If You Wish to Have Me - Chapter 108

After Seyard revealed his goals, Brother Emil paused to catch his breath.

Despite having only told a story, his face was filled with fatigue as if he had sprinted at full speed.

After resting sufficiently, the man opened his mouth again.

“After that, the two continued their conversation for some time, and I was only able to get up from my spot long after they had left.”

He hung his head low as if ashamed.

“Pathetically, I couldn’t tell anyone about what happened that day. I was too frightened. They were… especially Seyard Hillan who was even planning to murder his own brother.”

The monk’s voice flowing through his teeth trembled mercilessly.

“If that man found out that I had caught wind of it, I felt he would easily dispose of me as well.”

Still, he said his conscience wouldn’t allow him to take no action at all.

After days and nights of agonizing, the conclusion he reached was to eliminate one of the conspirators.

“I was fortunate. Cobi was carelessly keeping the medicine he had stolen from the pharmacy in his own room. It was far too much for anyone to believe he intended to take it himself.”

Upon hearing Brother Emil’s false testimony that he had witnessed the theft, the monks who stormed into Cobi’s room found the evidence laid out before them.

The story that followed was one that Kisa had roughly heard before from Brother Vishius.

St. Pavela Monastery gave Cobi a chance to confess, but he rejected it and fled.

The dissatisfaction with Cobi, who had already been unreliable, reached the sky because of this, and the sparks flew to Seyard, who had been close to Cobi.

“I thought that would make Seyard Hillan behave quietly for a while. He had lost his right-hand man and was surrounded by hostile gazes.”

But unfortunately, Seyard’s actions exceeded this young monk’s expectations.

One day, he boldly left the monastery without permission.

“…Days later, when he walked back on his own feet, everything was already over. Because of my foolish judgment, one person lost their life.”

Brother Emil’s tone as he blamed himself was indescribably sorrowful.

“…….”

In her confused state of mind, Kisa barely managed to support herself by gripping the table.

She was still standing beside her seat, and the monk was kneeling on the floor.

Also, Count Theodore, who had gone to the balcony, was nowhere to be heard from, and Daniel sat in his chair with his long legs crossed, watching Kisa with interest.

Though the situation seemed little different from before Brother Emil had shared his confession, Kisa couldn’t shake the feeling that something had changed greatly.

‘No, pull yourself together.’

Her consciousness was forcibly awakened.

Especially that annoying gaze Daniel was sending urged Kisa’s next action.

“So?”

Kisa spoke for the first time since Brother Emil had revealed the past events.

“Brother Emil, do you have any evidence to support the confession you just shared?”

“Pardon?”

At that question, the monk merely blinked.

“Or is there anyone other than yourself who can testify about Seyard’s criminal activities?”

“Look here, Kisa.”

“You stay out of this.”

Daniel tried to intervene, but Kisa firmly cut off his words and looked at the kneeling man.

“I’m asking you.”

After looking down at the floor for a moment, he shook his head weakly before long.

“There is nothing, Miss.”

Kisa felt an indescribable sense of relief as she swept back the hair tickling her cheek.

“Then I cannot believe your claims either.”

“But I spoke only the truth!”

“I believe in the person I love.”

Daniel clicked his tongue to show his displeasure, but Kisa continued speaking.

“Moreover, Seyard has proof of absence showing he was staying in a different region, not the capital, on the day his brother died. Count Theodore would know this better than anyone.”

The Count was the very person who had thoroughly investigated Seyard’s whereabouts to drive him away.

“How will you explain this?”

“Uh, well, that’s…”

But then Daniel, unable to watch the group’s predicament any longer, stepped forward.

“Brother, please tell us that story. About the possibility of a third party.”

“As I mentioned, that’s not certain—”

“Isn’t it your mission to save someone who might be in danger?”

“…I understand.”

Brother Emil looked at Kisa with a determined face.

“Actually, there’s also a possibility that Seyard Hillan had another collaborator.”

This was a new story.

“Since the day I learned of that terrible plan, I always tried to keep a close eye on the two of them. Perhaps because of the nature of the matter, they were also cautious, so there was little gain… but I did overhear one suspicious conversation.”

Unfortunately, since he had only heard it from the middle, the conversation he perceived was only partial.

“When Cobi asked worriedly, ‘Then what should we do?’ Seyard Hillan answered that it was fine. He said he could have someone else do it instead of you.”

Kisa paused for a moment before asking.

“Is that all?”

“Yes, but the fact that he had someone other than Cobi to give orders to means there was another collaborator—”

“Even if that were true, Seyard has proof of absence. Frankly, I don’t see how what you just said relates to this.”

“Why doesn’t it relate?”

This time too, the annoying Daniel Lowens interjected.

“I’ve heard about that measly proof of absence too. But so what? Think carefully, Kisa. With just a collaborator, you can create as much of that as you want.”

“What nonsense are you talking?”

“Anyway, the proof that Seyard Hillan was in another region amounts to nothing more than testimony from the people at the inn where he supposedly stayed, right?”

Rising from his seat, he approached Kisa step by step.

“Such cheap inns wouldn’t bother to check each guest’s appearance carefully, and with something like a hat to roughly cover the face, it’s possible to disguise oneself as another person. You just need some preparation.”

The man’s lips twisted into a sneer.

“For example, something like a red wig. Red hair isn’t common. If someone with a similar build to him wore a red wig and went in and out of the building, it would be unmistakably Seyard Hillan.”

Daniel added with a confident expression.

“See? It’s no big deal, right? Well, actually, if we assume that Cobi didn’t just run away but pretended to flee while waiting for Seyard’s orders, it would be entirely possible even without a third party.”

“That’s just your speculation.”

“Well, I wonder. Count Theodore said that among the people at the inn, no one looked at Seyard for long. He holed up in his room and only came out once or twice a day? And even then, they only passed by each other.”

Kisa sighed and shook her head.

“Anyway, it’s all pointless argument. No criminal evidence was found at the scene where Vischer Hillan died in the first place. That’s why the authorities didn’t even launch a formal investigation.”

However, Daniel persistently maintained his argument.

“You heard it. Your sweetheart had a duplicate made from the key he slyly took from his brother. The former Duke died at the villa, right? What do you think that means? That key was for the villa, and he used it to sneak in and commit murder.”

He made a gesture of slitting his throat with his thumb.

“That’s why there were no traces of forced entry, and everyone agreed it was an accident.”

Kisa lacked the material to counter those words.

She wasn’t an investigator, and she hadn’t heard such detailed accounts about his brother’s accident from Seyard.

But that didn’t mean she should be intimidated by Daniel’s momentum.

“Enough. Anyway, all your claims are just fantasies based on that person’s confession, and that confession has no evidence. This is an unshakeable fact.”

At that moment, Daniel’s eyes narrowed.

“Then you find the evidence.”

“What?”

“You say you need evidence to believe? If that’s the case, then you should find it.”

“…Are you saying this in your right mind?”

“I’m completely in my right mind. I think there’s a high possibility that evidence remains around Seyard Hillan that he either failed to dispose of or wasn’t even aware of himself.”

“On what grounds?”

“Perfect crimes are originally hard to exist in this world.”

He pointed at the bewildered Kisa.

“That guy’s closest person. Kisa, you’re perfect for finding hidden evidence. Even the great Duke Hillan would let his guard down if his opponent were you, wouldn’t he?”

Who is this bastard giving orders to whom right now?

“I don’t see any more value in dealing with you.”

With the intention of leaving, Kisa headed toward the door.

“Wait a moment, Miss!”

But the monk’s desperate voice from behind stopped her steps.

“What’s important isn’t evidence but your life. There’s no time to delay. Please quickly leave that man’s side. Throughout history, the beings most sacrificed to devil-like men have been their lovers or wives. If you don’t escape from Seyard Hillan’s grasp, you too might—”

“No.”

Kisa finally cut off his words and turned around.

“I believe in Seyard.”

Leaving those final words, she left that place behind.

After leaving the tea house and boarding the carriage prepared nearby, she told the coachman her destination.

Soon the carriage departed, and only the clip-clop of horse hooves filled the interior.

At some point, the white hands placed on her knees began to tremble finely.

“What should I do, what should I do…”

To be honest, unlike the resolute attitude she had shown at the tea house just moments before, Kisa’s mind was utterly confused.

The anxiety that had quieted down raised its head once again.