episode_0064

Early morning.

Even though it was summer, the air at dawn felt unusually cold. No, maybe it was because I knew the heat of summer days that the air felt cold.

Just like everything about my mother felt cold after I found out about everything. This early morning air is probably no different. It was cold to begin with, but it may have felt even colder because I found out about the opposite.

Now, those things probably mean nothing.

“Come on, Kyle, leave now.”

“Is it okay for you to leave so quickly?”

“I bought some gifts, so there’s no need to delay any longer. I’ve already greeted my friends, and Camilla will be following me soon.”

“No matter what, it would be better to go to the capital and have some fun rather than going to the countryside…”

“This capital is too cold.”

“Even though it’s dawn, it’s still summer so it’s not that cold.”

I don’t know. It may be the season, but I felt like my flesh was being torn apart. My chest was cold and my whole body was trembling. I was always afraid of freezing to death in that cold.

That is why I defined this capital as cold. I didn’t care about the concept of time, such as seasons. I would not pay any attention to the definitions of time, which is not on my side.

If I say it’s cold, it’s cold, and if I say it’s hot, it’s hot. At least that’s what I’ll say about this place. In that case, I won’t follow the definitions of those who aren’t on my side.

That’s how I’m going to live now. I’ll decide the direction of my remaining life.

“No. The capital is a cold place. Because I said so.”

“… It’s freezing cold.”

We rode out into the cold dawn air on the fine horses that His Majesty had given us, towards the sunlight.

I will never again shiver and cover myself with a blanket of vain fantasies. I will never deliberately lock myself in a cold room and shed tears. All I have to do is get out of that room.

There’s no need to sit in a corner of the room when there’s a sunny window.

“Let’s go. Towards the window.”

When I looked back, I saw the wife of the former count looking at me.

He seemed to be hesitating whether to hold me back or not, but I didn’t pull on the reins. I had no intention of hesitating anymore.

And she is no longer a reason for me to stop.

“Farewell. You were the lock of a small, dark room… You are like my dream.”

A door that doesn’t open even when you knock, a door that doesn’t open even when you make room for it, a door in the heart that will never open – all of these are goodbyes.

Because there’s no need to open them anymore.

Hello, really.

“Let’s speed up.”

“Yes…?”

“Because I don’t want to go back to that cold room again.”

It has been said that children are born from the suffering of their parents.

If that were the case, we wouldn’t be parents and children, because we’ve caused each other pain.

I can be proud that I have done my duty as much as the pain that person has caused me. That person may think differently, but I will no longer follow such opinions.

“You’ve been running all day, how about taking a rest, Raul?”

“It’s still cold. Let’s run more.”

“Just take the carriage and go. Why are you doing this? ”

“Imagine two grown men facing each other in a rattling carriage.”

“Wow, that’s really disgusting. By the way, you hate men, don’t you?”

“What are you talking about?”

“Since you haven’t been married yet, I’m sure your sexual preference is…”

I just pulled out my cane and swung it at Kyle’s temple.

“Kuaaah! Your Majesty! Your Highness! Lady Camilla! Lord Raoul!”

“The last one is the one who stabbed you.”

“It’s true that I’ve never been in a relationship before!”

“… I’ve been to Misu before.”

“The kind of love I’m talking about is when you reach the bed! Not sleeping together, but unity as the standard!”

“I’ve done that too. It happened against my will.”

It wasn’t something I could go around and brag about, but it wasn’t my fault either.

It’s just that the Queen of Dragons had very peculiar tastes, and I fit those peculiar tastes, and at the time I was weaker than her.

“And isn’t it a nuisance for me to get married?”

“… Raul.”

“Even so… if people accept me like this.”

If I were allowed a brief happiness like this…

“That person would definitely be someone like Camilla. If we were going to travel the world together, someone like her would be the right person. Her actions give me pleasure.”

Because her actions are something close to the unknown that I cannot predict.

It was fun to watch because it was unpredictable. Unlike me, who was pitiful, she had a personality that was not back-breaking. She would destroy things that were bothersome and destroy people who insulted her. That kind of fiery personality was different from mine, so I admired her a little.

It was fun because it was different, and I admired it because it was different. It was fun because it was the same, and I loved it because it was the same, so it was different from Leila.

Either one would be more than enough for me.

“If Camilla heard that story just now, she would have blushed. Or she would have dyed the window red, saying that she was talking nonsense again. I’d bet on the latter.”

“… I never really intended to say anything. Right now, she’s the ideal spouse I could draw. ”

“Why do you talk nonsense in front of the person you’re talking to, but then say sweet nothings in front of others? What kind of crazy disease is that? To be honest, it makes me feel bad because it feels like my parents are asking for relationship counseling?”

“Don’t give birth to grown sons to people who aren’t even married yet. ”

I wish they hadn’t given birth to such a grown son before we were even married. One shock to family relationships is enough.

After a few days of such useless chatter, a familiar mountain range suddenly came into view.

“Now, if we just cross this mountain range and drive for a day, we should arrive at the countryside, right?”

“Yeah.”

“If I just pass that checkpoint and drive over the mountain for one day… Phew… Then I’ll have a refreshing bottle of rum.”

“I don’t really like cheap spirits, especially when I’m drinking them with a guy.”

“This guy pretends to be ascetic in this world, but it seems like he secretly has a crush on women…?”

As he spoke, Kyle approached the checkpoint and thrust in his toll and fake ID. It was made by His Majesty the Emperor, so there shouldn’t be any major problems.

But the guards guarding the checkpoint displayed an indifferent attitude.

“Ah, I can’t go, so you know that, gentlemen. I heard the order to send back suspicious people.”

“… Can you explain why? I clearly showed the proper toll fee and a notarized ID. ”

“I don’t know, just turn around and leave. If not, then give me some evidence that proves you guys are not suspicious. Choose as you wish.”

Even I, a dull man, could understand the true meaning of what the guard was saying.

In short, it meant that they wanted a bribe. They must have been taking advantage of the fact that if they didn’t go through this checkpoint, they would have to take a very long detour.

“Ahahaha…”

And Kyle is someone who lost his parents because of those corrupt soldiers. Perhaps because of that, the Military Intelligence Command also suppressed the corrupt officers to the point where they were called mad dogs.

“Yeah. The one who feels sorry should dig the well haha.”

Kyle handed them a pouch full of silver coins with an eerie smile.

“Hehehe, that’s how it should be. As expected, people who look like they have something to say are understandable. They’re different from those beggars who beg to let them pass.”

“Yeah. Just yesterday, I had a hard time chasing away that lady and her kids who were begging to be let through…”

“Considering all that effort, you should get this much.”

I began to see them as brave men dancing without armor in a hail of arrows.

Every time the veins on Kyle’s forehead grew, I started to get nervous too. When Kyle got angry, neither I nor Camilla could stop him.

“Raul… Should I change my clothes soon…? You brought some clothes in your luggage, right…?”

I also didn’t want to get angry, so I took out the military uniform that was in my luggage and put it on as Kyle asked.

And the soldiers’ pupils began to dilate when they saw the eagle insignia unique to the Defense Security Command.

I couldn’t think of anything to say other than how pitiful it was.

“I’m Colonel Kyle Benson of the Imperial Military Intelligence Command. I was delayed for a moment to change clothes… Should I pay the toll again?”

“That, that, that, that extreme extreme..”

Kyle started to smile and pat their shoulders, whether the soldiers stuttered or not.

“Call all of you above.”

“Yes…?”

“You wouldn’t have done this alone… There must be other kids who take bribes.”

“Okay, okay, I was wrong…! I’ll give you back the money, but please, just not that…!”

“No, no. Considering the hard work you guys do, that much is natural, so just put it in. Just to give some consolation money to other people who are having a hard time. Why don’t you call me?”

I couldn’t help but say that it was really in bad taste.

A soldier who was terrified at the sight of the demon-like Kyle approached me and spoke to me.

“Please persuade him… At first, I was taking a few coins from people without ID as a bribe, so I went crazy…! When you’re struggling at the bottom, you don’t even have money for drinks, so you’re in trouble, don’t you? Even the money that should be your salary is all taken from above…!”

“What…?”

“Aren’t you my lord’s subordinate… Huh?”

When he saw the two stars shining above my shoulder epaulettes, he fainted.