Read Novel Full Chapter 32, Scheming
Chapter 32, Scheming
Translator: Lizz
The Chief Justice heard rumors about a newly opened bridge in the neighboring country.
Since it was within a duchy, the judiciary had to be particularly cautious in its response.
Upon hearing the location, he furrowed his brows. A memory from long ago surfaced.
A beautiful boy introduced by Marquis Onofrio. There had never been another child as stunning as him. What a loss… Now that he thought about it, wasn’t there a report that he had fallen into the river? Wasn’t it around that area?
That had been a chaotic time. Marquis Onofrio had been far more enraged than Baron Eliseo, leading to a fierce dispute. His wife and father-in-law had mercilessly berated him as well.
As the Chief Justice recalled that moment, his expression turned bitter.
Marquis Onofrio’s illegitimate child had been an open secret, so it was never a true weakness. However, for the sake of appearances, the Marquis had backed down.
That incident had created a rift between the Chief Justice and the Onofrio family, making it impossible for him to act as freely as before.
The Chief Justice was married into his wife’s family, with his wife as the Head of the household. At one point, he had even considered assassinating her, but if he did, he risked being cast out. At worst, he would be reduced to a commoner, so he abandoned the idea.
His position as Chief Justice had not been earned through merit but was granted through the recommendation of his wife’s father. Though the man had long since retired and lost his former influence, it was still unwise to provoke his displeasure.
Lately, rumors about him had begun to spread, unfavorable ones. Someone must have been digging into his past to drag him down.
The Chief Justice had to remain quiet until the rumors died down… or so he thought, growing increasingly irritated. But then, new whispers from the neighboring country, now connected by a bridge, reached his ears.
Apparently, there was an ‘unbelievably beautiful priest’ there.
Immediately, the Chief Justice recalled the boy he had failed to kill.
He never imagined the child had been carried so far, and had survived.
Marquis Onofrio had been told that the boy had gone missing after a bandit attack in a completely different location during transport, so he likely wouldn’t connect him to Calogero.
That meant he had to act before anyone realized the truth.
“After all these years, he resurfaces. If I had known his whereabouts sooner, I could have enjoyed him before disposing of him…”
With genuine regret in his voice, the Chief Justice wasted no time in summoning his usual cleaner to take care of the matter.
*
Edward read the report on Calogero and clicked his tongue in frustration.
The document detailed Calogero’s past – how he had been a Marquis’s illegitimate child, how he had disappeared after a secret meeting at the Chief Justice’s private residence, and how there had been suspicions of assassination. However, the Chief Justice had sent people to search in a completely different location from where Calogero had actually vanished, revealing hidden truths.
“This is a damn ticking time bomb! If we let him stay in the fortress, assassins will come knocking!”
Edward’s primary concern was the safety of Sylvia and Gina.
…To be fair, both of them were strong enough to easily handle common bandits.
But judging from this report, their enemies wouldn’t be mere bandits.
“…Now, what to do?”
Edward began to ponder his next move.
Calogero and the High Priest both agreed that Edward posed a threat, but their opinions diverged from there.
Calogero was relieved that the High Priest recognized Edward’s danger, but the priest was intent on reforming him.
“We must urge him to atone. He is already at the heart of this town. Even if he is deceiving others, we should ask him why and push him toward redemption. As of now, he has committed no crimes and has only contributed to the town. I will persuade Edward myself, so Calogero, you must encourage him to atone-”
“High Priest, you do not understand. No amount of urging will erase his sins. That is simply the kind of man he is.”
Their discussion remained at an impasse.
Calogero could see his sins.
‘Deception’, ‘Fraud’, ‘Entrapment’, ‘Theft’.
At least he lacked ‘Adultery’ and ‘Murder’, making him marginally better than the Chief Justice.
In other words, his entire existence revolved around deceiving others.
Calogero reached out to a priest from the neighboring country to investigate Edward.
Before long, the results came in…
As Calogero walked with a stern expression, Gina noticed and called out to him.
“Calogero, is something wrong?”
Calogero stared intently at Gina’s face.
-In truth, it would be best to reveal the truth about his identity, to make her realize she had been deceived and turn her into an ally.
But Calogero was a priest. He could not recklessly spread word of another’s sins.
With a gentle smile, he replied to Gina.
“No, it’s nothing.”
As he turned to leave, Gina called out to him again.
“Oh! …I may not be much help. But we’re colleagues working together, and I’d like to support you if I can! Maybe we can come up with a good solution together!”
Surprised, Calogero turned to look at Gina.
He stared at her serious expression, momentarily unsure.
“…No. You are a reliable person. However, my concerns are matters of the priesthood, so I cannot speak about them carelessly. I’m sorry.”
He apologized.
“No, that’s not what I meant… I just thought… maybe you were troubled by something personally, Calogero.”
“My troubles?”
Calogero tilted his head in confusion.
…There was something about the time when he was still a noble’s son, but that was something he could never speak of. If he did, he would only drag others into his past.
“I see. But it’s nothing serious. It’s something I can handle on my own. I’m sorry for causing you concern.”
“…No.”
When Calogero apologized again, Gina lowered her gaze and responded softly.
Normally, Gina would have let the matter drop there.
But.
“If anything ever troubles you, please reach out. I’ll always be here to listen.”
She urged him once more.
“Alright. When the time comes, I’ll take you up on that offer.”
Calogero answered with a smile.