Chapter 30

"The assassin is in the underground prison."

"Interrogation?"

"Not yet."

"How did you catch them? I thought there were no traces at all?"

"Well..."

Rathil, while bombarding the guard with questions, walked briskly towards the underground prison. When the steady footsteps suddenly stopped, he paused and glanced to the side. The guard had a troubled look and was rolling his eyes. It wasn't caught according to protocol. Rathil narrowed his eyes.

"Why? How did you catch them?"

"He confessed."

"Confessed?"

Rathil, taken aback, repeated the question. Even the chamberlain, who was listening nearby, widened his eyes. It was understandable. The assassination of the royal family was a grave crime, and a single misstep could result in the entire family being executed or enslaved. The most severe of these was the assassination of the emperor. Especially the assassination of an emperor who was well-respected, not a tyrant. To confess to killing such an emperor? It was madness. Even if he had really done it, he should have denied it. The fact that he confessed to killing the emperor was absurd.

"Something's off. Let's go see."

With each step Rathil took into the stone underground prison, the sound of his boots clashing with the stone floor created a clear noise that was out of place in the gloomy prison. The prisoners fell silent upon hearing this sound.

"Which floor?"

"Second underground floor."

Rathil descended to where the one who had confessed to assassinating the emperor was. The criminal was tied to a chair in the center of the second floor.

'This is the one who killed Abamama.'

Even from a distance, seeing the silhouette made him angry. Rathil stiffened his expression and slowed his pace, walking more slowly. If this person really killed his father...

As he approached, he could clearly see the criminal's face. Perhaps because of the confession, unlike other violent criminals, he didn't seem to have been injured during the arrest. There were no wounds on his body or face, which was annoying. Rathil stood directly in front of the criminal. However, upon seeing the criminal up close, he felt more confusion than anger. The criminal was trembling in fear. Rathil wondered what kind of fool would come to confess to such a crime. The criminal was trembling so much that his teeth were chattering.

"Is it you? Did you confess to assassinating the late Emperor?"

Even as Rathil maintained a blank expression, the criminal finally raised his gaze to look at Rathil. Rathil found it strange again. While there's no set face for an assassin, this man didn't look like one at all. When their eyes met, the man's eyes widened in surprise before he hastily nodded.

"Yes, it's me. It's me. I did it!"

At Rathil's nod, a guard quickly brought a chair and placed it behind Rathil. Rathil sat down and stared intently at the criminal. Is it true? It seemed like a question.

"Yes, it's true. I did it."

The criminal, under Rathil's gaze, mumbled in an uncertain voice and looked down. Not only did he not look like an assassin, but his personality didn't match either. Could someone with such an uncertain personality have broken through numerous royal guards to assassinate the emperor? Does he transform when he holds a knife? Rathil examined the criminal's arms, legs, and shoulders. There were some muscles, but not the kind that would make him agile.

'This is getting more suspicious. Could he be pretending to be an assassin?'

Rathil narrowed his eyes. While it was unlikely for someone to pretend to be an emperor assassin in their right mind, the world is full of strange people. There was even someone who volunteered to be a serial killer to face the gallows.

'Perhaps he was coerced by the real culprit to confess.'

If he becomes an emperor assassin, not only will he lose his life, but his entire family will be executed or enslaved. It's unknown what kind of coercion would make someone confess to being an emperor assassin... The criminal averted his gaze, feeling the weight of Rathil's stare. Still, Rathil stared intently and asked.

"How did you do it?"

"Excuse me?"

The criminal raised his frightened gaze again. Rathil repeated the question.

"How did you kill my father?"

The calm tone and blank expression made the criminal shiver. Rathil barely blinked as he stared at the criminal. When the criminal hesitated to speak, a guard beside him grabbed his hair and lifted his head.

"Ugh, with a dagger."

"..."

"With a dagger, I stabbed him."

But Rathil asked again.

"Where?"

"The heart..."

"Instant death?"

The criminal, trembling even his fingers, nodded frantically. While thinking that it was really madness to talk about his father's death so calmly, Rathil's mind was working rapidly. First, the assassination method. The general public doesn't know how the emperor was assassinated because it wasn't announced. For some reason, most people believed the emperor was poisoned. However, the emperor was actually stabbed with a dagger. The investigation revealed that the weapon used by the assassin was a single dagger, and it was plunged directly into the heart. There were no other wounds. Just as the criminal said.

'He knows the assassination method, so he's not completely unrelated. Should I ask more questions?'

"How did you enter the palace?"

"Excuse me?"

"The intruder didn't leave any traces when entering or leaving. I've always been curious. How did you enter?"

"Well, I climbed over the wall and moved around avoiding people's eyes."

"Are you that strong?"

"Excuse me?"

"Sure, 'avoiding people's eyes,' but do you know how many eyes there are in this palace?"

"There are fifty guards at the main gate... in three shifts..."

'He even knows the number of guards?'

"When you entered the bedroom, how many people were in the room?"

"No one was in the room. And..."

The criminal, sensing Rathil's gaze, mumbled in a barely audible voice.

"Not the bedroom, but the study... sir."

'He's not lying.'

Rathil frowned. Knowing the assassination method, the guard shift, and the number of guards, and not falling for the trap in his words, this person clearly didn't come to confess without any preparation. However, it was still incomprehensible.

"Why did you confess?"

"Excuse me?"

"Do you know what happens to an emperor assassin? You'll receive a punishment so severe that you'll beg for death. Even after death, you won't find peace, and your family will either be executed or enslaved."

"!"

"Even if you become a slave, it won't be a simple servant to a rich family. You have no family or relatives? Even if you hide them, they will be found. We can even find relatives you don't know about. Even if you're a complete orphan, you must have friends or lovers."

The criminal's face turned pale. Rathil twisted his lips into a cold smile.

"According to the law, only the assassination of the emperor and treason are subject to collective punishment. But I'm curious, why am I talking about friends and lovers?"

"!"

"While they're not included in the collective punishment, friends and lovers can be punished as accomplices."

The criminal's face turned as pale as if all the blood had drained from it. Looking at him, who couldn't even speak properly, Rathil asked again.

"But why did you confess, knowing all this? I'm curious."

* * *

After about 40 minutes of interrogating the criminal who had confessed, Rathil left the underground prison and gave instructions.

"Loosen his bindings and try to guide him to open the prison door and escape."

The chamberlain and a few others, who were following behind, were simultaneously surprised.

"Excuse me?"

"You're going to release the criminal?"

"Yes. He doesn't seem to be the real culprit. But knowing the details to this extent, he must be acquainted with the real culprit."

While giving these instructions and heading back to the main palace, a secretary rushed in, panting, with unexpected news.

"Your Highness. Klein, Klein is assaulting Gestas' attendant."

"What?"

Then he recalled what had happened before he heard about the assassin's confession. Gestas and Klein were fighting. Not wanting to take sides, he had given a vague order to end the matter and left in a hurry.

"Is it because of the water cup?"

Rathil, taken aback, asked, and the knight hurriedly shook his head.

"No, this time, Gestas was hit by a water bomb while walking."

"!"

"The attendant, seeing this, went to protest, believing it was Klein's doing..."

Rathil groaned and rushed to the harem. He thought they would engage in palace intrigue on their own, but he didn't expect such open fist fights.

"Your Highness."

"Your Highness, greetings."

As Rathil appeared, the people quickly split into two groups. Rathil passed through two doors and entered.

'Oh dear.'

The scene that unfolded inside was a spectacle. Rathil pressed his hand to his forehead. The attendant, presumed to be Gestas', was lying on the floor, and Klein was forcing water into his mouth.

"Klein."

Rathil quietly called his name, and Klein finally put down the cup and stepped back. He looked as if he had done the punching. What was so frustrating that his face was completely red with anger? When their eyes met, Klein protested.

"This guy came to me and said some terrible things!"

Rathil looked down at the attendant, whose face was swollen like a bun. He had been beaten so badly that he was almost a pulp. This was also a skill, Rathil thought, shaking his head. Gestas ran in and knelt before Rathil.

"I'm sorry, Your Highness."

When Rathil looked at him, Gestas, with a choked voice, hugged his attendant.

"Triga must have been so angry that he said things he shouldn't have to Klein."

Even though his attendant had been beaten up, Gestas defended Klein, which made the onlookers sigh in admiration. Klein, with a red face, glared at Gestas.

"What's going on?"

Rathil had heard the situation from the knight but still needed to hear it from them. Klein, clenching his fist, gritted his teeth.

"Someone on the second floor poured water on him, and this attendant, Triga or something, came to me with insults."

"What did he say?"

"He said that someone with a temper like mine would be abandoned by Your Highness soon, that someone from Carisen is violent and has no brains, and that the rumors were true."

Gestas, with wide eyes, refuted.

"Our Triga would never do that, Your Highness."

"No, your tree said that, damn it!"

Rathil waved his hand in the air. If the attendant's insults were true, Klein had a reason to be angry. Normally, he would use his power to punish rather than vent his anger directly. The problem was that even if the attendant had said those things, he wouldn't admit it, making Klein's words unverifiable. Moreover...

"Gestas, why did your attendant say it was Klein who poured the water?"

The exhausted attendant, struggling to stand, answered.

"Klein was making a fuss about Gestas spilling water by mistake an hour ago. Given the circumstances, it could only have been Klein."

Klein immediately countered.

"I was here the whole time!"

But the attendant glared at him and added.

"Pouring water doesn't require Klein to do it himself; anyone could have been ordered to do it."

Rathil, pressing his aching temples, asked Klein.

"Is it true?"

"No!"

Klein