The Former Empress Roughly Hides Her Abilities - Chapter 72

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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 72】

 

“Could you please untie me now? I feel like my arms are going to fall off.”

 

“Why should I do that?”

 

“Professor, you’ve already confirmed my identity. That fact alone means I have a leash around my neck. Even if I ran away, I’d just be caught and brought back, so where would I go?”

 

Rianel, who had felt joy at meeting a past connection in an unexpected place, quickly regained her composure.

 

She was no longer a professor, so she had no responsibility for Logan’s current state.

 

However, Logan kept clinging to their past connection.

 

“I’m someone who’s ready to become Professor’s faithful collaborator. How can you doubt me?”

 

“You have betrayed me once before, and just now you betrayed the religious order. It would be irrational to trust someone with two such precedents.”

 

“I think there’s been a misunderstanding – I’ve never betrayed you, Professor.”

 

“Unlike the other students who failed, you had the knowledge in your head. But instead of submitting that as your answer, you submitted trivial nonsense. This was tantamount to betraying my time and expectations when I trusted you enough to give you the exam.”

 

What?

 

Logan was dumbfounded.

 

‘By that logic, wouldn’t all students have betrayed their professors once or twice?’

 

However, Rianel couldn’t forget the shock from that time.

 

-This letter originated from the Empire, and if you don’t send this letter to someone else within a week….

 

Because it was the first time she had seen a student submit such a letter as an answer sheet in the sacred halls of learning that warned against irrationality and encouraged intellect.

 

Of course, since this was a past matter, Rianel decided not to dwell on it.

 

‘I’m no longer a professor, so there’s no reason to get angry about such things.’

 

“The religious order must have noticed that your return is delayed and are probably suspicious. Even if you return to the order now, there’s a high chance you’ll be branded as an apostate. Wouldn’t it be better not to return?”

 

“Don’t worry. I originally didn’t have a solid position within the order anyway, and I was the type to wander around here and there without any specific duties. No one would be suspicious if I don’t show up for a few days!”

 

Finally, Rianel’s patience wore thin.

 

“Are you bragging about that right now?”

 

“Ack!”

 

Logan got smacked on the back for the crime of spreading knowledge that no one asked for or was curious about.

 

However, Logan didn’t regret cooperating with Rianel.

 

He hadn’t become a Holy Knight out of devotion in the first place, but because there was information he wanted to obtain from the Temple.

 

‘It’s certain that the religious order was involved in my family’s death.’

 

But lacking ability, he couldn’t secure an important position in the order, and instead only learned a bunch of dirty secrets.

 

What he learned was that the Temple was a gathering place for those who packaged irrationality and inefficiency as doctrine.

 

In contrast, the Professor was someone who was perfectly opposite to them.

 

A person who pursued relentless efficiency and endless rationality while maintaining ironclad composure.

 

She was someone that fake fanaticism built on mere faith couldn’t handle.

 

Logan felt like he could see the future even without prophetic power.

 

‘The religious order will soon be finished too.’

 

* * *

 

There was another reason why Rianel didn’t untie Logan.

 

‘It was Asil’s knights who secured Logan.’

 

Maybe if it were Asil or his close associates, but she, who had made no contribution to capturing Logan, had no right to untie him.

 

‘Besides, Asil was even injured by that guy’s crossbow.’

 

Even if Asil wouldn’t kill Logan, if he came at him wanting to put a hole in his leg just the same, she had no justification to stop him.

 

‘Of course, I’d prefer if that guy’s legs stayed intact.’

 

That would make it easier to utilize Logan.

 

As Logan said, if he was someone who wouldn’t arouse the order’s suspicion even if he disappeared for days, he would be easier to use as a spy.

 

Today this temple, tomorrow that temple – he could keep changing locations and showing his face without anyone caring.

 

Anyway, it was late.

 

Rianel clicked her tongue and returned to Asil’s room.

 

Asil was breathing regularly with his eyes closed.

 

‘He’s still sleeping.’

 

She had secretly contacted Logan, worried that Asil might be anxious.

 

It seemed he didn’t know she had gone out and come back.

 

Then Asil’s brow twitched. His hand that was outside the blanket groped through the air.

 

“Master….”

 

“….”

 

“You can’t leave. You made a promise with me….”

 

Not knowing this was her student’s trick, Rianel took Asil’s hand.

 

Rianel had spent her childhood at the orphanage and her adolescence at the Academy.

 

Having lived only moving between monotonous and highly closed worlds, Rianel couldn’t see through the cunning of a fox who had rolled around in the wild.

 

“….”

 

The room where the fireplace was burning down was comfortably warm, and warmth that wasn’t her own flowed from Asil’s hand.

 

‘I’m a bit tired.’

 

Only then did Rianel realize it was dawn.

 

For Rianel, who knew it was efficient to live when the sun was up and sleep when the sun set, staying awake until now was extremely inefficient.

 

‘This is all because of the Temple.’

 

Rianel rarely blamed others.

 

‘My regular lifestyle was disrupted because those Temple bastards came to Mart Orphanage to disturb me and corrupt my student.’

 

Rianel stared at Asil, who was breathing peacefully.

 

‘He looks like a child when sleeping.’

 

Remembering how he had sought her out like a child seeking parental warmth, shaking off his held hand felt cruel.

 

‘I’ve already decided to extend my sick leave for a few more days anyway….’

 

Rianel, intoxicated by the warmth, began to nod off drowsily.

 

“….”

 

A few minutes later.

 

Asil opened his eyes.

 

His eyes, without a trace of sleepiness, were clear.

 

As soon as he confirmed that Rianel was deeply asleep, he gently released their clasped hands. Then he slipped his hands under Rianel’s shoulders and waist to lift her body.

 

The man who couldn’t walk a single step without support when Rianel was awake was now standing on both legs, fully supporting one person’s weight with both arms while she slept.

 

Asil laid Rianel on the bed where he had been lying and carefully covered her with the blanket.

 

There wasn’t even a shadow of pain on his brow.

 

“Mischievous brat.”

 

Even after carefully tending to his master, Asil lingered by the bedside with lingering attachment as Hulbert’s shadow fell behind him.

 

“Master will wake up.”

 

“I’m telling you to let her wake up.”

 

Hulbert kept grumbling while lowering his voice.

 

At first, he had found Rianel, who had captured his grandson’s heart, annoying.

 

No matter how indifferent she was to his grandson, how could she be so unmoved when a man was fawning over her like that?

 

‘It’s not like my grandson has any lacking qualities.’

 

But seeing this now, he felt like he could understand Rianel.

 

‘This bastard is completely insane!’

 

Since Rianel was the embodiment of rationality itself.

 

She might have sensed something unsettling about his grandson and refused to give him even a piece of her heart.

 

“Master probably knows anyway.”

 

“That you’re perfectly fine?”

 

Hulbert frowned deeply.

 

“Then why is she still staying by your side?”

 

Any normal woman should have run away, unable to endure such antics.

 

“Perhaps….”

 

Asil wore a gentle smile.

 

“It might be because she has a tender heart.”

 

Hulbert snorted.

 

‘Tender, my foot!’

 

Rianel had shown not a shred of mercy when exposing Joseph and Jacob’s corruption. Her manner of stating only the facts was so cold it felt almost cruel.

 

That was absolutely not the behavior someone with a ‘tender heart’ could display!

 

Moreover, Hulbert knew that Rianel had met with Logan.

 

He didn’t know exactly what conversation had passed between them, but he knew it must have been unpleasant enough to make a sturdy man scream.

 

And yet such a person was supposed to be weak-hearted.

 

Even being blinded by love had its limits!

 

Hulbert looked over his grandson with suspicious eyes.

 

‘Don’t tell me the arrow hit his head instead of his leg?’

 

* * *

 

Meanwhile, Rianel was.

 

‘I made such a promise to Asil…?’

 

She was in shock, wandering through memories from over twenty years ago.

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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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