12 O’Clock Marionette

Chapter 19

“I heard you’ve recently been reading occult books, so I paid some attention to it.”

“I enjoy reading and imagining, but watching it isn’t enjoyable for me.”

“That’s a shame. I had a hard time choosing the right time.”

Some idle chatter passed between them.

The people who had been staring blankly at the scene slowly began to regain their senses.

And then...

“Lord Count Jarman has passed away!”

The news of someone’s death was announced.

In fact, it wasn’t just one.

“Lord Marwin has also passed away!”

“Lady Popri has ceased breathing as well!”

“Poison, it seems! The symptoms suggest poisoning!”

Poison.

At the weight of that word, the air in the ballroom instantly grew cold.

Duke Crimson shouted in anger.

“Poison? White Desert Duke, what is going on here?”

His face had turned red, and veins were bulging on his neck.

“Are you now resorting to killing people? Explain what’s going on here!”

“Well,”

Cruello, as though uninterested, didn’t even properly respond to the anger.

He didn’t change his posture, still leaning back in his chair, and continued speaking.

“Is there any reason I shouldn’t?”

“This... this is monstrous! Your Highness the Crown Prince, are you truly going to leave this culprit unpunished?”

“Yes, Your Highness the Crown Prince! Please, save this poor lady! Why should these people die without any reason?”

Marquis Albay, cradling a body, approached the Crown Prince.

I, like the others, was absentmindedly observing the situation before suddenly turning my gaze toward the body.

“Huh.”

Didn’t the hand just move?

“The White Desert Duke must be punished!”

Marquis Albay cried out in despair.

At the same time, “Lady Popri” jumped up.

It wasn’t a mistake in the subject; indeed, the body immediately turned toward the Crown Prince.

Not only her, but everyone who had been declared dead moved.

From their fingertips, gleaming blue blades flashed.

“Stop them!”

Caught off guard, Duke Crimson shouted, but Lady Popri reached the Crown Prince’s feet first.

However, there was no time to swing the blades.

Cruello merely made a slight gesture with his hand.

And then, all those who had been thought to be corpses collapsed to the floor.

The wriggling movements were grotesque, like giant insects.

“I didn’t know that using paralysis poison on assassins was such a bad idea.”

Had they been disguised as other people?

Their faces quickly transformed into those of completely different people.

Only Cruello remained unperturbed by the situation.

“I didn’t think they’d still move after being hit.”

“Ah, assassins?”

“So, did you think I was giving the Crown Prince a surprise performance just now?”

Cruello clicked his tongue openly.

Straightening his posture, he headed toward the Crown Prince.

His bow, as he bent at the waist, was flawless, though it only made the scene feel even more absurd.

“That’s why I couldn’t stay away. You’re not hurt, are you, Your Highness?”

“You’ve done well. Once again, you’ve saved my life.”

“Not at all. Your Highness is the one and only heir to the throne, so you must take care of yourself. By the way, I’ve heard rumors of a disloyal faction trying to crown a relative of the Crown Prince as Emperor...”

Rather than being startled by an unjust accusation, it seemed like the person who had their crime exposed was showing signs of guilt.

“I happen to have heard rumors of a treacherous group trying to crown the cousin of the Crown Prince as emperor,” said the Marquis of Albay.

So it was Marquis Albay, then. Perhaps the emperor’s only child had stirred some greed.

The Crown Prince, with a languid voice, calmed the flustered Marquis.

“Don’t worry, Marquis. No one will judge you as a traitor based on mere scribbles on paper.”

“R-right? Your Highness, you trust my loyalty, don’t you?”

“Of course. I won’t make a move without the proper authority.”

“Eh?”

“Sadly, it has come to this.”

Cruello snapped his fingers.

At the same time, royal knights rushed in.

It was a scene I had seen in the puppet theater before.

“Y-Your Highness?”

“Actually, before coming to the ball, I received an interesting document from the Duke of White Desert.”

“No, Your Highness! Your Highness!”

“If there’s no evidence, you’ll be released soon enough. Please bear with it.”

Without even glancing at the direction where Marquis Albay was being dragged off, the Crown Prince finished speaking.

The entire spectacle seemed like nothing more than a play.

I stared at Cruello, stunned.

I had never seen someone so perfectly suited for such madness.

Now I understood why Cruello had such a reputation.

I chuckled softly as I ran my fingers through my tangled hair.

Then, I felt it.

“Hmm...”

I could sense someone's gaze on me.

A sense of déjà vu washed over me.

I thought something similar had happened at the puppet theater…

I was quick to learn, so I didn’t feel the need to identify the source of the gaze.

I even lowered my head to avoid meeting eyes.

However, much to my regret, the footsteps drew nearer.

The crowd parted, and a path opened up toward me.

Gavotte pulled on my arm and whispered.

“Hey, run.”

Before I could say a word, his mouth was shut.

There was a palpable aura of silence magic surrounding Gavotte’s face—clearly imposed by someone else.

With a sigh of resignation, I took a deep breath.

Soon enough, the sound of men’s shoes caught my attention.

I gave up on escaping reality, slowly lifting my head.

A sea of jewel-like roses bloomed in my view.

“Hello, my love. I’m sorry I’m late.”

Cruello flashed a bright smile as he handed me a bouquet.

Then he said,

“I’m sorry I stole the first dance, but would you dance one song with me?”

At this point, he must be tormenting me just for fun.

I reluctantly accepted the bouquet.

Had I wanted to slap him across the back of his head at the puppet theater, but couldn’t because he was too far away?

But today, I could do it.

“No, thanks.”

Without hesitation, I shoved the bouquet into his face.

A muffled sound.

Trembling shoulders.

A head that couldn’t quite move.

I glared at the man and warned him.

“Stop laughing, will you?”

It only served to light the fuse.

Cruello burst out laughing so loudly the balcony seemed to shake.

“Haha, I knew you’d be angry, but to slap me in the face with a bouquet? Hahaha!”

“Is it really that funny?”

I didn’t expect him to enjoy being hit like that. I had clearly underestimated this madman.

I had been in a good mood not too long ago.

I sighed against the railing.

After I slammed the bouquet into Cruello’s face and the ballroom cooled, I realized my mistake, but still felt strangely relieved.

If only that madman hadn’t laughed, I would have felt fine the whole time.

“Well, I should stop laughing, shouldn’t I? You don’t like it, my love.”

He wiped the tears from his eyes, still grinning, as he said in the same cheerful tone.

I grumbled, “You said you wouldn’t come, so what’s this? It seemed like everything was already arranged.”

“Originally, I wasn’t planning to come. If I’d known it was the anniversary of Prince Talias’s death, I really wouldn’t have come.”

“You like ghosts?”

“I’ve always had an interest in ghosts.”

Cruello chuckled lightly.

“Actually, I thought it was a perfect opening.”

“Could you speak in a way that makes sense?”

“Living dolls, ghosts. Lifeless, and rarely seen outside their chambers.”

He counted on his fingers, one by one.

It was a story I already knew.

“The reputation of ‘Siora Velvet’ was like that, right?”

“…In front of the person herself, too.”

“But the ‘darling’ I saw was completely different from the information. If she wasn’t possessed by a passing ghost, it would make sense to think she had been swapped out.”

“…”

“Had it not been for the ancient god popping up all of a sudden, it would have been a reasonable theory.”

So, it was about that.

A brief jolt ran through me, but since it was what I had expected, I calmed down.

Once I had openly used a divine incantation, it was only a matter of time before this topic came up.

“You want to talk now, darling?”