TOOCM 98

Chapter 98

“I apologize if I’ve caused you any discomfort.”

Michael seemed keen not to let Reina’s mood sour. He then offered them seats, and Reina and Kaiden sat down.

At that moment, Kaiden’s aura saturated the room. It was an unspoken warning that any foul play would result in a silent, trace-less death here. Though he sat tamely beside Reina, he was fundamentally a man ruthless enough to be called the Ogre of the Battlefield.

For Michael, who had seen with his own eyes how Kaiden subdued a mutated monster, the attitude was sufficiently intimidating.

Yet, Michael was thrilled. The new alliance between Mernier and Crensia, and the formidable authority of the Divine Beast that Reina commanded. A strong yearning gripped Michael: this was the key to breaking free from this tiresome cycle.

He smiled elegantly and asked, “How do you feel about your reunion after such a long time?”

Reina couldn’t answer immediately. Just like Kaiden before the regression, the aura of death clung to Jeffrey. Furthermore, she sensed an energy similar to the ring Michael was wearing, though Jeffrey’s was even stronger and darker.

Reina focused on Michael’s ring. “I asked you before if you could take off that ring, didn’t I?”

“You did.”

Michael showed no sign of surprise at the sudden question, as if he knew that was what she would be most curious about.

“I felt a similar restraint on my brother as the one on you. Do you know anything about it?”

At Reina’s question, Michael’s pupils widened briefly before contracting quickly.

“…I suspected as much.”

“You didn’t know for sure?”

“I had a general idea. In fact, getting Lady Reina to come here was partly to confirm that.”

His face looked thoughtful. Reina probed him gently.

“Can you tell me who placed that restraint on you?”

Michael quietly shook his head. “The moment I speak, my life will be forfeit.”

So, the ring was indeed a life-linked shackle.

Reina clenched her fists. The joy of finding her long-lost brother was fleeting, replaced by intense fury towards those who sought to bind his life.

Reina spoke calmly. “Unlike you, my brother’s aura had a malicious, sinister presence mixed in. Can you tell me about that as well?”

“I cannot say it aloud, but if you take this key, you will naturally understand.”

Michael gently rattled a key. It was the very item that was the reason for this meeting.

Reina was about to ask for the terms of the deal when Kaiden, who had been silent all this time, spoke up.

“Ah, now I remember.”

“Kaiden?”

“You said you arrived late to the opera performance that day.”

“I did. Due to my schedule, I couldn’t watch the performance itself.”

“You’re lying. You were at the theater that day. Am I wrong?”

While Reina looked puzzled, Michael showed a flicker of curiosity, as if wondering what Kaiden was about to say.

Kaiden cut straight to the chase. “That day, before the performance, I went to the restroom and met a man. I found him suspicious because I smelled blood, right before an employee shouted that the show was starting.”

Kaiden looked straight at Michael and continued. “I hesitated and looked toward the entrance, and the man escaped.”

“What does that have to do with me?”

Michael and Kaiden’s eyes met in the air. In the mounting tension, Kaiden opened his mouth.

“The man who just delivered your invitation to us was that employee.”

“…”

“You knew. You knew Duke Helio was going to be attacked that day. And that the culprit was Prince Jeffrey. You intervened to prevent Jeffrey from being captured by me that day, didn’t you?”

“!”

‘Jeffrey was there that day?’ Reina’s heart sank at the realization that she had unknowingly missed Jeffrey.

Michael, on the other hand, lowered his head and remained silent.

After a moment, Michael let out a dry, hollow laugh and massaged his forehead with his hand.

“Ah, I’ve been completely figured out.”

Michael’s mask-like smile vanished. There was no trace of playfulness in his ash-colored eyes.

He steepled his fingers on his lap and leaned forward.

“That’s right. I was the one who helped Jeffrey escape safely that day. The two of you shouldn’t have met yet.”

“You…!”

Reina stood up in agitation, but Kaiden caught her hand, restraining her. Following up, Kaiden briefly asked,

“The reason?”

His resolute attitude suggested that if the reason wasn’t satisfactory, the negotiation would be terminated.

He was indeed a formidable opponent. While Reina was highly sensitive and easily distracted by Jeffrey’s issue, Kaiden remained thoroughly and coldly analytical of the situation. Any unnecessary trickery would surely make a deal impossible.

Michael stated, “It is because Prince Jeffrey’s state is not normal. Had the Duke recognized his identity at that moment, it would have been troublesome for him as well.”

“Is my brother in very bad shape?”

“It’s not a physical health issue, but a mental one.”

“Mental…?”

“Before I explain this, I believe I need some sort of safety net myself.”

At that moment, Michael’s Divine Beast appeared. Unlike its previous form as a book, this time a clown puppet materialized.

“This is the true form of my Divine Beast.”

The puppet then held a pen and paper.

“Every conversation we share in this room will be recorded, and it will become an event that never took place in this location. Naturally, disclosure outside is impossible.”

“An ability similar to a Holy Oath, it seems.”

“Precisely. It is a restriction that makes it impossible to explain the conversation to anyone who wasn’t here, even if the memory exists in your mind.”

“So, what is the story you are so determined to tell that you go to such lengths?” Kaiden asked imperiously, crossing his legs, his posture suggesting he would walk out if the story was trivial.

Michael, too, had no intention of wasting time with trivial talk.

“I cannot tell you who is restricting me with this ring, but I can explain how they manipulate me.”

He easily slipped the ring off. But shortly after, the ring automatically slipped back onto his finger.

“As you can see, this ring cannot be physically removed from me. And the power of the ring varies in how it restricts the wearer, depending on its location.”

The moment Michael removed the ring, an eerie energy was felt, enough to send a chill down one’s spine. Reina wet her dry lips, revealing her tension.

A moment later, Michael pointed to his ear.

“Jeffrey’s restraint is presumed to be an earring. The closer it is to the head, the more dangerous it is.”

“Dangerous, meaning…”

“He may not even retain memories of his time as a Prince. He is practically nothing more than a doll. Like a marionette in a puppet show.”

“What nonsense…”

Reina flinched at the harsh words. A being that is alive but unable to move on its own, like a doll.

That would explain why his whereabouts had been unknown for so long. As Reina trembled, unable to speak, Kaiden stepped forward.

“The Emperor must have turned him into his shadow.”

“Yes. He will no longer be the Prince Jeffrey of the past. There’s a high possibility he doesn’t even remember having a younger sister. It might be better to give up on your brother now.”

At Michael’s pessimistic prognosis, Reina bit her lower lip.

“No. I absolutely cannot do that. Jeffrey is just Jeffrey. Even if he’s lost his memory, the fact that he is my older brother remains unchanged.”

“Even if he tries to kill you?”