Betrayal – Part 05
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Translator: Kell
Albus’ eyes widened. She almost opened her mouth to say something back, but then she started to look more and more worried, as if she just realized something.
“You mean they lied about the poisoning to make me look bad?”
“I’d say it’s possible. Royal courts are full of plotting and scheming. In Cleon, in fact, there was a doctor who lost his job because of a saint who uses the Chapter of Protection. Pooch also said that there are many people in the kingdom who are trying to bring you down.”
“I know, but still… What if it was poisoning? I hate to admit it, but Thirteenth could easily outsmart me. I’m sure he could create a poison that wouldn’t leave a trace.”
“Then what if it was the king’s time to go? You’d be falsely accusing Thirteenth. I thought you hated killing based on speculation, without any proof, the most.”
Albus gave a start. Her grandmother Solena was killed under false charges. She was accused of spreading a plague, when in fact she was using Sorcery to save the people.
“Maybe I’m wrong about the poisoning,” she said. “But there’s no doubt that Thirteenth has His Highness locked away somewhere! He loved this kingdom. He would have rushed over when he found out about His Majesty’s death.”
“I’m not saying he’s completely innocent either. He seems to have some connection with Cestum. At any rate, we gotta catch him and make him talk. I’m just saying that rather than wasting time blaming Thirteenth for everything, you should learn how to properly distinguish between friend and foe.” I poked her repeatedly with my claw.
“Stop it!” she said, shielding her head. “You’re gonna hurt me! A bigshot!”
“Oh, really now? If you’re a bigshot, then learn to judge people like one.”
“I’m trying my best too, okay?! You have no idea what I’m going through.”
Brushing off my hand, Albus puffed out her cheeks like a child, then suddenly hung her head. “Um, Mercenary.” She sounded timid. “You’re on my side, right?
I couldn’t see her expression, but her voice was weak, devoid of confidence.
Yup. She’s just a kid, all right.
She was a little bit smarter than others, had knowledge of Magic and could even use it, but she was a few years younger than Lily.
“Didn’t you ask that same question when we first met? Then you assumed we were on your side and led us to your lair. You’re too careless.”
She shot me a glare. “Well, Zero used Magic back then, so I assumed she was one of us!”
“Exactly. The enemy lies. Questions don’t mean anything. You have to decide for yourself if they’re friend or foe. I could say yes, but you wouldn’t know if I was lying.”
Albus puffed out her white cheeks. “I don’t want to hear another lecture,” she spat.
I stared at her. “I’ll always be on your side, though,” I said as nonchalantly and quiet as possible.
It was important to distinguish friend from foe, but there were times when you would want someone to say they were on your side unconditionally, giving you a sense of relief.
For the first time since our reunion, Albus gave me her natural, relaxed smile.
“Then please let me see you in those clothes!”
How does that even follow?
I lifted my fist to Albus’ face.
“Those are two different matters!”
I flicked her forehead with the tip of my claw.
After shaking off the peristent Albus, I took refuge in my room. A while later Zero came staggering back, carrying several fruits in her arms.
“What’s that?” I asked.
“A tribute to me,” she replied. “I found them piled up near me while I was in the middle of fitting my dress. It would appear that the servants, enchanted by me, prepared them one after another without anyone asking. There were many more, but I could not carry them all, so I simply took the ones I liked.”
“Still brandishing your destructive looks, huh?”
“Beauty is a sin,” she said without a hint of shame.
She tossed me a ripe piece of fruit. I bit into it without thanking her. It was so sweet and juicy that my expression turned sour. I was certain it was quite the expensive kind of fruit.
“You alone? Where’s the squirt?”
“Running around.”
“What?”
“She was very much in favor of me and you wearing beautiful clothes, but she seems to be terrified of dressing up herself. After quickly taking the measurements of the priest, Dog laid out some outfit for children, saying that it was Rat’s turn, and she ran out of the room, her fur bristling.”
Pooch was now apparently chasing her around. Imagining it made me feel a little sorry for the little girl.
I chuckled. “Let her be. Who knows what kind of nasty things they’ll say to her if she shows up at the ball wearing a dress. Same for me—they’ll just laugh at us. They might pretend when in public, but they’d be laughing behind our backs.”
“I will not.”
“Yeah, you’re an exception.”
“Am I not enough?”
I looked at her. Zero’s intense gaze held mine. I pulled my eyes away and turned my back to her, then gazed outside the window.
“That’s not the point. If someone made fun of me, you’d get pissed again and go on a rampage.”
“Of course. I am not magnanimous enough to simply forgive anyone who insults my companion.”
“That’s exactly what I’m talking about! If you snap, you’ll put the kid in a difficult position.”
“In that guess, there will be a need to hammer proper manners into the guests. I will not overlook rudeness and ill intentions simply to maintain harmony.”
So being patient is not an option. Damn it. She should know that a witch and a Beastfallen participating in a ball would only cause trouble. Why did she suddenly want to join?
“What did the squirt tell you?” I asked.
“Hmm?”
“You didn’t seem interested at first, but you changed your mind after the squirt said something.”
“Oh, that,” Zero smiled. “She told me about her parents. You remember how intimate they were, yes?”
“Yeah. The feisty wife and the kindhearted husband.”
“Yes, those two. The wife would apparently dress up beautifully on the anniversary of their meeting. She shows herself only to her husband, and the husband becomes entranced. It is like the courtship of wild animals. Rat said if I dress up beautifully, you will be delighted. I am already beautiful, but I am certain it will be fun to dress up for you.” Zero smiled, looking at me as if she were looking at something dear.
How the hell was I supposed to react? What should I even say?
The only thing that came out of my mouth was a barely audible, “You idiot,” and it sounded weak.
“I-I won’t be delighted with that! It’s just clothes. They don’t mean much.”
“It is fine. Even if it does not please you, I will wear beautiful clothes for you. I will adorn my body with jewels. I will put red lipstick on my red lips, and more scarlet on my white skin. Imagine it, Mercenary. I call you my only friend, I trust you more than anyone else, and we laugh as we converse. When they see us, will they laugh? No. Everyone will look at you with envy. They will finally rub their eyes clouded with prejudice, and realize the beauty of who you are.”
How does she have so much confidence? The thing is, I couldn’t call her presumptuous. She did, in fact, possess overwhelming beauty.
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