Chapter 116

"I'm back."

Finally, the Viscount of Tern walked through the terrifying silence. Surprised by his survival, Sheria stammered, "No, what! How...!"

"Why? Did you think I was dead?" The Viscount of Tern, barely concealing his anger, began to approach her, glaring. Sheria was disgusted when she saw the wounds on his cheeks and his bloodied hands. Every time he limped closer, Sheria's shoulders shook violently.

"I'm on my way to the security force to accuse myself, Hildegard, and Princess Sheria of all our faults."

Then, a spark of anger flew in her eyes. Sheria spoke violently, as if she had forgotten all about her public image. "That's crazy! It's a lie that no one will believe. Right?"

"That's right. Who would believe it?" Sylvia retorted, standing by Sheria's side. The young nobles who had been quietly and gloomily following Sheria now stood up and surrounded her in a protective formation. Seeing them shield Sheria, there was only one thing I could say.

"The prices are shaking."

I paid no attention to their threatening gazes and said to the Viscount of Tern, "Keep talking."

Everyone present had to listen to Viscount Tern's next words.

"I have turned over all the evidence. Princess Sheria. All the evidence of your kidnapping, embezzlement, attempted murder, and alleged murder."

Sheria's complexion turned even whiter, almost completely devoid of color. Amidst the people's chatter, she screamed, "This is a frame-up! Don't lie!" Sheria staggered for a moment, as if her legs had given out. Some attendants tried to support her, but she shook off even those who held her arm, as if she was already out of her mind.

"Shameless, Viscount Tern! Dare to accuse your owner, on the subject of being a family dog? How much did you get paid?" Her uncultured words made people chatter again.

But for Sheria, that fact didn't seem to matter. Of course, her anger didn't matter much to me either.

"Your mother, the Marquis of Kinnoa, was killed by Mrs. Hildegard." The words of Viscount Tern from yesterday crossed my mind. "The penalty for killing someone must be paid properly."

Pursing my lips, I ignored Sheria's outburst and continued with burning anger. "You mean that you have accused all the evil deeds committed by the lady and the princess, including evidence of the murder of Duchess Hildegard's predecessor, the Marquis of Kinnoa?"

"Yes, that's right."

I looked at Sheria with a stern expression. Sheria was whispering quietly to a young man beside her. "After destroying the evidence of the evil deeds he has done so far, he plans to bribe the presiding judge."

I watched as the young man hurriedly handed her a teleport scroll after hearing Sheria's words.

'It's a mess.'

I crossed my arms and let out a cynical thought. Of course, I hadn't expected this mess.

"Sheria."

At my warning call, Sheria paused for a moment and quickly took the scroll. I looked at Sheria as she hurriedly tore the scroll apart.

"It seems that the chief of police, you are a suspect."

"Sister, you're angry."

The capital's security forces that I had called opened the door and began to enter. Sheria turned her eyes to the side and bit her lip.

"I don't think I can communicate now, so that's it."

Anyone could see that she was trying to escape the situation right now. After seeing the vigilantes and knights rushing in, Sheria changed her expression and pretended to be indifferent, reciting the coordinates with her mouth. A flash of light like lightning enveloped Sheria's entire body.

"Oh...!"

"You can't miss her now!"

"Should I distribute wanted flyers?"

"We have caught a lot of evidence, but there is a concern about the destruction of other evidence...!"

Realizing it was too late, the chief of the security guard and his subordinates sighed and stomped their feet. Prince Cassian, who was coming behind the chief of the security forces, asked, "Did you miss her?"

"Yes, that's because she used a teleport scroll..."

I took a step forward and stopped him. "No."

When the light faded, Sheria's form reappeared. I opened my mouth with a sneer. "That teleport scroll is fake."

I looked around. Isaac, the culprit who caused this situation, frowned at me in mock annoyance.

'I heard it when I went to the magic tower. The fake teleport scroll on the market flashes several times when moving, with a lightning-like light completely enveloping the caster's new form.'

Originally, the teleport scroll that Sheria's entourage had must have been real. However, Isaac had already used his magic to incapacitate it.

"That young man didn't even know that the scroll in my hand was useless, like a rotten persimmon."

In the meantime, Isaac, who quickly swapped the teleport scroll with magic, was truly amazing. Having praised him generously in my heart, I squeezed Sheria's wrist.

"Where are you going to run away?"

As soon as I finished speaking, the chief of the security team held out the summons to Sheria and said, "Princess Sheria Babyloa. We arrest you for murder, embezzlement, and kidnapping. Since the charges are excessive and there is a concern about the destruction of evidence, we will arrest you, and as the matter is serious, you as a suspect have no immunity privilege."

Sheria, who had her eyes closed, looked around in a panic. "What is this...!" she screamed. "Summons? I am a noblewoman from the House of Babyloa! Are you crazy?"

"You're just a suspect now." The chief's polite but resolute attitude made Sheria grit her teeth uncontrollably.

"Suspect? Me?"

I let go of her arm, pricked my ear, and said to the chief of police, "Just arrest her."

"Yes." The chief of the security team arrested Sheria with magic handcuffs.

"This, this, why am I...!" There was a moment of commotion in the center of the hall, but it calmed down quickly. This was thanks to Prince Cassian, who had come with the chief of security, gathering all the brainwashed young nobles and detaining them.

I gave a wink to Professor Abel and Cassian, who was arresting Priest Luftel. "Thank you." It was a word with a double meaning.

A faint smile crossed Cassian's lips as he heard my words. It was an attitude that was not like a thorough perfectionist. "I appreciate it too." After all, that man also cherished his friendship with me.

While I was feeling a mix of softness and happiness, Sheria, whose wrists were tightly bound by magic handcuffs, soon came to her senses. She glared at me and let out a screaming voice.

"Meldenik, do you think you'll survive for a long time if you do this?"

"Yes, at least I think I'll live longer than you."

Who the hell was worried about whom?

"Ahhhhh!" At my sneer, Sheria screamed loudly and fell to the floor. It was a shabby ending that made everyone click their tongues.

The news of Sheria's arrest, surrounded by the capital's security forces and the knights who appeared later, covered the entire capital in less than a day. However, the rumors were not the end. After hearing the report from the chief of the sheriff, Prince Cassian uncovered the shameless evil deeds that Sheria had been doing, based on the cooperation of the Viscount of Tern.

All the additional evil deeds of Princess Sheria Babyloa were confirmed: kidnapping cases, cases in which nobles died mysteriously due to the fatal side effects of business goods created by Sheria, and criminal acts in which they were framed to steal the estates of other nobles... All kinds of crimes she committed were poured out one after another.

The Duke of Babyloa tried to save his daughter, but the evidence of the crime was beyond the Duke of Babyloa's power. However, the attitudes of the Duke of Babyloa and Duke Lennox Hesmann were distinctly different. Lennox was desperately trying to get out of this trap. He even went to small social parties that he didn't often appear in, and he showed his face at court meetings. It was an act of shame and an attempt to enhance the honor of himself and his family.

And the Pope...

'The Pope's whereabouts are unknown. What the hell is he thinking?'

I had officially pushed out Luftel and Sheria, who were on the Pope's side. My actions had greatly reduced the authority of the Pope. In addition to devout believers, many had become unbelievers. Nevertheless, he showed no action.

'I'm kind of anxious.'

I decided to relax and focus on the task at hand.

"First of all, I need to meet Sheria and Lennox."

I waited until the rumors subsided somewhat and Sheria realized that she had been abandoned by everyone and imprisoned. And when I thought it was the right time, I asked to visit Sheria.

Sheria was confined alone in a cell in a dungeon where she could not use magic, as her sin was too great.

'It's a dungeon, it's cold.'

I followed the guard down the damp and cold spiral stone staircase endlessly. The moss was frosty, but it wasn't a very bad place. She was definitely the daughter of a great aristocratic family, so I thought that even a criminal would be afforded some convenience.

I swept my long hair and walked into the cell of the dungeon where Sheria was being held.

"Hello, Sheria."

I could see her loose pink hair and still miasma-filled eyes. Perhaps she had scratched the floor, but I could see the bloody scabs, cracked nails, and trembling hands.

"You look like a perfect loser." I clicked my tongue.

The jailer behind my back made a clattering sound of keys and said businesslikely, "I'll be back in five minutes. You should not get too close." As he walked down the hallway, only I and Sheria were left in the prison.

'Her eyes are definitely different from before.'

Sheria whispered low to me, "Why, are you here to laugh?"

"I just came to tell you. The difference between you and me."

Sheria had now lost her title as a princess of Babyloa. And naturally, her engagement to Duke Hesmann was also in vain.

"Your life is over now. How do you feel?"

I looked down at Sheria in prison and smiled. However, Sheria's face was still clean. She seemed to have decided that there was still hope for her.

"It's not over yet. His Holiness the Pope and Lennox—"

"Well, of course, it's not over yet."

I interrupted Sheria, put my hand to her mouth, and smiled. "You haven't gotten my mother's property back yet. But it will be retrieved soon."

According to national law, illegally accumulated property was to be returned to the original owner. Soon, the estate, cash, jewelry, and even the maid I had left in the duke's household were all going to be mine.