Chapter 74
Asil quickly picked it up and followed him.
“Uncle!”
The count, surprised by the informal address, turned to look at Asil.
“You dropped this.”
“Oh, thank you. I almost had a big problem. Which family’s little lady are you?”
He could have gotten angry for being rude, but the count kindly greeted and met her eyes.
Thinking he seemed like a good human like Dillon, Asil also politely introduced herself.
“I am Asilian Erzebette of the Erzebette Count family.”
“So you’re Lady Erzebette. You can call me Count Feyrunt.”
“Yes. But what is that? A necklace?”
It looked pretty and unique.
Wanting to see more, Asil peeked curiously.
Then, the count chuckled and showed the necklace so it could be seen well.
“Have you perhaps seen a friend who has the exact same one as this?”
“No, why?”
“There are children I’m looking for, and they should have the same one as this. If you see them, be sure to tell me.”
Ah, the twins Dillon is looking for must have this necklace.
“I understand.”
Asil nodded vigorously, saying she definitely would.
* * *
After parting with the count and heading to the interrogation room, Asil spotted Lilibette and Briden who had entered the palace for the investigation.
“Hello, Lady Erzebette.”
“Hello.”
As if they had some worry, both siblings looked haggard.
Briden even had his eyes covered with bandages.
Why? Did something go wrong with the saint human’s treatment?
“Why is your eye like that? Does it hurt again?”
“No, it’s fine. This is just a disguise.”
“Disguise?”
“Yeah. Father shouldn’t find out that my eye is healed.”
“Why?”
If the illness is all better, shouldn’t he be happy? He’s the dad…….
Thinking carefully, even when Lilibette was sick, Duke Skaya didn’t visit once.
‘He’s really a bad human.’
From demanding money from Edenber to not taking care of Lilibette and Briden.
Asil felt her image of Duke Skaya getting even worse.
Just then, after confirming no one was around, Lilibette whispered softly.
“I’ll tell only you secretly. We’re preparing to run away.”
“Run away?”
“Yeah. Where we’re going is-”
Then, seeing Duke Skaya approaching, she quickly closed her mouth.
Beside the duke was the crown prince.
“I greet Your Highness the Crown Prince.”
“I greet Your Highness the Crown Prince.”
“Crown…… I greet.”
The two siblings hurriedly bowed.
Asil, who had been glaring at Duke Skaya and didn’t hear the greeting properly, followed the two on cue.
Then, while straightening up, she paused upon seeing the crown prince’s somehow unnaturally shaped head.
It was a very small unnaturalness that humans might overlook, but it was clearly visible to Asil’s eyes.
That his hair was slightly floating up more than others.
Meanwhile, the crown prince, spotting an unexpected person, curved his eyes nicely.
“This is the first time seeing you like this, Lady Erzebette. Did you come for the investigation?”
“Yes.”
“Oh dear, you must be very nervous.”
Unlike his kind voice, his mind was full of dark schemes.
‘It’s good timing since Lady Lilibette woke up and my head hurts anyway.’
Pretending to give advice to an innocent child, he pointed to the interrogation room.
“It’s nothing much. When you go in there, a scary-looking person will ask this and that, but you just need to say two things.”
“……?”
“I was so scared. If Duke Skaya hadn’t saved me, something big would have definitely happened.”
“Y-Your Highness!”
Lilibette was shocked at the absurd fabrication.
Briden also protested.
“As I said before, Captain Ark because of us-”
“Shut your mouth. How dare you interrupt while His Highness is speaking?”
However, Duke Skaya scolded sharply, leaving them no choice but to close their mouths helplessly.
The crown prince smiled coldly at the two siblings.
“It’s good to see you stepping up for the still young Lady Erzebette. But the truth must always be revealed transparently-”
“No.”
His words were cut off by Asil’s following voice.
“Asil wasn’t scared at all.”
Asil openly became serious.
How could she say she was scared of a monster to a beastman who worships strength?
At the calm gaze that couldn’t be seen as a child’s, the crown prince and the duke unconsciously tensed.
Asil turned her gaze and glared at Duke Skaya.
“Duke.”
“W-what.”
“You shouldn’t interrupt when others are speaking. If Asil interrupts when the duke is speaking, would you feel good or not?”
At the utterly impudent words, Duke Skaya’s mouth gaped open.
In the meantime, the crown prince, wearing a mask of smile, bent down to meet Asil’s eyes.
He was displeased at being interrupted but didn’t show it.
“Lying is not good, Lady. Saying you weren’t scared when you were is a lie.”
While trying to soothe her well, saying this is all for your sake.
Suddenly, his hair shot up.
Asil, who had been eyeing the crown prince’s hair, had gently pulled it.
“…….”
The surroundings became quiet.
Not only the attendants, but Duke Skaya and the two siblings, the crown prince himself, and even Asil, the culprit of this incident, all froze stiffly.
Asil opened her mouth wide.
Oh my, this is what a wig is.
But she didn’t know it would shoot up like that just from pulling a little.
Not thinking her strength was strong, Asil glanced around and stealthily placed the wig back on his head.
“I’m sorry.”
After politely apologizing, she even patted it down to make sure it settled well.
Then, she whispered in his ear so other humans couldn’t hear.
“Asil has a hair growth tonic.”
It was the hair growth tonic she received as a birthday gift from Selena.
Since she felt sorry, she should give the hair growth tonic. Grow, grow hair.
But thinking again, she might need it later for herself.
Anyway, in her true form, Asil is also bald.
So she quickly added the next words.
“But it’s Asil’s.”
At the sudden boasting about the hair growth tonic, the crown prince’s face, already heated, turned red as if about to burst.
It was then that the interrogation room door opened and the investigator called for Asil.
“Lady Asilian Erzebette, please come in.”
“Yes.”
Asil, who answered politely, quickly went inside.
Phew, I shouldn’t come out until the crown human leaves.
Facing the crown human’s eyes just now was much scarier than fighting a hundred Captain Arks.
‘Tonight, I’ll sleep hugging my bunny friend tightly.’
Recalling the crown prince’s face that looked like a demon, Asil shuddered.
* * *
While those in the corridor turned pale and quickly disappeared, Asil was diligently answering the investigator’s questions.
“Lady Asilian Erzebette. Is it correct that you were present when Duke Monlepe captured Captain Ark?”
“Yes.”
“Is it also correct that before Duke Monlepe encountered Captain Ark, you were already being chased by the enlarged Ark?”
“Yes.”
Following Arcian’s advice, she omitted that they entered the forest to capture Captain Ark and told everything else as it was.
‘Lying is bad, but not saying something isn’t a lie.’
Thus, Asil finished all the investigation and went out.
Fortunately, the corridor was empty.
“Phew.”
Cold sweat on her palms, she wiped it on her dress hem.
Even though her goal is the ferocious black dragon, the earlier situation was a bit too scary.
‘I didn’t know the wig would shoot up like that.’
I must never lift it again.
Not wanting to meet the crown prince again, Asil ran dododo down the corridor.
Then, she didn’t see the person coming towards her and bumped into them.
“Hwaang!”
“…….”
Asil fell on her bottom.
The other party almost fell together but silently extended a hand.
☆☆☆☆
By Anna 💓
