Super Righteous Player
Chapter 760 - 301: You Really Know?_1

Chapter 760: Chapter 301: You Really Know?_1

In the moment when Annan’s image overlapped with that of Vladimir.

Selicia distinctly smelled the scent of death.

She was acutely aware of it.

If she really had answered Vladimir back then like she did, if she had given that response that seemed to question, "Duke? What Duke?" she would truly have died.

Perhaps with a dignified cup of poisoned wine, or maybe through a public execution.

The girl she was back then, so naively young, was no longer.

Annan was serious.

She knew that the young new Duke would never forgive someone who had once committed the sin of rebellion and still showed no willing submission.

So, a new thought emerged in her heart.

I don’t want to die yet.

The "Solomonik" of those days could be set aside.

Back then, Solomonik truly wanted to devote everything to his teacher from the bottom of his heart. After becoming Selicia, her first reaction was also that "I can help the teacher even more now."

But now, she had met new companions.

She had visited many places she had never been before, witnessed the lives of others, and had her own life as well.

She had companions she could travel with, people who loved her. She had laughed heartily, and had amusing stories to tell with great interest over drinks...

Was she still loyal to Vladimir?

Of course.

But could she offer up her life for him without hesitation like she used to?

That was no longer certain.

She wanted to live.

And so, she conceded.

"A very good answer. A very good beginning."

Annan smiled, slowly clasping and then gradually unclenching his fingers around the tri-colored scepter.

Despite his frame appearing more fragile than Selicia’s, the young Duke, who was merely a wizard... emanated an intense, almost blinding aura of oppression.

"One thing must be clear—Vladimir has abandoned you,"

Annan said calmly.

"That’s not—"

Selicia instinctively wanted to retort, but her words suddenly caught in her throat.

She remembered, after she became Selicia, she had never seen the teacher again. There was no communication, no interaction between them, the only certainty was the news they shared confirming each other’s survival...

Could it be that the teacher had always known that I would betray him?

She thought sadly.

Selicia clenched her teacup, not caring about the burn.

It was as if the scalding teacup gave her a masochistic sense of self-punishment, further solidifying her resolve.

"What I want to ask is about the events of Vladimir’s betrayal against me."

Annan said slowly, "I mean—everything."

"Everything?"

Selicia paused for a moment and then slowly said, "Just as you had anticipated back then, there is nothing worthy to be told. The teacher used Dmitry’s bodily fluids and the Goddess of Cup’s ritual to cultivate bloodline seeds, and with the results created a cursed object capable of controlling the Frost Beast."

"That’s not what I’m referring to."

Annan asked calmly, "I’m talking about—why did he betray me at that time? What was his purpose?"

"He wanted to leave the Duchy of Winter."

Selicia glanced at Zoya, hesitated for a while, but still answered through clenched teeth, "It was a trade. He exposed all of Winter’s potential enemies and crushed them in one fell swoop...

"For example, the local nobility, the Northern Brotherhood... for example, the Hand of Winter.

"’The biggest enemy of Your Highness Annan is the Hand of Winter itself. Duke Ivan had neither military authority nor the power to appoint or dismiss personnel. Not even the eunuchs of the United Kingdoms were as preposterous... He was basically working for the Hand of Winter.’ That’s what the teacher told me at the time."

Zoya remained silent, her eyes closed and saying nothing.

It was indeed the truth.

She knew it, and therefore did not get angry.

The Hand of Winter had always been the highest espionage agency under the direct control of the Duke of Winter, and with each passing generation of dukes gradually decentralizing power, the privileges of the Hand of Winter expanded.

For the family of Winter, which had a high mortality rate, this mode of governance could minimize the negative impact caused by the death of a ruler, and the family of Winter was not usually adept at politics... For them to live safely, without being assassinated, committing suicide, or going insane, was already quite an achievement.

The better a duke wanted to be, the more frustrating situations he would encounter, and the sooner he would die. In the end, none of the dukes could become a "good duke."

But the Hand of Winter wasn’t entirely The Machine—they weren’t as terrifying as the rumors suggested. Their emotions weren’t completely severed, just diluted. Naturally, they, too, had their own desires and wants... Even eunuchs knew pleasure, let alone the Hand of Winter?

Ivan and his son Annan were the exceptions among the dukes.

Even considering all past dukes... "Ivan" was undoubtedly the wisest among them. He possessed unmatched talent as a ruler, and even though he was merely a figurehead, he managed to win over numerous courtiers and nobles, resolved internal disputes within the Grand Duchy, and gradually clarified the chaotic political situation.

But the Hand of Winter was not pleased.

As Ivan attempted to reclaim his power, the upper echelons of the Hand of Winter also began to have their own ideas.

Of course, they had to be loyal to the duke and obey his commands.

But this did not mean they couldn’t seek benefits for themselves.

——This was the true reason why Vladimir could lead a rebellion within the Hand of Winter.

He specifically singled out all the "disloyal" members of the Hand of Winter, leaving behind only those who could be of use.

However, with its numbers halved, the Hand of Winter saw a substantial decline in strength and a massive contraction in power. They had to start relying on Annan and followed the young duke around reluctantly... Otherwise, Annan would likely have been kept safe in the Duke’s mansion as a mascot, with them governing in his stead.

Zoya was no fool; she had long understood the true nature of that "betrayal."

From the beginning, His Highness Annan was especially proficient in what he called "fishing" tactics, and his enemies always took the bait. The border nobles were like this, the Hand of Winter was like this... and now the Brotherhood of the Far North was the same.

"——That’s not the whole picture."

However, faced with such a response, Annan shook his head.

His words pierced Selicia’s heart like a sword, "What I want to know is, what was Vladimir’s purpose in leaving Winter?

"Don’t try to evade the question. I know... you know the answer to this question."

Annan stared at Selicia, "I trust you, Selicia. I have also decided to forgive your past transgressions. But if you deceive me on this question, you would be betraying the trust I have in you."

...just like that day.

The perceptive young man looked at her as if he were a demon lord.

Back then, she was still his direct subordinate, but now she had been relegated to a captive on the other side of the table.

"...I don’t know."

Selicia was silent for a moment, then whispered, "I really don’t know. The teacher left in such a hurry back then that I could only take the defectors from the Hand of Winter and form the Icebreaker Army, struggling to survive in the wilderness..."

In fact, she knew the answer.

Using Dmitry’s blood to study the Frost Beast was a deal between Vladimir and Professor Wolf; leading the Hand of Winter in rebellion to form the Icebreaker Army and gaining support from local nobles was a deal between Vladimir and Annan... Developing influence underground and later offering loyalty to the ruling Annan to absolve herself of past crimes was the latter part of the plan.

But Selicia knew Vladimir had his own scheme.

However, this was the one answer she couldn’t reveal—

Of all the secrets, it was the only one she mustn’t tell anyone.

If she told this one... she would truly be betraying her teacher.

She had considered making up an answer but feared that with her own intelligence, the lie she constructed would most likely not deceive Annan...

So, she chose to reply with "I don’t know."

She was, after all, a fool; not knowing was quite normal for her...

"——You are lying."

However, this lie didn’t last a single round before Annan saw through it.

It was natural.

Annan certainly didn’t know what Vladimir was doing underground.

This was just his usual tactic. By deliberately bringing up information that was difficult to ascertain or unknown, he would bluff Selicia, forcing her to reveal something to prove her sincerity and to show that she really didn’t know the answer.

...That was his original plan.

But the moment Selicia said "I don’t know."

A red glow suddenly enveloped her.

——That was the light of a "traitor."

You really know?

At that moment, Annan was also stunned.

He suddenly realized a new use for the "Curse Binding of the Angel’s Left Eye"...

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