Chapter 272. Punishment, Part XIITranslator: Khan
Editor: Aelryinth
In fact, before she came to the court, she had stolen a leather purse piled up at the entrance of the prison. It was the first item that Christine, a high-ranking aristocrat, encountered, a nameless oil used in the torches lighting the dark prison.
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"Hey, be careful. Need"s skin melted because he accidentally dropped it in his hand, last time. It was so deeply permeated so that he could see his bones, and because it doesn"t produce any new flesh, he has to wear a bandage even in the middle of summer. If he had spilled more, his bones might have melted."
"I heard it"s dangerous because it"s a monster byproduct, but it"s not even boiling oil. Is that possible?"
"Don"t mention it. I don"t want to see such a hideous sight again."
She thought it was her last chance after hearing what the guards said among themselves, pulling them leather pouches and pouring them into the oil reservoirs hanging on the walls.
This oil would be poured into the face of the Kiellini girl, who had lured Killian with her nice face, and would leave her in eternal h.e.l.l. If she lost her beauty, she would lose his love. She would be laughed at, detested and despised, as all ugly women were.
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But Killian quickly away threw back the leather pocket Christine had thrown after untying a string. The blow spilled the sticky oil from the mouth of the purse over onto Christine"s face.
Christine collapsed screaming at the burning pain. She didn"t even hear Killian"s order to drag her out and kill her. Her ears and eyes hurt so much.
Julietta stopped Killian from calling knights in anger. Christine"s face skin was melting on the floor. Her ears were also crushed. Maybe she couldn"t even see.
"Let"s send her back to the Marquis of Anais. I think it"s his burden to bear."
Julietta had no sympathy for Christine as she rolled on the floor. "What kind of sympathy is needed for such a person who was given many chances, but abandoned them?"
Without Manny"s warning and Killian"s quick protection, it was she who would have been like that.
The Marquis had been asking her to forgive his daughter, and yet she was so malign to the end. She wanted to return Christine to him for revenge. He had to see with his own eyes what the daughter he had tried to save had wanted to do to his other daughter. He had come to her when she had been in bed after she had escaped from the throes of death, and had been so sad, but he had already forgotten the incident and begged her to save Christine.
Killian understood Julietta"s thoughts. "Yes, in a way it"s more painful to live than to die. Take her to the Anais mansion."
Christine was suffering without hearing or seeing anything, and was dragged out. Killian declined the comfort and anxiety of those watching the terrible incident, and headed straight to the Asta Palace.
"You, the mutt, must be a real divine animal. I don"t think you see the future like a legend or have any healing powers, but you are quite spiritual."
Killian stroked Manny on the head for the first time.
Of course, Manny was not a divine animal. It was just that his sense of danger had developed unusually. However, it didn"t say no on purpose, and decided to listen to the compliment pleasantly.
Julietta gave Manny a kiss of grat.i.tude, and kissed Killian on the cheek. "My true Prince, did you know that you were in a very dangerous situation? That terrible liquid could have spilled on you."
Luckily, the mouth of the leather pouch had turned to Christine, but the terrible liquid could have spilled on Killian"s arm.
"If you"re safe, it"s okay to lose one arm. Anyway, whatever the liquid was, she got it in the Imperial Castle. I need to find out why such dangerous objects were placed in the Imperial Castle. I"m going to have to fix the facile state of safety of the knights right now."
Killian"s sharpness was understandable, because it had almost caused big trouble.
"Please don"t worry about me. I"m going to take a break and... I"ll be out of the Imperial Castle for a moment."
"Where are you going?"
Julietta hesitated to answer, and bit her lips. She wasn"t sure herself. But she wanted to check it out herself. Otherwise, she felt like she would regret it later. "... I"d like to go to the Anais mansion."
Killian"s brow furrowed at Julietta"s words. "Why there?"
With his dissatisfied complexion, Julietta smiled a bit as if she were okay. "I think I should go and hear what the Marquis of Anais will do for the next few days." She wanted to confirm whether the Marquis would leave the capital, too.
Killian gently placed her locks over her ears, knowing her thoughts were complicated. "I"d love to come with you, but..."
"No, this is about me and the Marquis of Anais. Wasn"t the Marquis ordered to be exiled, too?"
Killian nodded.
The Marquis was to be stripped of his t.i.tle, but did not initially receive a deportation order. But Christine was not fully acquitted of the a.s.sa.s.sination of Prince Francis, so it was followed by the guilt-by-a.s.sociation system of imperial justice.
"I"ll be back. See you this evening." After kissing Killian"s cheek lightly, Julietta turned around and headed for the entrance to the main castle.
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Robert just gave Christine painkillers and put her to sleep. He said in a subdued voice, "Thank you for coming like this."
He heard that she had used oil from the prison to get her revenge on Princess Kiellini, but had been covered with it instead. Because Christine could not stop her foolish acts, he felt sick.
"Thank you. You forgive her for doing such a thing. What"s her condition?"
"All the skin on the face, one eye and one ear melted away. She covered her face with both hands, and they"re also a mess because of the oil."
Looking at the Marquis who could not even make eye contact with her due to his guilty thoughts, Julietta sighed again. "She did it when she was suspected of a.s.sa.s.sinating Prince Francis. Moreover, she did it in the main castle, where His Imperial Majesty was staying. Even though she was sentenced to death on the spot, no one could stop it."
"I know, I know that you stopped His Highness Killian and she came back home like this. Thank you very much."
"She came back home..." Julietta thought that she should give up hope for her father this time.
Julietta could have ended up like Christine. But he wasn"t angry about that. He was sorry for her.
His position was not entirely inconceivable. Besides, if her father had chosen her and abandoned Christine, she would have never believed him in this life. So, Maribel was right. It was a parallel line that could never cross
Julietta got up from the sofa where she had sat opposite him at the recommendation of the Marquis. "I didn"t have to visit you."
At her bitter accent, Robert raised his head in a flash. "Julietta?"
Her green eyes were shaded with grief, in contrast to her glittering blonde locks and colorful clothes. Even when she was angry with him or retorted sharply, she hadn"t had those eyes, and his heart sank down.
"Julie…"
"Christine and I are not compatible. I can"t forgive her for what happened today. That"s why I"m here to give you the last chance to choose, but I don"t have to. I realized that you could never be my father."
Robert opened his mouth to say something, but nothing came out. He was happy to be called a father again, but he couldn"t turn his back on Christine.
Julietta was as formal as she could be to Robert and politely gave her courtesy. "Good-bye. I don"t know when I"ll see you again, but I hope you"ll stay healthy. I can"t give Christine much time. Knights are waiting to take her out of the Empire. Do you want to take your son with you?" She said "his son", as if she did not want to name her half brother.
Robert could not correct her. "Her Majesty, the First Queen, is taking him."
"Good. I hope he doesn"t grow up as my enemy. It would be so sad for him to end up a monster like Christine."
It was a warning that if Fjord put a sword on her to avenge Christine, she would never let him go.
"I promise. He won"t." Robert hesitated for a moment, then carefully asked, "Can I just give you a hug?"