[If the information conveyed by the Guard Knights is correct, it would be much better for you to get rid of it immediately.]
Dietrich's features began to take on a mysterious look as he reminisced about that day.
[Then she's… Miss Presippi, isn't she your daughter? Even if you leave her alive, she will only be a source of danger in the future.]
The person who said these words was one of the senior magicians that Little Dietrich had seen several times in the Imperial Palace.
The old wizard from the Magic Tower.
He was not as talented as the current great magician, Ivan, but he held an important position for many years, and was known for his cunning and long experience.
[There may be no great problem with the execution of Lady Vanessa, but it is very different with Miss Precipe. Then these beings, unlike others, have developed intelligence and are able to think. So……]
But Dietrich couldn't hear the rest of the conversation.
One of the Emperor's guards sensed his presence and approached him with a very stern face, almost grabbing him.
That was the last moment he remembered from that day.
“…….”
Dietrich fell into deep thought, a look of extreme bewilderment on his face.
To be honest, he had never thought deeply about Presibe's origin and lineage.
All he could think of was that Preseppe had been expelled from the palace and robbed of her status as a princess. Then she had completely disappeared without a trace, even cutting off contact with him. He felt then that she had betrayed him, and his heart shook with disappointment.
But why did he never doubt what the great wizard said then?
The truth is, it wasn't just that he was just a guy obsessed with Precipe to the point of madness.
Rather, it was simply because Dietrich was implementing the programmed settings for his character within the game, without any flaw appearing in the scenario. Dietrich, who was not the real hero, had nothing to do with Precipe's background, and was never supposed to know about it.
He just didn't know the real reason, but that was the way it was.
“That kind of creature…?”
Only one thing came to his mind.
Monsters.
“So, Prisippi…is she…?”
Was she aware of this? Did she have proof that she was a descendant of monsters?
Who is left alive who knows this truth? As far as Dietrich knows, the then Grand Wizard, after his mysterious conversation with the Emperor, was found dead only shortly after Vanessa's execution and Priscipe's expulsion.
Perhaps this was the work of the former emperor himself. It was unacceptable for Prisippi, who belonged to the lineage of monsters, to be attributed to him and given the title of princess… If this truth had reached the people, the consequences would not have been simple.
[I don't want to return to the Imperial Palace, nor to your Majesty's side. So, even if I don't get an answer, it's inevitable.]
However, all that was on his mind now was Prisippi's cold face as she pushed him away with harsh, merciless words.
Then, after a moment of silence, Dietrich realized the truth.
Whether Prisippi was half-beast or pure human… it didn't matter to him at all.
He still wanted to chain her to his side, by any means, at any cost… This feeling had not changed.
“Your Majesty.”
He heard the guard's voice from behind his closed bedroom door.
“Duke Fenric has returned.”
This means that Presibe has also returned to the capital. Dietrich immediately got out of bed and opened the door. The guard looked surprised for a moment, but continued without hesitation.
“He is waiting in the reception hall, and would like to meet you. How do you order?”
Dietrich made no answer. Rather, the guard quickly crossed and began heading towards the reception hall.
—
The atmosphere of the reception hall was completely cold.
“…….”
Dietrich sat on the throne, staring at Fenrick without a word, his face nothing but sternness.
After a long moment of silence, he moved his lips slowly.
“So you're hurt.”
There were some small wounds visible on his face, and traces of white bandages were visible between the folds of his black shirt.
“We were attacked by monsters while investigating the Forbidden Forest.”
Fenric answered in a calm, emotionless voice.
“The Forbidden Forest was completely burned down by a fire of unknown cause. A large number of monsters died as a result of the fire, and the magic ropes used to give birth to them have lost their effectiveness.”
“…The Forbidden Forest burned to the ground?”
Dietrich's features hardened in surprise. He wasn't expecting this at all.
“As I heard, Your Majesty. It would be best if you heard the details from Siegfried. What happened in the forest does not fall within the scope of my responsibility.”
Despite the seeming rudeness of his words, Dietrich made no comment.
Rather, he merely looked at Fenric's wounds with concentration.
He recalled in his mind what Ivan had said about part of the Book of Prophecies.
If he was indeed attacked by monsters, then Ivan's conclusion—who thought Fenrik was the Demon King connected to Precipe as stated in the book—was clearly proven wrong.
“There is something I would like to discuss with you regarding the Great Wizard Ivan.”
“About him running away?”
“It's another matter.”
Fenric continued calmly.
“Do you remember that we were hunting the killer of Atari Hanan and Noah Dviran?”
Dietrich's eyes narrowed as he stared at him.
“I believe your Majesty now knows that Ivan shows a suspicious amount of attachment to Preseppe.”
“Accordingly.”
“I think the murders that happened earlier… Evan may have committed them.”
“…….”
“The garden where Atari Hanan was killed is located near the Magic Tower, and Evan did not attend the celebration party that day. Even before I went to the forest, I checked it myself, and there was no one who saw it that day.”
That was true. Ivan, who had a pathological dislike of crowded places, did not leave the tower at all that day, and kept to himself as usual.
"In the case of Noah Dufferan's murder as well, there were suspicious things. As you were previously informed, the method of killing was very complicated, using the Moonlight Flower and the Griffon Beast. Who in Atloya has the ability to hatch such a plan?"
“…….”
“Your Majesty took advantage of his illness in bed to distract attention with only flowery words. The reason for the murder is also clear.”
“Because they tried to get close to Presibe?”
"Yes."
Fenric replied succinctly.
“Ivan is a criminal who committed heinous crimes, from killing Atari Hannan and Noah Dviran, to killing the Archbishop and the priests of the church, and then running away. So, it is no problem to kill him on sight.”
When looking at the facts, there was no significant loophole. Everything seemed logical and convincing.
But…
“If what you say is true, my excuse will be gone.”
Dietrich said dryly, moving his lips.
“The pretext of keeping Prisippi by your side, I mean.”
Fenric merely smiled a little without answering. Dietrich met him with a cold look before continuing his words.
“I know who the killer is, but Ivan is still at large, and all indications look like he will try to get close to Preseppe again. Before, we took her out of the palace thinking the killer was here, but now the situation is different.”
“…….”
“I, who lives in a palace full of soldiers, can protect her more than a duke with only a few private soldiers. Which of us seems safer in your opinion?”
What Dietrich said wasn't wrong.
Once Ivan is held responsible for all the crimes, there is no need for an excuse to keep Preseppe out of the palace.
But Fenric never cared about others' perceptions. If he confronted Ivan, he would kill him without interruption.
Of course, it was almost impossible to uncover the real culprit, so this was a good opportunity to hold everything for Evan. It may also ease Presippi's anxiety about being targeted by an unknown killer.
[Duke, His Majesty will definitely try to summon me to the palace again.]
Moreover…
[…But I have my own plan.]
Preseppe had already created a logical reason why she should not return to the palace.
So, she no longer needed an excuse like “protecting her from the killer hiding in the palace.”
“Your Majesty or me… who can really protect her? I think the only one who can answer that is Prisse herself.”
"...What?"
What does this mean now? Dietrich frowned and stared at Fenrick, and before he spoke, he turned to the sound that came as the door opened.
Presibe entered, her features showing some tension.
“……Precipie?”
Dietrich said with undisguised astonishment as he stared at her.
Of course, he was planning to order her immediately, but he never expected that she would come on her own.
...However, what came out from between Precipe's closed lips a moment ago was something he did not expect at all.