I’m Hunting My Enemy - Chapter 43

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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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43. Moon, Wine, and Pebbles (4)

 

That’s a lie.

 

She thought she heard someone whispering faintly in her ear.

 

Ryuie ruthlessly shook off the illusion.

 

‘I thought that might have been the case.’

 

Throughout the journey here, the moment she heard about the identity of the sacred relic in the swamp, a sentence had sliced through Ryuie’s mind.

 

Yosua had run away.

 

Until now, she had thought of it as a disappearance, believing there must be other important circumstances. Even if it was an unavoidable accident.

 

But if that were the case, he would have written at least one letter to her, his fiancée. In a world overflowing with magical tools, he could catch any bird and send it to deliver a message to her.

 

Moreover, if there had been an accident, there were plenty of treasures that young Ryuie had entrusted to Yosua, telling him to at least send a rescue request.

 

Well, back then she thought it was just basic courtesy toward one’s fiancé.

 

Compared to what Yosua had done now, she had been incredibly courteous to him.

 

‘He should have stayed until I could punish him.’

 

‘Were you so afraid of me that you wanted to erase your very existence?’

 

Ryuie glared endlessly at the void that had opened in her mind. All the more because she couldn’t accept that such a thing existed there.

 

Unable to bear it any longer, Glem intervened instead.

 

“That’s ridiculous. If the Crown Prince really wanted to break off the engagement, he could have met the person involved and broken the oath. There was no need to come all the way here just to break an engagement.”

 

“How could we know what those in high positions think? Perhaps he found the sacrifice needed for the annulment too precious.”

 

“What nonsense…!”

 

Even Glem became enraged and raised his voice. Ohen replied calmly.

 

“The Crown Prince disappeared at a very young age, and he would have gone through adolescence when he might want to secretly handle mistakes.”

 

“Shut up! How dare you speak such insults.”

 

Even the knight who came with Ryuie became excited and intervened.

 

Ohen seemed to think his words had gone too far and closed his mouth.

 

Glem looked at Ryuie desperately.

 

‘Please refute this.’

 

The person who should have been the first to pour out harsh words asking if they knew what kind of person Yosua was remained the quietest.

 

Could she really believe that the Crown Prince was that kind of person?

 

Had she come all this way to find someone who had left only that level of impression on her?

 

Glem’s stomach ached painfully.

 

When no more threats came from Ryuie, Ohen resumed acting as the head of the temple.

 

“Please make sure that information about the sacred relic in the swamp doesn’t leak to others. There’s a reason why even some among the priests don’t know about it.”

 

“I suppose the merchants who already came after hearing rumors received some divine revelation?”

 

Glem spoke sarcastically, but Ohen didn’t budge.

 

“Once rumors spread, they can never be completely eliminated, so the temple simply filtered who could receive them.”

 

“Ohen.”

 

Finally, when Ryuie’s voice rang out, everyone focused their attention.

 

Ryuie commanded in a voice stripped of all inflection.

 

“Enough with the pathetic excuses. I will confine all you priests to hold you responsible for the Crown Prince’s accident.”

 

“What?! Didn’t I just say that the Crown Prince already left…?”

 

“When I personally drag the Crown Prince’s corpse here and place it before you, you’ll be the ones held responsible.”

 

“!”

 

Ryuie swiftly drew the sword that had been stuck in the desk.

 

The way the drawn blade trembled was so menacingly sharp that no one could object.

 

“From now on, you’ll be under surveillance.”

 

Ohen was indignant, but once he had already retreated from his domain of freedom, the only option left was to retreat again.

 

If he wanted to resist, he should have made excuses and locked the doors before Ryuie called upon the nobles, before she used the duchy’s authority.

 

It was Ohen’s mistake to easily let Ryuie into the temple despite knowing she had the same authority as a duke.

 

‘Everyone always underestimates me like this.’

 

Ryuie turned the sword and sheathed it. She became cold again.

 

‘If they truly feared me, they couldn’t make mistakes.’

 

Why does everyone tell Ryuie not to torment them like it’s some kind of joke?

 

You’re all just playing games with me too.

 

Not even funny.

 

When Ryuie turned around, Benito, who had been leaning against the doorway the entire time, waved his hand with a bright smile.

 

He truly didn’t care about the atmosphere even a bit.

 

‘Benito said that those related to the swamp cannot travel far away.’

 

Ryuie looked at Benito with disdain.

 

Seeing his state, about half of her belief that the Crown Prince was still near the swamp flew away.

 

He was not a trustworthy priest at all.

 

‘Or perhaps.’

 

The more Ryuie stared at him intently, the more Benito’s lips curved upward, sending her a round smile. Along with meaningful eyes.

 

The thought that this very priest might be the Crown Prince transformed into a different appearance briefly crossed Ryuie’s mind. Before judging it as garbage, Ryuie savored the thought for a moment.

 

‘…It doesn’t suit him at all.’

 

The hair cut short like a boy’s, the eyes that seemed decorated with gold, the dark skin that looked inviting to touch. All completely different from Yosua.

 

‘But.’

 

‘The sense of distance I feel is similar.’

 

The way she could never feel intimate no matter how much time they spent together.

 

Ryuie’s gaze wandered over Benito’s face.

 

“…”

 

“Do you have something to ask me?”

 

“No.”

 

Ryuie quickened her pace and passed by him.

 

‘Anyway.’

 

If Yosua had used the sacred relic in the swamp to escape from the oath, she could use it the same way.

 

That alone would achieve her goal for now.

 

‘Finding the Crown Prince wherever he is and not letting him off is a separate matter. For now, I should focus only on excavating the bottom of the swamp.’

 

Of course, Ryuie wouldn’t personally carry buckets and scoop mud all day long. That would be inefficient.

 

She planned to discuss a secondary investigation of the swamp with more specialized experts.

 

‘I need other entertainment in the meantime.’

 

Ryuie swept her disheveled hair back.

 

* * *

 

“So you’ve decided to kill him after all?”

 

Bendam, holding his cards, asked.

 

When playing cards with Ryuie, he could ask questions more comfortably.

 

Because Ryuie answered much more readily to induce her opponent’s carelessness.

 

“I said that from the beginning.”

 

Ryuie threw two chips to the center. Seeing that she wasn’t raising the stakes much, Bendam, thinking she had gotten good cards, put down his own cards.

 

He knew Ryuie’s habit of betting big when she got cheap hands.

 

Ryuie scolded him.

 

“Don’t be so calculating, Bendam. It’s no fun.”

 

“I know Miss’s habits.”

 

“That’s why you’ll always get up from the table broke.”

 

Catsy also placed her bet while speaking.

 

Four chips.

 

With the raised stakes, Ryuie pressed.

 

“Will you call, Glem?”

 

“…”

 

Glem, who had been dragged along because more people made it better, looked at Ryuie with a subtle expression instead of his cards.

 

He had thought she would surely want to rest alone after experiencing such commotion since morning.

 

Before she knew it, she had come to her senses and was playing cards with them.

 

‘There’s really no way this could be okay.’

 

Glem put out four chips while continuing to watch Ryuie.

 

“There are many other nobles, so why are you only playing cards with servants here.”

 

“Since we found Yosua’s ring, we should let them chatter among themselves for about one night.”

 

Ryuie casually pushed her chips forward.

 

“The rumors need to ripen and they need to feel like they should take some action too. Nobles are so lazy after all.”

 

When it was Ryuie’s turn again, the maid standing beside her spread three cards in the center of the table.

 

After each person checked their cards, Ryuie bet five chips this time.

 

“Call.”

 

“Of course, Miss, I know you’ve wanted to kill His Highness the Crown Prince from the very beginning when you first left.”

 

Bendam, who had folded out of the round, asked a question instead of playing cards.

 

Glem squirmed uncomfortably at the conversation that was more deadly than the pot.

 

“That should only remain in words. You shouldn’t say it often, even as a joke.”

 

“Don’t you know it’s always the talkative ones who cause trouble?”

 

Ryuie pressed her forehead with one hand while watching Catsy place her bet.

 

“If you keep bringing it up in words, you’ll be pushed into actually doing it, but I think you were serious from the beginning.”

 

Clink.

 

Then Glem pushed double the amount Ryuie had bet to the center.

 

Ryuie’s expression, which had been irritably responding to Bendam, instantly brightened.

 

“Do you have a good hand?”

 

Glem just fiddled with his chips as if telling her to bet if she was curious. Ryuie raised the pot equally and Catsy, after hesitating, put down her cards like Bendam and folded.

 

“Come to think of it, I haven’t heard about your oath yet. What was your problem that brought you all the way here.”

 

“I don’t have enough chips yet to put that on the table.”

 

The maid flipped one more card.

 

Without even looking at the newly flipped card, Ryuie pushed all the chips in front of her to the center of the table.

 

Glem raised his eyebrows questioningly.

 

“There’s still one more card left.”

 

“I’m impatient by nature.”

 

Ryuie, who had gone all in, rested her chin on both hands.

 

Seeing her sparkling eyes, Glem spoke instead of moving his chips.

 

“Originally we had a contract that if you gave me one piece of information, I’d give you one too.”

 

“That’s right? In the prison.”

 

“But since I told you about the holy relic before receiving anything, you’re in debt to me.”

 

“Ah. You’ll keep your mouth shut until I tell you?”

 

Glem’s palm leisurely pressed down on the chips. Ryuie found it annoying.

 

Because she couldn’t even remove such a simple gesture.

 

Feeling the constraints of the engagement oath flowing through her entire body, Ryuie’s eyelashes fluttered.

 

“What are you curious about?”

 

“Have you ever loved your fiancé?”

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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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