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Chapter 147
“Should I harm your neck right now, or should I not?”
From the next question onwards, it had no meaning.
This guy already assumes that I’m not a contractee for Vista.
If I say he’ll inflict wounds, he won’t; if I say he won’t, he will.
It’s better not to shed blood for nothing…
“…You won’t.”
“Ah, I see.” Nathan removed the knife he had thrust and smiled faintly. “You’re wrong.”
“Your Highness, I have something to say.”
“Hush.” Nathan pressed his thumb firmly against my lips. “You talk too well. You’re also a great actor. So I decided it’s best not to mix words with you whenever possible.”
Damn it…“So, please only answer the questions I ask from now on. Opening your mouth unnecessarily might just get you hurt.”
He shook the dagger in front of me as if threatening.
“I understand…”
“Good girl.”
Nathan crossed his legs and sat down, opening his mouth as if interrogating, “While bringing you here, I carefully examined the back of your hand. There really was no mark of the summoner.”
“…”
“At first, I thought it was all a big act. After all, the temple officials and Duke Diollus are all on Lark’s side…” Nathan tapped his chin with the dagger hilt and continued, lips pursed, “Perhaps they turned you into a good Vista’s contractee and sent you to the crown prince’s side.”
“…”
“But that’s not it, is it? Alright, next question.” Nathan pointed the tip of the dagger at me. “Why is Lark fixated on you when you’re not even a summoner?”
“…Because His Highness likes me?”
“Hmph. Pff! Hahaha…” Nathan, clutching his stomach, burst into laughter, shaking his head. “No, no.”
“It’s not a lie.”
“Can you stop joking around?” With a stern expression, Nathan returned to me and again held the knife to my throat. “You know what I want to hear, so you shouldn’t give such vague answers.”
“Ah.”
As the chilly blade seeped in slightly, my throat felt a bit dry.
“My spirit has already confirmed the fact that you’re a summoner. You must have had some inkling of that as well.”
“…”
“So, what answer did I want to hear from you with my previous question?”
“…”
“You’re not going to answer?”
“What kind of spirit I made a contract with…?”
As Nathan’s hand tightened, his mouth opened almost reflexively. “That’s right.”
“…”
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“You’re not going to answer?”
“Your Highness, I…”
“In that case, I’ll take a guess.”
As Nathan turned back and sat again, I inwardly sighed with relief.
‘If he’s just going to waste time like this, then I should be thankful. After all, we’re somewhere inside the palace.’
He can only stop time in a limited space, and there is a limit to the range of that space. I don’t know where this is, but it shouldn’t be too far from Lark’s office.
‘He’s coming. Let’s just keep stalling time like this.’
Lark’s spirit, Landian, should be able to locate my position easily…
“I don’t know if you’re aware, but only three of the highest-ranking spirits haven’t made contracts yet. Vista, who shows the future; Chamber, who controls space, and…” Nathan grinned. “Wishit, who grants wishes.”
“…”
“I’ve just confirmed it’s not Vista. If it’s Chamber…” Nathan gestured to the empty air. “You can create a portal (*a dimensional door created by the spirit Chamber) right here right now, right? Make a portal to the guardhouse at the imperial palace, then everyone will come to save you.”
The ability to connect distant spaces with Chamber’s power was akin to teleportation.
As Nathan had said, I needed Chamber’s ability really badly, but we had never seen a single strand of Chamber’s hair.
Nathan chuckled as he looked at me in silence.
“All the tricks you’ve pulled off so far, hiding the mark on your hand pretending not to be a summoner. There’s only one explanation, right?” With a triumphant expression, Nathan added, “Dammit, it was Wishit.”
“Your Highness.”
“The reason I did something so audacious. Do you understand now?”
“…”
“Princess, please make a wish for me.”
Ah, now I get it. The reason this guy acted so recklessly.
From the beginning, he was convinced that I was Wishit’s contractee and kidnapped me. With Wishit’s ability to grant any wish, cleaning up this audacious mess wouldn’t be difficult.
“I’m sorry, but I’ve used them all up. I have no wishes left.”
“Oh, I suspected that as well,” Nathan nodded. “It was foolish of me not to assume that your spirit was Wishit, even though so many strange things were happening.”
“…”
“With Wishit, you would not need to go to such great lengths and set traps if you didn’t like something.”
“…”
“The Spirit of Wishes was called ‘god’ in ancient days. So, is there some problem with Wishit’s ability? Since you mentioned something about ‘remaining wishes,’ does it have a limit on the number?”
“Yes, that’s right. But I really used them all…”
“That’s a shame. In that case, you’ll have to die here.”
“Ugh.”
This time, Nathan’s knife held against my throat was truly deep and menacing.
“I openly used my abilities in the palace to capture you. There’s no room for excuses. I committed the crime audaciously, which means I bet everything on this gamble.”
“…”
“Unfortunately, if you’ve no wishes left, then I guess I’ve lost the gamble,” Nathan added with a gloomy expression. “If you feel like it, you could use a wish and escape.”
“…”
“I don’t know if you truly have no wishes left, or if you’re just holding onto them because you think the remaining number is too precious.” He soon burst into a bright smile. “But regardless, of course, I won’t die alone. I don’t like the idea of going to hell alone.”
“Please spare me.”
“It seems there really are no wishes left.”
“Please…”
“I’ll count. Ten, nine, eight…”
“But there are none; what do I do?”
“Three, two, one…”
“Hey!”
“…”
“Well, what is it? What do you wish for? You have to say it.”
Nathan chuckled, as if finally getting a satisfactory answer.
‘Now I understand why people say they wet themselves right before death.’
I felt a sensation I didn’t want to acknowledge. The extreme fear of not knowing when the knife would cut my throat drained all the strength from my body.
A precarious feeling, like standing with one foot in the afterlife and one in the living world… despite that, I tried my best to stay composed.
“I can’t make an absurd wish. Like asking for an unlimited number of wishes or enslaving Wishit…”
“I’m not that much of a fool. You wouldn’t be trembling like this right now if such things were possible.”
Nathan pulled his chair right up to me, spreading his legs and trapping my knees between them. The distance between us was suffocatingly close.
“Eliminate all the imperial family members except for me. After that, I’ll take care of things myself.”
“…Excuse me?”
Nathan, as if he could thrust the knife through my throat at any moment, continued, “Think about it. I promise you life, freedom, wealth, and the power to live in this empire until you die without any worries.”
“…”
“It’s not a bad choice for you. Unlike that bastard Lark, I’m willing to do more for you than for the empire. I mean, I’ll treat you like a true benefactor.”
“Ahhh…!”
The knife pushed in deeper, causing intense pain. Tears welled up as I felt warm blood trickling down my throat.
“I don’t want to waste any more time. I’ll count. Ten, nine…”
Then, at that moment, a worried voice echoed in my mind.
<That guy is serious now.>
Simultaneously, Wishit appeared behind Nathan.
Disheveled golden hair and a desperately contorted, beautiful face.
As soon as I saw him, I couldn’t help but become emotional.
<I understand, I understand too…>
<Make a wish. Get rid of him or ensure your safe escape.>
“Seven, six, five, four…”
“Oh, please, Your Highness!”
<Hurry! It’s a matter of life and death if you delay!>
Wishit shouted with bloodshot eyes.
<Rubette! Hurry!>
“Three, two…”
“Is it true that you’ll treat me well if you become emperor? You won’t change your mind later?” Trembling, I asked Nathan, who closed his eyes tightly and swallowed a sigh.
“Yes. I promise, now hurry.”
“Wishit!!”
As I shouted, Nathan’s expression became strange.
I gestured behind him and said, “I, uh, there. Wishit is there. Please give me a moment to say my farewell. I have only one wish left, and if I make it, my contract with Wishit will be severed.”
Nathan, annoyed and impatient, made a dismissive gesture. “Hurry up.”
“Thank you.”
I stared blankly at Wishit, who was standing there.
“Wishit.”
“…”
“I really wanted to spend the rest of my life with you without making that last wish, I’m sorry.”
“…”
“If you hadn’t been here, I couldn’t have survived a single day. Thank you for being by my side…”
Tears and runny nose flowed as I spoke.
Wishit had an inscrutable expression, just silently looking at me.
“I think I finally understand why your previous contractee turned you into a powerless spirit who could grant wishes only three times…”
“…”
“Don’t make contracts with humans anymore. Just live doing whatever you want.” With blurred vision and teary eyes, I stared blankly at Wishit and added, “I hope you’ll be free.”
He remained motionless.
At the same time, Nathan pushed the knife even deeper. “Dammit, enough of this! Grant my wish—”
“That’s my wish, Wishit.”
At that moment, Nathan’s expression contorted with anger. “You stupid b****!”
He tightened his grip as if he could pierce my throat at any moment, but…
“Ah.”
He couldn’t move any further as if restrained by an unknown force.
I looked back at Wishit. He…
He was smiling brightly.
“Goodbye…”
It was my instinctive, final farewell.
At the same time, a fierce wind blew, and a blinding white light filled the surroundings.
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