"Hi, hi hi! Dead!"
Just as planned, I collapsed to the ground without any resistance. Mercedes stepped on my back a few times and then screamed with pleasure. Her movements were gentle and graceful, as if she were dancing.
"It's dead, it's dead! I killed it!"
I lay still, gritting my teeth and waiting for the opportunity.
At that moment, a noise rang out from somewhere. People must have been coming because they heard a loud noise here. Never have I seen the presence of a crowd so gratifying.
I jumped up as quickly as lightning and screamed:
"Ahaaa! Help me! This woman is going to kill me!"
Seeing the body that she thought was dead suddenly stand up, Mercedes' expression changed from joy to extreme horror. Afraid she would steal the weapon, I tightly grasped the hilt of the dagger stuck in my stomach.
Of course I was carefully prepared for this stabbing situation. Underneath my coat, I wore a layer of iron chain mail, and on the outside was also lined with several thick layers of lard, so the blade could not touch my skin. Everything from the beginning until now is just a play to deceive Mercedes.
The situation turned so suddenly that Mercedes was lost. She stood rooted to the spot, only turning her head to look around in extreme panic.
“What is that sound?”
“I heard a woman scream!”
Right after that, Delfina and her archers and knights appeared.
"Ah! W-What's going on! Come and see!"
Delfina let out a scream and rushed towards me.
"Your Highness the Prince! Lady Aronzo has attacked the Prince!"
Delfina shouted loudly, naming my attacker as planned. Hearing that, the knights immediately took action. The sound of metal colliding rang out and I saw Mercedes moving backwards.
“She's trying to run away!”
As soon as I shouted, Richard appeared, blocking Mercedes right in front of me. He chanted a binding spell, causing Mercedes to fall to the ground, unable to move another step.
"What is this all about? Who dares to murder His Royal Highness the Prince?"
The palace servants led by Delfina began to gather in large numbers. Among them was Countess Elvira, the Queen's confidant.
I saw the Countess with a steely expression approaching. Alright. Everything is going quite smoothly.
However, instead of asking about my situation, who was lying with a dagger in her stomach, she went straight to Mercedes. She looked down at Mercedes who was lying on the ground unable to move and asked:
“What is this?”
“Ah, ah……. That, that…….”
Mercedes rolled her eyes continuously, hesitated for a long time, then as if she suddenly remembered something, she quickly shouted:
"I-I caught that woman red-handed doing shady superstitious acts here. She's an impure woman. It's the act of a witch!"
“Superstitious?”
The eyes of Countess Elvira and all the palace staff turned to me.
I smiled faintly. Luckily, I anticipated this situation and prepared a backup plan. I put more strength into my voice and responded:
"Superstition? I really don't understand what you're talking about. Who commits superstitious acts?"
Mercedes also did not give up. She screamed as if betting her life on this accusation:
"I saw with my own eyes that evil woman performing evil magic. She was definitely cursing someone!"
"Curse. Do you call this a curse?"
I opened the package I brought with me, holding out the contents in front of everyone.
Shouts of surprise rang out among the archers and knights. Because what I'm holding in my hand is the Bible and the Cross.
Taking advantage of the victory, I loudly affirmed:
"The confessor can testify that I come here to pray every night. I just want to pray for the poor soul of the Prince Concubine candidate who committed suicide here!"
Hearing that, Mercedes rolled her eyes and screamed:
"D-Don't lie! I obviously saw you burning those weird papers!"
Actually, what Mercedes said is not wrong. It was true that I burned papers filled with magical words – which Richard had helped me prepare – and buried them in the ground every night. But today was the first time I brought the Bible and the Cross, something they didn't know about.
"The Bible and the Cross. Lady Aronzo thinks these things are strange? Just how twisted are you normally in your thoughts to say such blasphemous things?"
I skillfully attacked Mercedes' moral turpitude and lack of faith, causing her face to turn red with anger and shame.
At this time, the confessional priest that Delfina brought also spoke up to confirm what I said.
"That's true. His Royal Highness the Royal Highness comes to me every day, expressing his desire to pray for the health of the First Prince and comfort the souls of the previous Prince Concubines candidates. Therefore, I have instructed him on how to pray at night."
The priest's confirmation made everyone's eyes looking at Mercedes become harsh. Public opinion began to point criticism at her.
“Is she planning to kill the Prince who is praying sincerely?”
“Why is this such an immoral thing!”
“Speaking of which, that woman always shows an unpleasant attitude whenever a new Prince Concubine arrives, perhaps……?”
The whispers grew louder. The unexpected counterattack left Mercedes completely disoriented, she stuttered and was speechless.
"N-No. No, it wasn't my doing!"
But the dagger stuck in my stomach and all the evidence unanimously denounced her crime.
“Merche, why do you do that?”
A person stepped out, parting the crowd and moving forward. That's Caesar.
“Ce, Cesar…… Your Highness?”
Mercedes slowly shook her head. She looked even more panicked than when others discovered her crime.
"Why?"
Cesar walked straight to me and helped me up. Witnessing that scene, she scratched her head and screamed miserably.
“Aaaa! Aaaaaaa!”
She shook her head vigorously and shouted:
"Cesar! How can you treat me like that?"
But Cesar remained silent and did not respond.
"How is it possible? It's because of that woman. That woman seduced you. My son! My son! My innocent son!"
Her voice was filled with bloodthirsty madness. Thanks to Divine Eye Wisdom, I know the reason Mercedes became Cesar's wet nurse. It was the young Cesar who filled the void in her heart after she lost her biological child.
But that obsession seems to have gone beyond the limit. No matter what, killing all the women who approached Cesar was an intolerable act.
“No, my son…… I have to feed him milk…….”
Mercedes mumbled strange words like a lunatic. Then she started banging her head on the ground. No one had time to stop her. She hit her head several times, causing blood to flow down her forehead.
At this rate, Mercedes might die. We can't let her die here. No matter what happens, I must expose all of this woman's sins to light.
“Quickly stop her!”
Just as I shouted sharply.
“Ahaha!”
Mercedes laughed loudly. That smile was so sad and tragic that it was scary. She laughed hard as she unbuttoned each button from top to bottom. Her skinny chest was exposed to everyone's eyes.
Mercedes opened her arms towards Cesar.
"Come on, Cesar. Come here and give me some breast milk."
Then she crawled towards Cesar.
Moaning and wailing rang out everywhere. The accompanying priest did not dare to look at this unpleasant scene, quickly closed his eyes, turned away, shook his head and crossed himself repeatedly.
“Is she really crazy?”
“Tsk tsk, how pitiful…….”
“Lady Aronzo has long been mentally unstable.”
Public opinion suddenly turned towards sympathy. This situation is not good at all. Impossible. If this continues, Mercedes will be considered a psychopath.
She can use the excuse of mental instability to justify her wrongdoing. Of course, even if you are considered mentally ill, you will still be punished. But if her guilt is mitigated, if she does not acknowledge and repent of her actions, then what is the point of all this?
I must represent the four girls who lost their lives at her hands to demand justice. People died unjustly at the hands of this cruel woman. Those people weren't even properly investigated and were just blamed for death due to a "curse."
“It can't be like that…….”
I have to clarify everything. Only then can the souls of the innocent girls murdered by her be freed.
What to do? How to escape this dangerous situation?
At that moment, the servant's loud shout echoed from afar.
"Long live Her Majesty the Asetria Empire. Guardian of the Wooden Cross and Rose, representative of Compassion and Integrity, Queen Cornelia has come. All of you, please pay your respects."
The Queen has appeared. Alright. I smiled triumphantly in my heart.