Deadline Is Raining in the Status Window - Chapter 168

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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In that regard, Evan Laef was truly exceptional. How had that child understood that participating in the succession struggle, grasping at straws and shaking them about, would solve nothing?
In his youth, Bruno had believed that if he took the initiative, something would change. Only as he grew older did he realize that no matter how much he ran back and forth, he could barely influence the current of events by a fingernail’s width.
That was why he wanted to pass the house to Evan. The child already understood at a young age what he had only recently grasped. And he wanted to teach her that while problems could not be solved, one could still exercise influence—even if it was merely half a fingernail’s worth of power.
“Ah, I wish I could adopt Evan as my daughter.”
“What nonsense are you speaking, sir?”
“No, seeing you makes me miss our Evan.”
That mad bastard. Sunbird wanted to rush out immediately, grab Evan by the collar, and shout at her never to go near Duke Zibenstein. But he restrained himself. He had come this far to settle things once and for all.
“I know what your ability is.”
“Ooooh, my ability? Kyaa, how curious, how very curious?”
“An illusion that time has stopped.”
What in the world was this bastard? Even Common Professor, his twenty-year companion, believed it was magic that stopped time—yet Sunbird had grasped its true nature precisely. The man decided there was no need to deny this, crossed his legs, and spoke with leisurely confidence.
“How did you figure that out?”
“What good does knowing do you?”
“I need to reduce the number of mouths that know about this.”
The fewer people aware of this magic’s existence, the better. He had always been so careful—where had it leaked from? Bruno was curious, but Sunbird showed no intention of answering willingly.
“If you want to know, cooperate with me.”
“Cooperate? What kind of cooperation?”
“I’ll just die right here.”
If I die, you won’t be able to do as you please with Sera. When Sunbird made this threat, Bruno pouted his lips.
“Does the young friend think dying is easy?”
“In my case, it’s rather easy. Shall I show you?”
The moment Sunbird extended his tongue, Bruno struck the back of his head. A man who had rolled through ten years of warfare had a sharp instinct—this bastard was truly the type to actually do it.
“I almost died!”
“You were actually trying to die! You’re insane!”
Having been struck and bitten his tongue on his fangs, Sunbird drew out a handkerchief to cover his mouth, blood trickling down. Bleeding from the mouth was commonplace for him.
“If I die, I’ve left a will instructing you to withdraw from the succession struggle and retire to the countryside with Mother. That wouldn’t please someone who wants the imperial authority to be halved, would it?”
“Do you think Princess Sera can just leave after we’ve built things this far?”
“The Princess will do it if she decides to. She doesn’t care what others think. If she were the type to consider those around her, would I be suffering like this?”
Indeed, Princess Sera’s temperament was exactly that way. Having built the board this far, if Sera disappeared, finding and supporting a new candidate would be troublesome. As Sunbird said, Bruno’s real aim was to have the princesses exhaust themselves fighting over the Emperor’s assassination, weakening imperial authority itself.
“You’d actually be fine with either Cecilia or Princess Sera becoming Emperor. As long as imperial authority weakens, you can prepare for the next stage.”
Bruno’s expression nearly changed. Keeping his face expressionless was all he could manage. How far ahead was this child seeing?
“Handle future matters as you see fit. For now, we can join hands.”
Stop watching from the sidelines. Help Sera. Sunbird was demanding this of Bruno. Since Bruno had used magic to kill the Emperor, there was no way to pin him as the culprit—no physical evidence, no witnesses.
But until Cecilia was defeated and Sera placed on the throne, Bruno could be useful. Though what awaited afterward was a confrontation with Zibenstein over a halved imperial authority.
“Speaking as someone who has been watching from the sidelines until now—honestly, isn’t Sera falling quite short compared to Cecilia?”
“I’ll use Evan Laef.”
Weren’t they your friends? Bruno Siebenstein’s expression did not hide this time. When looking at trash, one must look at trash with the expression of someone looking at trash.
“There are circumstances you don’t understand. If things go well, Evan Laef will be socially destroyed.”
“Ugh, what a stench.”
Bruno pinched his nose. Reflecting on half my life spent cherishing my friends, the Sunbird before my eyes was garbage of the highest order. To sever a friend’s social life for personal gain—my grandfather butler taught me never to associate with such a beast. Such depravity was beneath contempt.
“If things go well, Evan will simply return to where he belongs!”
“And where exactly does Evan belong?”
“Cooperate, and I’ll tell you.”
“Suspicious and foul-smelling.”
As Bruno held his nose and waved his hand dismissively, the Sunbird gripped the teaspoon tightly, struggling to hide his irritation. The man who had pressed the utensil to his own throat, aiming at his carotid artery, spoke to the Duke in a threatening tone.
“If you don’t cooperate, I die. And if Evan returns to where she belongs, you’ll never be able to take her as your adopted daughter.”
“What nonsense is this?”
“Evan has no reason to need to be your daughter. Her status doesn’t require it.”
Bruno, who had been sipping the tea brought by the servants of the Zibenstein Duke’s Residence, rolled his eyes. A mage, someone of a status that didn’t need to become part of a voting house family, Duke Neftis who had suddenly picked a fight with me at the last party. As various fragments clicked together like puzzle pieces, Bruno reached a conclusion.
“No way.”
He reached it but denied it. That kind Evan couldn’t possibly be that shameless Neftis brat with not a shred of decency.
Mitchell Neftis was a brat Bruno had met once before. Back when he was still merely a member of the House of Diligence and traveled between battlefields while actively engaging in social movements, he had visited the Neftis Duchy Mansion on introduction from the Academy Headmaster. At that time, seeing the brat’s shabby appearance, the Duke had declared that poverty’s stench had seeped into the house and ordered the servants to throw him out in a carpet roll as a criminal.
Truly a reckless, clever, and shameless brat. If the servants hadn’t been preparing the carpet roll while apologizing, and the Headmaster hadn’t appeared to stop them, it would have been a disaster. There was even a risk of it escalating into a conflict between both ducal houses. At that time, Bruno Kenin was also a candidate for the next Duke.
“No. It doesn’t make sense. How could that be? How did she grow up like that?”
Bruno asked subtly, demanding an answer from the Sunbird. But Apet took a firm stance, saying that whether the other party guessed or was certain, he still couldn’t provide exact information.
“I said I’d tell you if you cooperate.”
At those words, Bruno wavered. The man who had stubbornly refused to acknowledge the Emperor’s death and rejected helping Sera until now bit at the bait, too curious about Evan’s true identity.
“I’ll cooperate! I just need to push Sera forward! So is Evan what I’m thinking?!”
“That’s correct.”
“Whoa!”
Bruno gasped in shock, and to confirm his suspicion, he spoke Evan’s true identity aloud.
“Evan is Mitchell Neftis?!”
“Yes. Why else would Duke Neftis have been chasing after Evan since the Market days?”
“This is insane!”
Making a fuss, saying his mouth was itching to burst, Bruno rolled around on the sofa and asked again what he’d already asked. What kind of change of heart could have transformed that brat into the Evan he knew?
“Perhaps nearly dying from obsession with Seian Crown Prince changed her considerably?”
No, that temperament couldn’t have changed from such a shock alone. Was it something else? The grandfather butler had said earlier that something strange seemed to have gotten into him. The way people around Bruno Siebenstein looked at him was the same way Bruno looked at Evan. Suddenly enlightened, Bruno continued his rapid-fire questions to the Sunbird.
“Does Seian Crown Prince know about this?”
“He doesn’t.”
“Oh my god! Oh my god!”
So this insanely entertaining melodrama had been going on without him? How could they exclude him like this? As the excited Bruno rolled across the sofa, the Sunbird’s expression grew distant as he steeled himself. No matter how much Sera needed his help, the thought of joining hands with this fool brought only despair and lamentation.
“Who all knows about this? Do all the Club members know?”
“If Evan hasn’t revealed her identity to anyone else, only Sera and I know. Cecilia seems to have only suspicions.”
“Wow, this is really fun. So that’s why Common Professor said people’s stories are the most entertaining.”
Ilyong was passionate about gossip articles and love songs, always bringing them to share, but Bruno had never understood what was entertaining about other people’s romantic entanglements—until today, when he finally empathized with his friend.
A boy and a girl dating—the most entertaining thing in the world. I won’t be able to sleep tonight. Bruno made a fuss, slapping the sofa cushions. When he asked the Sunbird if he could tell Common Professor about Seian and Evan, the Sunbird nodded and stood up.
“He’s not the type to spread rumors, so it’s fine. Then I’ll take my leave.”
“Huh? Already leaving?”
“I have much to attend to.”
Sunbird withdrew a small recording device from his pocket. The moment the man pressed the button, Bruno Kenin’s forceful words played back exactly as they had been spoken.
– I’ll cooperate! All I need is for you to push Sera forward!
“You agreed to cooperate, after all. I intend to make excellent use of this with the Seven Houses of Zibenstein.”

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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