Chapter 120

If Lady Viscount Rosetta had been sent back to the Viscount house, she would have been killed by Hasis during the night.

Kylus spoke to the relieved Alice.

“Then let me ask this time. Helkin checked Lady Viscount’s condition and said she’s pregnant. Is the reason you were chasing Lady Viscount related to her pregnancy? Is that child… perhaps the Second Prince’s?”

Alice’s eyes went round instantly.

Because Kylus had pinpointed the exact truth.

‘This is practically detective-level deduction.’

No matter how perceptive someone is, it wasn’t easy to figure everything out just from the Second Prince’s expression and her trailing alone. Yet he grasped it so quickly.

‘All this time I thought I was cleverly deceiving someone this intelligent.’

Alice realized her foolishness and honestly admitted it.

“Yes. You’re right. The child Lady Viscount carries is the Second Prince’s.”

“I suppose you can’t tell me how you knew such a secret either?”

Kylus gazed at Alice intently.

His eyes held no pressure to confess everything or suspicion. Rather, they seemed concerned for her.

Worry about Alice knowing such secrets.

Alice lowered her gaze slightly.

No matter how she thought about it, honestly telling him how she knew was impossible.

‘I read a book about this world in my past life—that sounded like crazy talk even if Kylus believed her.’

Plus, telling him his world was merely a book would shock him deeply.

Alice bit her lip before slowly raising her eyes.

“Could you… just think of it as divine grace letting me know things others don’t?”

“You don’t need to be so hesitant. If you don’t want to talk about it, I won’t pry.”

“Thank you…”

Alice started to smile faintly at Kylus but paused.

Divine being… come to think of it, she’d heard the god’s voice in that space.

And before regaining consciousness, she thought she’d heard something from the deity…

Alice furrowed her brow. But despite her groans of concentration, the god’s words wouldn’t come to mind.

“Alice?”

When Kylus called her name after she suddenly stopped talking, she abandoned her thoughts.

‘If it was important, I wouldn’t have forgotten,’ she thought—which would infuriate the deity if heard.

“Oh, it’s nothing.”

“May I ask one more thing? Not related to how you get information.”

“It’s fine. Ask.”

“Was Hasis Winston the one who attacked you yesterday?”

“How did you…”

“You shouted Sir Winston’s name as soon as you regained consciousness at dawn.”

“Ah…”

‘I did that?’ As Alice looked sheepish and nodded, Kylus murmured low.

‘Who would’ve thought Sir Winston was the Empress’s man?’ He immediately asked with a serious face.

“Then Sir Winston used black magic?”

“No. Black magic… wasn’t Sir Winston’s ability. That was probably…”

“The Empress.”

“It seems so. He said his mistress had used special power.”

Alice recalled Hasis’s words.

Though still very confusing since it wasn’t in the original story, he’d definitely said the Empress created that space.

“Mistress… and the Empress of a nation using black magic.”

Kylus sneered with a cold face.

His chilling demeanor made Alice shiver—as if he’d behead the Empress if she were before him.

“…But there’s no evidence. That Sir Winston attacked me yesterday, that the Empress uses black magic… that Sir Winston and the Empress are connected. We failed to secure proof.”

“So you entered the hunting competition to get evidence.”

“Yes. The Empress tried to kill Lady Viscount Rosetta, who carries the Second Prince’s child, using Sir Winston. I didn’t expect them to try killing me too.”

Alice told what she knew.

Kylus hummed thoughtfully and nodded.

“We’ll gather evidence gradually. There’ll be other opportunities. For now, let’s focus on exposing Lady Viscount Rosetta and the Second Prince’s relationship. That alone will deal a heavy blow to the Empress.”

He frowned slightly.

“And about black magic, we should keep quiet for now. Since Alice’s holy power significantly escalated yesterday’s incident.”

“Escalated?”

“The black magic the Empress cast yesterday was high-class. And Alice’s holy power that shattered it was even more remarkable.”

Kylus briefly explained what happened after she collapsed.

“The tremendous holy power wave was felt by High Priest Prion and other priests at the hunting grounds. Prion covered by claiming he used great power to save the attacked Duchess… If word spreads about black magic attacks, things will get complicated.”

Black magic.

Using forbidden magic to attack—while it couldn’t directly implicate the Empress, it wasn’t a bad card.

Either way, news would spread that black magic was involved in this incident with the Second Prince, and the Empress, as his mother, wouldn’t escape criticism.

But if commotion arose from her holy power as Kylus said, they needed to step back.

With rumors already circulating about Alice’s holy power, if black magic came up, people would suspect who broke it—including Alice at the scene.

Maybe someone would think the powerful holy power wasn’t Prion’s but the Duchess’s.

So hiding behind High Priest Prion was safest for now.

‘But… Prion helped me again.’

However it happened, she’d received High Priest Prion’s help once more.

As Alice felt grateful, she let out an urgent exclamation.

“But Lady Viscount also saw the space created by black magic…”

“I’ll handle Lady Viscount’s silence. It won’t be difficult.”

He continued composed.

“We’ll conclude the hunting competition attack as a simple assassination attempt, then immediately push for the Second Prince’s trial using Lady Viscount Rosetta.”

Keeping silent… at Kylus’s somewhat frightening words, Alice quickly spoke.

“Before Your Grace acts, I want to meet Lady Viscount first. Rather than using power to manipulate her, I’ll persuade her to act sincerely on her own.”

She’d wanted to use Lady Viscount Rosetta against the Second Prince and Empress, but never intended pressuring her with the Duchy’s power. She’d wanted to save her.

So after this incident, Alice genuinely wanted to help Lady Viscount start a new life.

Seeing Alice’s firm determination, Kylus frowned in displeasure but soon conceded.

“…Fine. We’ll do it your way.”

Unlike easily yielding on Lady Viscount Rosetta’s matter, Kylus didn’t let Alice meet her immediately.

Different from Alice’s urgency, Kylus gently said Lady Viscount wouldn’t suddenly flee, suggesting breakfast first.

Alice countered she wasn’t hungry, but Kylus wouldn’t relent.

With a smooth smile, he ignored her protest and called the butler to prepare breakfast.

Eventually, Alice surrendered and ate late breakfast with Kylus.

When she insisted she wasn’t hungry, Kylus simply ignored her protests without responding.

Only when Alice finally said, “Fine, I’ll eat before going,” did Kylus respond—”Good thinking.”

Though Kylus’s persistence to get his desired answer was somewhat exasperating, it didn’t really bother her. She knew his stubbornness came from worry.

After getting injured, collapsing, regaining consciousness at dawn, and… fainting again from one kiss.

Kylus had every reason to worry about her condition.

Though Alice was fully recovered.

Anyway, she ate breakfast with Kylus, thinking she’d done right listening to him when warm soup filled her stomach.

Only after watching Alice finish her meal did Kylus rise. He then headed straight for the palace.

Turns out he should’ve been at the palace already.

Both the military leadership duties and investigating yesterday’s hunting competition attack fell to Kylus.

Despite his extremely busy schedule, he’d waited to confirm Alice was awake and well.

‘Of course. You’re most important to me.’

That’s what Kylus said when Alice fussed about why he’d waited.

‘Most important to him…’ The thought made Alice’s smile spread involuntarily at Kylus’s direct confession.

Because she really, really liked Kylus too.

Honestly, Kylus’s perfection was undeniable.

How could her heart not flutter when such a man valued her above his own life?

As Alice chuckled, her eyes met Sir Ruyd’s beside her.