I Captured the Enemy Who Tried to Kill Me - Chapter 48
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What the…
“Huh!”
I suddenly opened my eyes, feeling a chill as if I’d been dunked in cold water.
I thought I was enjoying a good sleep, but what is this?
Blinking and looking around, it was quite dark.
The cold air and dim surroundings suggested it was a bluish dawn.
“I slept a lot.”
The lingering fatigue finally seemed to be lifting.
The medicine must have worked well, as my fever had gone down and my body felt normal again.
Now I should get back to work…
“What?”
…or I should.
“What is all this?”
My status window was filled with notifications.
In my dazed state, I hadn’t noticed the numerous warning windows that had appeared, but seeing them now made me break into a cold sweat.
Just one day. I only rested for one day.
What on earth happened during that time to trigger all these warnings!
‘Not this one. Not this either.’
As I flipped through them, what I couldn’t understand was the countless warnings saying [Character identity is wavering!]
‘Did someone become suspicious of me?’
The first person who came to mind was definitely the Emperor.
The Emperor, Kaisis, that man.
‘Surely he couldn’t have remembered or seen anything. Definitely not.’
Unless someone ran to him and threw some clue that would make him suspicious of me, it would be natural for him to recall what happened inside the Gate.
‘Please.’
Let it not be so.
It must not be.
This was all I could understand from the [Logline] in the system window.
Someone had become suspicious about something strange about me, and warning windows had appeared because of the quest that required me to keep my identity hidden.
‘But since I’m still alive, it seems the suspicion ended there.’
It was truly terrifying.
I could have died just sleeping soundly after taking medicine.
And I realized how frightening habits can be.
Looking at my hand that had moved reflexively, a chill ran down my spine.
“Crazy.”
How long had I been lying sick that I automatically reached for a pile of documents?
This wasn’t my previous life, where I’d grab my smartphone as soon as I woke up. What is this?
This is document addiction… no, wait, what’s this?
“What?”
It was a summary of what had happened at the palace last night.
It seemed the magicians had neatly organized everything while I was asleep, but that wasn’t the important part.
“A Gate appeared in the palace? And the Emperor was dragged in alone?”
Is that why the magicians who rushed to me were moving their lips, seemingly desperate to tell me something?
And I had turned away, unable to speak because I was sick?
My fist trembled.
“You damn magicians. You should have told me this first!”
Tears welled up involuntarily, and I pinched the bridge of my nose and lifted my head.
Damn it.
After such an incident, would that Kaisis really have thought, “Oh, I see. She’s very sick,” when hearing that Duke Ariel was bedridden with a fever?
‘Surely the warning about suspicion didn’t appear because of this?’
Cold sweat trickled down.
Ah, I dreaded going to work at the palace.
And what would happen next?
‘How much has the original story twisted, and from where?’
None of this happened in the original story.
No Gate suddenly appeared in the palace garden, and not even those memories related to the previous Empress that I saw in the mental attack Gate.
‘It seems the villain is stronger and more influential than in the original work. If it was six years ago, that’s before I appeared, right?’
Lucy spoke as if it were the result of choices I made, but I couldn’t understand what was happening.
The incident six years ago.
Something the nobles in society hushed up, described in the original work only as a tragic accident that caused the male protagonist’s mother’s death.
“Once might be a coincidence, but twice is impossible.”
It was chilling. Surely, even in a novel, the villains couldn’t have the ability to control Gates?
‘That would be the worst.’
I didn’t even want to imagine it.
The villains in the original work weren’t this powerful.
Of course, they were making and distributing vile drugs that forcibly caused Awakened Ones to go berserk.
They were the kind of people who spouted nonsense about Gates being a natural phenomenon and peace coming to the world only when all Awakened Ones and Indojas died…
Ugh, even if I made different choices, things seemed to be flowing too strangely.
Like it was similar to “The Tyrant Emperor” but actually a different world upon closer inspection.
“What was supposed to happen next?”
I counted on my fingers.
“The magic demonstration and duel weren’t in the original work. The next big event was supposed to be the arrival of the delegation from the Holy Kingdom, right?”
In the original story, villains mixed into that delegation, causing a huge commotion around the female and male protagonists.
Incidents of berserk Awakened Ones also began to increase exponentially.
“Ugh, I don’t know.”
First, I checked the defensive magic I had barely chosen before falling asleep.
And I tilted my head.
[Defense magic has been unlocked.]
Yes, right. What a name.
This was the Wall of Fire.
The explanation was simple.
[Creates a barrier of fire that protects from all attacks.]
I hope they weren’t just lazy when writing this description.
While I was looking at the status window with suspicious eyes:
[Congratulations!
You have unlocked one spell from each magic field and gained an attribute effect.]
What’s that?
[You possess the body and power of a great magician, but your soul has not yet fully merged.
But don’t worry!
You have an excellent system and guide.
Using magic will become easier from now on.
The number of uses has increased by +1 from 3 to 4.
Currently available magic list: Teleportation (Swift Movement), Spear of Fire, Wall of Fire, Great Disaster.]
Not funny at all.
Anyway, despite being a great magician, I’d still cough up blood if I used magic more than four times.
I rubbed my forehead vigorously.
“All that’s left is attack magic, which I can unlock after collecting points one more time.”
Still, I should celebrate.
After all, I’ve secured the minimum spells needed for the duel and demonstration.
“The problem is getting familiar with them.”
This time, being dragged into the Gate and fighting that cursed royal flower made me realize even more.
What’s the use of unlocking magic if I can’t use it properly!
So in the remaining time of about 4 weeks, I needed to become proficient enough to skillfully use magic at least within the four-use limit.
Practice is the only way, right?
“Haah.”
I looked outside at the blue dawn.
I could see the empty training ground used by magicians.
To be precise, it was a place for testing magic, different from the knights’ training ground—an amazing place that blocked noise, prevented damage, and even restored things to their original state.
Not just anyone could enter, and few magicians used it for experiments.
Above all.
“There are no early-bird magicians, right?”
As I turned my gaze aside with determination, I frowned.
I saw a cushion that was sunken due to the cat’s plump body.
That is, an empty cushion.
“Where did this one go now?”
I really don’t understand why my so-called guide wanders around so much.
While grumbling, my body moved naturally.
Before the maids came in, I quickly tidied up the bedding. Then I washed and put on the magic tower’s formal uniform that I had to wear today, almost glaring at it.
“Time to go to work.”
And I had to see that smug face.
That man who would probably still look at me with cold eyes, thinking I tried to harm his brother.
The man I had worked so hard to save, rolling this way and that inside the Gate.
The ambiguous opponent whom I disliked yet couldn’t completely hate.
At that moment, I didn’t notice.
During my preparation for work, the status window briefly flickered.
Small text appeared and disappeared without a sound.
[The Emperor’s affection level is changing.]
[Cognitive ability is increasing.]
[Be careful. He, is, beginning, to, suspect, you.]
Crackle—
Snap.
***
As expected, this is how it turned out.
I was summoned by the Emperor before the meeting even started, right after arriving at work.
Quiet audience chamber.
“……”
“……”
Looking at that man like this made me feel awkward and uneasy.
Why? Surely he’s not going to apologize?
Do you still think I tried to kill your brother?
While I was looking at him coldly with inner sarcasm, Kaisis opened his mouth.
“Duke.”
And asked.
“Did you have a younger sister?”
Cough. I choked.
What on earth is this man talking about?
