WRBEFM 11
Chapter 11
As he moved through the prison while avoiding the guards’ eyes, Rodrigo’s thoughts were extremely complicated.
Had he ever agonized over something this much in his entire life? Aside from one person, he didn’t think there had ever been anyone he had thought this deeply about.
‘She’s annoying.’
It was almost astonishing how she sought him out and him alone.
She hated the Imperial Family.
She had blown up a building.
And now she had even followed him into solitary confinement.
In some ways, she was even more tenacious than the Emperor.
Yet he couldn’t simply push her away.
If constantly making someone worry about her could be considered a talent, then she certainly had that talent.
‘I suppose I should talk to her tomorrow.’
The reason he had remained silent for nearly two days was simply because he wanted to observe her.
He wanted to see how the child behaved and whether there was anything suspicious about her.
But there had been nothing particularly strange…
Instead, she had talked so much trying to get his attention that she nearly lost her voice.
She was probably asleep by now, so he could wait for the right moment and talk to her.
Just as he was roughly planning things out—
“……!”
A guard who was one of Siss’s trusted subordinates opened the door for Rodrigo. He stepped inside, then suddenly stopped.
Bang.
With the door closing behind him, he slowly began walking forward.
That was when—
“Ah, you’re here!”
The child gripped the iron bars tightly with her tiny hands, her eyes sparkling.
“I was waiting for you!”
“……”
Rodrigo stopped in his tracks and narrowed his eyes.
……When did she wake up? I clearly saw her sleeping earlier.
“I was so sleepy that I was debating whether I should just go to sleep, but I held myself back!”
“……Why?”
“Because I wanted to make you an offer!”
“To me?”
“Yes!”
Just as countless thoughts raced through his mind, the child opened her eyes wide and said—
“Would you like to rebel with me?!”
“You crazy little brat.”
Before the Duke Arrived
Left alone, I pondered what I should do.
Should I just push forward?
Or should I wait a little longer?
After thinking about it for a long time, I finally came up with the perfect line that would capture all of his attention and interest!
“Would you like to rebel with me?!”
“……”
‘I knew it.’
He was interested in my proposal!
That had to be why he was standing there so quietly!
Considering how he had been silently listening to everything I said over the past two days, this was a hopeful sign!
“I’ve been thinking about it a lot, and I think you and I have the same goal, Your Grace.”
“……Goal?”
“Yes. Rebellion!”
Everyone knew that the Vankadium family hated the Imperial Family.
And they had every reason to.
The Imperial Family had joined hands with the Temple in an attempt to exterminate the entire family just to capture a single dragon.
In my previous life, I had even seen newspaper articles about the Vankadium family plotting a rebellion because of their grudge against the Imperial Family.
“You’re saying some interesting things.”
The Duke looked directly at me and asked,
“How can you be so certain that I want to rebel?”
“Because the Vankadium family hates the Imperial Family.”
“How do you know that?”
“It’s really famous!”
“……”
See? He has nothing to say!
I grinned as I looked at the Duke, who had been rendered speechless.
“I hate the Imperial Family too. I even told the Warden.”
“Why are you bringing up the Warden—”
“He’s your subordinate. And I know you heard everything he and I talked about.”
There wasn’t much time left anyway.
Going around in circles would only waste time, so I decided to be completely honest.
“You know far more than I expected.”
The gaze looking down at me suddenly turned cold.
“I-I mean, that just shows how interested I am in you, Your Grace!”
“Interested enough to uncover confidential information even the Emperor doesn’t know?”
“The Emperor is just an idiot for not finding it out!”
“Ha……”
Rodrigo looked at me with an incredulous expression.
But I was completely confident.
The Emperor really was an idiot for appointing Siss as warden without even realizing that he was a member of the Vankadium family!
“I’m different from the Emperor.”
“How are you different?”
“I’m smarter, more perceptive…”
And most importantly—
“I like the Vankadium family!”
“Us?”
“Yes!”
“Nonsense.”
“What?!”
No, I’m serious!
“W-Wasn’t one building enough for you?”
Was it because he was a dragon that his sense of scale was different?
“Hmm. Two might be a little difficult…”
“……Don’t seriously consider something like that.”
The Duke muttered irritably after hearing me.
“But if I want to show how much I like you, maybe destroying one more—”
“Don’t do anything pointless.”
Rodrigo clicked his tongue.
Then he approached me.
“!”
He sat down directly in front of the iron bars.
“Tell me. Everything you’re thinking.”
“You’re finally going to talk to me?”
“Finally?”
“You’ve been gobbling up everything I said for the past two days.”
“……”
Perhaps he had once again been rendered speechless, because the Duke pressed his lips together before changing the subject.
“Just tell me already.”
“Ah! Um, well…”
Now that he had actually given me the chance to speak, I suddenly became nervous.
“If I know that the Warden is a member of the Vankadium family, just imagine how much more I might know. I’m not a spy or anything like that, and I’m certainly not on the Emperor’s side. If you want, I can even curse that Emperor bastard right now! I can blow up another building, too! And if you want me to prove myself further, I can—”
“Enough!”
The Duke cut me off sharply.
“Now tell me what you want.”
“What I want?”
“Yes.”
His golden eyes, which looked as though jewels had been embedded within them, shone clearly.
As if he intended to uncover the truth.
“I……”
I carefully revealed the goal I had turned over in my mind countless times.
“There’s someone I want revenge on.”
“Revenge?”
“Yes. There’s someone I want to pay back until they’re crying and begging for mercy.”
It wasn’t enough that they had profited from my suffering.
They had even framed me and had me killed.
Even thinking about it again made my blood boil.
“Then you want Vankadium to lend you its power?”
“No.”
“You don’t?”
“What I want is protection. Take me with you when you escape.”
“……You really know an astonishing amount.”
“I’m very interested in the Vankadium family!”
At my words, the Duke gave a disbelieving little laugh.
But since he wasn’t stopping me like before, I figured it was okay to continue.
“When I get out of here, I have nowhere to go.”
I did have an aunt, but if things went wrong, even my remaining family could end up in danger.
By now, the Count’s family was probably desperately searching for me.
“I need somewhere that can protect me completely.”
Somewhere extremely powerful.
“A place I can trust.”
“Is Vankadium a place worthy of your trust?”
“Yes.”
“Why do you think that?”
“Because we’re going to make a contract!”
For the first time, Rodrigo visibly froze.
His reaction was completely different from when he had simply been rendered speechless.
“You’ll have to explain.”
“I want to make a deal with you, Your Grace.”
“……”
“That’s why I kept talking to you…”
Though somehow, that had kept getting postponed.
“I can take care of my revenge myself. All I ask is that you protect me until I become an adult.”
“And what happens if I agree?”
“The Vankadium family will clear its name.”
And—
“You’ll succeed in your rebellion, too.”
The fact that you’re backing down like this right now—
“That’s not like Vankadium.”
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