I Reincarnated as a Noble Bastard, So I'm Seducing All the Villainess
Chapter 43: Reverse Interrogation Technique

Chapter 43: Reverse Interrogation Technique

Not gonna lie, I descended into the palace dungeons seeking a certain comfort in Ravenna’s presence. After what happened during breakfast, I lost all appetite, and having to eat lunch looking at Leliana’s blank face disgusts me.

I wanted time away from other people, to walk alone, but that’s not possible when my life is in serious danger. The guards, inquisitors, even some of the more competent martial arts servants are glued to my ass, just to make sure no one suspicious gets too close.

To be honest, having hairy, strong men staring so much makes me extremely uncomfortable. At this point, I’d feel safer sleeping next to Leonhardt than walking through the rest of the corridors.

Let’s forget that for now and focus on finding Ravenna.

The dungeons also have their own guard, so I’m relatively safe here. It’s a rather dark and empty place, cold-blooded criminals are rare here. Most are corrupt nobles, high-ranking people who messed up colossally, "normal" people with high power who serve as scapegoats for the powerful to get away. Disgusting, yes, but fully real.

Speaking of real, I wished the person before me were a complete illusion, because I am, at this very moment, seeing my father with his arms crossed, leaning against a cell door.

What are you doing here, old man?

"What are you doing here, Darius?"

Hey, don’t steal my mental question!

"I ask you the same."

"We are currently interrogating Ravenna, considering she is still responsible for the terrorist attack on the courtroom that day."

"’We are’? There’s someone else inside?"

"Inquisitor Leonhardt."

Oh no. I have to get that psychopath out of there before it’s too late!

"Then, if you’ll excuse me, I’m going in..."

The Duke put his arm in the way, preventing me from opening the cell door. Yeah, I already expected none of this would be easy. I bet he strongly hates my witchy little face, especially since she’s strongly tied to an attack and a terrorist group about to turn this kingdom upside down.

Worse still, I don’t have the slightest courage to go against my father. He’s so damn tall, I almost have to break my neck to look at him, and one of his shoulders must be the size of my head, not to mention my physique was toned for activities in bed, not life-or-death fights.

In other words, I’m screwed.

"Darius, why do you wish to get involved with a criminal?"

"Because she can be very useful for us to solve a big current problem."

"The Libertarians? They’re an old problem, it doesn’t surprise me they’re trying something now..."

"How do you...?"

"I am Duke Moonlight. You think I wouldn’t know about a group of rebels right under our noses?

Ah, what a dumb question. It’s obvious that the most influential man in the kingdom have full knowledge of a group targeting the king’s life, even more so being his brother! Still, this kind of behavior is very strange.

If he knows these guys exist, then why not nip the problem in the bud? It’s the same case with Philomeu, there was an easy chance to cut my throat, and yet we came out of the Libertarians’ hideout unscathed.

Is there some detail I’m missing?

"Then send some guys over there and destroy everything, it solves the problem easily!"

"Why would I do that?"

"I don’t know? Maybe because my life and the king’s are at risk?"

"But you’re right here in front of me, breathing and alive. Besides, the king has the royal guard by his side day and night, the best assassins on the continent could never kill him. Why should I worry?"

"Because it’s not only about the king being alive, damn it! People are dying and being enslaved right this instant, a whole bunch of atrocious crimes! You’re acting like it’s a game of patience!"

The Duke stares down at me. Our relationship has always been like this. Before acquiring the memories from my past encarnation, I used to treat his silence with fear and shrinking back, but I can’t stand this kind of thing right now. To hell with being the quiet, obedient, fearful bitchless son.

"You sound like a moralist..." His tone was calm, like all our conversations. "I expected you to be more realistic, Darius. Why do you want to get involved in something so big after returning unharmed? Wouldn’t you prefer to go back to your life of brothels with... Elizia, I think that’s her name?"

"We’re not talking about my sex life, we’re talking about terrorists!"

"Terrorists..." he repeated, treating the word as irrelevant. "You’re still young. You think every problem can be solved with violence, brute force or luck. That’s why I wanted you to attend history classes with your teachers so badly. It’s disappointing that you don’t know how to anticipate the enemy’s move."

"Really? You’re going to keep waiting? You’re going to keep watching until they come after Kristia and Leliana, father?"

He didn’t answer immediately, only then did I realize I had hit a nerve. His gaze shifted, and for a second, I saw something falter on his face. This kind of behavior is never seen in your own father, that tough image crumbling through a small window.

I take a deep breath. This is no time for games, this problem needs to be solved one way or another.

"Open the door. I just want to see Ravenna for five minutes, it’s nough to make sure she’s okay."

"Leonhardt is with her. He knows what he’s doing."

"He won’t get a single word out of her. He only knows how to beat bad people until they can’t take it anymore, and that won’t work with that witch. I know Ravenna. I can get her to say anything, just get that crazy Leonhardt out of there and everything will be fine."

A silence fell between us, too shameful for me to concentrate properly. Cut me some slack, old man, I’ve already been through hell on Earth to be alive here.

A sound of footsteps echoes behind the cell. Damn, I can’t leave these two alone for another second because that psychopath could kill Ravenna in the blink of an eye!

"Father, please."

He looked at me for seconds that felt like an eternity, which only made my head pound more. Seriously, it’s scary to go head-to-head with such a huge guy when he could literally pick you up and carry around like a sack of potatoes. The Duke finally moved his arm out of the way.

"Five minutes, and I’m coming in with you."

"That’s the least of my worries."

I slowly opened the door and entered the cell. The air is heavy and rustic, the kind I hated and that was strangely familiar to the prison in the Second Ring where I first found her.

Ravenna was sitting against the wall, her wrists chained by magic-suppressing restraints, with an exhausted, makeup-free expression. Her face without makeup was very strange to see, considering I’m used to see her black lipstick.

Leonhardt, standing in the middle of the room, stared at the same woman with an analytical and cruel gaze. I felt that, at that very moment, the Golden Retriever who had been crying on my bed disappeared and what remained was nothing more than the ruthless and deadly protagonist of Sword of The Iron Maiden.

"Duke Moonlight, I haven’t finished the... Oh, Darius, what are you doing here?!"

Immediately, the facade of the cold character vanished upon seeing me. Incredible.

"Get out. I’m taking over."

Leonhardt raised an eyebrow. Curiously, he still obeyed without question.

As soon as the door closed behind us, Ravenna showed me a tired smile.

"Took you long enough. I thought about ripping out the inquisitor’s eyes myself."

I approached slowly, my father’s gaze heavy on my back as I touched my favorite witch’s face, returning an equally pained smile.

"Sorry, I’m a little late."

She rested her forehead against mine like a curious kitten. Wow, you really are fake. A few days ago, you cursed and slapped me, and now to get out of trouble you’re all affectionate.

"They arrested me when you disappeared. I thought I’d lost you forever..."

Dramatic, huh. That day at the auction you nearly tore my head off.

I looked deep into her eyes, proposing a game through the gesture. We’ve done this before, at the trial and also when you were imprisoned. I doubt you don’t fully understand that I want to play with lies now.

Ravenna is good at noticing and participating in this game.

"I need you to tell us a few things, dear. That way, I can get you out of here easier. Did you know the Libertarians are trying to kill the king?"

I blinked twice, signaling for her to tell the absolute truth now.

"Yes, but those weak assassins are a bluff. They only sent tough guys after me. I lost count of how many heads that blond inquisitor rip off... It’s probably happening because I know things."

She lets out a heavy sigh and rattles her chains, which emit a sharp metallic clang. I blink three times, asking for a lie in the middle.

"I mean, it’s ridiculous", Ravenna continues. "I was a spy who wanted to overthrow my uncle, only for them to treat me like this in the end. It’s unacceptable."

I blink twice and say: "And you discovered their plan?"

"They want to bring down the palace, simple as that. The palace is seen as the image of royalty, and their desire is to show how this symbol can be spat upon and trampled. Only, instead of soldiers, there will be golems. A lot of them. It will be a march, the first step towards the revolution, a spectacle! Philomeu’s own words."

I swallowed hard.

"Golems?"

"Yeah. Their new mage... a girl named Luthra or Lura, whatever, she’s a mix of genius and lunatic. She can manipulate metal with magic, it’s something I can’t even explain. They’re using her to assemble a fleet of these monsters. Last I saw, there were dozens."

She shook her head, disgruntled.

"I don’t know how they’ll actually do it. There wouldn’t be time to move such a large group. In their minds, if they can just get close to the palace... they’ve already won."

This isn’t... the original procedure of the work. Yes, the Imperial City eventually falls due to an attack, but specifically from golems? That’s far from the original manuscript.

Why are they rushing so much now? And if they already had all this firepower, why they didn’t attack before? Was it because of the terrorist attack on the courtroom? Did that increase these guys confidence and make them believe it’s possible to win?

"That’s enough."

My father’s voice dropped like a stone.

Ravenna looked over my shoulder, seeing the Duke whom I had tried so hard to avoid. I think she understood what I was trying to do, to the point of twisting her face with a hint of anger at the corners of her lips. One more step and I’ll lose an ear to a lovely bite.

Yeah, sugar, I used you the same way you used me. Take that slap back to learn.

"Hey, father, can we release her then? That’s the information you wanted, I think it’s fair."

He nodded, unlocking the chains with a key he kept in his pocket. You’re welcome, Ravenna. I’ve done everything to help you so far, and don’t even aim your angry face aimed at me, especially after everything we’ve done together.

Hah. I need a rest... Wait, a noise? It’s static, and I know it very well... Are you telling me this crazy woman is going to use spells in here?! Does she want to kill herself?!

When I turned my face to the side, I see the witch with her hand extended and electricity dancing over her fingernails. Goddamn it, I hate that villains are missing so many screws!

Suddenly, the Duke’s hand grabbed Ravenna’s head as if it were a grape. My heart pounded a thousand miles an hour, but just from that, I could see that he could crush that skull at any moment. It was so much that she even canceled the spell, her eyes widening as she was lifted into the air.

"Getting rid of you is as easy as taking the thorns off a rose."

Hold on, Duke, don’t do that! To my soul’s relief, he simply dropped Ravenna like a doll. The witch plummeted, her back hitting the floor, so scared she didn’t even have the courage to evoke a fireball to incinerate that man.

"Darius, take this woman out of here and do whatever you want with her. Walk with Leonhardt, he will be your provisional guard for now."

And with that, the Duke left the cell, leaving behind a deadly woman trembling like a frightened little girl. What the hell was that?