Chapter 88 * * *

* * *

They seized the crossbow I was holding, and I was taken by the knights and trapped in the tower north of the palace.

Fortunately, it wasn’t an underground prison where felons would be trapped. It was a clean and decent room for the aristocrats right before the trial – where they stayed. It would be hard to believe it was a prison if it weren’t for the iron bars on the door.

‘What the hell is going on here…?’

Looking about the room roughly, I sat down on the bed with a deep sigh.

‘I don’t know how much Derick’s gonna……’

To be honest, I was more worried about Derick, who was reciting in a dreary way, than I was driven to be a nobility assassin.

—and if you bring this family down again, it won’t end up in jail.

I said I would not let anything to disgrace my family, but I came all the way here.

“Ha ha.”

I gave up and laughed. I don’t know how far the story of this crazy game will go. But one thing is for sure, the situation I’m in is one of the episodes.

I took out the dagger I had put inside my jacket.

Indeed, I was afraid of Eckart’s power to drop birds. The crossbow I was holding might have been confiscated, but they never searched the princess’ body.

That’s why I can be this calm right now.

“a sign of the assassin…..”

I was so distracted in the cave that I couldn’t take a closer look at the dagger.

An unknown pattern was carved on the bottom of the poisoned dagger’s blade that stabbed the crown prince. I don’t know, but the symbol of a certain family was clear.

— Princess! What are you doing?

— Why do you cut your hair with a dagger?

When I was about to cut my hair and write a solo, I remembered the prince grabbing my hand. I thought it was really unusual back then.

‘Did he already know that the dagger was poisoned?

I looked around the dagger, feeling a little mixed up.

Not only the patterns, but also the end of the dagger was decorated with a twist of blue silk thread. It looked like someone gave it to me as a gift to wish me well.

“…..Now, if we find out where this symbol belongs, will we become a hero who has overcome the ordeal of being an evil woman?”

I mumbled to myself, but I put the dagger back in my jacket. It wouldn’t be good to have evidence of assassination in somebody’s sight.

It was the moment.

“Penelope Eckart.”

Someone called me through the bars of the prison. cool blue eyes revealed under a dreary torch

“…..Little Duke?”

It was Derick. I slowly got up from my seat in a dazed mood and approached the door.

Is it because of the special environment of prison? I’m sure you’ve come to speak ill of me, but the face I saw again in nearly two days was very welcome.

I checked above his head first.

[Favorability 29%]

It had not fallen further than the last time I saw it. Thank God.

“I heard you shot a crossbow at a bear.”

a sigh of relief Derick opened his mouth whether it was the beginning of a foot strike.

“Oh, yes. It’s……….”

It was a moment when I reluctantly tried to make excuses.

“Are you hurt anywhere?”

Suddenly, I heard an incredible sound in my ears.

I saw Derick again with unfamiliar eyes. His face was expressionless, unable to predict what emotion he was feeling now.

However, as soon as I saw him, I suddenly felt a lump in my chin and throat when he brought out words of concern, not abuse. Perhaps this situation, which I didn’t know about, was very unfair.

“My father and the little Duke……… are you alright? Leonard brother is…”

“Leonard hurried out of the palace to bring in a wizard carved with magic on the bolts of the four crossbow. We have to prove something that’s not for killing.”

“I’m sorry, I’ve made it big….”

I murmured rather weakly. But on the other hand, my head went fast.

In any case, until the appearance of the real princess, the members of Eckarts had been protecting the fake princess. Although they have piled up and piled up, it has led to death…..

‘Maybe the solution is to pass the vouchers to Derick right now.’

After I thought about it, I decided to hand him the dagger.

“Little Duke, this is a clear proof. I have a solution. Actually, I…….”

“Penelope Eckart.”

I had just opened my mouth to tell him in detail what I had gone through yesterday. Derick snapped off.

“There are more than six witnesses who say they were hit by a crossbow you shot.”

“…what? What is……”

“And at the tea party on the day of the incident, you threatened the women with a crossbow and turned them into idiot.”

I opened my eyes wide. There are already so many rumors.

“Well, that’s…”

“Your crossbow is fainted with a burst of cerebral palsy, and only has a spell of memory loss.”

“……”

“But Baron Tullet, the fiance of Lady Kellin and nephew of Marquis Ellen, was really hit by your arrows was really insane”

“What?”

“I hear he saw a hunting goddess with dark pink hair, drooling.”

“Huh…”

The absurdity of the sound made my mouth water.

“What happened? Are you saying that one of the assassins was that blue-haired fiancée?”

I frowned and seriously agonized. I didn’t know which was the political faction of Count Kellin and who was Baron Tullet. But the answer came roughly from the “joker” of Marquis Ellen, the queen’s outward appearance.

“So why did you say something different from the facts at the tea party, no.”

While I was lost in thought, Derick seemed to have already finished all the speculation.

“This time, tell me what made you upset and shoot the crossbow at the nobles.”

“…..”

“I have to take it as a proof.”

At that moment, my mind went blank, and I was speechless. I thought, of course, Derick would ask me all the time. Now, I thought this situation would lead to an episode of clearing the false charge and shaking off the notoriety of the past.

But Derick’s words are.

‘……I think I’m telling you on the assumption that it’s a foregone conclusion that I shot the nobles in a twist.’

Of course it was true that I shot the crossbow. But it was shot at masked assassins, not at the faceless aristocrats.

I couldn’t find anything to say, so I asked in a dejected voice.

“… …don’t you think I was self-defense for some reason?”

“I hope that Gaboril, the servant who was stunned by, testified.”

Derick answered immediately with a cool face.

“You gathered strength and appeared suddenly in front of them who were holding bears. They said you were going to shoot a crossbow to take away the prey. ”

“What…? “

“Even the bear was running wild, and there was no time to avoid it.”

“Ha, do you believe that?”

I asked back with a burst of laughter. Even if it was real Penelope, it was ridiculous. In common sense, how do you handle so many people by yourself?

‘Of course I did.’

But if it wasn’t by the system, by now I would have been walking along the nether path with the Crown Prince.

“It doesn’t matter if I believe or not.”

But Derick didn’t seem to think so at all.

“The bigger problem is that rumors are spreading that you may have removed all the witnesses to assassinate the Crown Prince.”

“Assassination…”

It’s getting worse and worse. I didn’t hide my bewilderment and showed it all on my face.

“What can I gain from assassinating the Crown Prince?”

“The purpose is to get rid of Eckart with you.”

“Little Duke, first of all, the assassin was not me, but their side.”

Recognizing that the focus of the conversation with Derick is gradually shifting, I said the truth first.

“The bear was my prey. The Crown Prince, who was passing by, helped me to cut the bear’s throat while I was in a difficult situation.”

“……”

“In common sense, how can I bring down so many men by myself? It’s amazing that there are people who believe that nonsense. The truth that will come to light when we investigate.”

“The truth.”

Suddenly Deric cut me off and recited in a low voice.

“The truth is whether or not you have shot the crossbow at the nobles and bears.”

I slowly looked at him, lifting the glare that had lodged in his lips.

“…..Little Duke.”

“And the truth is that the Crown Prince, the only one who will testify that what you say is true, is now struggling with poison.”

“……poison?”

I was surprised to learn that the Crown Prince had collapsed due to poison. But more surprising than that, Derick’s attitude toward me.

The frosty blue eyes that see me without wavering.

‘Ah.’

I realized only then. That he didn’t have any faith in me in the first place.

“If it’s a mischievous prank from a thunderbolt, it’s a line that can be somehow managed.”

In other words, the award was beyond redemption.

“Ha…”

A dejected laugh broke out. Without knowing it, I was so grateful and pleased to see the man who came to the prison without turning a blind eye. I was even thinking of handing over the only evidence.

“Little Duke…..will you believe what I say in the first place ? no!”

“……”

“You didn’t mean to check with me, whether what people were saying was true or not.”

“We’d better finish it quickly before the rumors spread further.”

Derick softened his voice. The look of soothing a sulky little sister seemed quite familiar.

“So you can get out of there right away. If you drag it on for nothing, it’s rather be….”

“No.”

I faced him with a cold subdued gaze.

“It would be easier and more convenient to take care of than to have me as an aristocrat.”

“Penelope.”

“Don’t you know that crazy bitch is a bitch who’s always been so mean as to breathe?”

“You.”

“You’re saying that if you turn me into the world’s greatest trash and sprinkle a few pennies on me, everyone’s going to say, ‘That’s why you do it.”

“Watch your mouth.”

Derick stiffened his chin in a plain tone.

“Someone’s got in trouble, and you talking like that.…”

“It’s not me, it’s you who talk nonsense.”