Hansen went straight to his room and sent a reply to the temple.
It was about not walking the path of a priest anymore. After asking the maid to send the letter, he sat down for a while to collect his thoughts. Then he went straight to find the lord.
Carson, who was having lunch, did not recognize Hansen at first because he was not wearing priestly attire. The moment he realized who he was, he thought of the gray-eyed protagonist he had seen only once in a foreign country.
“I have something to tell you.”
Carson got up from his seat while eating. Then he immediately guided Hansen to his office.
When Noah tried to bring out tea, Carson ordered him to bring alcohol. It was broad daylight, but it was not a place for tea.
“Why did the priest come to see me?”
Carson asked and poured the alcohol himself, but Hansen only held the glass tightly and did not bring it to his mouth.
“What I’m going to say now might be a bit long. One, it is worth it, so I would appreciate it if you could listen to the end.”
He began with the story he had told Ines.
Hansen, who had lost all his family in a house fire, was taken straight to the palace by the soldiers who had followed his father.
There, he was able to meet the King of Puldufin.
The King stared at his face for a long time. Then he said,
“You are my son.”
One night, Hansen had been betrayed by his father and had met the man who would become his father and his enemy.
At the time, the King had only one daughter and no son to succeed him. His first wife had been banished from the palace for not having a son, and there had been no news from his second wife.
Without a successor, the throne was always unstable. However, for some reason, the King kept Hansen locked in a secret underground room and rarely allowed him to go out.
The King would visit him occasionally. His eyes would always be filled with a strange feeling when he saw the silver hair and gray eyes that were just like his own.
Hansen was imprisoned there and educated as a royal, and one day he received a red ring that was given only to the direct descendants of the King. Then, after about a year, Hansen was sent out from the underground chamber to a door leading outside.
That passage was the same passage he had walked when he was first taken to the palace.
As it turned out, the King had a son from his second wife. When a legitimate heir was born, the King decided to abandon his half-son.
For the King to abandon his son meant completely eradicating him from this world. So that the royal seed would not become a sword that would be pointed at his own throat. For Hansen to be revealed to the world would be the same as revealing the corruption the King had committed against a commoner family. When he had no son, it was a tolerable reason, but when he had a legitimate son, there was no reason at all.
As soon as he got out of the passage, Hansen moved quickly and escaped the soldiers’ hands after many twists and turns. And he crossed the border.
After finishing his story, Hansen handed Carson an object.
“I brought it because I thought you might find it hard to believe.”
It was a ring received from the royal family of Puldufin. The large red gem had a strange light that took the breath away from those who saw it. Carson also knew what it was. However, he pushed the object back toward Hansen.
“I had the opportunity to meet the King of Puldufin about four years ago. It was possible because the two countries were having a warm wind blowing for the first time in a while.”
Carson, who was in charge of all sorts of royal affairs, went to Puldufin personally under the Emperor’s orders. The mission he was given at that time was to be an errand boy for a gift sent as a sign that the two countries would get along well in the future.
“You may not remember my face well because we were separated when we were young, but I definitely remember you.”
Hansen looked bewildered at the suddenly raised tone. Carson was already treating him as a Prince of a country.
“You may feel bad, but... we really do resemble each other. Even if it weren’t for the hair and eye color, it’s undeniable.”
The atmosphere was so similar that it was hard to believe how he hadn’t recognized him until now. Of course, the King of Puldufin was shorter and plump than him. However, the line connecting the clown and his cheek that he could see when he lowered and raised his head was enough to overlap with the King’s appearance.
“So what do you want from me?”
“I heard you’re going to war with Puldufin soon.”
Carson nodded his head to one side, neither confirming nor denying.
“If you accept my terms, I’ll personally guide you to the secret passage leading to the royal palace.”
After staring at Hansen for a long time without saying anything, he suddenly heaved his chest once and then laughed hollowly.
“How did you know that we changed our strategy...?”
Carson couldn’t stop laughing at Hansen’s incomprehensible expression. Hansen added as he looked at him.
“Of course, the passage leading to the secret room of the building where the King’s bedroom was located may have been blocked. But the passage into the palace could not have been blocked.”
That passage was not a secret passage that had been around for a year or two. One side of the wall of the passage, which was intricately connected like a maze, was engraved with elaborate patterns, and torches were placed everywhere.
Since the doors could be closed at intervals, even if the doors were closed in case of emergency, the passage itself could not be closed.
“Once you get inside, it will not be difficult to find the King himself.”
Carson thought about it for a moment. He had thought about getting rid of the leader, whoever it was, but he did not think that it would make Hansen the King.
He had thought about ending the war by finding a suitable key figure and then getting the appropriate spoils.
As far as he could tell, Puldufin was really rotten inside. The King’s intention to provoke the war instead of accepting the political marriage was to create an external enemy and divert the people’s attention outward. The confusion of Keynes had worked in his favor.
“What is that condition?”
“If I catch the King, I want to kill him with my own hands.”
Carson emptied the wine he was holding in one gulp. The King’s son’s intention to kill the King himself meant that he was going to commit treason.
However, no matter how Carson looked at it, the neat priest in front of him did not seem to be thinking of such a grand scheme.
“Do you know what that means?”
“Of course. But there is only one thing I want. To take revenge on the man who killed me and my... family.”
“So, will you help me with my revenge?”
“Yes.”
Carson looked away for a moment and thought. However, it did not last long.
“But what do you mean? I had no intention of killing the King of Puldufin...”
Hansen was greatly taken aback by the words that implied a refusal. In Carson’s view, he was a smart man, but not a good politician.
“Aren’t you going to war?”
“But that doesn’t necessarily mean you’re going to completely destroy a country.”
If successful, Carson would have Puldufin as his own.
As a Marquis and Count, if he invaded another country and took its territory, the land would be incorporated into a duchy. This meant that a country would suddenly fall into his hands. If that happened, it also meant that he would have to give up Landhill.
Furthermore, Puldufin, whose King’s life had been taken by a Count of another country, could not remain still.
Also, the Empress would not leave him alone. Even Carson would not have the ability to stop attacks from both sides.
It was not that he did not have greed as a man, but it was something he had never planned or thought about.
So his decision was quick.
“Then let’s do this.”
Carson said, slamming his glass down on the table.
“In return for my revenge, you will become the King of Puldufin.”
It was about not walking the path of a priest anymore. After asking the maid to send the letter, he sat down for a while to collect his thoughts. Then he went straight to find the lord.
Carson, who was having lunch, did not recognize Hansen at first because he was not wearing priestly attire. The moment he realized who he was, he thought of the gray-eyed protagonist he had seen only once in a foreign country.
“I have something to tell you.”
Carson got up from his seat while eating. Then he immediately guided Hansen to his office.
***
When Noah tried to bring out tea, Carson ordered him to bring alcohol. It was broad daylight, but it was not a place for tea.
“Why did the priest come to see me?”
Carson asked and poured the alcohol himself, but Hansen only held the glass tightly and did not bring it to his mouth.
“What I’m going to say now might be a bit long. One, it is worth it, so I would appreciate it if you could listen to the end.”
He began with the story he had told Ines.
Hansen, who had lost all his family in a house fire, was taken straight to the palace by the soldiers who had followed his father.
There, he was able to meet the King of Puldufin.
The King stared at his face for a long time. Then he said,
“You are my son.”
One night, Hansen had been betrayed by his father and had met the man who would become his father and his enemy.
At the time, the King had only one daughter and no son to succeed him. His first wife had been banished from the palace for not having a son, and there had been no news from his second wife.
Without a successor, the throne was always unstable. However, for some reason, the King kept Hansen locked in a secret underground room and rarely allowed him to go out.
The King would visit him occasionally. His eyes would always be filled with a strange feeling when he saw the silver hair and gray eyes that were just like his own.
Hansen was imprisoned there and educated as a royal, and one day he received a red ring that was given only to the direct descendants of the King. Then, after about a year, Hansen was sent out from the underground chamber to a door leading outside.
That passage was the same passage he had walked when he was first taken to the palace.
As it turned out, the King had a son from his second wife. When a legitimate heir was born, the King decided to abandon his half-son.
For the King to abandon his son meant completely eradicating him from this world. So that the royal seed would not become a sword that would be pointed at his own throat. For Hansen to be revealed to the world would be the same as revealing the corruption the King had committed against a commoner family. When he had no son, it was a tolerable reason, but when he had a legitimate son, there was no reason at all.
As soon as he got out of the passage, Hansen moved quickly and escaped the soldiers’ hands after many twists and turns. And he crossed the border.
After finishing his story, Hansen handed Carson an object.
“I brought it because I thought you might find it hard to believe.”
It was a ring received from the royal family of Puldufin. The large red gem had a strange light that took the breath away from those who saw it. Carson also knew what it was. However, he pushed the object back toward Hansen.
“I had the opportunity to meet the King of Puldufin about four years ago. It was possible because the two countries were having a warm wind blowing for the first time in a while.”
Carson, who was in charge of all sorts of royal affairs, went to Puldufin personally under the Emperor’s orders. The mission he was given at that time was to be an errand boy for a gift sent as a sign that the two countries would get along well in the future.
“You may not remember my face well because we were separated when we were young, but I definitely remember you.”
Hansen looked bewildered at the suddenly raised tone. Carson was already treating him as a Prince of a country.
“You may feel bad, but... we really do resemble each other. Even if it weren’t for the hair and eye color, it’s undeniable.”
The atmosphere was so similar that it was hard to believe how he hadn’t recognized him until now. Of course, the King of Puldufin was shorter and plump than him. However, the line connecting the clown and his cheek that he could see when he lowered and raised his head was enough to overlap with the King’s appearance.
“So what do you want from me?”
“I heard you’re going to war with Puldufin soon.”
Carson nodded his head to one side, neither confirming nor denying.
“If you accept my terms, I’ll personally guide you to the secret passage leading to the royal palace.”
After staring at Hansen for a long time without saying anything, he suddenly heaved his chest once and then laughed hollowly.
“How did you know that we changed our strategy...?”
Carson couldn’t stop laughing at Hansen’s incomprehensible expression. Hansen added as he looked at him.
“Of course, the passage leading to the secret room of the building where the King’s bedroom was located may have been blocked. But the passage into the palace could not have been blocked.”
That passage was not a secret passage that had been around for a year or two. One side of the wall of the passage, which was intricately connected like a maze, was engraved with elaborate patterns, and torches were placed everywhere.
Since the doors could be closed at intervals, even if the doors were closed in case of emergency, the passage itself could not be closed.
“Once you get inside, it will not be difficult to find the King himself.”
Carson thought about it for a moment. He had thought about getting rid of the leader, whoever it was, but he did not think that it would make Hansen the King.
He had thought about ending the war by finding a suitable key figure and then getting the appropriate spoils.
As far as he could tell, Puldufin was really rotten inside. The King’s intention to provoke the war instead of accepting the political marriage was to create an external enemy and divert the people’s attention outward. The confusion of Keynes had worked in his favor.
“What is that condition?”
“If I catch the King, I want to kill him with my own hands.”
Carson emptied the wine he was holding in one gulp. The King’s son’s intention to kill the King himself meant that he was going to commit treason.
However, no matter how Carson looked at it, the neat priest in front of him did not seem to be thinking of such a grand scheme.
“Do you know what that means?”
“Of course. But there is only one thing I want. To take revenge on the man who killed me and my... family.”
“So, will you help me with my revenge?”
“Yes.”
Carson looked away for a moment and thought. However, it did not last long.
“But what do you mean? I had no intention of killing the King of Puldufin...”
Hansen was greatly taken aback by the words that implied a refusal. In Carson’s view, he was a smart man, but not a good politician.
“Aren’t you going to war?”
“But that doesn’t necessarily mean you’re going to completely destroy a country.”
If successful, Carson would have Puldufin as his own.
As a Marquis and Count, if he invaded another country and took its territory, the land would be incorporated into a duchy. This meant that a country would suddenly fall into his hands. If that happened, it also meant that he would have to give up Landhill.
Furthermore, Puldufin, whose King’s life had been taken by a Count of another country, could not remain still.
Also, the Empress would not leave him alone. Even Carson would not have the ability to stop attacks from both sides.
It was not that he did not have greed as a man, but it was something he had never planned or thought about.
So his decision was quick.
“Then let’s do this.”
Carson said, slamming his glass down on the table.
“In return for my revenge, you will become the King of Puldufin.”
“What... are you talking about?”
“The current King of Puldufin has lost the trust of both the nobles and the people.”
To say that he had lost trust was an understatement. He had a son, but he was still young. The Crown Prince’s maternal family was powerful, but the Queen was so ill that she could not get up from her seat.
The King brought misery to the people and indulged in luxury. Weeds grew luxuriantly in the dry land where the state had not been cared for.
Even while Hansen was still in shock, Carson’s words continued in a whirlwind.
“Of course, I have no intention of handing everything over. The cause of the current conflict between Monstera and Puldufin is that the border is too vague.”
“...”
“Besides, the river is too easy to cross.”
He spoke casually, reaching for a candy from his pocket out of habit, but then stopping.
“I can see it, so it’s mine, and it can’t be helped. Therefore, I intend to include the land of the current Puldufin capital, the Progon Mountains, right at the entrance, in my principality.”
The Progon Mountains were a five-day ride on horseback from the Riolande River, the border that Keynes claimed.
“I’m going to make a very selfish proposal now.”
Although he was making a proposal to the person who had stated the conditions, Carson’s attitude alone did not suggest anything strange.
“Please... speak.”
He stood up from his seat, holding his glass. The natural aura that radiated from that simple gesture was not just felt from his large body.
“There was a son who was abandoned by a King who ignored the suffering of his people. That’s how the story begins.”
His voice as if reading a grand epic, was filled with a conviction that was difficult to challenge.
“But then one day, that son suddenly appeared. And he was carrying his father’s head.”
“...”
“At that moment, news of an enemy crossing the border reached the capital of Puldufin. And the King’s son barely managed to stop the Monstera Margrave, who was eyeing the kingdom, at the Progon Mountains. As if by a God, he saved the country from crisis.”
The Progon Mountains.
It was just big enough that even Keynes wouldn’t have much of a problem with it.
No, it was right to see it as a territory that couldn’t provide an excuse to blame the war hero who had removed the rotten part of the empire that had lasted for over 100 years. After all, he wasn’t really challenging his home country.
“The current King of Puldufin has lost the trust of both the nobles and the people.”
To say that he had lost trust was an understatement. He had a son, but he was still young. The Crown Prince’s maternal family was powerful, but the Queen was so ill that she could not get up from her seat.
The King brought misery to the people and indulged in luxury. Weeds grew luxuriantly in the dry land where the state had not been cared for.
Even while Hansen was still in shock, Carson’s words continued in a whirlwind.
“Of course, I have no intention of handing everything over. The cause of the current conflict between Monstera and Puldufin is that the border is too vague.”
“...”
“Besides, the river is too easy to cross.”
He spoke casually, reaching for a candy from his pocket out of habit, but then stopping.
“I can see it, so it’s mine, and it can’t be helped. Therefore, I intend to include the land of the current Puldufin capital, the Progon Mountains, right at the entrance, in my principality.”
The Progon Mountains were a five-day ride on horseback from the Riolande River, the border that Keynes claimed.
“I’m going to make a very selfish proposal now.”
Although he was making a proposal to the person who had stated the conditions, Carson’s attitude alone did not suggest anything strange.
“Please... speak.”
He stood up from his seat, holding his glass. The natural aura that radiated from that simple gesture was not just felt from his large body.
“There was a son who was abandoned by a King who ignored the suffering of his people. That’s how the story begins.”
His voice as if reading a grand epic, was filled with a conviction that was difficult to challenge.
“But then one day, that son suddenly appeared. And he was carrying his father’s head.”
“...”
“At that moment, news of an enemy crossing the border reached the capital of Puldufin. And the King’s son barely managed to stop the Monstera Margrave, who was eyeing the kingdom, at the Progon Mountains. As if by a God, he saved the country from crisis.”
The Progon Mountains.
It was just big enough that even Keynes wouldn’t have much of a problem with it.
No, it was right to see it as a territory that couldn’t provide an excuse to blame the war hero who had removed the rotten part of the empire that had lasted for over 100 years. After all, he wasn’t really challenging his home country.
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