Turning-Chapter 814

“Where do you think you’re going?”

“Waaah!”

The moment Kiole turned the quiet corner, a hand gripped his shoulder like a ghost. He screamed in shock—but before the sound could fully escape, a hand clamped over his mouth, cutting it off. All that came out was a muffled “Mmph!”

“What are you freaking out for? Didn’t you come out here expecting this?”

“Mmmph! Mmmphmm!!”

“I can’t understand a word you’re saying.”

“Mmmph! Mmmmmm~~!”

Let go of me! What the hell do you think you’re doing?! Are you trying to kill me?!

Kiole flailed wildly, screaming internally. Of course, none of it got through. He couldn’t even pry off the hand covering his mouth. Yuder looked smaller and thinner than °• N 𝑜 v 𝑒 l i g h t •° Kiole from the outside, but somehow, he was freakishly strong.

It was thanks to a bit of ability enhancement, but Kiole, naturally, just assumed Yuder was a monster and shuddered again.

“Anyway, shut up. We need to talk somewhere more private.”

“......”

At least that much, Kiole agreed with. Once he went still, Yuder dragged him away to a place devoid of any signs of people. Not far from the sanctuary, they slipped into a small confessional booth.

Normally, a priest would’ve been stationed there, but with the Hern funeral taking place, all regular temple operations were suspended. The clergy were occupied with the ceremony.

“This place should do.”

“Pha—! Cough, cough!”

Finally released from Yuder’s grip, Kiole fell to the floor, coughing and flailing in a thoroughly undignified display. When he caught his breath, he shouted with teary eyes.

“You cruel thug! Were you trying to kill me?!”

“I didn’t cover your nose and mouth—just your mouth. What, the Imperial Guard can’t even breathe with their mouth closed?”

Yuder was utterly unaffected by Kiole’s pitiful act.

“You were clearly trying to say something earlier. Now stop flapping your mouth like a fish and speak properly. Everything that’s happened—spill it.”

“W-What—fish?! Who the hell talks like that?! I’m not your servant! Can’t you show a little respect?!”

“Respect?”

Yuder echoed the word with a blank expression, like he’d never heard it before.

“You still expect me to be respectful?”

“......”

That was terrifying.

There wasn’t even any threat in Yuder’s tone—just a simple question—but Kiole felt a chill crawl up his spine.

He calmed down instantly. He was dying to curse at Yuder more directly, but he knew perfectly well that fighting with this monster would leave him with nothing but bruises.

...And though he didn’t want to admit it, he had found himself thinking of Yuder Aile over and over again in this insane situation—because there was no one else he could turn to.

“...Alright. I did mean to talk to you once we got to the South.”

“What is it?”

“Something terrible... something no one could’ve predicted... happened on the way here.”

“And that is?”

It was agonizing. Was it really right to tell this guy?

Kiole squirmed, then spoke.

“...He... came.”

“...What?”

This translation is the intellectual property of Novelight.

Yuder’s brow furrowed. With his bangs swept aside for once, the tension in his forehead was all the more visible—and frightening. Still, Kiole had no choice. He covered his forehead and eyes with both hands and bowed his head.

Unknowingly, he’d assumed the exact posture of someone confessing to a priest.

“...He followed me.”

“Who?”

“The Crown Prince! He followed me here!”

The words burst out, filled with despair. Kiole flinched immediately after, glancing around in a panic. He knew no one was nearby, but his voice had been too loud.

“Relax. I’ve already dampened the surrounding sound. I’ll know if anyone comes.”

Yuder’s response felt like he’d read Kiole’s mind. It was disturbingly reassuring, and Kiole was suddenly ashamed of himself.

‘Did I... actually find this guy reassuring, even for a second?!’

“So, what you’re saying is... Prince Kachien followed you all the way here to the South.”

“Yes! Exactly! He’s outside right now!”

“Why the hell did he follow you? Does Duke Diarca know?”

“Of course not! His Highness said we have to help those con artist healers! He came to the funeral for that reason! I barely managed to convince him not to come into the sanctuary, but... If anyone finds out, I’ll lose my father’s trust completely—I’ll be banished to some godforsaken place!”

Just imagining it was terrifying.

As Kiole panicked, Yuder remained calm, almost as if he’d expected this.

“Seems pretty clear he’s not in his right mind.”

“...Yeah. He’s... changed. I think he was brainwashed by those con men without me knowing. It makes no sense! How could this happen?! Do you know what kind of person he is?!”

Kiole looked like the world was ending, but Yuder stayed completely composed—like someone who’d already anticipated every word.

“I see. What about Duke Diarca? Is he acting strange too?”

“Do you have no filter at all?! My father is perfectly healthy and sane! I protected him with everything I had, so of course he’s fine!”

“Or maybe you just didn’t notice.”

Kiole’s reaction to Yuder’s cold question was explosively hot. He ranted for several minutes before finally calming down, panting.

“No! Absolutely not!”

“Alright. If you’re that sure, I’ll take your word for now.”

Follow current novels on freewebnσvel.cѳm.

“I’m not just sure—it’s true!”

After that, Kiole explained the rest of what had happened. Most of it was already known to Yuder, or matched what he and Kishiar had guessed.

The reason Kiole had ended up in the South as House Hern’s “guest” was shockingly absurd.

“There was this damn carriage blocking the road, so I went to tell them off! Then they recognized me and forced me into their carriage! I didn’t even know it was the Duke of Hern—I got super pissed! But then he said he was curious why my father would send someone like me, and dragged me back to his mansion... I said no! I swear I said no!”

His retelling got a little jumbled in his anger, but the gist was clear enough. The Duke of Hern had probably wondered if Duke Diarca had some hidden intention in sending a reckless brat like Kiole.

It made sense. Anyone would suspect something if such an idiot was sent to such a delicate occasion.

The Duke of Hern, as head of House Hern, a long-standing rival of the Diarcas and one of the Four Great Ducal Houses, would definitely think that way.

‘Duke Diarca probably sent Kiole to observe and interfere with us up close... but that plan’s a total failure. Did he really not realize his son is still this stupid?’

Duke Diarca was a cunning old fox. Arrogant and ruthless.

But even he, when faced with signs of positive change in his troublemaking son, may have let himself be pleased before being suspicious. And this was the result.

To Yuder, that was more astonishing than any mind control from the Sage.

‘Well... it works in our favor. With Kiole acting like this, Duke Diarca probably won’t react to us for a while. That should make things easier. As for Prince Kachien...’

It was obvious he’d been brainwashed by the Sage. But was it worse than they thought?

Sneaking into Kiole’s supply carriage and coming all the way here—if that wasn’t completely unlike the Kachien Yuder remembered, what was?

It meant he no longer had the rational judgment to even consider how much damage he might cause himself. He truly wasn’t in his right mind.

‘To think I’d ever find myself believing the former Emperor is dumber than Kiole...’

Watching him destroy himself so thoroughly, without anyone even touching him, stirred a strange feeling in Yuder.

“I have to find a way to send him back quietly... without a single rumor. He has to return to the Glorious Palace before my father finds out. You can do that, right?”

Kiole was still rambling in a panic.

‘What does he think my ability even is?’

Despite everything that had happened, he still didn’t get it. Either that, or he had the memory of a goldfish.

Or both—which wouldn’t be surprising in Kiole di Diarca’s case.

Yuder answered flatly.

“People under brainwashing don’t respond to reason. Don’t let him manipulate you like this. As soon as you return today, take him somewhere secure and don’t let him leave.”

“W-What?! Are you telling me to lock him up?!”

“If you want to break the brainwashing, you have to plant doubts and shatter it from within. But you clearly can’t do that yourself—so this is advice.”

The Sage’s mind control was, from what Yuder had seen, incredibly powerful. It was nothing like the fake Sage he’d encountered in his previous life.

Of course, it wasn’t invincible. But could Kiole really break through that?

“Wait! Just leaving the place we’re staying is already impossible! Even if I wanted to, the Duke of Hern would never allow it!”

“Why can’t you think of the simplest solution? That’s what your oh-so-great father is for.”

“...Huh?”