episode_0129

In the outskirts of the capital, a small rural town called Shantouwal.

The reason why the Duke of Vallatier personally visited this insignificant small rural town was none other than the Emperor’s secret order.

Investigate the rebellion of the Empress and Duke Edmund.

No, uncover the truth. With a strict order like that, Yulrian had come down to this rural town on the outskirts.

Of course, he didn’t openly make any moves. The affairs of the other world were all Ernst’s responsibility. Yulrian was just staying in a shabby inn room, listening to the situation, while Ernst lurked in the shadows, hidden and silent.

So even though the Duke had visited, there were no rumors circulating in the streets.

The people of Shantouwal.

The noble family that ruled the small rural town.

They had no idea what was happening under their noses, with Duke Edmund, and even the Empress herself.

Shantouwal may have been a small rural town on the outskirts, but it was located at the beginning of the main road leading from the capital Lutes to the eastern hub city of Marcel.

With the development of railway transportation, the number of people using the road to connect the two cities had decreased, but it hadn’t completely died out.

Those who found the train journey too inconvenient still walked along the road to their destination.

The top-loaded wagons still passed through Shantouwal, replenishing their supplies and resting.

So, Shantouwal, despite being a small rural town with nothing outstanding, had a fair number of people passing through, and naturally, inns were easy to find.

The inn where Yulrian stayed was a three-story wooden building located behind an alley, not fitting the reputation of a Duke.

The inn, chosen to avoid people’s eyes, was as shabby inside as it was outside. It was hard to imagine it as a room where a Duke would stay.

Naturally, even the innkeeper had no idea that the guest staying in his inn, a man who didn’t show his face even in the room, was the Emperor’s illegitimate child and the Duke of Vallatier.

And now, inside the old room where Yulrian stayed, a man’s angry voice filled the air.

“What did you just say!”

The man who stood up from his seat was Christian de Bour, known as Yulrian’s closest aide.

Bang –

The chair he had been sitting on just moments ago fell to the floor. The messenger of the Duke of Vallatier, who had come to deliver the news of his wife’s death, was pushed against the shabby wooden wall, his collar grabbed.

The eyes facing him were burning with anger.

The voice that reached him was the same.

Yet the messenger remained unchanged. Despite being grabbed by a man with a head bigger than his own, there was no change in his expression. Just like the Duke’s people always did, he looked at Yulrian with emotionless eyes, not at Christian who held his collar.

“When the Duke headed to Shantouwal, the Duchess jumped out of the bedroom window.”

“She jumped out herself?”

Let alone the fact that you took your own life.

Christian was astonished at the absurd statement.

“Recently, the Duchess seemed to have improved quite a bit, and I was negligent in taking care of her. I am guilty of her death, Your Grace.”

Despite his words, the messenger’s voice was extremely dry.

And then, silence finally descended.

The strength drained from the hand that held the messenger’s collar. The freed messenger coughed and caught his breath, while Christian slumped onto the bed. To him, Lady Valatie, the wife of Urien, was a precious presence who willingly became a mother to him when he lost his parents at a young age.

Usually devoid of emotional fluctuations.

No, even Ernst, who seemed to lack emotions altogether, showed a hint of confusion in his expression.

And the person in question.

“Urien.”

Christian murmured his friend’s name.

Having lived with him for a long time, Christian had seen how disdainfully his friend regarded his mother. That’s why Christian found it difficult to even speak.

Urien glanced sharply at Christian.

His red eyes were clouded and sharp above his pointed nose.

“We’re going back to the capital.”

Rising from his seat, Urien addressed Ernst who was nearby.

“Ernst.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

“Can you handle things here on your own?”

“I can, Your Highness.”

Ernst nodded in response.

“Finish up here and join us in the capital.”

“I will, Your Highness.”

Finally, his red eyes turned to his long-time friend.

“Christian. Let’s go back.”

“Uh, okay.”

Without looking back, Urien left after delivering a brief message. Christian quickly left a word of thanks to Ernst and hurried to follow him.

#.

The journey from Shantou to the capital took half a day on horseback. Of course, this was when the horses were ridden at full speed without rest.

Stopping to rest the tired horses and the riders on top, the journey eventually took a full day.

However, when Urien and Christian arrived at the Valatie mansion, the summer sun was still stubbornly shining down, refusing to set.

They had changed horses at a town along the way and set off immediately. As a result, unlike the messenger who arrived the night before and reported in the morning, they were able to arrive at the mansion without spending the night.

During the journey back to the capital after leaving the inn, Urien didn’t utter a word. Even during the brief stop in the village, he silently followed behind Christian.

Despite the worrying sight, Christian didn’t say anything because Urien’s eyes were trembling, trying to suppress the emotions threatening to burst out.

Finally, the two horses slid into the entrance of the mansion. Slowing down after passing through the entrance, the two men continued on foot, and the mansion’s garden became noisy with the sound of the horses’ tired trot.

The mansion’s servants hurriedly came out to greet their returned master without hesitation. Urien dismounted the exhausted horse and handed the reins to the stableman who approached him.

“Where is Mother?”

“She’s resting in the cool underground wine cellar.”

The steward who rushed out from the entrance bowed his head as he answered. His voice was slightly trembling, probably due to the sudden rush.

Bowing his head, the steward continued.

“Her Highness is currently in the study on the second floor-”

“I’m going to see Mother.”

The steward’s voice was abruptly cut off.

Despite this, the steward showed no reaction. Without any surprise or apology, without any hesitation, he calmly continued his explanation.

“I will inform His Highness that the Duke has arrived.”

The fact that the steward could be so bold with the owner of the mansion must be because the owner was not a duke in Valatie to begin with.

Despite the steward’s attitude, Yulrian showed no particular reaction. Usually, he would often show signs of discomfort in such situations, but today was different.

Was it too precious even to show emotions to him?

Or was it because of his mother’s situation that he didn’t even care about anything else?

Christian, standing behind him, silently followed Yulrian into the mansion, crossing the entrance hall.

#.

As the steward said, the Duchess of Valatie was laid to rest in the cool wine cellar even on a hot summer day. On a long wooden box that looked like a coffin, her mother lay covered with a white cloth.

“I tried my best to recover her, but unfortunately, the shock of jumping out of the window…”

The coroner who had recovered the body of the Duchess greeted the two with a bow. Judging by the emotional expression, he didn’t seem to be related to the mansion.

“May I see my mother?”

A heavy voice settled coldly in the wine cellar. The coroner nodded politely and replied in a low voice.

“As it was difficult to recover her, please refrain from touching the body as much as possible.”

Upon the coroner’s words, Yulrian carefully lifted the white cloth covering his mother, and his trembling red eyes soon stopped in their tracks.

Yulrian’s trembling hand.

The white cloth clenched in his hand was also trembling like waves.

Christian gently approached him, softly wrapping his trembling cousin’s hand. He then took the cloth from his hand, covered the Duchess again, and respectfully paid his respects.

“Christian.”

With his head bowed deeply, Yulrian uttered his cousin’s name in greeting to his mother.

“Yes, Yulrian.”

“Why have I been doing all this until now?”

His voice was chillingly calm. Christian thought that the goosebumps on his arms were not just from the cool air in the wine cellar.

“To save my mother. To pull her out of this damn prison, I’ve been living so fiercely.”

Drip, drip-

The sound of tears falling on the cold floor enveloped the two.

“Christian. What am I supposed to live for now?”

Yulrian gently raised his head to face Christian. His red eyes, bloodshot like a beast’s, were so dark that it was hard to tell where the pupils were in the dim cellar.

Christian tapped Yulrian’s back, softly conveying his words.

“Yulrian. Let’s send your mother off first and then think. We can’t keep her in this cold place forever.”

Yulrian nodded quietly. Fortunately, he didn’t seem to be overwhelmed by emotions.

Christian cleared his throat and called back the coroner who had stepped back for a moment.

“We need to proceed with the funeral quickly.”

Speaking on behalf of Yulrian, Christian said.

According to the messenger, it had been four days since they had left and she had jumped from the window. The Duchess had been alone in this cold cellar for four days.

“As solemnly as possible. Don’t worry about the cost, please.”

However, the coroner’s expression upon hearing Christian’s words was not very pleasant. Even though he was told not to worry about the cost, he looked at Christian with a troubled expression.

“Um… Christian.”

“What is it.”

“That’s what I wanted to say. Ah… It’s a bit difficult to say this in front of the deceased…”

The doctor who was dragging out the conversation for some reason.

The answer was given by the butler of the Marquis’s house, who had entered the warehouse after him.

“The church refused to hold a funeral for the sinner who took his own life, saying they couldn’t offer anything to someone who ended the life given by God.”

Upon hearing this, the doctor let out a relieved sigh.

Regardless of social status, it was a common law to cut the throat of someone who committed suicide, but informing the family of the deceased was an uncomfortable task for him as well. Moreover, the fact that he had to deliver this message now to a Marquis, a high noble, made it even more difficult.

“W-what are you talking about!”

“Furthermore, the church has ordered to cut off the head of the sinner, Valati, and burn the body.”

The butler delivered the news in his usual manner, and finally, Yulian’s red eyes exploded.

“I… I will go to the Emperor.”