Are you looking a little haggard?
The shadows that fell slightly on his handsome face actually enhanced his charm.
As a result, her blow had pushed Kiel into quite a dead end, and the sharp momentum hidden in his smile was sticking out like an awl in a pocket.
Dorothea, who had been observing him blankly, finally opened her mouth.
“You’d better keep your presence a little low. My cousin outside the door has a good sense.”
“Maybe it would be a good idea to scream for help?”
“If you really wanted to harm me, I would have been dead the moment you entered the room.”
As if protesting Dorothea's words, Lily jumped out from behind her and circled around.
Kiel carefully sat Dorothea down, whose complexion was still not good.
“It’s like we’ve gone back to the time we first met. You were finally worth seeing, but now you’ve become so ugly that I can’t bear to look at you again.”
The hand tapping the ball felt friendly rather than threatening.
“Even back then, my benefactor fed me all kinds of nutritious food, saying that I looked unbearable.”
“Was it like that?”
Kiel smiled brightly, took his hand away, and nodded.
“I’ve done a lot of things that weren’t like me. You were truly an interesting being.”
He seemed to be reminiscing about the past but soon opened his mouth.
“By the way, am I a benefactor?”
“...”
“You seem to have been pretty cruel to me by calling me that so often.”
Dorothea's gaze turned to the strange stains visible between Kiel's dark clothes.
The color of his clothes was dark and the surroundings were dark, so it was difficult to see him unless he looked carefully, but the pungent smell of blood coming from his body gave her an idea of what he had been doing.
Those who are in prison have already sorted things out when they leave, so she wonders what he is doing this time.
Dorothea looked at him with wide eyes as if curious.
“You never seem to be afraid, now or then.”
“My benefactor is too generous to me. You keep asking me to come and go, so I’ve become a bad person.”
“Are you going to blame me for this too?”
After asking a question with a smile, he picked up the glass of water on the table, moistened his throat, and then got to the main point.
“I have to say goodbye.”
“Are you going far?”
A smile spread across Kiel's face at Dorothea's question.
“It’s because you’re more reckless and clever than I thought. You’ve caused me quite a bit of trouble.”
He looked up and glanced in the direction of Colin's room as he continued.
“I came here to rescue someone so they could get some sleep, but... I was caught up in something unexpected.”
“Oh, I guess I have repaid the favor again. If I had known this would happen, I should have sent the two Princes back a long time ago. Then, my benefactor might have achieved what he wanted more easily.”
“A Prince is not that great of a person.”
The Count, who had called the Prince of the empire 'such and such', headed to the window.
He turned around as if he remembered her just as he was about to open the window.
“You’ll be busy too.”
"Is it so?"
“The Kingdom of Rohen has notified us that they will be sending an envoy sooner than originally planned, so you should receive word from the palace soon.”
“...”
Dorothea stared blankly at Kiel, who knew the schedule of the foreign delegation's visit well before the palace messenger even arrived.
It was an indirect revelation that there was some kind of connection with the Kingdom of Rohen.
Kiel Spencer's kindness was so overflowing that she felt embarrassed as she pretended not to know.
Dorothea bowed slightly, holding the hem of her dress.
“I don’t know what to do with myself thanks to my benefactor’s kindness.”
“I quite like the way you handle things.”
“...”
“The murder of the Third Prince was an incident that could have resulted in dozens of deaths. The Seventh Prince is obsessed with finding the culprit, and he does not hesitate to kill to achieve his goal.”
A faint admiration appeared in his eyes as he looked at Dorothea, who was standing with her hands clasped together.
“Not only did you release Dover and set a trap to lure your opponent out, you did it so perfectly that no one got hurt in the process.”
“...”
“Actually, I was thinking of abandoning them all.”
Mrs. Jenix was already prepared to die when she held his hand.
Most of the castle's employees knew that Dover's atrocities were committed with the connivance of Prince Richard, so they had no reason not to cooperate.
Because every time Richard ran wild in Spencer's Earldom, the resentment built up and overflowed.
“I should be grateful that you saved the lives of my people.”
“I have a question.”
Kiel, leaning against the windowsill, smiled leisurely.
“You could have gotten what you wanted without having to ask for Mrs. Jenix’s hand. Why did you ask for her hand?”
Since he cannot carry out this plan alone, she naturally has no choice but to seek the cooperation of the castle's employees, and as the number of people involved in the plan increases, the possibility of it being discovered naturally increases.
It would have been better to just 'deal with' it using the shadows nearby.
“Isn’t that more fun?”
He answered lightly as if it was nothing, but the smile that had been in his voice had already disappeared.
“To take action against a child you once cherished as a son. The maternal love of women is truly amazing. Perhaps it is something she can do because the child is not hers.”
“Richard is a child born from Madam's heart.”
Dorothea retorted in a clear voice to the cynical remark.
“If she hadn’t truly loved him, she wouldn’t have gotten her hands dirty. She would have just turned away.”
Mrs. Jenix couldn't stand to watch her child turn into a monster any longer.
She hoped he wouldn't be ruined as much as she loved him, so at least it wouldn't go any further. Just stop now.
She hopes she doesn't incur anyone else's resentment.
“I don’t think things turned out this way because of Madam’s lack of maternal love.”
Kiel's eyes narrowed at Dorothea's words.
Dorothea began to speak, pretending not to notice the inexplicable emotion in his eyes.
“There was a general who ruined a country.”
At the sudden and unexpected request, Kiel listened without saying anything.
“The King neglected his responsibilities and indulged in banquets, and when a powerful army invaded and the general was already clearly at a disadvantage, he organized a final suicide squad.”
“...”
“50,000 against 5,000. It was not a situation that could be overcome, and the country that had to be protected had already collapsed and was in shambles, so he must have expected that this would be the final battle.”
"So?"
“So, before starting the decisive battle, the general first killed all of his loved ones and then went into battle. He killed his beloved wife and his beloved children with his own sword.”
And out of four fierce battles, he won three of them.
In the final fourth battle, he and all of his men were killed, but it was still an amazing fight.
“I do not support the general’s actions.”
Even if the battle is over and the situation of the wife and children has deteriorated, isn't the child still in a position where he hasn't even been able to live a proper life?
“If it were me, I would have surrendered rather than chosen a decisive battle. And I would have cared more for the safety of my family by my side.”
The country has already fallen, so why take up the sword?
“I just don’t think he would have taken the lives of his beloved family members without any hesitation because he had no affection for them.”
It must have been something she just couldn't imagine even with her eyes closed.
The future of a precious family who will live a miserable life, not a life worth living.
“Mrs. Jennix truly loved Richard, more than those who sweet-talked him or flattered him.”
That's why Mrs. Jenix couldn't see Richard's end, and furthermore, his transformation into a monster.
Kiel, who had been listening to Dorothea's long story, finally raised his head.
The man, whose face showed no sign of agitation, came up to Dorothea and took something out of his bosom.
“You’d better take care of your health.”
Kiel wrapped a fluffy fox fur scarf around Dorothea's neck, opened it with careful and meticulous hands, and then slowly took his hands off.
“I’m not the type of person who has much affection for people.”
“...”
“I don’t want to see you sick.”
“It’s okay. That’s just how my people are.”
Kiel burst into laughter at Dorothea's sharp words but soon nodded.
At that moment, he opened the window to leave the room.
Someone burst open Dorothea's door without knocking and came in.
“Young Lady, outside right now...!”
Marilyn's eyes widened as she hurriedly entered the room.
Kiel Spencer, who was about to leave the room, smiled brightly without showing any sign of embarrassment and gave a polite greeting to Marilyn.
“Good evening, Lady Lehr.”
“No, no. There...”
Marilyn looked around frantically, flustered.
Thanks to the tightly shut door, the only people who could see this situation were the three people in the room.
An unmarried Count visits the room of a noble lady who is about to become an adult.
Marilyn whispered, her face looking as if she might stop breathing at any moment.
“How on earth are you here...!”
“I didn’t want to make a big fuss, so I just wanted to say hello and leave quietly. I’m sorry for startling you.”
It was a move that reminded her of Dorothea, who had made a 'dawn visit' to Marilyn's room long ago.
Dorothea's face turned pale as the nightmarish memory of Dorothea having visited her in the wrong place at the wrong time, with such politeness, came to mind.
Kiel spoke softly and soothingly to reassure her.
“Don’t worry. I was just about to leave.”
Marilyn was startled when she saw him open the window and reached out her hand.
“Where are you going!”
“Because windows are the fastest and most convenient.”
“Use the door, the door!”
“The door?”
What the heck.
Why are these nobles so ignorant?
Whenever she spent time with Dorothea or those associated with Dorothea, she always felt like she was an unusual person.
Why did he become a Count and insist on leaving the 'castle' in his own territory through the window of the noble lady's room?
Kiel asked seriously.
“Can I really use the door?”
“Do that! Why are you using the window when there is a door that was made for entering and exiting?”
Kiel Spencer, who had been listening to Marilyn, turned his head and spoke to Dorothea.
“She told me to use the door.”
“Yes, Marilyn liked proper visits. I was also forbidden from looking through the windows.”
"Of course!"
Should they at least put up a sign saying that this is a place where people are not allowed to enter?
Kiel nodded with a pretended serious face as he saw Marilyn grumbling.
“Then I guess there’s nothing I can do. I’ll risk my rudeness and leave the castle using the gate.”
As Marilyn watched with her arms crossed and her eyes wide, Kiel pushed away from where he was leaning against the windowsill and slowly walked toward the door.
Only after he had finally opened the door and gone out into the hallway did Dorothea ask.
“But why did Young Lady come to my room so urgently?”
“Oh, it’s not something else. We have guests at the castle.”
“A guest?”
“Young Lady’s father has just arrived. He said he came down in a hurry after hearing about Young Lady’s condition...”
Wait a minute. Now that I think about it...
Marilyn, who had been relaying the news without much thought, froze in her mid-sentence.
Dorothea nodded as if she understood, having heard everything there was to hear.
“That’s why the hallway is so noisy. I think the Count and my father have met.”
A firm voice came through the open door.
“You must tell me clearly why you came out of my daughter’s room at this hour.”
Ben's firm voice, full of caution, came through the crack in the door.
Dorothea, who had been blinking at the sound coming from outside, shrugged her shoulders and spoke to Marilyn, who was lost in thought.
“Count Spencer clearly went out through the door properly, but my father was angry.”
I think it might be better to just use the window, Marilyn.
Returning to the Count's mansion late that evening, Kiel Spencer coldly ignored the uninvited intruder.
A rough, hoarse voice urged him on.
“Have you seen her? Didn’t I tell you to bring the Lady Highclere!”
“Why should I do that?”
Unlike his impatient opponent, Kiel Spencer's voice was relaxed as he responded to him.
Suddenly, the opponent raised his voice with his face wrinkled.
“The Count is now breaking ties with us?!”
“I think I said clearly. You shouldn’t touch that child and her group. Didn’t you say that your goal in the first place was to eliminate the ‘witness’?”
“How could we touch it when it’s so cheap! And we’re the ones who’ve suffered the loss in this case! Why did you send Dover here?”
Kiel, who half-ignored the sharp remarks, took off the coat he was wearing, leaned back in his chair, crossed his legs, and answered.
“Who are you blaming for something he did on his own?”
“He's not your nephew!”
“Weren’t you the ones who incited that kid to start by saying, ‘I’ll give you people so you can go and mess around in the territory’? It’s ridiculous that you’re telling me to take care of it now when you’re moving behind my back without me knowing.”
There was no way to give in even a single word.
The middle-aged man who had been glaring at Kiel spoke in a murderous voice after a long silence.
“No matter how hard you try, you won’t be able to achieve what you want without our cooperation.”
“What do I want?”
“If by any chance it is discovered that you are the only legitimate child born from the ‘Empress Dowager’s’ womb.”
“...”
“Do you think the current Emperor will let you live?”
It was a subtle threat disguised as a question.
Behind Kiel Spencer, who was just smiling quietly, a shadow that had been hiding its presence the whole time jumped out and swung its sword at the man in front of him.
Kiel muttered as he looked down at the corpse lying on the floor without even making a sound.
“Whether it’s this side or that side, they don’t leave anyone alone.”
It's not like he was born that way.
Kiel swallowed the words that were about to come out as a sigh and closed his eyes with a tired face.
The weight of a hard life was weighing on him.
The shadows that fell slightly on his handsome face actually enhanced his charm.
As a result, her blow had pushed Kiel into quite a dead end, and the sharp momentum hidden in his smile was sticking out like an awl in a pocket.
Dorothea, who had been observing him blankly, finally opened her mouth.
“You’d better keep your presence a little low. My cousin outside the door has a good sense.”
“Maybe it would be a good idea to scream for help?”
“If you really wanted to harm me, I would have been dead the moment you entered the room.”
As if protesting Dorothea's words, Lily jumped out from behind her and circled around.
Kiel carefully sat Dorothea down, whose complexion was still not good.
“It’s like we’ve gone back to the time we first met. You were finally worth seeing, but now you’ve become so ugly that I can’t bear to look at you again.”
The hand tapping the ball felt friendly rather than threatening.
“Even back then, my benefactor fed me all kinds of nutritious food, saying that I looked unbearable.”
“Was it like that?”
Kiel smiled brightly, took his hand away, and nodded.
“I’ve done a lot of things that weren’t like me. You were truly an interesting being.”
He seemed to be reminiscing about the past but soon opened his mouth.
“By the way, am I a benefactor?”
“...”
“You seem to have been pretty cruel to me by calling me that so often.”
Dorothea's gaze turned to the strange stains visible between Kiel's dark clothes.
The color of his clothes was dark and the surroundings were dark, so it was difficult to see him unless he looked carefully, but the pungent smell of blood coming from his body gave her an idea of what he had been doing.
Those who are in prison have already sorted things out when they leave, so she wonders what he is doing this time.
Dorothea looked at him with wide eyes as if curious.
“You never seem to be afraid, now or then.”
“My benefactor is too generous to me. You keep asking me to come and go, so I’ve become a bad person.”
“Are you going to blame me for this too?”
After asking a question with a smile, he picked up the glass of water on the table, moistened his throat, and then got to the main point.
“I have to say goodbye.”
“Are you going far?”
A smile spread across Kiel's face at Dorothea's question.
“It’s because you’re more reckless and clever than I thought. You’ve caused me quite a bit of trouble.”
He looked up and glanced in the direction of Colin's room as he continued.
“I came here to rescue someone so they could get some sleep, but... I was caught up in something unexpected.”
“Oh, I guess I have repaid the favor again. If I had known this would happen, I should have sent the two Princes back a long time ago. Then, my benefactor might have achieved what he wanted more easily.”
“A Prince is not that great of a person.”
The Count, who had called the Prince of the empire 'such and such', headed to the window.
He turned around as if he remembered her just as he was about to open the window.
“You’ll be busy too.”
"Is it so?"
“The Kingdom of Rohen has notified us that they will be sending an envoy sooner than originally planned, so you should receive word from the palace soon.”
“...”
Dorothea stared blankly at Kiel, who knew the schedule of the foreign delegation's visit well before the palace messenger even arrived.
It was an indirect revelation that there was some kind of connection with the Kingdom of Rohen.
Kiel Spencer's kindness was so overflowing that she felt embarrassed as she pretended not to know.
Dorothea bowed slightly, holding the hem of her dress.
“I don’t know what to do with myself thanks to my benefactor’s kindness.”
“I quite like the way you handle things.”
“...”
“The murder of the Third Prince was an incident that could have resulted in dozens of deaths. The Seventh Prince is obsessed with finding the culprit, and he does not hesitate to kill to achieve his goal.”
A faint admiration appeared in his eyes as he looked at Dorothea, who was standing with her hands clasped together.
“Not only did you release Dover and set a trap to lure your opponent out, you did it so perfectly that no one got hurt in the process.”
“...”
“Actually, I was thinking of abandoning them all.”
Mrs. Jenix was already prepared to die when she held his hand.
Most of the castle's employees knew that Dover's atrocities were committed with the connivance of Prince Richard, so they had no reason not to cooperate.
Because every time Richard ran wild in Spencer's Earldom, the resentment built up and overflowed.
“I should be grateful that you saved the lives of my people.”
“I have a question.”
Kiel, leaning against the windowsill, smiled leisurely.
“You could have gotten what you wanted without having to ask for Mrs. Jenix’s hand. Why did you ask for her hand?”
Since he cannot carry out this plan alone, she naturally has no choice but to seek the cooperation of the castle's employees, and as the number of people involved in the plan increases, the possibility of it being discovered naturally increases.
It would have been better to just 'deal with' it using the shadows nearby.
“Isn’t that more fun?”
He answered lightly as if it was nothing, but the smile that had been in his voice had already disappeared.
“To take action against a child you once cherished as a son. The maternal love of women is truly amazing. Perhaps it is something she can do because the child is not hers.”
“Richard is a child born from Madam's heart.”
Dorothea retorted in a clear voice to the cynical remark.
“If she hadn’t truly loved him, she wouldn’t have gotten her hands dirty. She would have just turned away.”
Mrs. Jenix couldn't stand to watch her child turn into a monster any longer.
She hoped he wouldn't be ruined as much as she loved him, so at least it wouldn't go any further. Just stop now.
She hopes she doesn't incur anyone else's resentment.
“I don’t think things turned out this way because of Madam’s lack of maternal love.”
Kiel's eyes narrowed at Dorothea's words.
Dorothea began to speak, pretending not to notice the inexplicable emotion in his eyes.
“There was a general who ruined a country.”
At the sudden and unexpected request, Kiel listened without saying anything.
“The King neglected his responsibilities and indulged in banquets, and when a powerful army invaded and the general was already clearly at a disadvantage, he organized a final suicide squad.”
“...”
“50,000 against 5,000. It was not a situation that could be overcome, and the country that had to be protected had already collapsed and was in shambles, so he must have expected that this would be the final battle.”
"So?"
“So, before starting the decisive battle, the general first killed all of his loved ones and then went into battle. He killed his beloved wife and his beloved children with his own sword.”
And out of four fierce battles, he won three of them.
In the final fourth battle, he and all of his men were killed, but it was still an amazing fight.
“I do not support the general’s actions.”
Even if the battle is over and the situation of the wife and children has deteriorated, isn't the child still in a position where he hasn't even been able to live a proper life?
“If it were me, I would have surrendered rather than chosen a decisive battle. And I would have cared more for the safety of my family by my side.”
The country has already fallen, so why take up the sword?
“I just don’t think he would have taken the lives of his beloved family members without any hesitation because he had no affection for them.”
It must have been something she just couldn't imagine even with her eyes closed.
The future of a precious family who will live a miserable life, not a life worth living.
“Mrs. Jennix truly loved Richard, more than those who sweet-talked him or flattered him.”
That's why Mrs. Jenix couldn't see Richard's end, and furthermore, his transformation into a monster.
Kiel, who had been listening to Dorothea's long story, finally raised his head.
The man, whose face showed no sign of agitation, came up to Dorothea and took something out of his bosom.
“You’d better take care of your health.”
Kiel wrapped a fluffy fox fur scarf around Dorothea's neck, opened it with careful and meticulous hands, and then slowly took his hands off.
“I’m not the type of person who has much affection for people.”
“...”
“I don’t want to see you sick.”
“It’s okay. That’s just how my people are.”
Kiel burst into laughter at Dorothea's sharp words but soon nodded.
At that moment, he opened the window to leave the room.
Someone burst open Dorothea's door without knocking and came in.
“Young Lady, outside right now...!”
Marilyn's eyes widened as she hurriedly entered the room.
Kiel Spencer, who was about to leave the room, smiled brightly without showing any sign of embarrassment and gave a polite greeting to Marilyn.
“Good evening, Lady Lehr.”
“No, no. There...”
Marilyn looked around frantically, flustered.
Thanks to the tightly shut door, the only people who could see this situation were the three people in the room.
An unmarried Count visits the room of a noble lady who is about to become an adult.
Marilyn whispered, her face looking as if she might stop breathing at any moment.
“How on earth are you here...!”
“I didn’t want to make a big fuss, so I just wanted to say hello and leave quietly. I’m sorry for startling you.”
It was a move that reminded her of Dorothea, who had made a 'dawn visit' to Marilyn's room long ago.
Dorothea's face turned pale as the nightmarish memory of Dorothea having visited her in the wrong place at the wrong time, with such politeness, came to mind.
Kiel spoke softly and soothingly to reassure her.
“Don’t worry. I was just about to leave.”
Marilyn was startled when she saw him open the window and reached out her hand.
“Where are you going!”
“Because windows are the fastest and most convenient.”
“Use the door, the door!”
“The door?”
What the heck.
Why are these nobles so ignorant?
Whenever she spent time with Dorothea or those associated with Dorothea, she always felt like she was an unusual person.
Why did he become a Count and insist on leaving the 'castle' in his own territory through the window of the noble lady's room?
Kiel asked seriously.
“Can I really use the door?”
“Do that! Why are you using the window when there is a door that was made for entering and exiting?”
Kiel Spencer, who had been listening to Marilyn, turned his head and spoke to Dorothea.
“She told me to use the door.”
“Yes, Marilyn liked proper visits. I was also forbidden from looking through the windows.”
"Of course!"
Should they at least put up a sign saying that this is a place where people are not allowed to enter?
Kiel nodded with a pretended serious face as he saw Marilyn grumbling.
“Then I guess there’s nothing I can do. I’ll risk my rudeness and leave the castle using the gate.”
As Marilyn watched with her arms crossed and her eyes wide, Kiel pushed away from where he was leaning against the windowsill and slowly walked toward the door.
Only after he had finally opened the door and gone out into the hallway did Dorothea ask.
“But why did Young Lady come to my room so urgently?”
“Oh, it’s not something else. We have guests at the castle.”
“A guest?”
“Young Lady’s father has just arrived. He said he came down in a hurry after hearing about Young Lady’s condition...”
Wait a minute. Now that I think about it...
Marilyn, who had been relaying the news without much thought, froze in her mid-sentence.
Dorothea nodded as if she understood, having heard everything there was to hear.
“That’s why the hallway is so noisy. I think the Count and my father have met.”
A firm voice came through the open door.
“You must tell me clearly why you came out of my daughter’s room at this hour.”
Ben's firm voice, full of caution, came through the crack in the door.
Dorothea, who had been blinking at the sound coming from outside, shrugged her shoulders and spoke to Marilyn, who was lost in thought.
“Count Spencer clearly went out through the door properly, but my father was angry.”
I think it might be better to just use the window, Marilyn.
***
Returning to the Count's mansion late that evening, Kiel Spencer coldly ignored the uninvited intruder.
A rough, hoarse voice urged him on.
“Have you seen her? Didn’t I tell you to bring the Lady Highclere!”
“Why should I do that?”
Unlike his impatient opponent, Kiel Spencer's voice was relaxed as he responded to him.
Suddenly, the opponent raised his voice with his face wrinkled.
“The Count is now breaking ties with us?!”
“I think I said clearly. You shouldn’t touch that child and her group. Didn’t you say that your goal in the first place was to eliminate the ‘witness’?”
“How could we touch it when it’s so cheap! And we’re the ones who’ve suffered the loss in this case! Why did you send Dover here?”
Kiel, who half-ignored the sharp remarks, took off the coat he was wearing, leaned back in his chair, crossed his legs, and answered.
“Who are you blaming for something he did on his own?”
“He's not your nephew!”
“Weren’t you the ones who incited that kid to start by saying, ‘I’ll give you people so you can go and mess around in the territory’? It’s ridiculous that you’re telling me to take care of it now when you’re moving behind my back without me knowing.”
There was no way to give in even a single word.
The middle-aged man who had been glaring at Kiel spoke in a murderous voice after a long silence.
“No matter how hard you try, you won’t be able to achieve what you want without our cooperation.”
“What do I want?”
“If by any chance it is discovered that you are the only legitimate child born from the ‘Empress Dowager’s’ womb.”
“...”
“Do you think the current Emperor will let you live?”
It was a subtle threat disguised as a question.
Behind Kiel Spencer, who was just smiling quietly, a shadow that had been hiding its presence the whole time jumped out and swung its sword at the man in front of him.
Kiel muttered as he looked down at the corpse lying on the floor without even making a sound.
“Whether it’s this side or that side, they don’t leave anyone alone.”
It's not like he was born that way.
Kiel swallowed the words that were about to come out as a sigh and closed his eyes with a tired face.
The weight of a hard life was weighing on him.
Support Novellate!
Comments
Post a Comment