Chapter 89: The Prisoner’s Dilemma
Sue was surprised and, at the same time, delighted. She had thought that no one would remember Sue, the individual, not ‘a member of the esteemed Skias’. And yet, the most unlikely person had come to see her first, at the most unexpected time.
That fact alone was enough to break down her flimsy walls.
She smiled faintly.
“Thank you for coming to see me in person. However, this incident can’t be solely attributed to the Fritz grand duke family. It was an unfortunate accident, and…”
“No, that’s not true.”
Acrea cut her off sharply. He wasn’t wearing his usual polite smile. He spoke in a serious tone,
“This wasn’t an unfortunate accident. We intentionally used Lady Byron as bait.”
Sue had nothing to say to his blunt statement of facts. She touched her neck.
“Um… It’s fine. I had a feeling.”
She had vaguely suspected it ever since the basement door had opened.
The fact that the Knights, the priests, Enzhe, Melaine, and even Vercia, for some reason, had all arrived at that miraculous timing couldn’t be explained unless they had been watching her.
“Thanks to me being the bait, you were able to catch Damon… even though he died immediately…”
She chuckled awkwardly, lifting her teacup.
Fritz frowned, displeased.
“Byron, you shouldn’t get used to that.”
This was the second time she had been surprised by Fritz today.
He really was the male lead.
He should be saying those things to Halo.
‘…No, no. I shouldn’t think that way.’
Fritz and Acrea said they would add to the compensation with their personal funds, separate from the existing compensation their families had sent. Sue suddenly remembered something and asked hurriedly,
“Um, about the compensation… Would it be possible for me to receive it all, without my family knowing? Or even half…”
She trailed off, realizing she was practically begging for money. But she was, in fact, begging.
Acrea hesitated for a moment, then shook his head.
“That’s against the rules…”
“It’s fine. Give it all to her.”
But Fritz nodded. Acrea looked at his friend, his expression blank. Fritz lowered his head, his face filled with regret.
“Byron, I’m truly sorry. I didn’t know about the plan until that day. If I had known, I would have stopped it… I know it sounds hypocritical, but…”
It wasn’t hypocrisy. Sue already knew that Shina Fritz was that kind of person. He was honest, for better or worse. The people who had known about the plan had probably kept it from him because of his personality.
‘Like your friend, who’s sitting right next to you.’
“So I hope you’ll accept this small token of our apology, Sue Byron Chiqmefriar.”
“Thank you so much, Master Fritz.”
There was no doubt that his visit today would be a valuable asset to her future.
After spending a short time in the parlor, Sue walked them to the front door. She watched Fritz get into his carriage, then cautiously approached Acrea, who was alone.
“Master Acrea.”
“Yes?”
He could have been surprised by her sudden personal approach, but Acrea just smiled his usual emotionless smile, waiting for her to speak.
Sue’s mind went blank as the opportunity presented itself. She stared at his platinum blonde eyes, her body stiffening.
‘Can I tell him?’
“You can tell me, Byron.”
Acrea urged her gently, his arms crossed.
His voice was reassuring. Sue finally uttered the name she had been hesitant to say since seeing his face.
“How is… the trial of Raines Noel… and the Noel family progressing?”
The trials of Delthel, Haina, and Raines were being conducted in secret.
Given the nature of the incident, the Imperial Family didn’t want to make a big deal out of it. The fact that a ‘dangerous individual who had been sent to the Wastelands had infiltrated the capital without any problems’ was a political headache for the Imperial Family.
The upper class was already vaguely aware of it, but if the general public found out, the reputation of Löhn, the heart of the empire, would plummet. This was especially true because the empire had created the Skia system to enhance the capital’s prestige.
Sue, as a Skia and a victim, naturally had access to news about the Noel family. But she had been deliberately avoiding it. And now, seeing Woo Acrea, she couldn’t help but feel curious.
Acrea quickly organized his thoughts and spoke,
“It’ll be a heavy sentence if things continue like this.”
It was a concise answer. Sue chewed on her lip silently.
“To put it simply, Count Delthel, the head of the family, will not be able to avoid a heavy sentence. And his crime will be considered even more serious because he abandoned his family in the face of danger. Countess Haina’s situation is a bit ambiguous. She’s not mentally stable, and I hear she’s been unconscious. Her trial will be postponed until she regains consciousness. And Raines…”
Acrea hesitated.
“Marquess Yuna is helping him. She was the one who led the operation in the first place. I wonder if there was some kind of deal between them. And Grand Duke Antique is also sympathetic towards Raines. He’s the type to protect his students.”
“I… see.”
Acrea slowly tilted his head, seeing her face darken.
“But even the revealed facts are serious crimes, and Raines conspired to murder a Skia. He’s arguably the most guilty of the three. Viscount Eren and Madam also want a heavy sentence. And then there’s Enzhe… Anyway, don’t worry, Byron.”
The boy, oblivious to human emotions, smiled confidently.
“Raines Noel will definitely be punished for his crimes.”
Sue smiled back, but she was dazed.
It was difficult to bring up what she had been planning to say in this situation, and she wondered if it would even make a difference.
“Byron?”
Serious crimes, heavy sentence.
She remembered witnessing a criminal’s trial once. The judge hadn’t listened to anything the criminal had said, and the spectators had jeered at him. The criminal had received the worst possible sentence.
The memory of that stranger, which had meant nothing to her at the time, had become a recurring nightmare.
So she couldn’t intervene.
“Byron.”
His gentle voice called her name again.
“Do you want to help Raines Noel?”
Sue slowly lifted her head at his words. And she hesitated again. Should she say it or not? Could she even save him if she did?
“…Can you help him?”
She asked in a low, clear voice.
The answer was already there.
Sue wanted to help Noel, even if it meant using the arrogant word ‘save’.
“You’re asking for my help.”
Sue nodded.
She had been repeating his words in her mind ever since she had seen his carriage through the window.
‘If you need help with anything, just tell me. I’ll help you.’
Just like she knew Fritz’s personality well, she knew Acrea’s personality well too.
And she knew that he would grant her wish here.
Acrea blinked slowly.
“I told you, I owe you a few favors.”
He looked at her red hair, his gaze sincere.
“If that’s what you want, I’ll help you.”
The end of winter was approaching.
***
That day, Damon had finally used up most of his remaining magic to burn down the Noel mansion and escaped. Raines, thinking of Haina, who had been sleeping at the mansion, ran without stopping. Fortunately, she was alive. There were no visible injuries, but she wouldn’t wake up.
Raines carried Haina and desperately ran to the Vava mansion. It must have taken him over an hour. He told the guard at the gate his name and begged for Yuna to open the door.
The gate opened, and Yuna, dressed in a casual dress, greeted Raines and Haina. After Haina was moved to a room, Raines confessed everything to Yuna in the parlor.
‘I apologize for my rudeness, Captain. Please save my mother and me…!’
Raines pleaded with her, tears streaming down his face. He had tried not to cry, but the tears wouldn’t stop.
He realized that all his decisions had been wrong. To think he had tried to solve everything himself. He had been insane. He had been no different from his parents, ever since Damon Keron had killed the butler.
‘Alright, I’ll help you.’
Yuna, who had been listening silently, smiled and raised an eyebrow.
‘Yes, you’re too young to die. You have so much talent, and most importantly, you’re still young.’
Yuna, comforting him with her cheerful voice, had taken care of everything. Cleanly, efficiently, as if all his worries had been for nothing.
But he hadn’t known that Sue Byron would be used as bait. Because Yuna had never told him.
But even if he had known, could he have objected, for Sue Byron’s sake?
He was a criminal, from beginning to end.
Raines sat in the defendant’s seat, reliving that day’s memories. He looked down, his face devoid of any emotion, as if he was ready to accept any punishment that came his way.
There weren’t many spectators, as the incident had been kept within noble society. No one was interested in the trial of a boy who had hidden Damon Keron and cooperated with him.
And then, Sue entered the courtroom, and the empty gallery erupted in commotion.
“Byron…?”
Raines looked up, hoping he was mistaken. But his wish was shattered within seconds.