IARMDH - Chapter 76



He shouted that he would pay back all 200 million gold before catching the Followers, but in reality, that was not something that would happen right away.

If the Followers is captured first and the debt of 200 million gold is eliminated, the Rhineland Mansion will become Judith's.

Besides, there was no reason not to do it since Judith would get to keep all the money she earned from the incense business. After all, Erne also had issues to resolve with them.

“Aren’t you going to ask my opinion?”

“Of course, Erne. You can’t live as an immortal corpse forever.”

“I’m alive now? What do you mean, I’m not a corpse anymore, Miss Harrington?”

“Then it won’t rot later on? Will it not rot for a hundred or a thousand years? Don’t you have to pay back 200 million gold?”

“What you’re saying now is completely illogical. You were talking about how I didn’t rot, so why did you suddenly mention 200 million gold? I said that if I just left, I wouldn’t have any debt.”

“Leave? Where are you going? You can never leave.”

Judith ground her teeth. If Erne moved even a single step here, she would rush at him.

“I, uh, am in trouble.”

Erne brushed back the hair that was fluttering in front of his eyes. This was the Emperor using Judith to get him to do something.

The Emperor is a stubborn man. He will never change his mind.

He has a stubborn temper and is in love with someone who has power, so what can he do? For now, he has no choice but to stay by Judith's side and find the Followers.

“I can’t help it.”

There's really nothing I can do. If I have to follow the Emperor's orders anyway, it's better to get 200 million gold, so I have to stay here. What can I do?

The worries filled with rationalization ended in an instant. No, perhaps the answer had been decided from the beginning.

“You have to be good to me. Hold my hand, hold the Followers. Who do you think can do this for me?”

Cain thought, Even if the Followers doesn't know, can't he hold the hand? He's being too fancy with that.

***

Not leaving, not for the time being.

Erne looked around his room, which had become familiar at some point. It had been six years since he had first been recognized as the son of the Count of Rhineland and entered this mansion before joining the Knights Templar.

Despite living in this mansion for six years, Erne never felt comfortable there. But why does this place, which he has not even lived in for a year, feel like home again?

The thought that he won't be leaving for a while makes the regret he felt when he was about to leave this place even clearer.

“It’ll be quite a shame when I finally leave.”

This time, it was postponed, but it is a place that he must leave someday. When the time comes, he must leave Judith's side as well. It was not a marriage he wanted in the first place so that she could be free.

That was the plan from the beginning. He was going to catch the guy who turned him into an incorruptible corpse, solve the mystery, and then leave without any regrets.

He doesn't know where he will go, but he will drift like the wind and turn to dust.

Clearly, he hadn't thought much about it when he made the plan, but as he thought about it, the tip of his tongue felt bitter. As if it were a useless feeling, he rubbed his lips, and at the same time there was a knock, the door opened and Judith came in.

“Have you changed your clothes? I’ll go in.”

Someone he must one day set free.

***

Today, too, I lay on Erne's bed, holding his hand. He would not leave until he had caught the main group of the Followers.

Soon, it meant that there would be more nights where we would fall asleep while talking to each other, for the time being.

'I'll leave after I solve the mystery.'

I know. I knew from the beginning that he wouldn't stay. That's why I held onto his trouser leg and begged him not to get a divorce.

Erne will probably leave without any regrets after he catches the Followers. Even if he doesn't go far and stays in the capital, he probably won't live with me. By then, we probably won't be a couple even on paper.

I felt a little sad when I thought that day would come. But I couldn't show it. Erne was a free spirit from the original story through to when I actually met him.

He was a man who could not live without being confined anywhere.

So, I shouldn't hold on to him. Even if I'm curious, I shouldn't ask him where he's going. I shouldn't be the one holding him back. Even if it makes me feel a little sad.

“Why aren’t you sleeping? Are you so upset about receiving a dress as a gift from the Emperor that you can’t sleep?”

When I did not fall asleep as soon as I lay down as usual, Erne asked me in a puzzled tone.

"A little."

In fact, there was something like that. I trusted the Emperor, and I trusted the gold he would give me, so I opened the box without any suspicion, but I never expected that such a dress would be inside.

Thinking about it again, I felt angry again. As my breathing became ragged, Erne turned his head slightly and whispered toe to calm down.

“Close your eyes and go to sleep. That way, the damp steam will go away quickly.”

“I feel like I’ve lost some of that feeling.”

“No, I don’t think so. When I look at it, your eyes roll back only at men, and there’s still a damp, steamy atmosphere.”

I sat up halfway in shock.

“When did I ever turn a blind eye to men?”

“You were exchanging glances with the Emperor’s aide the whole time? And what about the Emperor? You stared at him so intently that your mouth was watering.”

I did stare at it for a bit, but not that much.

“The aide looked at me with curiosity.”

“The Emperor?”

“He’s handsome. Erne, you know, I’ve never seen anyone so handsome in my life.”

Actually, this isn't the first time there's been a 'good-looking guy like that'. Because there's Erne.

But I deliberately emphasized the word “first time.” Erne burst out laughing and sat up.

“Miss Judith Harrington.”

He called me by my full name. This meant he was serious. He was really serious, and it was an expression of how ridiculous and absurd it was.

But is this something that can happen because of looks?

“Do you think that’s the vision of a businessperson?”

“Okay, okay, Erne is handsome too.”

“Huh, what’s wrong? Why is your answer so insincere?”

My answer to Erne, which was meant to appease him, actually hurt his pride.

“A lot of sincerity went into it.”

“No, it was completely pretentious.”

“No, I’m not. I’m serious.”

Erne suddenly looked down at his clasped hands.

“Are you just trying to please me by saying this now?”

Erne said, clasping his hands together more tightly.

“I won’t say no to holding your hand, so be honest with me, Miss Harrington.”

“...”

“Emperor or me? Who is more handsome?”

***

“Handsome guys like to take care of themselves~ What will I do if I keep getting more and more handsome~?”

A small wooden house with a servant to do simple housework such as laundry and cleaning.

Today too, a pleasant humming sound was heard from there in the morning.

“Where should I look, where should I look?”

Henry, the owner of the room, stood in front of the mirror, running his wet hair through his hair. He smelled like fragrant soap, having just washed up.

He turned to the mirror, smiled once, and carefully examined the sides of his face, under his chin, and even the wrinkles on his neck. He looked great today, too.

“You’re handsome, Henry Spencer.”

There was no one else in the room. It was Henry's morning greeting to Henry.

He picked up the cream from the shelf under the mirror and put a generous amount on his face.

“Men need to take care of themselves too.”

Henry hummed as he spread the slightly yellowish cream down his neck.

Henry's hometown was a clan village where the Spencer family lived together.

There, where his grandmother, grandfather, uncles, aunts, great-aunts, in-laws, and even eighth cousins ​​lived, Henry was just an insignificant little boy.

He was a slow talker, a slow learner of writing, not good at physical work, not good at anything special, and was always described as just average.

Then one day, after a period of rapid growth overnight, Henry transformed into a handsome man. His voice deepened, his shoulders broadened, his chin became sharper, and his nose became higher.

When he came to his senses, Henry was known as the most handsome man in his hometown. He was the pride of his parents. For what? For his looks!

“I’m a little behind Erne, but let’s just wait and see. If I take care of myself from now on, I’ll be cooler in 10 years.”

Henry's appearance, which was attractive to everyone, was a source of great pride. He applied the cream thoroughly to the back of his neck. He tapped it with his fingertips to absorb it, and his skin glowed.

“It’s expensive.”

The men's nourishing cream he recently bought was incredibly effective. Freckles disappeared, wrinkles smoothed out, and most importantly, his skin began to glow from within. Henry slapped his cheeks with his hands for the last time.

“Good, you look handsome today too.”

***

A few days later, at the Rhineland Mansion.

“It’s not easy to make it blue. If you use too much dye, the scent changes.”

“It’s okay if it only has a soft blue glow, Siya. If you put seashells on it, it’ll really give off an ocean vibe.”

Judith was studying the sights and new scented candles when Tan, who had gone to work, came rushing in.

“Hey, Miss Harrington.”

"What's the matter?"

“Sir Henry.”


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