Chapter 63

“I… know that everything you’re saying is a lie.”  

Damn it. 

Alres felt a sharp pain at the crown of his head. He believed all of Costance’s actions were a facade, but his body and heart betrayed him, leaving him confused.  

“Say something, Costance Orsi.”  

“…Where is Vivi?”  

“Damn it.”  

Alres looked into Costance’s vacant eyes. Those hollow, serene gray eyes would immediately light up at the mere mention of Vivi’s name.  

〈She’s the person I truly love.〉  

Alres recalled the words Vivi had spoken during their brief reunion. But that wasn’t all. Before Alres approached Vivi, he had secretly observed her and Costance.  

Costance Orsi had desperately clung to Vivi, while Vivi, with great difficulty, had pushed him away.  

Though their conversations hadn’t reached Alres’ ears, he could understand their situation through their gestures and expressions.  

Vivi and Costance had been lovers, and Vivi was saying goodbye to Costance.  

“I want to ease Vivi’s burden.”  

Costance spoke with sincerity.  

“How could you possibly ease Benny’s burden?”  

Suppressing his emotions, Alres lowered his voice.  

“You’re a soldier. You’re even the son of Marquis Orsi. How could someone like you… possibly ease Benny’s burden?”  

Alres was sick of reckless bravado.  

“You know it too. What Benny remembers.”  

Alres let out a bitter laugh as he looked at Costance, who couldn’t answer. As expected, Costance had acted impulsively, driven by desperation and without thinking things through.  

Turning away from Costance, Alres calculated the time that had passed. The agents waiting for him outside the restroom weighed on his mind, so he hurriedly fumbled with his pants zipper and turned on the faucet in front of the mirror.  

“Get up and grab my arm.”  

Alres urged Costance, who was sitting blankly, to get moving.  

Paralyzed by the series of shocks, Costance sat there in despair. Clicking his tongue, Alres splashed cold water directly onto Costance’s face.  

“This is for Benny.”  

Without hesitation, Alres lunged at Costance. The problem was that Alres’ punches were so weak that Costance, even while being hit, marveled at how someone with such strength had managed to protect Vivi.  

“Damn it!”  

Alres shouted as he saw Costance remain unmoved. He gathered all his strength and struck Costance’s cheek again.  

“Captain! Is everything alright in there?”  

“Answer us, Captain!”  

The dull sound from inside prompted the agent outside to pound on the restroom door as if to break it down.  

“Quick, bring the restroom key! Hurry!”  

Realizing the door would soon be opened, Alres delivered one final blow to Costance’s cheek. On the third strike, Costance finally showed a reaction.  

“Snap out of it. If you want to save Vivi, get your scattered mind back together!”  

At Alres’ outburst, Costance’s focus returned.  

“…Excuse me.”  

Before the words even finished leaving his mouth, Costance subdued Alres. His large hands grabbed Alres’ body in an instant, twisting his arms behind his back. Alres’ eyes widened at the unexpectedly immense strength.  

But only for a moment—Alres began thrashing wildly, panting heavily.  

“Captain!”  

The restroom door opened.  

“Are you alright, Captain?”  

The agent surveyed the disheveled appearances of both Alres and Costance.  

“…It was just a minor scuffle. Take Dr. Alres to the interrogation room first.”  

Costance handed Alres over to the agents. Seeing Costance’s dark, furious gaze, the agent thought to himself, *This is bad.*  

“I think I need some time to cool off.”  

“U-Understood.”  

The agents had no idea that the anger wasn’t directed at Alres but at Costance himself.  

* * *  

After the situation had calmed, Costance approached Alres, who was sitting in the interrogation room. Perhaps due to the earlier incident in the restroom, Alres’ body was tightly bound with ropes.  

Costance glanced at the window. Although it was just the two of them in the room, agency staff beyond the glass were likely watching everything in real time.  

Costance dragged a chair closer to the window and sat down. The interrogation began.  

The interrogation, which lasted about an hour, yielded no significant results. Despite Costance’s pressure, Alres showed no signs of opening up and remained resolute. It would have been the same even if another agent had taken over.  

Experienced and clever, Alres even managed to turn the tables, putting pressure on the agents instead.  

“He’s a tough opponent, Captain.”  

One of the agents subtly commented to Costance. Costance didn’t respond and continued to stare intently at Alres beyond the glass.  

“Are your injuries alright?”  

“Yes.”  

With Costance’s curt reply, the agent gave up on further conversation.  

Costance checked the time. It had been roughly five hours since Alres was captured.  

The agency had classified the investigation into Vivi Ferren as a top-secret and high-priority mission. Countless agents had been deployed to track her movements, leaving no stone unturned.  

Vivi Ferren might be caught soon.  

〈How could you possibly ease Benny’s burden?〉  

Costance recalled Alres’ words.  

Soon, the agency would undoubtedly discover that Vivi Ferren had a lover. At that moment, Costance would become a burden to Vivi in a way that he could do nothing to undo.  

‘What should I do….’  

Costance turned his head toward the commotion coming from behind him.  

“Hello.”  

“Your Holiness.”  

“Is that Dr. Alres?”  

The person who had arrived at the agency was Rahie, the young Cardinal who currently held immense power in the Papal States. The agents, noticing his arrival, greeted him with respect.  

“Don’t mind me. Please continue your work.”  

Rahie exuded a relaxed demeanor before spotting Costance. Their eyes met, and Rahie’s lips curled into a smile, as if he were meeting an old friend.  

“It’s been a while, Costance.”  

“Yes, Your Holiness.”  

“May I stay here for a while?”  

At Rahie’s question, Costance nodded. Rahie immediately wiped the smile off his face and focused on Alres with a serious expression. However, Costance, sitting quietly, suddenly remembered the upcoming conclave and widened his eyes.  

The fact that Rahie had come here despite the important event ahead meant that the Papal States had noticed Vivi Ferren’s existence and were keeping an eye on her.  

Costance clenched his teeth. If the Papal States got involved in Vivi Ferren’s affairs, things would become even more complicated.  

“He’s a strong opponent. Given his background, it’s no surprise.”  

Rahie commented as he observed Alres.  

“Costance. Shall we step outside for a moment to talk?”  

“I’ll escort you to the lounge.”  

Costance led the way.  

* * *  

“It seems the spies from the Rando Kingdom are on the move. Likely to assassinate Vivi Ferren.”  

The words Rahie spoke as soon as they sat down were nothing short of shocking.  

“Has her existence already been revealed to the Rando Kingdom?”  

“Toramde has many good qualities, but there are far too many loose-lipped individuals. That’s why the Rando Kingdom completed their destructive weapon first.”  

“…….”  

“It’s been a while since I’ve seen you, but our conversation is rather heavy.”  

Rahie smiled as he studied Costance’s hardened expression.  

Having grown up among the elite, both Rahie and Costance had few friends their age. For that reason, they had often confided in each other before Costance entered the military academy.  

“The Holy Nation is divided. Those who oppose me see Vivi Ferren as a threat to the future and consider her an evil force.”  

“She is not a criminal.”  

“She knows the blueprints for the destructive weapon, Costance.”  

Neither Costance nor Rahie looked away from each other. Rahie briefly furrowed his brow at the sight of a Costance so different from the one he used to know.  

“But I agree that she is not a criminal.”  

Rahie was the first to break the silence.  

“My people want to protect her within the Papal States.”  

“Protection in words alone is meaningless.”  

Costance had learned this painfully through his conversation with Alres.  

“It’s not just words. If my side wins the Conclave, we can grant her the title of ‘Honorary Citizen.’”  

“Honorary Citizen?”  

“You understand what that means, don’t you, Costance?”  

Rahie spoke with a teasing tone.  

Honorary Citizen.

As the name implied, it referred to someone special.  

While it was a title given to recognize merit, it was sometimes used to protect individuals.  

As an Honorary Citizen, even without being a follower of the faith, one would be under the protection of the Pope. Anyone who harmed an Honorary Citizen would face double punishment or penalties harsher than the crime committed.  

In other words, if a nation assassinated an Honorary Citizen, it would be equivalent to declaring opposition to the current Pope.  

To prevent abuse, the Pope could only grant the title to a maximum of three people during their term.  

“Costance. If I win the Conclave, I plan to grant Vivi Ferren the title of Honorary Citizen.”