The Villainess is a Millionaire Solver - Chapter 131

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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 131

Well, since I lied like that, I have no choice.

If I can get through this moment naturally, what can’t I do?

A muscle massage is nothing. If anything, my hands are getting the better deal.

But how do I do this? Is this the right way?

I roughly imitated the feel of a physical therapist, pressing and rubbing his back muscles, while throwing out a question to distract his attention.

“By the way, how’s work going?”

“…”

There was no answer.

Did he notice my clumsy technique and start getting suspicious?

“I mean Sion! How’s the investigation going? Of course I know the stories in the newspapers, but I want to know more important information.”

When I raised my voice, Ruellian was startled.

“Ah.”

Then he pulled down his shirt, buttoned it up, and stood up abruptly.

“Right. I need to talk about that. Wait a moment. Where did I put what I organized?”

He rummaged through his chest and pulled out a paper.

My fake physical therapy must have had some effect. When he lifted his head, he had returned to his cold, analytical expression.

“First, as I mentioned earlier, we’ll have to properly interrogate Sion after he regains consciousness to know for sure. Anyway, the information I’m focusing on most right now is that Mysterious Figure who taught Sion black magic.”

I asked.

“Did anything come up about the Mysterious Figure’s identity?”

“First, we discovered that Sion communicated with that person using some unique method.”

Ruellian answered carefully.

“From now on, I’m thinking of reverse-tracking that communication method. I need to investigate with all my strength. The black magic that person taught Sion appears to be the same type used by the unidentified Murderer who harmed my parents.”

“I see…”

As I unconsciously drew out my words while lost in thought, Ruellian looked at my face.

“Is there something bothering you?”

“About that black magic…”

I confessed what had just happened.

“Actually, I’m just coming back from meeting Princess Violet. She was excited about watching the preparations for the Founding Festival and dragged me along, but when a bird flew from behind, she collapsed in terror.”

“Don’t tell me?”

“That’s right. She remembered the moment she almost got hit by Sion’s black magic. Since you looked into her memories, you know too. That Sion tried to harm the Princess.”

“Of course.”

Ruellian’s face hardened.

“He crossed a river of no return.”

“I know. But what if that murderous intent wasn’t Sion’s? What if someone forcibly injected it into him?”

“…?”

Seeing Ruellian’s expression change, it seemed even he didn’t know that much. He had only read Sion’s memories and couldn’t read emotions.

Was it because I had the dragon scale that opened the maze in my hand? I was the only one who grasped the exact circumstances.

“Is that true?”

Ruellian frowned slightly.

“There was nothing like that in Sion’s memories at all. If that were the case, it would mean he was controlled by a method he himself didn’t know about… He probably won’t be able to prove that fact.”

“That’s why someone needs to do it for him.”

I said.

“How can we prove it? You must have some knowledge about this, right? Tell me anything, even if it’s small.”

“Hmm…”

Ruellian fell into thought for a moment.

“Sion has a harsh personality and clear goal consciousness. He belongs to the very strong-willed type. To overpower and control such a person with strong force, simple suggestion wouldn’t be enough.”

“Then?”

“There would need to be some kind of medium. Like giving a necklace or ring as a gift for them to wear on their body. Or carving a tattoo.”

“There was nothing like that.”

I shook my head.

“As we already investigated, Sion had nothing on him. Due to anxiety that his secret might be discovered, he regulated himself thoroughly to the point of obsessive cleanliness. He had no accessories and his pockets were completely empty.”

“I could investigate again, but…”

Ruellian said with a serious face.

“I’m the judge of this case. In a situation where there’s no evidence that Sion was controlled by someone, I can’t take action first to prove this without any basis. That would be unfair intervention.”

“…”

“If someone is watching, they would inevitably become suspicious seeing such behavior from me. Therefore, I can’t investigate Sion’s heart. Do you understand?”

“I roughly get it.”

I nodded.

“So I need to secure evidence and formally raise the claim to you as the judge. Fine. I need to see Sion once. Though I don’t know if family visits are possible.”

“It’s not impossible, but…”

This time Ruellian drew out his words. His attitude suggested there was something awkward about it.

I asked.

“Why? Is there a risk he might go berserk again?”

“No. Sion is currently in a completely neutralized state. Especially with restraints on his hands and feet to prevent him from harming life, he couldn’t kill even an ant. The problem isn’t that, but…”

He glanced at me and said.

“That day in the maze, while capturing Sion and searching through his memories, I discovered one fact.”

“What fact?”

“It wasn’t content necessary for informing the Duke or Aldensis about the truth, so I didn’t bother to disclose it… Sion repeatedly recalled some memory about you several times.”

“A memory?”

It suddenly came to mind. The conversation Sion and I had in front of the door just before the maze opened.

“Are you talking about when I held an umbrella over him when we were young?”

“…”

Ruellian nodded once.

“For some reason, that memory must have been very impressive to him. Even while thinking he absolutely had to eliminate you to take control of the family, it seems he wasn’t completely without guilt in a corner of his heart. Though he never showed it outwardly.”

“…”

“Well, thinking of Princess Violet, it’s right for you to step forward like this. But I was worried that knowing Sion’s inner feelings might weaken your guard. That because of sympathy, you might forget what you went through in childhood and what you almost went through. I can’t forgive that bastard either…”

“I don’t have any sympathy.”

I said firmly.

“Everything Sion did to me remains vividly in this head. It’s surprising that he had even a trace of guilt, but that doesn’t change anything from the victim’s perspective. Does it not hurt if someone hits you while feeling sorry? The pain is the same. The guilty must pay for their crimes. As you said, I’m stepping forward entirely because of Violet.”

Ruellian nodded as if he understood.

“Right. Who are you, after all. I seem to have worried unnecessarily. Then shall I arrange it right away?”

“I’d be grateful if you would.”

We left that small room and came back to the study.

“Rix.”

Ruellian called one of the Holy Knights standing outside and gave him some instructions.

A moment later.

The door opened and Heresy Inquisitors entered.

“Young Lady Rosen, we will guide you to the detention cell.”

“Take this before you go.”

Ruellian pushed a piece of paper across the desk. It was a visit permit written in his own hand.

“Thank you, Your Excellency.”

I gave him a grateful look and left the study following the Heresy Inquisitors.

Going one floor further down from the basement of the cathedral, a dim and humid space appeared.

A place where candles lined up on the walls emitted ominous light. A place where it wouldn’t be strange to see skulls piled in corners.

This was the detention cell where those who committed grave sins against God were imprisoned.

‘If I’d been unlucky, I almost got locked up here too.’

The Heresy Inquisitors led me without saying a word.

After passing many doors lined up on both sides for quite a while, we finally stopped in front of a door in the deepest part.

The two Holy Knights guarding that place asked.

“What’s the matter?”

“A visit.”

“Here.”

I stepped forward and held out the permit that Ruellian had written for me.

The Holy Knights immediately opened the door.

Under a painting of a saint with a weeping face, I could see Sion lying on the sickbed.

He was wearing prisoner’s clothes, and his hands and feet were bound with restraints just as Ruellian had said.

“Please sit here.”

One of the Holy Knights brought a chair and placed it beside the bed. The others surrounded us.

“He probably won’t wake up, but just in case, we’ll keep watch together.”

“How kind of you.”

I thanked them and sat down in the chair.

Sion’s face was very pale. Perhaps because the Order had drained all the black magic poison from him, he looked even more sickly than Duke Carnel.

‘He really didn’t have much time left to live anyway…’

With that thought, I examined Sion’s appearance thoroughly.

“Could you help me a bit?”

I asked the Holy Knights to turn his body to the side and examined both front and back, but as expected, I couldn’t find anything.

“There weren’t any accessories or unusual items, right? Or maybe tattoos…”

“No, Young Lady. There was nothing.”

The Holy Knights answered. One of them handed me a long rod and said,

“If you wish, you can use this to investigate directly by bringing it close to the criminal’s body.”

Some kind of black magic detector?

I took it and once again thoroughly examined Sion from head to toe.

But still, there was nothing.

‘How exactly did they control him?’

Unless they had implanted some device in his brain, but would such major surgery really have been possible?

As I considered all possibilities, my gaze suddenly stopped at one place.

Sion’s blindfold.

‘Could it be?’

I reached out and removed the blindfold.

Sion never took off his blindfold in front of others. Except for when he first came to the ducal mansion.

When the doctor examined him, Aristina had also secretly peeked from outside.

It wasn’t as grotesque as expected. Since considerable time had passed after the abuse damaged it, his eye was just sunken in while remaining closed.

The doctor had tried to treat it, but said there was no way to make the eye open no matter what he did.

What I was seeing now looked exactly the same as back then.

The eye, sunken in and tightly closed.

“We already examined there as well…”

The Holy Knights said this while watching, then flinched. It was because I forcibly pried open Sion’s eyelid.

“…?”

They were surprised to see what was revealed underneath.

And I was even more surprised.

‘I found it!’

Even while prying open the eyelid, I had my doubts. I thought there would be nothing inside that empty space, but there was something there.

I seemed to have finally discovered the identity of the evil that had controlled Sion.

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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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