Dominate Another World with a Brainwashing Skill!? No, If Anyone Finds Out, I’ll Be Executed, So I’ll Live Honestly and Upright! - Chapter 79: The Fourth Most Wanted Word to Use in Novels – "Devil's Proof"

Chapter 79: The Fourth Most Wanted Word to Use in Novels – “Devil’s Proof”

Prince Lucas suddenly bowed his head, leaving Lily and me confused as we exchanged glances. It was surprising that Prince Lucas had miscalculated the situation and even more surprising that he was apologizing to us. I had no idea why he felt the need to apologize.

“I never thought my brother would be this much of an idiot… Bringing the church’s saintess of all people…”

Prince Lucas held his head in both hands and let out a heavy sigh. I’d never seen him this defeated before. If it were Prince Lucas, he’d usually fake something like this with ease—but was this for real?

“Um, the girl that Prince Slay brought… is she really…?”

“The saintess appointed by the Church of Divine Gifts, Rosary Saint. Hugh, it seems you’ve already met her?”

“Yeah, kind of. I went to the grand cathedral this morning with Loug. We had planned the outing since yesterday… That’s where I met her, and she showed us around. She introduced herself as just a humble nun at the time, though…”

Well, I did get a feeling that something was off, considering how she was accompanied by a holy knight. So, it wasn’t that shocking to learn she was the saintess. But running into her in the king’s bedroom of all places—now that was unexpected.

For Prince Lucas, though, it seemed like this reunion was a serious problem.

“It should’ve been obvious with a little thought that the saintess from the church wouldn’t have the power to cure an illness. In the first place, the church shouldn’t have been involved in this matter. No matter how it turns out, it’s bound to cause trouble.”

“…If the saintess had managed to cure His Majesty’s illness, the royal family would owe the Church of Divine Gifts a debt they could never repay. On the other hand, if she failed and His Majesty passed away, it would bring disgrace to the saintess…”

“What was Prince Slay even thinking…?”

From what Lily explained, I couldn’t see much benefit in bringing the saintess here in the first place. After all, it’s written in the sacred texts that while the saintess has the power to heal wounds, she can’t cure diseases…

I wanted to believe he didn’t just take a gamble, hoping she could miraculously cure the king… but…

“I’m sure someone must have influenced him. Whether it was a noble or someone from the church, I can’t say. But one thing’s certain—Brother Slay is far more desperate than I originally thought.”

“…Is it because my engagement to Greed Lechery was broken off?”

“No, I think that’s just one of the reasons. Honestly, I believe your engagement to Duke Lechery happened because of Brother Slay’s desperation in the first place. Otherwise, it wouldn’t make sense for him to push it through so forcefully, even at the cost of making an enemy out of Marquis Puridy, the leader of his faction.”

“…Ah, could this be related to the rumor Prince Brute mentioned earlier?”

When I asked, Prince Lucas nodded and said, “Probably.”

Just what kind of rumor could make Prince Slay this anxious…?

“Hugh, what did you think when you saw His Majesty and us three brothers earlier?”

“What did I think…?”

Well, since they were family, I did notice some similarities. His Majesty’s golden hair was just like Prince Lucas’s. His sharp features were almost identical to Prince Brute’s. I hadn’t paid much attention to the finer details, but there were enough similarities to tell they were father and sons.

…Wait a minute.

“Prince Slay… doesn’t look like His Majesty the King…?”

“Exactly. Just like me, His Majesty isn’t that tall. Brother Brute is tall, but that comes from his mother’s side, so it makes sense. But no one on Brother Slay’s mother’s side is tall.”

“…Don’t tell me, the rumor is—”

“They’re saying Brother Slay isn’t actually His Majesty’s real son. It’s just a baseless rumor, but it’s spreading. It’s something that often happens to queens who come from foreign lands.”

“…No wonder he’s panicking…”

Lily muttered quietly, sounding almost sympathetic.

If the rumor that he might not have royal blood spread, it would be a fatal blow for Prince Slay, who relies on his lineage to gain noble support. Wanting to secure the throne before the truth comes out is understandable.

“Even so, I think he’s overthinking it. There’s no point in trying to confirm whether the rumor is true or not.”

“Can’t an appraisal skill or your skill see it, Prince Lucas?”

“Appraisal skills can only reveal information about objects. So far, there’s no known skill that can confirm human blood relationships. And my skill isn’t so convenient that I can see whatever I want. Even if I could, my words wouldn’t hold much weight.”

“Ah, because you’re so suspicious—ugh!”

Before I could finish, Lily elbowed me hard in the side.

“I’m sorry, Your Highness. Please forgive him with this.”

“Well, yeah, I’m aware of it myself, so it’s fine. It’s not entirely wrong, after all. No matter what I say as someone opposing Brother Slay, it won’t serve as solid proof to confirm the truth. The same goes for you, Hugh, even if you use your skill.”

…I see. Even if I used a skill to prove it, only the person with the skill would know the result. That would mean we’d need proof to verify whether that person is telling the truth or not.

It’s not like in my previous life, where DNA testing could provide objective proof. That’s why Prince Lucas said there’s no point in trying to confirm it…

At the same time, it means that Prince Slay himself can’t prove his own bloodline either. Even if he wants to dispel the rumors, he has no solid evidence to back it up.

It’s what you’d call the “Devil’s Proof,” huh…

“Um, doesn’t the royal family keep records of the dates when the king and queen spent the night together for situations like this?”

“Good observation, Lady Lily. You’re right, those records do exist. Both Brother Brute and I have checked them. According to the records, everything is clear—on paper, Brother Slay is indeed Father’s son.”

“…But you can’t completely rule out the possibility that something happened outside of the recorded dates, right?”

“Exactly. That’s why I believe Brother Slay shouldn’t be so fixated on these rumors anymore. I can’t deny that his obsession with them led to this misjudgment. Once again, I want to apologize to you both. I’m truly sorry.”

Prince Lucas bowed his head to us again.

I understood the reasoning behind his misjudgment, but I still had no clue why he was apologizing to us.

…No, deep down, I already had a feeling.

There was only one reason why Prince Lucas would apologize to us in the first place.

“Miss Recty might be in danger.”

<Author’s Comment>

2024/01/01

Happy New Year!

Actually, I received an offer from a publishing company last year, and the book adaptation of this story is currently in progress!

I never imagined that something I was just writing as a hobby would actually become a book…

It’s all thanks to you, the readers, for sticking with me this far…!

Thank you so much!

(I was seriously tempted to give the subtitle “Royalties, Gotta Catch ‘Em All!” but I held back.)

I’ll announce the release date and other details soon!

This story will continue for a while, so I hope you’ll stick around this year too! (´ω`)ノ