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HELHEIM SCANS
[Translator - Peptobismol]
[Proofreader - Demon God]
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Chapter 63 - Judgment Deferred
Aria’s throat felt parched.
Her heart pounded, and her lips trembled.
Would Lee Han accept her apology?
She alternated between looking into his eyes and dropping her head in shame.
Looking at him made her feel foolish, but lowering her head made her feel overwhelmed by guilt.
It felt as though she were standing at the judgment seat.
Was this how Lee Han felt during his trial for execution?
No. It must have been far worse for him.
When her thoughts reached that point, the weight of her guilt grew heavier.
Tears welled up once more, but Aria steeled herself.
She had to be ready to listen to what he had to say. She didn’t want to miss a single word.
So please, say something.
“…”
Lee Han kept his mouth closed, seemingly lost in thought.
A silence that stretched unbearably long.
What could he be thinking about?
Aria was burning with impatience.
No matter what it was, she wanted to hear it.
Whether it was criticism, scolding, or an admission of disappointment—anything would be better than this silence or being ignored.
She focused on his every movement.
If Lee Han’s lips so much as twitched, Aria’s shoulders jerked.
If he closed his eyes, Aria’s legs trembled.
The silence, though not particularly long, felt like an eternity to Aria.
Finally, Lee Han—no, Lloyd—parted his lips.
“Aria.”
Thud!
Aria was so startled that she leapt to her feet.
“Y-Yes!”
Realizing how foolish she must have looked, Aria’s face turned crimson.
But Lee Han continued speaking without any change in expression.
“I don’t want to judge you right now.”
Neither reproachful words nor forgiving ones, it was simply a statement that he wouldn’t decide anything at the moment.
It wasn’t the indifference she had feared so much, either.
And yet...
Why did it leave her feeling so conflicted?
“J-Judge?”
“Yes. Whether you were the one who orchestrated everything, whether you truly wanted me dead, and whether your apology right now is sincere.”
Her throat tightened as she instinctively swallowed.
Aria bit her lip and focused on Lee Han’s words.
She desperately wanted to know the conclusion he would reach.
“Unfortunately, I don’t have the time to think about you right now.”
With that, Lee Han finished speaking.
Her eyes quivered.
His words were easy to understand.
It meant that nothing she had said so far had resonated with him in any meaningful way.
It also implied that, to him, she wasn’t particularly important.
‘No matter what I say, my words don’t seem significant to him right now.’
It didn’t take her long to grasp the meaning.
She bit down hard on her lips to hold back the tears.
It hurt.
If she didn’t hold back, tears would spill uncontrollably down her face.
But she held them back.
It was only natural for her to be treated this way.
“So, to you, I’m… nothing at all.”
Lee Han neither confirmed nor denied her words.
He simply stared at her silently.
Though there was no emotion in his gaze, Aria felt as though he were silently asking her something.
Was this truly important?
“…”
Right. I figured this might happen.
That I might be nothing to you.
That you would stay calm and rational, quietly placing me somewhere in your hierarchy of priorities.
You’re kind, but you’re also a cold person, Lee Han.
Aria clenched her fists, her sadness evident.
Her shoulders gave a slight tremble, and her throat felt tight.
After swallowing hard, she finally opened her mouth.
“Okay. I understand. I’ll try.”
“…”
“I’ll try so that you can see me. So that you’ll be able to make a judgment about me. I’ll try to become someone worthy of being judged by you. So…”
She rose to her feet.
And then knelt before Lee Han.
“Let me prove my worth by helping you.”
Lee Han said nothing, silently crouching in front of her.
Then, he pulled her to her feet.
His gesture was indifferent, but to Aria, it felt warm.
After all, he was the only one who had ever picked her up when she’d fallen—then and now.
It was only then that Aria realized.
What Lee Han thought of her didn’t matter.
He could think of her as nothing more than an ant or a flea.
As long as…
As long as he looked her way once more.
As long as he extended a hand toward her like this one more time.
That alone was enough to make Lee Han the most precious person to her.
Because he was the only one who ever saw her, who ever understood her.
“I’ll do better…”
Aria made that vow.
◆
“Whew… Watching that made me so tense.”
The village chief muttered, leaning against the wall as soon as they closed the door to their lodgings assigned by the Holy Office.
Yulia shrugged and sank onto the sofa.
She feigned composure, but even she let out a sigh.
“Just who is Lloyd—no, Lee Han, really?”
Lloyd, who had just stepped in, calmly headed for the kitchen.
Even as he poured himself a glass of water, the other two’s eyes were glued to him.
Gulp, gulp.
After downing the glass in one go, Lloyd spoke.
“Ahh. This water’s great.”
And with that, he headed toward the bedroom.
Unable to hold back, Yulia crumpled a piece of paper in her hand and flung it straight at the back of Lloyd’s head.
Pluck.
Without even looking, Lloyd caught it.
“Yes?”
Yulia clicked her tongue.
“Not like you’ve got eyes on the back of your head…”
The village chief shouted in exasperation.
“That’s not the point! What’s your relationship with the Saintess?! I’ve never seen a Saintess kneel before someone in my life!”
Lloyd sighed, his head aching.
How was he supposed to explain this?
“She’s just a former comrade.”
Alright. That should suffice.
Time to sleep…
Creaaak.
The chief and Yulia hurriedly blocked the door.
“Explain.”
‘In more detail.’
“……”
◆
“…And that’s how it went.”
Lloyd’s explanation was brief but clear and concise enough for everyone to understand.
The chief and Yulia nodded gravely.
“I had a rough idea from the hints you dropped before, but I didn’t expect betrayals of that magnitude.”
“Knowing the full story certainly changes things.”
“Well, that’s life. It’s just people being people.”
Lloyd replied nonchalantly, turning his attention back to his notebook.
Scratch, scratch.
As he scribbled away, Yulia quietly watched him.
A boy with a maturity beyond his years.
When she thought about the life he must have lived, it was no surprise that such events had shaped him.
‘How hard it must have been…’
Betrayed by his comrades, yet rising again.
Yulia shook her head.
She couldn’t even imagine enduring such an ordeal.
That was why she was so hesitant to form close bonds with others.
Meanwhile, Lloyd remained indifferent.
“Anyway, gather around.”
“What is it this time? If it’s another… Sorry, my mouth ran ahead of me. What’s the story?”
The chief, returning with alcohol, smacked his lips as he joined the group. Lloyd spread out a piece of paper on the table.
Yulia asked.
“What’s this?”
“Our plan moving forward.”
“A plan is good, but… why are there drawings of iron bars and skulls on it?”
Her tone was filled with both curiosity and concern.
Lloyd responded with a bright smile.
“Because tomorrow, we’re going to get locked up again. For real this time.”
“Oh, I see—wait, WHAT?!”
The chief, who had reflexively agreed, did a double take.
Go back to prison?
The last time had been brief, not even 30 minutes.
But this time, Lloyd said it would be serious.
Seeing the chief’s bewildered expression, Lloyd grinned.
“This time, there’ll be a trial. Worst case? Execution.”
“Ex-execution?”
What was he even saying?
The chief’s jaw trembled at the series of shocking revelations.
Though Yulia outwardly maintained her composure, her thoughts weren’t much different.
“Explain this more clearly. What exactly is going on?”
“It’s not that hard to figure out if you think a little.”
Lloyd said, as if it were obvious.
‘We ARE thinking!’
Yulia managed to suppress the urge to yell.
“Just explain already.”
“Well, the Holy Office is controlled by the Blood Cult and that bishop who’s in cahoots with Princess Aina, right?”
“High Priest Julius.”
“Yes, him. And he desperately wants to get rid of us.”
“That much is true.”
“Now, tada! They caught us spying.”
“…Wasn’t that for leverage…”
“Leverage or not, eavesdropping is still a crime. Try to have some respect for the law.”
YOU of all people are saying that?
The same person who suggested spying in the first place? Yulia struggled to make sense of the absurdity.
“Our crime is clear. Outsiders committing eavesdropping and recording? They have every reason to charge us.”
“……”
“But as for the evidence we recorded? We can deny it. If that doesn’t work, we can just sacrifice some low-ranking priest as a scapegoat. All the blame will go to them.”
Now that she thought about it, that did make sense.
“…Then what happens?”
Concern filled Yulia’s face as she asked.
Lloyd answered soothingly.
“The princess will be fine. She won’t be executed.”
“And what about me?!”
The chief yelled angrily.
Lloyd patted his shoulder reassuringly.
“Well, we might be executed.”
“Then what’s your plan?!”
“Oh, that’s simple.”
Despite the chief’s agitated outburst, Lloyd smirked.
“No need to worry.”
“Why not?!”
“Because the Holy Office’s Saintess is on our side now.”
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HELHEIM SCANS
[Translator - Peptobismol]
[Proofreader - Demon God]
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