Chapter 33

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Translator: Harry Potta

Chapter Title: There Is No Mercy 33

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Piolett spotted Richel approaching just before she was about to present the award and frowned.

"Step back. There's no need for you to come out here too."

"……."

Even after Piolett spoke, there was no response from Richel.

Instead, her face was stiff and rigid as she kept her head bowed deeply.

The sudden approach of Richel delayed the award ceremony, drawing everyone's attention.

Count Ricardo told Richel to step back, but she remained rooted to the spot, unmoving.

The moment Piolett sighed and reached out to push Richel away by the shoulder, something glittering caught her eye in Richel's lowered bosom.

A blade glinting in Richel's hand.

It was a dagger.

"Watch out!"

The instant she realized it was a dagger, her body moved on instinct.

She shoved Piolett—who was standing right beside her—down to the ground, and the recoil sent Richel tumbling sideways as well.

As Richel fell, the sharp dagger clattered dully against the floor and rolled away, plunging the area into sudden silence.

While everyone froze in shock at the abrupt incident, Aden's voice rang out as he quickly assessed the situation.

"Seize that woman."

No sooner had Aden spoken than the knights on standby rushed forward and restrained Richel.

Richel, pinned to the ground by the knights, bared her teeth.

"Let me go! Let me go! I have to kill her....... I have to kill her! That woman, I have to kill that woman! It's the only way I can survive! Let me go!"

"Stay still!"

"Let go! Let go! Piolett....... Piolett! I didn't do anything wrong! It's all your fault! Everything—you tormenting me when I was just minding my own business, picking on a good girl like me—it's all because of you! I just need you gone. If you're gone, he'll look at me!! So let me go!! I'll stab you!"

Richel struggled fiercely against the knights, who were at least twice her size.

She thrashed so violently that even the knights holding her down were jolted.

Count Ricardo, who hadn't reacted in time to the sudden event, finally snapped out of it and began restoring order around them.

As Richel clawed at the ground with her palms in her frenzy, her nails tore free and blood splattered.

The knights stuffed a cloth into Richel's mouth to silence her near-screams and dragged her away from the award platform.

Even from a distance as she vanished, Richel's shrieks echoed like a haunting refrain.

"What in the world....... "

Piolett, who had fallen to the ground alongside her, stared blankly at the scene before murmuring weakly.

It was a far cry from Piolett's usual poised appearance, always impeccably dressed and seemingly without a single flaw.

Clearly caught off guard, Piolett's face was pale with fear and shock.

"Are you okay?"

Piolett and Richel had been pressed so close together that not even an arm could fit between them.

Even though she'd pushed her away quickly, Richel might have been faster.

She checked Piolett's body for wounds.

Piolett's rigid gaze slowly turned back toward her.

Her eyes were filled with confusion.

Piolett frowned and widened her eyes.

"Why did you......?"

As she muttered, Piolett's gaze drifted downward.

Following her line of sight, she looked down and saw her own shoulder soaked in red blood.

The moment she noticed it, a burning pain flared in her shoulder.

"Why would you...... for me......"

"Sierra!"

Before Piolett could finish, Aden's urgent voice cut in.

Aden knelt by her on the ground, inspecting her shoulder, and frowned.

He shrugged off his overcoat without hesitation, tore his white shirt, and swiftly wrapped her shoulder.

"The dagger wasn't long, but it was sharp enough. It didn't pierce deep enough to hit bone or muscle. Can you move your arm?"

"No problem."

She moved her arm slightly, and Aden nodded as he examined the wound.

'Not too deep......' he murmured quietly before sighing.

Aden's piercing gaze fixed on her, sharp as if demanding to know what she thought she was doing.

But instead of lecturing her, he took medicine and a potion from a knight standing behind him.

Aden silently treated her shoulder wound and held his tongue.

She watched Aden in his silence for a moment before turning her head, at which point Piolett bit her lip and rose stiffly from her seat.

She lifted her gaze to follow Piolett, who stood unharmed.

Piolett stared at her with conflicted eyes for a moment before turning away.

She tracked Piolett with her eyes as she headed in the direction Richel had been taken, then shook her head.

"She leaves without even a word of thanks."

"I wasn't expecting any."

"Then why save her? Should've just let her get stabbed. Now your shoulder's hurt for nothing."

"Yeah, tell me about it."

She grimaced at the throbbing pain in her wound.

How long had the rumor been out there? No way another one would spread so soon.

Honestly, a little gratitude would've been nice.

She swallowed a wry smile, grateful to Richel for trying to bury yesterday's rumor with this new one, perhaps out of guilt.

"Should've just let her get stabbed."

She closed her eyes and let out a deep sigh.

The tournament, which had been proceeding splendidly, came to an abrupt end due to Richel's final act.

They couldn't even hold a proper award ceremony, and the festival planned afterward was canceled entirely.

Count Ricardo looked extremely regretful, but with no choice, he seemed to reluctantly accept it.

Her shoulder, injured by Richel, didn't worsen thanks to Aden's prompt treatment.

Thanks to that expensive potion he'd poured on it, the shallow gash that had only torn the skin healed in no time.

Perhaps because of the miraculous experience of the pain vanishing from her throbbing shoulder.

She felt a strange surge of faith toward the church that made these potions.

Maybe she should make a donation.

"I'm terribly sorry, Brilloxen Lady. To involve you in such unfortunate incidents since yesterday... It's my failure."

"As I said earlier, it's not your fault, Count. Please don't worry about it."

"But allowing you to face two awful events is undoubtedly my responsibility. I'll keep this in mind to prevent any future occurrences and prepare the next tournament even more thoroughly."

Unable to dissuade Count Ricardo, who bowed his head using the past two days as a lesson, she simply smiled quietly.

Just then, Aden entered after finishing Richel's interrogation.

"How'd it go?"

"She's out of her mind. Even when I spoke to her and asked questions, she just repeated the same things over and over. She's clearly insane—screaming in rage one moment, then suddenly snapping back and trembling, only to scream again."

"What did Piolett Baylor say?"

"Lady Baylor has already left."

Count Ricardo answered the question she'd directed at Aden.

Surprised, she turned to him, and he rubbed his chin with a furrowed brow.

"The moment the ceremony ended, she boarded a carriage and said she was heading straight back. She only left instructions to send Richel back to the Bozbon Duke's family once the investigation is complete."

"Bozbon......"

"She seemed extremely busy. Something must be going on at the Bozbon Duke's estate—they even withdrew their offer to send knights today. Makes me think there might be some internal issues."

She frowned at Count Ricardo's words as he spoke calmly.

Leaning forward abruptly, she startled him, his eyes widening.

'What's wrong?' The surprised count flinched back.

"The family that was supposed to send knights for today's knight competition... was it the Bozbons?"

"Yes, didn't I mention? The Bozbons were the ones who agreed to send knights. To be precise, they were the ones who proposed the plans related to the competition. It was a fun event, and it drew great responses from the ladies."

An event for the ladies......

She met Aden's eyes before quietly speaking up.

"Count, if you still have that plan document, could I take a look?"

"Pardon? Oh, of course. It's a discarded plan now anyway, so no point keeping it. Please wait a moment."

She lowered her gaze from the count as he immediately stood to fetch the document.

From the moment Piolett and Richel appeared, she'd suspected Bellieta had somehow intervened in this tournament.

She just hadn't imagined it would be through the knight competition.

She'd thought avoiding Bellieta's lackey Piolett and her self-proclaimed maid Richel would suffice, but clearly not.

If Bellieta had devised some scheme and planned to have Piolett carry it out, then yesterday's events might actually work in her favor.

If Richel's sudden breakdown and the withdrawal of knight support were tied to yesterday, then the knight competition must have been meant to put her in danger.

Piolett's hasty departure fit that speculation too.

"Aden. Could you do me one favor?"

"Anything."

"Thank you. Then, stop the Bozbons from summoning Richel for their own investigation. Since this happened here in the castle, if we secure the investigation rights from Count Ricardo first, even the Bozbons can't complain."

She needed to find out what Bellieta had told Richel to make her come here.

And everything involving Piolett too.

"I'll interrogate Richel personally in Brilloxen. Just keep her in custody until then."

"Consider it done. But first."

Aden approached slowly and extended his arm from close range.

His large hand, big enough to cover her face, gently pressed her shoulder.

"Even if it's healed, it might not be enough. Take care of yourself. If you get ahead of yourself and end up injured again, I won't just stand by next time."

"……."

Under Aden's gaze, which seemed to demand a response, she nodded heavily.

A faint smile curved his lips as he confirmed her answer.

His hand lingered before withdrawing slowly, but the warmth remained.

Aden straightened his disheveled clothes and buttoned his cuffs.

"I'd love to stay with you until you board the carriage, but I have somewhere to be and need to head out first. Before I go, I'll wrap things up with Count Ricardo, so trust me and get back safely."

"Is this because of yesterday and today? Why not let me come with you?"

"No."

She bit her lip at Aden's firm refusal.

Why not? It all concerns me.

She looked at him with eyes demanding an answer.

Aden met her gaze and chuckled softly.