I’m Hunting My Enemy - Chapter 24

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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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24. Oh, That Was Really Information I Wanted to Know (4)

“What?”

Ryuie’s expression changed as she shot up. But she was too hasty. Her hair caught between the scales yanked her head sharply backward.

“Ah!”

“Oh, Miss! Good heavens, I’ll get it out for you! Ouch!”

Her hair was no exception to Ryuie’s curse activation. Mos, who got struck by lightning for carelessly touching it, quickly pulled his fingers back.

“Uwaaah, I’m sorry! I can’t touch it…!”

“It’s fine. Just leave it alone.”

Ryuie replied irritably and brought her hands up. Mos shrank back and averted his gaze unnecessarily. Even her hair tangled in the wet scales seemed angry.

‘Idiot.’

To think he couldn’t even help with something so trivial. Truly powerless.

Even in this situation, Ryuie simply looked beautiful as she inserted her fingers between her hair to untangle it. Mos kept stealing glances at Ryuie.

“Just continue what you were saying earlier. Don’t lie. There’s no way the Crown Prince would deny the patron deity.”

“It’s true! That’s why no one thought that person was His Highness the Crown Prince!”

Since Ryuie was still glaring with wide eyes, Mos hurriedly made excuses.

This Empire’s Emperor was chosen by the patron deity and enjoyed powerful divine authority.

But for the Crown Prince, who should naturally praise the patron deity, to speak of liberation?

It didn’t add up.

Confused, Ryuie muttered without blinking even once.

“Yosua wouldn’t do that.”

“O-our village doesn’t only have such blasphemous people either. Of course, more people refused that oath!”

Mos rambled on hastily, not knowing what Ryuie was thinking.

“But that person, no, His Highness the Crown Prince went around the village looking for people who agreed with him and entered the swamp just like that. After that, they all died.”

“Yosua didn’t die.”

Ryuie’s pupils rolled around and then turned toward Mos.

Something about that look was eerie, so Mos kept his lips tightly shut with a frightened expression.

Only then did Ryuie finally relax her stiff posture and clench and unclench her hands.

“Anyway, I got one clue. Thanks.”

“Don’t mention it…”

Mos spoke hesitantly, but Ryuie just left.

The time that had passed so warmly with the lap pillow just moments before felt like it had left no trace at all.

‘I shouldn’t have said anything.’

Ryuie would have found out anyway by asking other villagers.

Why did he tell her?

He wanted to hear Ryuie say thanks for telling her, but not in this way.

The spot where their body heat had touched felt empty and cold.

Mos forced his tail back into the cold water to forget that sensation, but the chilly feeling didn’t disappear easily.

* * *

‘What is the Yosua I remember?’

Ryuie pulled at the tag of “fiancé missing for ten years” and examined it closely.

Since Imperial marriages were typically arranged from childhood, Ryuie, who was born in the same year as the Crown Prince, was already being discussed as an Empress candidate.

So Ryuie found it annoying even before meeting the Crown Prince.

“I’m a candidate?”

Ryuie from the days when she went around breaking everything in the house with her thinly curved cane spoke bluntly.

“What’s so special about the Crown Prince that he gets to choose me? He gets to make a choice? Of course he’d feel bad even if he chose me, but he’s even hesitating?!”

The ribbons tied cutely in twin tails looked like a bull’s horns.

The Duke, whose shins had been getting poked enough to pierce through ever since news came that the Crown Prince would visit, said to his daughter.

“That’s exactly why he’s not choosing right now.”

“What do you mean?”

“It’s unreasonable for people who haven’t even met to get married.”

Duke Greatone lifted Ryuie up by her sides.

She was a daughter so precious he wouldn’t mind if she got in his eyes, but getting his shins poked did hurt a bit.

“He’s coming today to apologize directly and show proper courtesy. Just from this, can’t you tell how much more mature His Highness is than you?”

“No.”

Ryuie stubbornly crossed her arms.

“I hate the Crown Prince!”

But currently, the person bound by an engagement oath was none other than Ryuie and Yosua.

Even fate’s pranks were excessive at this level.

‘He was a terribly well-mannered kid.’

Ryuie compressed the Crown Prince’s first impression into one sentence.

The Crown Prince who insisted on visiting the ducal residence had all the elements Ryuie would hate.

He was well-behaved, didn’t talk much, was loved by adults, and preferred reading books to moving around.

She thought she couldn’t hate him any more than that.

Ryuie, who had stopped walking for a moment, had her eyes darken.

‘I really will kill him.’

If what Ryuie just heard turned out to be true, it would be enough for execution on charges of treason against the state.

If it really was true, that is.

But the Yosua in Ryuie’s memory had absolutely no rebellious aspects. He couldn’t even rebel, so treason? Liberation from the patron deity?

Even a madman wandering the plaza would say more sensible things.

Ryuie’s mind got twisted by the completely mismatched image.

‘The Yosua in my memory is always just smiling awkwardly.’

He was a kid who would refuse first whenever she suggested doing something. He was a good kid even if he was about to die. Kind, gentle, a person made to be Ryuie’s complete opposite.

As the memories faded away, only plain facts remained.

That if someone could betray, they could also commit treason.

Even without reason, only thorough facts pierced into Ryuie’s heart.

* * *

Glem had lost his appetite.

It wasn’t particularly because of the good food Ryuie used to bring every day.

No, maybe it was somewhat because of that.

It wasn’t the quality of the food that was the problem, but that the person bringing it no longer appeared.

Creak.

As the door opened, Glem shifted his gaze. He didn’t move his back leaning against the wall. Soon, slow footsteps came down, thump, thump, and a bowl was placed on the floor with a clatter.

Silence.

It’s the priest again this time.

Glem just stared at the opposite prison wall with his arms resting on his knees.

It’s the third day since Ryuie hasn’t come.

He couldn’t tell if her interest had finally waned or if something had happened.

‘Damn it. When I told her not to come, she’d show up no matter what.’

He told her what curse he had, so he thought she’d persistently ask what the oath was about.

Glem had naturally been earnestly thinking alone about how to make Ryuie lose interest.

But she didn’t show up before he could even use those methods.

Her behavior was so different from usual that it seemed like something had happened.

The longer Ryuie didn’t appear, the more his speculation turned into futile effort.

Glem found it increasingly hard to ignore his inner directive to escape since there was no more hope.

Even though he had planned not to leave prison until Ryuie departed.

Even the priest, who had been quiet until now, stepped forward.

“Why don’t you leave?”

The priest who came down once a day to bring food unexpectedly spoke to him.

Glem frowned and lifted his head. It was more unwelcome than surprising.

“I thought you people weren’t supposed to talk to me.”

“I already know that you’ve been meeting with the Duke’s daughter.”

The priest succeeded in capturing Glem’s attention.

Glem, gripping the dagger in his chest, immediately approached the prison bars.

“You know?”

The priest’s body was cleverly hidden behind the wall. Even when Glem turned his head, he could barely make out the hem of his robe. It felt ominous.

“What did you do to Ryuie?”

“It would be troublesome if you gave up already.”

The priest rolled something ball-shaped through the bars.

“You need to take the Duke’s daughter to the swamp.”

Glem thought it might be some trash being thrown away, but his eyes widened when he recognized what the object was.

It was the sacred artifact he had originally possessed, the one he had stolen from the temple.

‘I’m sure it was confiscated?’

Glem looked back toward where the priest had been, but he was already moving away. Even though he knew there would be no answer, Glem shouted.

“Hey!”

“You already know how to use it, don’t you?”

“What are you? What’s your scheme? Why are you returning this?”

“We merely follow God’s will.”

The priest muttered meaningless words, then creaked open the prison door. He lingered near the prison entrance for a moment before slowly moving away again.

‘Is he telling me to escape right now?’

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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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