I Captured the Enemy Who Tried to Kill Me - Chapter 60

A chill ran down my spine.

‘Surely not?’

In shock, I looked at Lucy nestled comfortably in Luias’s arms.

“……”

“……”

A very brief silence.

But this little bastard, isn’t he smirking mischievously?

As if he had read my thoughts!

‘Hey!’

I screamed internally.

‘You said not to get caught. You said not to let anyone discover that I’m not really Duke Ariel! But what’s this Multi-Imprint Quest, are you crazy?’

A life that mustn’t be exposed.

From the beginning, I was different from the female protagonist.

She could freely enjoy being loved in the body she possessed, but my life is at stake.

Ah, I couldn’t feel more miserable.

“Meow.”

With so many eyes watching, I couldn’t even scold the fat cat who was lazily licking its front paws, so I just fumed in frustration.

***

‘The Leader will come.’

The one closest to the Leader.

That was the most glorious title he had earned.

‘I failed the plan to kill the Emperor inside the Gate.’

The Leader forgave him with a generous appearance, but he knew.

How terrifying the one who had received sacred power truly was.

‘So I must achieve results.’

Before that person arrives in the Empire.

And he seized an opportunity from the letters exchanged with the Leader.

“For some reason, the Great One wants the Emperor’s true match, they said.”

The one close to the Leader smiled with greed.

“The Emperor’s Indoja.”

Another opportunity had come to one who had failed.

The Gate belongs to the sacred Great One.

The Emperor who entered it, and the one who must have saved the Emperor, his true match.

Since then, the prophecy of the Great One had changed.

That being was now desired by the Great One. He was told to find them alive and bring them back.

This was a heaven-sent opportunity.

‘If I can just find and bring the Emperor’s true match.’

Perhaps he, too, might receive power directly from the Great One, just like the Leader!

Of course, there was a problem.

‘Even with magicians and Awakened Ones swarming in packs, they still haven’t found that being.’

His eyes sank gloomily.

One who deceives the eyes of the Gate.

One whose traces cannot be found even with the strongest in the Empire rushing to search.

They couldn’t be an ordinary being.

Some special soul as extraordinary as the vessel they had found.

His eyes flashed.

“Then the clue must be around the Emperor, so we have no choice but to put the Emperor in danger.”

Coincidentally, he received news faster than anyone that the Emperor and the Duke were moving to the Ariel duchy.

That was because he was a central noble of the Empire.

‘Kaisis is a clever bastard.’

He wasn’t without thoughts either.

He knew this could be a trap set for them.

If it had been an important matter, they could have moved quietly.

But the Emperor did the opposite.

‘Then…’

Their tail had been stepped on anyway.

It wouldn’t be bad to instill caution in both the Duke and the Emperor by demonstrating their power on this occasion.

‘Perhaps we could seriously injure one of them. Then the Emperor’s Indoja would reveal themselves.’

With cold eyes, he ordered the subordinate standing beside him.

“Send those who have been soaked in the drug.”

***

“Hehe, Master. I made this stew. Don’t you think there’s no better assistant magician than me?”

Please, Ardiel, can’t you just stay quiet instead of chattering?

“What has happened to the manners of magicians? Don’t you know that your behavior is actually damaging Duke Ariel’s reputation?”

Hey there, Mr. Right Hand of the Emperor.

Why are you picking on our youngest magician again?

Before I could intervene, our youngest magician raised his hackles.

“What did you just say?”

“His Majesty the Emperor is present. Mind your manners.”

“Hey. Did you just speak informally to me?”

“Ha, how amusing. How old are you?”

You two, please stop being so childish.

But the bigger problem than the magician and Awakened One fighting like cats and dogs in front of me was…

“How nice for you, Duke.”

“……”

For some reason, the presence of a man whose mood seemed thoroughly twisted.

‘And what’s your problem?’

As luck would have it, I sat at the same portable table as the Emperor and stared at the elaborate food—quite fancy for outdoor dining—with coldly raised eyes.

People around seemed to have reached a rough agreement to place me and the Emperor, the highest-ranking individuals, at one table.

‘They’re all crazy.’

Look at how fiercely the magicians sitting behind me and the Awakened Ones sitting behind the Emperor are glaring at each other.

Is this about eating a meal, or making us choke on the meat going down our throats?

The only ones smiling here were young Luias, sitting at the side of the table between the Emperor and me.

The chirping of insects was quite atmospheric, but…

“What do you mean, Your Majesty?”

Kaisis gestured with his chin, looking displeased.

“It’s quite a spectacle, those two.”

“……”

“……”

I could see Ardiel and Dicardo, who had been fighting until just now, closing their mouths after sensing the chilly atmosphere emanating from him.

Both of you should have known better.

The Emperor wasn’t finished speaking.

“My loyal knight worrying about the Duke’s reputation…”

His languid gaze now turned toward the youngest magician.

“And your pretty magician behaving like your puppy.”

I felt wronged.

“I can only congratulate you.”

“What do you mean?”

“Duke, aren’t you quite popular?”

It seems those two had offended him, but why was the arrow coming at me?

My temper flared.

“I’m truly curious. Since when has the Duke been so close to those around her that they act like your shadow?”

I don’t know what kind of provocation this is.

In the Empire, saying someone acts like a shadow was equivalent to saying they follow like goldfish droppings.

Seeing Ardiel bite his lip, seemingly hurt by the Emperor’s mockery, I decided to defend our youngest magician.

Otherwise, the angry magicians might tear me apart.

“I don’t understand why Your Majesty views my magician’s loyalty so negatively.”

I could see the Emperor’s lips twist more distinctly.

I continued speaking like a pecking woodpecker, not giving him a chance to respond.

“Also, regarding your knight’s independent actions, who are you asking? Are you perhaps jealous?”

“……”

“Please tell the sword of the sovereign to withdraw his unwanted attention.”

Seeing his handsome face freeze when my words struck true, I mercilessly scratched deeper.

Hey, you childish human.

How good have I been to you, even though to you I’m now Duke Ariel, your enemy!

Yet you’re jealous just because your knight’s attention was diverted a little?

I stood up from my seat.

“I don’t know how we’re supposed to eat with this mood.”

“What are you doing, Duke?”

“Can’t you see?”

When I glared fiercely at the people who had arranged the seating, I could see them hiccupping and pretending not to notice.

Just you wait.

“Your Majesty should eat first. I will join my magicians at another table.”

“Ha, that title really. Speak plainly. Anyone listening would think I deliberately arranged this seating.”

“Well, how could I possibly understand Your Majesty’s profound intentions?”

The Emperor also stood up abruptly.

“I can’t stand being here either.”

His attitude was rough, clearly intending to withdraw even before me, turning sharply.

But he stopped with a jolt. And so did I.

‘What’s this?’

We both stopped speaking simultaneously and looked down.

And we saw.

Specifically, a small white hand desperately holding onto the end of my magic-use hood and the Emperor’s sleeve.

A small child shaking his head vigorously with a face turned bright red.

“……”

“……”

Ah, Luias.

If we were to shake off this hand here, we would truly become trash.

Kaisis and I, our expressions suddenly becoming sour, met eyes.

With faces like we had eaten something foul, we ultimately couldn’t overcome the child’s stubbornness and had to sit back down.

Ah, I already feel a stomachache coming on.

And thus began the worst meal ever, shared with my enemy.