“Madam! Madam!”
Before the shock had even subsided maid came rushing into the reception room.
“Someone came from outside and asked me to call the person who had attended the funeral of the Grand Duchess!”
"What?"
“Madam! Is there something going on outside?”
As if it was clear that I had caused some accident, Marge's eyes turned straight to me without any suspicion.
“What did you say?”
“Huh? Oh, I wasn’t looking for you directly, I just came in to check since you said you were all the people who attended the funeral!”
“I’ll go out myself.”
“Huh? What...! Do you know who it is at this hour of the night? Find out who it is and take the butler to the guest room on the first floor...”
The last words of the last man merely crumbled in my ears.
“No, I think I should go out and check it myself.”
I hastily adjusted my clothes. It’s Noah. It’s definitely Noah.
Rhodnes, who was spitting out curses in a low voice, barely managed to stop her from leaving without even getting properly dressed, and quickly took care of his uniform and looked through the crumpled newspaper.
“!”
"Shock! Grand Duchess Trovica died of a chronic illness at dawn!"
And Marge, still looking dumbfounded, started looking for medicine to give me.
Before the shock had even subsided maid came rushing into the reception room.
“Someone came from outside and asked me to call the person who had attended the funeral of the Grand Duchess!”
"What?"
“Madam! Is there something going on outside?”
As if it was clear that I had caused some accident, Marge's eyes turned straight to me without any suspicion.
“What did you say?”
“Huh? Oh, I wasn’t looking for you directly, I just came in to check since you said you were all the people who attended the funeral!”
“I’ll go out myself.”
“Huh? What...! Do you know who it is at this hour of the night? Find out who it is and take the butler to the guest room on the first floor...”
The last words of the last man merely crumbled in my ears.
“No, I think I should go out and check it myself.”
I hastily adjusted my clothes. It’s Noah. It’s definitely Noah.
***
Vincenzo gulped as he looked at the voluptuous, pale lips in front of him. It wasn’t just because the lips were beautiful, but because his mouth, which would normally have poured out harsh words, didn’t even think about moving.
"Your Highness?"
“...”
A faint light seeped into the arrogant tip of the man’s nose as he silently stared outside the carriage. However, his expression remained dark. The face of the beautiful wounded man, which had been tense without any resemblance to him, was not only stiff but also pale. Considering his record of not blinking an eye at countless corpses or monsters, his face made one wonder if he had become a corpse.
"Your Highness?"
“...”
A faint light seeped into the arrogant tip of the man’s nose as he silently stared outside the carriage. However, his expression remained dark. The face of the beautiful wounded man, which had been tense without any resemblance to him, was not only stiff but also pale. Considering his record of not blinking an eye at countless corpses or monsters, his face made one wonder if he had become a corpse.
Vincenzo also cast his gaze where his eyes were directed. A woman with unusually beautiful black hair. And another adjutant, Neil, was scratching his head and saying something in front of him. When the woman who had been guarding Neil and saying a few words returned to Countess Acacia’s mansion, Neil and even his lord in front of him could not take their eyes off the entrance to the mansion.
“...What’s her name?”
After confirming the woman's face, the man, Rhodnes, whose face had been pale, opened his mouth after a long time. Rhodnes was so distracted that he didn't even hear Neil knocking on the carriage door as he returned to them. Vincenzo let out a deep sigh and opened the carriage door instead of answering. Neil, with the aforementioned face, quickly entered the carriage, sat down, and began to babble.
“A maid named Marge. She went to the graveyard of the Grand Duchess of Trovica. She said she stayed up late looking for Countess Acacia who disappeared without a word. She doesn’t remember seeing you.”
"...Your Highness!"
Vincenzo and Neil desperately tried to stop him as he tried to kick open the carriage door and get out. Despite his severe injuries, his strength was so great that the hands holding his huge shoulders and arms were trembling.
“What are you going to do when you get there?”
“Just say I fell in love!”
As Neil, still with a red face, spoke, a cold air spread through the carriage.
“...Are you crazy?”
The craziest thing here right now is the trump card! Neil held back his words as he opened his mouth.
“How surprised would she be if a man wrapped in bandages all over his body asked her if she were the ghost he encountered in the cemetery?”
"Miss?"
“She was a beautiful and timid young lady! She is not the ghost Your Highness is looking for.”
Neil answered Vincento's question. And as soon as Neil saw the cold face of Rhodnes, he gasped. Before he knew it, Neil was kicked out of the carriage.
“Ugh!”
“How dare you call her a ghost?”
“Your Highness! Your Highness!”
They originally thought that their lord was a bit crazy, but since hearing the news of the Grand Duchess's death this morning, Rhodnes' eyes have been wide open. He barely managed to persuade him by saying that anyone who asked her with that face would run away, but when Rhodnes didn't get what he wanted, he acted as if a part of his reason had been cut off.
“Who on earth are you that you are looking for?”
“...I don’t know.”
“Your Highness! I’m sorry, but...”
Vincenzo spoke softly, blocking Rhodnes with his whole body.
“Looking at Your Highness’s current appearance...”
It wasn't just a simple case of a wounded slit in the abdomen. With one arm in a cast that Vincenzo had hastily put on, a bandage that Neil had roughly wrapped around his abdomen, and only a jacket over his bare body, Rhodnes's problem was his eyes.
“She will be very surprised. You are not showing off your true colors. And since she is a commoner, she will not understand.”
“Yes, that girl was so surprised to see you! When she saw your red eyes, her body froze up in an instant, so maybe...”
“Neil!”
At Vincenzo's low shout, Neil straightened up from his huddled body, which had been holding his shin that had been kicked, and saluted. Rhodnes, who they thought would curse and kick like usual, was quiet on the contrary. Neil quietly stepped out of the carriage and looked up at his lord, who was looking down at him.
'Ah...'
The beautifully sparkling red eyes were not directed at him. They were simply glaring at Count Acacia's mansion, full of sincere longing. With such a pale and tired face, it would not be strange if he died soon.
“Please go, for now, Your Highness.”
“I’m sorry. I made a mistake...”
“...You’re right.”
The hot emotion reflected in Rhodnes’ eyes was not anger directed at Neil. Neil slapped his head as he watched Rhodnes silently enter the carriage.
“...What’s her name?”
After confirming the woman's face, the man, Rhodnes, whose face had been pale, opened his mouth after a long time. Rhodnes was so distracted that he didn't even hear Neil knocking on the carriage door as he returned to them. Vincenzo let out a deep sigh and opened the carriage door instead of answering. Neil, with the aforementioned face, quickly entered the carriage, sat down, and began to babble.
“A maid named Marge. She went to the graveyard of the Grand Duchess of Trovica. She said she stayed up late looking for Countess Acacia who disappeared without a word. She doesn’t remember seeing you.”
"...Your Highness!"
Vincenzo and Neil desperately tried to stop him as he tried to kick open the carriage door and get out. Despite his severe injuries, his strength was so great that the hands holding his huge shoulders and arms were trembling.
“What are you going to do when you get there?”
“Just say I fell in love!”
As Neil, still with a red face, spoke, a cold air spread through the carriage.
“...Are you crazy?”
The craziest thing here right now is the trump card! Neil held back his words as he opened his mouth.
“How surprised would she be if a man wrapped in bandages all over his body asked her if she were the ghost he encountered in the cemetery?”
"Miss?"
“She was a beautiful and timid young lady! She is not the ghost Your Highness is looking for.”
Neil answered Vincento's question. And as soon as Neil saw the cold face of Rhodnes, he gasped. Before he knew it, Neil was kicked out of the carriage.
“Ugh!”
“How dare you call her a ghost?”
“Your Highness! Your Highness!”
They originally thought that their lord was a bit crazy, but since hearing the news of the Grand Duchess's death this morning, Rhodnes' eyes have been wide open. He barely managed to persuade him by saying that anyone who asked her with that face would run away, but when Rhodnes didn't get what he wanted, he acted as if a part of his reason had been cut off.
“Who on earth are you that you are looking for?”
“...I don’t know.”
“Your Highness! I’m sorry, but...”
Vincenzo spoke softly, blocking Rhodnes with his whole body.
“Looking at Your Highness’s current appearance...”
It wasn't just a simple case of a wounded slit in the abdomen. With one arm in a cast that Vincenzo had hastily put on, a bandage that Neil had roughly wrapped around his abdomen, and only a jacket over his bare body, Rhodnes's problem was his eyes.
“She will be very surprised. You are not showing off your true colors. And since she is a commoner, she will not understand.”
“Yes, that girl was so surprised to see you! When she saw your red eyes, her body froze up in an instant, so maybe...”
“Neil!”
At Vincenzo's low shout, Neil straightened up from his huddled body, which had been holding his shin that had been kicked, and saluted. Rhodnes, who they thought would curse and kick like usual, was quiet on the contrary. Neil quietly stepped out of the carriage and looked up at his lord, who was looking down at him.
'Ah...'
The beautifully sparkling red eyes were not directed at him. They were simply glaring at Count Acacia's mansion, full of sincere longing. With such a pale and tired face, it would not be strange if he died soon.
“Please go, for now, Your Highness.”
“I’m sorry. I made a mistake...”
“...You’re right.”
The hot emotion reflected in Rhodnes’ eyes was not anger directed at Neil. Neil slapped his head as he watched Rhodnes silently enter the carriage.
The second Prince Rhodnes, with his brilliant blond hair and sinister red eyes. Although he was renowned for his beauty and strength, he was nothing more than an object of fear to ordinary people. Neil thought he had spoken too much out of a sense of duty to protect the lady, so this time he raised Vincenzo’s hand and slapped his mouth.
Crunch.
At that moment, as if it were a lie, the window opened. Neil went over there to apologize properly and saluted with a raised military uniform.
“Examine the woman who just came in carefully.”
Damn, there’s no way I’ll just let this pass.
“Examine the woman who just came in carefully.”
Damn, there’s no way I’ll just let this pass.
Vincenzo shook his head as he looked at the frozen Neil, then opened the carriage door to examine the body of Rhodnes, who had been given first aid. And...
"Your Highness!"
He saw a scene where the beautiful lord clenched his jaw tightly, endured the pain, and eventually collapsed.
"Your Highness!"
“Neil! You carry out His Highness’s orders. I will escort him back to the palace.”
Vincenzo slammed the carriage door and urged the coachman on. Neil was so surprised that he blankly stared at them as they disappeared, kicking up a cloud of dust.
"Your Highness!"
He saw a scene where the beautiful lord clenched his jaw tightly, endured the pain, and eventually collapsed.
"Your Highness!"
“Neil! You carry out His Highness’s orders. I will escort him back to the palace.”
Vincenzo slammed the carriage door and urged the coachman on. Neil was so surprised that he blankly stared at them as they disappeared, kicking up a cloud of dust.
Then he thought of his master who had been causing trouble since dawn this morning.
***
Rhodnes Cosma de Ronta was always beautiful and always crazy. He went into battle as if he had no interest in anything other than stabbing, cutting, and killing, and he demanded more from his subordinates even though he knew that no one could keep up with his physical strength.
At the same time, his delicate and manly facial features, like cut jewels, were no exaggeration to say that he was the best in the empire. However, perhaps the Lord did not give everything to humans, because contrary to his beautiful face, he was extremely cruel and did not know how to say anything nice. He was so vicious that they secretly called him the crazy 'Prince'. The prodigal son of the empire calmly said, "Do more" when women from all sides lifted up their skirts and pressed her against him.
Everyone said that he was so beautiful that he was indifferent even when famous beauties approached him. Furthermore, Rhodnes was an unmarried Prince who might receive a high title in the future. No matter which territory he went to protect, there were countless women who would target his bedroom. Today was the same.
For the past two years, his already crazy lord had been going crazy, and he was seriously injured when he suddenly killed a monster the size of a house that appeared at dawn. Since he was good at living like there was no tomorrow, he was worried that he had treated her carelessly, so when he entered his bedroom, what he saw was a woman who was almost naked and trembling. Upon closer inspection, he saw that it was the lord's daughter who had greeted them.
“Oh, Your Highness...!”
The woman trembled and couldn't hide her flushed face as she glanced at the Prince. But Rhodnes held the sword, which had not even been cleaned of blood, up to the woman's nose.
“Get out.”
Isn't that like chewing on a toothbrush?
The lord's daughter was a beauty that would make anyone's eyes turn!
“Oh, Your Highness...!”
The woman trembled and couldn't hide her flushed face as she glanced at the Prince. But Rhodnes held the sword, which had not even been cleaned of blood, up to the woman's nose.
“Get out.”
Isn't that like chewing on a toothbrush?
The lord's daughter was a beauty that would make anyone's eyes turn!
Neil swallowed his saliva for no reason and looked at the woman who was standing there without leaving.
“Are your ears clogged?”
“I, I just... came to deliver the newspaper...”
Rhodnes didn't say a word twice. In the blink of an eye, he cut off a portion of the woman's hair and the atmosphere was icy until the woman screamed and disappeared.
“...The newspaper is not at fault, Your Highness.”
Rhodnes picked up the Imperial Daily that the lord's daughter had brought in under the pretext of getting angry at him for no reason and handed it to him. If it were normal, Rhodnes would have cut it down with his icy sword and told her to disappear, but he was frozen in place.
"Your Highness?"
In an instant, the newspaper was taken from his hands. The Prince, who had been radiating a chill as if he had just washed himself in ice water, suddenly distorted his handsome face.
“...What the hell is this?”
“What is it?”
“Are your ears clogged?”
“I, I just... came to deliver the newspaper...”
Rhodnes didn't say a word twice. In the blink of an eye, he cut off a portion of the woman's hair and the atmosphere was icy until the woman screamed and disappeared.
“...The newspaper is not at fault, Your Highness.”
Rhodnes picked up the Imperial Daily that the lord's daughter had brought in under the pretext of getting angry at him for no reason and handed it to him. If it were normal, Rhodnes would have cut it down with his icy sword and told her to disappear, but he was frozen in place.
"Your Highness?"
In an instant, the newspaper was taken from his hands. The Prince, who had been radiating a chill as if he had just washed himself in ice water, suddenly distorted his handsome face.
“...What the hell is this?”
“What is it?”
Rhodnes, who was spitting out curses in a low voice, barely managed to stop her from leaving without even getting properly dressed, and quickly took care of his uniform and looked through the crumpled newspaper.
“!”
"Shock! Grand Duchess Trovica died of a chronic illness at dawn!"
Was His Highness that close to Grand Duchess Trovica?
While pondering, Neil heard the sound of horseshoes fiercely cutting through the air and opened the window in panic.
“Oh my, crazy... Your Highness! Your Highness?!”
In the early morning when the dawn was breaking, he stared blankly at the back of the mad Prince driving his horse with his cloak fluttering.
“Oh my, crazy... Your Highness! Your Highness?!”
In the early morning when the dawn was breaking, he stared blankly at the back of the mad Prince driving his horse with his cloak fluttering.
***
When the carriage carrying Rhodnes had moved far enough away that he couldn’t even see its rear end, Neil finally relaxed his stiff body and pursed his lips. It may have been an illusion, but it seemed as if tears had briefly flowed down his lord’s cheeks as he had just fallen.
'I must have seen wrong. Is the Prince crying?'
Neil mounted his horse, feeling that he had to find out more about the woman, Marge, even though he thought his mad master would not cry over someone's death.
'I must have seen wrong. Is the Prince crying?'
Neil mounted his horse, feeling that he had to find out more about the woman, Marge, even though he thought his mad master would not cry over someone's death.
***
It wasn't Noah. Noah had not come to see me. Nor had his adjutant, Lord Jimsker.
“Madam, is that His Highness the Grand Duke...?”
"No."
I turned away from Marge's disappointed face. I was the more disappointed one. But I didn't blame her.
'I am Marge, a maid who works in this house.'
“I’m sorry, Marge.”
“Yes...? What is it?”
Marge was staring at my apologetic lips with her eyes wide open.
"Just..."
The last one froze as if he had seen a ghost. I said that sincerely and looked out the window. The knight named 'Neil' who had come to see me was already gone. My hands were shaking a little.
'I couldn't help lying. So don't be afraid.'
I didn't want to have any contact with anyone until I met Noevian properly.
“Jonah, bring me some medicine!”
“Why? What medicine, Marge?”
“...It’s clear that there is something seriously wrong with Madam.”
“Madam, is that His Highness the Grand Duke...?”
"No."
I turned away from Marge's disappointed face. I was the more disappointed one. But I didn't blame her.
'I am Marge, a maid who works in this house.'
“I’m sorry, Marge.”
“Yes...? What is it?”
Marge was staring at my apologetic lips with her eyes wide open.
"Just..."
The last one froze as if he had seen a ghost. I said that sincerely and looked out the window. The knight named 'Neil' who had come to see me was already gone. My hands were shaking a little.
'I couldn't help lying. So don't be afraid.'
I didn't want to have any contact with anyone until I met Noevian properly.
“Jonah, bring me some medicine!”
“Why? What medicine, Marge?”
“...It’s clear that there is something seriously wrong with Madam.”
And Marge, still looking dumbfounded, started looking for medicine to give me.
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