The Culprit Behind It All

"Bang!"

Amid the heavy impact, Io was slammed hard into the ground and cried out in pain.

Immediately afterward, a voice came from above Io's head.

"You'd better listen to His Highness properly, Io."

Redcliffe grinned as he seized Io by the shoulders and held her down, leaving Io completely stunned.

"Red... you...!"

Io could not believe that her close friend would treat her like this.

But soon, Io realized it.

She realized that Redcliffe's eyes held not the slightest trace of emotion. Instead, they had a metallic, inorganic quality.

That feeling...

"Y-You're an Automaton Doll...!?"

Io's face changed completely.

"That's right. That guy is my doll."

Edmund admitted it.

"Can't be helped. That professor rejected my invitation and even wanted to tell Rutherford about unnecessary matters. Naturally, I had to make sure he stayed silent forever. Don't you agree?"

Edmund's tone was still filled with indifference, and Io finally began to shed tears.

Her dreams had been trampled, her research results exploited, her daughter—whom she had made with her own hands—had even had her emotional program deleted, and even her friend had been killed and replaced with an Automaton Doll that stayed by her side, monitoring her and turning her into a toy in Edmund's hands. Io felt as though the entire sky were about to collapse, leaving her heart filled with despair.

Yet the prince before her showed no mercy as he delivered his final ultimatum.

"Come now. Make your choice. Will you follow me to the pinnacle of the world, or will you disappear from this world like Redcliffe, in a way no one will ever know about?"

Edmund spoke without the slightest trace of mercy.

"Although I value your talent very highly, the finest talent is nothing but a burden if I cannot use it. It