“What did I do wrong?”
However, everything about Claudel went in a direction he didn’t intend.
One day, she had asked him to leave bruises on her body.
That day, when he saw his young wife, who was so immature that she insisted on leaving ruptured blood vessels on her delicate body, didn’t he realize in amazement that he couldn’t hurt or injure this woman?
“Why did I do that?”
Kaian scolded himself. He said he couldn’t hurt her on the outside, but he overlooked the wounds in her heart that he couldn’t see.
He didn’t mean to make her desperate enough to fake her death like that.
He didn’t know he would have to deal with something this sad.
The sins he had committed were so great that whenever he thought about Claudel, Kaian wanted to throw himself into the fires of hell right away. If only he could atone for the soul of the baby that had died before it could properly heal. If only he could comfort the child who had left his mother’s arms, who misunderstood that his father had not wanted him to suffer eternal punishment.
“Ha. Ugh.”
Kaian covered his eyes with his hands and sobbed painfully.
The meeting he had arranged to talk to Claudel ended up being worse than not meeting her at all.
He had ended up in a mess after clinging to the woman who was avoiding him, and Kaian couldn’t even remember what he had said.
It was because he was shocked by the fact that Claudel had met him with a knife.
Still, he couldn't give up, so he wandered around the palace to see Claudel again.
He felt sorry for the woman who turned away from him, dozing off on the bookshelf with a tired and wounded face, and wanted to let her sleep for a little while.
He did so because he was worried about her.
His sincerity was not important, and Claudel, who was angry, ran straight to Valquiterre and begged him to withdraw the royal order. Kaian was sick of everything going in the worst direction no matter what he chose.
"I can't choose anything."
What he thought and decided was the right thing to do. The man who stood tall in the highest place in the vast land lost faith in himself.
When he thought of himself as the law and a being close to perfection, whatever he said was a reasonable conclusion, but now it seemed like he couldn't judge or decide anything properly.
While meeting the Lord of Pagos, the mask that had been 'possible' was instantly shattered, and he was left with a useless man who couldn't even protect his land as a lord or properly take care of his wife and children.
Kaian replied, tilting his head back over his chair and narrowing his eyes at the words that came out habitually.
“Everything.”
How could everything be so messed up?
Kaian felt the world he knew slowly crumbling and twisting. He had never encountered such a difficult problem in his life. No matter how hopeless the situation was, there was always a way to solve it. That’s why he held his parents’ funeral without showing his sorrow, and didn’t he go to the battlefield and become a sword?
“Everything.”
How could everything be so messed up?
Kaian felt the world he knew slowly crumbling and twisting. He had never encountered such a difficult problem in his life. No matter how hopeless the situation was, there was always a way to solve it. That’s why he held his parents’ funeral without showing his sorrow, and didn’t he go to the battlefield and become a sword?
However, everything about Claudel went in a direction he didn’t intend.
One day, she had asked him to leave bruises on her body.
That day, when he saw his young wife, who was so immature that she insisted on leaving ruptured blood vessels on her delicate body, didn’t he realize in amazement that he couldn’t hurt or injure this woman?
“Why did I do that?”
Kaian scolded himself. He said he couldn’t hurt her on the outside, but he overlooked the wounds in her heart that he couldn’t see.
He didn’t mean to make her desperate enough to fake her death like that.
He didn’t know he would have to deal with something this sad.
The sins he had committed were so great that whenever he thought about Claudel, Kaian wanted to throw himself into the fires of hell right away. If only he could atone for the soul of the baby that had died before it could properly heal. If only he could comfort the child who had left his mother’s arms, who misunderstood that his father had not wanted him to suffer eternal punishment.
“Ha. Ugh.”
Kaian covered his eyes with his hands and sobbed painfully.
The meeting he had arranged to talk to Claudel ended up being worse than not meeting her at all.
He had ended up in a mess after clinging to the woman who was avoiding him, and Kaian couldn’t even remember what he had said.
It was because he was shocked by the fact that Claudel had met him with a knife.
Still, he couldn't give up, so he wandered around the palace to see Claudel again.
He felt sorry for the woman who turned away from him, dozing off on the bookshelf with a tired and wounded face, and wanted to let her sleep for a little while.
He did so because he was worried about her.
His sincerity was not important, and Claudel, who was angry, ran straight to Valquiterre and begged him to withdraw the royal order. Kaian was sick of everything going in the worst direction no matter what he chose.
"I can't choose anything."
What he thought and decided was the right thing to do. The man who stood tall in the highest place in the vast land lost faith in himself.
When he thought of himself as the law and a being close to perfection, whatever he said was a reasonable conclusion, but now it seemed like he couldn't judge or decide anything properly.
While meeting the Lord of Pagos, the mask that had been 'possible' was instantly shattered, and he was left with a useless man who couldn't even protect his land as a lord or properly take care of his wife and children.
Knock knock.
As Kaian hurriedly wiped his wet eyes with his hand, the door opened and Baron Colon came in.
"What's going on?"
"Princess Irena and Hannah have been to the palace."
"...Is she doing well?"
The butler of Rowen Castle was not in such an easy position. If Irena and Hannah had met Claudel and succeeded in persuading her to leave the palace, Baron Colon would have been the first to tell him about it without hesitation.
"Do you think she has any health or other problems?"
Kaian asked after Claudel's well-being in disappointment before even hearing.
"...It seems like she verbally abused Princess Irena."
"What?"
Baron Colon's face darkened.
"She said that the reason she gave birth prematurely was because she heard rumors about Princess Irena and the lord."
"Rumors? What rumors?"
Kaian asked in bewilderment, and he answered in a somber tone.
"After the funeral, you will welcome Princess Irena as the new duchess. So she thought the Princess was coming to Rowen?”
“It’s boring.”
Kaian was fed up.
“That’s ridiculous. But where did Claudel hear that?”
As Kaian hurriedly wiped his wet eyes with his hand, the door opened and Baron Colon came in.
"What's going on?"
"Princess Irena and Hannah have been to the palace."
"...Is she doing well?"
The butler of Rowen Castle was not in such an easy position. If Irena and Hannah had met Claudel and succeeded in persuading her to leave the palace, Baron Colon would have been the first to tell him about it without hesitation.
"Do you think she has any health or other problems?"
Kaian asked after Claudel's well-being in disappointment before even hearing.
"...It seems like she verbally abused Princess Irena."
"What?"
Baron Colon's face darkened.
"She said that the reason she gave birth prematurely was because she heard rumors about Princess Irena and the lord."
"Rumors? What rumors?"
Kaian asked in bewilderment, and he answered in a somber tone.
"After the funeral, you will welcome Princess Irena as the new duchess. So she thought the Princess was coming to Rowen?”
“It’s boring.”
Kaian was fed up.
“That’s ridiculous. But where did Claudel hear that?”
If she kept misunderstanding and harassing him like this, how could they possibly have a conversation?
However, the words he blurted out without him realizing it made his back feel cold.
‘Claudel was just staying at the palace.’
At Rowen Castle, some treated her coldly, saying that she was a Vermont, the daughter of an enemy family, and from a ruined estate that could have been wiped out in a land war.
“...At the palace?”
As if telling her to hear it, who could have said something so hurtful to Claudel?
“And Hannah...”
Baron Colon trailed off.
“She says that the pregnancy has been discovered.”
“Ah.”
Kaian’s face, which had been in agony just a moment ago as he recalled the child who had died screaming, grew clouded.
“Hannah thought she could have succeeded in persuading the madam and left the palace together. But when she touched her belly, she got excited and asked if she had been ordered by the lord to persuade her?”
“Yes. I know what you mean.”
Kaian felt a chill.
‘I hope not.’
The premonition that had been unable to fulfill its purpose for a while was telling him something.
In the office, Valquiterre leaned back in his chair leisurely.
Count Makie put down several envelopes of reports in front of him and picked one out.
“This is a report on the Pagos region.”
“I can tell without looking, but let’s take a look.”
He took out the envelope and opened it, laughing out loud as if he was very happy.
“Ha. Hahaha!”
He couldn’t hide his delight as he ran his hand through his hair which had been disheveled from laughing and laughing.
“Why bother provoking the serfs?”
“They all looked forward to becoming free citizens and are now resenting the Duke.”
“That’s right.”
“Some of the advocates argued that since it was included in the kingdom’s territory, they should rebel against His Majesty the King, but they ignored them.”
“I thought what I dug was a well, but I guess I didn’t know it would be a trap.”
Valquiterre asked Count Makie.
“Is there anything else?”
“The Rowen side is also continuing to provoke the people.”
“Have you had any results? It won’t be easy there.”
Rowen was a land that Valquiterre had been longing for. He had thought Rowen should have been his since he was very young.
“It seems that returning the Pagos region to the kingdom’s territory was the final blow.”
“Surprisingly. I didn’t think he would think much of it since it was Lady Elise’s share.”
Makie, the Count of the Palace, stroked his beard.
“The Duke of Temnes is being put to the test as a lord. It seems that the fact that he pushed the search party and the water barrier construction too hard because of Princess Claudel also affected his reputation.”
However, Valquiterre smiled and said something else after hearing his words.
“Princess Claudel? Makie, I really like you.”
Claudel was no longer Kaian’s wife. She had now returned to the status of the second Princess of the Vermont family, not the Duchess of Temnes.
The fact that Count Makie of the Palace mentioned it so clearly was like scratching an itch for Valquiterre.
“Now that we’re on the subject, has the Duke of Vermont arrived? It’s about time he came.”
“Yes. I just heard that he passed through the gate.”
Valquiterre got up from his seat.
“Let’s see how well the quick-witted old fox can communicate.”
After a while, Duke Vermont entered the office that Count Makie of the Palace had left.
“Greetings to Your Majesty the King.”
Valquiterre waved his hand at the Duke who was politely bowing.
“No need to. Feel free to sit down.”
Duke Vermont was cheerful.
“Has the food situation in your territory improved?”
“Of course. You are so generous with the food reserves from Pagos. There is a constant stream of praise for Your Majesty the King’s good governance in the Valmonde territory.”
In this version, the Duke of Vermont’s role was to exert force to have the royal order revoked due to the unfair treatment of Claudel.
The father’s tearful denial because he could not stand his daughter’s unfair marriage.
What a beautiful picture.
“I am glad to be of help. Aren’t the starving people of Valmonde also people I should care for?”
"I am touched, Your Majesty.”
The Duke of Vermont had faithfully fulfilled his role and proved his worth. So Valquiterre was thinking of assigning him a new mission.
“Even if I were the King, I would be resentful that the noble Vermont bloodline was treated so unfairly.”
“How could I feel that way?”
“Didn’t you have a daughter who could have found a good marriage partner? She could have been enraged by the fact that her marriage was blocked, and protested against the hasty royal order that was given to me.”
“...No, Your Majesty. That’s right.”
“Isn’t that so?”
When Valquiterre looked straight at him as if to ask him to answer, the Duke of Vermont opened his eyes wide.
“Yes. That could be so..."
“I see.”
When the Duke of Vermont vaguely agreed with his words, Valquiterre clapped his hands with a refreshing face.
“Then morally, I should take responsibility.”
“Yes?”
Valquiterre smiled brightly at the Duke of Vermont, who seemed to have lost his mind.
***
Boom!
The door to the King’s bedroom swung open with a loud noise that sounded like it would fall off.
“Valquiterre!"
The one who came inside, groaning, was none other than the Duke of Temnes, Kaian.
“What on earth are you doing?”
When he became enraged, his black hair stood on end like the fur of an enraged beast. Kaian’s red eyes burned as if they were going to spew flames.
“You’re going to marry Claudel!”
However, the words he blurted out without him realizing it made his back feel cold.
‘Claudel was just staying at the palace.’
At Rowen Castle, some treated her coldly, saying that she was a Vermont, the daughter of an enemy family, and from a ruined estate that could have been wiped out in a land war.
“...At the palace?”
As if telling her to hear it, who could have said something so hurtful to Claudel?
“And Hannah...”
Baron Colon trailed off.
“She says that the pregnancy has been discovered.”
“Ah.”
Kaian’s face, which had been in agony just a moment ago as he recalled the child who had died screaming, grew clouded.
“Hannah thought she could have succeeded in persuading the madam and left the palace together. But when she touched her belly, she got excited and asked if she had been ordered by the lord to persuade her?”
“Yes. I know what you mean.”
Kaian felt a chill.
‘I hope not.’
The premonition that had been unable to fulfill its purpose for a while was telling him something.
***
In the office, Valquiterre leaned back in his chair leisurely.
Count Makie put down several envelopes of reports in front of him and picked one out.
“This is a report on the Pagos region.”
“I can tell without looking, but let’s take a look.”
He took out the envelope and opened it, laughing out loud as if he was very happy.
“Ha. Hahaha!”
He couldn’t hide his delight as he ran his hand through his hair which had been disheveled from laughing and laughing.
“Why bother provoking the serfs?”
“They all looked forward to becoming free citizens and are now resenting the Duke.”
“That’s right.”
“Some of the advocates argued that since it was included in the kingdom’s territory, they should rebel against His Majesty the King, but they ignored them.”
“I thought what I dug was a well, but I guess I didn’t know it would be a trap.”
Valquiterre asked Count Makie.
“Is there anything else?”
“The Rowen side is also continuing to provoke the people.”
“Have you had any results? It won’t be easy there.”
Rowen was a land that Valquiterre had been longing for. He had thought Rowen should have been his since he was very young.
“It seems that returning the Pagos region to the kingdom’s territory was the final blow.”
“Surprisingly. I didn’t think he would think much of it since it was Lady Elise’s share.”
Makie, the Count of the Palace, stroked his beard.
“The Duke of Temnes is being put to the test as a lord. It seems that the fact that he pushed the search party and the water barrier construction too hard because of Princess Claudel also affected his reputation.”
However, Valquiterre smiled and said something else after hearing his words.
“Princess Claudel? Makie, I really like you.”
Claudel was no longer Kaian’s wife. She had now returned to the status of the second Princess of the Vermont family, not the Duchess of Temnes.
The fact that Count Makie of the Palace mentioned it so clearly was like scratching an itch for Valquiterre.
“Now that we’re on the subject, has the Duke of Vermont arrived? It’s about time he came.”
“Yes. I just heard that he passed through the gate.”
Valquiterre got up from his seat.
“Let’s see how well the quick-witted old fox can communicate.”
After a while, Duke Vermont entered the office that Count Makie of the Palace had left.
“Greetings to Your Majesty the King.”
Valquiterre waved his hand at the Duke who was politely bowing.
“No need to. Feel free to sit down.”
Duke Vermont was cheerful.
“Has the food situation in your territory improved?”
“Of course. You are so generous with the food reserves from Pagos. There is a constant stream of praise for Your Majesty the King’s good governance in the Valmonde territory.”
In this version, the Duke of Vermont’s role was to exert force to have the royal order revoked due to the unfair treatment of Claudel.
The father’s tearful denial because he could not stand his daughter’s unfair marriage.
What a beautiful picture.
“I am glad to be of help. Aren’t the starving people of Valmonde also people I should care for?”
"I am touched, Your Majesty.”
The Duke of Vermont had faithfully fulfilled his role and proved his worth. So Valquiterre was thinking of assigning him a new mission.
“Even if I were the King, I would be resentful that the noble Vermont bloodline was treated so unfairly.”
“How could I feel that way?”
“Didn’t you have a daughter who could have found a good marriage partner? She could have been enraged by the fact that her marriage was blocked, and protested against the hasty royal order that was given to me.”
“...No, Your Majesty. That’s right.”
“Isn’t that so?”
When Valquiterre looked straight at him as if to ask him to answer, the Duke of Vermont opened his eyes wide.
“Yes. That could be so..."
“I see.”
When the Duke of Vermont vaguely agreed with his words, Valquiterre clapped his hands with a refreshing face.
“Then morally, I should take responsibility.”
“Yes?”
Valquiterre smiled brightly at the Duke of Vermont, who seemed to have lost his mind.
***
Boom!
The door to the King’s bedroom swung open with a loud noise that sounded like it would fall off.
“Valquiterre!"
The one who came inside, groaning, was none other than the Duke of Temnes, Kaian.
“What on earth are you doing?”
When he became enraged, his black hair stood on end like the fur of an enraged beast. Kaian’s red eyes burned as if they were going to spew flames.
“You’re going to marry Claudel!”
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