9. A faithful dog that doesn’t bite
After returning from the space-time-like place of the black mirror, Theodore was being briefed by Armin on clues to the attackers of Brian.
“The palace wizards investigated the magicians, and they said that it was black magic that seemed to have intervened.”
“Black magic?”
“Yes. There weren’t many people who could use black magic, so the suspects were narrowed down…….”
For a moment, a person popped up in Theodore’s head.
But he couldn’t move without confirmation.
“So I was thinking of contacting the temple. It would be best if they could send me a retainer, but even if they could send me a crystal ball that could detect black magic…….”
“Wait a minute.”
Theodore rose from his seat with a frown on his forehead.
“If it’s a crystal ball that senses black magic, I have one.”
He remembered the crystal ball he had received from Katarina a long time ago.
‘That damn woman was trying to drive a wedge between me and Yves with that.’
As a result, Theodore became more distrustful of Yves because of the crystal ball.
At that time, the crystal ball carried by Yves turned black when the lid was opened.
Theodore looked at it and thought maybe she was related to black magic, so he went further in tormenting her.
‘I thought it was black magic that dazzled me.’
Now, he wants that she’d rather mislead him, rather than…….
Theodore, who searched for the crystal ball in the corner of a drawer, took out a small wooden box.
Click.
When he opened the lid of the wooden box, a black crystal ball appeared.
“……?”
Theodore stared at it.
It was a strange sight.
The little crystal ball, which only responds to black magic, was still black.
‘Does it mean that black magic was committed in this room?’
There was one thing that came to his mind right away.
Theodore looked at the black mirror on his desk.
‘Ancient treasure of Tenebris……. So I met Odelia because of the black magic?’
Theodore vaguely thought it would be, but when he found out that it was really the power of black magic, the questions deepened.
‘Odelia…..how did she step into the realm of black magic?’
Theodore frowned and was lost in thought.
Even if it’s her, why…….
It was at that time.
“Your Majesty!”
A knight who was responsible for delivering the news outside the palace rushed in.
Armin asked on behalf of Theodore, who was quietly lost in thought when he saw the crystal ball.
“What’s going on?”
“Miss Katarina has appeared!”
“Miss Katarina…… You mean the woman who disappeared four years ago?”
“Yes, that… that Miss Katarina came to Ferdinand’s mansion……. With His Majesty’s child…….!”
At that moment, Theodore dropped the crystal ball in his hand.
“What?”
There was a dangerous color in Theodore’s eyes looking back.
“Who, who’s back?”
“Your Majesty’s fiancée, Miss Katarina…….”
“…….”
Theodore was silent for a while with an expressionless face.
In that breathtaking silence, Armin and the knight only glanced at his eyes.
“……Katarina Ferdinand. The woman who tormented Yves.”
The corners of his mouth rolled up, slowly brooding over Katarina’s name.
“My Yves, the opportunity to ask for your forgiveness has come.”
Soon, very slowly, a gruesome smile came over his face.
＊ ＊ ＊
In a dusky prison.
‘What’s going on?’
Katarina was caught by Theodore’s soldiers who suddenly broke in and was imprisoned in an underground prison at the Imperial Palace.
She never accepted that the Emperor Theodore would accept her without any excuse.
However, she didn’t expect to be imprisoned without any excuse either.
‘Damn it, that crazy Emperor.’
There has been a considerable setback in the plan.
Fortunately, however, the scarecrow created by his(Benjamin) unsightly magic has not yet been caught.
Four years ago, Katarina, who was imprisoned by Benjamin, was able to escape the mansion with the help of ‘him’ who suddenly appeared.
And Katarina had to move away to revive ‘him’ on his behalf while ‘he’ was tied to a goblet.
Of course she didn’t do it voluntarily because she wanted to.
Do you want to live?
Okay, then let’s make a deal.
On the day of leaving Ferdinand, her contract with ‘him’, carved over her soul and tied her up with ‘him’ forever.
The contract with ‘him’ was far more elaborate and vicious than the one she once held to Yves Lleywellyn.
The goblet of “The Man” was a masterpiece created by Empress Margarate and Rudolf Ferdinand in the past with a pure soul and a soul fragment of “The Man.”
Sacrifice was needed to maintain the goblet.
And since the soul of ‘him’ opened its eyes, more sacrifices were needed.
The lives of those who were protected by the Lord Brighim were good sacrifices to maintain his vessel.
Katarina became the servant of ‘him’ and had to collect offerings to maintain the vessel.
Every night, the painful screams of the sacrifices at ‘his’ place rang out, and the next day, the bodies of the dead would come out.
Naturally, however, he was not satisfied with just maintaining a simple goblet.
We need a stronger and more perfect sacrifice. To free me out of this goblet.
And a few days ago, ‘he’ called Katarina and said happily in a creepy voice.
Finally, I found the most perfect offering to free me.
Katarina took a child that resembled Theodore as her fake child and went to Ferdinand, as ordered by ‘him’.
But she didn’t know Yves Lleywellyn would be there with her. Not only that, she also didn’t expect that Theodore, who came right away, would lock her up in the prison.
Surprised by Theodore’s sudden visit, Katarina tried to play the role of her long-lost lover with a big smile.
Theo!
Originally, she was going to take a fake child to visit the Imperial Palace, but now that this happened, she only wanted him to accept her acting.
I missed you so much. Look at this, our child…….
Hold on.
But Theodore had no intention of continuing his acting with her.
Even before Katarina’s words were finished, soldiers crowded her.
Theo? Theo, wait a minute. Listen to me…….
Before I pull out your tongue, you’d better stop calling my name like that.
Theodore threatened Katarina with a ghastly face.
Katarina shrank inwardly, breathing heavily.
And in the meantime, she was transferred to this place by the imperial soldiers.
Just when Katarina was looking at the iron bars that locked her up in the darkened place with a stunned face.
Thud. Thud. Thud
The eerie sound of footsteps rang out in the damp prison.
The owner of the footsteps felt very fresh seeing the prisoner in the prison.
Theodore stopped in front of iron bars that locked Katarina.
He swept the tip of his chin as he looked down at the trembling Katarina over the bars.
“Oh, my God.”
A jubilant voice flowed through his lips.
“My gift for Yves came to me on my own.”
Even if he tried to pretend to be calm, he couldn’t cover the corners of his mouth that were slowly curled up.
Katarina Ferdinand.
The main culprit for whom he had committed the sins against Yves.
Of course, treating her coldly after losing her memory seemed his fault to bear, but that did not lighten up the things that she(Katarina) had done to his Yves.
For a long time, she was the woman who bullied Yves with the bloody masterpieces.
The numerous wounds on her body were all made by this witch-like woman.
While he had lost my memory, she was the woman who had come between him and Yves and bullied her(Yves) in a more vicious and subtle way.
Be careful. She could be related to black magic, and Benjamin’s hidden lover…….
Theodore remembered every single sly whisper of Katarina that made him constantly doubt Yves.
And to bully her(Yves), she showed off her relationship with her in front of Yves.
Theo, I want that hairpin. Will you give it to me?
Wouldn’t it be nice if Sir Yves escorted me?
Sir Yves hurt me! May I punish Sir Yves as your fiance?
Theodore, who had lost his memory, fully remembered how Yves looked at him every time she did that.
Therefore, he also knew that Katarina’s words and actions hurt her(Yves) even more.
It was Katarina who left another scar on her(Yves) arm that he healed, and this woman who made her(Yves) stand in the snowy winter for hours and made her sick.
So for Theodore, Katarina was the right person to vent his anger…….
It was anger toward oneself in the past that usually burned together with the hatred toward Katarina.
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*sigh of relief *
When he came in smiling I was confused but it was just his crazy smile