Chapter 11: Is the ‘Ba’ in Vanillin’s Name the ‘Ba’ in Fool?

“You. What is your name?”

Yulian asked the attacker.

With a warm and gentle… perfectly calculated smile.

“Ha.”

The attacker raised his head with a mocking laugh.

His eyes flashed dully like the eyes of a dead fish.

“Why? Are you going to call me by my name, Your Holiness?”

His mocking voice was full of malice.

Well, nothing had gone the way this attacker wanted….

I looked back and forth between the two of them, nervously moving my fingers.

It was understandable that he was furious.

Not only had he failed to deal with Yulian, but he had also been captured and falsely accused.

“What a shameless man….”

“We almost got hurt because of him, didn’t we?”

“Tsk. If he had a grudge, he should have taken it out somewhere else.”

“He should be executed immediately, Your Highness!”

The delegation’s reaction was extremely cold.

Perhaps because they thought they could have been hurt as well, they looked at the attacker with very sharp eyes.

In the cold hunting ground, Yulian was the only person smiling.

Without showing the slightest hesitation, he opened his mouth.

“Because that is the only way I can forgive you.”

“……!”

My mouth opened slightly.

‘Even though he is pretending to be a saint, can he really go this far…?’

I thought he would at least hand him over to the Imperial Guards, but this was completely unexpected.

I secretly glanced to the side.

The delegation was reacting the same way.

They were staring with their mouths wide open, as if wondering whether they had heard correctly.

Even the attacker.

“What, what?”

He stammered as if he had heard something he never expected.

“What are you saying—”

“I understand your anger.”

Yulian gently cut him off.

“The pain of losing someone you love is not something that disappears easily.”

The man lowered his eyebrows as if he truly understood his pain.

‘Gasp….’

He was really disgusting….

His expression looked so sorrowful that even I, who knew his true nature, almost felt moved.

Ugh. Get a grip, Vanillin.

There is a demon inside that beautiful face.

“But.”

His voice was as warm as sunlight on a spring day.

“If you pour that anger in the wrong direction, in the end, you will only destroy yourself.”

As he said this, Yulian released the attacker.

The attacker touched his shoulder in confusion, as if he had never expected this.

“I will not punish you.”

“……!”

The attacker’s eyes widened.

His eyes moved wildly as if he were trying to figure out whether Yulian was serious.

Yulian calmly lowered his gaze and added the final words.

“This time, I will forgive you.”

“My goodness….”

Gasp.

I accidentally let out a sound of admiration.

No, but—

‘Is he really… letting him go?’

I couldn’t believe it.

That man? That Yulian, who had never hesitated to kill people?

‘…He must be planning to deal with him secretly later, right?’

‘This is just an act to look like a saint, and he plans to call him to the Fifth Detached Palace and deal with him there….’

[No.]

“Eek!”

I was startled.

The low voice that entered my ear made my whole body tremble.

When I raised my head, Yulian smiled gently at me.

[I have no intention of laying even a finger on this foolish human.]

I-I see….

I lowered my head and avoided his gaze, barely agreeing with him.

His personality was completely broken despite that beautiful face.

[What did you just say?]

‘N-Nothing.’

Ugh, scary.

Being able to see straight through my thoughts was cheating.

‘Is there no way to block him…?’

When I returned, I would have to read the contract more carefully.

I shook my head quickly, trying not to think about it anymore, and looked around.

Everyone’s reaction was similar.

The members of the delegation covered their mouths with both hands in shock.

“I heard he was a saint, but….”

“As expected of the Third Prince. His generosity is truly different.”

Quiet words of admiration came from all around.

The attacker had also lost his words and was moving his eyes around.

It seemed like he was desperately thinking about what would benefit him.

‘Well….’

He probably thought he would definitely die, so being allowed to live must have confused him.

I might have reacted the same way.

Even so—

Groan.

I frowned and let out a small groan.

‘Is it really okay to let him go like this?’

What worried me most was my own safety.

It would be a disaster if he attacked us again.

I would probably throw myself in front of him again….

And there was no guarantee that Yulian would save me like he had this time.

‘What should I do?’

Should I try to persuade him through the soul connection?

I lowered my eyebrows and looked up at him.

Then I spoke in my mind.

“Um… wouldn’t it be better to just deal with him?”

“……?”

At the same time, dozens of pairs of eyes turned toward me.

The delegation, Yulian, and even the attacker.

They all stared at me as if asking what I was talking about.

Uh… hmm?

I blinked.

‘Did I… say that out loud?’

My pupils shook in confusion.

No. I was definitely trying to say it in my mind.

[Is the ‘Ba’ in Vanillin’s name the ‘Ba’ in fool?]

No… it isn’t.

I nervously moved my eyes around.

Judging by everyone’s reaction, I really must have said it out loud.

I guess I have to fix this somehow….

Just as I was about to say something—

“Sorry….”

The attacker spoke loudly before I could.

“I’m sorry, Your Highness. I must have gone crazy!”

Thud.

He dropped heavily to his knees.

Then he lowered his head so deeply that his forehead almost touched the ground.

“I will never do something like this again. I will live a good life!”

Uh….

What just happened?

I blinked and stared at him.

The energy he had shown earlier was completely gone.

“Please… just give me one chance! Just one chance!”

He looked desperately desperate, almost to the point of humiliation.

Why had he suddenly become like this…?

As I stood there hesitantly, not knowing what was happening, I heard Yulian’s voice.

[It seems Vanillin’s words frightened him.]

Frightened him…?

When I looked up at him as if asking him to explain, Yulian’s eyes curved slightly.

[He was probably terrified that I might change my mind and decide not to forgive him.]

‘Oh….’

How could someone with that face say such vulgar things?

[Not only is he a fool, but he has no courage either.]

No matter how many times I saw it, I still couldn’t get used to it.

How could someone with such a holy face, who looked like he couldn’t even pick a flower, make such sharp judgments?

I stared at his beautiful appearance, which almost seemed to have a halo around it, for a moment before lowering my head.

‘It would have been nice if I only knew that face. I would have been happier if I didn’t know what was inside.’

[I can hear everything.]

‘Yes, I’m sorry….’

Anyway.

Yulian didn’t seem to dislike the current situation.

No, maybe he actually liked it?

[If he had continued resisting, I would have had to cut off his head. So this worked out quite well.]

…Apparently, that was how he saw it.

Yulian smiled sweetly and gently helped the attacker stand up.

“Get up.”

“Y-Your Highness….”

“Punishment is the work of heaven. The only thing I can do is forgive.”

[He will die at the hands of my second brother anyway.]

How could someone’s body and mind be so completely different?

I barely stopped myself from squeezing my eyes shut.

‘Somehow….’

So that was why he said he had no intention of touching him.

[My brother is not the kind of person who gives a failed dog two chances.]

Unfortunately.

In the end, I tightly closed my eyes.

“Go. From now on, I hope you will live by helping others.”

“Thank you, Your Highness… Thank you!”

What kind of person had I made a contract with?

Had I been so afraid that I had recklessly bet my soul?

‘The ‘Ba’ in Vanillin’s name really is the ‘Ba’ in fool….’

Maybe it was true.

For some reason, tears came to my eyes.

“…So. You’re saying you only increased Yulian’s reputation before coming back?”

The office had a heavy and frightening atmosphere, with shadows from the half-closed blackout curtains covering the room.

Because the sunlight was blocked, the room was dark, almost like it was evening.

The Second Prince, Keaton Ozvalt, slammed his fist down on the desk in anger.

Bang!

The man in front of him trembled and fell face-down on the floor.

“Th-That is actually….”

“If you are going to make excuses, shut up.”

“I’m sorry.”

It was the same attacker who had caused a disturbance at the hunting ground earlier.

The man was sweating coldly as he pressed his forehead against the floor.

‘Damn it…!’

He had already suffered more humiliation than he could count today, but this was not the time to worry about his pride.

To him, the Second Prince was his only lifeline.

‘It’s a full 150 gold.’

When he sold his parents to the slave market to pay off his gambling debt, he thought his life was completely ruined.

But 150 gold….

If he rolled a few dice and multiplied that money, becoming rich would be easy.

“Please give me one more chance.”

For that, bowing his head to someone young enough to be his son was nothing.

“I will definitely kill Yulian Ozvalt, that man!”

The attacker’s eyes shone with determination.

Silence followed for a moment.

Just when the man could no longer bear the heavy silence and was about to raise his head—

“Pfft….”

“……?”

“Puhahaha!”

The Second Prince threw his head back and burst into loud laughter.