Villain, Let Me Touch You! - Chapter 122
“The Imperial Consortâs palace was flipped upside down.”
Jamie was like a swallow sometimes, bringing good news on swift wings.
“After Her Majesty the Queen visited?”
“Yes! How did you manage to move Her Majesty?”
Jamie looked at me with eyes full of admiration.
Demyr was famously immovable when it came to favors. Naturallyâshe had nothing to want for.
Or rather, people just didnât know Demyr all that well.
But I, by chance, had seen the soft heart wrapped tight beneath her hard shell.
That fierce protectiveness over her familyâher nephew, in particular.
Maybe it was because she didnât have children of her own, but Demyr was devoted to her bloodline.
Iâd already leveraged that once through Benz, but this time I shamelessly asked her to step in again.
In exchange, there was a price.
âMacaulay will never become Emperor.â
The future Demyr hated most was one where Priscilla stood above her.
Anyone who gave their relationship a momentâs thought could see that much.
That didnât mean sheâd be thrilled about Helios becoming Emperor either.
âSo youâre saying we can get rid of Priscilla for good.â
That was how she interpreted it, and it caught her interest.
It was then that I removed the scarf around my neck and revealed the vivid bite marks left by the snake.
Demyrâs eyebrows shot up. I explained what had happened.
She had assumed Iâd only collapsed, but once she heard the full story, she became genuinely furious.
âYou mean to tell me you slept through getting bitten by a snake like a fool? You didnât even check your room before going to bed? The staff in the Crown Princeâs palace must be completely incompetent! We should do a full overhaul. Why donât you stay in my palace for a while instead?â
Her anger bounced all over the place, kind of like those dramatic moms on TV nagging their kids.
I only asked her to take my side a little. Now sheâs acting like my mother.
She scolded me hard, but I didnât hate it.
Watching Demyr now, I realize how narrow the original portrayal of her was.
In the original story, Demyr was just one of the obstacles in Helios and Chloeâs way.
So naturally, the words attached to her were things like cold-blooded, frightening, suspicious.
âWas the diamond hammer you mentioned earlier Her Majesty the Empress?â
Jamie asked. I shook my head.
Demyr was definitely a reliable ally. But she was more of a shield than a weapon.
The diamond hammer wasnât a person. It was a weakness.
Priscillaâs weakness.
âWhat kind of weakness? A ledger of corruption? Or are you planning to use Prince Macaulay to blackmail her?â
Jamieâs curiosity knew no end. But her guesses were so predictable.
âOf course not. Priscillaâs weakness is⌔
âWhat is it?â
Jamie interrupted, growing impatient.
âItâs a secret that Iâll tell you in the future.â
As much as I disliked teasing people, Jamie’s reactions were too entertaining to resist.
But before I spoke or moved, I needed to be sure.
“Ahh, Lady Rienna!”
Teasing Jamie was just too much fun.
The confirmation came later in the afternoon. Jamie had found something interesting in the laundress’s room.
“Look at this. There was a short note tucked under the mattress. It says that Empress Priscilla regularly sleeps in the bathtub… Do you think Empress Priscilla has gone mad?”
Finally, I had my diamond hammer.
***
In the quiet village, Helios entered the crumbling cottage.
His cold gaze swept across the room, lingering on the bed.
“I told you to find Milchin…”
Helios sighed and wiped his face with his dry hand.
“I’m sorry.”
Vincenzo lowered his head, hands behind his back, with an expression that accepted any reprimand. Helios swallowed the curse that almost escaped his lips.
When Helios showed signs of forgiving him, Vincenzo, cautiously reading the atmosphere, spoke up.
“Still, we did find him.”
“Yeah, we found him. A corpse.”
Helios let out a hollow laugh.
