novelraw Chapter 28 : Chapter 28
Chapter 28 : Chapter 28
Chapter 28. Bruno (2)
‘Please, be fooled.’
I prayed earnestly to the entire universe.
Because the two daughters holding my hands right now were not real, but merely dummies.
‘If he has a sharp eye, he might notice something strange.’
My heart was pounding like crazy.
But it was a needless worry.
Bruno, as if he couldn't believe this sight, first looked for Alvarez.
“Alvarez! Where is Alvarez!”
Soon, the traitor Alvarez showed his face.
His face was full of triumphant glee, but the moment he saw Iris and Noemi next to me, his expression changed to the same one as Bruno’s beside him.
The way his expression changed in an instant, you’d think he was a nominee for the Academy Award for Best Actor.
“W-what in the world is this!”
The two of them making stupid faces were a perfect duo.
Dumb and Dumber.
I feigned ignorance and tilted my head.
“What in the world is going on this early in the morning?”
As soon as I finished speaking, Bruno stuttered as he pointed at Alvarez.
“N-no, I mean, this guy, he clearly said.”
“Clearly?”
“Th-that your other daughters weren't here.”
I clicked my tongue as if it wasn't even funny and shook my head.
“How could that be? They are so clearly right here next to me.”
Even in this situation, the dummies of Iris and Noemi just beamed.
Dolls who knew nothing but to smile in the first place.
It was because the magic tool’s purpose was to take pictures with the daughters.
You can’t take a picture while frowning, after all.
“This can’t be, this can’t be……”
Alvarez continued with a flustered face.
“Isn’t it strange that they’re only smiling in this situation?”
He tried to grab a dummy's arm roughly, but was immediately blocked by Adel.
“Deputy Alvarez! What is the meaning of this?”
“I-I am.”
Like Bruno, he stuttered and couldn't continue.
It was because Adel was glaring at him with a fierce expression.
Adel's gaze was full of disappointment.
It was just like the expression she often made when she first met me.
Therefore, I knew well how much of a wound the other person would feel in their heart.
‘It’s an expression I never want to see again.’
It would have been nice if the situation ended here.
But Bruno was also formidable.
He regrouped his posture and brought up something else.
“Hmph. It seems there was some misunderstanding. But you have other charges against you.”
“Other charges?”
“Stop playing innocent! Aren't you the one who killed my father!”
Perhaps realizing even himself that he was making an unreasonable claim, Bruno yelled with an awkward face.
But if I felt it, wouldn't others have felt it too?
The knights who followed him here noticed something was strange and looked at Bruno instead of me.
Flustered, Bruno raised his voice.
“Wh-what! Why is everyone looking at me with such faces?”
Is he really asking because he doesn't know?
But this world was a society with a strict class system.
His status was a Count, much higher than mine, and seeing as he came with the knight order, it was highly likely that he had even received the king's permission.
While the knights were in confusion, at a loss for what to do.
Bruno, perhaps thinking the momentum had shifted back to him, came directly towards me, leaving the hesitating knights behind.
The moment his hand tried to grab my wrist.
Like a heroine in a movie, Adel snatched his wrist at once.
And with a very angry expression at that.
Isn't this the epitome of a girl crush?
She's my daughter, but she's really amazing.
***
“What is the meaning of this?”
Bruno's brow twitched.
But Adel did not back down one bit.
“Do you have evidence?”
“Ha? Evidence?”
“That's right. Kingdom Law, Article 382. You cannot arrest a noble without clear material evidence. Am I wrong?”
Ooh. As expected of the talent who passed the knight examination at the top of her class.
Seeing Adel fluently answer about a kingdom law I didn't even know, I was on the verge of tears.
‘You’ve grown up well. You’ve really grown up well.’
Adel's words didn't stop there.
“Extraterritoriality applies to where the Children of God are. If you wish to summon my father, you will have to follow the proper procedures for it.”
Aha. I knew about this.
It wasn't in the original version, but it was a new regulation applied as the number of daughters increased to three.
How do I know, when I haven't even played the DLC myself?
Because when I pressed the start button, all sorts of phrases appeared and dazzled my eyes.
‘There was definitely a phrase like that. If two or more Children of God are in one place, extraterritoriality applies, and the country's laws and rules cannot be applied recklessly. It would have been a big problem if Adel was alone.’
Bruno and Alvarez must have tried to take me away based on the fact that only Adel was here.
But since Iris and Noemi were also here thanks to the magic tool, even if I had killed Jorge, they wouldn't be able to just take me away recklessly.
‘Good job, Adel! Finish him off!’
While inwardly cheering for Adel, I deliberately patted Iris and Noemi's shoulders affectionately and slowly opened my mouth.
“It seems there was some kind of misunderstanding. I too am saddened by your father’s matter, but I absolutely did not harm him. I believe this was all revealed in the Royal Investigator's investigation as well?”
When I looked straight into Bruno's face and spoke, he broke into a cold sweat and couldn't say a word.
While he was contemplating whether to leave or not.
“Tsk.”
Damn it.
Anonymous brought up something unnecessary.
“To think a guy like that is a Count. The Benedict Kingdom is really lacking in people.”
I scowled and glared at her, but she avoided my gaze as if she didn't know and whistled.
Sigh. Why are you ruining a perfectly good meal?
But what was this?
Instead of getting angry, Bruno's face turned red, and he couldn't seem to take his eyes off Anonymous.
And then he said something like this.
“Wh-who are you?”
“Oh my. Why? Are you interested in me? But I have no obligation to tell you.”
“I-I beg you, please just tell me your name.”
Bruno, no longer paying any attention to me, was now begging Anonymous.
Come to think of it, his father, Jorge, had a perverted setting of liking young girls.
Like father, like son, they say. Could it be that Bruno has the same tastes as his father?
Certainly, based on appearance alone, Anonymous is no different from a cute teenage girl.
Of course, her true nature is just a lizard that's thousands of years old.
You’ve got the wrong person. You might die if you keep this up.
Get a grip, Bruno!
No. There's not much time left now.
Please, just go already!
***
At that moment, Rude, who had stepped into the ancient ruins, felt like he was dying.
‘Ugh. This is different from what she said, isn't it?’
Far from seeing a wide space, as soon as he entered, a passage appeared that was barely wide enough for one adult to pass through.
To turn back, the entrance was sealed, so he couldn't return the way he came.
He had no choice but to follow his disciple Noemi forward, crying on the inside.
It was fortunate that he was slim; if he had been overweight, he wouldn't have dared to pass through this place, as the walls on both sides were that close.
‘Hoo. Hoo. Let's get a grip. They say you can survive even if you're caught by a tiger, as long as you keep your wits about you.’
But the further he went, the more his breathing became ragged, and his mind threatened to check out.
Just when he thought he couldn't take it anymore.
Water was suddenly splashed on his face.
Chwaaak.
“Wh-what the?”
Startled, Rude looked around frantically, but he couldn't see anything other than inky darkness.
Soon, Noemi's voice was heard.
“Master, get a grip!”
“What. Did you do that?”
“Yes. I thought you were going to collapse, so I splashed some water on you first. Are you okay?”
“W-well, yes, but… this is different from what you said, isn't it?”
Unlike his desperate voice, the unseen Noemi replied nonchalantly.
“What is?”
“Didn't you say the inside was very spacious and pleasant!”
“Hmm. It seems Future Foresight isn't one hundred percent accurate. But there are no monsters, so I wasn't completely wrong, was I? More importantly, there's an item in here that will help Dad, so we must conquer this place.”
It's not 100% certain, but there's a good item for Frank, so we must conquer it?
What about me? Do you have no consideration for this master who is trembling from claustrophobia?
This must have been intentional.
Thus, whenever Rude was about to lose consciousness, he was repeatedly doused with water by Noemi and had no choice but to keep moving forward.
To think a disciple could be so cruel.
They say in some eastern country, you don't even step on your master's shadow, so isn't this too much?
Rude felt like crying.
***
“Phew, they're finally gone. That was really close.”
Exactly one minute after Bruno's group left.
The Iris and Noemi dummies disappeared from before my eyes in an instant.
It was because the time they could be maintained was at most one hour.
“If they had been just a little bit later, it would have been a disaster. I was lucky.”
Although I didn't kill Jorge, it was a fact that Iris and Noemi were not here.
If the crime of deceiving a royal envoy was added to that, the words ‘Game Over’ might have popped up before my eyes.
Whether she knew my feelings or not.
Anonymous was holding her stomach and laughing.
“Puhaha. There's no comedy like this comedy.”
“You find this funny? We were almost found out because of you!”
“What does it matter? It all ended well without any trouble. By the way, was that guy’s name Bruno?”
“Yes, but?”
“A male in love is so simple. Asking for my name out of the blue. He was the first one to be this forward with me since Arus. Haha. Not bad.”
Is she in a good mood because she got hit on?
Anonymous laughed cheerfully and disappeared into her room.
I really don't know what's what.
Then I realized there was one thing I had missed.
I immediately asked Adel.
“Alvarez betrayed us. We need to catch him.”
Adel also realized this belatedly and nodded her head.
“You’re right, Father. I will go and catch him at once!”
Adel dashed out like an arrow.
Only then did I see the faces of the servants standing around with dazed expressions.
They were all trembling with anxiety, not knowing what was going on.
‘Oh no. The disappeared Iris and Noemi suddenly appeared and then suddenly disappeared again, so they must be very confused. What should I do?’
They must have been very surprised by Bruno showing up with the knight order so early in the morning, and must have been flabbergasted at the claim that I had killed Jorge.
While I was contemplating what to say.
Fortunately, my competent secretary, Elliot, sorted out the situation for me.
“Now, now. I know everyone is flustered, but for now, I would like you to return to your rooms. I will explain what just happened in detail tomorrow morning.”
As he said that, he winked at me, and ugh.
This must be the wit of a max-level Head Butler.
If Elliot hadn't been here, I might have been rambling for a long time.
Once the servants had scattered, I went into my room and turned on the Magic Crystal Ball.
Rude and Noemi should have definitely met Iris by now, but I still hadn't received any contact from them.
But the Magic Crystal Ball didn't show anything.
“That's strange? Did they turn off the communication function?”
The Magic Crystal Ball wasn't all-powerful.
If the other side turned off the communication function, no matter how much I called them from this side, nothing would appear.
It was the same principle as not being able to contact someone if they've turned off their smartphone.
“Damn it. A series of unexpected things are happening.”
At this rate, it's difficult to brag about being a veteran player of PP anymore.
Every event that happens is an unknown one I've never experienced before.
If I ever return to my original world, I will grab the developers by the scruff of their necks and say it.
Why did you twist the game in this damn way?
Shouldn't you explain in advance what will change and how?
As I was thinking that, Adel swung open my door and came in.
“Alvarez?”
“I think he has already fled. He wasn't at home, and he wasn't at the guard post either.”
Oh no. For some reason, I feel like we shouldn't let him get away.
To think that he, a person who I thought was at least not an enemy and wouldn't cause me any harm, was an enemy spy.
‘It’s a problem even if he fled somewhere alone, but if he went to the royal castle with Bruno's group, it's hard to predict how he will slander me in the future. It’s right to catch him here.’
It seems I will have to ask Anonymous to catch him.
She is the only one here who can fly.
I was about to knock on Anonymous' door with a serious face but flinched.
“Hehehehehe. It's so funny, I could die.”
The sound of Anonymous' cackling laughter was still leaking from beyond the door.
Was she that happy that a man was hitting on her?
Truly, you have to live a long life to see everything.