He was at the security headquarters? That was an unexpected answer.
‘Did he go as a witness?’
I was about to ask Erich about it.
But before I could speak, Erich asked the knight first.
“I heard there was a bomb explosion at the One Flower Workshop. What’s the extent of the damage?”
“It’s severe. The entire workshop burned down, and there’s only one survivor, the assistant.”
The moment I heard the knight’s words, I felt a tightness in my chest.
‘Parakel…’
Although he had acted defiantly at first, he had become my ally after I recognized his abilities.
But to think that someone would bomb that workshop… I felt my legs go weak involuntarily.
As I swayed slightly, Erich grabbed my shoulder and said, “Landon, tell Chester to go to the scene. And you, explain everything in detail to my knight commander.”
At his command, both men replied simultaneously,
“Yes.”
Once the security knight and Landon left, it was just the two of us.
‘Parakel is dead, and the workshop is gone. And Sardin, who was my right hand, is not here with me now.’
Perhaps it was the weight of multiple problems hitting me at once? My vision was spinning, and my head throbbed.
I felt lost about how to tackle this situation and what steps to take to resolve it.
But I couldn’t just stand by weakly.
‘In the end, this is a problem I have to solve. No one else will resolve my issues for me.’
Enduring the headache, I asked Erich what should be prioritized.
“If the only survivor is the assistant, then the workshop owner is dead…”
It was before I had finished speaking.
“I’m protecting the workshop owner and the assistant. Given they are targets, I think it’s best not to reveal that they are alive.”
The moment I heard that Parakel was safe, I breathed a sigh of relief but was also filled with doubt.
“The security knight believes Parakel is dead, so how could you protect both of them? And why is Sardin with the security headquarters…?”
“I detonated that bomb on purpose.”
“What?”
“Recently, I received information from my informants that suspicious individuals were lurking around the One Flower Workshop. However, since it wasn’t clear if they were related to the workshop, I moved discreetly with Sardin, who knows the workshop well. We were just lucky to have prevented the ambush.”
“Then what about the weapons in the workshop…”
“They are all intact.”
I was left speechless.
Not only was Parakel alive, but the weapons were also safe.
‘Well, it’s not the time to be overly happy.’
Just because I hadn’t lost anything didn’t mean I should celebrate.
I needed to find evidence that Reinhardt was behind this to bury him within the Empire.
“Was the bomb the same as the last one?”
“Yes.”
At that moment, Erich continued speaking.
“However, there was a peculiar detail this time.”
“A peculiar detail? What is it?”
“The one who appeared to be the leader was carrying a commission document. And it had the crown prince’s seal.”
“What? Fritz?”
I had been convinced it was Reinhardt all along, but I was stunned by the unexpected identity of the mastermind.
‘Could the crown prince’s seal be fake?’
No, it was likely real.
The royal seal was very intricate, and when it was stamped, a special glittering pigment exclusive to the royal family was used, making it obvious if it were forged.
But that wasn’t what mattered.
What was certain was that Fritz wasn’t bold enough to come up with such a plan on his own.
‘Normally, he would have been cautious because of the emperor. But…’
At the palace, Fritz had warned me with a confident expression, like a child who had something to rely on.
‘Someone must have incited him. To frame Fritz for his crimes.’
And that someone would benefit the most if Fritz made a mistake.
At that moment, I recalled who had rushed out of the palace.
‘Right, that scorpion tattoo of the messenger. I had seen him at Reinhardt’s mansion before.’
It was clear that Reinhardt was behind this once again.
I was angry, but there was something more urgent at hand.
“I understand that you protected the workshop. But why is Sardin, who went with you, with the security unit…”
Is he staying for the investigation? Or does he need to testify?
I was about to ask him for the reason.
But before I could finish my sentence, he spoke.
“Because he’s a spy.”
In an instant, my mind went blank.
When I heard the word “traitor,” I had naturally thought of Xenon.
But the traitor was my most trusted aide, Sardin?
I couldn’t believe it.
The one who had risked his life to save me and my child before my regression couldn’t possibly be a traitor.
“……He’s a spy? What are you talking about? Speak clearly.”
Despite my pressing inquiries, Erich spoke calmly.
“The assailants at the scene called Sardin a traitor. Not just me, but the workshop owner and the assistant heard that too.”
“So you expect me to believe that Sardin is a spy based on just that? He has served by my side for a long time! He wouldn’t betray me!”
“Are you truly certain that Sardin wouldn’t betray you?”
His firm voice made me want to nod in agreement.
But at that moment, I froze.
‘What if Sardin really is a spy…?’
Sardin, who had saved me before my regression.
Sardin, who became my strong support after my regression.
He was the only confidant I trusted and relied on.
But what if he really did betray me and sided with Reinhardt?
My head was already aching, and I felt the world spinning before my eyes.
“I…”
In the midst of a strong dizziness, I unconsciously twisted my face.
That was when Erich caught me.
“Are you okay?”
Do I look okay to you?
I felt a surge of emotion but couldn’t show it.
I was the one who first drew the line at him, calling him a stranger, and all of this happened because I didn’t prepare properly.
It was right for me to bear all of this alone.
“I’m fine… so let go of me.”
At that moment, Erich spoke.
“Sardin will be fine.”
“What do you mean by that?”
I was surprised by the unexpected words and asked, to which Erich replied flatly.
“Do you know what charge Sardin is currently facing?”
“What charge?”
“Charge of murdering the workshop owner.”
“What? But Parakel…”
I was sure he said he wasn’t dead. Yet, now there were murder charges against him?
When I looked at Erich with confusion, he nodded.
“Yes, he is currently with the security knights of his own volition. He is there voluntarily to draw out the true culprit of this incident.”
I couldn’t let the rising questions go unasked.
“Why on earth would Sardin…?”
At that moment, Erich adjusted the collar of my coat and said,
“It’s getting late. Don’t worry about anything and get some sleep.”
“Wait, Erich, please explain properly…”
But before I could ask anything, he suddenly vanished from in front of me.
My furrowed brow relaxed, and I was overcome with a strange feeling.
‘Have I ever gained something without doing anything?’
It was the first time.
That someone had actively stepped in on my behalf without me having to struggle or ask first.
‘But is this okay? This is my problem, after all…’
My heart was pounding with a strange feeling. At that moment—
“Mom!”
I turned my head in surprise at the sudden call; Demian had come into the lounge.
“Demi, what brings you here…?”
“I’m tired. I want to sleep! Sing me a lullaby!”
With the child’s whiny request, I sighed and said,
“Okay, got it. Let’s go to your room and sleep.”
☪︎ ִ ࣪𖤐 𐦍 ☾𖤓 ☪︎ ִ ࣪𖤐 𐦍 ☾𖤓
Meanwhile, Reinhardt was listening to his aide’s report on the situation.
“Really? So he blew up the workshop as planned?”
“Yes.”
“What happened to Karon?”
Originally, the plan was for the subordinates to raid the workshop and retreat, after which Karon, the man with the scorpion tattoo, would detonate the bomb.
However, only two subordinates returned.
“He was taken into custody by the security knights, but he was reportedly unconscious. It seems the workshop owner put up quite a fight.”
“That damn fool is being a nuisance until the end.”
Because of the bug’s struggle, he unexpectedly lost many chess pieces.
Still, since the prince’s seal was found at the scene, the plan was a success.
‘This will surely lead to the prince’s downfall. Moreover, that woman too…’
As Reinhardt imagined Cornelia’s submissive demeanor, he smirked.
“Oh, and an unexpected person was captured at the scene.”
“Who?”
“Sardin. The barbarian spy we assigned to the princess.”
“What? Why is he there?”
“He happened to stop by the workshop and seemed to have clashed with our men. The problem is that Karon recognized him, which led to his identity being exposed.”
“So?”
“According to the subordinates, when they were still there, Sardin was trying to protect the workshop owner. But when Karon took out the bomb, his attitude seemed to change.”
“His attitude changed?”
“Yes, it seems he attacked the workshop owner. The assistant survived due to the intervention of the security knight. After that, Karon detonated the bomb, killing the workshop owner, but Sardin was also arrested for complicity in the murder since he had attacked him.”
“Oh?”
After leaving the Count Herde territory and losing contact, Reinhardt had given orders to kill Cornelia’s child whenever the opportunity arose.
And if the child was difficult to reach, he instructed them to kill those close to Cornelia.
However, there had been no news until now, and Reinhardt was convinced that Sardin had betrayed him.
But what could the reason be?
Sardin had killed the workshop owner with his own hands.
‘He must have been afraid of being exposed.’
When Reinhardt first decided to use Sardin, he couldn’t fully trust the barbarian.
However, the problem was that he couldn’t find a way to manipulate him.
‘He’s a ruthless bastard; even his own people have turned their backs on him. But…’
When did it start?
Sardin’s gaze towards Cornelia had changed.
Yes, he looked at her with a mix of adoration and respect, as if he were truly a slave.
‘So I tried to test him by revealing that he was a spy to Cornelia. I never thought it would actually work.’
It had always annoyed him.
How dare that mere pawn look at her with such eyes?
He wanted to get rid of him quickly, but he was quite a useful piece.
So he waited. For the right moment to eliminate him.
And right now was the perfect moment.
‘It’s time to get rid of him.’
By now, Cornelia would be despairing over the alchemist’s death.
And there was a high possibility she wouldn’t be able to accept the betrayal of her only trusted aide.
What if Sardin confessed to being a spy and cursed Cornelia in such a situation?
‘She would surely be devastated.’
Cornelia, with her wings clipped, wouldn’t dare refuse the hand of salvation he would extend.
So he decided to have Sardin take the same poison he had given to the Grand Madam.
But there was still something he needed to resolve.
‘If Karon wakes up and starts babbling nonsense, I could be in trouble.’
“Give ‘that poison’ to the barbarian and kill Karon.”
