TOM Chapter 19

"I heard you've been reading occult books recently, so I thought I'd pay attention to that."

"I enjoy reading and imagining things, but seeing them isn't pleasant."

"That's unfortunate. I had a hard time choosing the right day."

A few trivial exchanges passed between them.

The people who had been blankly watching the situation also gradually came to their senses.

Just then.

"C-Count Jarman has died!"

News of someone's death was announced.

And it wasn't just one person.

"Viscount Merwin has also passed away!"

"Viscountess Pofri has also stopped breathing!"

"P-poison, it seems they've been poisoned! These are symptoms of poisoning!"

Poison.

At that heavy word, the air in the ballroom instantly grew cold.

Duke Crimson shouted angrily.

"Poison! Duke Whitedesert, what is the meaning of this?"

His face turned red and veins bulged on his neck.

"Now you're even harming people? Explain what happened!"

"Well."

Kruelo didn't properly respond to the anger, as if he found it boring.

Without even correcting his posture leaning back in his chair, he continued speaking.

"Is there any reason I shouldn't?"

"This, this is utterly vicious! Your Highness the Crown Prince, will you truly leave this man be!"

"That's right, Your Highness the Crown Prince! Please look after this poor viscountess. Why should these people die for no reason!"

Marquis Albay approached the Crown Prince, holding a corpse in his arms.

Like everyone else, I was blankly watching the situation when I suddenly turned my eyes to the corpse.

"Huh."

Didn't that hand just move?

"You must punish Duke Whitedesert!"

Marquis Albay cried out in anguish.

At the same time, 'Viscountess Pofri' sprang up.

It wasn't a case of mistaken identity—the corpse really did head straight for the Crown Prince.

Moreover, it wasn't just her; all those who were supposedly dead began moving.

Blue blades glinted at their fingertips.

"Stop them!"

Duke Crimson shouted in alarm at the sudden situation, but the viscountess reached the Crown Prince's feet first.

However, she didn't even have a chance to swing her blade.

Kruelo made a slight gesture with his hand.

Then all those who they thought were corpses crashed to the floor.

Their writhing movements were as grotesque as giant insects.

"I didn't know you shouldn't use paralysis poison on assassins."

Had they disguised themselves as other people to get in?

Their faces completely transformed into different people.

In that situation, only Kruelo remained calm.

"Though I didn't expect them to still be able to move after taking that."

"A-assassins?"

"Did you think they were putting on a surprise performance for His Highness the Crown Prince?"

Kruelo clicked his tongue openly.

He straightened his posture from leaning back in the chair and walked toward the Crown Prince.

His bow was flawlessly elegant, but that made it feel even more theatrical.

"This is precisely why I couldn't stay away. You're unharmed, of course, Your Highness?"

"You've done well, Kruelo. Thanks to you, I've saved my life once again."

"Think nothing of it. Your Highness is His Majesty's one and only heir—you must take greater care of yourself. As it happens, I've been hearing whispers that certain disloyal factions are plotting to place the Crown Prince's cousin on the throne."

"Then these assassins were sent by them."

"Just as you already suspect, Your Highness."

Their exchange flowed with such practiced ease, as smooth and rehearsed as actors delivering well-worn lines.

That's how I could tell that what just happened had been planned.

The Crown Prince rubbed her face with a tired expression.

"B-but even so, isn't using magic in the imperial palace taboo? What just happened—"

"If not for that taboo, my head would have flown off. Is that what's important, Marquis Albay?"

"...I misspoke. Please forgive this disloyal subject."

Marquis Albay closed his mouth.

After that, there was no one left to argue further.

Kruelo continued speaking.

"I pondered how to catch the assassins without anyone getting hurt."

"So you put on a poltergeist show."

"Since we caught the traitors, Prince Talias would forgive us too."

Kruelo smiled slyly.

Just then, the 'poltergeist' phenomenon that had stopped began happening again.

Tables shook and wine glasses overturned.

The Crown Prince asked with a puzzled expression.

"Is there still more to the performance, Kruelo?"

"It's not me doing it. I think Prince Talias might be enjoying himself and applauding."

"...Duke."

"Oh my, Prince Talias seems to be angry. Look."

Kruelo raised his index finger and pointed at people.

Every time his fingertip moved, spilled sauce flew up and wrote words on the faces of those he pointed to.

「Adultery.」

「Smuggling.」

「Fraud.」

「Assault.」

Those with crimes written on their faces screamed and rushed to cover their faces.

And the last place Kruelo's finger pointed to was where Marquis Albay stood.

The words that appeared on his face were:

"Gasp!"

"Good heavens!"

「Treason.」

Everyone held their breath for a moment.

"Marquis Albay. Prince Talias has written an interesting crime on your face."

"Wh-what...?"

"Aren't you curious what's written there?"

Kruelo smiled with gently folded eyes.

Marquis Albay looked around before checking his own face in a broken wine bottle.

Then he immediately turned pale.

"That's impossible! This is slander! Ab-absolutely not, Your Highness the Crown Prince! Please believe me!"

Of course, anyone would be flustered if the word 'treason' was written on their face, but his reaction was somewhat unusual.

Rather than being shocked at being falsely accused, it was the kind of expression someone caught in their crime would show.

"By chance, I heard rumors that there are disloyal groups trying to enthrone the Crown Prince's relative as emperor."

So it was Marquis Albay.

Since the emperor has only one child, did he get greedy?

The Crown Prince soothed the flustered marquis with a languid voice.

"Don't worry, Marquis. No one would judge you a traitor based on words written like a joke."

"R-right? Your Highness the Crown Prince, you believe in my loyalty?"

"Of course. I don't move without evidence."

"Pardon?"

"Unfortunately, that evidence has come out."

Kruelo snapped his fingers.

At the same time, imperial knights came rushing in.

It was a scene I'd seen in the puppet theater.

"Y-Your Highness?"

"Actually, before coming to the ball, I received an interesting document from Duke Whitedesert."

"No, Your Highness the Crown Prince! Your Highness!"

"If there are no charges, you'll be released soon. Please understand."

Without even looking toward where Marquis Albay was being dragged away, the Crown Prince finished speaking.

Including that behavior, it was no different from a single play.

I stared blankly at Kruelo, still processing what I'd just witnessed.

I've never seen someone so perfectly suited to orchestrating chaos.

Now I properly understood why Kruelo's reputation was what it was—this calculated madness was his natural element.

I brushed back my disheveled hair and let out a bitter laugh at the absurdity of it all.

Just then.

"Hmm..."

I felt someone's gaze.

A sense of déjà vu arose.

Something similar had happened at the puppet theater too...

Being a quick learner, I didn't bother to check who was looking at me.

I even hung my head low to avoid making eye contact.

But unfortunately, the sound of footsteps grew closer to me.

The crowd even parted to create a path in front of me.

Gavotte grabbed my arm and whispered.

"Hey, run."

Without being able to utter a single word, his mouth closed.

The aura of silencing magic I felt from Gavotte's face was clearly involuntary.

I sighed in resignation.

Before I knew it, a man's shoes came into view.

Giving up on escaping reality, I slowly raised my head.

Filling my vision, jeweled roses bloomed.

"Hello, my love. Sorry I'm late."

Kruelo smiled brightly and handed me a bouquet.

Then.

"I'm sorry someone stole the first dance, but would you dance one song with me?"

By this point, he's definitely tormenting me for his own amusement.

I took the bouquet for now.

At the puppet theater, I wanted to smack him on the back of the head but couldn't because it was too far away, right?

But today it's possible.

"No thanks."

Without hesitation, I shoved the bouquet into his face.

Muffled sounds.

Shaking shoulders.

A head that wouldn't lift at all.

I glared at the man and warned him.

"Stop laughing, will you?"

Instead, I had lit the fuse.

Kruelo burst into loud laughter that echoed through the balcony.

"Haha, I knew you'd get angry, but I never expected you to smack my face with the bouquet, haha!"

"Is that so funny?"

I hit him and he's happy about it—I underestimated this lunatic.

I was in such a good mood until just now.

I leaned against the railing and sighed.

After I struck Kruelo with the bouquet and the ballroom fell silent, I belatedly thought 'oops,' but still, it felt really satisfying.

If this crazy bastard hadn't been laughing his head off, it would have stayed that way.

"Ah, right. I should stop laughing. My love doesn't like it, so I should."

He wiped away the tears at the corners of his eyes while still carrying laughter in his tone.

I said bluntly.

"You said you weren't coming. What's this? It seems like everything was already arranged."

"I really wasn't planning to come originally. If I hadn't known it was Prince Talias's death anniversary, I really wouldn't have come."

"Do you have a thing for ghosts?"

"I've been quite interested in ghosts since long ago."

Kruelo chuckled.

"Actually, I thought it was the perfect introduction."

"Could you speak so I can understand what you're saying?"

"A living doll, a ghost. Lifeless and rarely coming out of the bedroom."

He counted on his fingers as he listed them one by one.

It was a story I also knew.

"That was 'Siora Velvet's' reputation, wasn't it?"

"...Right in front of the person herself."

"But when I actually saw you, darling, you were completely different from the information. Unless a passing ghost had possessed that body, it would be natural to think you'd been switched."

"..."

"If an ancient god hadn't suddenly popped up out of nowhere, it would have been a reasonable hypothesis."

So it was about that after all.

For a moment I felt a pang, but since it was a topic I'd expected, my mind became calm.

Since I had openly used divine magic, it was a conversation that would come up eventually.

"We can have a talk, can't we, darling?"