I Became a Leader in a Wretched Prison - Chapter 169

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 169

 

I greeted him and waited for a response. Meanwhile, I fell into thought.

 

I think I explained it clearly enough.

 

That there’s no disciple other than you.

 

Then why did he call me to talk about the ‘illegitimate child’?

 

“How unexpected.”

 

He leisurely concealed his challenging gaze while slightly trembling.

 

“…I called for you, but I never thought you’d actually come. You may raise your head.”

 

Even though the order was given, I hesitated for a while, pretending to dawdle. I slowly raised my head.

 

Before me sat a man leaning back in a chair. I couldn’t help but be slightly surprised.

 

It was Helios, who seemed to have a cleanliness obsession, always appearing suffocatingly neat in that prison.

 

“I apologize. I’m not in a state to receive guests.”

 

But who is this guy?

 

Before me was a disheveled man with his shirt buttons carelessly undone and his hair left in a mess.

 

I lowered my gaze slightly then raised it again.

 

…How many people have you shown this appearance to by now?

 

“Please understand. I didn’t expect the one who kept running away to come so obediently.”

 

I laughed inwardly at his roundabout criticism. You’ve really become quite the noble.

 

My disciple.

 

Why am I getting angry?

 

Without knowing the reason, I quietly suppressed my Kia.

 

The moment I faced Helios again, Helios’s Kia within me was acting up again.

 

It was ridiculous, like a puppy wagging its tail upon meeting its owner. But now I’m your owner.

 

Since he wasn’t speaking, I had time to observe for a moment.

 

Helios’s face wasn’t unharmed.

 

‘Didn’t he get healed?’

 

Two days is enough time to call for a Healing Kia User.

 

He even had bandages wrapped around his arm with a splint attached, as if showing off.

 

Though his body looked uncomfortable, perhaps because of his disheveled, seductive appearance, he gave off a strangely decadent atmosphere.

 

“I’m truly curious about the reason you’ve finally accepted my invitation.”

 

I lowered my gaze first. The thought of how many people might have seen that sight was infuriating.

 

“I, I wanted Elder Brother and…”

 

“…”

 

“To reconcile.”

 

I crafted a wonderfully timid tone. It wasn’t difficult.

 

“Reconcile?”

 

“Yes, Elder Brother said he thinks he’s been misunderstanding Your Grace all this time…”

 

“So you came in your brother’s place?”

 

“Yes….”

 

“An interesting reason. Are you just saying whatever comes to mind? Well, that’s not bad either.”

 

“….”

 

He must be saying he’s not interested in personal chatter. Then it would be nice if he could clarify why he called for me.

 

Since I had long since accomplished my purpose of seeing his face once.

 

For a moment, gazes were exchanged and silence pressed down on the air.

 

“Anyway, no matter what you said, what I had to say would have been the same.”

 

“…Is there a reason you sought me out?”

 

“You’re showing yet another side from the carriage. Back then you were trembling and couldn’t string together a single word.”

 

“…Because Elder Brother cleared up the misunderstanding.”

 

Helios paused for a moment.

 

Though he had been looking at me the whole time, his face had been indifferent as if he had no interest in me, but for the first time it felt like he was properly seeing me.

 

Since he didn’t have much interest in an ‘illegitimate child,’ it was something to be glad about. Indeed, appearing before Helios in my true form must have been the right answer.

 

“Since you’ve insisted twice now, I’m getting a little curious. What misunderstanding did Marquis Limnades have?”

 

“Um….”

 

I pretended to hesitate for a moment.

 

According to my brother Pontos, Helios had visited once before becoming Duke. And after becoming Duke, he had visited the Marquis Estate without fail.

 

There were days when he would just stare intently at the Marquis’s face and leave, making Pontos seriously consider whether he should report that bastard to the Metropolitan Police.

 

“Once he stared so persistently at the family portrait that I had it removed.”

 

“Wouldn’t that make them close friends?”

 

Don’t people call relationships with that many visits close friendships? Then Pontos made an expression I’d never seen before, like he’d eaten something foul.

 

In any case, it was certain that Helios had worn down the threshold with his visits until I appeared.

 

‘But then, how honest can I be as an illegitimate child?’

 

I carefully folded away my momentary thoughts and made my judgment.

 

Let’s speak somewhat timidly.

 

“A pervert…he misunderstood you as.”

 

“What?”

 

“A perverted kidnapper, he said….”

 

Helios looked momentarily dumbfounded. Though it was brief, the expression that flashed across his face was also one I had seen daily in prison.

 

Though it disappeared quickly.

 

“Kidnapping…. Yes, well, I suppose that’s possible.”

 

Since Helios seemed to understand, I gained courage. My timid acting must be quite good.

 

“Ah, and if I may be so bold….”

 

“…Please speak.”

 

“He also said it seemed like you, liked men.”

 

Helios coughed.

 

“Ha. What on earth made the Marquis spout such bull—, no. Such nonsense?”

 

“But you came every day, um, just to look at his face, and then left….”

 

“…”

 

“You also said you almost reported me.”

 

Perhaps after learning that my real name was ‘Minte Limnades,’ he went to see the oppa who resembled me.

 

I hastily yet timidly waved my hands.

 

“I have no prejudice, Duke…!”

 

“Prejudice, my ass…”

 

Helios pressed his forehead.

 

Opening his eyes between his fingers, he stared at me persistently.

 

“Damn it.”

 

A curse that sounded like he wanted to devour something came out quietly. It seemed directed at himself rather than at me.

 

“You said you were timid, yet you speak your mind quite well.”

 

“I’m, I’m sorry…”

 

If I made Helios angry enough, my acting must have been quite excellent.

 

I momentarily forgot the situation and felt proud.

 

Well, my timid act worked well in high society too.

 

As a result of meeting Helios in my true form this time and checking on him and his condition.

 

Helios cannot know that I am ‘Mint.’

 

It’s not Helios’s fault.

 

Rather, it was because he had become an even more remarkable ability user that he couldn’t know.

 

What I mean is that Helios, unlike three years ago, had become an ability user who moves more instinctively.

 

So he keeps trying when he looks at me.

 

Whether his kia is inside that woman’s body.

 

Helios, who had been pressing his forehead firmly, let out a sigh.

 

“…Do sisters even resemble each other in things like this?”

 

Along with an angry, irritated face, a cold voice muttered as if chewing.

 

Well, we’re not sisters but the same person. I muttered words I couldn’t say aloud.

 

“Come to think of it, your elder brother, Marquis Limnades, was also a human who knew how to get under people’s skin. I suppose all Limnades are the same type.”

 

“…If I may be so bold, please don’t associate me with my elder brother like that…”

 

“The young lady is quite an annoying human as well.”

 

“…”

 

When I didn’t answer, Helios acted as if that didn’t matter either and calmly stood up from his seat.

 

Even with one arm being uncomfortable, he walked toward me with an extremely natural gait.

 

Why was it? The slightly relaxed atmosphere once again created taut tension.

 

It was as if the excitement before battle had arrived, making warning bells ring loudly.

 

Helios, who had finally approached me, looked down at the ‘illegitimate child’ quietly.

 

“Recently, no, until a few days ago…”

 

He leisurely moistened his lips with his tongue. It didn’t seem intentional, but it was a sight that captured one’s attention.

 

“I thought you were someone. How regrettable.”

 

What could be regrettable?

 

He was always a disciple who threw bombs at unexpected moments.

 

This bomb was quite big.

 

“I request your hand in engagement, Marquis Limnades’ Daughter.”

 

Yes, it was quite big.

 

What kind of nonsense is this now?

 

I slowly raised my gaze while pretending to look surprised.

 

“…What, are you saying.”

 

“Haven’t you already heard from the Marquis? That I requested an engagement from the Marquis.”

 

“…”

 

“If you’re not the someone I was looking for, I thought it wouldn’t be bad to use you.”

 

Helios placed one hand loosely at his waist and bowed slightly.

 

“I have someone to lure out, and you seem like quite a good test subject.”

 

Though his words weren’t difficult to understand, it took me a moment to process what he said.

 

“I’ll provide any compensation for what I’m doing. You may resent me.”

 

Suddenly, the words my oppa Pontos had said to me flashed through my mind.

 

Helios, who had been reported for a kidnapping incident, and the investigation results that showed he was innocent.

 

Even the circumstances that suggested you had practiced kidnapping and confinement.

 

And Helios proposing engagement to a woman who wasn’t me.

 

So.

 

To summarize, he was certain that I wasn’t ‘Mint’. And he was shamelessly saying he would use ‘me’ to lure me out.

 

I felt like laughter might spill out.

 

‘What kind of foolish act is this?’

 

No. He had shot an arrow toward the wrong target, but it turned out he had shot toward the correct answer.

 

“I won’t speak in riddles. Would you stay at my mansion for a while? Outsiders will probably call this.”

 

“…”

 

“Kidnapping and confinement.”

 

I pretended to be a frozen woman for a moment, trembling my eyes finely. Inside, I was settling down coldly, and even more frigidly.

 

No, is this really coldness?

 

“That doesn’t seem like something the righteous Duke should be saying…”

 

“Yes, that’s right. In addition to that, probably everything you said earlier was correct except for liking men.”

 

“…”

 

“Because there’s someone I want to get my hands on, even if it means becoming a pervert and kidnapper.”

 

The expression momentarily disappeared from my face. Since I lowered my head again, it probably wasn’t visible.

 

“That’s not you though.”

 

“…”

 

“Please be at ease.”

 

I clenched and unclenched the box I had been fidgeting with in my hands.

 

…Should I just speak honestly and punch him once?

 

And put the ring from the box on his finger while saying.

 

You’re the owner of this, and you need to meet me.

 

If you’re going to kidnap someone, it should be me.

 

Whatever you think or whatever you try to do, don’t direct it toward some random illegitimate child.

 

You shouldn’t, at least, make me feel like I want to kill myself.

 

When I thought this far, I raised my head.

 

* * *

 

“Then, Y-Your Grace is now… planning to lure that person by confining me?”

 

Helios stared intently at the woman before him.

 

Silver hair, green eyes. The corners of her eyes drooped, giving her a fragile impression.

 

People called her quite a beauty, but rather than striking, they said she was a pure beauty like wildflowers.

 

In other words, her presence was faint.

 

“Yes. That’s correct.”

 

No matter how he looked, she didn’t resemble his Master at all. They said they were sisters, but could they really be so different?

 

Or perhaps Master was hiding her appearance just like when she perfectly disguised herself as ‘Garret’.

 

An unreadable expression crossed Helios’s face.

 

Helios’s silence gave Mint time to think. During that brief moment, Mint organized her thoughts.

 

She was angry. Why was she angry? Helios had proposed to another woman, not her.

 

Her possessiveness was boiling over.

 

Mint didn’t know that people called this emotion ‘jealousy’. It was the first time in her life she had felt it.

 

If she disliked this, the solution was simple.

 

She just needed to be honest.

 

That I am the Master you’re looking for.

 

“Then, Y-Your Grace…”

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