My Contract Husband is Going Crazy Because of My Iron Wall - Chapter 54.1
Chapter 54.1
“How is punching me physical affection?! This doesn’t make my heart flutter!”
“Your skin touched, didn’t it? By my definition, that’s physical affection.”
‘What is this man even saying?!’
The absurdity of it completely erased the anxiety I’d been carrying all day.
“Reinhardt, you’re just a contract husband, yet you’re incredibly possessive. Irovel wouldn’t like this level of obsession.”
“That’s none of your concern.”
Despite his coldly delivered words, Reinhardt’s blue eyes darted around nervously, checking my reaction.
“…Did I go too far?”
“What can I do about being so easily swayed? I understand completely.”
“What in the world is this conversation? Have I been missing out on this amusing spectacle all this time?”
Reinhardt and I both shot a sharp look at the sneering Amil.
“Quiet, Marquess Leopold! Tell us what you’ve been up to.”
“I passed an audition and became an actor. I ran away from the mansion because of my father’s objections, and eventually, I landed a supporting role.”
Amil narrowed his eyes, pointing at the prisoner on stage.
“…Although, I got it as this fellow’s replacement.”
“Ah… You were in the same theatre troupe, then?”
“Indeed. Don’t look so concerned. I don’t feel particularly bad about it. He was known for sexually harassing and verbally abusing his colleagues, so frankly, I think he deserved it.”
Hearing that, any sympathy I’d felt for him as a fellow half-demon vanished without a trace.
“It’s better for the world to be rid of such people.”
The thought lightened my heart considerably. Just then, accompanied by the resounding melody of grand instruments, the members of the Imperial family emerged in the main square. My previously uplifted spirits sank once more as I watched the procession.
Twenty-one concubines, the Empress, and that good-for-nothing Emperor took their places on the stage.
“Shall we go back now?”
Now that we’d confirmed the condemned wasn’t Amil, there was no reason to stay. However, I had to shake my head at Reinhardt’s suggestion.
“I’d like to, but there are too many people.”
The crowd was so dense that we were effectively trapped until the execution was over.
“It can’t be helped. We’ll have to leave after the execution.”
“People of my beloved Empire, listen!”
The Emperor stepped up to the magic-powered voice amplifier in the center of the stage.
“The Demon King Belloa, upon concluding the war with humanity, signed a peace treaty promising never to invade the human realm again. However, the Demon King’s subordinate, Te…”
‘He’s doing surprisingly well with the solemn tone,’ I thought, just as the Emperor glanced down at his palm. ‘Figures.’ He was clearly just reading from a prepared script.
“…Tenebra, having lost a power struggle with the Demon King, fled to the human realm. And at that time, some of our people, seduced by Tenebra, committed the sin of creating hybrid offspring of demons and humans.”
‘That’s utter nonsense.’
If that were true, wouldn’t all half-demons be Tenebra’s children?
Half-demons were simply the children born from ordinary unions between demons and humans before the gate to the demon realm had closed. But no one knew the truth.
Not even the half-demons themselves. Humanity had twisted history, and the half-demons, raised among humans, had unknowingly embraced this distorted version of events. The only one who knew the truth was me, thanks to the novel I’d read.
“We, as humans, have the duty to eradicate all sin. Today, we gather for this very purpose!”
The crowd erupted in cheers. The Emperor, who had been so afraid of being pelted with eggs during the trial, now basked in the applause.
“I wondered why the Day of Judgment was scheduled so hastily… It seems he’s trying to recover the public support he lost after the trial.”
Amil sneered at the stage, his expression clearly showing that he, once the Emperor’s man, had now completely turned against him.
“Bring the sinner to the Gate of Judgment!”
Knights escorted the prisoner to an arch-shaped gate, just large enough for a single person to pass through. The atmosphere in the square intensified.
“Demon King Belloa! Let it be known that this judgment is a consequence of your failure to control your subordinate!”
The knights shoved the sinner through the Gate of Judgment.
As the prisoner passed through, their brown hair instantly turned pink. Light began to gather in the thousands of red jewels embedded in the top of the gate before converging around Empress Roxanne, who was seated closest to the Emperor.
“What’s that light? I don’t remember seeing that last year.”
Amil muttered, puzzled. I frowned, staring at the light.
‘I don’t recall any such description in the novel. What is it? Am I forgetting something?’
“I hope I’m not the only one seeing this.”
“I don’t see anything.”
Reinhardt replied, glancing at me. He seemed to be asking if I could see it, so I nodded discreetly, keeping it from Amil.
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