I Accidentally Kidnapped The Ultimate Villain – Chapter 60

Ch 60

Aria and Lionell, having arrived at the temple, were receiving a report on the situation.

“So, you’re saying it suddenly exploded at dawn?”

“Yes.”

“Any suspicious persons entering?”

“There were none at all. Because of the last incident, no one can enter without permission now.”

As Lionell spoke with a serious expression, Aria fell into thought. In the original work, this was also an act committed by Killian. But it didn’t seem like he would terrorize the temple again so quickly.

Besides, he was with me at dawn.

That means there’s a high probability that it wasn’t Killian’s doing.

If he were the real culprit, it would have been better for him to be with someone who was neither on my side nor his, someone who could be an alibi witness, rather than being with me at that time.

Am I not someone he can’t even mention being with?

“Aria?”

“Yes?”

“Are you crying? Your face is so red?”

“Ah, no… ……”

Aria’s heart felt strange as she recalled being with Killian at dawn. He was probably trying to use me, but because of the time they spent together, she felt like she wanted to believe that Killian wasn’t the culprit.

If he were the mastermind, it was possible he could have used me to create an alibi and then had his people carry out the terror.

But no matter how much she thought about it, it didn’t make sense. Even if I testified that we were together, couldn’t he just say I wasn’t?

Aria wondered if she was thinking that he wasn’t the culprit because she was hoping that Killian wasn’t the culprit.

“What about the psychometry user?”

“That person is still recovering from investigating the temple last time. They used too much of their ability and are in a dormant state.”

“Ah…….”

Even this was the same as in the original work. That psychometry user had definitely seen the culprit.

But he wouldn’t wake up until after Melina had completely sided with Lionell.

So, there would be nothing they could do right now. The best thing to do was to show that the Crown Prince’s foundation was still intact by being by his side.

Aria was thinking about the list of assets she possessed. If she sold some of them and used the money for relief funds, it would be quite helpful.

The relief funds had already gathered quite a bit due to the charity party. If the temple was destroyed and the few people who could use divine power were frozen, the only way was to deploy doctors.

Then, of course, it would cost a lot of money. Rather than asking for help from temples in other countries, it was better to pay doctors and nurses high wages to increase their average working hours.

“What about the High Priest’s orb that was in this temple?”

“That was also already gone when we arrived…….”

“So, they were after the divine power again.”

“Yes.”

Aria couldn’t understand why they were after the divine power. She could only recall the main point of Killian’s plan, which was to weaken the Crown Prince’s support base and use Melina to reduce Lionell’s standing. She couldn’t recall the detailed intentions.

The orb containing divine power was useless to someone who didn’t know how to use divine power.

The orb was a completely different kind of object than the scrolls made by magicians. In the first place, divine power itself was a power granted by God, so there was no way that someone who hadn’t received God’s permission could use God’s power just by receiving an object like magic.

So, it could be that the culprit was someone with divine power.

But Aria immediately dismissed that thought.

Currently, there was no one in the Imperial Family with divine power. She knew from reading the original work that Lionell would be able to use divine power in the future, but at this point, there was no one.

The other person who came to her mind.

“Could I see the entry records to see if Young Lady Melina Le Hrehner came by?”

“Yes? Ah, of course.”

The Holy Knight, knowing that Aria was Lionell’s fiancée, immediately gestured to his subordinate behind him. Then, he handed her the entry ledger that he was about to give to Lionell first.

Aria found Melina’s name on the ledger and, feeling puzzled, asked.

“What was Young Lady Le Hrehner’s reason for visiting?”

“We don’t know either. However, the High Priest whom the Young Lady met is currently in a state of suspended animation…….”

She somehow judged that Melina seemed to have tried to meet the High Priest because of the divine power.

She had divine power, and no one knew about it except for her parents. Not even Killian.

That’s why she secretly came to the temple. In the original work, it seemed like she was thinking of becoming a priest after breaking off her engagement with Killian.

Then, her reason for coming here would be similar.

But the timing is also strange.

“The former fiancée of Duke Loenbert.”

“…….Yes.”

Lionell, remembering that Aria was watching Melina, checked the entry ledger she was holding.

“Make a copy of this and send it to me as well.”

“Yes.”

“And return the priests in the Imperial Palace to this place.”

“Yes.”

“Ah, call my knight order as well to help restore the temple. I’ll also call the Sages of the Magic Tower.”

“Yes.”

As Lionell said that, the people in the temple felt a little relieved and sighed in relief.

Aria looked at Lionell and saw Imperial Prince Berthin and Killian coming together from afar. Killian quickly looked away when he met Aria’s eyes, and Imperial Prince Berthin was approaching with a fake smile, perhaps because he had seen Lionell.

“Brother. I came because I was worried.”

Lionell wasn’t someone who would fall for such provocation.

“How kind of you. I’m relieved because you came.”

“It’s nothing.”

“While you’re here, could you call your knight order? We need manpower to restore the destroyed temple.”

“Of course.”

So, he intended to boldly demand the knight order and use him. After all, the temple was a place that had sworn allegiance to Lionell. No matter how hard the Second Imperial Prince tried, nothing would change in such a temple.

He had just come to tease and ended up being a good prey.

“I greet the small sun of the Empire.”

“Welcome, Duke Loenbert.”

Rather, Lionell’s rival was Killian. Even the Empress couldn’t do anything about Killian. Originally, the head of the Noble Faction was the Empress’s Saga. But Killian had pushed them out and taken that position, so there was nothing she could do.

“Your Highness seems to have made many enemies in your daily life.”

“What do you mean?”

“Isn’t that why there’s another terror attack? There’s no way the temple, which serves God, would have earned the resentment of the citizens.”

“…….”

Killian’s tone was more sincere than his usual mockery of Lionell.

“That’s harsh, Duke Killian Loenbert.”

Because Aria was standing next to Lionell.

“Ha.”

Killian somehow hated that Aria, who hated him enough to cry, was clinging to Lionell’s side. He had lost his composure from the moment he saw that.

“You two look really good together. The infamous princess and the incompetent Crown Prince who couldn’t even stop a temple terror.”

“Duke Loenbert.”

“Watch your words?”

Aria looked straight at Killian. However, she pretended to be fine on the outside, but she felt like her liver was shrinking because Killian was glaring at her so fiercely.

“I watch my words with those who deserve it. Have you ever seen me make a mistake with His Majesty?”

“…….”

As expected, Lionell hated Killian. And lately, it seemed like he was burning with more hostility, which was overwhelming. It seemed like he used to coldly sneer, but lately, he was acting like a changed person.

“I hate people who speak carelessly like you the most.”

Aria said that without realizing it.

Then, Killian closed his mouth into a straight line and looked at her as if surprised. Aria trembled as she met his violet eyes, but she didn’t avert her gaze.

“Ha.”

Even though he was the one who spoke badly first, Killian somehow felt like his feet were sinking when she said she hated him the most in the world.

“I’m sorry for speaking badly. Princess Aria.”

And he couldn’t stand that feeling and this place anymore.

“I have some business, so I’ll be going for now.”

As he left like that, Aria felt relieved but also strange.

“I apologize for Duke Loenbert’s discourtesy, Brother.”

“It’s okay. It can happen.”

Lionell said that and was about to look at the documents he had received again. At that, Aria stood up from her seat.

“Your Highness.”

“Yes.”

“Your Highness. I’ll just go look inside the temple for a bit.”

“Endine. Escort the Princess.”

“Yes.”

“Go and come back, my dear.”

“I’ll go alone.”

“It’s dangerous.”

Aria was uncomfortable with the knight Lionell had assigned to her. He was big and sturdy like a bear, but he wasn’t a comfortable person. It was like she was being watched.

Besides, she knew that she had to be alone to summon the Spirit Beast.

“What’s dangerous about the temple? It’s full of Your Highness’s knights right now.”

“……Then, if it’s dangerous, press your earring and shout. Then, a signal will come to me right away.”

“Yes.”

Aria didn’t know that the earring had such a use. However, she nodded, thinking that she was fortunate to have earned some time to be alone.

“I’ll be back.”

“Yes.”

Lionell thought he had to read the documents, but he hesitated for a moment as Aria walked away. Then, he consciously stopped in his place as she smiled and left as if to reassure him.

The place Aria went was an empty prayer room.

Everyone was busy restoring the temple right now, so they wouldn’t come near the prayer room.

“Spirit Beast.”

Aria was about to summon the Spirit Beast like that. Because she had something to ask.

“Were you following me?”

Although it was a prayer room she thought would be empty, there was someone hiding there alone. It was Killian.

“Ah…….”

As she stepped back in surprise, Killian approached with a twisted smile.

“You came to see how ridiculous I look, didn’t you.”