Chapter 69
Michael shrugged his shoulders.
“I was planning to do it just like Miss Reina did at the banquet.”
“Yes?”
“You already knew, right? That His Majesty can distinguish between truth and lies.”
“!”
“I know it too. So you don’t have to worry about me leaking Miss Reina’s secret to the Emperor. I know a good way to get out of it.”
“How exactly are you going to get out of it? Just by knowing that I hid my power, you’ll become a target, Mr. Michael.”
When Reina made a face as if she couldn’t understand, Michael gave a softened smile.
“Well, I plan to use the power of the divine beast.”
“Yes?”
“Would it be faster to show you directly?”
The moment Michael smiled brightly, a book appeared in the air. He opened the book and said.
“If I record it here, even the Emperor can’t extract information from my mind.”
In the past, the Emperor had mentioned Michael’s divine beast power.
“Who would think you’re not a child of the Fromm family? Your divine beast power is as boring as it gets. Though it’s excellent for a spy.”
Clearly, the Emperor thought Michael’s ability was just simple information gathering.
That once acquired information is never forgotten.
But what does that have to do with deceiving the Emperor?
While looking at Michael suspiciously. Suddenly, a certain guess came to mind.
Perhaps he, like me, hid his power from the Emperor.
Unlike how she foolishly revealed all her power in the past and was exploited, he seemed to have protected himself.
‘What was it about how Michael died in the past?’
The Emperor had lightly mentioned his death. But now, it seemed there might be more to it.
‘Perhaps he was retaliated against by the Emperor after his power was discovered?’
If that was the case, his death made some sense.
“Is that your clone, Mr. Michael?”
“Yes. I never forget information once I hear it.”
Michael, who lightly affirmed, pricked his hand with the pen tip and drew blood.
“!”
Following that, Michael’s expression was quite serious as he began writing something in the book.
Reina silently watched what he was doing.
A moment later, he put down the pen and said.
“Of course, that’s only part of my ability. The real power of the divine beast is achieved through equivalent exchange. Right now, I’ve pledged with my blood as collateral that I won’t reveal Miss Reina’s secret.”
Michael showed Reina what he had written.
It contained the content that he wouldn’t tell the Emperor the fact that she was hiding her divine beast power.
“What I’ve pledged with my blood like this becomes completely confidential. So there’s no need to worry that I might tell His Majesty Miss Reina’s secret.”
Michael’s words must be true. Because she knew that divine beasts aren’t beings that just lend their power for free.
But there was a question. Through his statement just now, he implied that he hid his power from the Emperor.
This could be a fatal weakness for him, so why did he tell her?
Reina asked with a face full of wariness.
“Is it okay to tell me about your power, Mr. Michael?”
“Don’t I also know about Miss Reina’s power? Anyway, we’ve only shared parts of it with each other.”
That means this isn’t the entirety of his ability either.
“I want to continue having a good relationship with Miss Reina.”
Michael was wearing an inscrutable smile.
When Reina still remained wary, Michael tore out a page from the book and held it out.
“If you really can’t trust me, how about trusting the divine beast instead of me? My divine beast provides pretty good information if the price is certain.”
“Yes?”
“Write the information you’re curious about with blood on there. The divine beast will tell you. But it has to be a question that can only be answered with yes or no.”
“Will you know what I asked, Mr. Michael?”
“If you wish, I won’t look. I’ll give you exactly three chances. More than that is a burden for me too.”
Michael smiled elegantly and offered a new pen.
Reluctantly holding the pen, Reina stared blankly at the white page.
The page that had used Ritchie’s power definitely had a similar energy to Ritchie.
This might be a golden opportunity.
Reina carefully wrote the first question.
[Is Michael Fromm Mernie on the Emperor’s side?]
As soon as she wrote the question, it glowed and disappeared. Reina asked in surprise.
“The question disappeared?”
“It seems it wasn’t a question that could be answered with yes or no. Try again with a different question. The more specific, the better.”
That meant it couldn’t be definitively said whether Michael was on the Emperor’s side or not.
Reina revised the question.
[Is Michael Fromm Mernie trying to deceive me?]
This time, letters were engraved below the question.
[No.]
With the clear letters, Reina felt relieved. At least she knew that Michael wasn’t using deception on her.
Thinking there was nothing more to ask, it was when Reina was about to put down the pen.
“You have one question left.”
“I’m done with what I’m curious about.”
“You don’t have to ask only about me. It will answer whatever you’ve been curious about usually. …For example, about your brother’s life or death.”
Reina paused. Then, when she glared sharply, Michael shrugged his shoulders.
“Well, if you’re not curious, we can end it like this.”
“Do you know something about my brother?”
“If I knew, I would have made a deal with you, Miss Reina. Besides, if it’s related to the Emperor, I don’t have the authority to speak.”
Michael smiled brightly and pointed to the ring on his pinky finger.
“But that book can give an answer.”
It was practically spoon-feeding her.
Through this, realizing that the ring was sealing his mouth, Reina became cautious.
If she had known, she would have asked all three questions about her brother.
It felt like she had been tricked by unnecessary wordplay.
With complex feelings, Reina pondered and pondered the last question.
[Does the Emperor have Jeffrey Eve Mernie with him?]
She had thought about it ever since she learned that the imperial family was involved in Jeffrey’s disappearance.
Perhaps her brother was also being exploited somewhere, just like she was in the past.
After the tense moment passed, the book answered.
[Yes.]
“Ha.”
At the expected result, Reina let out a hollow laugh.
The Emperor was vicious. He was ruining not only her life but also her brother’s.
Her eyes shone colder than ever before.
To be so rational at the moment when she should be most emotional.
Michael thought that it resembled the eyes of an emperor.
The spirit emanating from her delicate frame was extraordinary.
As a royal acknowledged by the divine beast, he even thought she might one day rival the Emperor.
“Did you get all the answers you wanted?”
“Thanks to you.”
“Now, will you give me the paper?”
When Michael reached out his hand, Reina looked down at the paper.
Before she knew it, all the questions had disappeared, leaving a blank page.
It was the moment she was about to hand over the paper without suspicion.
Ritchie, who had been silent, approached and burned the page, swallowing the ashes.
“Ritsi?”
Piu piu!
Michael, seeing Ritchie pretending as if nothing happened, murmured softly.
“What a smart kid. I was trying to sneak a peek at the questions.”
He said he wouldn’t look.
When Reina made a face full of betrayal, Michael showed both palms in a surrender pose.
Unlike his words, he didn’t look regretful at all.
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By Anna 💓
