When the Villainess Died, the Male Lead Went Crazy - Chapter 53
Chapter 53
Anais had to be led by the captain of the imperial guard to the office of Archivist Baldyk.
“Be careful about what you say.”
“…….”
Anais looked at the captain as he sighed and said that to her. He looked at her with a somewhat subtle face, then turned his gaze to another place.
“You’re sympathizing with me.”
“…….”
She didn’t feel too bad that he sympathized with her. Because it didn’t matter now. It was important to use what was available to bring Kylian back to his senses.
His bad mood wasn’t that important. Time would go on, like sand slipping through one’s fingers.
“Thank you.”
“…….”
Rather, she would be grateful if she could use his sympathy. Thinking so, she followed him as he led the way.
“Captain.”
“Call me Sir Lacey.”
“Yes.”
He felt sympathy for Anais. Maybe that’s why, but instead of the blunt reaction like before, a slightly softened reaction came out on its own.
“Sir Lacey.”
“Yes.”
“Why don’t you say anything to His Majesty?”
“…….”
“Shouldn’t you say the right thing to His Majesty?”
“I am not a minister and I am not an aide. It is my job to protect His Majesty and heed his commands.”
Even as Lacey said that, a part of my chest felt uncomfortable.
“How many lives do you think you have?”
“…….”
Lacey spoke as if he was scolding me, but in reality, it was a cowardly excuse for his actions. He also wanted to become a loyal sword in the past. However, after Kylian became the emperor, he changed and reigned as a good monarch to make Anais wake up.
He brought the priests of Death into the imperial palace, destroyed the temple under ridiculous pretexts, and declared war. Although he did such incomprehensible things.
“You only have one life.”
“Because you only have one life, you have to work harder. It’s only one life, but it’s unfair to lose it easily because of someone.”
“…….”
Lacey didn’t want to talk to her. Because she was the kind of person who made him feel as if he was blocked by a wall the more they talked, but also made him feel as if there was a needle through his chest.
“I am simply loyal to the Sun of the Empire.”
“If it’s your job to simply be loyal to someone who sits on the throne, why did you open the city gates on the day of the coup?”
“…….”
“Didn’t you also recognize Kylian’s qualities to become emperor?”
“How do you know that?”
She knew some things because she had read the original story, but she knew some things because she had checked them herself. When Anais was Young Duke Percival, she had to work in and out of the imperial palace.
On the surface, she had to take care of the dirty work of the imperial family, but she did the job and instead helped those who were against the imperial family.
That’s why she was able to rise to the position of minister despite her young age. On the outside, she might look like a deep rooted person who inherited a position within the imperial palace from Duke Percival, but she was actually a capable person. There was no way she didn’t know about him, who was the captain of the guard.
“I know it when I see people. I understand that you feel ashamed right now, Sir Lacey.”
“…….”
“You thought it was better to live a day you are not ashamed of than to live your life in shame.”
“…….”
“Why did such a person become like this?”
“People change. I can’t stand someone who thinks as naively as you.”
Anais didn’t think that was wrong. Her moral notion was naive, and it was true that she encountered difficulties every time.
“Even so, you can’t just watch without making any effort.”
“You are too idealistic.”
The captain, Lacey sighed and looked at Anais.
“His Majesty could really cut your throat this time. Be prepared for that.”
“…….”
Anais realized that he was about to stop at a door. Then he opened the door and spoke to Anais beforehand. She thought she was going to the office of Archivist Baldyk, but where he opened was the place where the knights’ armor and clothes were.
“Why did you come here?”
“If they knew you were the saint, the Archivist would tell you the truth.”
“Ah.”
Anais thought he was right. So she had to wear the guard uniform he gave her and put a wig on her head.
“Are you sure he won’t know you’re doing this?”
Captain Lacey looked at Anais with a frown as he was about to say something. Then, as if telling her to be quiet, he put his finger to his mouth.
Realizing that it was because they were in front of Archivist Baldyk’s office, she shut her mouth. It was difficult since it was Lilith’s. She didn’t know if it was her body.
Knock, knock.
“It is His Majesty’s order.”
When the captain of the guard knocked, a voice was heard from inside the door.
“Come in.”
When the door opened, an elderly archivist was seen inside. When Anais was on duty at the imperial palace, she often saw him.
He used to have dark gray hair close to black, but in the past five years he has grown a lot of white hair, and now it’s almost full of light gray and white.
“What orders did you come here with?”
“His Majesty wants to inform my men about the Battle of Denver Bridge.”
“Ah…”
Archivist Baldyk put on a slightly troubled expression, then sighed and said.
“Wait a moment.”
At the end of where he beckoned, there was a sofa and a table. Captain Lacet led Anais to sit on the sofa. And he stood right behind her.
Anais felt strange as if he had escorted her, as if she had returned to her days as the Young Duke.
“Even if I’m weaker than you, Young Duke, my resourcefulness is excellent.”
“Stop talking nonsense. You’re getting in the way.”
“Still, if you’re in danger, I will protect you, Lady Anais.”
“That’s no different from a cat saying that it’ll protect the tiger.”
Anais was recalling her conversation with Alcad. She was also someone who really helped her out a few times. That he was actually a Mervenian spy?
Anais, who felt that even that suspicion was blaspheming the dead, felt uncomfortable on the overstuffed sofa. Like she was sitting where she shouldn’t be.
Anais saw Archivist Baldyk going into the archives in the corner. He went inside and it was quite noisy, probably rummaging through things. It was clear that the drawer inside was made of iron, that whenever he opened or closed it, a loud iron sound rang out.
“Should I help?”
“Staying still and quiet would be more help.”
Anais thought she shouldn’t have asked. Because Captain Lacey spoke firmly and stopped her actions.
Just as the two knights behind were about to move at his gesture, Archivist Baldyk came out.
“Oh my…!”
Anais moved quickly and grabbed the documents and magic tools from Archivist Baldyk who were staggering. Tak, tak, tak. The round magic tools went up to the sky and were piled up in her hands and placed on the table.
“Thank you.”
“It’s nothing.”
When Anais sat down on the sofa, he sat down in front of her and handed her some papers. Anais took the papers handed to her and began to read them slowly. The reason why these documents were in the archivist’s room was because Baldyk was the Imperial Archives Director.
[ Alcad Devins.
Birthplace: unknown
Affiliation: Mervenian spy
Special Note: It is estimated that he entered the Quipnos Empire beyond the age of adulthood, but his exact age is unknown. He handed over state secrets of the Quipnos Empire to Mervenia twice while serving as an escort knight for Young Duke Percival. He allegedly handed over 63 classified materials during the war.
His cause of death was brought about by a failed assassination attempt on Young Duke Percival.
His autopsy could not be performed properly due to severe post-mortem decomposition. ]
“Was Alcad really a spy?”
“Yes.”
“The documents he stole are written at the bottom.”
Anais was really looking through the papers that had been processed. Among them were letters and secrets sent by the emperor to other countries.
It also contained information such as secret notes he had sent during the war.
Then, everything started to make sense. Anais had once doubted the existence of spies after seeing the repeated failures of her perfect strategy. But that spy was actually Alcad?
However, looking at these documents, it was clear that Alcad was indeed the culprit. Most of the stolen plans were mainly transported by him.
Besides, Anais wrote down the bearer’s name each time under the paper. Her hands trembled when she saw Alcad’s initials written under the evidence.
“Why?”
Anais asked impatiently, even as she followed the letters with her eyes. There was something strange about it. If Alcad tried to kill her, he could have done it any other time than during the skirmish at the Denver Bridge.
It would have been easier if he had killed her while she was asleep.
“I don’t know exactly why he died. It is only an estimate that can be made. But you can look at the memory stored in the video stone by the staff who recorded the events of the Battle of Denver Bridge.”
“…….”
“If you see that, you can see that it was Young Duke Anais Percival, not the Mervenian army, that he was aiming for at the Battle of Denver Bridge.”
Three glass beads, which Archivist Valdyk almost dropped, lay on the table. Anais quickly ran her eyes through the papers she was holding and watched him assembling the marbles.
“Come here.”
Anais did as he beckoned and sat down next to the archivist. Then, the archivist handed her an instrument with the glass bead on it. Three marbles were inserted into a tool that looked like a microscope.
Anais nervously grabbed the side of the magic tool. She then began to look at the reflection.
She was hoping that wasn’t true. Because Alcad was truly loyal to her.
Inside the lens, war was going on. The area near the Denver Bridge was deserted, and Anais was all too familiar with the landscape. The memories stored in the video stone belonged to the staff, so she was watching the battle through the staff’s eyes.
Anais could see her platinum hair in a high ponytail. The sword she shows every time she wields it, and the enemy generals she cuts with it. Anais felt strange because it was the first time she had seen her fight from a stranger’s point of view.
There were several enemies. As for Anais, she was always the one who was at the vanguard, and at this time, she was on her way home after winning the battle, so she did not have to stay and fight on the Denver Bridge. However, she was planning to cross the bridge only after her men safely retreated. She remained in the rear.
The staff’s eyes were now on Alcad. Although he was always the one who assisted Anais by her side. Now she was standing next to the lever that was made for the bridge in case of emergency. The lever was to activate the explosive magic tools mounted under the bridge. Anais intended to activate it after her men had passed safely.
Alcad looked at Anais. Neither the men nor her had time to know what Alcad was doing, as they too were engaged in the middle of the bridge. At that moment he turned the lever.
Bang!
Black smoke billowed up and the place was dark. However, the Archivist’s eyes, who had come closer, were strange. Originally, he was a person with dark brown eyes. His eyes were red as he smiled at the archives. Like people under a hypnotic spell.
“Anais!”
Suddenly, she heard Kylian’s voice calling her.
—
