I Will Try to Save My Dad - Chapter 173
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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 173
When I heard that Yuraha had been caught as the mastermind behind Windis’s rampage and as an attempted murderer for trying to kill Reytan Quartz Trabel, I let out an internal cheer.
‘Hurrah!’
The Emperor had summoned journalists to photograph Theon’s crown prince coronation ceremony. No matter how much of a future High Priest’s body he possessed, with evidence scattered everywhere, there was no way he could escape.
‘Once Yuraha is punished, he won’t be able to target Father anymore.’
That wasn’t all. Even if someone were helping Yuraha, they wouldn’t dare act recklessly from now on.
If anything happened to Father from this point forward, Yuraha would be the first person suspected.
‘The real problem lies elsewhere, though.’
It was several hours after Kane’s both arms were severed. The physicians and priests who had confidently assured us that the clean cut could be reattached quickly began to lose their words.
The wound Theon had inflicted refused to heal by any method, just like the wound from the Grand Master. Up to that point, it was manageable.
“It appears there has been a misunderstanding.”
Kane had stepped forward to claim he was the victim.
“I merely wanted to prevent my cousin from doing something irreversible.”
The Separate Palace within the Imperial Palace, provided as lodging for the Trabel Family.
Kane lay in bed, giving false testimony to Demian, who had come to investigate the incident.
With bandages wrapped tightly around both upper arms and beads of cold sweat rolling down his face as he spoke with difficulty, his appearance was quite effective at evoking sympathy. Anyone unaware of the truth would pity Kane.
“Calips was trying to kill Berry. Diamond House was greedy for her.”
“Wow.”
How utterly shameless.
If you simply switched the subject from Calips to Kane, his words were practically a confession. I couldn’t hold back and refuted Kane’s statement.
“Calips didn’t do that! Kane—”
“Berry, you don’t need to cover for me. He’s the one who tried to kill you.”
“Kane tried to kill me.”
I had no intention of staying silent just because Kane was cutting me off. After saying everything I needed to say, I glared at Kane, who was leaning against the headboard. Kane’s eyes gleamed with amusement at my reaction, as if finding it ridiculous.
“I swung my sword at Calips, who was behind you.”
Calips, who had suddenly become the perpetrator, was isolated in another room. Jeffrey was receiving treatment for severe injuries, and Theon had left the room following a physician asking about the adamantite sword.
In this room, there were only Demian, Kane, and me.
“Where are the knights? You brought knights with you and attacked Jeffrey.”
“Yeah, now that you mention it.”
Kane let out a scoff.
“Where exactly are those knights?”
The problem was that the only people at the scene were Theon, me, Jeffrey, Calips, and Kane.
As the parties involved in the incident, we needed third-party testimony or evidence. But the knights Kane had brought had vanished without a trace.
‘Kane must have ordered it that way. Regardless of whether the plan succeeded, he told them to disappear from the Imperial Palace.’
So Kane’s false testimony that Calips tried to kill me, and my testimony that Kane tried to kill me—both were nothing but claims without evidence.
“I cannot make a definitive conclusion at this time.”
Demian, who had been busily writing something in a small notebook he held in one hand, closed it and spoke.
“I’ll investigate further and return.”
Demian caught my eye as he walked toward the door. I followed him out into the corridor, where knights lined the walls. Just before leaving the room, Demian whispered to me.
“Berry, I trust you. But I need evidence.”
“Yes. I’ll look into it. What about Father?”
“He’s still with the next High Priest. Reytan is the only one who can watch him until the High Priest arrives.”
Demian exhaled softly and turned to me.
“Your grandfather has arrived, I hear.”
***
The Emperor, having returned to the Imperial Palace and heard the news, came to the Separate Palace where we were. Even as I was organizing the incident alone in my room, I followed the Emperor into Kane’s chamber.
“Your Majesty.”
Kane feigned surprise and scrambled to rise from the bed. But the wrist he instinctively reached for was gone. He lost his balance and lurched forward, flailing his remaining stumps of arms to keep from falling. The Emperor frowned at the sight and commanded him to remain lying down.
“My apologies, Your Majesty.”
“Never mind. It’s unfortunate. I hear this incident occurred due to mutual misunderstanding.”
I bit the inside of my lip at his expected words.
The Emperor paid little mind to Trabel’s circumstances. He simply wanted to prevent a scandal, since the incident had occurred in the Imperial Palace and involved the Crown Prince. That was how the imperial image would be preserved.
“It’s natural among peers of the same age. Crude jokes are sometimes taken seriously. Your younger cousin’s jest spiraled out of hand, and you lost your arm—for that, I am sorry.”
“…No, that’s not it.”
The Emperor was trying to bury the matter. Kane, understanding his intent from those words, felt his lips twitch before he couldn’t suppress a smile—the smile of one certain of victory.
“I apologize for the trouble. I shall educate my younger siblings properly.”
My skin nearly crawled at such nonsense.
“Who educates whom?”
A voice thunderous with power rang out from the doorway. Kane and I quickly turned our heads, startled. Count Trabel stood there. I had heard from Demian that he was coming, but my heart still lurched.
“Count Trabel.”
“I trust you have been well, Your Majesty.”
Count Trabel greeted the Emperor with confidence and walked in with an upright posture. Though well past sixty, his presence was formidable—like a mountain walking toward us. We could not tear our eyes away.
‘He’s not using a cane.’
I felt a moment of joy seeing my grandfather’s hands. It meant his condition had visibly improved. Without sparing me a glance, he turned his head in the direction where Kane on the bed and the Emperor standing before it came into view.
“You’re the one who needs education. A fool who can’t tell iron pyrite from gold coins.”
“…”
At my grandfather’s words and the click of his tongue, Kane’s lips pressed shut.
“Your Majesty, this is my oversight. I apologize for failing to educate my grandson properly.”
“No. It was an accident born of misunderstanding and coincidence.”
“With respect, Your Majesty, my eldest grandson did attack my youngest granddaughter.”
What? I turned at my grandfather’s words. He did not look at me, making clear he was not taking my side.
“Grandfather, I’m sorry, but on what grounds—!”
Kane tried to sit up and shouted in rebuttal. My grandfather snapped his fingers.
At the sight of those who entered the room, Kane and I could not hide our shock.
“Shall I place them here?”
It was Roxie, a maid employed by the Imperial Palace. She hurled the unconscious man she’d been carrying on her shoulder to the ground with a heavy thud. I recognized his face—he was the man who had pursued me so relentlessly earlier. Then came another dull impact.
Theon had brought two more captives.
“Why… why are you here?”
Kane cried out in disbelief. Theon answered him.
“I found witnesses. Now I need to extract their testimony.”
Theon muttered as he seized the fallen man’s hand, his voice and expression equally cold.
I simply watched what Theon was doing. His aura flowed through his palm into the man, just as Father had done to Kane before.
“Ugh… ahhhhh!”
The man screamed in agony. Kane swallowed hard, remembering what had happened last time. Theon questioned him.
“I’ll ask again. Who ordered you to kill Berry Quartz Trabel?”
“It was Young Master Kane!”
“And what was your compensation?”
It seemed Theon had already conducted one round of interrogation. At his prompting, the Knight squeezed his eyes shut and cried out.
“He said I would become the head of the household in ten years…! That he would give me a position in Trabel Industries at that time…!”
“Ha.”
Theon laughed coldly. Then he asked again.
“Why ten years?”
“I heard that Count Trabel would not survive beyond the next ten years.”
“…From me?”
Count Trabel himself spoke up. As our attention focused on him, the Knight lowered his head and revealed what Kane had told him.
“Wasn’t Count Trabel afflicted by a heavy curse?”
“…What?”
“Young Master Kane said so. That you wouldn’t live more than ten years.”
At those words, Count Trabel’s face twisted with fury.
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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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