CHAPTER 60……………………………………….
“Wow, seriously, this is insane.”
At my words, Kyle’s dad muttered as if he was completely fed up.
“I’ve never seen anyone try to kill their own parents just to bury one person before.”
I nodded even faster than before.
I totally agree with Dad’s opinion!
“But if you think about it, Yuria’s not someone you can touch any other way.”
While saying that, Kyle’s dad kept talking.
“She’s too strong — assassination won’t work, poison doesn’t affect her. If I were the culprit, I’d be at a loss too.”
“Dad.”
Why are you putting yourself in the criminal’s shoes?
“I’m just saying.”
When I glared at him with burning eyes, Kyle’s dad flinched and looked away.
Derrick’s dad looked at him like he was pathetic and said briefly,
“The place we need to go — decided.”
“Yeah, right.”
“Exactly.”
Then, as if nothing had happened, we all smiled and spoke in unison:
“The Empress’s Palace.”
Mm, good.
We really are on the same wavelength.
“First, we sneak into the Empress’s Palace and hide until the person disguised as Mom shows up—”
“We go to the Empress’s Palace right now and talk to Yuria—”
“Huh?”
“Eh?”
We both froze mid-sentence, eyes wide.
Weren’t we just on the same page a second ago?
“Why would you talk to Mom?”
“And why would you go into hiding?”
Kyle’s dad raised an eyebrow, clearly not understanding my logic.
“This isn’t something you solve by lying in wait, Cici.”
“Why not? The moment that person shows up at the palace, we can catch them.”
“Catch them, and then what? You think the mastermind will go, ‘Oh no, you got them! I’m the one who sent them!’? Not a chance.”
Well, yeah, but still…
“Then once we catch them, we can use Verbium—”
“You used that last time too, remember? You think they wouldn’t be prepared for it now?”
That’s true, but…
“Besides, since that bastard disguised themselves as Yuria, Yuria herself needs to know what’s going on. Otherwise, how can we come up with a plan?”
I was at a loss for words, and Dad looked at me and asked,
“What’s wrong? You got a reason not to tell Yuria? Are you scared she’ll scold you for getting into trouble?”
“Yeah…”
I pouted.
He hit the nail on the head. I am scared of being scolded.
Mom specifically told me not to cause any trouble in the palace — and here I am causing major trouble.
“Aw, kiddo, don’t worry.”
Kyle’s dad let out a small laugh and said,
“Between you getting scolded and us getting scolded for dragging you into this — who do you think’s gonna get it worse?”
“But I was the one who…”
“We’ll take the blame for everything. Sound good?”
Kyle’s dad winked.
I couldn’t help but nod.
‘Yeah, I guess Mom needs to know at this point anyway.’
We can’t keep handling this secretly forever.
Even though I’m still kind of scared, I’ll trust you.
Please, get scolded in my place!
* * *
Soon, we arrived at the Empress’s Palace — in the Empress’s own chamber, no less.
“Yuria.”
Standing behind Mom, Kyle’s dad threw off his invisibility cloak and called out to her.
Mom, who had been talking with the head lady-in-waiting, moved instinctively.
In other words, she grabbed Kyle’s dad’s arm and twisted it behind his back in an instant.
I held my breath in Derrick’s dad’s arms.
That’s the reflexes of the empire’s top healer for you…
Terrifying!
“Wait, wait, time out! It’s me, it’s me!”
“Kyle?”
At his desperate shout, Mom finally realized what was happening and looked around.
“Cici, Derrick.”
I waved awkwardly at her.
Hi, Mom.
Please don’t kill us…
“I should never have given you back that invisibility cloak.”
Then Harzen’s dad dispelled a floating magic circle and muttered,
“What on earth…”
Mom looked at me, Derrick’s dad, Kyle’s dad, and the invisibility cloak one by one, speaking slowly and clearly:
“What exactly have you all been up to?”
“What we’ve been up to?”
Kyle’s dad rubbed his twisted arm and replied shamelessly,
“Saving your life.”
“What do you mean by that—”
“I heard something pretty interesting.”
Then he took something from his pocket and placed it on the table.
“But before that, let’s set up a little safeguard.”
“Safeguard?”
“No one can know we’re here, and our conversation can’t leak out either.”
“If that’s the case, we can just put up a barrier—”
“Putting up a big flashy magic barrier is basically like saying, ‘Please suspect me,’ genius. This’ll do.”
As Harzen’s dad spoke, Kyle’s dad shook his head and activated the device.
“Then I should… step out, perhaps…”
The lady-in-waiting, still frozen with shock, managed to stammer out a trembling sentence.
Of course, Kyle’s dad stopped her immediately.
“Stay. You’ll want to hear this too.”
“What kind of story is this?”
Mom couldn’t hold it in anymore and asked again.
“Something so important you had to go this far? And what was that about earlier?”
“Cici.”
Instead of answering, Kyle’s dad motioned to me.
I handed Mom the crumpled Bifrons I’d been holding.
“Bifrons…?”
“Well, someone disguised as you picked this up earlier.”
“Disguised as me? Why would they…”
Mom trailed off, then turned her gaze toward the Empress.
She must’ve reached the same conclusion we had.
“Who would try something like this?”
Mom asked again, unable to understand.
Kyle’s dad was ready for it.
“You want to know who?”
His silvery-gray eyes turned toward Harzen’s dad.
“The very distinguished brother of our dear prince over there.”
At that, Harzen’s dad frowned slightly and stepped forward.
“What are you talking about?”
“Are you dense? The one trying to poison the Empress and frame Yuria — is your brother.”
“If you make such claims in the palace without proof—”
“Proof?”
Kyle’s dad let out a cold laugh.
“You’d really stop to look for proof even when the woman you love might be in danger?”
“…”
“The agent your brother met disguised themselves as Yuria and took the Bifrons. Isn’t that suspicious enough? What, you need more? Want me to stack it all up into a mountain for you?”
“I…”
Harzen’s dad closed his eyes briefly, then opened them again.
“…That wasn’t his intention.”
“Oh, sure. I totally believe that.”
“But that alone doesn’t prove my brother’s… involvement. You know that.”
“Good grief. You kill soldiers who so much as knock on your door, but now you’re all cautious and noble?”
Kyle’s dad beat his chest in frustration.
Meanwhile, Mom — clearly deep in thought — finally spoke.
“Right or wrong aside, I know you and Derrick wouldn’t do all this without a reason.”
“That’s my Yuria.”
“But I still don’t understand. Why would His Highness the Prince go so far as to harm the Empress just to frame me?”
Her violet eyes trembled with confusion.
Of course she couldn’t understand.
‘I couldn’t either.’
Why would Berthold try to kill my mom — even if it meant hurting his own mother?
If I had to guess…
“Because you’re the center of us all.”
Kyle’s dad spoke at last, his voice now calm and even.
