My Past Life is Riddled With Many Sins - Chapter 39
Fathom shouted back in frustration, but Regina was satisfied that her guess was fairly accurate.
‘My memory isn’t too bad after all.’
However, separate from the fleeting satisfaction, she had to deal with the matter at hand.
“Alright, Rupert. Why did you approach me by impersonating Prince Iskanda?”
“Well, it’s…”
Fathom recalled the conversation he had with Darien.
“Rupert, whatever you do is up to you, but don’t bring me up.”
“Using me as the vanguard, huh? Always so cryptic.”
“It seems the intelligence from your past life still lingers, Rupert. I’m glad to have such a friend.”
Darien seemed not yet ready to reveal his identity as Prince Iskanda, so Fathom couldn’t just say it wasn’t impersonation but rather following Darien’s instructions.
“Just, uh, out of boredom? Thought I’d play a prank.”
Regina, observing him stutter, pressed the butter knife closer to his neck.
As the swaying golden mana approached his skin, Fathom froze. Despite its pretty light, a Swordmaster’s mana blade could split even a solid rock in half, let alone separate a man’s head from his body.
He rolled his eyes in panic. Loyalty is important, but not as much as his life. The reason he ended up in this predicament was because he was following Darien’s orders, after all.
It was time to reveal the truth.
He slowly began to speak.
“Alright. I’ll explain everything. Here’s what happened… actually…”
At that moment, an unidentified light burst from his earring. Startled by the sudden phenomenon, Regina instinctively stepped back, and when she looked again, he had vanished as if he had never been there.
* * *
“Hick!”
Fathom was shocked by the sudden change of scenery. He had been unmistakably in a secluded area behind the building, being threatened by Regina.
But now, out of nowhere, he found himself in the middle of his dorm room. What on earth had just happened?
As he stood confused by the inexplicable situation, someone opened the door and entered. Turning his head to check, it was Darien. With his arms crossed, Darien leaned against the doorframe and sneered.
“I’m disappointed, Fathom. To think you’d betray a friend without any sense of loyalty.”
“Sorry, but I had no choice if I wanted to survive… But how did you know?”
Instead of answering, Darien simply tapped his ear. Following the gesture, Fathom fiddled with his earring and then screamed.
“What! You were eavesdropping on me?”
“Be thankful I saved your life. I even transported you to safety.”
“It’s all your fault I ended up in that situation in the first place, you crazy bastard.”
“At least now you know about ‘Her Majesty.'”
“Well, that’s true but…”
“You’re safe, aren’t you? What’s the problem?”
Fathom found himself speechless. He felt it wasn’t right, but couldn’t pinpoint exactly why. Unwilling to let it go, he found another problem.
“You should have rescued me sooner!”
“There are magic circles in the academy that interfere with the flow of magic. I tried, but that was the best I could do.”
Darien shrugged as if there was nothing he could do, but Fathom didn’t buy it.
It was true that most wizards had difficulties using magic within the academy due to the magic circles installed for the safety of the students. However, this applied only to ‘most wizards’.
“Don’t joke, you fraud. You’re the Magic Tower Master!”
“Being a Magic Tower Master doesn’t mean I’m omnipotent. And remember, that’s supposed to be a secret.”
“You used movement magic not long ago like it was nothing!”
“Oh, right. My bad.”
Darien’s insincere apology made Fathom tremble with anger before he sighed heavily. That was typical of Darien.
That woman must have been worried he might harm her precious concubine. Darien would harm him if he had to, but Fathom wasn’t capable of such things. What misconceptions was she under?
Exhausted, he slumped onto the sofa. Not because he was throwing a tantrum, but because his legs gave out.
He was still shaken.
That gaze. That intensity.
It felt as if all the hairs on his body were standing on end.
The girl with no distinctive features or appeal was nowhere to be found. In her place stood the Empress once revered across the continent, the notorious reaper of Enfield known to silence even crying children.
It was baffling how she managed to hide her identity so perfectly up to now.
They say even a small awl cannot be hidden in a bag without showing, but this was not just an awl but a rapier. Even one wrapped in mana. And yet, she dared to try to conceal her true nature. Might as well try covering the sky with the palm of one’s hand.
He chuckled bitterly, rubbing his neck.
The eyes that glowed golden with drawn mana, the wheat-colored hair swaying in the breeze. Perhaps it was the change in aura, but he found himself unable to look away from that previously unremarkable appearance.
And now, the image kept haunting him…
“Stay still. Would you prefer to be a dartboard?”
“Hick!”
The sudden flashback to his previous life made Fathom grasp his face in terror.
The devil-like woman with hair as red as blood, letting her lengthy locks hang loose with a dart in hand. Since that day, the sight of red hair would petrify him like a mouse in front of a cat.
Which is why he still can’t face the dean directly.
As Fathom curled up and trembled alone, Darien spoke.
“Are you planning to keep wearing that earring?”
Only then did Fathom remember the earring was bugged with a listening spell. Irritably, he removed the earring from his ear.
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