Chapter 94 - A New Subordinate

Helene saw Amelia, who looked pleased with herself, the maid Amelia was always with, and Achillios the Prime Minister. She knew that she wouldn’t be able to leave this place alive. As soon as she realized that her plans to escape had failed, she got down on her knees. 

“Your Highness, I won’t ask for your forgiveness. I have a younger sibling. Please have mercy and let me see their face one last time…” She recalled her sibling’s face. She hadn’t been able to see them for a while and had thought that the two of them would finally reunite after this one last incident. Helene bit her lips and fought to hold back her tears. 

“Huh? But I’m not here to kill you,” replied Amelia, puzzled.

Helene’s expression changed at the unexpected response, “T…then why are you here? Why are you talking to me instead of arresting me?” Amelia was amazed. Smart people were indeed the best. “You’re right. I didn’t plan to find the culprit,” Amelia grinned. It was a happy grin befitting a child, but Helene saw something else in it.

“Do you want to know what happened to the others?”

“They’re probably dead now.”

“Well, that’s pretty much what happened.” Amelia turned to look at Achillios without agreeing or disagreeing with him, and the latter grinned at the sudden attention. But his fake smile wasn’t fooling anyone.  

“Why did you say you’d do this?” 

Helene gazed at the floor. She had been found out, so there was no reason to hide anything at this point. “I had no choice. I needed the money. My life was at stake…so I had to listen to them,” she started to tear up, “The plan had been in motion for a while, but His Majesty suddenly had to go to the Holy Empire, so it took longer than expected. That’s why…” Achillios felt a wave of sympathy when he saw Helene’s tears. But Amelia wasn’t having any of it, “Wow, you’re a good actress,” she said. 

“What…what do you mean?”

“You know exactly what I mean,” Amelia had a huge grin on her face as she continued, “You said you were desperate for money, but tell the truth. You weren’t tied down by money, but by your sibling. Isn’t that so?”Helene’s expression froze. 

“I bet they offered you this plan and used your sibling’s life as collateral, saying you had to play a really small role in it. Did they tell you that Daddy was busy getting rid of women, so it would be easy for you to talk to him, and all you had to do was pretend to be his lover? To get him to lower his guard?”

Helene’s palms were starting to sweat. “The only reason why you were able to stay by Daddy’s side as his lover wasn’t because you were actually lovers, but because you were involved in some kind of deal.” 

Helene didn’t say anything, but her silence was as good as a confession. Amelia continued confidently, “I heard that you have The Emptiness, but it’s actually your sibling who does, correct?”How did Amelia know? Helene’s eyes widened in shock as Amelia’s grin broadened, “I feel divine power from you.”

The Emptiness was a disease that drew out all of the victim’s energy. Under such conditions, there was no way for divine power to remain in the body. But the power didn’t belong to her. Amelia knew exactly where it came from. It was the same power that she and Achillios used. There was only one effective way to make sure that someone would listen. No one would have thought that the Holy Empire was behind all this. And that wasn’t the only shocking thing.

“You lied about having an incurable disease for two reasons. First, to find clues on how to cure the illness. And second…” Helene was silent. Amelia knew she was on the right track. “…to fake your own death.”

It was possible that they would silence her through murder. Her sibling had an incurable illness, so all they had to do was deal with Helene. That’s why she decided to pretend to die first. 

“You pretended to be sick to set the stage for your death. And you wanted to kill two birds with one stone by running away from both Daddy and the people who used you at the same time.” Ah, I was getting drunk off of this high. I’d rarely ever felt this free. It was so satisfying to have someone in the palm of my hand. I needed someone like this. Sensing an emotion rise up from deep within her, Amelia started smiling and clapping. Helene glared at her. She had found out her plan. Helene deliberated about what to do next.

“… All I wanted was to cure my younger sibling, that’s all.” The two of them had been on their own since birth. They were part of the lower class, and they didn’t even have names. Since the two of them had struggled at the bottom rung of society, Helene would never give up on curing her sibling’s illness, even at the cost of her life. 

“Your Highness…no, saintess. I know how presumptuous I sound. But if you would have some mercy for me, I’ll do anything. Please be merciful and save my sibling!” Even if she had to die, she wanted her sibling to live. Helene recalled her sibling, who had told her that they didn’t need anything as long as they were together.

“Okay, I’ll save you.”

“Please, I beg…excuse me?” she was shocked that Amelia relented so easily. Helene thought she was hearing things, but Amelia smiled mischievously at her. “On one condition.” A condition? All Helene could think about was saving her sibling. Amelia looked excited, “Do you want to start a business with me?” Helene had been wracking her brain, trying to figure out the best course of action, but Amelia’s proposal came out of the left-field, “Pardon?”