54. The executioner chopped him into minced meat
I… am going to meet my end, check the cast list, am I going to die!?
At the moment I finally recognized that Moriarty was behind Louis XIV regarding my script, this death script did not, as usual, merely appear and be suppressed by Professor Moriarty; instead, accompanied by the crisp sound of shattering glass, it had transformed into the professor’s actual action, as if it were a “signal to throw the cup”!
Even though everything in my line of sight seemed to slow down as if entering a death replay, I had just been so focused on the script that I failed to anticipate in advance. All angles, directions, and actions led to only one outcome in the script—Euclid’s death!
Tonight’s candlelight dinner was a trap!?
However, the next moment, the queen’s actions left me even more bewildered!
Louis XIV must have known about Professor Moriarty’s actions from the very beginning. In that moment of panic as she turned around, she directly reached out to grab the blade that Moriarty had drawn from her cane!
After all, being a strategist, the queen couldn’t pull off any empty-handed feats against a drawn sword. So, at the moment the death script I could no longer evade suddenly vanished, accompanied by Louis XIV’s gasp, the blade was immediately stained red.
“Your Majesty!?”
Professor Moriarty, startled, dropped the sword to the ground, while the maid, after widening her eyes in thought for a moment, hurried forward to support Louis XIV, only to be brushed aside by the queen.
I was even more confused! I understood what was happening, but… I was a bit afraid to think about it!
“Your Majesty, what are you playing at!?”
“A feigned injury~ Have I captivated you?”
Enduring the pain, Louis XIV showed me a slightly distorted smile, then obediently sat down, accepting the potion and bandaging service that the maid conjured from her skirt as if by magic.
No, if this was a feigned injury, I could accept it! But the key point is that it wasn’t! The script didn’t say so!
【Louis XIV stopped Moriarty from dealing with Euclid.】
What had just happened was clearly a trap! Moreover, it was the kind of trap that was a “signal to throw the cup”! I just couldn’t comprehend the reason behind it; the queen had originally intended to “get rid of me ” but had changed her mind at the moment the cup was thrown, stopping Professor Moriarty’s actions!
This can only be explained this way! I would like to ask for the reason, but given the current situation…
Professor Moriarty was still staring at me with a look that seemed to say, “I could kill you”; the maid was bandaging Louis XIV’s wound; as for the queen herself…
“Sorry, Mr. Euclid, but Moriarty’s sword suddenly sprang from the cane and accidentally hurt me. I hope you don’t mind.”
The queen was trying to play it off…
In this atmosphere, I had no chance, nor would I dare to be foolish enough to ask for an explanation.
“Don’t look so tense; I’m not going to kill you.”
That was not something a woman who just intended to stab me and then suddenly had a change of heart would say.
I decided to play dumb, as it was the only way to keep myself safe in this situation.
“Your Majesty, if Louis XIII and Louis XXV make contact, then in his impression, the recent ‘Euclid’ will be seen as a disguise by you and your people. So if I, the ‘real deal,’ were to appear now, it would be quite justified…”
“And then you would set a trap, find some evidence, and send it to me when you have the chance? Ah ha~ Euclid, you really are wicked~”
The queen winked at me and pointed with both hands, though she was immediately reprimanded by the maid.
“I used to do this all the time in various evil organizations; otherwise, where do you think ‘Lei Feng’s’ letters came from? Your Majesty, the situation is urgent. I believe Louis XIII will soon start taking action against us, so I need to speed things up. For that, I need you to provide me with some information about Louis XIII and so on, so I can be prepared. Prophecies are not infallible.”
“Moriarty, go to the secret room and gather everything to send to the Kephir residence overnight.”
The queen immediately agreed, and to be honest, this level of frankness… seemed a bit unlike this cunning Empress of the Great Tyrant Empire.
“Your Majesty, this…”
“Go quickly!”
Reprimanded, Moriarty obediently left in a hurry.
“Next, you don’t need to stop the manhunt for Euclid; just pretend you really want to catch me. This will make my identity more convincing. Ah, and if possible, please capture me alive. I’m afraid of dying, and I’m even more afraid of pain.”
“Sigh~ so pathetic.”
At least I could say it was “cautious.” Who isn’t afraid of dying?
The queen blinked: “I understand. The warrant won’t be withdrawn, and it won’t be the patrol team that comes to catch you, but the guards who aren’t closely related to me. If you get caught, it will really be the end for you, Euclid.”
No need to panic; if it’s not convincing enough, then it wouldn’t be called the great villain Euclid.
“So, let’s save the candlelit dinner for later. Kephir should be bursting in soon. Your Majesty, I take my leave.”
As I stood to bid farewell, I recalled the scene that had just unfolded. I cleared my throat and lowered my voice.
“Thank you for earlier, Your Majesty.”
“~”
No response, just…
【Louis XIV wants to steal Euclid from Kephir.】
Don’t get too carried away, Your Majesty.
——
Afterwards, a little later.
At the moment when the luxurious dishes had completely cooled, Louis IV, who had been waiting in place, finally received a report from Moriarty.
“Your Majesty, the items have been sent overnight. But just now…”
“What happened? Are you asking me to punish you for offending the Queen of the Great Yng Empire?”
“I won’t take the blame for injuries caused by you stopping me from acting according to plan.”
Moriarty sighed deeply, “But weren’t we supposed to have already decided to ‘clean up’? Why have you suddenly changed your mind and handed over the decision-making regarding our future stability to him? For something beneficial to our interests, you … this time, you seem surprisingly trusting of others.”
Louis IV waved the hand that had just been bandaged, tilting her head in thought.
“Well~ because I like it.”
“I hope you can clarify what exactly you like…”
“Who knows~ Anyway, the person has already been let go, so now we can only trust him~”
Turning around, Louis IV flashed a smile at Moriarty that left her with no choice but to accept it.
“Consider it me pushing a duck onto the perch~ Take the items down, we’re going back to the hall.”
With that, Louis IV adjusted her idol persona, “It’s almost time for my meeting with Lord Louis XIII; plans have changed, and we’ll handle it normally. Moriarty, you must not show even the slightest flaw~”
——
Tonight’s lottery results will be announced around midnight tomorrow. The March monthly ticket lottery is ready, and I hope everyone will contribute a little more then.