The sound of a thick stack of papers hitting the table echoed in the room.
“Ivyn Kinzell, is it true that you slipped out at night with the servants from the dukedom?”
“Yes.”
“And that it was to contact a secret organization studying the forbidden magic known as the ‘Oath of Darkness’?”
“Ye… eh?”
‘Wait—why is the Oath of Darkness popping up here?’
“A witness has appeared.”
The paladin responded dryly to her questioning look.
“A witness?”
“Yes, someone who can testify to your alleged crime.”
“Where… is this witness?”
“For their protection, I cannot reveal their identity.”
Ivyn felt as if her words had been choked off.
This was practically a false accusation.
Perhaps the Holy Nation had misjudged the situation entirely.
Or maybe the so-called witness was just an enemy of the Kinzell family!
Otherwise, why would they keep forcing testimony about matters she did not know of?
‘I’m in trouble.’
But even if you’re thrown into a tiger’s den, as long as you keep your wits, you survive.
Ivyn drew a steadying breath, ready to play her last card.
In the original story, Theodore, a paladin, and Saintess Pavella overcame countless trials together, weaving a touching romance.
‘But think about it carefully…’
The Saintess was the heroine of this rofan novel.
Naturally, she had to be breathtakingly beautiful.
And she was.
You could tell by looking at how many pages the author wasted on describing her every feature.
Four whole pages.
Four pages of a symphonic, detailed description of her every feature.
Judging by the number of pages the author spent describing her looks and presence, the answer was obvious.
The heroine was indeed stunning.
But here came the important detail:
Ivyn herself was no less beautiful.
“Such a waste of a face… her face is almost as beautiful as our Saintess Pavella.”
Almost as beautiful as our Saintess Pavella.
Almost as beautiful…
As beautiful…
…
The conclusion?
Ivyn Kinzell was beautiful.
Ivyn hadn’t actually seen her own face yet, since she just transmigrated, but her memory vividly retained the original depiction of Ivyn’s appearance.
—Her hair was a shade of violet, like lavender in bloom, and her eyes were a pale blue, like the first light of dawn. Her cheeks, pale and soft, commanded attention with a faint pink flush, reminiscent of cherry blossoms scattered by the spring breeze.… A few freckles dotted her cheeks, playfully quivering whenever she scrunched her nose while smiling… Even those who held grudges against her because of the Kinzell family’s notorious reputation found themselves disarmed and helpless when faced with her in person.
And if she added an emotional appeal?
Wouldn’t even the coldest paladin’s heart be shaken?
‘I don’t know how good my acting will be, but… let’s try it.’
Centering herself on this thought, she suddenly let her head drop limply.
“Hic…”
A small, soft sob escaped her lips.
“—!”
Theodore’s eyes flicked down at her, a hint of surprise in his gaze.
Of course he would be startled.
Ivyn Kinzell was infamous for her temper and sharp tongue.
And yet… she was crying?
Pitifully so?
“D-Dad… I want to see Dad… I’m scared… hic… Dad…”
Tears, like tiny beads, rolled down her soft, pale cheeks.
How long she sobbed, she couldn’t tell.
Finally, in the muted stillness around her, Ivyn lifted her head, studying Theodore’s reaction.
His dark, usually impassive eyes flickered slightly.
‘Could it be that the cliché of a woman’s tearful plea is actually working?’
Gaining a hint of confidence, Ivyn pushed a little further.
“I… I-I’m really scared… It’s so dark… my whole body feels like it’s trembling… I swear I’ll answer honestly… please, could you… Just loosen these restraints a little?”
The paladin furrowed his brow, remaining silent, eyes fixed on her with scrutiny.
It was as if he were measuring whether this was a trick or not.
‘Theodore might be straightforward, but he is righteous and morally upright. There’s no way appealing to his sympathy wouldn’t work.’
Taking a deep breath, Ivyn slowly spoke again.
“…I really don’t understand why I was dragged here… I-I just… I was curious about what the city looked like, so I-I snuck out at night with my friends… Father said I could never leave the manor before my seventeenth coming-of-age ceremony, that’s why…”
Then something strange happened.
The longer she spoke, the more her sobs intensified, and the corners of her mouth trembled, quivering as she could barely hold them.
“I… I really don’t know anything. Father and brothers said it was dangerous outside the manor, so I stayed inside all the time. Really, that’s all it was, yet… my friends—they could go to the academy and all… but I was always… always left alone. I was all by myself…”
Her emotions surged like a tide.
A tangled mix of fear, helplessness, and indignation burst within her. Feelings that the original character must have experienced in this moment of the story.
Haa… After watching Ivyn for a while, Theodore let out a low, quiet sigh into the still air.
As he loosened his expression and leaned back against the chair, the wooden legs scraped with a creak.
Steady eyes were fixed on the girl, whose arms were bound with cold chains against the wall.
It was as if he were trying to gauge what the little demon of Kinzell might be thinking.
According to the order records, Ivyn Kinzell was supposed to be a corrupted soul, wielding the power of darkness.
But looking at this girl, crying like a child, it was impossible to imagine her as anything sinister.
This girl’s genuinely scared, he thought as his eyes examined her.
There were no signs of forced acting or strained emotions—her fear was raw and convincing.
At that, the chill indifference that had clung to Theodore’s gaze all this time shifted ever so slightly.
