The Strongest Daughter-In-Law Of The Black Lion Family [EN]: Chapter 104

#104.

It was such an obvious lie, but I decided to play along. It would be much easier to get him away later if I let him lower his guard.

I made a big fuss, pretending to be overjoyed.

“Oh, really? Thank you, Victor! I feel so much better knowing you’re here.”

I even fluttered my eyelashes, acting all delicate, which made the faces of the guards, who had been struggling to endure my antics, turn sour.

They looked as if they wanted to say, ‘Who do you think you are?’ but I deliberately ignored them. Right now, it was important to reassure Victor so he wouldn’t suspect anything.

“Anyway, it’s so nice to see you here in prison.”

“I’m glad you seem to be in good health.”

“Me too.”

I’m so glad I was kidnapped by Heinreich.

Otherwise, I wouldn’t have known Victor was locked up here.

I never imagined I would catch the most important suspect in the illegal drug case with my own hands.

Heaven must be on my side after all.

Well, if I had to end up in this body, it’s only right that I have some good luck. Yes, indeed.

I glanced slyly at Ella on the bed. Like the clever child she was, she had hidden under the blanket as soon as she saw Victor.

* * *

In the end, Victor was locked up in the cell across from me on the right. He gripped the bars tightly and said with a voice full of forced loyalty.

“Don’t worry too much! I’ll try to negotiate with the head of this place.”

“Wow, that’s so reassuring.”

*But the negotiation probably won’t work.*

*The head is a simple-minded, uneducated canine who doesn’t understand words.*

*It would be a relief if you weren’t trampled on.*

*No, wait. Victor is a bad guy, so maybe it would be a good thing if he was trampled on?*

I was thinking about that when I felt one side of my cell shaking, and then Jonathan appeared with a flourish.

― Yo, young one!

I told him to do it in two days, and he really made an escape route already. I’m probably the only one who uses a Guardian [a powerful spirit bound to serve a master] like this.

Originally, I was going to escape with Hebel’s knights tonight, but Victor’s appearance meant I had to change my plan.

That guy would definitely try to sneak away as soon as we escaped.

I couldn’t let a fish I had already caught slip through my fingers. I had already made a Plan B with Ella just in case, so I glanced at Victor and deliberately screamed as if for him to hear.

“Eek! What is that?”

Victor, startled by my fuss, opened his mouth.

“What’s wrong?”

As expected, Victor couldn’t see Jonathan because he was in a blind spot.

As soon as I confirmed that Victor couldn’t see this side, I reassured him as if it was nothing.

“Oh, there was a huge cockroach!”

― I’m a… Ugh!

Jonathan jumped at being called a cockroach, but Tebi quickly covered Jonathan’s mouth.

Of course, I was the only one who could understand what the Guardian was saying, but Tebi was very cautious.

Victor, unaware of this, joked.

“If I had been there, I would have caught it for you.”

“It’s okay. I happen to have high heels, so a cockroach like that would be finished with one hit!”

I pretended to catch the cockroach and quickly held Ella in front of Jonathan.

Ella had a bundle tied to her back in preparation for Jonathan’s arrival. While Victor was being locked up, I had written a note saying, ‘Victor is here, come and get him,’ and put it in the bundle. It was a measure for Ella, who couldn’t transform into a human right away.

Then, I sent a telepathic message to Jonathan alone.

‘Great Jonathan! The plan has changed. Please get Ella out of here first. There’s news that needs to be urgently delivered to Jabisi Castle.’

At my words, Jonathan tilted his head, forgetting his sulkiness.

― Huh? What about you then? You made this old man suffer so much to break through in two days, and now you’re saying something different?

Jonathan glared with a displeased face. He was unhappy that I was changing my tune now after urging him so urgently.

I fluttered around Jonathan as if trying to flatter him.

‘Actually, that guy over there is a very heinous criminal! If I have to sacrifice myself to realize justice, there’s no choice. It’s a little uncomfortable, but I can endure prison!’

― Ho! Very admirable. A child with a bright future. Well, criminals should be caught and thrown in jail, of course.

Jonathan seemed touched by my words and put Ella on his back. He was an easy Guardian to handle after all.

― Then stay put until I get back, little one.

With a kind nickname, Jonathan raised and lowered one hand as if saluting, and Ella also waved goodbye as she disappeared with him.

“Did you catch it?”

I grinned at Victor’s question, who knew nothing of this.

“I’m going to catch it now!”

Then I stomped on the perfectly fine floor with force and shouted cheerfully.

“Got it!”

Because soon it won’t be a cockroach under my feet, but you, Victor.

* * *

Meanwhile, when Zerachiel, who had hurriedly left Hebel, arrived at Jabisi Castle, Victor had already left the castle, infuriatingly.

Ivan, who had been abruptly ordered to catch Victor, searched the castle thoroughly but returned empty-handed, unable to find even Victor’s tail.

Sensing an unusual atmosphere from Zerachiel, the quick-witted Ivan abandoned his playfulness and reported.

“It seems he took advantage of the chaos of the fox hunt to escape.”

“I expected as much. If he had any sense, he would try to escape Jabisi Castle as soon as possible.”

Rather, the fact that he had brazenly come and gone within the castle even after the wedding was even more infuriating.

How little did he think of Jabisi to be so leisurely in his escape?

Perhaps Victor was forced to monitor our movements on the orders of the person who instigated him. Either way, the situation was unpleasant.

“By the way, why are you looking for Victor?”

*And with such a grim face.*

Ivan swallowed the rest of his words and asked, and Zerachiel grinned.

“I suddenly wanted to kill him.”

“Pardon?”

Startled by those words, Ivan stepped back and raised his hands in an X in front of his chest. It was an instinctive reaction because his master was crazy enough to kill him instead since Victor wasn’t there.

Zerachiel glanced at the pathetic reaction and muttered lightly.

“Well, it doesn’t matter. I’ll just find him.”

After all, Victor Orban was from a friendly family, and a direct descendant of the Orbans at that.

Unlike other friendly families, the Orbans had a confidentiality clause and a device to track them if they violated it.

In addition, a taboo magic was placed on them to prevent direct mention of Jabisi’s secrets.

It was a magic that would stop their heart immediately if they revealed it, which was why Jabisi’s secrets had been maintained until now.

No one in their right mind would risk their life to reveal secrets.

Of course, Jabisi wouldn’t care even if there was such a fool. They would just annihilate everyone who learned the secret.

“How annoying. I knew you weren’t destined to die peacefully, but this really makes me want to treat you harshly.”

Zerachiel swept back his hair with a twisted smile. Seeing his cold eyes, Ivan shuddered and rubbed his arms.

*He’s really angry.*

After all, the fact that Zerachiel, who was like Chelsia’s shadow, had rushed over here at once meant that the matter was urgent.

I don’t know what crime Victor committed, but he probably won’t survive.

As Ivan quietly waited for his cue, Zerachiel continued.

“But a fox hunt? Does that mean the fox ran away?”

“Ah, that.”

Ivan scratched his cheek and thought of Erhaden.

They caught him again, but he was no longer in a state to talk.

Because his pheromone outburst had been delayed, he had become completely idiotic.

“I thought he had escaped, but it turned out he had taken the wrong medicine and committed suicide.”

“What medicine?”

“Duke is currently analyzing the medicine.”

“Hmm, that’s troublesome.”

“Yes?”

“I need to see my father right away.”

It was right after Zerachiel stood up from his seat with a serious face. Just in time, Zakari, who had burst into the study, opened his mouth.

“There’s no need. I came myself.”

“Father? …And Duke too.”

Zerachiel glared coldly at Duke. Duke was bowing his head behind Zakari with a gloomy face.

As he wondered about that, Zakari said.

“I heard you found Victor Orban, did you find out something too?”

“Did you know too, Father?”

Zerachiel asked back with a surprised face, and suddenly Duke knelt down.

“Please kill me!”