Hiding the Fact That We Are Dating From the Amnesiac Villain - Chapter 23

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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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Chapter 23
“What?”
Count Seiton’s brow furrowed deeply.
“It wasn’t the Emperor. It was me. I personally slit the throats of that Grand Duke’s precious bloodline and snuffed out the lives of the children. That was all me.”
“…That’s absurd! You were only fifteen at the time!”
And yet he had annihilated an entire household!
“Fifteen is more than old enough to slit a man’s throat. And as you well know, my talent for killing people is nothing short of natural-born genius.”
With those words, Decklin moved his blade with casual grace, severing the tendons in Count Seiton’s remaining leg.
Count Seiton couldn’t bear the excruciating agony and let out a scream.
“After all, it’s hardly uncommon. Noble houses tearing themselves apart through bloodshed to seize power—it’s always been the same, hasn’t it?”
“Ugh… you… you… how dare you…!”
“Count, aren’t you the same? Protecting your house and avenging your sister and nephew’s honor? It’s utterly repulsive and laughable.”
Decklin’s crimson eyes curved into a crescent moon shape, twisted and eerie.
“You were simply consumed with desire for the Grand Duke’s seat in Caesar, that’s all.”
That was the moment.
Behind Decklin, a grotesque and pitch-black demonic aura began to bloom, as if swallowing light itself.
At the horrifying sight, Count Seiton’s blood-soaked lips trembled in convulsions.
The being before him was no longer human.
“…You… surely you didn’t make a contract with a demon god in a human body?”
Instead of answering, Decklin smiled, devilish and cruel.
Now Caesar would…
What on earth would become of it?
“Save me…”
Decklin smiled and slowly raised his blade high.
* * *
Stepping through the pool of blood, Decklin approached Count Seiton’s sacred vessel.
He gazed with interest at the reflection in the water within the urn.
“I was curious what he found so amusing to look at…”
And it was this?
Decklin’s gaze grew heavy and sank.
Flowing pink hair swayed gently with the ripples of water.
The eyes beyond it seemed to be looking at Decklin, reaching toward where he stood.
Decklin met the gaze of those eyes reflected on the water’s surface and let out a bitter laugh.
Was the sacred vessel broken?
“This is my weakness?”
There was none other than…
Freena Crowell.
His hand instantly disturbed the water.
The woman’s face, which seemed to be erased by the violent current, did not disappear in the end as the water grew calm again.
“This is…”
This is troublesome.
The investigation into Freena Crowell was already complete.
She’d lost her parents in a fire, raised her siblings alone, and struggled desperately to earn tuition for the Academy. That was all there was to it.
But had he overlooked something?
Decklin’s hand remained submerged in the cold water.
This time, instead of disturbing the surface, he reached out to seize her throat directly.
Yet the moment his fingers touched the water, her reflection scattered mockingly once more.
He couldn’t reach her now anyway.
Once he left this place, he could kill her whenever he wished. There was nothing difficult about it.
That such a creature had become his weakness.
A bitter laugh finally escaped Decklin’s lips.
But the smile that appeared quickly faded away.
* * *
On the morning commute to work.
Freena, who had left the Caesar ring at home, found herself consumed by unease.
‘Once I obtain the tracking orb, Decklin will find the ring.’
So I couldn’t keep the ring forever. Not unless I wanted Decklin to discover that I possessed a family heirloom.
…And above all, there was a far greater problem.
“Return it to me when I come back.”
I had no idea what Hugho—or rather, Decklin—was thinking when he gave me the ring.
‘If I keep this ring much longer, I’ll die.’
Literally.
From the curse of a sacred artifact.
The Caesar ring had been bound through resonance with successive heads of the family across generations. Decklin was no exception.
But there was a fatal problem.
A sacred artifact bound through resonance accepts only the touch of its master. If someone other than the master tries to possess it…
‘It inflicts a truly horrific curse of agony.’
Especially with high-tier sacred artifacts of rank three or above.
Freena should have died long ago. I don’t know how I survived for a whole year…but perhaps I was simply lucky?
At least the ring hadn’t yet realized it had been separated from its true master.
‘Decklin gave it to me knowing I could be cursed to death.’
I had no idea why, but the more I thought about it, the more betrayal welled up inside me.
Then there was only one solution.
‘Break the resonance with Decklin and bind myself to the ring instead.’
…Then even Decklin wouldn’t be able to lay a finger on me or my siblings.
I wouldn’t have to tremble wondering when he’d recover his memories. He would be powerless to do anything to me.
It was just as I arrived at Daisy Hall.
“Did you hear the news this morning? Count Seiton attempted an escape last night! The man certainly has audacity.”
“I heard. And apparently the Caesar Grand Duke chased after the fleeing count and cut him down personally.”
“Tsk tsk. He should have been put on the scaffold and executed to eradicate his family line. The Grand Duke was far too merciful.”
At the entrance of Daisy Hall, common bureaucrats were exchanging gossip.
‘Count Seiton died last night?’
Until recently, he had seemed leisurely interested in the auction of the pursuit stone, but his hand had moved swiftly after all.
‘If I hadn’t actively clarified things in the Interrogation Room, perhaps I too…’
I might have vanished like morning dew on the execution grounds alongside Count Seiton.
The thought sent a chill down my spine.
At that moment, the eyes of the chattering bureaucrats and mine met in mid-air.
“C-cough! I should get back to work.”
“The sandwich was delicious! I’ve got paperwork piling up, so I’ll be going….”
They hurriedly disappeared, avoiding me.
‘What?’
As expected.
Even the Knights loitering in the corner slipped away quietly.
It seemed the rumor of my entering the Investigation Room had spread overnight.
‘They’re probably afraid of getting caught in the crossfire if they’re associated with me.’
Especially less than half a day after Count Seiton was beheaded.
Yet I felt no resentment. They were all just people coming to work to make a living—what could I do about it?
Especially if they had families to support.
In truth, I was deeply, painfully familiar with this cold atmosphere.
Back when I was young, living in the sprawling mansion of House Orbannon.
The perceptive servants treated me like a ghost, terrified of catching any stray sparks of displeasure from the direct bloodline. They had no desire to earn their hatred either.
So their avoidance of me was a perfectly natural phenomenon….
“You brats!”
I jumped.
“When did you all start showing up so early and working so hard, huh? Stop fooling around and sit down!”
From inside Daisy Hall, the Head Chef’s booming voice thundered out, his massive hand planted on his hip.
“That’s right! What great crime did our Freena commit that you’re parting like the Red Sea?!”
Well, it does seem like something worth avoiding….
“Working in the Imperial Palace, isn’t it natural to be called in unexpectedly and questioned once or twice?!”
Though most ordinary people never experience it in their entire lives….
“A-avoid? When did we ever avoid?! We just have urgent matters to attend to, so we’re heading out!”
The bureaucrats and Knights who had been backing away hastily offered pathetic excuses and fled the dining hall like they were running for their lives.
“Ugh, those ungrateful, disloyal bastards! Write down all their names! Starting tomorrow, those sons of bitches get nothing but bread crusts—no broth!”
The Head Chef waved his ladle after the frantically retreating men, fuming with indignation.
Suddenly finding myself under the iron protection of my coworkers, I could only blink at this bewildering situation.
“What kind of calamity is this! Look at how gaunt our Freena’s face has become.”
“Freena, at least you’ve gotten through a brush with death, so surely you’ve forgotten about that cursed ex-boyfriend who went into hiding!”
“Hanna, is that supposed to be comforting?”
As an overwhelming surge of attention suddenly poured down on me, I felt flustered.

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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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