episode_0072
by fnovelpia
April 21, 207 Imperial Calendar
It’s a joy to have a place to return to. Even if we’re far apart and can’t see each other, it means we’re connected. Even if we’re separated on this continent, or somewhere else in this world, if we have a place to return to, we’re connected.
Senior, I had a place to return to. My friends, my academy, my colleagues, and even my cozy mansion… .
Did the senior have a place to return to?
I always wanted to be the place where my seniors would return to. Even though we are far away and cannot see each other, we are under the same sky. If we breathe the same air and remember where we will return to, we will be able to remember each other.
Yes. I thought that thanks to the memories we made at the Academy and our time together, we would always be connected.
But death was not on the cards.
I knew that even if it took time and a long way, we would definitely meet again. It was only after facing a true separation that I realized my feelings. The feelings I had for my senior were love.
It’s definitely love.
It’s been over ten years since I endured the loss of my senior whom I loved so much. Can I say that I am not responsible for his death? If I had been a little more alert, wouldn’t things have been different? If I hadn’t sent my senior to the palace—no, if I had become a duke a little sooner—wouldn’t I have been able to save him?
I’ve come this far by blaming myself. Humans are truly unknowable beings.
Senior, do you know how much I’ve worried that I might become complacent and forget my oath? I was more afraid of forgetting you than of dying, as time has dulled me. But now I’m not afraid anymore.
Because I knew that the time had come to keep my oath.
The oath I made in front of my dying senior brought me to this place. I lived for my senior who would be there alone. I endured each day while remembering you.
My son’s engagement ceremony was held yesterday.
Ah! Don’t misunderstand, he’s my adopted son. Even the engagement was fake. But can you believe it? The one who ruined the engagement was my senior’s daughter.
Your daughter. The princess appeared. I saw her teal eyes that resembled my senior’s. They were shining inside the green emperor’s helmet. I felt mixed emotions as I looked at her.
Aren’t you your senior’s daughter?
The daughter of my senior whom I saw when she was a baby and now I can finally see her again. I wonder what she looks like now. I probably won’t recognize her. She won’t look like that back then. But I still hope to recognize her. The princess in the helmet will definitely resemble my senior.
But at the same time, I hate her. That child is also the daughter of the emperor who had charmed my senior. She has the dirty blood of the emperor who led my senior to death. That’s why I’m confused about how to deal with the princess when I meet her later.
I am torn between making her pay for the Emperor’s sins or taking pity on her and giving her her life back.
But I still haven’t forgotten my oath.
As my senior left me, as my senior requested, I will watch over the princess’s actions. But if, as my senior worried, she resembles the emperor and uses the power of that terrible curse, she will not know love.
I’ll kill you.
I will definitely free you from this dirty shackle that has been passed down through blood. That is the only way to honor the past days when I could not protect my senior.
If only I could put into this letter all the unwavering will that fills my heart… . Then, I think, if only you, who are in heaven — surely heaven, for there is no other place that suits you — could look at me and smile.
Isabel, I hope you can understand this feeling. The pity of those who, in their long lives, only recall the vows they made to you and find strength again.
Well then, goodbye. I think this letter will resonate with you, Senpai, since it contains the princess’s story.
*
dripping-
There was a knock on the door.
The Duke of Mainer had just finished putting the letter into an envelope and was pressing the seal onto the wax. The heat of the melted wax was transmitted through the removed seal.
“Come in.”
The peacock seemed to know who was knocking.
If it had been Louis, he would have come in without knocking, and if it had been Rachel, she would never have interrupted the Duke’s letter-writing time. Rachel, who had assisted the Duke for a long time, knew how precious this time was to the Duke.
So there is only one answer.
There is only one person who will come.
Clank- The heavy door opened and a blond young man came in.
He glanced around the Duke’s study and office, then fixed his gaze on the Duke sitting at his desk. Even for a young man who had entered the room, this was not a place he could easily enter. Even considering the young man’s identity and status as the Duke of Mainer’s son.
Chairs surrounding a long table to welcome guests, bookshelves surrounding the room on all sides and countless books, candles and magically glowing lights illuminating the dark room as the day went by, and a fireplace placed in an appropriate place created a cozy and warm atmosphere.
Knock knock-
I could hear the crackling of firewood in the fireplace. It was great as a heating device that warmed the room, and also as a mood device with the quiet sound of the flames and the crimson light that brightened the darkness.
“What brings you here, Carl.”
“……”
The Duke spoke to the young man standing blankly in the middle of the room.
“It’s late at night. Are you worried about what happened today?”
“Have you encountered the unknown, Duke… Father.”
The Duke of Maynor looked at the grave expression on Karl’s face and chuckled softly. Then he got up and walked away from the desk.
“It seems like you’re still confused about what to call me.”
“I’m sorry. Today was a particularly hard day. I guess I’m just tired.”
“It doesn’t matter. Call me Karl, Duke, or Father, whatever you want. Titles don’t matter.”
The Duke spoke in a gentle voice and walked slowly towards the fireplace. — There were two sofas and a table facing the fireplace — there were two small sofas, each accommodating one person, and on the table were glasses and a bottle of wine.
The Duke reached the fireplace and threw the letter in his hand into the flames.
Tak- The sound of paper burning, the sound of the letter being enveloped in flames and burning could be heard quietly. Looking at the letter that was burned in an instant, Karl opened his mouth.
“Wasn’t that the letter you were going to send?”
“…No, it’s a letter that can’t be sent.”
I don’t know what that means. Carl knew that the duke wasn’t the type to talk nonsense. So he made a puzzled expression.
“It’s a letter that has never been sent. If there is no recipient, isn’t a letter meaningless?”
“……”
“Sit down. Since you’re here, why not have a drink? There’s nothing like a strong drink to look back on a hard day.”
The Duke sat on one of the sofas facing the fireplace and pointed to the sofa next to him.
The peacock’s face was shadowed by the fire in the fireplace. He sat there, turned his head to look at the sword, and his face looked at times carefree and at times lonely.
Gulp gulp-
As Karl sat down on the sofa, the Duke poured alcohol into a glass. He handed the glass filled with alcohol to Karl. Then, thudding- he lightly clinked the glasses together in a toast and took a sip of the alcohol.
“I’m glad you’re safe, Carl.”
“I’m sorry I couldn’t complete the mission. I missed the unknown… .”
“I don’t expect you to be able to deal with the royal family yet. That’s greed. Don’t underestimate the royal family.”
“…yes.”
Carl put the strong drink to his lips with a bitter expression on his face. It was not the drink that was bitter, but the events that had happened today that were bitter.
“Still, thanks to Chloe Deminus, the Archduchess who awakened the power of the warrior, the damage was minimized. Thank goodness.”
“……”
“If it weren’t for her, everyone in the palace would have died.”
slaughter.
It was a one-sided massacre. Nathan and Lewis, who had the power to stop the Unknown, were marked by their Guardians and could not face the Unknown. So the Unknown could lead the Knights of the Order to their deaths without any restrictions.
At the moment of despair, the descendant of the warrior appeared. He even seemed sacred to the knights of the church. Chloe Deminus stood in front of the unknown, emitting the energy of the stars like a legendary warrior.
He protected the people from the darkness of the terrible royal family.
Unknown, who had been confronting Chloe, soon realized that the situation had entered a lull and called his followers and guardians to leave the palace.
He suddenly appeared and threw the palace into chaos, and then in the blink of an eye, he disappeared from the palace, covered in darkness. The knights of the sect cheered, and everyone who remained in the palace was surprised and excited by the fact that the descendant of the warrior had returned.
Look after Chloe with respect and gratitude.
Finally, Nathan, the greatest knight of the sect, approached the descendant of the warrior and knelt before him, and it was the moment when the false accusations against Chloe were completely cleared.
The duke watched the scene through the window, and Karl barely managed to escape the barrier and take in the whole scene.
“Kal, you don’t look so good. What happened inside the barrier?”
“…I”
The Duke examined the sword. It was not the best day to capture the Unknown, but it was still a day that achieved what it was intended to do. Chloe was free. But the sword looked sad and miserable, as if he had lost someone precious.
“I hate myself for being so helpless.”
“……”
“I will never… I will never lose again.”
The duke didn’t ask any more questions. A man has a weakness that he must keep buried deep in his heart. He didn’t have the interest to dig into it. To the duke, Karl was a being who gave him a different kind of bond, as if he were both a subordinate and an adopted son.
All I could do was hope that he would overcome his current suffering. That was the best I could do as Karl’s boss and father. It was also my duty as the one who gave Karl a new life.
“There is no longer a need to get close to the Archduke for the mission. She is not the one we are looking for.”
“…I see.”
“If you have any personal feelings for her, if you have feelings for her… . Put it aside, I won’t force you. I won’t stop you from meeting as long as it doesn’t interfere with your mission.”
I felt sorry for Karl when I saw him answer weakly. It seemed excessive to force him to try to seduce me for the mission and then tell him to stay away from me because I didn’t need him anymore. So I decided that if Karl really liked Chloe, it couldn’t be helped.
“No.”
“?”
“No need. That bitch. It’s okay.”
That kind of woman? It was an overly rude title to refer to a princess and a descendant of a warrior. But more than that, the duke was surprised to see Karl use such an excessive word in front of him for the first time.
Could it be that he was so absorbed in his mission that he conveyed his feelings to the Grand Duchess?
The duke thought that there was no other way to explain it. Yes. Anyone who saw the sword now saw that it was swinging around in a way that was inexorable because of the woman. Even the calm duke was flustered. He almost laughed when he thought that his adopted son was going through the pain of heartbreak.
“Anyway, the church won’t be after Chloe anymore, right?”
“Yes. She proved her existence.”
“What’s left is… .”
The Duke thought of Lady Dahlia, Del Rio of the Allied Forces, and the Saints, while Karl thought of only the Saints Alana and Daniela.
“Daniela del Rio of the Allied Forces, Beatrice de Dahlia of Primera are left. Which woman do you plan on getting close to next?”
“…I don’t know. I think my head will be complicated today, for the time being.”
“Yeah, I guess I need some time to organize my thoughts.”
The Duke understood Karl’s feelings. He understood fully. And he couldn’t bring himself to say that the saintess was also one of the suspects. That would have been a cruel thing for Karl. To treat the saintess, whom he had truly loved since childhood, as a mission…
Even if it wasn’t a mission, if Karl meets the saint again, he’ll try to look good to her. In the duke’s view, it’s better for the saint not to give Karl a word for the mission. Karl will do it on his own without him complaining.
Swish-
The Duke raised his glass to Karl. It was a toast. Karl also reached out to the Duke’s glass.
Ta-da! Once again, the sound of glasses clinking filled the quiet office.
*
I don’t tend to be overconfident in my ability to drink alcohol.
Carl knew that the body he had acquired after being possessed would not easily become intoxicated. However, he did not enjoy drinking alcohol. Drinking alcohol made him depressed and made him fall into vain thoughts.
Because it brings back gloomy thoughts like unrequited love that I couldn’t fulfill before.
But today, the little drink he enjoyed with the Duke has made him drunk. Even though he didn’t drink much, and it was just a short drink to finish the day, he feels like he’ll fall asleep as soon as he lies down in bed.
That means today was a tough day.
The engagement, the tension, the unknown, the fights, and even the mental trauma caused by Chloe… there was nothing that didn’t tire Carl out. Today was literally full of things that were exhausting.
So a little alcohol was like adding fuel to the fire of fatigue.
I was staggering out of the information agency safe house and trying to leave the commercial district.
As the night deepened, I walked alone along the quiet streets.
“?”
At one point, a familiar figure of a woman appeared in front of him. She was standing far away, looking at the sword with her consistently pretty blue eyes.
The rather haughty and arrogant eyes, combined with the blank expression, looked cute. Looking at the woman, who blinked her eyes with a bewildered face as if frozen, unable to take her eyes off the sword, I felt a gap between her usual deadly appearance and this.
The sword liked that look in women. No, it still does. It may be as good as, or even better than, the saint.
“Oh, what. Carl? Hello.”
He greets me awkwardly, as if he has a breakdown. I’m sure we ran into each other in the palace garden earlier. As if it’s been a long time.
“Oh, I didn’t drink. So don’t worry about it. I just came here for work today and am on my way back to the dorm. It’s okay if you don’t drop me off like last time.”
She spouts out excuses at a rapid pace, as if she had something to complain about. It wasn’t really an excuse, since she really didn’t drink. However, this time, it was Carl who drank, not her.
The sword quickly approached the woman. As it got closer, the woman’s embarrassed face looked even cuter.
“…Beatrice.”
“Huh? ”
The blue-eyed woman, Beatrice, tensed up at the sound of her name being called softly. It was because of the low, heavy voice of the sword, which sounded angry.
“Are you okay?”
“…what?”
“Are you okay… . I was so busy in the palace that I couldn’t check on you, I’m sorry.”
“Yeah, I’m fine, nothing happened.”
“Thank goodness. I’m really glad.”
Karl slowly closed his eyes and said. He let out a sigh of relief. Beatrice was still tense as she watched Karl like that. Then she flinched at the scent of alcohol that she could smell through Karl’s breath.
The heavy atmosphere still settled.
“Then I’ll go. You go in safely too!”
“……”
Beatrice tried to turn around quickly.
widely-
But as she was trying to leave, she was caught by Karl. Karl grabbed her hand as she tried to move away.
“!?”
Beatrice was startled by the sudden touch. The hairs on her body stood on end. It was a unique stimulation. However, before she had time to be surprised, her thoughts stopped at the next action, and she could only let out an unidentifiable sound like ‘ah’.
Warak-
Karl took Beatrice’s hand – and turned her body towards him – and hugged her tightly, wrapping one hand around her arm and the back of her neck, and the other around her waist.
I could hear Beatrice’s heart pounding beyond our close bodies.
Carl closed his eyes, feeling his heartbeat speeding up. Beatrice’s rising body temperature, her trembling movements, and her short voice combined with the sound of her heartbeat reassured Carl.
It was a sound that comforted the wounded heart of the sword, like a painkiller that was easy to listen to.
Karl stood there for a long time, holding Beatrice in his arms. But to him, it felt like a fleeting moment.
… .
Beatrice, held in Karl’s arms, wished this moment would last forever.
Chloe.
THE END
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