The Villain’S Daughter-In-Law Is Inherently Powerful [EN]: Chapter 26

“To think such a beautiful place was destroyed and rebuilt. I can’t believe it.”

Raheen whispered, gazing at the newly built, sparkling edifice.

The Heir Apparent Hall, built long ago as a simple wooden structure typical of its time, now stood as a dazzling marble palace.

“If those who died then were alive, they would be wonderful adults by now.”

“Ah, you mean Ian.”

Gerard couldn’t believe he was alone with Raheen.

Raheen, after reading about the Heir Apparent Hall explosion in a history book about Dribljane, had been so touched that she shed tears for the child who died.

Frankly, Gerard couldn’t even remember who had died at first, but he suggested, ‘Would you like to visit the Heir Apparent Hall?’ and as a result—

They ended up here, together.

“I’m going to pray for poor Ian. Will Gerard pray too?”

“Pray? Of course. I’ll do anything you do.”

*Who cares about Ian or whatever.*

He hated that the name of some other brat came out of her lovely lips.

But Gerard forcibly suppressed his dark thoughts. He had to show Raheen only the most beautiful and lovely things in the world. She didn’t need to know anything dirty or ugly.

For example, the fact that he was the one who caused that terrible incident.

*‘I regret only killing one.’*

He should have gotten rid of them all back then. Then he wouldn’t have to share Raheen now.

Having thought this far, I shuddered, feeling the fur on my tail stand on end.

*‘What is this? What is this? Wait, Ian dies?!’*

…That won’t do.

Even now, this building was quite old and dilapidated. If something impacted a pillar, it would collapse.

*‘I have to tell Master right away.’*

My paws were covered in gunpowder. The powder stuck between the wooden floorboards was clearly meant to cause a chain reaction later.

If I show him this, he’ll listen to me.

*‘No, wait a minute.’*

But if I dispose of the bomb in advance, I won’t be able to catch the culprit, will I?

*‘But the children can’t get hurt.’*

Thinking in a panic, I realized.

*‘If the whole place is the target and I only want to protect one person.’*

Conversely, I have to keep that one person here.

* * *

“The banquet venue suddenly changed to here! How could this happen?”

“Shhh, Your Highness. Someone might hear you!”

“How did this happen?!”

Gerard was in a good mood today.

Clearly, the day should have ended with that pleasant feeling. But suddenly, the Heir Apparent Hall became noisy, and those who directly served the Duchess appeared one after another.

Watching even the head maid appear from afar, Gerard was horrified and returned to his room.

“A sudden treasure hunt! Why hide treasures in the Heir Apparent Hall? It’s as if celebrating that ridiculous thing isn’t enough!”

“That’s not what’s important now, Your Highness. We might get caught for planting the bomb.”

The man was anxious.

It was understandable for a child to want to do a treasure hunt. It was a common part of a party for children.

But treasures don’t just fall from the sky. If the servants rummage around like that, even the best-hidden bomb could be discovered.

Besides, the gunpowder! What about the gunpowder deliberately scattered on the floor!

This plan was based on the assumption that everyone’s attention was focused on the main building.

There should have been almost no one in the Heir Apparent Hall. A few people might get caught in the explosion… but the goal wasn’t to kill everyone.

Although the Prince seemed to want that, it shouldn’t be done. The goal was just to collapse the Heir Apparent Hall itself and have the Prince stay in the main building temporarily. That way, it would be easier to steal information.

The man was someone who had received orders from the Queen to ‘protect and help her son’ and orders from the King to ‘get useful information from that damn Saber-toothed Clan [referring to a family or group known for their cunning or ferocity].’

Blowing up the Heir Apparent Hall was the ideal way to fulfill both orders…!

“We lose a lot of our wildness as we become humanized. But someone might have a sensitive sense of smell.”

“Tch. Go and dismantle the bomb right now.”

Gerard sat down on the sofa, annoyed.

The man bowed his head silently and hurried away.

Since no one seemed to have found the bomb yet, he could quickly go and retrieve it stealthily….

But just as he grabbed the leopard-head-shaped wooden sculpture where he had hidden the bomb.

“Huh?”

A youthful voice struck his ears.

“It’s treasure-hiding time right now, not treasure-finding time!”

He glanced back and saw that damn white ferret. Behind him, as always, stood a grizzly bear beastman who could instill fear in others with his physique alone.

The grizzly bear beastman, who could crush enemy heads with his bare hands, was terror itself on the battlefield.

Even if he was pretending to be docile here, the man knew that the knight could turn around and blow his head off at any moment.

“Ahaha. I was trying to hide a treasure too.”

“Really? Then the thing in your hand, is that the treasure?”

*I’m screwed.*

The man sweated and held out what he had in his hand.

After all, the opponent is just a child. It would be better to be confident. Then he will quickly lose interest.

*‘No one knows there’s a bomb in here.’*

The man didn’t forget to act as humble as possible.

“It’s nothing special, so I’m ashamed to show it.”

“Okay. But I want to see it closely.”

“Yes? You should see it after hiding it. Haha.”

“No! I want to see it now!”

*This is crazy.*

I heard about this white ferret from Gerard, but I didn’t know he would be this headstrong.

He cleared his throat and looked at the knight.

But the knight didn’t budge. Rather, he glared.

“Doesn’t the Little Master want to see it?”

“Yes, I have to give it to him. Of course……”

But what if the bomb goes off? What if I throw it or drop it, then…….

The man, feeling chills, handed the statue to the knight as if nothing was wrong, then gritted his teeth and watched.

“Ugly.”

“……”

“It’s heavy too. Not fun.”

“Haha, isn’t it? Then I’ll hide this well.”

He reached out as if to ask for it back, but the white ferret didn’t let go of the statue that was as big as his body.

“Little Master?”

“Hmph.”

“Umm, Little Master……?”

As he cautiously approached, feeling uneasy, the knight glared fiercely. The man felt like he was going crazy at the sight that seemed to say, ‘How dare you approach?’

“Eek!”

“Aaaagh!”

“Fooled you.”

Does he know what he’s doing? Is it just a childish prank?

He screamed reflexively at the pretense of throwing it, and even his nostrils flared with his pounding heart.

But then. The cursed white ferret, who was staring at him, smiled.

“I should really throw it away, this thing. John!”

“Nooooo!!!”

As soon as the order was given, the stupid bear threw the statue to the ground.

It was too late to avoid it.

A few seconds later.

The man, with his eyes narrowed, first checked if he was alive.

*‘Hah, hah. I’m alive.’*

The bomb didn’t seem to have exploded and only the statue was shattered.

“Huh, that’s weird. Why are you doing that?”

“!”

“Do you know what’s inside?”

Hehe. That thing, which even speaks human language despite being an animal, was like a devil.

*‘Satan comes among you.’*

He unknowingly muttered a passage from the scriptures and clenched his teeth.

*‘First, I need to get out of here naturally.’*

There are two bombs. I have to retrieve the other one too. If I mess up, everyone here will die.

Then Ritchenbaum…… the royal family…… might be destroyed. Because Head Immanuel would never forgive it.

“Eek!”

But the man’s escape failed.

Grrrhhh.

At both ends of the hallway. Black panthers appeared, making threatening growls as they scratched their throats. And the one standing behind them, gracefully ordering the hunt, was none other than the mistress of this family, Duchess Inanna.

“Florin was right.”

Why is the Duchess, who was known to be reclusive, here?

The man’s eyes widened.

“She said that if we cause such a commotion, he will definitely come to retrieve the bomb.”

Inanna, lightly stroking the heads of the black panthers who were baring their teeth, released the leash she was holding.

“Seize him.”

“Aaaagh!”

The panthers, who leaped nimbly at the gentle command, firmly crushed the man’s vitals.

There was no way to escape.