Celebrity Lady - Chapter 127
—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————
Celebrity Lady
Chapter 127
As the blade that had pierced his ribs was drawn out, Victor spat blood from his mouth once more.
“Ahhh! Brother!!!”
I stumbled toward Victor.
“Why, why…….”
Victor’s eyes were losing their focus as he stared at me, and with what little strength remained, he twisted his body.
Clinging to the carriage until the very end, keeping his back to me, Victor wielded his blade without purpose.
“Get, get away…….”
“What, what is this? Why won’t the blade go in?”
“Captain! What is this?”
The masked assassins, who had expected the blade to pierce Victor, seemed bewildered.
Mercifully, they showed no intention of attacking Victor further.
Yet I could not calm myself.
Blood flowing from the gaping wound, and Victor barely standing…….
The sight was far too hopeless.
Patter.
Tap-tap.
As if to wash away this entire catastrophe, raindrops began to fall from the sky.
Soon the assassins’ voices drifted through the pelting downpour, fragmented and broken.
“This is unexpected. A thing like —— could be a problem if brought in. You all ——.”
“Yes, Captain!”
My mind had gone blank. I held the losing-consciousness Victor from behind and asked him.
<Wishit, Wishit. Could you……>
<—— —.>
As if waiting for my question, Wishit answered.
* * *
A secret base within the estate.
Nathan, who had been waiting for Rubetria, asked Pose.
“No matter how I think about it, there was no need to send that many assassins. And really, there was no reason to send assassins to bring her in at all, was there?”
“You never know. What if the guards beside her are incredibly strong?”
“Hmm.”
On Pose’s advice, Nathan had sent more than thirty assassins after Rubetria.
He eyed his spirit with persistent suspicion, that playful expression never wavering.
“If something goes wrong, you die and I die. Understood?”
“Ehhh. What could possibly go wrong? I said bring her without harming a hair on her head.”
……Of course, only that girl Rubetria.
Pose swallowed the rest and drifted into the air, giggling slyly to herself.
Pose, who came and went from the Spirit Font, knew well. She knew that the summoning of Boulder, Victor Diolus’s spirit, had been blocked.
‘Perhaps he died?’
No matter how skilled, thirty-to-one without Unbreakable Protection would be difficult.
Pose was genuinely hoping Victor Diolus would be eliminated this time.
‘If by chance that foolish girl actually decides to take rotten Nathan’s side…… she’ll turn back from this.’
It would be problematic if Rubetria deliberately chose to help Nathan.
If Victor died now, Rubetria would hold a grudge against Nathan—a fine outcome.
But even if, by some miracle, Wishit’s power kept Victor alive, that wasn’t bad either.
If Rubetria lost her three wishes quickly, leaving her powerless, that too would be advantageous.
‘Rubetria…… Please, just stay docile, still, and safe.’
She had to be. At least until every member of the imperial family was eliminated.
“Your Highness!”
At that moment, five armed assassins quickly entered the base.
One assassin carried a large leather sack on his shoulder. By any measure, it looked like a person was inside.
Nathan gasped at the sight.
“You, what are you all doing?”
Nathan quickly opened the sack.
“……!”
As expected. What emerged from the sack was Rubetria—her hands and feet bound, a gag in her mouth.
Her eyes were swollen red from crying.
“Are you insane?!”
Nathan shouted at the assassins.
“Who told you to bring her like this!”
He was genuinely furious. Even if he coaxed and soothed Rubetria until she became completely his own, it would hardly be enough!
“Forgive us, Your Highness. But her resistance was so severe…….”
“Damn it!”
Nathan, trembling, hastily undid Rubetria’s bindings. He was sweating profusely as he fretted over her.
“M-my lady…… I am truly sorry. It was never my intention to meet you in such a disrespectful manner. It seems those I sent made a mistake…….”
Freed, Rubetria rubbed her tingling wrists and, with Nathan’s support, barely managed to rise.
Eyes marked by tears. An expression utterly hollow.
Pose, observing Rubetria’s expression from behind, grew curious.
‘Is he dead? Victor Diolus…….’
* * *
Blink, blink.
How much time had passed?
When I finally managed to open my heavy eyelids.
Victor saw an unfamiliar ceiling of his own room.
“Rubetria!!”
As he bolted upright, a terrible pain shot through his ribs.
“Agh!”
“Don’t move!”
A voice thick with concern rang out.
Only then did Victor notice the others in the room.
Biego, his older brother, wore a worried expression.
On the opposite side sat his father, face impassive.
And next to him—Lark, the crown prince, confusion written across his features.
“Where is Rubetria?”
“In her room.”
When Victor asked Biego, Leonard answered instead.
“The wound is deep. You’ve been unconscious for two days. Lie back down and we can talk.”
Biego, frowning at the state of Victor’s body, forcibly pushed him back down onto the bed.
Over his bare skin, bandages were wrapped, and the wound had already begun to bleed through.
‘Two days…….’
Victor mumbled vacantly to himself.
“You nearly died. Your organs were completely torn apart. The Crown Prince was kind enough to urgently bring the Fourth Prince, and that’s how we managed to save you.”
As Victor recalled, the Fourth Prince was a Spiritist with Intermediate Healing.
“Even so, we’re not out of danger yet. He said we need to observe your condition closely for several more days.”
“…….”
“And don’t worry about Rubetria. She’s fine—nothing happened. You came back half-dead, which was a shock, though.”
Biego sighed as he continued.
“A few hours later, Rubetria came home too. She said you two were attacked by those masked men together.”
“She, she came home alone? Is she hurt?”
Biego shook his head.
“Not at all. She’s fine. She’s sleeping now, so talk to her when she wakes up.”
He couldn’t understand how she could be completely unhurt, but…… at least the fact that Rubetria was safe brought Victor some relief.
“Victor.”
Biego, his lips pressed tight, pulled his chair closer and asked.
“Why were you hurt? What happened?”
Victor of all people—a Spiritist blessed with Unbreakable Protection—had suffered wounds grave enough to be on death’s door from masked assassins.
No one could make sense of it.
“Is it very painful?”
Concerned by Victor’s lack of response, Biego leaned closer to examine him.
“……Get lost.”
“What?”
“I said get lost.”
Victor moved the arm covering his eyes and glared fiercely at Biego.
“Don’t you dare show that annoying face of yours to me again. I want to tear it to shreds.”
Biego was momentarily at a loss for words. Leonard, listening, frowned.
“The Crown Prince is present. Mind your language.”
“You’re just the same, Father!!”
Victor bolted upright, shouting.
Tremendous pain assailed him, but that was the least of his concerns. He was seething with rage.
“You gave birth to me—is that enough? As if you’re the most miserable person in the world? The tragic protagonist?”
“……You.”
“You shut yourself in your room and drink day after day, whining about missing her. Did Mother appear in your dreams and thank you?”
“…….”
“You covered your ears, closed your mouth. You didn’t even know what your daughter was suffering under this same roof. You have no right to hear ‘Father’ from Rubetria.”
“Victor. That’s enough.”
Lark hurried to intervene, alarmed by Victor’s relentless words.
But Victor paid no heed and continued.
“That girl’s got guts, I tell you. She still begs these people to take care of her.”
“Victor. I know you’re angry, but you’re being too harsh with Father. Just calm dow—”
As Biego reached for his shoulder, Victor shook him off irritably.
“Get lost!”
“Victor.”
“You’re not even worth mentioning. Get out, seriously.”
Victor seized Biego by the collar with violence.
“When Rubetria begged for your help, what did you say?”
Biego went rigid.
“She said Grandmother seemed to hate her, that she was saying it openly—what did you say, you bastard?”
“…….”
“You’re the worst of all.”
Victor’s eyes, sharp with fury, glistened with tears.
Biego could say nothing, his lips only trembling.
“Me too.”
Soon the strength drained from Victor’s hands.
“I’m garbage too…….”
Amid the silence of all present, only Victor’s voice, breaking with sobs, continued.
“A coward…….”
Then Victor rose from the bed. Gritting his teeth through the intense pain.
“I’m taking Rubetria and leaving this place. Don’t expect to see her face ever again.”
“Victor.”
Lark quickly stepped forward to block his path.
“I know you understand, Victor.”
“Understand what?”
“Everything. Truly everything. I’m not entirely certain, but… something was said to me about spirits and such. How did you even find out?”
Two days ago.
Rubetria had come from meeting Nathan.
Everything had been proceeding smoothly according to plan, but one thing—
Victor had become an unexpected variable.
Once he regained consciousness, Lark knew Victor would erupt like an active volcano, and so he had waited here for him to wake.
“Calm yourself and let’s talk just the two of us. Duke Diolus, and the Duke—would you mind stepping out for a moment?”
Before Lark could finish, Victor seized him by the collar with a sharp jab.
“……Victor.”
“Victor, please! Please, just calm down!”
His eyes looked wild, seeing nothing—yet he had the Crown Prince by the throat.
Even in the chaos, Biego tried to stop him, but Victor didn’t even blink.
“I am disappointed, Your Highness.”
Victor brought his face close to Lark’s and murmured.
“You should handle your own family’s sordid affairs yourselves. Why did you use my sister?”
“……It’s a misunderstanding. Calm down and listen to me.”
“No. There’s nothing to listen to. You used my sister, didn’t you? Even if she offered to help, you should have refused.”
Victor laughed bitterly as he added.
“How is someone as clever as Your Highness unable to foresee that Rubetria would be in danger if she got caught up in your affairs?”
“…….”
In that moment, Lark’s words froze in his throat. Victor laughed bitterly again.
“You knew all along. You kept quiet because you wanted to keep using my sister for yourself.”
“…….a moment.”
“My sister is a Spiritist!”
Damn. With an expression of bitter realization, Lark’s eyes clenched shut.
Biego and Leonard stiffened in shock.
“You knew that all along!”
—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————