Meanwhile, at the same guest house of the Galarc Castle, Stewart Huguenot was sitting in a chair in his room, legs shaking in small but fierce movements. The next moment, he stood up and paced the room restlessly. His face was pale with intense panic.
“Damn it!” he yelled at the top of his lungs. The reason for his current state was clear.
“Why?! Why is it him? Why does he have to appear now...!”
Rio, the boy who once disappeared after being framed with a crime, had potentially reappeared nearby as the man named Haruto Amakawa.
No, wait! Is it really him though? Is Haruto Amakawa...Rio...?
His thoughts were all over the place. Or rather, he refused to believe it. He didn’t want to think of Rio and Haruto Amakawa as the same person. He wanted them to be different people. But there was strong proof of them being the same person.
I couldn’t understand why Professor Celia was so close to that man, but now...
If Haruto Amakawa was Rio, then it made sense. When Stewart attended the Royal Academy, there were rumors of Celia being close to Rio. There were many male students who weren’t amused by that, and Stewart had been one of them.
If so, that means the professor knows his identity. She would have heard about what happened at the outdoor drill from him. On top of that, she’s staying with him...
In other words, Celia must blindly believe in Rio’s innocence.
He too would have heard about what happened after he fell off the cliff from the professor. Like what part of the story was inconsistent and how it was handled after...
That was probably why he had vanished after the outdoor drill. The reality was that Rio had directly witnessed Stewart giving his false testimony, but Stewart had no way of knowing that.
He must know about how I lied...
The guilt of the lie he had told made Stewart stiffen. The truth was, he knew exactly who had pushed him during the outdoor drill. He had known, yet claimed that it had been Rio who pushed him.
No, but there weren’t any other witnesses who saw it. At the very least, neither Princess Christina nor Princess Flora saw anything. Roanna shouldn’t have either...
In that case, was there anyone else who could declare he had been lying? Even if Rio pleaded innocence, there was no way of proving it as long as Stewart didn’t change his testimony.
That’s right. There’s no evidence. He knew there was no way of proving his innocence, so he changed his name and started a new life.
The situation still favored him, Stewart concluded with a much more relaxed smile.
But how does that explain the different color of his hair? Is he really a different person after all? Or is it the effect of an artifact that can affect other people’s perception?
Stewart didn’t know that Rio had an artifact that could change his hair color. Christina had traveled from Celia’s house to Rodania with altered hair color too, but there were very few people in the Restoration who knew that.
Whatever. Either way, I just have to insist he was the one who pushed me. Even if he pleads innocence or claims that I’m lying, nothing will change...
Stewart tried to reassure himself he was fine, but his expression was still stiff.
What was that lowly commoner even thinking? Not only did he have the nerve to appear before us so boldly, he even invited Queen Christina to the mansion...
It was hard to believe these were the actions of a man who had committed a crime in the past, Stewart thought in disbelief. But that thought only lasted for a brief moment.
No, that’s just the scum he is. He’s so desperate for validation, he couldn’t hold back his craving for the limelight. Being a lowborn meant he’d never received the approval of others, so he was dying to be treated specially. A clear inferiority complex, if you ask me. Greedy filth. Hmph.
In order to dispel his lingering anxiety, Stewart let out a condescending snort. He was trying to keep calm by looking down on Rio.
He probably changed his name because he wanted to hide his dirty past as an orphan of the slums. But once he got a taste of the higher world at the Royal Academy, he yearned for nobility. That’s why he started gaining fame in the Galarc Kingdom—because he couldn’t resist his need for validation despite his shameful past.
Stewart sneered, convinced that this was the truth. However...
But he really is a shallow fool. He doesn’t understand how small noble society truly is. He must have thought he wouldn’t have to face any of Beltrum’s nobles if he left the kingdom. Then, of all people, it had to be us...
Stewart suddenly gasped as though he had realized something.
Wait, was it really a coincidence? When we were attacked by monsters in Amande, he appeared before us. Was he following us on purpose? What if he held a grudge for what happened at the outdoor drill...?
The guilt of what Stewart had done haunted him, making him suspect Rio was trying to exact revenge on them.
That’s right. Alphonse vanished immediately after he appeared in Amande. And at the Ricca Guild’s restaurant, he made me get on my knees and bow to him...
Had he been waiting for a chance to get revenge the entire time? The Huguenot faction’s downfall from the Beltrum Kingdom would have been the perfect opportunity. As Stewart recalled the events of the past, the humiliation he felt rose once again.
“Damn it! Are you saying that the lowly commoner made me bow to him?!” he yelled furiously.
He must have been ecstatic! How dare he look down on me...!
Stewart shook from head to toe with rage. The humiliation he felt was intense. “You’re below, I’m above”—that had been the unmistakable status. But it had now collapsed, and their positions were reversed—something which he couldn’t bear.
An artifact that can alter people’s perceptions and memories. Wouldn’t it have been easy for him to use that and control Alphonse, making him cause trouble in his drunk state?
That was something that would be impossible to prove, but...
That has to be it. He’s trying to get revenge on us. It has to be his fault Alphonse vanished from Rodania. No, what if he was killed...?
Convinced that was the truth, Stewart looked horrified.
Father has noticed his other identity. Otherwise he wouldn’t have asked me about him. But is he seriously trying to gain his assistance? He might be targeting Queen Christina and the others. Not to mention me...
There was no telling when he would be stabbed in the back. The fact that Rio had a motive to do so made Stewart shudder.
No... Even if we gained his assistance, I’d never be able to trust him. Who knows what vulgar demands he’ll make in return.
In the otherwise silent room, the twitching of his legs echoed loudly.
Wait a minute. What if he requests I be punished as revenge?
Stewart’s entire body froze.
Would father abandon me...?
He had been excited when Duke Huguenot had allowed him to sit in on his meeting with Christina, thinking he was finally redeeming himself. But what if he had been terribly mistaken? Stewart’s face paled further.
Shouldn’t he need evidence to do that? Just like how I need evidence that he resents us and killed Alphonse with his own hands... But if I don’t get rid of him, he will get rid of me.
If he could find proof that Rio had killed Alphonse, Rio would be unable to do anything about the incident at the outdoor drill.
But how do I find any proof Alphonse was killed by him when it happened so long ago?
Back then, Alphonse had gone to investigate the forests near Amande with the other knights of the Restoration. The monster attack on Amande had happened immediately after, so it was concluded that he had been killed by the swarms of monsters in the forest. But no corpse had been recovered, so he was still technically missing.
“Damn it!” Stewart yelled again, losing his temper.
It’s impossible; there’s no way of finding proof... Even if I ask to go to Amande, I’ll never receive approval.
So what could he do?
Is there anything else? Like a weakness of his...
Stewart’s legs started shaking again out of fear of Rio.