How the Villainous Consort Avoids His Death Ending

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I thought to myself that it was easier to convince them than I expected.

Without needing any explanation, everyone silently followed what I said. It felt good. It felt like I was finally being treated properly as the Grand Consort.

I recalled what I had read in the original story. In the center of the small village stood an old zelkova tree, and the hut beside that tree was the place where the nautical chart maker had lived his entire life. With confidence, I moved ahead and knocked on the door of the hut.

A moment later, the door creaked open, and a man with a haggard face appeared through the crack. His hair was disheveled and his clothes were heavily wrinkled. A tilted, worn gray felt hat hung precariously on his head. A pile of maps and old books stacked in a corner flickered dimly under a weak lantern.

Tristan spoke first.

“I am Tristan, Grand Duke of Hezekia. I came here to speak with you after seeing your nautical chart.”

“My chart…?”

He stared back and forth between me and Tristan for a long time, as if he could not believe we had come looking for him. Meeting that gaze, I suddenly became worried about claiming that I knew him from before.

Still, since it had been long ago, I could simply say he had forgotten me. Unlike Tristan, I did not have a face that left a lasting impression after one glance.

However, my worry was unnecessary from the beginning. The man twisted the corner of his mouth into a bizarre grin and then suddenly burst out laughing.

“So it has finally come? I knew this day would come…”

His low voice sounded almost eerie. I flinched without meaning to and nearly stepped back. He seemed to be a very peculiar person.

But we could not return empty handed after coming this far. I hesitated and asked carefully:

“You were waiting?”

“Of course. For a long time. For a very long time. Hh… hihihi…”

“…”

What is he even talking about…

His words sounded mysterious, but it felt like he was just saying anything. Whether it was good or bad, thanks to his incomprehensible reaction, Tristan seemed to fully believe that I had known him from long ago without suspicion.

Tristan now had a fierce expression and his hand shifted at his waist, making his sword rattle.

“Now then, grand lords. You came to see the nautical chart. Come inside. Come and take a look.”

The man kept grinning as he turned and stepped confidently inside the house.

I hurried after him, and the musty smell of paper stung my nose. Damp and dark corners of the house were filled with hats that were torn or misshapen. Nautical charts and technical drawings were tangled like spiderwebs across the walls.

The deeply furrowed look on Tristan’s face loosened a little the moment he came face to face with the charts. He looked around the house carefully and asked:

“Did you make all of these yourself?”

At those words, the man twisted his body suddenly. His eyes reflected a strange shine as he stared at Tristan, and then he burst into laughter like someone insane. The laughter was sharp and grating, like metal scraping against metal.

“Kkh, ahahaha. Yes. I made them. The map of truth. My charts alone contain the truth. Do you understand? Do you understand what I am saying?”

I do not understand at all.

What is he even saying… I was completely thrown off and froze. Please calm down. I forced Tristan to come all the way here, and if he keeps acting like this, what does that make me…

Tristan’s thick eyebrows twitched. He stepped forward and blocked me, and I ended up standing behind him without meaning to.

“The maps of the imperial palace are all lies and fraud. Do you understand what I am saying.”

I do not understand at all. The madness in his eyes looked increasingly dangerous. Should we just leave?

While I was seriously considering it, the man suddenly glared wide eyed and rushed toward Tristan. He grabbed Tristan’s arm roughly. If Tristan had not stepped in front of me earlier, I would have been seized by that large hand.

“You imperial lackeys know nothing. The charts that are circulating now are all fake. My charts are perfect. They contain perfect truth. The Empire is suppressing the true chart makers and hiding the truth. Those cursed bastards will be punished.”

“Release me.”

Tristan brushed off his grip with a short, displeased movement. However, the man did not care at all and continued yelling like someone possessed.

“The Rubyere Empire is rotten. They twist the truth and oppress it. Only the true nautical chart must remain. The fake ones must all be cleared away, and a new era of true chart makers must begin.”