I Grabbed the Tyrant’s Heart - Chapter 215

“He asked me for help because he needed to do something but his magic wasn’t enough.”

So, the person who manipulated the prince knew exactly how to open the door. Considering Tess didn’t know, it seems this person wasn’t very visible. Perhaps there are multiple accomplices involved?

I was uneasy but turned to my sister for more details.

“Do you know why the prince wanted to do this? How did he get in touch with you?”

“Ruby, I followed Ruby to the palace knights’ quarters once, and that’s when I met him. He asked for help that day, and I agreed.”

“I see. Gael, this situation…”

How should I handle this?

Just sneaking into the Emperor’s quarters alone is a serious offense. Even if I cover it up, it would be useless if the prince reveals everything, so it might be better to come clean from the start.

“Gael, this is something beyond what I or Father can cover up. Why did you go with the prince? You don’t know him well, do you?”

Gael remained silent.

“Why did you decide to help him? You didn’t even know what could happen.”

I chose my words carefully, trying not to show that I knew Gael had feelings for him. I wanted to interrogate my sister but avoid causing emotional harm as much as possible.

“Gael, that person—”

“—I know. I know that he sees me as just a tool!”

Tears fell from beneath Gael’s closed platinum eyelashes.

“I knew he didn’t care about me. I knew he was flattering and manipulating me to get what he wanted.”

“……”

“But he said he needed me…”

Gael’s fragile shoulders trembled, and I was at a loss for words at the unexpected truth.

“No one in our family needs me. They only needed Sister. So, I…”

Eventually, Gael buried his face in her hands and started to cry, leaving me standing helplessly. I couldn’t bring myself to comfort her. The depth of her emotional wounds was much greater than I had anticipated.

* * *

I found Father at the palace, and the Chancellor was with him.

“What…?”

He seemed shocked by the news of his daughter’s crime.

“Seeing the magic disarray in her body, I think she needs to rest. I think she needs to be with the temple….no, with Father for a while.”

Hearing the explanation, Father’s expression hardened.

“First, Gael needs to be put in prison—”

“No!”

I raised my voice at Father, who was usually so cold to my sister.

“Chancellor, please take care of Gael. Ensure no harm comes to my sister.”

“I understand.”

Father, looking weary, began to speak again.

“Then we should summon the prince for questioning—”

“No, Father.”

I firmly refused. I completely disregarded his shocked expression.

“I need to handle it.”

* * *

As I made my way to the underground dungeon where the prince was being held, I tried to clear my thoughts.

Was it the prince who disrupted Gael’s magic?

If Prince Cardo had some special ability, Tess might have dealt with it. So either the prince has no such ability, or it’s something even Tess can’t handle.

He’s definitely weak in terms of physical strength, but there could be something related to the soul or the mind. Perhaps being caught was part of his plan.

The prince sat quietly as I approached and took the key from the guard to unlock the door myself.

There was the musty smell and coldness of the dungeon. It was mixed with the unpleasant odor of burning oil lamps instead of the usual glowstone.

Despite being shackled, the prince tried to move towards me.

“Lady Hardland, I swear I haven’t done anything wrong. Please believe me.”

I bit my tongue when my vision began to become hazy.

“—No. This kind of trick doesn’t work on me, Prince.”

He was trying to unsettle me. It was the kind of tactic like Tess’s attempts to charm me into saying yes.

His face, which had been portraying sorrow, now shooked. His blue eyes finally revealed the malice and fear that he hadn’t been able to erase.

“You dared to lie to me?”

The prince’s tears were as fake as those of a crocodile, and he was a master of deceit.

“I have no feelings for you, Prince but if you continue this way, things will change.”

I slid my fingers through his pure gold hair that was like Tess’s from childhood. As I tickled his scalp with my touch, the prince wildly shook his head, trying to push my hand away.

“Please, stay still. Do you want your neck to end up like your fingers?”

The prince, who was remarkably weak against physical force, stopped his struggle and instead watched me warily.

I was trying to do what Tess once did, to read a person’s memory.

– I once thought that my brother liked your sister. If that were true, I might have been willing to release him. But Euseniel, that was my mistake. He sees your sister as nothing more than a tool.

Prince, if you hadn’t used Gael in this way, I might have been inclined to plead for you. I hope my sister could live a more peaceful life, but if her feelings flow towards you, there’s nothing I can do.

But that can’t happen now.

Read, read, read…

In an instant, a tremendous amount of information flooded my mind.

Time, time!

The attire of the Lux priest!

Like a bookmark, it paused at a specific moment, and I could see and hear the conversation between the priest in a pristine white robe and the prince.

It was a very recent event.

Suppressing the trembling of my hands, I pulled away from the prince’s head and instead snatched what he had hidden in his collar.