Don't Burn Them! Even Witches Have Value!

Lynn spoke with absolute confidence, while the viscount’s face instantly twisted with pain.

Clearly, both of them had already reached the same conclusion in their hearts.

Although the process had been somewhat complicated, the result should have been correct.

All that remained was for Liko to confirm it. Once that was done, they could officially begin a thorough investigation into Lilith.

While Lynn stood there arrogantly with his arms crossed, waiting for the answer, Liko flicked her forked tongue and slowly replied:

“...No.”

“Haha, did you hear that, Viscount? Lilith is the one who—”

Lynn’s smug smile froze instantly.

It was as if he had swallowed an entire lemon whole.

The two people, who had previously worn completely different expressions, now shared the exact same bewildered look as they stared blankly at each other.

“Wait... What did you just say? No?”

Unable to believe his ears, Lynn grabbed Liko from atop his head and held her up in front of his face.

“Are you still half asleep? That woman dressed entirely in black... she isn’t the one who poisoned him?”

“You’re so annoying... I already told you she wasn’t...”

Suspended in midair with her cheeks being held up, Liko answered listlessly.

“That’s three questions... I’m going back to sleep...”

Before the mentally frozen Lynn could react, she slipped free from his hands.

Moving with a speed completely unlike her usual sluggish self, she slithered down his body and rushed straight toward the large bed in the next room.

Only after she had skillfully swung the door shut behind her with her tail did Lynn stiffly turn his head toward the viscount of white pine.

The viscount was just as confused as he was.

“Viscount... this... doesn’t seem quite right.”

Lynn wiped away the cold sweat forming on his forehead, a growing sense of unease filling his heart.

After all, he could tell that Viscount Milangel genuinely had deep feelings for Lilith.

“Perhaps... there is still some hidden truth behind this. But I believe that no matter what the truth is, it must still be connected to Lilith.”

Fortunately, the viscount was a reasonable man.

“Besides, I have always felt an instinctive dislike toward her father—the Baron of Rose. There has always been something about him that disgusted me.”

“I will have people investigate him and summon him for questioning. As for Lilith... I truly want to hear the truth from her personally, but... sigh. I simply cannot bring myself to ask her.”

“Lord Lynn, could I trouble you to stay here for a few more days and help me ask her?”

Absolutely not.

Cold sweat immediately poured down Lynn’s forehead again.

That woman was clearly harboring killing intent toward him.

The fact that she was a Dark Witch alone was already enough for her to kill him effortlessly.

Although the Sealing Necklace had finished recharging, who knew what kind of abilities the dangerous relic she carried possessed?

She was no longer just a walking red flag.

She was a walking nuclear bomb.

I have to completely separate myself from her.

Ideally, he should report her directly to the Church and let them come over and burn her at the stake.

“In fact, Viscount, the reason I suspected your wife was because I possessed a relic capable of sensing magical power.

The moment I saw her, I realized that she was a witch—a witch capable of using dark magic.

I believe... it would be better to leave this matter to the Church.”

Lynn hurriedly waved his hands, refusing to accept the request to go and defuse a walking humanoid bomb.

Hearing this, the viscount was utterly shocked.

“A witch... Lilith is a witch?

But Paul didn’t detect any traces of magical power from her.”

Paul... was that the captain of the guards with E-rank Battle Qi?

Lynn rubbed his chin before continuing his solemn explanation—or rather, continuing to make things up.

“That’s because she is carrying a relic-grade magical artifact that conceals the aura of her magic.

But the relic I possess was given to me by my grandfather. Naturally, its grade is far beyond anything she has.”

After learning that it had been a gift from the Grand Duke of Dibin, the viscount could no longer deny the possibility, no matter how unwilling he was to accept it.

However, he did not immediately answer Lynn’s previous proposal.

Instead, he leaned forward until his head was almost resting against his knees.

It was obvious that Viscount Milangel was suffering through an agonizing internal struggle.

A witch represented calamity and destruction.

At least, that was what the Church declared.

As for a Dark Witch, she was considered the most dangerous existence of all.

She was not even given the opportunity to surrender to the Church. Once discovered, she would be judged and executed immediately.

According to legend, the Great Witch who had cast the ancient curse was herself a master of dark magic.

If he followed Lynn’s suggestion and reported Lilith, she would be tied to the stake and burned alive without delay.

But...

Was she truly that dangerous?

Was she truly that terrifying?

Lilith had lived alongside him and the child he had with his late wife for such a long time.

She had already become a member of their family.

Before his eldest son had been poisoned, she had never once shown impatience toward the child.

She had treated him as though he were her own son.

She had not actually poisoned the child.

Perhaps she had secrets that she could not reveal.

But the viscount had never personally witnessed her using magic to harm anyone.

Perhaps everything had been an act.

Perhaps she had deceived him.

Perhaps everything she had shown him had been nothing more than a carefully crafted lie.

But the memories they had shared were real.

The emotions those memories had brought...

And the love contained within them...

Those were real as well.

“Lord Lynn... I am a rather foolish man. Lilith often complains about that.”

After a long silence, he slowly raised his head and looked directly into Lynn’s eyes.

Within those eyes were confusion and inner conflict.

But above all else, there was unwavering resolve and determination.

“So... I choose to believe what I have personally felt... what I have personally witnessed.

And what I witnessed was that Lilith is not someone who willingly seeks calamity and destruction.

She is my wife.

She is the mother of my children.”

She had been so in the past...

And he hoped she would continue to be so in the future.

“I ask this of you, Lord Lynn...

No...

I beg you.”

The viscount stepped away from his chair, dropped to one knee, and lowered his head.

“I know this is foolish.

Anyone who hears what I am about to say will surely think so.

But if you are willing to help me keep this secret...

And work together with me to resolve this incident involving Frost...

Then I am willing to give up everything.”

When ordinary people said such words, they were usually nothing more than empty promises.

But when Viscount Milangel spoke them with such sincerity, Lynn was certain that he truly meant every word.

Lynn raised an eyebrow and looked at Viscount Milangel as though he were staring at a complete idiot.

He simply could not understand it.

Was everything the viscount possessed truly equal in value to the thing he was trying so desperately to protect?

It was only a witch.

And not just any witch, but a Dark Witch—a being who was unlikely to provide any productive value or commercial potential.

Was she really worth cherishing to such an extent?

A decision made without even the slightest consideration of rationality was foolish.

Utterly foolish.

But...

That was exactly what Lynn wanted.

He was willing to give up everything, was he?

“Then I want everything you have!”

At that moment, all the fear and hesitation that had filled Lynn’s face vanished without a trace.

They were replaced by a brilliant smile.

“Then, Viscount...”

His nose twitched slightly.

It was the instinctive reaction of an incredibly greedy predator that had just caught the scent of its prey’s fatal weakness.

Looking down at this hardened man of the Northern Frontier, who was willing to sacrifice everything for a love that Lynn considered completely worthless, the smile on his face looked like that of a devil from the depths of hell.

“Since you said you are willing to offer ‘everything’ as compensation for the additional risk I will be taking by standing against both the Church and a Dark Witch...

Then I want your title as the Viscount of White Pine, along with absolute control over this entire territory.

Can you afford to give me that?”

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