Chapter 536

Everyone fell silent and turned their attention toward the intruder. The young nobles, still trying to grasp the situation, blushed at her radiant beauty, but Perserque's mind buzzed with thoughts, trying to piece everything together.

'Different, someone is lying. But Davey didn't find it strange. Initially...'

There was another person involved in this situation.

"Per— Ahem! Princess Consort, do you have something to say?"

King Krianes, nearly addressed Perserque by her name, but he corrected himself, mindful of the formality [1]. Her current status as a Princess Consort was somewhat ambiguous, yet no one seemed to mind.

No one dared oppose anything Davey wished in this country. Despite losing his succession rights, his presence remained a significant pillar supporting the nation. The shift of power from the entire noble faction to Davey alone wasn't an exaggeration.

"Allow me to verify something first, Your Majesty," said Perserque. "If it is confirmed that Duke Yurbara's daughter is responsible for distributing the drug, what shall be her fate?"

"The crime of manufacturing and spreading such a heinous and vile drug is unforgivable. She should be immediately arrested and executed, along with her entire family."

Nobles and royals often indulged in various drugs like tobacco, mildly addictive liquors, and other stimulants that were not highly addictive. However, Moon Honey, the cause of the current uproar, was no ordinary drug; it was strictly prohibited. Making use of such a substance warranted severe punishment, as it indicated malicious intent.

"Duke Yurbara's daughter did not lie."

"What do you mean...?"

"She's completely unaware of the Moon Honey."

Perserque's statement stirred the surroundings.

"What evidence do you have to defend her, Princess Consort? You must be aware that you yourself are under suspicion of consuming Moon Honey..."

"Answer me, Duke Yurbara's daughter."

Ignoring the nobleman's words, Perserque approached the tearful girl and asked, "Did you know about the Moon Honey?"

"No, I didn't! I just... I went to that quiet forest with the other ladies only because... because of jealousy! Yes! I wanted to ask Prince Davey for a chance too! And I got upset when they said you were a commoner..."

There was no deceit in her words.

Perserque's smile deepened. 'I knew it. I didn't expect her to boldly say such things about Davey in my absence.'

Feeling her mood suddenly drop, Perserque considered leaving the matter alone. However, since it wasn't a mere impulse, she needed to confirm further. Having finished her brief contemplation, Perserque spoke again.

"There is no falsehood."

"Are you saying you can discern lies... Is that what you mean?"

"More precisely, I can perceive them."

"So, if we follow what you say, Princess Consort, someone else among these ladies lied?" King Krianes continued with his questioning.

Perserque shook her head. "The other ladies did not lie either."

As she said this with a faint smile, the expressions of the nobles showed confusion.

"If one side isn't lying, and the other isn't either, then what exactly is the lie?"

"According to the royal guards' investigation, only one person here could have intentionally distributed the drug! And circumstantially, Duke Yurbara's daughter, who served the tea, is the most likely suspect."

"Are you joking at such a critical moment?!"

While the trembling ladies glanced over, Perserque continued, "Indeed, those who claimed their innocence spoke the truth."

"Then..."

"It means the liar is the one who hasn't spoken."

The one who had not spoken. Amidst the cries of the ladies, there was exactly one who had not said a word. Perserque then stood before the only lady who had remained silent, blending into the background.

"Among all those pledging their innocence, only one remained silent. Whether out of good sense or knowledge."

Perserque calmly asked the kneeling blonde girl, "Lady, what do you think of my words?"

Her tone was natural, as if she was royalty speaking down to someone, yet no one found it objectionable; it was so effortlessly natural.

"Lady Cecily? Oh, wait, even mentioning that name felt like a lie. So you're not really her, are you?"

After a moment of contemplation, Perserque smiled broadly. "Commander of the Boltis Kingdom's Assassin Squad? What brings you, from a country not on good terms with us, to impersonate a lady and create this situation?"

Cecily, who had been posing as the lady, was struck with shock at Perserque's words. "That... No, what are you talking about?!"

"Individuals with special abilities use powers that are difficult to detect or interfere with using mere mana," Perserque stated.

Cecily, frustrated, shouted back. "What nonsense are you spouting, Perserque?! Are you suggesting I laced the tea? If so, the other ladies would have seen me do it! I did nothing!"

Perserque smiled at her outcry. "If the drug is mixed in the air as a powder, the effect becomes apparent. What do you say, lady? Were you a bit taken aback by me revealing your true intentions?"

Speaking calmly, Perserque approached Cecily, smiling radiantly, and placed a hand on her cheek. "No one else may know, but Davey is sensitive enough to suspect you, hence the reason you bribed an informant to feed him false information."

The playful smile disappeared from Perserque's face. "I do not take kindly to someone targeting Davey."

At that moment, an immense wave of mana erupted from Perserque, pressing down on everything around her. "Special ability users wield a power distinct from mana, closer to that of a superpower. It's not that there's no way to control it; it's just not as simple as with mana."

The force bearing down on everyone was indeed mana. Specifically, it was the magical energy she wielded. Having been an 8th-circle mage in her previous life, disguising her magical energy as mana wasn't difficult for Perserque.

Cecily struggled under the pressure. "What kind of mana is this!"

The ordinary nobles appeared merely intimidated, but the court magicians and others capable of handling mana were astounded by the magnitude of Perserque's power.

Eventually, the ropes binding Cecily snapped, and she reflexively reached for something in her bosom.

With a simple gesture, Perserque pinned Cecily to the ground.

"Aghh!"

Stepping lightly on the writhing Cecily, Perserque had a sinister smile on her face. The nobles looked on in stunned silence, realizing that the situation was developing in a way they hadn't expected.

"So, you targeted me and Davey in the Boltis Kingdom, huh?" Perserque asked.

With a smile resembling that of a sadistic queen, she remarked,"Well, whatever. Might as well vent some frustration."

"Is she insane?!"

The ground twisted under the immense pressure, pinning Cecily down. Her body began to change - taller, slimmer, with brown hair replacing the golden blonde, and her face transforming into another.

"An imitator. Quite a rare special ability user."

Perserque's overwhelming presence was unmistakable. Cecily desperately tried to escape, but Perserque coldly subdued her without mercy.

Only Baris felt a chill run down his spine. Unnoticed by others, he had a clear view of Perserque's face and realized something about her.

"What did I just see?" He rubbed his eyes, trying to confirm what he saw, but a black blade suddenly stuck into the table he was leaning on, stopping him. His eyes met Perserque's, who silently gestured for him to keep quiet.

Realization dawned on him. She had been pretending all along. It was chilling to think about the memories and stories of Perserque that Davey had shared. Was it really her true nature, or just an act?

Recalling, Perserque's apparent personality resembled that of the Princess of the Pallan Empire—not entirely righteous, but genuinely kind and loving; playful, yet increasingly vulnerable to Davey.

Her character felt like a blend of Illyna and Aeria, the Princesses. This realization left Baris feeling uneasy. If it was all an act, then what was her true nature?

* * *

Entering the small garden where Perserque and the ladies had their altercation, Davey slowly gazed at the pond and closed his eyes. This garden wasn't well-known. For him, it held a few precious memories with his mother.

"...the ground has thawed."

It was a fragment of his memories.

[Davey. This place is your mother's favorite. Someday, if you face hardships, come here...]

His memories with his mother were few. Before awakening the memories of his past life, he had simply acknowledged them, but afterwards, only bitterness remained. Even now, not much had changed. Originally, he had planned to bring her here and share memories of his mother. But their time was interrupted.

"Come out."

At his command, three men in black garb emerged from the shadows.

"Have you found it?"

"This is why I only trusted Aina. That damn benefactor or whatever, find them and bring them back quickly."

Echo, the information guild he had connections with, had insiders he couldn't trust. Davey hadn't seen them, but these were the informants Echo Guild had assigned to him after Aina's departure.

"I'll ask just one thing."

The atmosphere among the men changed at his words.

"Why did you give false information?"

Swoosh!

Suddenly, one man lunged at Davey with a poison-coated dagger. In an instant, blood splattered, and the man twitched. It was clear the assailant was one of the informants in black, but it was he who crumpled to the ground.

"How...?"

The sharp dagger, laced with poison, failed to penetrate Davey's skin or even clothing.

'If I could withstand a direct shot to the forehead from a high-caliber rifle wielded by a foreigner, would I falter against a weakly enchanted blade?'

Swoosh!

Clang!

Davey moved faster than the remaining two, and in a flash, one fell bleeding while Davey grabbed the other by the neck, slamming him into a wooden post. He reflexively tried to break free, but Davey feigned releasing him only to strike his solar plexus, elbow, and base of the nose, completely disrupting his movement.

"Ugh!"

Davey twisted his neck and slammed him again into the post.

Crack!

The tree couldn't withstand the brute force and loudly splintered.

"I asked a question, but I got attacked instead. Does that mean you don't plan to answer?"

He glared venomously at Davey, then clenched his jaw.

5th Tier [Purification]

He intended to bite into a poison capsule and commit suicide, but he had not yet fully realized who Davey was.

"I can neutralize poison, and I can also use purification magic to temporarily stop it. No need for unnecessary suicide. Let's talk."

"..."

"Don't want to talk? Since no one's watching, let's get a bit rough."

[Bersha's Curse]

[Sensory Amplification]

Woong!

Once the man's senses were heightened, Davey ignited a black flame in his other hand. "I've rarely seen anyone endure this."

[Samadhi Fire]

[Curse of Black Magic]

[Combination]

[Interrogation Fire]

Flames engulfed him.

"Aaaaah!!!"

"Take your time."

Perserque was too pure and fragile for her rank as a former Demon King. Davey couldn't let her get involved in such dirty affairs. She wasn't naive enough not to know anything, but her gentle and kind nature meant he had to handle these dirty tasks.

"Right, I should handle the bloody work. Now, spill what you know. Don't worry! If you die without talking, I'll extract the information from your soul."

It seemed they targeted both Perserque and Davey, but it didn't matter.

"Making my wife a target comes with a hefty price. Bastard."

His anger reverberated through the surroundings.

1. In the raws, he is using the word 'new baby,'pronounced as 'se-ah-ha', a term used by a father-in-law to address his daughter-in-law in a familiar manner. ☜