I’m the Only One Who Can Put the Tyrant To Sleep Chapter 121

“Gasp!”

I inhaled sharply and froze on the spot.

Without hesitation, Ian strode straight toward me. I stumbled and barely managed to get up, when—thud—he brushed past and struck the servant’s shoulder as he walked.

“Hey, you!”

Still not grasping the situation, the servant grabbed Ian’s wrist.

“When someone talks to you, you should answe—arghhh!”

At that moment, a giant stone hand shot up from the ground and gripped the servant’s body tight.

“Ugh, ughhh!”

Crushed under the pressure pressing down on his entire body, the servant couldn’t even struggle, only letting out a muffled groan.

“……Kyaaahhh!”

The people around, who had been frozen as if under a spell, began to scream. Who wouldn’t, seeing a hand as large as a human suddenly appear and kill someone?

The attendants backed away, staring at Ian with fearful eyes. Yet, maybe unable to resist their curiosity, they didn’t flee far.

Because of the commotion, all eyes were drawn to us, and even people from inside the building rushed out to see what was happening.

“Uhhghhh……”

The servant’s groans were fading. If no one saved him soon, he would surely die.

‘What do I do?’

Out of everyone here, I understood the situation best. I had to step up and do something.

“……Ian Bryden, Young Duke!”

After hesitating, I suddenly shouted. Ian, who had been walking toward me, froze.

“Young Duke, what in the world do you think you’re doing?!”

Until now, only a handful of people, including me and Caesar, knew Ian’s true identity.

Calling his name openly like this—I thought maybe, for the sake of his reputation, he might hesitate even a little.

‘I have to make sure as many people as possible know about this.’

That way, Ian would lose his justification. It would be seen not as an official war declared by the Heisen Empire, but simply as a personal rebellion.

As I intended, a few attendants who heard my voice began whispering.

“……Young Duke? That Ian?”

“Didn’t they say he left home? And what’s with his hair color?”

But Ian seemed completely unaffected by the murmurs. Instead, he smiled broadly and said,

“Not a bad attempt, for a last desperate act. But you know it’s useless.”

“……Wasn’t justification important to you? If word spreads that you stormed in here all alone—”

“How could it spread, when everyone here will be dead?”

Ian swung his hand once more. With a rumbling crash, black walls rose like fences around the imperial palace garden where we stood.

“W-what is this?!”

The attendants looked around in panic.

‘He’s planning to trap us and kill us all.’

Just then, before the wall fully closed, soldiers came rushing in.

“Stop right there!”

The Imperial Guard. It seemed one of the attendants had escaped quickly and fetched them.

“Drop your weapon!”

Drawing their swords, the soldiers closed in on Ian.

“No, don’t!”

I shouted desperately to stop them.

“You mustn’t go near him!”

“……Head maid?”

The soldiers looked at me in confusion. As they faltered, Ian, unfazed, said,

“How troublesome. More to kill, then.”

He opened his palm, and the wall, now nearly twice a man’s height, stopped rising.

We were trapped inside the black walls. No one could come to our aid now.

‘……It’s his hands. Ian activates his power through his hands.’

Even in that moment, I noticed it. Every time Ian used his ability, he moved his hands. If his hands could be sealed, there was hope.

‘……Caesar. If only Caesar would come.’

Only Caesar, who could dispel the wall, was our last hope.

“This man can create anything. Any weapon, whatever he wishes. You cannot fight him.”

I quickly explained to the soldiers.

“What? That’s impossible……”

“It’s true. Look at those walls, don’t you see?”

The soldier who seemed to be their leader looked at me and asked,

“T-then what should we do?”

“Well……”

I couldn’t answer, since I had no real plan, when Ian cut in.

“Wouldn’t it be better if you all just stayed quiet?”

He snapped his fingers skillfully, and this time, stone soldiers rose up from the ground.

“Wh-what is this?!”

The horrified soldiers were immediately attacked as the stone soldiers swung their weapons wildly.

“Run!”

I rushed forward to block the guards, instinctively throwing out my hand. Then I shut my eyes tight.

‘……Huh?’

No impact came. Blinking, I opened my eyes—

The stone soldiers were…… gone.

‘Caesar? Did Caesar come?’

I whipped my head around, scanning the area, but Caesar was nowhere to be seen. The black wall still stood, unchanged.

“D-did you do that, Head maid?”

“What?”

“Did you save us, Head maid?!”

The soldiers stared at me with admiration. Whatever had happened, the timing was so exact that it looked like I had destroyed the stone soldiers.

“Th-that’s—”

“How did you do that?”

A low voice interrupted. Ian.

For the first time, he looked unsettled, staring straight at me.

“You…… how?”

Fixing his gaze on me, Ian swung his hand again. This time, even more stone soldiers appeared.

“Deputy maid!”

The soldiers had begun to gather behind me, and even the other attendants watched me with hopeful eyes.

Not knowing what was happening, I found myself standing in front of them, protecting them.

‘Could I really have gained some power? Did Caesar’s ability transfer to me?’

It was absurd, but it was the only possibility that came to mind.

“Haaah!”

I flung my hand toward the stone soldier swinging its weapon at me—

And, to my shock, it vanished without a trace.

****

At the highest point of the palace—atop the clock tower overlooking even the garden hidden by black walls—stood Caesar.

Holding in one hand a magic tool, crafted by Katana, that granted a clear view, he timed his actions precisely to erase the stone soldiers.

So that it looked as if Evelyn were the one making them vanish.

“Is the Lady truly all right? Shouldn’t I go down there—”

Olche, waiting at his side, asked nervously. Without shifting his gaze, Caesar only nodded.

“I can see everything. Don’t worry.”

The stone soldiers disappearing one after another, Ian’s unsettled expression—Caesar saw it all clearly. From atop the clock tower, nothing was hidden.

A relaxed smile spread across his lips. The reason he stayed out of sight and acted from the shadows was because of one thought he’d had not long ago.

If she became a hero……

If she became a hero—yes, if Evelyn became the hero……

Caesar intended not to make himself the hero, but Evelyn. Before the eyes of many, she would defeat Ian and save the nation.

Even Evelyn herself wouldn’t realize it.

Strictly speaking, it wasn’t as if he were fabricating something from nothing. Evelyn had truly saved him from danger several times and thwarted the schemes of the Noble Faction.

Wasn’t it Caesar himself who had stolen her achievements until now?

It’s time to change that.

What he was doing was simply showing people the truth—restoring everything to its rightful place.

For that purpose, Caesar had prepared thoroughly.

It was why he had searched secretly for the blueprints of the palace, without Evelyn’s knowledge.

Wherever Ian appeared, wherever he unleashed his soldiers, I had to find a spot from which I could watch.

Ian’s goal was to kill Caesar. Inevitably, he would come to the palace.

In that case, all Caesar needed was a vantage point from which he could see the entire palace.

If he couldn’t see something, he couldn’t erase it. Which meant that, if it was within sight, he could erase anything.

Next, he asked Katana to craft a magnifier with performance surpassing all others.

Thanks to that, once atop the clock tower, Caesar could take in the entirety of the palace at a glance.

Of course, when Evelyn insisted that only one area of the palace barrier be lowered, he paid special attention to the garden. Ian was unpredictable, after all.

Right after the alarm had sounded, Caesar had also sent Alvin and a select group of knights toward the garden as a precaution.

They wouldn’t stand a chance, but at least they could buy some time.

Naturally, he had also equipped the surveillance device with a recording function—for the sake of the future.

Every heroic moment of Evelyn defeating Ian and saving the people would be captured there.

When all was over, Caesar planned to spread that footage throughout the entire empire. And if every citizen came to look up to Evelyn as a hero……

Then no one would be able to oppose Evelyn and me marrying.