A Mastermind? No, I'm just the Live-In Son-in-Law-Chapter 100: Shadow

“W-What...?”

“What is this...?”

The Misthylene siblings, who had been silently observing the situation, could only doubt their own eyes at the scene unfolding before them.

– Goooooo....

Just earlier, during the first interview, Lunelle had been roughly on par with them.

But now, the Lunelle standing before Whitney, exchanging some strange energy with a sinister smile, was clearly not the same person they had seen before.

“...I-Is that black magic?”

“No. That can’t be....”

Had Whitney not been publicly known as the white mage and hero who saved the Saintess, the siblings might have immediately accused him of being a black mage.

“If that’s not black magic, then what is it...?”

“W-White magic... no, that definitely doesn’t seem like white magic.”

Even so, the energy Whitney was sharing with Lunelle was suspicious enough that the siblings could hardly suppress their doubt.

“There’s no way white magic would feel this wicked...”

Whitney, caressing the back of Lunelle’s neck with a smile, looked more like a man unchaining a vicious hound than a benevolent white mage.

It was, of course, nothing like the gentle image of white mages who were known for curing people of curses.

Although those who knew the truth about Lumen Ordo would tell a different story, Whitney and Lumen Ordo were equally unknown to the public.

“...As expected.”

“...Yeah.”

Thus, the siblings’ thoughts began to veer completely in the wrong direction.

“We wondered how she was healed... Turns out it wasn’t by normal means.”

“...Yeah, no way burnt-out mana circuits could have been repaired properly.”

“Even if it’s not pure black magic, some kind of forbidden sorcery must have been used.”

“Indeed... looks like trusting that person’s information paid off.”

From the conversation just exchanged, it was clear:

the siblings’ real objective wasn’t to pass the interview, but to uncover how Lunelle’s supposedly hopeless body had been restored.

In other words, both Lunelle and Whitney, who had played a crucial role in her recovery, were their targets of interest.

The only thing they hadn’t expected was that Whitney would so openly "demonstrate" his method right before their eyes.

“Are you ready?”

“...Yeah.”

Still, it was only unexpected, not unwelcome—if anything, the situation now worked in their favor.

– Whiiirrr....

For instance, by secretly activating the high-grade, stealth-enchanted recording orbs hidden on their bodies to capture everything happening now.

“With this, we can finally...”

“...Ah, look out!”

But there was one crucial thing the siblings were overlooking.

“Guh!?”

The moment Whitney’s energy fully permeated her, Lunelle leapt forward with a speed far beyond what they had anticipated.

“Eva!!!”

In the blink of an eye, Lunelle grabbed Evangeline by the throat and slammed her into the ground.

Richard, momentarily frozen, could only scream.

“...It’s been a while since I heard that nickname.”

At the same time, Lunelle, wearing a chilling expression, murmured in a low voice.

“And it’s been a long time since I saw that pathetic look on your face, too.”

“Ugh...!”

“Isn’t that right?”

Still staring coldly at her younger sister, who glared back with hatred, Lunelle added with a frosty smile:

“You haven’t changed /N_o_v_e_l_i_g_h_t/ one bit.”

“......!”

“...Even if your skills have improved slightly, you’re still the same.”

At that, Evangeline, who had been fiercely glaring at her older sister, finally started sweating coldly.

“You are weak.”

From the sword Lunelle had drawn, a dense sword aura was now flowing down like smoke, so thick and chilling it made even onlookers flinch.

“And besides... Where did you sell off the chivalry I taught you?”

“W-Wait a second.”

“Truly... you’re the worst.”

Sensing instinctively that something was very wrong, Evangeline struggled desperately, but Lunelle’s grip around her neck was far too strong to break.

“What are you doing?!”

“.......”

“You’ll kill her at this rate—”

Richard, finally realizing the situation, rushed forward with his sword aimed at Lunelle.

But it was pointless.

“...Kugh!”

A sword aura so fast it was impossible for anyone present to react instantly struck him down.

“Cough, cough... ugh...”

Thanks to his superhuman reflexes, Richard barely managed to block with his sword, but he was sent flying far across the garden, clutching his abdomen and coughing up blood.

Even though he blocked it, Lunelle’s overwhelming sword aura left internal injuries.

“Ah.”

Meanwhile, Evangeline, still pinned by the throat and staring blankly, let out a helpless gasp as she saw Lunelle’s sword raised above her through her fading vision.

“It seems... old ties need to be severed after all.”

Looking down at the girl who was once her sister, Lunelle muttered coldly, without a shred of mercy.

“Ugh, ugh...”

Evangeline, realizing the blade would soon pierce her, drifted toward unconsciousness.

– Slide...

But suddenly, Lunelle’s grip on Evangeline’s neck loosened slightly.

“...Kuh, kah!”

Not missing the opportunity, Evangeline kicked Lunelle in the chest with the last of her strength and rolled to the side, gasping for air.

“Cough, cough...”

“What a pity.”

As Evangeline desperately sucked in fresh air, a chilling voice pierced her ears.

“It seems your domination isn’t complete yet. Isn’t that right?”

“...?”

“What a shame. I went to all that trouble creating such a fine chess piece.”

Through her blurred vision, Evangeline saw a silhouette standing in front of her.

“And yet... pulling a cheap trick like this isn’t very amusing.”

It didn’t take long for Evangeline to realize that the man smiling at her with a far more terrifying expression than before was Whitney.

“Huff... huff...”

As soon as Evangeline met Whitney’s gaze, her breathing quickened again.

‘Scary scary scary scary...’

Though Whitney was smiling at her, just slightly above his mouth, a clear murderous intent filled his expression, sending chills down her spine.

For Evangeline, who had trained her body but never her mind, it was terrifying enough to forget how to breathe.

“Hm....”

Even after Whitney shifted his gaze away, Evangeline, soaked in cold sweat, still couldn’t breathe properly.

“Lunelle, whose sword are you?”

“.......”

“Answer me.”

While Evangeline was slipping into hyperventilation, Whitney quietly approached the frozen Lunelle and whispered to her.

“Your... sword, my lord.”

Hearing his whisper, Lunelle’s trembling sword slowly lifted once more.

“Then whose command should you be following right now?”

“That is, of course...”

Lunelle, who prided herself on her unparalleled mastery of the sword, now held it so awkwardly and unsteadily it was almost painful to watch.

Evangeline, catching it all through her blurry vision, showed a flicker of confusion across her pale face.

‘Why... why is she making that face while looking at me...?’

Whitney seemed to be forcibly driving the duel, Lunelle raising her sword against her will, Whitney’s still chilling smile, and Lunelle’s expression twisted with agony and cold sweat.

‘Come to think of it, what did he mutter earlier...?’

As Evangeline struggled to process it, Whitney’s earlier words flashed through her mind:

‘Incomplete domination, created chess piece....’

And in the next moment, the pieces began fitting together in her head.

“...Of course, I must obey my lord’s command.”

“...That’s right.”

Before she could fully connect all the clues, Lunelle’s voice, now frighteningly calm, spoke out. freewebnoveℓ.com

“Then what are you waiting for?”

“.......”

“Hurry and do what you must.”

Still gasping in fear, Evangeline watched in despair as Lunelle, sword in hand, slowly approached her.

“R-Richard...”

“.......”

“...D-Dammit.”

She tried calling out to Richard, who had been knocked down earlier, but he was already unconscious from the internal injuries he had sustained.

“S-Stop. I said stop...”

“.......”

“Stop!”

Exhausted and drained, overwhelmed by Whitney’s oppressive aura and her own earlier defiance, Evangeline screamed as Lunelle stepped closer.

– Step, step...

Lunelle now stood directly before her, sword raised.

“S-Sister. Please...”

“.......”

“Please, stop...”

Just as Evangeline, drained and on the verge of closing her eyes, threw away her pride and pleaded tearfully—

– Srrk...

Lunelle’s trembling sword slowly slid back into its sheath.

“...Ah.”

Evangeline’s tear-blurred eyes fluttered shut as she watched.

***

“Haa, haa....”

“Well done, Lunelle.”

Watching Lunelle with a wary eye, I finally let out a breath of relief and approached her as she painstakingly slid her sword back into the scabbard.

“I-I’m sorry, my lord. I couldn’t control my emotions—”

“...No, you didn’t lose control of your emotions.”

Still, some things had to be corrected.

“Someone tried to forcibly kill your emotions, Lunelle.”

“What?”

“No, you’re not someone who would kill your own blood in a moment of rage.”

My Lunelle wasn’t a mindless slaughter machine—

she was the skilled Captain of the Ringaarden mansion’s knight order.

She wouldn’t ignore my orders for a simple interview duel and truly try to kill her own siblings.

Meaning someone had orchestrated this situation, manipulating both Lunelle and the siblings.

“So you’re saying someone tried to control her?”

“...Exactly.”

“That’s impossible. Even if you all are fools, I’m here. No one could pull something like that off...”

Of course, as Meredia’s cold voice pointed out, it shouldn’t have been possible with the Young Lady present, who could detect most forms of magic.

“...Except for one.”

But if it were someone who possessed the same origin of power as Meredia—

someone with equal strength—

and whose innate ability was precisely to brainwash others?

“The Emperor? But how...?”

Meredia, catching on to my line of thought, muttered with a heavy scowl.

“Her power requires eye contact—”

“Or so we assumed. But is that really an absolute rule?”

“...Even if the Emperor has another method, it’s meaningless without proof.”

I didn’t know all the details either yet.

Still, it was about time to seriously start moving against the Emperor.

“Young Lady, please don’t misunderstand what I’m about to say.”

“...What is it.”

Because frankly, I was getting angry too.

“What if I told you... I know one of Her Majesty’s most humiliating and secret weaknesses?”

“...What?”