As the dust settled, Juliet could clearly understand what had happened.
Just a while ago, where Juliet stood, there was a shining large birdcage. And trapped inside the shining birdcage was a snake wearing the skin of Count Jermang.
“It was a summoning circle…”
Juliet muttered as if groaning.
Somehow, it seemed like they deliberately lured the snake to the center of the banquet hall.
A trap had been set up in the center of the banquet hall in advance.
When the snake entered the range, the barrier was activated.
Only then did Juliet realize what Lennox had in mind. In the end, although what they had prepared was different, it was helpful.
“…”
Count Jermang, who looked around venomously from within the birdcage-shaped barrier, now trapped as a snake, made Juliet feel as if all the strength had left her body.
She felt both doubt ‘Is it really trapped?’ and relief ‘It’s over, I guess…’ wash over her.
“Haah…”
“Juliet Monad.”
Startled.
Juliet, hearing a low voice just above her head, only then realized she was nestled against someone.
Just before the magic circle was activated, and when the snake lunged at Juliet’s throat. It was Duke Carlyle who swiftly grabbed Juliet and rolled onto the ground together.
“It seems like my words to stay put didn’t mean much to you.”
“Ah…”
Glancing back, Juliet locked eyes with a seemingly very angry Duke Carlyle.
Juliet wanted to retort.
‘Since we caught the snake, it all ended well, didn’t it?’ or ‘Do you think you could have distracted the snake with that clumsy bishop alone?’
“Um…”
But Juliet closed her mouth right after opening it. She didn’t want to argue with Lennox at this moment.
Anyway, it was a fact that Lennox had saved her life.
Instead, Juliet decided to get out of this situation with the most classic, extremely cheesy, and simplest trick.
“Ahh.”
“!”
When Juliet clenched her right wrist and groaned, as expected, Lennox reacted like a man on fire.
“Doctor!”
When Duke Lennox Carlyle immediately demanded the deployment of healers, Archbishop Gilliam showed a puzzled reaction.
-I don’t understand.
-Why does the Duke need this?
-It’s not like we’re going to catch a demon, right?
“Ha, it’s breathtaking.”
But Archbishop Gilliam seemed to now understand why the Duke had made such an odd demand.
The snake trapped within the special birdcage-shaped barrier created by the papal relic was now perfectly resembling a human.
Venomous purple eyes and radiant blonde hair, it had the appearance of a flawlessly handsome man.
“An evil spirit mimicking a human like that…”
Even seeing it firsthand, Archbishop Gilliam found it hard to believe.
However, when he saw it through one of the relics Duke Carlyle had requested, ‘Cecilia’s Monocle’…
Grrrr.
“…!”
Seeing the true form of the giant snake monster, Archbishop Gilliam was startled and dropped the monocle to the ground.
“What the hell is going on!”
Then, the Emperor reappeared, raising his voice.
When the magic beast appeared, he had hastily abandoned the palace to avoid it, but hurried back upon hearing that the situation had calmed down.
However, just an hour ago, the beautiful outdoor banquet hall of the palace was now completely overturned and in ruins.
“That bastard! How dare he use a forbidden magic circle in my palace?!”
And without permission!
The Emperor was furious.
But there was someone who surprisingly stood up to the enraged Emperor.
“A magic circle, Emperor! How can you say that!”
Archbishop Gilliam angrily stepped forward.
“That’s a First-Class Sacred Relic! It’s definitely not some specific magic!”
‘That’s ‘The Net of Saint Priska’, and that is ‘Saint Vincentio’s Birdcage’. And what’s drawn on the ground is…’
“How dare you compare it with some nefarious magic! That’s a holy barrier passed down through generations at the papal court!”
Archbishop Gilliam enumerated the names of the unasked relics.
The number of relics mobilized tonight was no less than thirty-seven.
It was as if they had moved the treasure warehouse of Lucerne.
Overwhelmed by the momentum, the dumbfounded Emperor didn’t know what to say.
“Archbishop! Is that the matter now? Be it a magic circle or a relic! The issue is that he dared to turn the imperial palace into this mess!”
“Ah, about that… there’s Duke Carlyle…”
Suddenly regaining his senses, Archbishop Gilliam discreetly stepped aside and pointed towards the Duke who was standing by with his arms crossed, watching.
“Carlyle!”
The Emperor finally found someone to vent his anger on.
“Why are you really doing this!”
The Emperor burst into rage.
“Did you decide to interfere with every action of mine?”
Duke Carlyle quietly listened until the Emperor exhausted his anger, then spoke.
“You should be thanking me.”
“What? Thankful?”
“Archbishop.”
As Duke Carlyle gestured, Archbishop Gilliam swiftly approached and handed a monocle to the Emperor.
“What is this?”
“It’s called ‘Cecilia’s Monocle’. It’s a holy relic that shows hidden true forms.”
Upon the Archbishop’s explanation, the Emperor, with a bewildered expression, brought the monocle to his eyes.
“…Ah!”
Others didn’t understand why the Emperor was suddenly frightened upon seeing Count Jermang, who was confined in a cage.
“Duke! Why is there such a monster in my palace?”
“As I mentioned, this was the perpetrator behind the previous demonic beast incident.”
“So that’s…”
The Emperor, with fearful eyes, stared at the snake confined within the barrier.
“What are we going to do now? That monster.”
“There’s a simple way and a hard way.”
“Tell me!”
“First, you should put the Second Prince on trial.”
“My… My son?”
Duke Carlyle spoke calmly, but his demands were rational and to the point.
He suggested exposing that the Second Prince was behind the conspiracy of the past several months, and to severely punish the involved parties.
He would not interfere with the Carlyle family’s affairs or the disposal of the snake henceforth.
However, the Emperor found these terms injurious to his pride.
“But, but what’s the other way? You mentioned there’s a simple way as well, right?”
“Your Majesty.”
“Speak!”
Duke Carlyle’s eyes shone coldly.
“The method I just mentioned is the simple one.”
“What, what…”
Understanding the Duke’s meaning, the Emperor’s face turned pale. Lennox Carlyle spoke calmly.
“If you don’t like the ‘simple method’ I mentioned, there’s a harder choice. Turn my family and the north into enemies, embrace the Second Prince, and see the imperial family ruined.”
After hearing this, Juliet quietly slipped out of the banquet hall.
Outside, the guards were arresting the Second Prince’s soldiers who were involved with Count Jermann.
“Save me, Miss!”
Kneeling on the ground, Ronda urgently cried out upon seeing Juliet.
Her brother Ansel Hauser, as well as all the Second Prince’s soldiers were being shackled and dragged to prison, which turned Ronda pale.
“I only did as I was told!”
Ronda was quick to assess the situation, realizing her life now depended on Juliet.
“Who killed them?”
“What?”
“I will value you very much.”
Juliet smiled beautifully.
“Yes…?”
Although Ronda looked at Juliet suspiciously, Juliet was sincere.
Juliet intended to surely save Ronda.
Following Juliet out, Elliot asked.
“But why go through the trouble to save her?”
“Who else will testify if not her?”
“Pardon?”
Ronda was the key witness to testify that the Second Prince had brought in the snake spirit and caused all sorts of trouble from behind.
The second key witness was Ronda’s brother, Ansel Hauser, the Second Prince’s aide.
So, just as Duke Carlyle pressured the Emperor earlier, they could use them as important evidence later.
Of course, if the Emperor was a bit wiser… He’d choose the ‘simple option’, but in case the imperial family feigned ignorance, it was better to have more evidence.
Juliet, confirming that Hauser siblings were gagged so they couldn’t confess voluntarily, returned to the banquet hall with the knights of the Duke.
“But how did you know that maid Ronda was suspicious?”
Upon Elliot’s inquiry, Juliet grinned and teasingly retorted.
“Did Elliot also notice that Ronda was suspicious? How did you know?”
“Well, of course, I realized late after seeing that maid following Duke Carlyle.”
“I see.”
Juliet nodded.
“In reality, the Duke’s family doesn’t change their servants often. But then a strange maid suddenly appeared to serve tea, and I figured there was someone behind it.”
Of course, the conclusive thing was the scent of white sandalwood.
Already irritated by the nerves from the unidentified ‘Love Potion’, when Ronda, who sprinkled a lot of sandalwood, appeared before Juliet, she sensed something fishy.
‘Come on, bite the bait,’ as if shouting. Like a fishing rod.’
Juliet had no intention of being caught by such shallow schemes.