The World Mistakes Me for Terminally Ill - Chapter 85

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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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The World Thinks I’m Terminally Ill Episode 085

I wanted to get away from this crazy bastard as quickly as possible, so I prepared to wrap up the conversation.

“Sweetie, say hello to the gentleman.”

Kai glanced at the host at my words, gave a perfunctory bow, then stuck close to my side.

I quietly made an excuse.

“He’s very shy around strangers.”

Despite that insincere greeting, the host was pleased, saying ‘Well, strange adults must be scary, haha.’

“Ahem, madam. Allow me to comfort you in your grief over losing your husband. In time, won’t new flesh grow over your wounds? How about we go somewhere quiet together… Ah! You’re not uncomfortable because of the veil, are you? Let me lift it for you-“

Perverted bastard.

I swallowed my curses internally and quickly stepped back.

High society had many villains, but it had been a while since I encountered one this purely disgusting.

Fortunately, my veil hid what nearly became a loss of composure.

I shielded Kai protectively and subtly glanced at my shadow.

“The child seems tired, so we need to rest for a moment. Thank you for your hospitality. We’ll meet again later.”

“What? Wait- Ugh!”

As I turned around, Erban, hidden in the shadows, grabbed the host’s foot to stop him from following.

While the host stumbled over his own feet, Erban secretly slipped a funeral flower into his pocket.

It was enchanted by Erban, equipped with stealth and tracking functions befitting an assassin.

If planted on suspicious individuals, Erban would track them automatically.

Meanwhile, I escaped from the central ballroom where the dance floor was located.

Only after heading to a corner relatively less visible to people did I speak.

“What about the host?”

“Just an ordinary human.”

Kai answered.

Erban, hidden in the shadows, also made an ‘O’ shape with shadows to show agreement.

I crumpled and covered it with my foot – Erban petulantly made devil wings behind me with shadows – then headed toward a corridor that was cleverly hidden.

It was a place the former assassin, sulking childishly, had told me was suspicious.

“Why on earth is the Imperial Court confiscating the dead witch’s assets?”

“How much loss did I suffer because of that! They should naturally return it to the investors.”

Then I felt a new commotion different from the central ballroom.

Whirring. The sound of chips spinning. Smoke that had grown thick at some point.

The farther from the center, the more separate spaces appeared in a row. Ominous curses could be heard from there.

‘A gambling den?’

Behind glamorous stages, dark underbellies naturally exist. The gambling den before my eyes was an example of that.

I took out a handkerchief to cover Kai’s nose and mouth, then entered through the door Erban silently opened.

Fortunately, the entire room was pitch black, hiding our figures dressed in black.

“I’m not sure the Finance Bureau has the right to make this decision unilaterally.”

“The Crown Prince faction must have intervened. Isn’t it obvious?”

“Hasn’t His Highness the 3rd Prince returned from the hunting grounds yet?”

“Sigh, how frustrating at such an important time.”

I listened to the conversation among the gamblers while assessing the atmosphere.

The person at the head seat pushed forward a mountain of chips and said.

“Everyone’s gotten too heated. Let’s cool our heads.”

Then the others exchanged glances and closed their mouths.

‘Those who mock the swan yet harbor resentment toward the Finance Bureau that executed the fake saint… The 3rd Prince faction?’

The Imperial Court was currently in the midst of succession competition.

Naturally, whenever the empire’s citizens gathered, they would praise or badmouth the royal they supported according to their interests.

Originally, since there was already a Crown Prince officially recognized by the Emperor, no competition should exist, but the problem was that the Emperor had been unable to rise from his sickbed for a long time.

Meanwhile, the current Empress, the 3rd Prince’s birth mother, intervened in state affairs as the Emperor’s proxy, complicating matters, and eventually the political world was divided into pro-Crown Prince and pro-3rd Prince factions.

This power struggle extended to various imperial institutions, creating the current empire’s situation of tense tug-of-war.

‘It’s impossible that the ball’s organizers didn’t know the atmosphere would flow this way. The key is whether there’s a connection to Beatrice, who provided the venue.’

I recalled that the current Empress was Duke Beatrice’s sister.

Wondering if she might be connected to the black magic practitioner’s backer, I gave Kai a funeral flower.

“Kai.”

“Yeah.”

“Do you see that man who looks richest over there?”

When I pointed to the person at the head seat, Kai nodded confidently.

“Yeah! The octopus bald man?”

“…Yes, um, right. Could you stick this on that man?”

“Got it.”

Erban had left to scout other rooms, and the environment was so dark with tables close together that it was difficult for me to move, so I asked Kai.

Kai took the funeral flower. His presence faded to the point where it couldn’t be noticed unless closely observed.

“I’ll be right back.”

Kai scurried through the complex maze with his small body, then poked his bright eyes above the chip-laden table.

Blink blink.

When the large red eyes blinked, a gambler at the table said.

“There are red chips floating in the air over there?”

“Haven’t you had too much to drink?”

“That’s why I told you to drink in moderation.”

While I was startled, Kai quickly went behind the head seat like a squirrel and stood on tiptoes.

Kai stuck the funeral flower right into the ‘octopus bald man’s’ ear!

The baby dragon rolled back after completing his mission.

“I did well, right?”

“…Yes, you did well.”

I looked at the target with a red flower stuck beside his smooth head and my lips trembled.

I meant to just stick it in his clothes pocket or something ordinary…

Seeing his triumphant expression, I couldn’t bring myself to scold him, so I just patted Kai’s head.

We obtained the information that ‘the ball organizers are likely the 3rd Prince faction’ from the gamblers’ room and left.

As soon as we returned to a safe place, Erban – who had returned midway – was rolling on the floor giggling.

“Kekeke! Octopus, bald, human…!”

“Why is the shiny human acting like that?”

“He’s just missing some screws. Ignore him.”

After that, we consulted each other and decided to plant funeral flowers on particularly suspicious-looking people at the ball.

The method was simple.

1. First, I would approach and strike up a conversation about art.

“The Butterfly’s Lover play showcases a different use of stage devices than before. When the two protagonists exchange tokens just before parting, they maximized the reflection angle of lighting to express the shattering moonlight.”

“Oh my, I heard you were a foreigner, but you seem quite knowledgeable in this field.”

Then even people who had been wary of me would show curiosity about my insights and naturally lower their guard.

2. While I extracted information from them, the other two would plant funeral flowers.

Erban was active in bright places, Kai in dark ones.

After completing basic reconnaissance, I said.

“I’ll check the ladies’ lounge myself, so please watch Kai.”

“Will you be alright alone, Master? Should I follow?”

“No need. Even if this is enemy territory, let’s maintain some social decency.”

Saying that, I left the two in a safe zone and headed to the lounge alone.

The problem was that no matter how much we fulfilled our moral obligations, real perverts don’t care about such things.

As soon as I arrived at the secluded ladies’ lounge, I froze upon seeing someone emerge from a blind spot nearby.

“Madam, you’re finally here!”

Oh shit, XX. This guy’s really crazy.

It was the host who had given me pure disgust.

I was frozen in shock when the host, no, the pervert spoke.

“I knew you would come at least once. You must need to change that tear-soaked veil. Isn’t that right? Ah, pure and innocent love is truly beautiful.”

What is he saying? I asked him to imagine, but he’s having delusions.

“Come, come here quickly! I’ll help you, my lady!”

The crazy pervert approached me with eyes gleaming with desire. For the first time in my life, I felt genuine crisis.

The kind of crisis where I might commit murder.

Without realizing it, I reached toward my shadow, and something hiding in the shadows peeked out its ears.

Just before it could emerge completely.

“Come, into my arms—!”

A cold gust of wind blew and the pervert was sent flying backward and crashed.

“Squawk!”

The pervert fainted.

I was watching the scene with a bewildered expression when someone gently caught my outstretched hand.

At the same time, I heard a very familiar, low and sweet voice.

“Are you alright, my lady?”

…Why is Shubel here again?

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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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