hard he tried to control his expression, the wrinkles between Adea’s eyebrows didn’t disappear.
However, there was no need for Adea to belittle himself simply because he was a prince.
He had the upper hand in this situation.
“I would like to hear what decision you have made, Your Highness.”
“Before that, you should demonstrate that you can keep your demands.”
“I still have not resolved my doubts about you, Your Highness. How can I show trust without sothing to believe in?”
Ruel didn’t show any sign of disappointnt.
There were plenty of ways to get deas to speak or to make him find the one who placed the mark.
“I believe Your Highness and Lord Tehel have joined forces because of the Tonisk Empire, isn’t that right?”
Since the day he received information about Adea searching for details on the Tonisk Empire, he felt sothing was off.
The Tonisk Empire was currently a defunct state, and even if its gates had opened twice, it wasn’t a serious enough situation for a prince to personally investigate. So why was he searching for information?
And that’s when deas Tehel imdiately ca to mind.
He was the son of the forr Pri Minister of the Tonisk Empire.
The link between Adea and deas was the Tonisk Empire.
Seeing Adea’s expression harden, Ruel smiled.
It seed he had hit the nail on the head.
“There’s no one easier to manipulate than a dog that has switched owners, wouldn’t you agree?”
Ruel’s gaze shifted toward deas, who also looked troubled, but Ruel’s next words caused his eyes to widen.
“Would you like to know the situation of the Tonisk Empire?”
Ruel reached out a hand towards deas.
“Switching sides wouldn’t be a bad idea. I probably hold more information than he does.”
“Lord Setiria. What are you doing?”
Adea’s voice rose.
Ruel smiled at his reaction.
“It’s easy to persuade people like that. But I won’t. I don’t want to beco your enemy, Your Highness.”
Adea gritted his teeth, angry that he had been played.
“I would like to advise Your Highness not to waste unnecessary ti. You haven’t forgotten the conditions I proposed, have you?”
“… I haven’t forgotten.”
“Please let know what results you have brought with you.”
Adea let out a sigh and said, “Hela emphasized the importance of trust as a starting point.”
“Yes. I’ve heard that several tis already.”
“Can you… protect Kran?”
At Adea’s cautious question, Ruel scoffed.
“Your Highness, it’s hard enough for just to protect myself. Don’t delude yourself. Protecting Kran is your responsibility.”
“…”
Speechless, Adea seed embarrassed by his own question.
“As Lord Setiria knows, I’m a high-ranking mber of the Red Ash.”
deas pointed to himself.
Ruel felt a strong curiosity, never expecting deas to directly label himself as an executive.
‘What is he trying to say?’
“All I want from you, Lord Setiria, is one thing.”
“Go on.”
“The situation of the Tonisk Empire.”
Adea was taken aback to see deas surrender so quickly.
However, he didn’t stop him.
“Any information related to the Empire will suffice. Please tell everything.”
Ruel inhaled Breath, alternating glances between Adea and deas.
They seed to have a long-standing relationship based on how they interacted.
But what did that matter?
“Why should I? I don’t trust you.”
Ruel said, looking deas straight in the eye.
“I understand.”
“Understand? How repulsive.”
Hearing the executive of Red Ash use the word ‘understand’ while looking at him made the words co out harshly.
“I didn’t think Lord Tehel would find anything to understand about . It seems you’ve worked hard to rise to the position of an executive, but I wonder if your hands are free of the blood of my guardians.”
“Lord Setiria.”
Adea imdiately tried to intervene with Ruel.
But deas shook his head at Adea.
“No, Your Highness. How could my hands be clean?”
deas’s lips trembled as he spoke, opening and closing repeatedly.
In the end, he couldn’t even look at Ruel and spoke.
“Yes, I won’t deny it. I killed one of Lord Setiria’s guardians to rise to this position.”
Ruel’s expression turned icy in an instant.
“I know how disgusting I must seem. So, separate from the conditions you presented, I will tell you who placed the mark.”
Adea looked like he wanted to stop deas imdiately, but he didn’t.
He couldn’t stop him because he knew how long deas had been struggling with this issue.
“But killing the one who placed the mark won’t lift it.”
“What do you an it cannot be lifted?”
Ruel’s expression, already cold, now showed hints of anger.
deas carefully pulled a small box from his pocket and extended it towards Ruel.
“Many lives were sacrificed to place this mark on Lord Setiria.”
Ruel’s teeth clenched at the thought that even the mark had been created at the cost of so many lives.
What was it that they sought from the royal treasury of Leponia that warranted such a heavy toll?
“The sacrifice has already been made. Unless the sa price is paid again, it is now impossible.”
‘Impossible?’
At deas’s words, Ruel did not touch the box.
If it is impossible, then why offer the box?
It wasn’t sothing he could simply open.
What kind of trick was this?
Seeing the doubt in Ruel’s eyes, deas forced a bitter smile and opened the box himself.
—Wow! It sparkles!
Leo, who had been playing alone near Ruel, hurriedly climbed onto Ruel’s lap.
—It’s beautiful!
Leo extended his front paw, then hesitated, looking up at Ruel for permission.
Ruel was visibly angry.
—This body understands. This body will only look.
Leo hung from the table, gazing longingly at the necklace.
The white gemstone embedded in it made it look like a sacred object, but Ruel still did not move a finger.
He rely inquired with his eyes.
What was this?
deas read Ruel’s gaze and felt a mont of relief.
At least he had shown so reaction.
“This necklace is one of the Empire’s greatest treasures. All I know is that it was entrusted to my father by the second prince of the Empire.”
As deas looked at the necklace, the depth in his eyes grew.
‘Second prince?’
Ruel felt a twinge of doubt.
Wasn’t it said that Hilim Tonisk’s brother was taken by the Great Man?
‘That second prince… gave this necklace away?’
“Red Ash approached only after my father passed away. They did so to get their hands on this necklace.”
“What exactly is that necklace?”
Ruel did not want to hear the story behind the necklace connected to deas.
It all seed like nonsense to him.
“As far as I know, it is the only necklace that currently holds the power to ward off all curses.”
“Is that… true?”
If the necklace really had the power to hide curses, it made perfect sense why the Red Ash wanted it.
But why would the second prince of the empire, who had been possessed by the Great Man, give the necklace to deas’ father?
That contradiction was very strange.
“Why would I lie to Lord Setiria now?”
deas said urgently.
He had spoken the truth about having killed his guardian.
However, just because he spoke the truth once didn’t an he only told the truth.
Seeing Ruel’s still suspicious eyes, deas set down the box and clenched his fists.
“Do you know why I am giving this to Lord Setiria?”
“I do not.”
“I know how much you wish to remove the mark. It’s slowly killing you, isn’t it?”
Adea’s eyes widened.
It seed deas hadn’t shared this information with Adea.
“Irian.”
“…!”
The na of his guardian, who had died five years ago, ca from deas’s lips.
“Surely….”
“Yes.”
deas’s eyes soon darkened with guilt.
“Five years ago… I was present when Red Ash killed Lord Setiria’s father and his guardian.”
Bang!
Ruel slamd his hand on the table.
“You disgusting bastard…!”
His lips trembled in fury.
“You can point fingers at and curse all you want. I know how vile my actions were.”
deas squeezed his eyes shut.
“But please accept this necklace.”
“You…”
Adea was about to say sothing to deas but clenched his mouth shut.
This was a matter only between Ruel and deas.
Ruel inhaled Breath.
His breath beca ragged again.
‘There’s no need to get worked up. It’s sothing that happened long ago. It’s not like I experienced it myself.’
Ruel Setiria had already moved on.
Didn’t he already know who had orchestrated that incident?
Yet despite that, Ruel found deas’s actions disgusting.
What difference did it make if he pretended to be consud by guilt now?
If he truly felt sorry and believed he had done sothing wrong, he could have approached Ruel Setiria with that necklace anyti.
“In the end, are you doing this just to alleviate your petty guilt?”
Ruel openly criticized deas.
“No. I’ve already done sothing I can’t undo. I…”
deas paused and took a deep breath, and another.
“No. What does my reason matter?”
That statent was wise.
Even if deas elaborated on his story, Ruel would have cut him off resolutely.
“Please accept this.”
deas extended the box once more.
“Even if you say that, what guarantees that the Great Man won’t notice?”
Ruel’s gaze briefly turned to Adea.
“It’s alright. He can no longer know Lord Setiria’s position.”
“Why is that?”
“Honestly, that’s what I would like to know. They say it’s due to the natural mana swirling around Lord Setiria, but frankly, I don’t understand what that ans.”
deas forced a smile, his expression apologetic.
‘It’s Jan’s power.’
At that mont, Ruel felt an overwhelming urge to run to Jan and hug him.
The increase of natural mana around him had started occurring when Jan’s power had been absorbed into him.
Ruel clenched his fists on the table.
“Is this enough for you to believe ? Try wearing the necklace now.”
Adea wanted to stop deas countless tis but managed to hold back.
The opportunity for negotiation had already passed.
Ruel had obtained the most important information he sought, hadn’t he?
Adea gave up and gestured towards the box with a smile.
Ruel took a deep breath and took the box.
Leo’s eyes widened.
—Woah!
From Leo’s reaction, it was clear that the necklace wasn’t tainted with corruption.
Ruel carefully held the necklace in his hands.
There was no sensation.
It didn’t even tingle.
‘It’s not even a magical necklace?’
Ruel felt a mix of unease and curiosity about this unfamiliar object.
If it worked as deas claid, it was certainly not an ordinary item.
“Again, let remind you, while wearing this necklace, it will only conceal the mark. Eliminating it entirely is impossible for now.”
Ruel glanced back and forth between the two before placing the necklace back into the box.
His heart was already racing, making it hard for him to focus on the transaction.
“I’ll verify it later.”
“That sounds good.”
Adea’s expression brightened a bit.
Receiving the box was a positive sign, after all.
“Lord Setiria.”
Adea called out to Ruel.
“Yes, Your Highness.”
“To be honest, I’ve been weighing my country and myself up to this mont. It’s like defying Hela’s words.”
Adea seed to be blaming himself.
“I willingly cooperate with you.”
Despite Adea’s acceptance of the deal, it felt like a plea for Ruel to trust him.
However, that was out of the question.
Ruel looked at deas.
“Who does Lord Tehel consider to be the Great Man?”
“Regrettably, I don’t know.”
deas shook his head.
“Among the high-ranking mbers, there is likely no one who knows whose body he has taken over. Ironically, he trusts no one.”
Ruel couldn’t hide his disappointnt.
No one knows?
Various questions swirled in his mind, but now wasn’t the ti.
He needed to ask one urgent question.
“Lord Tehel, haven’t you sworn a mana oath related to the Great Man?”
Wasn’t it too natural to refer to the Great Man as ‘him’?
“I have. But what does that matter? The Great Man is not his real na. The ‘Great Man’ I’m loyal to now is Your Highness Adea Kran.”
At deas’s words, Adea smiled with satisfaction.
That was genuine.
Indeed, the one to whom deas pledged his loyalty was Adea.
Even if there were loopholes in the mana oath, and even though loyalty could vary from person to person, one could not escape the fundantal frawork of loyalty.
Didn’t Cassion grab his chest and complain whenever he cursed at him?
Nevertheless, Ruel did not dismiss the possibility that Adea might be the Great Man.
If Adea was the Great Man, then deas’ mana oath and his presence by Adea’s side all made sense.
“Very well.”
However, Ruel had started to dismantle the towering walls of suspicion he had built.
Now it was ti for direct verification, not just words.
“Cassion.”
As Ruel called for Cassion, he opened the door and entered, “Did you call for ?”
“Give the powder.”
Cassion took out a pouch containing the powder from his pocket and handed it to Ruel.
Watching Cassion retreat back outside, Ruel inhaled Breath.
“What is that?”
Adea asked first.
“It’s a sign of trust that I need to believe in Your Highness.”
“Is this it?”
Ruel opened the pouch and took out the powder.
“If you trust , please stay still.”
“I understand.”
Ruel then turned to deas.
“The sa goes for you, Lord Tehel.”
“Understood.”
Upon hearing their responses, Ruel sprinkled the powder over both of them.
Adea sneezed, while deas tightly closed his eyes.
Nothing happened.
If they were corpses, then recalling Hikars’s words about how the connection with the heretics would break for a mont when the powder was sprinkled, Ruel finally smiled.
Adea and deas had nothing to do with death.
“Thank you.”
Ruel then handed the pouch containing the powder to Adea.
“Here’s the powder I just sprinkled on Your Highness. You can use any thod you want. Please sprinkle it on His Majesty.”
“Why should I sprinkle this on His Majesty? And what is this powder anyway?”
“Your Highness, after sprinkling this powder, please co back to . Then I will trust Your Highness.”
Adea was confused and even annoyed.
He had set aside his pride as a prince and offered to be a pawn for the plan.
And now he was being asked to sprinkle this powder on the king?
Adea asked in an annoyed voice, “Are you always so rude?”
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