episode_0034

Betty came out with a slightly nervous look and placed the steaming coffee in front of Liesel.

I personally don’t prefer drinks like coffee, but I wasn’t in the mood to point that out.

Of course, that would have been the same for Liesel, a tea lover.

“He, he… Please talk comfortably…”

Since she was out of shape while being held captive by bandits, I quickly found some clothes and dressed her up… but as expected, a fancy dress suited Liesel.

“You didn’t encounter anything strange, right?”

“Uh, huh…?”

“Only then will I be able to decide on the disposition of those children.”

As soon as I saw Liesel tied up, I broke their arms one by one without even realizing it.

What to do with them now will depend on Liesel’s answer.

“Nothing in particular was done to her… She is a precious hostage from whom a ransom can be collected.”

“I see.”

If you’re safe, that’s fine.

I guess I should apologize separately for breaking your arm.

“Oppa…?”

“Now that I think about it, it’s a rare occurrence. You call me oppa.”

“Well, that means…”

I was just happy. She was so happy that her brother had called me that I almost smiled without realizing it.

Since that unpleasant incident, she has called me brother only a handful of times.

I only brought it up because I was glad to hear that fact, but Liesel cringed.

“Anyway, you should be busy handing over the affairs of the head of the family, so why are you here?”

Although I definitely wrote down the manual, it wasn’t simple enough to be learned in such a short period of time.

Although I have taken care of major tasks, there are still minor budget issues remaining, so I won’t be free enough to enjoy coffee like this.

“That… to meet my brother…”

“Indeed. Is it to eliminate regret? If I have children, it could be a problem in the future. You have a good attitude.”

It was a nobleman’s duty to erase elements that could cause problems in succession.

So even though I was only praising Liesel for finally having the self-awareness of being the head of the family, Liesel shrank even more as if she was in pain.

“I came because I wanted to apologize to my brother…”

“Apology…? That sounds incomprehensible. You to me?”

“Uh… I said a lot of harsh things to my brother. My brother killed that person just to protect me.”

“Ah. Was that the story?”

I wondered what he was talking about, but it seemed like he was talking about the second prince whom I had killed some time ago.

Liesel felt guilty about that. It was definitely my mistake to do this because I thought Liesel wouldn’t understand.

I was still reflecting on it. If I had met Liesel at eye level and talked to her properly, this wouldn’t have happened.

“It’s an unnecessary story. I don’t need your apology.”

“Ji, what did you just say…?”

“He said there was no need to hear your apology.”

Since it was my fault, I didn’t think she needed to apologize.

That’s why I just rejected the apology. Because I was not innocent enough to deserve an apology. Because he was a pathetic man who could not kill his hatred no matter how much he killed his emotions.

“Okay… it won’t be that easy.”

Liesel lowered her head sadly.

“But where did you hear about that incident? If that’s what my friends said…”

“Dog, I personally found out about it. There’s something unclear somewhere.”

“……. It’s too late.”

If there was something unclear, it was right to find out right away. But it seemed a little late to find out after several years had passed.

“Okay. It’s too… too… late for me.”

“I see. That being said, is that the purpose of the visit?”

“Ah, that’s not all… Her Majesty the Empress informed me of her brother’s location and asked me to pass on this…”

Liesel said this as she took out a bottle of medicine from the bag attached to her waist.

“But is there a sore spot somewhere…? In the past, I didn’t take those medications…”

I quickly snatched the vial from Liesel’s hand.

I was afraid that Liesel would discover the true nature of the medicine. I was afraid that Liesel would notice my physical condition. I am afraid that Liesel will find out the whole truth.

Perhaps the soft-spoken Liesel blows everyone’s mind.

“Don’t tell anyone…about my medicine.”

“Oppa…?”

“You understand, right?”

“I knew it, but what on earth is this…”

I couldn’t tell you.

The fact that there is only one calendar allowed in my life now.

I didn’t want to see their crying faces, so I jumped into the battlefield, prepared to die. However, if my death made me cry, that would be a contradiction.

I was able to ignore even my own death without any problem, except for the sad faces of my family.

“By the way, Her Majesty the Empress is also indifferent. I can’t believe you didn’t even provide a proper escort for carrying the medicine.”

“Oh, that’s…”

Liesel hesitated for a moment and said:

“I asked you to wait until I selected a competent escort, but I couldn’t wait and came…”

At that moment, the flow of thought was interrupted for about 30 seconds.

It took more effort than expected to restart the interrupted flow of thought and understand Liesel’s words.

It was clear that by now the Empress had sworn unspeakably and had smashed a table.

I’m sure when Liesel returns home, he’ll stop her and pour out so many swear words that it will make her lose her senses. Normally, I would have stopped him, but since it is a safety-related matter, he should have been scolded to that extent.

“… I have no choice.”

I took out a ring I brought from the mansion and threw it to Liesel.

“If you want to come in the future, go to the imperial military headquarters and show them the ring.”

It was a place where a subordinate who taught me a little bit of this and that worked.

It was clear that if I showed him that ring, he would come out and act as my escort.

“What on earth is this pattern…?”

“He is the highest-ranking official of the Imperial Military Security Command. An object used as a seal was processed into a ring for ease of use.”

It was something that was forcibly taken on in order to sort out the chaotic military administration immediately after the rebellion.

“What is that…?”

“Roughly speaking, they are those who are in charge of miscellaneous administration and management.”

“Oh, you have an office job…”

In fact, it was a place where more complex concepts were intertwined, but it didn’t seem meaningful to explain it further.

It was originally an item prepared in case a person named Neil behaved mischievously, but it has now become a useless item.

Unlike Camilla, I dislike violent solutions, so I tried to pursue a peaceful solution through them.

“I think the story is over now, so let’s go back. I’ll lend you a coachman and an escort.”

“The story isn’t over yet.”

“I have nothing more to say.”

“I know it’s late. Still, I can’t end the story like this… I…!”

Liesel held onto my sleeve with an unknown expression on her face.

can not understand. handed over everything. Now she has achieved a place where she no longer has to bow her head.

I gave her a position near the top of the empire just as she wanted, but why is she looking sad?

“I want to talk more…”

“Liesel.”

“To the extent that I said hurtful things to my brother…! I want to talk more harmoniously than that…! Just like the old days… Yes, like the time when we were brother and sister… I mean… Oppa…”

Tears began to form at the corners of Liesel’s eyes.

I wanted to wipe it off for a moment, but it was clear that she would not like it, so I ended up only trying.

“Come back home… You are the one who is worthy of being the head of the family.”

“You’re only talking about things that are too late.”

The family succession ceremony was over, and it was quite funny to see things go like that.

Besides, I felt a sense of stability in this town, so I just said it was too late.

Nevertheless, those words were so hurtful that Liesel even began to look devastated.

Even though I didn’t want to see it.

“As expected, my words really hurt you…”

“No.”

I didn’t want to see Liesel’s crying face.

Because I’ve been fighting not to see it.

I needed to collect her tears in order to make my fight not meaningless.

“Your words didn’t hurt me at all.”

“What…?”

“Everything you said since that day.”

To comfort Liesel, I met her at eye level and talked to her properly.

So that you don’t have the same regrets as back then.

“It no longer reached my heart at all.”

Those words only served as a source of ‘familiarity’ and did not have much of an impact on my heart.

“Well, I see…I’m sorry. Was I too hasty…?”

Then Liesel hurriedly turned her back on me as if she didn’t want to show her face and left the village in a hurry, her hands shaking.

I had asked the coachman and the adventurers separately, so it didn’t seem like there would be any major problems, but there seemed to be an awkward feeling left behind.

I felt a little uneasy because the sediment that remained at the bottom of my heart seemed to have hardened into waste.

What on earth should I call this heart? Did I say something wrong? I do not know. How can I understand Liesel’s feelings when I don’t even know my own feelings?

But when Camilla heard that story, she started to laugh and hold her belly button because it was so funny.

“No. Well done, very well done. Even if I solve it later, I have to experience that much.”

“I don’t understand. What do you solve and what do you go through?”

“Uri, I understand your way of speaking, but the lady is still immature. There’s nothing more painful than lack of communication, right?”

“… I think it’s a bad habit to say things that only you know.”

“It’s not a line you should say.”

As she said that, she took a gulp of distilled liquor with an alcohol content of over 50 percent.

“I think I am becoming more and more like my teacher.”

“… Do you really want to die?”

“If you don’t, you will die soon, so don’t fuss too much.”

“Really, how did I come across such a raccoon…”

Camilla started gulping down the remaining alcohol as if her stomach was burning.

Normally, I would have disliked this drink, but today I also found this bitter distilled beverage to be sweet.