Chapter 14
Chapter 14
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 14
Chapter Title: The Trap Springs
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Not content with forcing a slave to piss on my father's statue, I've been branded a heretic for covering it up with lies.
The moment the inquisitor returns to the diocese and reports my crimes in detail to the bishop, I'll be hauled before the church's tribunal.
If that happens, not only will the family's assets be seized, but the family itself could face extinction.
Even if the Saint shows mercy, our house's reputation would plummet endlessly. The admiring gazes of the territory's people would turn to disgust in an instant.
'Scary...'
Cold sweat drips down my back as visions of a fallen noble's wretched end flicker before my eyes.
Of course, this was just one hypothetical scenario. There were plenty of ways to get through it unscathed.
The surest method was for me to subdue the elf myself and clear my name. If I could force the truth out of the neutralized elf, I'd be unequivocally innocent.
Regaining my confidence, I turned to Habid.
"You're right. It would be welcome if the Heresy Inquisitor, representing the God of Light, visits my estate. With that in mind, how about we hold a worship service for about an hour?"
"Pardon? You mean prayer?"
"Yes. There should be servants and slaves who finished their work early and are resting. Have them follow you, the steward, to the chapel on the estate grounds for a simple service. Our faith in the God of Light needs to be rock-solid to make the inquisitor's job easier, don't you think?"
"Oho. Indeed...!"
Habid nodded seriously.
"Understood. I'll gather the servants and slaves who finished early and hold the service. Will you join us, Family Head?"
"I'll pray separately in the study. I have work to handle."
"Very well. We need to start before the sun fully sets, so I'll head out for worship now."
"Good thinking. Oh, and one more thing."
I added as if it had just occurred to me.
"Don't bring the head chef. I'm famished, so once I'm done with work, we'll eat right away. Tell him to start cooking now."
"Yes, sir. I'll do that."
Good that he didn't question it. Habid bowed politely to me before turning and walking out. Watching his back, I smirked to myself.
'Alibi secured.'
By chasing the off-duty servants out of the estate, I eliminate any witnesses. Plus, the elf will be led to the chapel by the steward too (since she's playing the lowly slave, she can't refuse his orders), giving me more than enough time to set the trap.
Even if the 'elf hunt' fails, I've established the narrative of 'Teorad, who prayed in the study then had dinner,' so the elf won't be able to pin it on me.
A truly perfect plan. Suppressing a laugh, I strolled slowly toward the central courtyard.
I flashed a gracious smile at the servants I passed along the way and killed about ten minutes in the colonnade of the courtyard, waiting for the off-duty servants and the elf to fully leave the estate.
'That should do it.'
Judging the timing, I grabbed a shovel from a dim corner of the colonnade and headed to the center of the courtyard. No matter how well the 'Behemoth Hunter' blends into its surroundings via shape-shifting, there's no guarantee a cunning elf won't suspect a sudden new feature in the terrain.
'If I'm doing this, I'm doing it right.'
It pained me to ruin the courtyard, but convicting the elf made it a small price to pay.
I dug a shallow hole with the shovel, then pulled the 'Behemoth Hunter' from my pocket and placed it on the ground. Lifting the stone slab, I pressed the top button, and the box transformed into a flat paving stone.
I covered it with soil, then tamped it down evenly. It was so meticulous that unless you looked closely, you wouldn't even notice the ground had been disturbed.
'Arrogant elf bitch. You thought you'd only ever catch me, huh?'
Imagining her stepping on it, realizing her mistake, and bursting into tears made it impossible to stop grinning.
Giggling foolishly, I returned the shovel to its place and headed up to the study. At this point, success was half-assured.
Seated in the study's chair, I waited calmly for judgment hour to arrive.
*
One hour later.
The sound of servants returning from worship and heading to their rooms echoed in droves.
The elf would be no different. Having heard from the steward that I was eating, she'd surely come to my room with her dog bowl to get whipped.
The shortest path to the dining hall crossed the courtyard.
So the elf would pass right over the 'Behemoth Hunter' I'd buried without a second thought, and I'd trigger it the moment she did.
"Hoo."
I took a deep breath, stood from my seat, and hid behind the curtains. Peeking out the window, I spotted the elf entering the courtyard just as expected, dog bowls in both hands.
Gulp.
Sweaty-handed, I lifted the stone slab and placed my thumb over the bottom button. A pang of pity hit me as she approached humming tunelessly, but recalling all she'd put me through erased it instantly.
Steeling myself, I fixed my gaze on the elf and bided my time. The instant her foot landed on the buried weapon, I pressed the button without hesitation.
BOOM─!
A thunderous explosion rocked heaven and earth. Dirt erupted, and flames shot skyward, briefly turning the estate into midday. Thick smoke billowed up after.
'Did I get her?'
Watching anxiously, the smoke began to clear. A beat later, the dog bowls clattered to the ground, and the elf's figure emerged from the dispersing haze.
"Huh...?"
To cut to the chase: failure. Her sackcloth was burning up to her upper chest, but her hair, and her porcelain skin, remained pristine.
She didn't even look strained. Just vaguely irritated and confused about what had happened.
'Fuck!'
I'd considered failure as a possibility, but not that she'd come out unscathed. My heart pounded like a culprit's, pupils dilating.
Calming my involuntarily trembling hands, I yanked open the desk drawer, tossed the slab in, and rushed out the door.
Nobles aren't supposed to run for decorum's sake, but this was an exception! I sprinted full-tilt, bounded down the stairs two at a time, flung open the dining hall door, and plopped into my seat at the table.
'Gotta pretend I'm eating...!'
The head chef had prepped dishes at my request, so I crammed salad and meat into my mouth with the fork as fast as I could.
I'd choked down about half, washing it with wine, when—
Knock knock—
An ice-cold knock sounded.
I swallowed everything in my mouth as calmly as possible, then spoke.
"Come in."
The door opened immediately, and the elf entered.
Clad in charred rags barely recognizable as clothing, she stared blankly at me, dog bowls in hand.
Her colorless eyes sent chills down my spine. Suppressing the creeping terror filling the room, I put on a desperate act.
"What's with the outfit? Did something happen?"
No response. I pulled a handkerchief from my pocket to wipe my mouth, hiding the twitching at my lips. But my legs, hidden by the table, had been shaking uncontrollably.
"......"
The elf stood silent for a long moment, then her lips moved as if chewing the words.
"Someone seems to have played a nasty prank in the courtyard, Master."
Her flat, emotionless tone carved into my heart.
"Who on earth would pull a stunt like this?"
Her eyes bulged in a dead stare. Like a frog cornered by a snake. In that extreme terror, one truth dawned on me.
'Maybe I...'
...am dying today.
Staring into those murderous eyes was unbearable.
I tucked the handkerchief away and gently closed my eyes.
'Father, I'm sorry.'
I promised I'd come see you someday, but I didn't think it'd be this soon.
Is Mother well? I miss Grandfather and Grandmother. Looks like I'll be seeing you all today...
"Master."
The elf's razor-sharp voice made me cough and open my eyes.
The situation hadn't changed a bit, but accepting death brought a mirror-still calm to my mind.
It was do or die anyway. And I was born into a prestigious noble house, trained in every art of survival. This setback—no, this trial...
I'd find a way through it.
"As for you, Master..."
Letting her keep talking would cede control of the conversation. Losing that meant my doom, so I couldn't just sit there.
"Shut it."
I clicked my tongue and set down the utensil.
"How long do you plan to whine in front of me looking like that? Or is this some ploy to ruin my appetite?"
"No. I just wanted to let you know someone pranked the courtyard..."
"Then get lost if you've said your piece. Don't loiter like you expect a reward, slave."
A question mark floated on the elf's face. My brazenness seemed to make her doubt I was the culprit. Time to drive it home.
"Head chef!"
I bellowed, and the head chef from the adjacent kitchen hurried in, bowing deeply.
"You called, Family Head?"
"Yes. There's an uninvited guest at my meal. See her out."
"Uninvited guest, you say..."
He glanced at the elf and flinched. Her burned rags barely covered her chest—it looked suspicious at first glance.
Moreover, the elf was a skilled cook who occasionally assisted him. It was natural for the kind-hearted chef to look worried.
"Y-You okay?"
The elf turned her icy gaze on him at his question, making the chef shudder.
"Chef. Do you happen to know when the Master started eating?"