61. Count of Locania
Count Locania was a loving man. Of course, people said that he was showing off his womanliness, but isn't love better when given in large quantities?
He also had a rule.
He did not rape the woman, and before they could love each other, they had to come to an agreement with the woman about his unusually 'great love'. In other words, they agreed not to interfere with each other even if he touched this woman or that woman.
Of course, the women who allowed such relationships were given stable homes and money. And the children they gave birth to were so cute.
Even though people in the world pointed fingers at him, he was fortunate in his own way. He had his family here, and he had his family there.
Of course, there were fights between his wife and his lovers, but he was able to mediate them to that extent. He just thought it was the responsibility of his many loves.
During that mediation process, the son who caught his eye was Fabian.
“You motherfuckers!”
It would be more accurate to say that he was so noticeable that he pierced his eye. The boy was like an awl.
The red-haired boy was beating up his noble wife's children like dogs.
“Hey, you punk, if you keep beating him like that, he’ll die!”
Count Locania had to tear Fabian down. Yes, among his beloved children, Fabian was the one who stood out the most.
“You should just become a knight!”
A cute rebellion against a loving father, yet a look that demands affection nonetheless.
The reason Fabian got a younger sister was also because of Fabian's attitude. She got a younger sister because Fabian was so cute that he would visit his mother often.
He said that he was growing up and that he would become a knight someday.
He must have remembered what his father had told him when he was little.
There was nothing more adorable than seeing a little boy swinging a sword. Even when he grew into a young man, the Count still saw him as that little boy.
Count Locania wanted to make his son's dream come true. So he made him a knight of the Crown Prince's Palace, which was a minor but honorable position.
When he was knighted and first called 'Father' with a dignified look, Count Locania almost cried.
He was a man who tried not to show tears to his children.
When the guy he thought was just a good kid never came back, leaving behind only a single letter, he cried for the first time.
[First of all, I would like to apologize.
Father, forgive me. Everyone in the palace is harassing Daphne.
We must save Daphne from him.
Daphne foolishly thinks he's a good person, not even realizing how she's been treated.
I feel sorry for that woman who doesn't even know what real love is. I want to protect her.
I try to teach that woman the responsibility that my father taught me.
So, my respected father.
Father, please abandon me.]
The escape would have naturally ended in failure.
So, he will never come back.
He didn't even find Fabian's remains.
He tried to kill the Emperor. However, the Emperor suddenly fell from his horse and went into hiding. He was so desperate to find his son that he didn’t think the Emperor’s condition had suddenly become strange. He just took advantage of the Emperor’s injury and fall to find his son.
What he found a long time later was Fabian's necklace. A locket with a portrait of his family that he always carried in his arms.
It seemed that he had always kept it with him, even though he had been forced to draw it despite his dislike. He held onto the locket that a fellow knight who was close to Fabian had given him, and he mourned and mourned the death of his son.
He shouldn't have taught him stupid things like responsibility.
He shouldn't have made him take up the sword like his father. He should have just discouraged him from living like a bum.
He should have made him hate that incompetent father who goes around lifting up the skirts of this woman and that woman. The image of a young and innocent child flashed through his mind. The image of a child who was so lovable that he wouldn't mind putting it in his eyes.
'Father.'
Count Locania was a loving man. Of course, people said that he was showing off his womanliness, but isn't love better when given in large quantities?
He also had a rule.
He did not rape the woman, and before they could love each other, they had to come to an agreement with the woman about his unusually 'great love'. In other words, they agreed not to interfere with each other even if he touched this woman or that woman.
Of course, the women who allowed such relationships were given stable homes and money. And the children they gave birth to were so cute.
Even though people in the world pointed fingers at him, he was fortunate in his own way. He had his family here, and he had his family there.
Of course, there were fights between his wife and his lovers, but he was able to mediate them to that extent. He just thought it was the responsibility of his many loves.
During that mediation process, the son who caught his eye was Fabian.
“You motherfuckers!”
It would be more accurate to say that he was so noticeable that he pierced his eye. The boy was like an awl.
The red-haired boy was beating up his noble wife's children like dogs.
“Hey, you punk, if you keep beating him like that, he’ll die!”
Count Locania had to tear Fabian down. Yes, among his beloved children, Fabian was the one who stood out the most.
“You should just become a knight!”
A cute rebellion against a loving father, yet a look that demands affection nonetheless.
The reason Fabian got a younger sister was also because of Fabian's attitude. She got a younger sister because Fabian was so cute that he would visit his mother often.
He said that he was growing up and that he would become a knight someday.
He must have remembered what his father had told him when he was little.
There was nothing more adorable than seeing a little boy swinging a sword. Even when he grew into a young man, the Count still saw him as that little boy.
Count Locania wanted to make his son's dream come true. So he made him a knight of the Crown Prince's Palace, which was a minor but honorable position.
When he was knighted and first called 'Father' with a dignified look, Count Locania almost cried.
He was a man who tried not to show tears to his children.
When the guy he thought was just a good kid never came back, leaving behind only a single letter, he cried for the first time.
[First of all, I would like to apologize.
Father, forgive me. Everyone in the palace is harassing Daphne.
We must save Daphne from him.
Daphne foolishly thinks he's a good person, not even realizing how she's been treated.
I feel sorry for that woman who doesn't even know what real love is. I want to protect her.
I try to teach that woman the responsibility that my father taught me.
So, my respected father.
Father, please abandon me.]
The escape would have naturally ended in failure.
So, he will never come back.
He didn't even find Fabian's remains.
He tried to kill the Emperor. However, the Emperor suddenly fell from his horse and went into hiding. He was so desperate to find his son that he didn’t think the Emperor’s condition had suddenly become strange. He just took advantage of the Emperor’s injury and fall to find his son.
What he found a long time later was Fabian's necklace. A locket with a portrait of his family that he always carried in his arms.
It seemed that he had always kept it with him, even though he had been forced to draw it despite his dislike. He held onto the locket that a fellow knight who was close to Fabian had given him, and he mourned and mourned the death of his son.
He shouldn't have taught him stupid things like responsibility.
He shouldn't have made him take up the sword like his father. He should have just discouraged him from living like a bum.
He should have made him hate that incompetent father who goes around lifting up the skirts of this woman and that woman. The image of a young and innocent child flashed through his mind. The image of a child who was so lovable that he wouldn't mind putting it in his eyes.
'Father.'
He remembered the voice that had been calling him that name, as if it were a sin. The gesture, the voice, the smile. All of it was engraved in his eyes and would not disappear.
Who said that infidelity cannot compare to maternal love? He writhed in agony as if his intestines were being ripped out.
Grief turned to hatred. He wanted to kill the Emperor.
But the Emperor was dying under Kalista. There was no need to seek revenge. However, just in case, he was gathering a small force under him.
As a child, he loved the red-haired boy so much that he once likened Fabian to a red jewel, the Shimer.
That's how the children of Shimer were created.
Count Locania wanted to take revenge on the royal family and the Emperor, one by one. He began to spread rumors about the atrocities of the Emperor, Belenus, to the people.
Belenus is a usurper who assassinated his brother.
Belenus is a sadistic man who abuses his wife.
Belenus tried to take a young woman by force.
Belenus is always sending young men to the battlefield to die.
Therefore, he is a tyrant who does not love his people!
Thus, discontent with the imperial family grew. They vented their discontent over the war that had not ended for 100 years, and the Crown Prince, who was supposed to inherit power at the time, was being asked to prove his abilities.
They demanded an end to the Hundred Years' War from the Crown Prince, and he had to go to the battlefield. He was a poor man who had been treated coldly by his father, but just because he had the blood of the Imperial family, he was enough to become the target of his revenge.
Count Locania prayed for the Crown Prince's safety.
The Count's revenge would soon be over. But as he was sorting through Fabian's belongings, he felt a sense of unease.
'We must save Daphne from him.'
Huh? What is this?
'Daphne doesn't know what she's been through and foolishly thinks he's a good person.'
He was out of his mind at the time and couldn't read it properly, but something felt off. That bitch of a witch would never think well of the Emperor.
Didn't the Emperor force her into becoming her maid, claiming that she was deceived by his seed, and covet her body?
There was no way that that girl would think of the Emperor as a 'good person'. Count Locania thought with a face that had been hit in the head.
What if it wasn't the Emperor who killed Fabian?
Come to think of it, the situation in the palace was strange. The Emperor had an accident, so how could he kill Fabian? The timing was strangely inconsistent.
Even if it was an order given in advance by the Emperor, there was something suspicious about it. If he were the Emperor, he would have made it a condition to obtain the gun manufacturing technology owned by the Count of Locania, or he would have suppressed him in a somewhat authoritarian way by destroying the Count’s family.
But why did he kill Fabian and bury him secretly? He asked one of the Crown Prince's knights with the feeling that it was his last.
He gave him a huge sum of gold and told him to tell the truth.
“I’m sorry, father.”
The knight spoke fluently, perhaps expecting the Crown Prince to die in battle.
“His Highness the Crown Prince does not like people approaching that woman. He kills anyone who approaches her.”
“...Didn’t His Majesty the Emperor give such an order?”
“His Majesty the Emperor and His Highness the Crown Prince both gave the same order. In fact, His Majesty the Emperor forgot about the girl shortly after she was brought in, while His Highness the Crown Prince was paying attention.”
“...Then, what about Fabian that day?”
“I don’t know because I wasn’t involved in the operation. But the rocket came from His Highness the Crown Prince’s palace.”
The Count of Locania was dumbfounded. He thought of the Crown Prince's attractive appearance. That stupid witch's daughter had been in love with the Crown Prince, without even knowing what kind of person he was.
And Fabian liked that woman.
“A... Sherad...”
His eyes were bright with vengeance. No matter how much he had lost his pride as a warrior, he was a man who knew revenge. Realizing his true enemy, he willingly decided to take revenge on the Crown Prince.
But he couldn't kill Asherad now.
Ironically, the battlefield was the place where Asherad was most vigilant. Assassins were not allowed to enter.
Count Locania was wondering what to do, and eventually decided to provide guns to Asherad.
Revenge should not be simple. He hopes the 100 Years War ends in victory, and he hopes they return to this hell.
After he ascended to the throne, Count Locania approached Askeladd.
“Your Majesty, I have something to report on regarding the children of Shimer.”
Count Locania smiled at Asherad.
“What does that mean?”
“It is a subversive force that the late Emperor ordered me to secretly pursue.”
As if it were a power that had been passed down from ancient times, the Count reported to Asherad about the children of Shimer.
Who said that infidelity cannot compare to maternal love? He writhed in agony as if his intestines were being ripped out.
Grief turned to hatred. He wanted to kill the Emperor.
But the Emperor was dying under Kalista. There was no need to seek revenge. However, just in case, he was gathering a small force under him.
As a child, he loved the red-haired boy so much that he once likened Fabian to a red jewel, the Shimer.
That's how the children of Shimer were created.
Count Locania wanted to take revenge on the royal family and the Emperor, one by one. He began to spread rumors about the atrocities of the Emperor, Belenus, to the people.
Belenus is a usurper who assassinated his brother.
Belenus is a sadistic man who abuses his wife.
Belenus tried to take a young woman by force.
Belenus is always sending young men to the battlefield to die.
Therefore, he is a tyrant who does not love his people!
Thus, discontent with the imperial family grew. They vented their discontent over the war that had not ended for 100 years, and the Crown Prince, who was supposed to inherit power at the time, was being asked to prove his abilities.
They demanded an end to the Hundred Years' War from the Crown Prince, and he had to go to the battlefield. He was a poor man who had been treated coldly by his father, but just because he had the blood of the Imperial family, he was enough to become the target of his revenge.
Count Locania prayed for the Crown Prince's safety.
The Count's revenge would soon be over. But as he was sorting through Fabian's belongings, he felt a sense of unease.
'We must save Daphne from him.'
Huh? What is this?
'Daphne doesn't know what she's been through and foolishly thinks he's a good person.'
He was out of his mind at the time and couldn't read it properly, but something felt off. That bitch of a witch would never think well of the Emperor.
Didn't the Emperor force her into becoming her maid, claiming that she was deceived by his seed, and covet her body?
There was no way that that girl would think of the Emperor as a 'good person'. Count Locania thought with a face that had been hit in the head.
What if it wasn't the Emperor who killed Fabian?
Come to think of it, the situation in the palace was strange. The Emperor had an accident, so how could he kill Fabian? The timing was strangely inconsistent.
Even if it was an order given in advance by the Emperor, there was something suspicious about it. If he were the Emperor, he would have made it a condition to obtain the gun manufacturing technology owned by the Count of Locania, or he would have suppressed him in a somewhat authoritarian way by destroying the Count’s family.
But why did he kill Fabian and bury him secretly? He asked one of the Crown Prince's knights with the feeling that it was his last.
He gave him a huge sum of gold and told him to tell the truth.
“I’m sorry, father.”
The knight spoke fluently, perhaps expecting the Crown Prince to die in battle.
“His Highness the Crown Prince does not like people approaching that woman. He kills anyone who approaches her.”
“...Didn’t His Majesty the Emperor give such an order?”
“His Majesty the Emperor and His Highness the Crown Prince both gave the same order. In fact, His Majesty the Emperor forgot about the girl shortly after she was brought in, while His Highness the Crown Prince was paying attention.”
“...Then, what about Fabian that day?”
“I don’t know because I wasn’t involved in the operation. But the rocket came from His Highness the Crown Prince’s palace.”
The Count of Locania was dumbfounded. He thought of the Crown Prince's attractive appearance. That stupid witch's daughter had been in love with the Crown Prince, without even knowing what kind of person he was.
And Fabian liked that woman.
“A... Sherad...”
His eyes were bright with vengeance. No matter how much he had lost his pride as a warrior, he was a man who knew revenge. Realizing his true enemy, he willingly decided to take revenge on the Crown Prince.
But he couldn't kill Asherad now.
Ironically, the battlefield was the place where Asherad was most vigilant. Assassins were not allowed to enter.
Count Locania was wondering what to do, and eventually decided to provide guns to Asherad.
Revenge should not be simple. He hopes the 100 Years War ends in victory, and he hopes they return to this hell.
After he ascended to the throne, Count Locania approached Askeladd.
“Your Majesty, I have something to report on regarding the children of Shimer.”
Count Locania smiled at Asherad.
“What does that mean?”
“It is a subversive force that the late Emperor ordered me to secretly pursue.”
As if it were a power that had been passed down from ancient times, the Count reported to Asherad about the children of Shimer.
Since I have lost my beloved child, I will destroy everything about you.
The Count smiled gently.
Daphne listened to the stories of the Count of Locania. Some of the stories Daphne could understand, while others she could not.
“Count, I... one thing before that.”
“...”
“Why would Asherad be close to you, Fabian’s father?”
At those words, Count Locania laughed.
“Of course, there aren’t many nobles who would give their love to so many illegitimate children.”
“...”
“That is the reason for Emperor Asherad’s defeat. That monster does not know the love of a parent.”
Daphne's heart sank at the laughter of Count Locania. The Emperor did not know the love of parents. Daphne felt as if she had caught a glimpse of the great being that was Asherad.
The Count smiled gently.
***
Daphne listened to the stories of the Count of Locania. Some of the stories Daphne could understand, while others she could not.
“Count, I... one thing before that.”
“...”
“Why would Asherad be close to you, Fabian’s father?”
At those words, Count Locania laughed.
“Of course, there aren’t many nobles who would give their love to so many illegitimate children.”
“...”
“That is the reason for Emperor Asherad’s defeat. That monster does not know the love of a parent.”
Daphne's heart sank at the laughter of Count Locania. The Emperor did not know the love of parents. Daphne felt as if she had caught a glimpse of the great being that was Asherad.
Support Novellate!
Comments
Post a Comment