12 O'Clock Marionette-Chapter 70

"It is an imperial decree, Your Grace. No matter what you say, interfering is a grave offense."

"That depends on how you frame it. I’m here to report a much greater crime."

"……"

"I happened to hear that the imperial palace is lined with bombs."

What nonsense is he spouting now?

The imperial palace had stood for centuries. There was no way it lacked countermeasures against explosives.

Reading my incredulous expression, Cruello merely shrugged.

"Actually, I planted them myself."

"Oh…"

"This is no time for jokes, Your Grace."

"Would you like proof? Though I’m not sure you’ll hear it properly from here."

With those words, Cruello snapped his fingers.

Boom! A faint explosion echoed in the distance.

And, coincidentally, it came from the exact direction of the imperial palace.

Considering the distance between Bonetti Manor and the palace, this was about the level of noise one would expect from a detonation over there.

"……"

I had fully intended to dismiss this as just another one of Cruello’s outlandish lies, but something about it made me uneasy.

Apparently, the Imperial Knights felt the same.

I glanced at him.

"…Is it real?"

No way, right? This has to be a bluff.

Ignoring me entirely, Cruello took a step toward the knights.

At the same time, he slipped my gate ring back into my hand behind his back.

A clear intention.

I hesitated for a moment but accepted it.

"I even turned myself in. Are you truly planning to let the culprit go free? How will you take responsibility for that?"

"…Regardless, Siora Bonetti must also accompany us—"

Ugh, whatever.

He can deal with the aftermath.

Without listening further, I rubbed the ring.

My vision flipped.

***

"So."

A sharp headache pounded in my skull.

The Crown Prince rubbed her temples and exhaled a deep sigh from deep within her chest.

Inside the Imperial Palace’s Great Hall.

As the acting figure of the emperor, she was supposed to maintain utmost dignity in all settings.

But right now, she simply couldn’t.

The reason stood right in front of her—her cousin, with his pale blue hair and maddeningly unbothered expression.

The Crown Prince glared murderously at the imperial knights behind him.

They had failed to capture the person she had ordered them to bring in—

and instead, they returned with an even bigger headache.

But now wasn’t the time to reprimand her subordinates.

"Are you telling me that the explosion at Robière Palace was your doing, Duke?"

With blatant shamelessness, Cruello replied,

"It’s been sitting unused for so long—I simply demolished it for you. Luckily, it seems there were no casualties."

"Cruello, this was an imperial event. Do you truly believe you can pull something like this and walk away unscathed?"

"Then arrest me. Oh, or is it that you lack the evidence?"

With exaggerated leisure, Cruello snapped his fingers once more.

Boom! Another building crumbled somewhere in the distance.

The Crown Prince swore that one day, she would personally cut off those damned fingers of his.

"Are you going to take me in or not?"

Cruello spread his arms in a mock surrender.

And yet, no one raised a sword against him.

Even though knights stood in neat formation just behind him.

The Crown Prince let out a strained groan.

"Just what are you after?"

"I don’t understand what you mean."

"I didn’t order Siora Bonetti to be executed. It was just an investigation."

"……"

"Since we received a report, we have to investigate. The process will be fair and transparent. I will personally ensure that."

"It would fall under a religious trial, wouldn’t it? And how exactly do you intend to control that?"

"That’s precisely why I sent the knights immediately. If the Imperial Court conducts the trial first, we might face protests, but at least the matter would remain under our jurisdiction."

"And you’re certain that will work?"

At those words, the Crown Prince first thought Cruello was merely trying to provoke her.

But no—she could tell just by looking into his eyes.

"Do you actually have the power to ensure that?"

Those eyes. Those unmistakably red eyes.

His gaze always commanded attention, but today, they were feral.

His pupils had dilated slightly, making the irises appear like narrowed slits—

like a predator’s, locked onto its prey.

She had been slow to recognize it, but this was truly the gaze of a lunatic.

Swallowing, the Crown Prince muttered,

"When I heard the rumors that you were obsessed with a woman, I thought they were exaggerated…"

"Haha. It’s not about a woman. I’ve lost something twice. If I fail to protect it a third time, then wouldn’t that make me a fool?"

"So you don’t trust me?"

"Not everything moves according to your will, Your Highness."

Cruello laughed.

At first, a faint chuckle.

Then, it swelled into full-blown, echoing laughter.

The Great Hall rang with the sound of his crazed amusement.

Everyone else looked utterly drained, but suddenly, the laughter cut off.

"You already know, Polaris."

Cruello called her by name.

Yes, when they were young, they had called each other this.

They weren’t particularly close, but they were cousins.

And they had shared a childhood.

He stepped forward, slowly approaching Polaris.

"You know why, even when I act this recklessly, you can’t arrest me."

Cruello plucked a small ornament from the throne’s armrest.

"Why you can’t do anything about the eyes and ears I’ve so obviously planted everywhere."

A magical surveillance device.

With a weak crack, he crushed it in his fingers.

He let the remnants scatter to the floor carelessly.

And with that, his lips curled into a knowing smirk.

"You also know why I didn’t send Siora."

The Crown Prince clenched the armrest of her chair, her eyes dark and unreadable.

But that was all she could do.

"Pathetic, isn’t it?"

Cruello sneered.

"You and me both."

As Cruello turned away, as if he had finished his business, the knights stepped forward to block his path.

This translation is the intellectual property of Novelight.

"His Highness the Crown Prince has not finished speaking."

"So?"

"We cannot allow you to leave just like that!"

As if to prove their resolve, they drew their swords.

Their courage was commendable.

Narrowing his eyes, Cruello took a deliberate step forward—right toward the blades.

Yet, no steel touched him.

"W-What?!"

It wasn’t Cruello who had stepped away.

It was the swords that had recoiled.

Not just one, but every single knight’s weapon had subtly shifted, as if unwilling to touch him.

Cruello hadn’t even used magic. And yet, none of them could bring themselves to strike.

A comedy, really.

Smirking at the absurdity of the scene, he suddenly spoke.

"Ah, before I go, I have a gift for you."

Cruello snatched a sword from one knight and, before anyone could stop him, swung it toward another.

No one reacted in time.

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"Cruello!"

The attacked knight collapsed without even resisting.

The Crown Prince shouted in shock, but then fell silent the moment the fallen knight’s face changed.

A clear sign.

An assassin.

Clang! Cruello discarded the blade, letting it clatter onto the floor.

"How many times does this make now? The times I’ve saved your life?"

Then again, your life isn’t really yours, so I suppose there’s nothing to be grateful for.

Leaving behind those cutting words, Cruello walked away without hesitation.

And no one dared stop him.

***

"I'm not asking for much. Just testify whether Siora Bonetti displayed any suspicious behavior at the temple."

Mamic blinked anxiously.

The man standing before her was an imperial knight.

He had requested an urgent meeting, only to launch into an unfamiliar and troubling subject.

Accusations poured in—

That Siora Bonetti was a member of the Black Serpent Cult.

That the Recanon Riot had been staged just to gain the temple’s trust.

That she had been involved in various sinister plots.

Of course, Mamic didn’t agree with them.

Siora didn’t seem like a dark magician at all.

But truth didn’t matter in political decisions.

For Mamic, the only real choice was whether to side with the imperial court or not.

However, she had already aligned herself with the High Priests, so she saw no need to rely on another power.

And so—

"I’ve already told you everything. Lady Siora displayed no suspicious behavior at the temple."

It was hardly a defense, just a neutral statement of fact.

Still, Mamic shrunk slightly, as if expecting retaliation.

Seeing that, the imperial knight must have thought a little more pressure would make her yield.

His expression darkened.

"Surely, you are not sympathizing with a dark magician—"

"That’s enough."

Before he could finish, Ro Blue drew his sword.

"Sir Ro Blue!"

"We do not welcome guests who refuse to respect the Saint’s wishes. Leave now."

"The Black Serpent Cult is a serious threat! You know this!"

"You get one warning. Next time, I will strike."

Realizing they couldn’t afford to make direct enemies of the temple, the knights reluctantly backed off, gritting their teeth.

As soon as they left, Mamic’s legs gave out, and she collapsed onto the floor.

"Are you all right, Lady Saint?"

"I-I’m fine. Thank you, Ro."

With Ro Blue’s support, she pulled herself up, hesitating.

"But… why are they saying she is with the Black Serpent Cult? What’s going on?"

"I sensed no trace of black mana from her."

For some reason, that reassured Mamic more than she expected.

Even though she wasn’t particularly close to Siora Bonetti, she had been the only person Mamic could speak honestly with.

***

When I used the ring, I arrived at Cruello’s intelligence guild.

Well, I couldn’t exactly go back to the church’s ruined headquarters.

For the time being, I planned to lay low in the guild building.

But—

"You trashed the place for real?"

I muttered blankly.

Yes, I was the one who told the Secret Investigator to stir up chaos to summon Cruello.

But wasn’t this a bit much?

The doors were completely destroyed, and scorch marks covered the walls.

There was no secluded corner left where I could rest in peace.

I needed to find somewhere else to hide.

But first—

"There might be something useful here."

Naturally, I began searching the place.

Why? What?

I was completely broke.

How was I supposed to survive on the run with no money?

Cruello should have given me cash, not just a ring.

Yet, no matter how thoroughly I searched, I didn’t find a single coin.

Instead, I found a memo.

「Super Plaza, third alley to the right, two-story house with a blue roof.」