I Grabbed the Tyrant’s Heart - Chapter 244
It seems that for one of us to be shy, the other must express affection freely.
After dressing me, Tess sat at my feet and rested his head on my thighs.
Knock knock.
“Come in.”
I pulled Tess’s hair gently, as he showed no sign of moving.
“Tess, sit up.”
“Can I still hold your hand?”
“Of course.”
Tess grinned and pulled a chair closer, sitting beside me. He then gripped my hand tightly.
As the door opened, both Weathering and General Panet entered. Since General Panet was the actual commander, he had come to join the discussion.
“Lady Hardland, it seems you’re awake.”
“I apologize for the worry.”
“I regret not being able to find you sooner.”
“It’s understandable, given the circumstances.”
I waved it off and invited them to sit.
“Weathering, or should I say, Senior Wizard. Do you remember the ore we saw in Count Daidi’s territory?”
“Yes, I remember.”
“Well, it’s actually a mineral from the land of the fairies. It helps with dimension travel.”
“What? Tell me more.”
Weathering stood up excitedly, but quickly sat back down.
“Sorry. Ahem.”
It was understandable that he’d be excited. Ignoring his mistake, I briefly explained to General Panet how one could move between spaces using this mineral.
“The Southern Empire’s army was using it. Do you remember the island behind the mountain, hidden from view? The one between our land and the Southern Empire’s?”
“Yes.”
“There was a military presence, but not as many troops as we expected. The area around it was similar.”
I sketched out the terrain I remembered.
“They have a device that can summon reinforcements, and as long as they have that, they can bring soldiers in from anywhere.”
When I explained how people from another space could be brought here using a specific mineral, General Panet was shocked.
“So, they placed the device in a strategic location and brought their soldiers here… you mean they summoned them?”
“That’s right. What appeared to be their forces crossing the mountain was actually just a few soldiers coming into our territory and summoning more.”
General Panet kept stroking his beard.
“The mineral is unusual, so the first time someone sees it, they wouldn’t know what it is. That’s why it must have been difficult for you, Your Majesty, to track them down.”
“If we destroy it, the Southern Empire’s forces won’t be able to easily reach our lands anymore.”
“That’s correct.”
I took a deep breath and proposed the plan I had thought of while wandering the island.
“We might be able to use it against them.”
General Panet raised his eyebrows in surprise.
“That’s why I requested the Senior Wizard’s assistance.”
Weathering seemed to have already guessed the reason.
“He’s an expert in this field, and he’s seen the mineral that can make such a device.”
“Is that true?”
General Panet quickly turned his head, and his eyes lit up with interest.
“There’s a mineral in Count Daidi’s territory that can make the device.”
“Daidi, hmm.”
“We can leave the negotiations to the Chancellor.”
Seeing General Panet worry if Count Daidi would easily hand over the device, Tess spoke as though it wasn’t a big deal.
“There’s just one issue, though. The device made using that mineral is difficult for ordinary people to use.”
Ber had said it would be hard to find an easy path to its use, yet the Southern Empire’s soldiers were using it.
I told Weathering about the mirror with the ancient text written around its edges.
“The mirror in the fairy kingdom had no writing on it, but the one from the Southern Empire had these words written around the edge.”
I drew an oval and marked the position where the text was written.
“Some parts were blocked by soldiers, so I couldn’t see it all.”
“I see.”
Weathering’s brown eyes gleamed as he stood up.
“They might have been able to use the device easily because of this spell.”
“I understand. I’ll take that into consideration. And Lady Hardland.”
“Yes?”
“I have something I’d like to discuss with you privately later.”
“Go ahead.”
Since it seemed like something General Panet shouldn’t know, I readily accepted, and Tess tightened his grip on my hand. You can stay with me.
Weathering stood up to leave with a polite bow, and General Panet, seeming to have something to do, remained in his seat.
“Lady Hardland…”
General Panet glanced at me and trailed off. It must have been because of my pale complexion—
“Ahem, never mind. You must need more rest.”
—It seemed that way, but apparently not. Tess was glaring at him.
“I think a couple of days of rest will do. Please keep that in mind when making plans.”
“No, Lady Hardland.”
“I want to participate. I may have foolishly been captured recently, but that won’t happen again.”
I squeezed Tess’s hand tightly to signify that I didn’t want to be interrupted, and he flinched.
General Panet, who had been watching us carefully, finally smiled brightly.
“Then I look forward to working with you, Lady Hardland.”
Although Tess still seemed displeased, he didn’t object.
General Panet left the room, looking visibly relieved.
As soon as the door closed, Tess placed me on his lap.
He then parted my hair and placed his lips on the back of my neck. The sensation was soothing, making me feel incredibly relaxed.
“Ruby? Is she okay?”
Tess suddenly pulled away.
“Tess?”
“She’s mentally fine. But… well, her body’s not in great shape.”
“Did you lock her up in the dungeon? Oh, no. Well, that doesn’t mean you should let her go. She clearly attempted murder on the emperor.”
But the Southern Empire’s Emperor is a petty, malicious man who messes with people’s souls and minds, so maybe I should consider that. After realizing just how crazy the Emperor is, I felt more sympathy for Ruby.
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