The Young Male Protagonist Who is Destined for Ruin Fell for Me - Chapter 107

Count Lady Diane turned her head toward the direction of the explosion, her mind growing hazy.
Amel. She silently called out her daughter’s name.

The young ministers of Traiha anxiously stamped their feet, desperate to flee the imperial palace. But none of them were parents.

“Count Lady Diane, thank you for helping us escape the inner palace. Without you, we would have long fallen prey to Marabas’ subordinates lurking around every corner.”

“…….”

“Most of us have dedicated our lives to serving the imperial palace. We can manage our escape on our own now, so you should hurry along.”

“……Thank you.”

Summoning all her strength, Count Lady Diane rushed toward the heart of the palace. It wasn’t simply because Amel’s resolute gaze and firm words had convinced her to leave.

‘Amel…!’

How could she have left her daughter alone in a place where Cordelia’s explosive spell could be triggered at any moment? She had no right to call herself a mother.

Memories flashed through her mind like a lantern’s light—her tiny daughter, the first time she held her in her arms, the moment she babbled the word mother, and the day she took her first steps.

Casting aside all dignity and composure, she ran so hard that her vision blurred. Before long, she spotted a couple standing close together, peacefully watching the sunrise.

“…….”

The Duke of Chaeild had his arm wrapped around Amel’s shoulders, while she naturally rested her head against him.

The sight was picturesque, as if painted onto a canvas. It struck Diane—her days as the knight who would protect her daughter were over.

“How utterly lovely…….”

“They look so perfect together…….”

Hearing whispers of admiration, Count Lady Diane glanced around. The Duke of Chaeild’s household staff, hidden among the bushes, were watching the couple with warm expressions.

Diane sniffled, rubbing her nose absentmindedly as she listened to their murmurs. It wasn’t hard to piece together what had happened.

‘Hilde seems to have turned out well, too. If he’s receiving such affectionate gazes, then surely my daughter’s future will be just fine…’

Just as she resigned herself to stepping aside, someone tapped her on the shoulder. Even without turning around, Diane knew it was her daughter’s touch.

“Amel. I’m so relieved you’re safe.”

“Mother…….”

“My little girl… you’ve grown so much.”

“Mother, really now. How many times are you going to say that?”

Diane chuckled, shrugging as she examined her closely. Just as she expected, apart from her slightly swollen lips, there was something else amiss.

“Amel. What is that on your forehead? It’s glowing blue.”

Amel blinked in confusion, then gasped. The confession agent that Itar had placed on her forehead was still active!

“It looks like the agent’s effects are lingering. If I had told a lie in the meantime, it would’ve been disastrous.”

She let out a sigh of relief, but Kyle, upon hearing this, narrowed his eyes in thought.

In a situation like before, the confession agent was undoubtedly a dangerous item. But in this peaceful moment, it could serve… another purpose.

Amel, noticing Kyle lost in contemplation, playfully placed her hand on him. She immediately heard his troubled inner thoughts.

「So that means… whatever I ask, she has to answer honestly?」

「…I should stop thinking like this.」

「Should I ask what she likes the most?」

「No, I really should stop.」

「Did she really enjoy what I did last time?」

「…….」

Ting!

A sharp sting made Amel frown. Her wrist throbbed, and when she looked down at her bracelet—the one designed to detect inappropriate thoughts—it was completely broken.

“That’s strange. Mother said each person could only trigger it once, up to five times in total.”

“Odd indeed. Could there be an issue…? Alchemists, could you come over for a moment?”

Count Lady Diane examined the battered bracelet with concern.

By her calculations, it should have been triggered five times—once by herself, once by her son-in-law, and then by Princess Lien, Itar, and Marabas. That should have been the limit.

Yet, somehow, the bracelet had responded again.

The Duke of Chaeild’s staff, who had been hiding in the bushes, eagerly gathered to examine the broken bracelet. Among them were alchemists from the household.

“Oh… A bracelet designed to trigger only five times has reacted again? This defies the principles of alchemy!”

“It must have responded to something unimaginably immense…”

As the onlookers gasped in amazement, only Diane and her daughter discreetly turned their gazes toward Kyle. The duke, looking guilty, avoided their eyes and stared off into the distance.

‘Just how enormous are his improper thoughts toward my daughter…?’

Count Lady Diane was at a loss for words.

＊＊＊

Kyle excused himself, allowing mother and daughter some time alone. It was certainly not because he had been caught harboring immense inappropriate thoughts.

‘The antidote for the confession agent was surprisingly easy to obtain.’

With the help of alchemists, Amel’s system was completely cleared of the agent. Now, there was one final matter to resolve before leaving Traiha.

The fates of Marabas and Itar.

Of course, Kyle had already decided—both of them belonged in the afterlife. After all, they had kidnapped the Duke of Chaeild’s precious fiancée. There was no room for mercy.

The only matters left to discuss were the timing and method.

Kyle headed straight for Enoch, who, predictably, was too soft-hearted for his own good. Without mincing words, he stated:

“Your Highness, now that everything is settled, I plan to return to Hail soon. I request the transfer of the criminals so that they may be punished under the laws of my duchy.”

“Ah…….”

Enoch swallowed dryly. Originally, he had planned to tell the Duke of Chaeild that Itar would be punished according to his own nation’s laws and only hand over Marabas.

As the crown prince—and soon-to-be emperor—he believed he could handle that level of negotiation.

But he had overestimated himself.

Kyleian Chaeild was not the same composed man who smiled tenderly in front of his fiancée. Standing before Enoch now was a beast—a man who would tear apart anything that obstructed his path, down to the very bones.

Now that it had been revealed that Itar, a member of the Traiha imperial family, had attempted to harm his fiancée, Kyleian Chaeild felt no inclination to show even the slightest goodwill toward the empire.

Enoch instinctively realized that every gesture he made, every word he uttered in this moment, would determine the future of his nation.

And so, there was only one answer he could give to Duke of Chaeild.

“……Itar will be transferred to Chaeild Duchy as soon as our investigation is complete. As for Marabas, you may do with him as you see fit.”

A faint crease formed between Kyle’s brows. From Enoch’s perspective, this was the greatest concession he could offer, but his response fell far short of Kyle’s expectations.

Even if he were to tear Itar limb from limb right this instant, it wouldn’t be enough. And now Enoch was talking about handing him over after an investigation? Unacceptable.

“Before that, may I see him for a moment?”

“……Do as you wish.”

“I would also like Your Highness to accompany me.”

Hiding his true thoughts behind a pleasant smile, Kyle gestured politely. Enoch, noticing that he was now surrounded entirely by Chaeild’s men, felt a growing unease as he followed them down to the underground cells.

Itar was imprisoned in a relatively spacious and comfortable cell.

His hands were cuffed and secured to a table, and Kyle’s gaze lingered on them briefly before he stepped into the cell.

“Itar. There is something I wanted to tell you.”

“……What is it?”

“Being thrust into the succession war and becoming a casualty was not your fault.”

“…….”

Slowly, tears welled in Itar’s eyes. The words from Duke of Chaeild felt like a warm hand soothing his wounded heart.

Kyle, watching as Itar looked up at him with a touched expression, leisurely perched on the edge of the desk. His hands, neatly bound to the table, were in plain sight.

“But laying your hands on my fiancée—that was your fault.”

Thud—!

A horrific scream shattered the silence. Kyle, careful not to let any blood splatter onto himself, retrieved the dagger that had pierced through Itar’s hand and embedded itself deep into the table.

“You left evidence that your filthy hands touched my fiancée, and yet you expected to walk away unscathed?”

His hand came down once more, and another piercing wail echoed through the underground chamber.

Enoch, unable to stomach the sight, instinctively stepped back, but Chaeild’s men subtly blocked his path, as if telling him he ought to watch.

And so, the Crown Prince of the mighty Traiha Empire was forced to stand witness as his half-brother’s hands were reduced to tattered shreds.

“Stop the bleeding.”

Kyle issued the curt command before exiting the dungeon ahead of the crown prince.

He considered wiping off the blood on his face but realized that the embroidered chicken-patterned handkerchief he always carried was with Amel.

‘…Not that I would have used it to wipe off such filthy blood, anyway.’

With no other choice, he wiped the blood away with the back of his hand as one of Chaeild’s informants discreetly led him to a secluded area.

There, Marabas Lydell knelt, tightly bound, with a cloth stuffed into his mouth.

As Kyle reached out, a dagger with a razor-sharp edge was smoothly placed into his hand. With the tip of the blade, he lifted Marabas’ chin.

“Marabas Lydell. For someone with such fierce eyes, you sure are trembling pitifully.”

“……I could have used my abilities to elevate Chaeild’s glory. Are you really going to kill me regardless?”

“Of course.”

Kyle tightened his grip on the hilt, stepping forward just enough. He intended to stab the very eyes that had dared to linger on his fiancée, who had been left wearing nothing but a thin slip.

Just as he raised his blade, someone stepped in front of him. Kyle scowled.

“Vanessa Maevebrante. Are you planning to stand in my way?”

“W-wait a moment…….”

Vanessa, seemingly out of breath from running over, took a moment to collect herself. Behind her, Marabas let out a heated sigh, gazing at her back.

For a moment, he had foolishly forgotten. Vanessa Maevebrante. The woman who had once saved him when he was nothing but a wanderer.

But reality was not as Marabas had imagined.

“Your Grace. The lady is looking for you.”

“I assume you’re about to stab his eyes first? Blood will splatter.”

“That’s true.”

“I’ll set up a barrier of light to shield you. Just hurry up and get it over with.”

“Fine.”

Vanessa never once spared a glance at Marabas as she ensured that Kyle’s attire remained pristine.

With a swift motion, Kyle’s blade sliced through the air, and in an instant, Marabas lost his vision.

“Mmph…! Ugh…….”

“When did you manage to shove that cloth into his mouth? You’ve become more thorough with time.”

“Shut up. I’m planning to throw him to the hounds, so just remove his heart before that.”

Kyle handed the blade to Vanessa and casually adjusted his clothes.

Behind him, a series of muffled, agonized screams filled the air, but Kyle paid them no mind.

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