“It’s really…pretty.”
It was a ring with a large blue jewel, Elphier, symbolizing the imperial family.
Running leisurely across the core of the forest surrounding the Drax prison camp, I looked at the ring on my finger several times.
This ring, which was stored in the basement vault of the camp, was my real purpose.
How could this genius swindler be easily caught by those stupid investigators?
“It’s really pretty.”
As soon as the magical ring was inserted into my right ring finger, it shrank beautifully to match the width of my finger.
My next destination with this ring was the Kingdom of Eisenbach.
The Eisen continent that comes up when you take the boat across the border of the Empire, was a country that had interest in the distribution of ‘Magic Stones’, the source of magic buried under the ground.
I was about to take another leap in wealth, equivalent to the Empire.
Now that I had gotten my hands on the treasure of the Imperial family, my next identity, as planned,
‘An unknown illegitimate child of the Imperial Household of Hessen!’
As soon as I arrived, I planned to contact Eisenbach’s royal family secretly to reveal my identity and coax them gently.
‘I’m sure there’s an uproar going on at the camp now.’
The missing ring was right in front of my eyes.
I laughed as I imagined what Rexid van Hessen, who had been hit in the back twice, would look like.
He must be determined to catch me, but of course that’s impossible.
I was a person who carried swindling tricks and had a smart brain from the combination of both my previous and this life.
Now, the empire had properly made my name known, and I had even acquired the treasure of the imperial family which was in preparation to defect to the next target, the kingdom of Eisenbach, the only thing left to do was get on the boat.
Yes, the only thing left to do was to get on the boat…
“Gasp!”
When I was walking diligently to get out of the forest.
Suddenly, there was a pain that seemed to be suffocating my heart, and the pain quickly spread throughout my body.
Poison?
I felt instinctively.
A kind of paralytic poison. It was a deadly poison extracted from poisonous plants of the ‘Siphan’ or ‘Perylton’ family.
Most humans were paralyzed and died immediately, but I thought my life could be saved since I had planted immunity in my body little by little of almost all existing poisons.
However, I was worried that my escape would be delayed.
‘When did I intake it?’
All I ate without any doubt was a tasteless meal that was served as a group at the Drax prison camp, so I was sure it was mixed there.
“Ah, Ah…”
Instinctively, when I grabbed my pounding heart, my collapsed body struggled on its own.
Colorless, odorless. Since I didn’t notice it at all, it’s not Siphan which has a peculiar scent.
Maybe it’s Perylton.
Who the hell?
Wasn’t Perylton a rare species of poisonous plant that could never be found in this empire?
“Cra…zy”
In addition, the body that became hot reacted unexpectedly.
I’m sure I’d be paralyzed in an instant and only my two eyes would’ve moved, but somehow my arms and legs started moving on their own.
My body, which seemed as if it wasn’t my own, began to crawl in the opposite direction of my escape.
‘What the… what is it?’
I was confused, but unfortunately, I couldn’t afford to think calmly.
My body was so painful that it didn’t even allow that small gap.
“Gasp! Ugh…”
The pain did not decrease at all, but the vision was surprisingly clear, and the body out of the brain’s command constantly wriggled as if it had a destination.
“Ack…”
The site.
Before long, someone’s feet were caught in my low vision as I was slowly crawling.
Sparkling black boots.
Maybe it was because I was surprised by the tension and returned to my senses, or it was my poison immunity body had just finished purifying. The reason was unknown, but the pain stopped immediately. I who was lying down, slowly raised my head.
…Rexid van Hessen.
The man, who looked more ruthless in the light, stood before me.
“Where were you going?”
“Ah…”
He slowly bent his knees, narrowed his eyes, and smirked.
“I should have suspected it since you were caught too easily, but I didn’t expect it because my brain wouldn’t have thought that far. The treasure of the imperial family was your real purpose.”
Rexid said, looking at the shiny ring in my right hand, as if he found it humorous.
I smiled awkwardly, pulled out the ring and handed it to him.
“It was pretty.”
“You didn’t steal it just because it was pretty. What else were you planning to do with this?”
“Haha…”
After receiving the ring back, Rexid smiled and grabbed my right hand, which was slowly drifting away.
Then he put the ring back on my ring finger with an unbecoming friendly touch.
“You have it.”
“….what?”
“Keep it. It’s yours.”
“If you lose this imperial treasure, you’ll be in great trouble.”
It wasn’t something, I who stole the ring even knowing that could say but…
Rexid shrugged as if my worries were unexpected, and laughed again.
“I don’t care. Since there’s no way I would lose it.”
“…. ”
“The ring is yours…”
Soon after, he stretched out his long finger and pointed at my face, then he raised his thumb to point at his face and added.
“….you’re mine. From now on.”
Ahaha. That’s what he meant.
Looking at me smiling awkwardly, Rexid tilted his lips slightly.
His face, which I looked again from the bright place, was unfortunately attractive enough to be nicknamed a tyrant.
Beautiful gold and harmonious features that symbolize the Hessen royal family.
His nose was sharp and his jawline under his red lips was elegant and manly.
If it wasn’t for his rumors or criticism, it was a face that deserved to be felt the dignity of a beautiful and noble royal family.
“I can give you enough money for you to feel like it’s overflowing, and I guarantee you the justification to work honorably, not as a criminal. But…”
“……”
“Did you have to make me go this far? Because I’m not as heartless as the rumors you hear. It breaks my heart to see this little body struggling with pain.”
I was finally able to be sure of what he said.
Even I, who was knowledgeable about poison, couldn’t tell what kind of poison it was.
This paralyzed poison, which would not let me move but paralyze the body while keeping my feet tied for an hour, was exactly an arrangement of Rexid van Hessen, who expected me to break out of the prison.
‘You were a more meticulous person than I thought, weren’t you?’
Hiding my surprise, I asked with a nonchalant smile.
“Is it true that you’re not as heartless as the rumors say? I believe I was meant to die if I didn’t help your grace. It’s a poison that most people won’t be able to withstand…….”
“Don’t worry. It’s not a deadly poison. If a talented person like you dies that quickly, it’s a national loss.”
Rexid smirked and lifted the tip of my chin slightly with his long finger.
“Genius swindler, Viper.”
Rexid’s face which was relaxed and calm suddenly became serious again.
“I’m saying it again, I must be the emperor. No matter what.”
Suddenly, in his eyes, an unexpected bitterness was reflected.
I was curious about that expression only belatedly.
Even though he knows that he is not a fit to be an emperor, why is he trying to cause trouble in the imperial family where the heir apparent exists?
Rexid, who is simple and belligerent, was more suited to be a fighter of frontier than to live a noble life, and he himself was satisfied with it and had been doing well.
But suddenly, he’s trying to steal a criminal and start a rebellion by begging for my help.
There must be a reason. I couldn’t even guess what it was right now.
“Help me. Then I promise to give you everything you want.”
“Umm, I…”
“Of course.”
Rexid grinned and cut me off.
“It’s not an offer. I’m not saying you have to decide whether to do it or not. If you want to live, just do as you are told.”
If she was caught in a normal situation, she would have just sneered and speak.
The master of disguise, the master of escape. It wasn’t a matter of getting out of Rexid’s grasp again because I was confident that I would come back alive even if I was taken prisoner in the middle of the enemy prison camp.
I ate a poison that I couldn’t tell the exact type and its use.
Recalling the situation, a while ago when I was moving by myself even though it was not my will, the conviction where I could escape smoothly disappeared.
Wouldn’t it be a disaster if he continued to catch me by poisoning me?
Perhaps because he felt dissatisfied with my troubled face, Rexid spoke softly.
“I’m sorry, but not only you, but all death row inmates in this empire have no choice. If you’re dissatisfied, you shouldn’t have sinned from the beginning.”
“You’re right. I can’t refute it.”
“It’s better to work for me than to be executed without putting that smart brain to use.”
Rexid said so and slowly lifted himself up.
Taking a leisure look around his green surroundings, he said.
“It’s hot. I’ve been trying to get you out of here honorably in the name of special enovy, this summer…”
“Ahhh!”
At the next moment, Rexid held my sprawling body and, to be exact, my waist, with one arm and and lifted me up.
“Our great genius swindler, if I release you, you’ll think about running away again, right?”
Rexid grinned and said, looking down at me stuck to his side like a suitcase.
“That’s why…I’ll just kidnap you.”