A Mastermind? No, I'm just the Live-In Son-in-Law-Chapter 40: The Angel Wears a Devil’s Face

One would think she’d develop neurosis from it all, but Adel only responded with a quiet nod.

—Krrrrk...

But from her bowed head, the faint grinding of clenched teeth escaped.

If only I could get the same magic tools Father provides her... I could do so much better!

Even if she’d grown used to living in second place, perhaps due to her innate nature, Adel’s thirst for recognition had long since festered and twisted within her.

Until now, she’d done her best to hide it, afraid of falling out of favor with her father. But with her back against the wall, that restraint was unraveling.

“Hmph.”

The Marquis of Felgrave, observing her reaction with subtle calculation, suddenly curled his lips into a sly grin.

“You’ve been listed as second-choice candidate for the Prodigy Selection Tournament.”

“...What?”

“I’m rather close with the Academy’s staff. I also happen to know that only one slot remains open in the selection.”

He whispered this truth—one utterly intolerable to Adel.

“Ugh...”

As expected, her body began to tremble as she silently bit her lip.

“...It seems you wish to participate in the tournament?”

To her, the marquis’s following offer was impossible to refuse.

“If you do me a favor, I’ll provide you with a magic artifact to help in your midterm exam.”

“......!”

“If you break a record during that test, I’ll be sure to put in a good word with the Academy officials.”

It was the first time her father had ever offered her a magic artifact.

More than anything, it was the first time the father who had always told her to be content with second place had ever asked her to aim for first.

“Th-thank you, Father! I’ll give it my all!”

“...What a good girl.”

“So... what is it you want me to do?”

Tears welled in Adel’s eyes as she raised her head to ask. The Marquis swiftly wiped the grin off his face and answered.

“Now that I think about it, you’re at the right age to marry.”

“...What?”

“You’re old enough to send out wedding invitations.”

This was the truth behind why Whitney had received an overwhelming number of invitation cards.

“If I reach out to the families indebted to me, it’ll help scatter the attention of the duke’s daughter.”

“......?”

“Yes, it’s a perfect opportunity... I can solidify my position within the Shadow Alliance.”

He murmured to himself with that same twisted grin. Adel, still puzzled, clenched her fists and resolved inwardly.

I don’t get it, but this time I’ll prove myself!

At that point, fueled by the overwhelming attention from her father and the hope of finally being first, Adel’s fighting spirit burned brighter than ever.

Even when she came to understand that her father’s “favor” amounted to little more than using her as a honey trap—a humiliating tactic for any noblewoman—she held firm.

Father must have a reason...

The day before the exam, when Adel received a letter (the first her father had ever sent her), informing her that Whitney would be a supervisor during the midterms, her determination became unshakable.

—RUMBLE!!!

Now, back to the present...

“Gah!”

The Headless Knight slammed his sword into the ground, unleashing a massive shockwave that tore across the corridor and struck her directly.

“Ugh... ughh...”

Just before the attack landed, Adel had frantically summoned a barrier—but the shockwave ripped through it and her body alike.

“...Kuhk.”

Kneeling on the ground, she tried to brace herself, but the internal damage had already been done. She coughed up blood and collapsed once more.

Is this... the end for me...?

Adel clenched her mouth shut, holding back another surge of blood as she internally accepted her fate.

Still... I bought enough time for the others to escape. Maybe I’ll be remembered as a hero...

With a faint smile, she closed her eyes and envisioned the small, long-held dream she had nurtured.

—Will you be satisfied with just that?

“...!?”

A soft whisper, as if spoken directly into her ear, startled her awake.

Even if you want to be someone special, dying will make all of that meaningless.

“Wh-who...?”

She looked around in a daze, but all she saw was the Headless Knight approaching, dragging its sword behind it.

I can give you power.

The whisper persisted.

With it, you’ll finally become the special someone you’ve always wished to be...

More accurately, the voice wasn’t in her ear—it was in her head. But in her half-conscious state, Adel couldn’t tell the difference.

If you want it, just nod quietly.

Even as her vision dimmed, the words rang out clearly, almost as if they were a gentle compliment—one she’d always yearned to hear from her father.

—Kreee...

The Headless Knight was now right in front of her, raising its arm with a spine-chilling metallic shriek.

Special... someone...

This translation is the intellectual property of Novelight.

Adel looked up at the creature with hazy eyes, and almost unconsciously, began to nod.

“...Ah?”

But her gaze suddenly snapped to her neck, where something felt off.

—Ssszzzt...

The necklace, once pitch-black and oozing ominous smoke, had latched tightly to her throat—veins and skin discoloring into a sickly black.

“N-no...”

Revulsion overtook her as her face turned pale. She reached for the necklace with trembling hands.

“This... this isn’t the kind of ‘special’ I wanted...!”

But she no longer had the strength. Her mana had been exhausted from fighting the Headless Knight for so long.

“P-please... someone, anyone...”

Realizing she couldn’t remove it, Adel tried to scramble back, begging desperately.

“Anyone... please... kuhk!”

The necklace suddenly constricted around her throat, cutting her cry short.

There’s no one left to save you.

“Khh... kuhhk...”

Be a good girl. Just nod.

The same gentle voice returned, now with a hint of mocking laughter, as her vision began to fade.

—KREEE...

The Headless Knight had its sword raised high, ready to bring it down.

“F-Father...”

Overwhelmed by the endless cycle of despair, Adel shut her eyes tight.

“Please... give me strength...”

She thought of her father, the one she had always followed, and whispered her final prayer.

Poor, pitiful child.

At that moment, a voice echoed in her mind—no longer gentle, but sneering. Her eyes dulled.

Did you already forget who gave you that necklace?

Had even a second more passed, she might have nodded and surrendered to the darkness.

“......”

She hadn’t even noticed that the Headless Knight, sword raised, had not moved an inch.

“Well, I may not be your father, my lady.”

Fortunately for Adel, someone had answered her prayer.

“But it seems I can still rescue you.”

“......!”

“I specialize in this kind of thing, after all.”

As that warm voice reached her, her limp body suddenly lifted off the ground. Her eyes flew open in surprise as she looked up.

“Wow, you’re awfully light, aren’t you?”

“Ah...”

“At your age, you should be eating more. It’d be a miracle if you’re not malnourished.”

Whitney held her in a gentle bridal carry, flashing his usual crooked smile in a teasing tone.

“Though I suppose being too healthy—like a certain black-haired gorilla we both know—can be its own problem. Haha...”

That same wicked grin, so often the source of misunderstanding and chaos, looked unbearably kind to Adel’s fading consciousness.

“Anyway, you did well.”

“......”

“Now, rest.”

Even his strange way of speaking, usually riddled with misunderstandings, came across as comforting.

“...Thank you.”

Without thinking, Adel hugged Whitney and buried her face in his chest, whispering softly with a fading voice.

“I’ll... never forget this favor...”

She didn’t get to finish the sentence—her consciousness gave out first. But the single tear that slid down her cheek said all that was left unsaid.

***

...Good. Looks like I wasn’t too late.

I had left the monsters that had been relentlessly tailing me stationed just outside, then rushed into the corridor—Adel still unconscious in my arms—and let out a quiet sigh of relief as I looked down at her.

—Crackle...

Thankfully, I had pre-activated my ultimate trump card, my innate magic suppression technique, just in case.

Because it had barely stopped that terrifying upper-tier monster, which had been preparing to strike Adel right in front of me.

That’s... obviously corrupted by black magic.

That necklace that had been glowing pitch-black around Adel’s neck when I entered the corridor must’ve been the cause of the abnormality in the maze.

This poor noble lady... she won’t be able to escape disciplinary action.

Taking advantage of the momentary suppression of the artifact’s power by my white magic, I removed the item from Adel’s neck and quietly tucked it away into my coat with a bitter smile.

...Actually, maybe this could be put to better use?

Come to think of it, this artifact... if her father—the Tower Lord—is the one who gave it to her, then this is a highly incriminating piece of evidence.

If I just report this directly, it’ll probably get buried. I should hang onto it for now.

I, who could resist the effects of black magic, would keep it safe. I should ~Nоvеl𝕚ght~ consult with Parsha and find a way to use it most effectively.

“Well then, time to bring all this chaos to a close—”

With that plan settled, I turned toward the magic circle, which had clearly grown quieter under the effect of my suppression spell.

“Urgh.”

But then I staggered slightly, losing balance before catching myself again.

“This... might be a problem.”

Even if Adel was light, moving while sustaining a high-consumption suppression spell that drained both life force and massive amounts of white magic in real-time... was proving too much.

“Ugh... hang on, just a second...”

“......”

“Ughh...”

I tried to set her down gently onto the floor, but for some reason—whether because Adel was stronger than she looked or because my stamina was simply that pathetic—she wouldn’t let go of me.

“...Haha...”

In the end, I gave up and stood there awkwardly, stuck with her clinging to me and no clear next move.

“Sir Whitney, allow me to assist.”

A composed voice came from behind me out of nowhere.

“My apologies for arriving late. It took some time to bypass the magic circle.”

Turning my head toward the voice, I saw the female instructor—the one who had explained the exam to the students—walking down the corridor with a grave expression.

“I’ll take care of the circle. Please take Lady Adel and get out of here.”

“Ah... understood.”

“That armor-type monster won’t be moving again for a while. Don’t worry about me.”

It was true—I was reaching my limit with the suppression magic, so I immediately withdrew the spell and entrusted the area to the instructor as I prepared to leave the maze.

—Human...! Let me out...!

“...What the—?”

Just then, the small spider monster that had been clinging to my leg earlier suddenly popped out from inside my clothes and spoke up, making me freeze in place for a second.

“This thing...”

The most uptodate nove𝙡s are published on frёewebnoѵel.ƈo๓.

Even if it was a small monster, it was still several times larger than any normal spider, and I couldn’t help but frown at the grotesque creature.

Had it really been inside my clothes this entire time?

—Let go of me...!

Is this thing planning to follow me all the way to my office?

The image of Sasha fainting in shock after seeing this monster crawl out from my coat while she served tea flashed clearly in my mind. With a deep frown, I reached into my clothes and pulled the creepy thing out with my fingers.

—From that woman... I sense something familiar...!

But just as I lifted it out, the monster—dangling by my fingers—suddenly twitched its legs and muttered that.

“...Hmm.”

As a white mage bound to protect justice and exterminate monsters, this was technically unacceptable.

“What are you talking about, spider?”

But... it seems I should at least hear it out.

***

Meanwhile, at that very moment—inside the Academy Board’s reception room.

“...What did you just say?”

Meredia, calmly sipping tea, froze with her cup mid-air as she blinked in disbelief at the sudden report.

“There’s been an unidentified incident during the Academy’s midterm exams. Students and supervisors are currently trapped inside.”

“......”

“We’ve lost communication, and though we can’t assess the situation inside, the magic circle appears to be in a state of overload. The likelihood of casualties is—”

The longer the attendant’s explanation went on, the darker Meredia’s expression became.

“Who’s the supervisor inside?”

Setting her teacup down, she forced a composed tone as she asked.

“Sir W-Whitney, ma’am...”

After hesitating briefly, the attendant avoided her gaze as he answered.

“......”

Meredia, momentarily stunned, blinked slowly. Then, in a voice calm and firm, she gave her order.

“Lead the way. Immediately.”

Without another word, she began to walk, neither too fast nor too slow, following the attendant out.

“...You idiot.”

The words that slipped from Meredia’s lips—barely audible—trembled ever so slightly.