12 O’Clock Marionette

“No, what I mean is—”

Cruello began listing off names.

At first, Julian thought it was just another one of his odd, unpredictable behaviors—

But soon, he realized.

Those were all the people he had eliminated while acting as the Elder Council’s errand boy.

And they all had one thing in common—

They had all been villains.

Not that Julian had made any conscious moral choices, but anyone entangled with the Black Serpent tended to fit that description anyway.

“I'm asking if there’s anyone else you’ve killed. If your crimes are too severe, it’ll be harder to avoid execution.”

“…”

“No answer? Guess you’re not as sentimental as your sword’s original owner.”

The subtle threat made Julian’s temper flare.

He clenched his eyes shut before forcing out a trembling response.

“…No. There isn’t.”@@novelbin@@

“In that case, I might be able to show leniency.”

Cruello’s eyes gleamed—

Like he had been waiting for that answer.

The pressure from his gaze made the hairs on the back of Julian’s neck stand on end.

“Of course, you’ll need to have something of value to trade for your life.”

***

A plain, pristine white bed.

A woman with dark green hair lay stiffly, sleeping as if dead.

Then—

Suddenly, her eyelids shot open, and she bolted upright.

“Hah… haah…”

Her heart pounded violently in her chest, as if ready to burst.

Mamic clutched her hand over her heart, trying to calm herself.

“It’s nothing. Just a nightmare. Just a dream.”

Mamic was used to nightmares.

Ever since she had lied about being a successor of Recanon, she had been haunted by visions of being exposed.