I Grabbed the Tyrant’s Heart - Chapter 230
Ruby stared blankly into space, as if lost in despair. Then, noticing something odd, she cautiously asked.
“You knew… didn’t you?”
“…”
“You knew I was planning to kill the Emperor! You knew and you’ve been pretending all this time, haven’t you?”
“I needed to find out if your father shares your goals.”
“My father…”
My friend, with a twisted expression, shook her head in pain. It seemed he wasn’t part of the same faction after all, but that was something to figure out in time.
“Why, Ruby? Did you want us to lose? Did you want the Northern Empire to fall?”
“No, no!”
Perhaps feeling cornered, Ruby’s reaction was far more intense than usual.
“It’s not that I wanted the Northern Empire to lose… but the Emperor… the Emperor is a devil contractor!”
I already knew Ruby hated Tess, but her reaction was even more intense than I anticipated. As expected, she was aware of the devil’s existence.
“Euel, it’s only natural that we dislike the Emperor. My mother despises him as well.”
“What has Tess done to you!”
In the end, I grabbed Ruby by the collar.
“Did he hurt you? Did he oppress your family? No, he didn’t do anything to you!”
He simply made a pact with the devil. He fights day by day, hour by hour, to avoid succumbing to that devil!
“Just making a pact with a devil is a sin.”
Yet Ruby deemed this even more of a fault.
“Euseniel, I’m fine.”
Tess claimed it didn’t matter, but I hated it.
“Euel, you can feel it, can’t you? That damp and ominous energy. It’s going to destroy people.”
“No.”
“Euel, you’re strange. Why don’t you feel any dread when you look at that man? It’s filthy. The devil is vile and—”
Smack!
I slapped Ruby hard across the cheek, causing her lip to bleed. As she winced in pain, she continued to try to persuade me.
“Euel, get a grip. Why are you protecting that person? He’s so lowly—”
“Because I love Tess!”
Ruby’s eyes widened in shock, momentarily forgetting her pain.
“There’s no way to feel disgust for someone you love!”
Her gaze was clouded and unfocused, unlike her usual self. I sensed something was off but couldn’t stop myself from retorting.
“I love the Emperor you say is unclean.”
“Euel.”
“I’m a pure being who has been granted the name ‘El.’ So the person I acknowledge must be pure as well, right?”
I could pretend to be calm after witnessing countless deaths, but now I couldn’t hold back the heat rising in my eyes.
“Even if he really is dirty, it doesn’t matter.”
“…”
“Because he’s the person I love. That’s enough.”
“How can you love someone like that?”
My grip tightened around her neck, almost choking her, yet Ruby denied it.
“You!”
As I shook Ruby’s body, I heard a clinking sound from somewhere. As I tugged on the golden chain around her neck, a pendant was pulled free.
“This is…”
It was the same necklace the prince had worn.
“Tess.”
Tess lightly touched Ruby’s hand, and he paused for a moment. It seemed he was reading her memories.
“It appears someone else was behind this. Still, since this person held a grudge against me, the brainwashing likely took effect more easily.”
“What about that guy? Don’t we need to catch him?”
“I already have a suspect in mind, and I’ve informed the Chancellor. It’s fortunate… or unfortunate, depending on how you look at it.”
“Isn’t it possible to catch him? That would be a good thing.”
Tess shook his head slightly.
“If it were him, he would have fled by now.”
Tess’s lips twisted into a grimace.
“How dare he pull off something like this in my territory.”
“Who is it?”
“The Emperor of the Southern Empire.”
Tess elaborated as I stared at him in shock.
The capital, Alin, is under Tess’s domain, so even the Southern Emperor would have to yield if they fought.
However, the fact that it hasn’t happened suggests two possibilities.
The first is that the Southern Emperor is significantly more powerful than Tess and can conceal his presence well.
Or he paid a price to temporarily gain extraordinary strength.
“I doubt he’s overwhelmingly stronger than me. If he were, he would have already taken the lead. If he wanted me dead, he wouldn’t waste time like this.”
How does Tess know the Southern Emperor dislikes him?
“He probably made a deal with God for something, gaining the ability to temporarily enter Alin.”
“Making a deal with God? Isn’t the God of Light supposed to grant anything?”
“God isn’t always necessarily merciful.”
With a bitter smile, Tess cast a quick glance at Ruby with cold eyes. It was as if he was looking at an inanimate object rather than harboring any negative feelings.
“What should we do, Euseniel? Should we kill her? Or should we let her live? You were somewhat… fond of her.”
“Is it possible not to kill her?”
“If she was manipulated, her sentence will be reduced.”
I had long known Ruby didn’t particularly like Tess. While I couldn’t forgive her earlier remark, the idea of actually killing her made me hesitate.
“I don’t have to decide right now, do I?”
“Sure.”
Gently stroking my cheek, Tess took my hand.
“You must be tired. Let’s go rest, Euseniel.”
Until I locked the prison door, Ruby remained silent, her eyes still clouded with confusion.
“I’ll personally examine this necklace, and the daughter of Count Daidi will have an advanced or Grand Wizard accurately assess her condition.”
I nodded in agreement.
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