Dungeon Defense (WN)
Chapter 444: DAISY (7)

From that day on, the torture began.

Perhaps it was because she was a complete amateur. The torture inflicted by Military Affairs Minister Laura de Farnese was unbearable in a different way.

“Confess! Did you think I wouldn’t notice your plot to harm His Lordship?!”

She hit, struck, and lashed out. She had absolutely no concept of moderating her strength. Every time the whip tore into my skin, screams burst from my mouth, but honestly, I wanted nothing more than to laugh in her face.

On top of that, the most basic principle of torture was to keep the victim alive—but the Military Affairs Minister didn’t even provide food or water. In between sessions, a goblin butler would secretly sneak in a bit of soup and drinking water. That was all. Perhaps it was Prime Minister Lapis Lazuli who had issued the order.

I understood.

Prime Minister Lapis Lazuli was using this opportunity to restore discipline within the Imperial Household.

One day, when Father regains his senses, he will learn of the Military Affairs Minister’s atrocities. When that happens, Laura de Farnese, who has acted with the indulgence of a queen, will undoubtedly face judgment.

In that case, enduring this torture with composure is something I must do for Father.

If I endure just a little while longer, Laura de Farnese’s authority will plummet into the abyss. Power within the inner palace will consolidate under Prime Minister Lapis Lazuli. The prime minister is reliable. She is the one and only person who understands Father almost as much as I do—or maybe just slightly less—but still, more than enough.

“Heh.”

A scoff unintentionally slipped out from my lips. The Military Affairs Minister really is a stupid woman.

Perhaps realizing that I had just mocked her, her expression grew grim. Ah, that look suited her perfectly. I hoped she would continue wearing that wicked, demon-like scowl for the rest of her life.

“Hah. Did you just laugh at me?”

“Now that I think about it…… you’re getting rather old, aren’t you, Minister?”

I slowly raised my head to look at her. I had lost so much blood that my whole body felt drained. But seeing the way her face contorted in real time made the effort of lifting my chin worth it.

“Twenty-three…… no, have you already turned twenty-four? Just a few more years, and your life as a woman will be nearing its end. By then, Father won’t be looking for you anymore, will he? When I picture you spending your nights all alone, comforting your loose genitals with your own hand in a lonely bedchamber… I can’t help but feel a twinge of pity—”

The whip struck my chest. This is why older women were such a hassle. They didn’t understand jokes. Or maybe it was because the joke sounded a little too real to her? I wouldn’t put it against her.

Two days, three days, four, five, six…….

The Military Affairs Minister’s torture never ceased. But to be completely honest, every time she entered the dungeon, I couldn’t help but let out a sigh of relief.

Because if something had happened to Father, the Military Affairs Minister wouldn’t have been able to come here.

The fact that she had the leisure to keep coming and going from the prison simply meant, in other words, that Father was safe.

Thank goodness. Truly, thank goodness. Every time the Military Affairs Minister opened the iron door and stepped into the cell, I felt a deep sense of relief and allowed a faint smile to form. She mistook that smile for mockery and struck me even harder, but I couldn’t have cared less about that.

―And at last, the promised conclusion arrived.

“How dare…… how dare the head of the military privately punish a member of the inner palace!”

Upon seeing my body, reduced to rags, Father grew angrier than I had ever seen him before.

“Summon the retinue here at once!”

I fainted partway through and didn’t witness it myself, but they say Father personally struck the Military Affairs Minister with a whip. Not only that—he also punished the Prime Minister. In other words―it meant that I was, as always, the one Father cherished most.

Not Laura de Farnese.

Not Lapis Lazuli either.

Me. I was the most precious person to Father.

……I never expected Father to take on punishment himself. But that was the kind of person he was. He always took responsibility for his actions, one way or another.

I couldn’t properly meet Father’s gaze for a while. I was afraid that if I wasn’t careful, my act might fall apart. It wasn’t because I was clumsy. The problem was that Father was simply too noble. Just seeing him like that made it difficult to steady my heart. Yes. I almost slipped up seven times…….

What indecent nonsense am I even talking about?

In any case, Laura de Farnese, the Military Affairs Minister’s authority took a steep plunge.

Now that it had become clear Father cherished me more than her, the tide between the two of us had completely turned. Unlike before, the Military Affairs Minister could no longer say a word to me even when we crossed paths in the corridors of the Demon Lord Castle. She would simply pass by as if she hadn’t seen me at all.

I gave an offhanded comment just before she went out of earshot.

“You’ve got a new wrinkle, Military Affairs Minister.”

“…….”

“Oh, right. Since you’re currently stripped of duty, I suppose you’re no longer the Military Affairs Minister. Miss Laura de Farnese.”

She turned her head to look at me. There was a terrifying glint in her eyes. But really, what good would it do for someone like her to glare at me? I met her gaze with my usual blunt stare.

“Perhaps it’s time you seriously considered skincare. I could introduce you to a very skilled masseuse.”

“……That is…… an unnecessary courtesy, head maid.”

Laura de Farnese gave a curt, clipped reply, then walked off down the corridor. Still, it seemed she was aware of her current, demoted state—she had spoken to me formally. Impressive. I should make sure to strike up a conversation every time we cross paths in the corridor from now on.

In the power struggle within the inner palace, I claimed a flawless victory.

1 win, 0 losses.

That was simply how I saw it. And then, half a year passed.

Ο* * *Ο

How did this happen?

The proposal Father had submitted was rejected during the Walpurgis Night. This had never happened before. Out of seven votes, a staggering four opposed the bill to abolish slavery, causing the carefully crafted scenario Father had prepared to unravel in an unexpected way.

And among the Demon Lords who voted against the bill was Barbatos. I couldn’t make sense of it. Could it be that Demon Lord Barbatos intended to oppose Father? How insolent of her. She had done something completely out of line.

“……”

I waited calmly in Father’s bedchamber. He was probably having a private conversation with Barbatos. It was fine. Whatever whim Barbatos might have had, there was no way Father wouldn’t have the situation under control.

As expected, Father returned to the bedchamber after only an hour.

The hallway was dark, so I couldn’t see him, but the sound of his footsteps told me it was him. Father had a habit of slightly limping on his left leg, so the rhythm of his steps was distinctive. I recognized it right away and bowed mechanically.

“Father. Welcome ba—?”

I was about to say “back,” but the word caught in my throat. As I straightened up and looked at Father’s face, my entire body froze from the shock.

Father was crying.

“…….”

This was the first time I had ever seen Father crying in such a wrecked, broken way. He brushed past me and stormed into the bedchamber. Then he began to smash everything within reach. My mind went blank, and all I could do was stand there, staring at him.

Father.

The one who, no matter what happened, never showed weakness in front of others—

was now crying, scattering tears everywhere, and screaming in agony.

What wretched woman, who deserves nothing less than to be ripped to shreds, dared to wound my father?

My mind suddenly turned cold.

When my anger reached its peak, I had a habit of becoming even more composed. Given the circumstances, it was clear that Barbatos had rejected Father’s request. Not only had she rejected it—she must have destroyed something precious to him.

First, I calmed Father down. I didn’t want to hear him sobbing any longer.

I carefully pieced together what had happened. As expected, Barbatos had betrayed him. She had cornered Father, demanding that he choose—either her or Paimon.

Tsk.

I clicked my tongue quietly.

That little runt—small in body and small in mind—I always knew she’d cause trouble someday. If Laura de Farnese strutted around the palace like a queen, then Barbatos was the one parading around outside the palace as if she were Father’s wife, completely oblivious to her place. What made it even more absurd was the fact that the two were lovers.

Maybe unpleasant women are drawn to each other by some kind of cursed magnetism. The two of them were working in harmony to torment Father. I sincerely hope they’ll commit double suicide when the time comes.

……No, wait a second.

Why did Barbatos choose to betray Father at this point? More precisely, why did she force him to choose between her and Paimon?

Barbatos was an arrogant brat, but she still had the decency to value Father more than herself. It was unlikely that she caused all this chaos out of a simple desire to monopolize him.

If things continued like this and Father remained in a honeymoon-like relationship with Paimon…… she must have judged that Father would be in danger. That’s why she forced the issue. In other words, Paimon must have done something recently that posed a threat to Father…….

“Recently……”

I muttered to myself. What’s the most recent thing Paimon did that could have threatened Father?

I wasn’t sure. The only thing I could think of was how she tried to oppose him during the Republican Assembly more than half a year ago. And even then, Barbatos hadn’t known Paimon was working behind the scenes. But what if someone had passed information about Paimon to Barbatos…?

“……!”

At that moment, a single name flashed through my mind.

Laura de Farnese.

There was a possibility. No—quite a strong one. Laura de Farnese believed that Paimon had been involved in the poisoning incident—an incident that, in truth, had never even happened. Although Father had taken my side and the matter had been closed, it was hard to believe that Laura de Farnese had genuinely accepted the outcome.

In other words, Laura de Farnese may have concluded that Paimon was extremely dangerous and warned her lover, Barbatos, to “beware of Paimon”!

It all fit. That would explain everything. Why Barbatos was overly cautious of Paimon, and why she betrayed Father and cast a dissenting vote during this Walpurgis Night. All of it made sense now.

Damn it, such a pointless meddler……!

I immediately made my way to the Demon Lord Castle to verify the hypothesis. Since teleportation was forbidden within the Habsburg Imperial Palace, I had to run to the edge of the palace grounds. I presented my identification tag and used the teleportation station to transfer straight to the Demon Lord Castle.

My destination: the 10th basement floor of the castle—the personal quarters of Laura de Farnese.

I twisted the doorknob and blasted the entire door off its hinges. A loud thud echoed through the room. Laura de Farnese, who had been lying on the bed, sat up at the sudden noise. In a single bound, I leapt forward and seized the front of her clothing.

“Military Affairs Minister. From this moment on, you will answer only what I ask.”

“Hah.”

Even in this situation, Laura de Farnese scoffed. Her nerve was truly something else. But I wondered if she’d still have that composure if I pierced her heart with my hand.

I grabbed her and threw her to the floor. Laura de Farnese let out a groan. Normally, it was forbidden to harm Father’s lovers, but this was a different case. If I judged that—even as a lover—she posed a threat to Father, I could override the restraints of my orders and eliminate the target at any time.

And right now, Laura de Farnese clearly harbored the potential to bring harm to Father.

I climbed on top of her and gently pressed my right hand against her neck. The two of us glared coldly at each other.

“So, you’ve finally shown your true colors.”

“What did you say to Demon Lord Barbatos? You must have warned her about something regarding Demon Lord Paimon. Confess to me honestly, right now.”

I asked in an icy tone.

“Did you or did you not warn Barbatos about Paimon?”

“Hah. The way you’re getting all flustered now…… clearly, I struck a nerve. You vulgar little traitor.”

Ptooey—Laura de Farnese spat in my face. The spit landed just beneath my eye and trickled down.

Her response gave me certainty.

―It was this woman.

She was the one who threw everything into chaos.

***

TL Note: Thanks for reading the chapter. I should be able to get back to my semi-normal schedule after this week. The new hire is doing a pretty decent job and I don’t think she’s planning to leave… so crossing my fingers. They did mention potentially hiring another EN translator here, but I haven’t seen any new test takers lately, so I’m unsure. These last several chapters have been quite the experience too… Like, they’re so interesting and I want to keep working on them actively, but work-life has been such a bitch that resting has been outweighing my interest… You know you’re tired when you go to take a nap during lunch and pass out almost instantly…

In any case, I’ll see you guys in the next chapter.