Chapter 34
Chapter 34
Ch. 34 .｡.:✧ Cologne (4) ✧:.｡.
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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: FusionX
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“What kind of behavior is this!”
“I said I’m sorry. Isn’t it just spilling a single cup of water? Can’t you just tell the attendant to bring warm water again?”
“…That’s right. I got heated over a trivial matter.”
Lawrence’s face reddened for a moment.
He soon had the attendant bring warm water.
A steaming cup of water was placed in front of me again.
It was colorless and odorless like always, but different from usual.
Someone as thorough as Lawrence would definitely pour the poison himself.
This time, it was truly just water.
“…”
As I drank the water and lifted my head, my eyes met the mercenary sitting across from me.
He also just silently gazed at me without averting his eyes.
‘Could it be that he knows this is poison…?’
An absurd possibility came to mind.
The possibility that the mercenary had noticed my situation.
The possibility that he had deliberately spilled it, realizing it was poison.
‘No way.’
That couldn’t be.
I crushed any meaningless hopes before they could bloom.
He was a commoner mercenary with an unclear background.
It would be foolish to find meaning in his action of suddenly kicking the table.
It was just a coincidence.
That’s what I decided to think.
It seemed it would be more comfortable for my heart that way.
“That sword looks quite expensive?”
“It’s a mass-produced item. I just inserted a mana stone into the hilt, that’s all.”
“Mid-grade mana stone…? No, is it a high-grade mana stone?”
“Haha. You have a good eye.”
The peaceful dinner continued.
Lawrence and the mercenary chattered endlessly.
I just quietly agreed and smiled next to them.
Although it was a bit awkward, I liked this time the most.
Because it was time for Lawrence to act like a good husband.
Because it was time I didn’t have to worry about him suddenly kicking my stomach or yelling at me.
“Come to think of it, I feel like I’ve heard the name Cornelia somewhere…”
Around the end of the meal.
When dessert was about to be served, the mercenary finally turned his gaze to me.
“You must have mistaken me for someone else.”
“Aren’t you the prodigy of Hildegart?”
“How do you know that…”
It was a nickname that circulated only among nobles.
There was no way a commoner like him would know that.
“You majored in theology, right?”
“Yes. Along with law.”
“You must have never missed being at the top of both.”
“Yes. That’s right.”
“Then it seems you’re the Cornelia I’ve heard of.”
I had to stare with wide eyes like a fool.
I didn’t expect to meet someone who knew me.
I was at a loss for what expression to make.
“If you studied theology, you must know Runic script.”
“Of course I do.”
“I also learned Runic script for a while, but I’m not sure if my memory is intact.”
“You learned Runic script? Really?”
“You don’t believe me? Then I’ll prove it to you.”
Soon, an attendant brought paper and a pen.
The mercenary began writing on the paper without hesitation.
“Here it is.”
Then he quickly put down the pen and handed the paper to me.
However, the paper didn’t reach me as Lawrence snatched it away.
“I can’t read it at all?”
“That’s because it’s an ancient script not used anymore. Why don’t you give it to Cornelia?”
“Don’t call my wife so casually.”
“…My apologies.”
The paper that came to me.
On it were Runic letters written in neat handwriting.
It was true.
I thought it was just boasting.
Calming my surprised heart, I read the letters one by one.
The letters became words, and the words became sentences.
-That cup of water just now. It’s poison. But judging by how your hands were trembling, it seems you already know.
“…!”
“What’s wrong, Cornelia? What does it say?”
A chill ran through me.
This man knew everything.
The fact that I was drinking poison.
And the fact that I knew about it.
“It’s a simple sentence, Lawrence. It means hello, nice to meet you. I guess she didn’t expect me to actually know how to write Runic script.”
“Y-yes. That surprised me. That’s right.”
Hurriedly nodding, I tried to cover up my startled reaction just now.
When I came to my senses, the mercenary was already smiling nonchalantly and exchanging jokes with Lawrence as if nothing had happened.
He had a high enough level of education to have learned Runic script.
He was good at brazen acting too.
And he had even seen through my situation.
This opportunity would never come again.
It was this person.
Only this person could pull me out of hell.
‘Still… Is it okay…?’
But that made me hesitate even more.
The moment I asked for help, it wouldn’t be just my life alone.
If discovered, this mercenary would also die at Lawrence’s hands along with me.
I couldn’t muster the courage.
I couldn’t bring myself to ask him to risk his life for me.
Even in this situation, I wasn’t brave enough to impose on others so boldly.
The frustration of it made me feel like tears would well up.
“This is a more complex sentence. Would you like to read it too?”
The white paper was pushed to me again.
Pulling myself together, I looked at the paper and saw Runic letters written like this:
-To give you trust, it would be better for me to reveal my name. My name is Yoo-jin. Cornelia, let’s make a deal. I’ll take care of Lawrence Briam, so…
An unexpected helping hand was extended to me.
I could only answer, dazed by it.
“Yes… Alright…”
“What? What did it say that you’re like that?”
***
[Trait: Reputation]
[Check your reputation score.]
[Yoo-jin: 1.0%]
[Known by a small number of people. Very low presence. Someone harbors strong emotions.]
My reputation score had already reached 1 percent.
It was only natural.
Because I had revealed my name to Cornelia.
“Ugh, this is tough.”
“…Yoo-jin. Food.”
“Yeah, yeah. I’ll give it to you. Just wait a bit.”
I was already exhausted after just having dinner once.
My stamina was completely drained from maintaining a state of tension for too long.
‘It’s a relief that Runic script worked.’
There wasn’t much information about Cornelia in the game settings.
It was only natural since she was originally just a tool to create Lawrence’s narrative.
The only information was the setting that Cornelia was called a prodigy because she was brilliant.
That was enough.
To be praised for being smart in the Holy Kingdom, studying theology was essential.
Naturally, she would also know Runic script, so it became possible to have a conversation that Lawrence couldn’t read.
‘I cursed out the boss so much when he told me to create a new language. But this time, it was actually useful.’
By the way, I was the one who created Runic script.
Since I was always sitting in front of the computer pondering to come up with lines, he must have thought I had nothing to do.
I was suddenly ordered by the boss to create an interpretable artificial language.
Since I made it myself, there was no way I could forget it.
It was quite a complex and inefficient language, but the memory of creating it overnight was etched in my mind.
‘Did I act too hastily?’
I made a contract with Cornelia.
I would take care of Lawrence and save her, so from now on, she had to cooperate with me unconditionally.
It was roughly that kind of contract.
An oral contract without any written agreement.
Mutual trust was of utmost importance.
In case Cornelia might not trust me, I even told her my real name that I hadn’t revealed to Lawrence.
Now there was no way to turn back.
Failure meant the destruction of both of us.
Nevertheless, the reason I decided to take the risk was partly because I judged that Cornelia would be helpful to me…
But it was much more because I couldn’t stand the sight of Lawrence.
After all, I couldn’t bear to see a villain brazenly strutting around.
Thinking that such a cruel and ruthless guy hadn’t received any restraint during the past 12 rounds made me even more resentful and unable to endure it.
I felt like I would only be satisfied if I made him pay the proper price.
“Now. What should we do?”
So do I have a specific plan?
No. I haven’t thought of anything.
I have to start thinking now.
You’re saying it’s screwed?
No, it’s not.
Listen for a moment.
Count Lawrence Briam is certainly a strong opponent.
He has quite a large influence even within the Holy Kingdom.
But he’s not beyond my ability to handle.
In previous rounds, I easily took down kings of small countries.
Surely I can catch a mere count.
But the problem is still ‘how’.
Catching him itself is easy, but it’s better if the method is clean.
How can I make him notorious for being well caught and crushed?
First, there’s the method of exposing Briam’s evil deeds after moving Cornelia to a safe place.
It’s a definite and safe method, but what happens after that is the problem.
On that day, Lawrence would be arrested and the Briam family would be scattered.
Nothing would be left for Cornelia.
In the end, Cornelia would have to start from zero and climb the path to success again.
When would she be able to become an influential figure who could help me?
“An unfortunate widow who lost her husband in an accident and came to lead the family. This picture is just perfect.”
Since the Briam family is a family with no roots, there are no elders who could be considered senior members of the household.
If Lawrence were to die suddenly, Cornelia would naturally be able to swallow up all the assets.
Lawrence needs to suffer an ‘unexpected accidental death’.
Since he tried to kill someone else, he should be prepared to die himself.
Even if a blade is thrust at him, he would probably die saying, “Oh well, it can’t be helped”.
Now the remaining task is how to disguise Lawrence’s death as an accident…
“It’s giving me a headache.”
“…Yoo-jin.”
“What, dude.”
When did she climb on my back?
Looking back, Undecided was already biting my nape and mumbling.
It didn’t hurt, but the feeling was strange.
“…I want. To be helpful, too.”
“You’re already helpful just by staying by my side, I told you.”
Was it since she received the mana stone ring?
These days, she kept saying that.
When will she quietly stay by my side without a word, now she says she wants to be helpful to me.
[Strength: 13(x5) *Guardian Knight effect applied]
[Stamina: 15(x5) *Guardian Knight effect applied]
[Mana: 43(x5) *Guardian Knight effect applied]
[Agility: 18(x5) *Guardian Knight effect applied]
[Luck: 14(x5) *Guardian Knight effect applied]
Undecided is a key person who amplifies my stats just by existing.
Rather, it would be more of a nuisance if she tried to do something.
So I was going to tell her to just tag along quietly like she always did.
“I remembered. Something you can do.”
“…Oh.”
It came to me.
A role that would be perfect for Undecided to do.
Undecided may look like a human now, but she is classified as a monster, a blood ghoul.
“Just kill one person for me.”
“…Huh?”
In other words, a corpse killed by Undecided would look like it was attacked by a monster.
This could potentially be the perfect crime.
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