Evil Ghost
Inside the hall, the atmosphere remained tense. None of the maidens in the room dares to utter a word.
Despite seeing the renowned legendary immortal master, their faces were filled with fear due to the cold chill of the other party.
“Vagamound.” Gai looked at the incoming man and nodded in greeting.
“Hmm.” Vagamound walked towards the high seat in the hall and sat on it. Looking at the people bowing to him, he said, “Do not stand on ceremony. You can all lift your head.”
At this, everyone lifted their heads and settled their gaze on this legendary master who had only been written about in legends.
Blush crept to some girls' cheeks when they saw how handsome the legendary master was. However, the current situation wasn't a suitable time for them to express their fangirling.
I stared at Feiye in disbelief. I still couldn't get over the scene of the guards bowing at him while calling him the legendary lord.
He… No, this must be a dream.
I mean, how can someone like him be the legendary lord? This is too unreal.
Feiye, no, it should be Vagamound now.
Vagamound lifted his head at the people in the hall and began his speech. “I've been in seclusion for a very long time, leading to my unawareness of what's going on around the palace. This should be a fault on my part.”
“Of course not, my lord. Your lordship's seclusion plays a vital role in the safety of the seven realms. Without your backing, how could we have the strength to defeat our foes?” One among the divine elders who had been called to the gathering spoke out.
“Thank you.” Vagamound lifted his hand, stopping the elder from continuing his flattery. “About the reason why I summoned you all here, it is to make a judgment on the evidence provided for the killing of the mortal princess. What should we do about it?”
Ever since he started speaking, Vagamound had never cast his gaze at me, putting me in a delirious situation. But hearing his words, hope began to surge in my heart.
We've already formed a close bond of friendship. There's no way he would watch them kill me, right?
“An instant death.” Eason's cold voice sounded out. “According to the rules in the immortal world, the punishment for a murderer is death.”
“That's right. The murderer must be killed.” The elders nodded in agreement to Eason's words.
San didn't speak out but instead turned to Vagamound, wanting to hear his verdict. The latter had already made a promise to him, so he was assured that nothing would happen to Zanillia.
But how is Vagamound going to do that without offending the whole council?
“Killed?” Vagamound lifted his hand to his chin and turned to look at the young girl standing in the middle of all the accusations.
The corner of his lips rose as he added, “Why should we kill an innocent lady?”
'Ah.'
Not only I, even the elders were shocked by his words.
My heart began to pound as tears welled up in my eyes.
‘He believed me.’ It wasn't clear to me why, but I was very happy in my heart that he believed I wasn't the murderer.
“Innocent?” One of the elders stood up and pointed in my direction. “Does your holiness mean to say that this young lady here isn't the one who murdered the mortal princess?”
“No.” Vagamound shook his head calmly and continued, “She did, and she didn't.”
“She did and she didn't?” Eason had a look of confusion on his face. He began to wonder if Vagamound was speaking in some sort of parable. “Can you please explain clearly to us what you mean by that?”
Instead of giving a reply to Eason's question, Vagamound's icy blue eyes settled on me, and he asked. “Lady Zanillia, I want to know where you were last night? The answer you give will play a vital role in the judgment I'm about to pass now.”
As he said, everyone's eyes shifted to me.
“You can do it, Zanillia. Come on, speak out.” Janice encouraged me from the side.
I looked sideways at her, giving her an assuring smile. However, deep down in my heart, I knew that I was done for.
How am I going to give a reply to his question? This is the question I've been avoiding from the beginning.
“I…” I met Vagamound's eyes, which appeared to be able to see through every secret.
He is a mind reader. Hence, he should be able to confirm the credibility of what I'm about to say.
“I don't know.” I truthfully replied.
“How can you not know where you were last night?”
“I just don't know. You can read my mind and tell whether I'm saying the truth or not. This morning, I found myself on the ground with a dress stained with blood. I don't know how it happened or how it ended up there.”
“Okay.” Vagamound put down his hands and rose from his seat. His striding steps and calm gaze cause my heart to tremble.
'He should believe I'm saying the truth, right?' Although I couldn't tell why, but I felt a hint of fear as Vagamound walked to the edge of the platform.
“I want to reveal a shocking secret before everyone here, today.” His words cause my heart to thump bit by bit. “The person you see before you is not Lady Zanillia but instead an evil ghost.”
“What!” The whole hall went into an uproar.
Janice, who stood by the side, was dumbstruck at the words uttered by the legendary lord.
What do you mean by an evil ghost? How can Zanillia be an evil ghost? That's impossible to believe.
The moment Vagamound's words fell into my ears, my face became pale as death.
“That's right.” Vagamound nodded. “She is an evil ghost who maliciously possessed the body of this young lady.”
Then, under the gaze of everyone, he stretched out his hand and made a grabbing gesture.
Immediately, I felt an irresistible force trying to pull my soul out. Before I knew it, a loud thud sounded next to me.
“Ahh.” Loud gasps echoed around the hall.