After hearing my answer, Ernant chuckled.

“Don’t be so prickly. That’s why I warned you in advance. I told you you’d regret it if you didn’t accept my offer.”

“…..”

Did he contact me using such an expensive item just to tease me?

For a moment, I felt the urge to throw the crystal ball on the floor, but I held back.

There was still much I wanted to ask Ernant.

“Since when have you been using Karl?”

“For quite a while. I’ve been receiving monsters through him since not long after I started my research.”

“For a long time…. Then have you been researching a way to cure Karl’s sister all this time? When will you be able to find a method?”

When Karl said he would cure his sister through monsters, I dismissed it as nonsense, but I was secretly curious.

Could a cure really be found through Ernant’s research?

If so, shouldn’t we support Ernant’s research for the sake of those dying from illness?

After much deep contemplation, I asked this, but Ernant’s response was strange.

“Huh? A way to cure his sister…?”

He must have told Karl directly with his own mouth that he would cure the disease.

Yet Ernant looked puzzled, as if hearing about this for the first time.

Then suddenly.

“Ahahahaha!!”

Ernant burst into laughter.

Listening to the laughter echoing from beyond the crystal ball, I felt an ominous premonition.

After quite some time, Ernant finally stopped laughing and spoke in a mocking tone.

“You’re really naive, Yulia. I can understand that idiot Karl believing it, but even you?”

“What…?”

“That disease his sister is suffering from… There’s a reason it’s called incurable. It’s called incurable because it can’t be cured.”

As my heart grew cold, terrible words continued to flow from the crystal ball.

“Even transplanting monsters won’t cure the disease. From the start, I’ve been looking for a way to awaken abilities, not interested in treatment at all.”

My fingertips began to tremble.

Even transplanting monsters couldn’t cure the disease.

He wasn’t interested in that area at all.

Hoping I had misheard, I said to Ernant:

“But… Karl believed. He believed that if Your Majesty’s chimera was implanted in his sister’s body, the disease would be cured…”

“That’s why I’m saying it’s impossible. Well, if I keep researching, a method might be discovered, but I have no intention of doing so right now.”

“…Then did you lie to Karl? To use him?”

Even though I asked in a trembling voice, no answer came.

To him who was silent beyond the crystal ball, I urged for an answer.

“Please tell me. I asked if you manipulated his desperate feelings with lies in order to use Karl.”

“Don’t put it so harshly. It was unavoidable on my part too.”

It really was a lie.

Karl betrayed the captain, betrayed the knighthood, and even betrayed me to save his younger sister.

Yet Ernant never intended to find a cure from the start.

“Karl… betrayed me believing only your words.”

“…..”

“Do you know how much resolve it takes for someone with a knight’s pride to betray a comrade…? He must have killed his own heart over and over to decide on betrayal. Because he so desperately wanted to save his sister, he killed himself like that. And yet… you say it was all a lie…?”

Even after hearing all I said, Ernant continued to remain silent.

It was after a very long time that his voice was heard again from the crystal ball.

“Yes, Yulia. To someone as pure as a white sword like you, my methods must seem disgusting. But someone desperate like me doesn’t have the luxury of worrying about methods.”

“…..”

“For someone like me to get what I want, I have to be willing to make even filthy struggles. Think about it. If I hadn’t deceived Karl, could I have continued my monster research? If I hadn’t shamelessly flattered my father, if I hadn’t killed all my siblings except Martin with my own hands, could I have truly ascended to the throne?”

“…..”

“You can condemn me if you want. I don’t mind if you curse me as disgusting and horrible. If someone as pure as you curses me and spits on me, that would be a novel pleasure for me. But Yulia—”

Ernant paused briefly as if catching his breath, then whispered:

“No matter how much you do that, my essence won’t change. It’s better to give up early and accept me as I am.”

“…What if I don’t want to accept it?”

“Hmm?”

“I decline to be further entangled with a horrible person like you. I will never see you again. Even if I have to gouge out my ears and eyes, I will not see or hear you.”

Ernant no longer even felt human to me.

To think he was such a horrible man.

I felt like gouging out my own ears that were hearing Ernant’s voice right now.

But sadly, Ernant’s terrible nonsense wasn’t over yet.

“Yulia….. What on earth have you been hearing all this time….. I told you just 1 minute ago. That I’m a dirty bastard who doesn’t care about methods.”

“…?”

“I’m on my way to the island now. When I arrive, I’m going to have you. By force, regardless of your will.”

I learned for the first time that when you hear something too horrible and shocking, the back of your neck becomes stiff and taut.

In that moment, my neck stiffened and my vision blurred white.

What did I just hear? What does this mean?

Feeling hundreds of questions crowding chaotically in my mind, I stammered:

“Wait… what do you mean? Is it… is it what I think it means?”

“Yes, it’s probably what you’re thinking.”

“…..”

He was saying he would take me by force.

This clearly didn’t seem to simply mean he would keep me confined.

The moment I understood that, I couldn’t bear it anymore and hurled the crystal ball to the floor with all my might.

Thud!

The heavy crystal ball shattered as if exploding.

Fragments scattered, covering everywhere with shards of glass, but there was no time to worry about such things.

There was only one thought filling my mind.

I have to escape from here before that bastard arrives.

With no room to think of anything else, I immediately walked towards the window, stepping on the glass shards.

The place I’m currently staying is a bedroom on the 3rd floor of the villa.

The 3rd floor was quite high, but if I landed well, I wouldn’t get hurt.

So I was about to open the window and jump out, when:

“Stop. If you move even one more step from there, I’ll fire.”

When I turned around, Willichi and soldiers I didn’t know when they had arrived were aiming crossbows at me.

If I used my ability to create an ice barrier, I could easily block mere crossbows.

At the very least, if I swung a sword, I could deflect the crossbows with it.

But now, I had neither ability nor sword.

“In case of an escape attempt, His Majesty ordered to cut off your limbs if necessary and keep you confined to the bedroom.”

Willichi said coldly.

I didn’t bother holding back the bitter laugh that escaped as I replied to Willichi.

“Fine, just shoot me then. I’d rather die here than be forcibly taken by a man I don’t want.”

“We won’t kill you. As I just said, we’ll just cut off your limbs to disable you and keep you confined to the bedroom.”

“…..”

“I hope you make a wise decision and preserve your body well.”

I was at a loss for words.

These people were saying horrifying and disgusting things I couldn’t even imagine.

Feeling my head going blank again, I sighed.

“…I won’t try to escape, so get out.”

“Yes, we’ll clean up the glass shards soon. Please sit still on the bed. And—”

Willichi emphasized with an even colder gaze:

“Do not attempt to escape under any circumstances. With your ability sealed, there is no way for you to escape this uninhabited island.”

“Just get out.”

“Then I shall take my leave.”

After bowing deeply, Willichi left the bedroom.

The rest of the soldiers followed him out as well.

They said they would clean up the glass, so someone would come up soon.

Left alone in the meantime, I buried my face in the pillow.

After that.

“Aaaaargh!! You bastard!!”

I screamed with all my might.

But that didn’t relieve even a bit of the anger bottled up inside, so I clenched my fists.

Then, imagining the pillow as Ernant’s face, I pounded it again and again.

“Huff, huff…..”

Feathers flew out from the pillow that had been beaten to a pulp, obscuring my vision.

As I roughly wiped off the feathers stuck to my face, I made a vow.

That I would do whatever it takes to avoid becoming Ernant’s plaything.

Translation complete. 100% of original text translated.