episode_0103

Day 4 of the hunting festival.

The uncomfortable and stuffy feeling didn’t go away. I couldn’t sleep properly because of the unpleasant feeling that tickled my chest. If I had just let it go without saying anything, I wouldn’t have had such trouble sleeping.

I never thought the wise countess would disturb my sleep for something that could not be changed by anything.

“You look a little down today. Did something happen yesterday?”

“I feel bad after hearing empty words.”

“Empty words?”

“… It was just stupid words without any substance. Words that make you feel sick just by hearing them.”

“I don’t know for sure, but I guess your mother was upset again.”

“It’s bound to be annoying because you don’t consider the listener’s feelings at all.”

“… No matter how much I think about it, I don’t think that’s something you should say.”

Camilla started to press my cheek as if teasing me.

Those little physical contacts, however small, lifted my spirits.

Now, I felt like I had become a vulgar person who valued things like the information about blood relatives and the affection that had been sent over time, but I didn’t feel ashamed of that fact.

Now, even if I whip myself, I can’t feel any pain. Because I whip myself for the amusement of others, I’ve ended up with scabs on top of scabs.

Such trivial things will not bring about even the slightest change, let alone shame.

“That’s a rare thing, by the way. You’d suggest doing something else instead of hunting.”

“You look so upset, so I suggested we go for a ride together.”

“…… Kiharo, the cavalry captain, comes to mind. He was a good man who would try to lighten the mood like that during the war. He said there was nothing better than the wind blowing while riding a horse.”

“Hey, while I’m trying to cheer you up, can you stop talking about the guy who threw himself to protect you and got shot by an arrow and died?”

“Now, death is closer to me than life, so it makes more sense to talk about the dead than the living.”

It’s not something to brag about, but my comrades from back then still come to me in my dreams and resent me. Those dreams, which occur about once a week, always bring me nothing but shame.

They spit out words they would never have said, like, “We’re dead, so why are you alive?”

Yes. Those were the words they would never say. At least I believe so, but the fact was hurting me. Even if it was more like a phantom. It had more influence than the words of a real countess.

‘Raoul… you are the hope of the empire… you must live, not this horse-rider…’

‘Why are you alive! We died so miserably, and why are you still alive and breathing!’

‘Raoul… We will stop the King of the Phantoms. It will be impossible for you to fight with that body. Go to the rear and recover. We will follow you shortly.’

‘Why don’t you follow us? We died for you.’

‘Raoul… please be happy…’

‘Raoul, why have you left us alone? Isn’t it only fair that you die a miserable death like we did?’

Even though I knew that those who made such a will would never say such things, I couldn’t help but feel depressed.

” Okay, let’s stop talking about such heavy things. I asked Axel to bring me some horses for riding, so soon…”

“There you are. You dare to make the Emperor ride horses. How much must the young lady have drunk to be so swollen? And is that the drunkard’s lover next to her?”

His Majesty teased us with his always playful voice.

“… If you, Asher, are going to get in the mood, I might get really drunk and start dancing with my sword.”

“Oh no. The previous count already did the job properly. He should have left some for me too. Anyway, they are traitors who are extremely disloyal.”

However, His Majesty brought only one horse. The sleek-looking white horse seemed like a good horse for two people to ride, but an unmarried man and woman could not ride the same horse.

“… It’s just a horse.”

“Raoul. Your horse is coming now. But he is such a troublesome guy. He is being dragged in by seven muscular men in chains.”

When I heard that explanation, Camilla’s expression visibly distorted. And the corners of my mouth went up a little, too.

“Is that my horse?”

“Did you bring that monster bastard here by any chance?”

They say it’s better to see once than to hear a hundred times. It was not His Majesty who answered our questions, but the sight of sweaty men leading horses.

“What the hell are you talking about…!”

The creature the men were dragging saw my face and pushed the men away, running towards me.

“Krrr!!!!”

“That’s my horse.”

“What are you talking about, you crazy bastard….”

“It looks exactly like that.”

“Yeah. But what do you mean, it’s over 2m tall? No matter how I look at it, it’s a demon?”

“Krrr!!!!”

My horse bared its fangs at Camilla, perhaps because it was upset to hear the word ‘demon’.

The white fangs visible between the black body were beautiful.

“This little bastard… What are you talking about? You have fangs!”

“The shape of the teeth varies from person to person, doesn’t it?”

“And what is this devil’s favorite food? What do you mean, he eats alcohol and meat…!”

“Eating habits also vary from person to person. How can words be different?”

“You crazy bastard! And what are you talking about, the mane is made of tentacles with stingers!”

“If humans go bald, wouldn’t they wear wigs made of hair that isn’t theirs? This is a similar principle.”

His Majesty began to laugh out loud, and Camilla pulled out her hair as she always did when I defended Emma.

“… and.”

I tried my best to suppress my choked voice and told the real reason.

“I don’t think it’s the horse’s fault for being born with a strange mane, being born with a meat-loving horse, being born with a strange cry and fangs. It’s even less of a reason to be avoided.”

“… That was my short-sighted thinking.”

“Yeah.”

I climbed onto the horse and patted the strange thing’s head.

“Catherine will definitely understand.”

“Raoul. Even Jim thinks it’s a bit too much to name that vicious horse after our empire’s first empress.”

“Yeah, it’s not the words that are wrong, it’s your naming sense. No matter how I look at it, names like ‘Ruin’, ‘Black Death’, and ‘Black King’ suit this guy.”

Then Catherine raised her right front paw.

Of the five-pronged horseshoe, only the central part was slightly bent.

“This little bastard is really…”

Camilla, who was about to swing her spear, took a deep breath and put the spear away.

“I really need to get rid of the habit of swinging my spear whenever I have to… I originally wanted to live as a very dignified young lady…”

“Pooha …

Catherine burst into laughter, and Her Majesty had to desperately fend off Camilla, who raised her spear.

“… How pleasant.”

I can’t tell you how great a blessing it is to be able to die in a landscape of the past.

As I was riding my horse and walking around the forest with Camilla, my mood began to improve little by little.

“… Can I ask you something?”

“What is it?”

“Why on earth did you go to such a rural area? There must be a lot of famous rest areas.”

“… I was satisfied with just being able to breathe comfortably. And the smell of the rotten people who came to the famous sanatorium would have only interfered with my breathing. That was the only reason. ”

It started just for that reason…

“I don’t know now. It’s been noisy since you came. But I still like the quietness of that town.”

The only incidents in the village were personal fights between residents.

The old man who shared the bread with me, Cecilia, the merchant who hated me but was right about one deal. They all felt like little sardines swimming in a tank.

Not sharks or ornamental fish in a fancy, huge tank, but a school of sardines in a shabby tank. And now I like the life of swimming with them.

“Even if I could live longer, I plan to live there.”

“…… Yeah. It’s changed a lot.”

It didn’t matter if he was a small-minded man who was satisfied with that kind of thing. That was true.

“Then I have to protect you and that village so that no one can touch you?”

It was unbelievable that the battle-mad Camilla had said that.

Still, the echo of those words reached my heart.

My heart started beating so fast that I couldn’t even believe that I was making such weak movements as if I was dead.

“Camilla I…”

At that moment, a sharp but clear voice covered my voice.

“Raoul…!”

“Rosie…?”

I never expected her to come to me.

Because the relationship was already over due to a breakup.

Even before it was announced, I had a little flirtation with Camilla and it made her feel a little bit ashamed.

She was a person who hated me. Since all ties were cut off, it would be fine if she ignored me until I died. It means that it is not a relationship worth coming to see separately like this.

“I have something to tell you.”

“… I don’t think that exists anymore. Marquis Rosie Nevermore. ”

“I have it.”

“I don’t understand why you’re doing this. Our relationship has already been severed. You have no right to interfere with anything I do.”

“… I still have the right to interfere with you.”

Rosie came to me and claimed her rights…

He was tripped by Catherine’s hind legs and fell backwards.

“… I forgot to say it was dangerous.”

“There’s something I want to interfere with. There’s something I want to confirm. If it’s true…!”

“What does that mean now, Marquis?”

I tried to leave her behind like that, but Rosie insisted on following me to the end.

“… Hey.”

And this time, it was Camilla, not Catherine, who stopped Logie.

“Get out before I kill you. It’s my time from now on.”