MMLP 48

chapter 48

“Wake up. It’s dangerous here. I’ll take you somewhere safe.”

I persistently shook his shoulder.

After several attempts, the boy finally woke up. He rubbed his eyes with tiny clenched fists and yawned, as if sleep hadn’t fully left him.

“…Huh?”

Then, as if suddenly realizing he wasn’t alone, he turned his head and looked at me.

I hadn’t noticed it while he was asleep, but his eyes were beautiful.

As his eyelids opened, I saw his violet irises.

Because of his sharp nose and firm jawline, he looked like a cold, handsome young man despite his age.

His appearance was striking—surely he wasn’t the protagonist, was he?

Regardless, leaving him here alone would inevitably lead to trouble.

I awkwardly waved my hand at the boy, who was staring at me blankly.

“Hi? Are you alone?”

“……”

“Did you get caught in the rift too?”

“……”

No response came back. Could it be that he couldn’t speak?

Just as I was about to try to handle the situation, he got up and looked around.

“Ah. I must have fallen asleep by accident. This is why you shouldn’t eat just anything.”

A sweet, mysterious voice.

If mythical creatures like sirens existed, would they sound like this? I found myself unconsciously mesmerized by his dreamlike voice.

‘Is he… looking for someone?’

The boy glanced around as if searching for something and let out a soft sigh.

Then.

His violet eyes, taller than me, suddenly fixed on me.

“Why are you here? Did you come to catch the ruler?”

“Uh… yeah?”

True, but how…?

“Judging by that expression, it seems like you’re wondering how I knew. With such an honest face, it’s hard not to notice. You’ve probably been taken advantage of by some bad person before, right?”

“……”

“You don’t need to announce the correct answer so loudly.”

He looked fine on the outside, but was he secretly some ancient serpent humanoid?

Standing there sullenly, he smiled and approached me.

“I’m Jett. And you?”

“Levita.”

“Alright, Levita. Mind if I give some advice? If your goal is to capture the ruler, it’s better to stop here.”

“Why?”

“It seems the ruler of this area was killed by Berzebuth, the Second-ranked demon of the demon realm.”

“Second-ranked… that’s just below the Demon King. Why would such a big shot be in a remote area like this…? Wait, Jett, how do you even know the ruler is dead?”

He immediately answered my suspicious look.

“I found the corpse while wandering the cave. It’s quite disgusting, so I’d recommend avoiding the remains. Even if you try to go there, the rift won’t open. From the moment life and death were decided, Berzebuth became the ruler of this area.”

―I feel like I’ve seen this guy somewhere before…

Zerodines leaned forward to carefully observe Jett. Staring that close would normally be extremely rude, but as a ghost, Zerodines wouldn’t be visible to Jett.

Surely he couldn’t see me.

‘Am I imagining things?’

From Jett’s angle, it looked as if he were making eye contact with Zerodines, though he was actually looking past him at me.

“I’m not ignoring Levita, but it’s true that challenging a high-ranking demon in the demon realm is reckless. So, how about it? Has my advice changed your mind?”

“Hmm. But I need to get out of here. There are people waiting for me. They must be worried by now since I disappeared suddenly.”

“Really? Then I just need to get rid of all those people. Simple problem, huh.”

The cruelty of a child tossing a stone out of curiosity… Though he wasn’t that young.

Well, he probably didn’t mean it seriously.

He’s already the male lead, but saying things like that makes me worry. Whoever ends up being Jett’s lover will have a tough time in the future.

“Of course, that’s not an option. You… from the way you talk, you seem extraordinary. Could you… open rifts?”

“Yeah.”

“I… of course, that’s impossible… wait, did you just say yeah?”

According to Zerodines, creating rifts that lead out of this area is the ruler’s exclusive right. How could Jett do it?

My thoughts got tangled, but I decided to solve the immediate problem first.

“Then can you make an exit to the imperial garden? You’re the only one I can ask.”

“I’ll gladly do it. If Levita agrees to my request.”

“…What do you want?”

The words ‘kill’ had slipped out casually before. I tensed as I waited for Jett’s answer.

“Just let me hold your hand once.”

“Is that really all you need?”

“Hmm. If it’s not enough, I can… cut a finger—”

“Here! My hand!”

I quickly held out my hand before he could say anything unnecessary.

I offered my right hand, Jett offered his left—no handshake yet.

“Oh, you’re left-handed. Okay, left hand. Shake quickly and open the door.”

“With pleasure.”

The moment he held my hand, a sly smile spread across Jett’s face.

But he immediately opened a dimensional rift, leaving no time to notice it.

The dimension tore apart with a deafening roar that struck my eardrums.

“Save the best for last. I’ll keep it, Levita. You, and the unspeakable secret you hide inside.”

“What? I can’t hear you over the wind!”

Jett shook his head and waved me forward.

“Aren’t you coming with me?”

I raised my voice, and Jett nodded. No further response.

I considered asking more, but with someone else’s life in my hands, I couldn’t waste a miraculous opportunity.

I bowed my head in thanks to Jett and stepped into the rift with the dolls.

At some point, Zerodines was no longer visible, but I entered the rift unaware and lost consciousness.

The throne room was empty.

Seizing the Emperor’s absence, the meeting was led by the Empress.

The ministers lined up, furrowing their brows in concern over the gravity of the matter. Kaulen Grimlore, representing the Grimlore Duchy, raised his voice to guide the discussion.

“It has been confirmed through testimony that the 13th princess consort was present at Her Highness’s audience. With the revelation that the 13th princess consort incited rebels to overthrow the empire, the collapse of peace talks and the execution of the 13th princess consort has become inevitable.”

“I heard that your daughter, the 1st princess consort, was present as well. How can you be certain this is the 13th princess consort’s rebellion?”

Cordelia questioned Kaulen with a dignified voice.

To outsiders, it seemed confrontational, but this had been a prearranged script between Cordelia and Kaulen.

“In fact, my daughter told me something unpleasant. The 13th princess consort allegedly demeaned the empire’s prestige and praised the deity’s realm.”

“Crossing the border is merely a matter of honoring a king or believing in a god.”

Levita’s unbiased statement was cleverly twisted by Kaulen into an accusation of blasphemy against the empire.

To strangle the Emperor and place Diego on the throne amid the deteriorating international situation, a major war would be necessary. Cordelia’s answer had already been predetermined.

“So you mean to say the 13th princess consort showed disloyalty to the empire.”

“Exactly. Investigating recent developments, I found the 13th prince’s rank has slightly risen. Looking at the circumstances broadly, it is clear that the 13th prince and princess, in a futile dream of reversing ranks, colluded with the deity’s realm to overthrow the empire.”

The tense atmosphere reached its peak.

Just as the Empress was about to say, “The matter is urgent, so I’ll act on His Majesty’s behalf,” or “Raise alert status to level one,” Levita could have been declared a traitor and executed as a criminal against the state.

But even this was necessary to stabilize the chaotic situation.

‘All this is just a minor sacrifice for Diego.’

Just as the Empress’s red lips moved cruelly,

“Sir! Big trouble!”

A scout, pale-faced, rushed into the chamber, kneeling before the Empress.

“Missing persons have been found again in the garden, but the princesses’ condition is somewhat unusual…!”

Cordelia’s lips twitched.

“I’ll check personally.”