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Chapter 08
Ulysian almost burst into a self-deprecating laugh, forgetting even for a moment that this wasn’t even his own body.
‘I never thought I’d hear my brother’s confession with my own ears.’
He already knew that Kildeon had been attempting repeated assassinations.
But this was the first time he had heard it directly from the man himself.
It felt strange.
Not betrayal—nothing so simple.
By now, Kildeon’s intent to kill had become too familiar for such emotions to take root.
His mouth felt bitter.
He absentmindedly rubbed the roof of his mouth with his tongue, lowering his head slightly.
Then he recalled the speech habits and mannerisms of Shaite that Amarinthis had told him about.
He repeated Shaite’s quirks inwardly.
“Th-that is… I couldn’t confirm… whether they were alive…”
As he answered, he watched Kildeon’s expression carefully.
The man had not realized at all that Ulysian was inside Shaite’s body.
“You couldn’t confirm whether they were alive? I clearly told you to make sure they weren’t fully dead, and yet you can’t even get something so simple right.”
“…I’m sorry.”
He responded reflexively, but his mind was racing.
“Make sure they weren’t fully dead?” So he wasn’t trying to kill them? Then why launch an attack?
‘Could it be that he was trying to take over my body, but it backfired?’
Kildeon’s sharp voice cut off his thoughts.
“Who said I wanted to hear your apologies? Don’t forget what I’ve done for you. I pulled you out of that hellish household, made you a noble, even gave you a beautiful wife. And yet you can’t even prove your worth. Useless thing.”
As Ulysian fell silent, Kildeon clicked his tongue in irritation.
“I’ll handle confirming life or death. You focus on your research for now.”
He scanned Shaite’s body up and down.
Seeing the vivid bloodstains on the shirt, Kildeon curled one corner of his mouth into a cruel smirk.
“Now that we’ve obtained the most important material, there shouldn’t be any problems with the research, correct?”
Ulysian didn’t yet fully understand what “material” meant or what exactly the research was.
But he had to nod.
If he said research would be delayed, he would be forced to explain why.
Kildeon rose from his seat, twisting his thin lips.
“Bring me results I can be satisfied with within a month.”
One month. It was by no means a long time.
Within that span, he had to uncover the traitor, figure out Kildeon’s goal, and return to his original body.
And if his original body was dead, then even if he had to risk his life as a double agent, he would stop Kildeon’s plan.
First, he needed time.
If a month passed like this, his head would quite literally be taken by Kildeon.
While he was searching for a way forward, Kildeon brought up another topic.
“And your tribute payments have decreased lately.”
Tribute?
“You’ve been spending a lot on research funds. Thanks to that, the military budget is lacking, and I’m quite displeased.”
Kildeon stepped closer in an oppressive manner.
“Get more money from that woman. Let’s see… yes, ten times the current amount.”
Ulysian recalled the prenuptial agreement.
Shaite was currently receiving 100 million Bern per month (the currency of Melvern). Ten times that meant 1 billion Bern.
‘That’s insane.’
The Lootshield family’s wealth was immense.
But monthly payments of that scale with no return were another matter entirely.
“That is already specified in the prenuptial—”
Before he could finish, Kildeon cut him off irritably.
“Why should I care about such circumstances? Seduce her, threaten her—do whatever it takes to get the money.”
Kildeon grabbed Shaite by the fringe, forcing his head up.
“You’re not bad-looking once you brush back this gloomy hair. It’d be better if you seduced her anyway, to avoid complications.”
His tone was full of mockery, as if he didn’t expect success.
He let go of Shaite’s hair roughly and pulled out a handkerchief.
Then he grimaced as if he had touched filth.
Wiping his fingers one by one, he continued speaking.
“Why don’t you push your hair back, fix that gloomy expression and dull tone? Every time I have to introduce you as my subordinate, I feel embarrassed. I can’t even lift my head. Tch, it’s disgraceful.”
Ironically, it was a welcome order.
He had already been struggling with constantly having to imitate Shaite.
Now he could gradually change his demeanor under Kildeon’s orders as an excuse.
“I… will… try…”
Kildeon tapped Shaite’s cheek with the handkerchief mockingly.
“I look forward to it.”
With that, the business concluded.
Kildeon turned sharply and tossed the handkerchief into the fireplace.
Thud.
After he left, the heavy bookshelf slid shut with a dull sound.
Footsteps faded into the distance.
As silence returned to the room, Ulysian finally exhaled deeply and ran a hand through his hair.
A bright smile formed on his face.
“Cutting off Amarinthis Lootshield is all I need to do.”
She was Kildeon’s financial lifeline.
Without her money, the number of mercenaries he could hire would naturally decrease.
Fewer mercenaries meant less harm.
The research itself was also being funded by Amarinthis, so if he could secure a divorce within a month, Kildeon would have a convenient excuse for lack of progress due to lack of funds.
Even without knowing the details of the research, he could buy time.
For Ulysian inside Shaite’s body, there was only one thing he could do:
Pretend to obey Kildeon’s order to seduce Amarinthis for more money, while securing a divorce as quickly as possible.
The Next Day
He met Shaite again at breakfast.
It was unusual for him to come out of his room so early.
Ulysian greeted him with a glance, and Shaite smiled back as he sat across from him.
He unfolded his napkin and placed it on his lap before picking up his cutlery.
His movements were elegant.
No—it was more than elegance. There was a silence to him, a precision in how he avoided any sound, the knife moving in a rhythm fit for a royal court.
And this was Shaite Honeywald of all people!
He was the furthest thing from refined.
At meals, he used to hunch over like a rat in the brush, nervously watching for predators while devouring food greedily.
Especially that grating sound of his knife scraping the plate.
This level of change couldn’t happen just from hitting his head.
‘Did he get struck by lightning?’
While Ulysian stared blankly, Shaite swallowed his food and took a sip of water.
Then he cut into the main dish and spoke.
“Madam, I heard your maiden name was Lootshield.”
How sudden.
“Yes, that’s right.”
“You purchased and maintained the estate yourself, including upkeep costs and servant wages.”
“That’s correct.”
“And yet you give your husband 100 million Bern per month for living expenses. Is there a reason?”
He spoke as if discussing someone else entirely.
Was he still maintaining the amnesia act?
Ulysian tilted his head slightly, trying to gauge him, but couldn’t understand his intent.
“At first, I intended to live in your home, but it was only a four-room, rather shabby mansion. No grand hall, no stables… We couldn’t possibly live together in such a cramped place.”
“What does that have to do with you paying for the estate?”
“I said I would cover all expenses and move us into a larger home. You agreed.”
“And the servants’ wages?”
“I brought them into a larger house, so it makes sense I pay them.”
In truth, that had been a surface-level explanation.
As a general rule, servants tend to side with whoever pays them, so she had simply offered to cover their salaries.
She hadn’t explained that part to Shaite, and had no intention of doing so now.
Finally—
“As for the 100 million Bern living allowance…”
She tilted her head while tearing off a piece of bread.
“Don’t people spend at least that much per month if they try to live properly?”
Shaite looked momentarily speechless.
Not sure why he was reacting like that.
She wasn’t wrong.
She tilted her head again and chewed her bread.
Shaite carefully studied her face, like someone verifying whether she was telling the truth.
Then he let out a laugh, as if amused.
“Do you even know what Shaite Honeywald spends that money on?”
He was speaking in the third person again.
Is he trying to act cute or something?
