After the prayer meeting, the empress headed for the crown prince's palace without looking back. It had been a long time since she hadn't spoken a word to her emperor, so the emperor didn't bother to stop her from hastening her steps.
That was amazing. At a time like this, instead of soothing me, you let go of my hand. No, there is no reason to be appeased. Who was it that entrusted my illegitimate son to that bastard and brought him up here!
Empress Castreya snorted. When she was young, the man she had loved and placed on the throne of the emperor had stabbed her in the back of the head with Yi Je, but she was not a woman that could be so easy with herself. Didn't that slut actually bow down and enter me?
'It's ugly.'
Reinhardt's cheeks stood out at the prayer meeting. At first, I didn't like the cheeky attitude of the girl who stood upright with scars that hadn't even healed. Why did you stand there with such a proud face?
However, after the prayer meeting, the empress gradually felt better as she heard people gossip in the place where the priest and the imperial family gathered to greet the nobles. It was because she could clearly see that she stood avoiding Reinhardt because everyone was paying attention to the imperial family.
Rumors spread that the dark boy was the emperor's illegitimate son, and at first he was the one who gnashed his teeth for being a disgrace. However, there was something about Reinhardt's huge wound that made the viewer flinch.
The appearance of a woman who appeared as a great lord with the emperor's illegitimate child, holding her head stiffly at the prayer meeting, could have clouded anyone's judgment. For example, her aristocracy could have appeared to her, saying that it was okay to go over and say hello to her as if she were close. But what if there is a big scar on that cheek? It's not an old wound, it's just a few days old wound. It was also a wound caused by the theft of her father's body returned to the emperor.
Even the stupidest aristocrat has no choice but to stop trying to say hello to her. Even if the emperor wants to look at the belly, isn't the foundation of Reinhardt Delphine and Rinke stronger than I thought after seeing the wound? It is self-evident that thoughts will become complicated.
In addition, the suspicion seemed to deepen as he silently ignored the prayer meeting and left.
“A damn girl, but she has a knack for matching people’s moods.”
Empress Castreya laughed as she said that as soon as she arrived at the crown prince's palace. Throughout her prayer meeting, her tired Michelle sat down on her sofa and met her.
“Are you here?”
“Oh, Michelle. Are you okay."
“Thanks for your concern, I can bear it.”
He said that, but Michelle's forehead was covered in sweat. She was always leaning on or carried by her servants, so it was hard for her to stand in front of others for so long. The empress received her clean cloth from her maid and personally swiped it on Michelle's forehead.
“The Crown Princess.”
“I went to change my clothes for a while.”
“Because those clothes are heavier than yours. Old me came straight away.”
Michelle murmured after bluffing off the empress's snapping shots.
"Chevalier's oath."
Oath of Chevalier Adelpho. It was only natural that he remembered the condition Reinhardt had suggested as soon as he saw that unpleasant, black illegitimate child. Even though she couldn't stand it because of her presence, she was angry with her, but that was the reason why the empress remained sane. Reinhardt had been begging the empress to return her body ever since the attack. And the empress had yet to reply to his last letter.
“Certainly, if you take the Chevalier's oath in front of others, especially with the priest, that illegitimate child will not be able to harm you. The same goes for that bitch.”
“Even if Reinhardt hurt me, people would think it was the same as if the illegitimate son had hurt me.”
Michelle was cynical.
Reinhardt made it clear in the letter that even if that illegitimate son named Wilhelm swears the oath of Chevalier Adelpho, he would serve him as a knight. However, it meant that he would swear in front of others that he would neither disobey nor threaten Michelle, who was born out of wedlock.
Even as the empress, that was a welcome. No matter how much she bowed down to Michelle, it was obvious that she would suffer from a vase if she saw the illegitimate child every day. I wouldn't want anyone to have evidence of her husband cheating on her. It would be the same for Michelle.
"That's right, Michelle."
Michelle answered the empress with another question.
“A knight who breaks the oath of Chevalier will be stripped of all his property and cannot belong to any place, right?”
"Yes. Even the lord who accepted the knight had his property confiscated according to the Empire's law of honor. Youngji is the same. So the girl won't do anything to Michelle."
“… … I don't know if you think you don't need it anymore because it's already been done.”
Michelle furrowed her brow. “Kuk.” At the sound of that small moan, the empress felt that her heart was about to collapse. Even though her right leg, paralyzed after being stabbed by Reinhardt, was apparently numb, Michelle sometimes suffered phantom pains like that.
“Ah, Michelle. I promise you. I'm just waiting for the day I can slice my bitch up and eat it thoroughly. After you become the monarch, no one can stop Michelle.”
His skinny right leg was draped weakly over the sofa. The empress got up from the sofa with her regret and approached Michelle. But as soon as the empress's hand touched her leg, she nervously brushed off her mother's hand. The empress grieved, opening and closing her fists.
“Anything I… … .”
“It’s okay, mother.”
Just in time, Dulcinea came in, saw the empress, and hurriedly bent her knees to greet her. The empress sighed and beckoned her Dulcinea. “Michelle doesn’t seem to be feeling well, so do something with her leg.” “Yes.” Dulcinea bent over her and sat down beside Michelle's legs. One of her quick-witted maids brought a basin of warm water and a towel.
“It is doubtful. I wonder if the girl who has been grinding her teeth and coming all the way will give up if only her father's body is returned.”
Michelle snorted at the empress' words.
“This is a girl whose eyes were wide enough to poke me when she said we should get a divorce. Even though the predecessor Rinke Hu fell from her horse and died. If that's the case, you should have stung her horse. It's so blind that it's impossible to discern, so if you get the body back, it'll be quiet for now... … It’s okay.”
Michelle flinched as she spoke.
“Dulcinea?”
“… … oh sorry."
Dulcinea, walking on Michelle's legs, hurriedly pulled the ring from her hand. It seems that Michelle's arm was scratched when she touched Michelle's leg with her hand wearing the ring. The Empress cried when she saw her red, swollen Michelle's skin.
"rain. Where is your mind lost?”
“… … sorry."
That worthless girl can only say sorry all the time. Seeing the pale woman with her head down, the empress let out a big sigh as if to hear her. Dulcinea paused for a moment before handing her a towel to her maid and carefully wiping Michelle's legs. The fact that her hands became more cautious still seemed to surprise me as well. The empress thought so and snorted.
“I will light the incense of Terraria. Are you alright?”
Another lady-in-waiting of Dulcinea came with a tray with various incense sticks. Dulcinea asked, and she said, Michelle said she was more than happy to do so.
“It contains the scent of umbrella flowers of Terraria. It seems to help with sleep.”
Dulcinea would always bring incense or tea from different regions and recommend them to Michelle. The empress didn't like that either.
“Michelle. I don't think that scent is very good for health either. It seems that my head is always dull... … .”
“My mother doesn’t like perfume very much.”
Her really good-natured son stood up for the rain again. “But I don’t hate the scents that dulcinea brings. It's also comforting to my heart. It also makes me feel calmer.” “If it is Michelle, that is.” The empress pouted her mouth. Still, I wanted to put up with it when my son said that. After all, Dulcinea used to serve Michel much better than that slut. She's a girl who's lacking in many ways, like her origin, but I liked the fact that she was good to my son.
“You can say that you will return the body after receiving the oath.”
“Because we cannot return the body without an oath. A useless corpse anyway... … .”
Rinke Hu's body was put in a small box and kept in a place unknown to Michelle. Since the empress said she would take care of it, it must be so, Michelle acted naturally.
“Pernaha Glencia attended instead of Marquis Glencia.”
The empress welcomed it.
“They say Luden's privates borrowed it from Glencia. As for Glencia, since it has been revealed that they sided with the illegitimate child, they will be more welcoming to those who swear the oath of Chevalier.”
“Because it is read as a declaration that they will side with the imperial family until the next generation.”
“That slut took care of herself a little bit. cunning thing.”
Michelle shrugged at the empress' words.
“You can't do that much. Wouldn't it be more suspicious if it wasn't?”
It was an arrogant tone, but in the eyes of the empress, it was just cute. Suddenly, Michelle looked in the direction of Dulcinea as if she had suddenly remembered.
“Dulcinea.”
“… … .”
“Dulcinea?”
Dulcinea didn't hear Michelle's words, as if thinking about something else while wiping Michelle's legs. Thinking that she couldn't understand why that worthless girl was acting like that, the empress snapped her nails. Dulcinea looked at the two in amazement.
“What are you thinking about so intently?”
“Oh, sorry. why… … .”
“Why? Why did you show the back of your hand to that bastard?”
It was to point out that at the prayer meeting, Michelle had stopped and kissed the back of her hand even though she had just passed by. The empress agreed and agreed. Dulcinea could not answer right away and hesitated for a long time. However, as Michelle continued to press for an answer, she noticed and eventually opened her mouth in a stunned voice.
"that… … Didn't Her Majesty go first?”
Could that be my fault? As the empress raised her eyes, Dulcinea shrugged her shoulders more frightened.
“I wasn't worried about the lord. Only one person thought they should be tolerant of them. I wondered what the high-ranking aristocrats would think if the members of the imperial family treated them harshly because they had a grudge... … . Sorry if I went off topic.”
The empress was stunned.
"Of course it's presumptuous. What are you talking about?"
Dulcinea lowered her watery eyes. Embarrassed by the pitiful pretense, the empress pricked the back of her hand that was rubbing Michelle's leg with the fan she was holding.
“Did you think that something like that would tarnish my reputation? What are you going to do with that illegitimate child, Bee?”
The gold ornament engraved on the tip of the fan must have accidentally brushed the back of Dulcinea's hand, and she said, "Ah." she groaned softly. In no time, the top of the white skin swelled red. But the empress did not care.
“That's even funnier. Isn't Rain the one who kicked the girl out?”
Words poured like knives. Dulcinea did not groan once.
“Your entanglement with the illegitimate child is more of a problem. It's ridiculous that the rain dares to think of the honor of the imperial family.”
Michelle wrinkled her brow. It means you don't want to hear it. However, the empress found it funny that Dulcinea talked about the imperial family's generosity.
“If you thought about the honor of the imperial family, you shouldn't have become Michelle's wife. Isn't it?”
Gwan Yong-eun, the girl who seduced a man with rain. The empress fired back with refracted hatred. As a young emperor, after ascending the throne, he committed adultery several times. How resentful he was as he beat those bitches to blood.
However, my son, whom I loved and cherished so much, committed an affair and changed the rain. The empress did not always appreciate what Michelle was doing. But the only thing she objected to was when Michelle tried to change her rain. Reinhardt Delfina Rinke. Although now called a bitch, there was a time when the empress was on Reinhardt's side. The empress clung to Michelle, saying that it was crazy to have an affair while changing the rain, saying that such a thing could not happen.
However, the empress could not overcome that pale girl in the end. Even if she tried her hundred days, it was over when her hostage princess spread her legs once. It's a cheesy metaphor, but it really was. Not mentioning it was the last dignity the empress could protect.
'In a way, it's all because of that girl that Michelle hurt her leg. What's up?'
I had to engrave that the person who would show tolerance was at least not you. The empress poured out abusive words. After repeating several times for a faint anger to rise in her watery eyes and then disappear, Michelle finally made a loud noise.
"stop! You’re not feeling well, but even my mother upsets me like this!”
The empress turned and tried to pour out her resentment on Michelle, but her son was relentless. She turned her head away saying she wouldn't listen and waved her hand away, so the empress eventually sat down on her sofa again.
“Oh my God, what is this all about me? Even after I became the empress of the empire, I heard that I had to show tolerance to a hostage girl from such a small country... … .”
Dulcinea noticed, then started kneading Michelle's legs again. The fact that she was the princess Dulcinea came as her hostage was always something the empress liked to complain about. There was silence for a while. The empress decided to change her words to mean that she had lost in the end.
“Anyway, that oath is a double-edged sword.”
“… … .”
“Michelle. Please take care of yourself. Neither the bastard nor the bastard can touch you anymore after that oath, but the Empire's enemies lurk everywhere.”
Saying that, the empress gently put her hand on Michelle's shoulder. Seeing that she didn't cut it off, her son seemed to understand his mother, who stopped being angry at this point. Still, her son was very good.
“The moment you get into trouble, that illegitimate son will take all of yours in exchange for that one oath. The Oath of Chevalier also has that meaning. Do you understand?"
“… … Let’s increase the security.”
“Yeah, well thought out.”
The empress smiled brightly and knelt down in front of Michelle, holding his hands with both hands. May her beloved son be safe and always prosperous, she remained empty throughout today's prayer meeting.
“As long as I live, I will not let that illegitimate son take anything from you. I won't see you occupying even the edge of your shadow.”
“I am always grateful, mother.”
Michelle turned her head to face Dulcinea and asked straight away.
“Dulcinea. You meet Halsey's priests in the afternoon, right? I'm tired, so you can leave."
It was as if he was giving a great favor. Dulcinea quietly swallowed her shame and withdrew. Neither her crown prince nor the empress looked at the way she greeted her. In the place of her disappearance was her Dulcinea, her curse against her Highlord Luden and her illegitimate son.
“Come on, Your Highness.”
On the way back, Gillia, the maid who was the only attendant to the Crown Princess, carefully put a sheepskin glove on Dulcinea's hand. She knew how much comfort the pair of gloves would bring to Dulcinea, as she had seen all the insults Dulcinea had dealt her behind her. Dulcinea finally smiled and grabbed his glove.
"thanks."
Dulcinea removed the gold button from her sleeve and gave it to Gillia. “Ah, give me something like this… … .” Gilia muttered embarrassedly, but her jutting cheekbones were filled with her joy. Dulcinea tried to ease her sorrow by fiddling with her gloves. Even if there were thousands of gold buttons, they couldn't be exchanged for this pair of gloves.
***
The man was a little late. As soon as the black figure appeared inside the forest, Dulcinea ran to the young man and clung to his chest. Originally, Dulcinea wasn't so aggressive, but she wanted to do that just for today.
The young man, perhaps surprised by Dulcinea clinging to me today, flinched and tried to push her away. But Dulcinea never wanted to separate from her youth. As I buried my face in her wide chest, I was filled with her refreshing scent. It was a man's scent. Suddenly, her tears rolled down.
There was a time when Michelle smelled like this too. I've never been so happy, but I always hugged him to welcome him, and I sniffed this smell. A fresh, lively scent unique to a young man. But now Michelle smells only of a defeated beast. Does Michelle know why Dulcinea always burns incense? Dulcinea always insulted Michelle, who said she liked the scent. No one will know what insults she gives her. She is always openly insulted in front of others... … . She wept incessantly.
“Huh… … .”
The young man stopped, a bit surprised to see Dulcinea, who started crying. And after her small sigh, he gave her a belated hug. Her arms wrapped around her shoulders couldn't be that warm. Her body temperature was hot as if she had jumped. After crying for a while, Dulcinea wiped her face with the palm of her hand and checked the face of her young man. There was, to my surprise, a hint of concern on the always expressionless young man's face. That alone was a great comfort.
"What's the matter?"
“No. It was just a little difficult today.”
"yes."
“How have you been?”
“… … It was a happy day.”
I'm glad you had a happy day too. I tried to answer that, but the young man was faster.
“Because I can kiss you in front of others.”
“… … ah."
Dulcinea's face turned red. The man chuckled.
“You even asked me to kiss you first. Is it my delusion? It won't be. right?"
"Absolutely… … .”
“Why?”
The man's tone was incongruous. He seemed to be muttering to himself. Thinking it was probably because she was shy, Dulcinea smiled at her.
“Because of course I love you… … .”
"really? Is it really?”
“How many times have I told you I love you… … .”
At that, the man who was giggling stopped laughing. Dulcinea blinked and looked up at him. The young man's black eyes fluttered, but he soon regained his composure.
“So did you hold out your hand? Is that all?”
“… … Not just that.”
"then?"
Dulcinea tried to hide her blushing cheeks for some reason. She knew very well that she was too naive at that moment. However, her man pushed her back several times, and Dulcinea finally responded as if she were vomiting.
“I hated seeing that woman holding you as if she were her own in front of other people… … .”
“… … aha."
“You are already my prisoner. Right?”
There was no certainty. Men were always expressionless or arrogant towards her, and she sometimes pushed her away as if she didn't like her dulcinea. But her young man had told her for the first time not too long ago that he wanted her dulcinea. She even indirectly confessed her love. So Dulcinea mustered up courage.
“Did you know that now?”
And, of course, the young man smiled like that at Dulcinea. Dulcinea smiled brightly and hugged the young man again. her lips collided. As usual, Dulcinea immediately tried to pull her head off, but today was different. The young man grabbed Dulcinea's chin and opened his lips. His chest swelled at the sudden movement. His tongues mixed, and Dulcinea was stunned to find that soft, wet thing slipping into his mouth.
"ah,"
Despite belated moaning, the young man, Wilhelm, kissed Dulcinea even more deeply. The tears she hadn't been able to wipe rolled down from Dulcinea's eyes. There is such a joyous and ecstatic thing. Her heart was so full that she felt like she could fly.
As they kissed for a long time, the two rolled around in the woods. Dulcinea giggled under her breath as she removed the dried leaves clinging to her hair. Her young man lay languidly as if he had never kissed her so fiercely.
“Are you really going to swear the Chevalier oath?”
"yes."
It was a boring answer.
“Do you know what that means?”
“Everyone knows.”
Wilhelm glanced up at her, saw Dulcinea's earnest eyes, and smiled.
"yes. That's right, Dulcinea. I want you.”
“… … ah."
“I promise that I will be able to have you someday.”
“Wilhelm.”
“Other than that, it doesn’t mean much to me, that oath.”
It was a touching speech. I was excited as if my heart would jump out. But aside from that, Dulcinea didn't fully believe it.
Wasn't it for your master? Is it really because of me? It can't be. The thought I wanted to ask again became clearer the more I looked into the man's black eyes. Every confession of love that came out of his mouth was both ecstatic and heartbreaking, but the eyes of the man who said it were insidious.
Dulcinea knew what kind of eyes those eyes were. Those are the eyes she saw in her secluded enclosure the morning after she was robbed of the night by Michelle. Michelle, she was the Crown Prince at the time, and had her wife. Dulcinea always said that the man hiding in the palace where her pawns lived was the crown prince; she swore she didn't know until much later, but in fact she did. That the man who comes to see her every day is her crown prince.
Dulcinea still doesn't regret the choice she made then.
She still remembers her appearance that morning. Her hair was disheveled and her old dress terribly crumpled. A slender arm with bruises, just like a man's hand. It looked miserable and disgusting. But she still thought it was better than withering forever in the corner of the imperial castle as a hostage.
Then love came to me, and her love had the same eyes as Dulcinea at the time. A man would not want Dulcinea.
no.
Dulcinea It's not like you want 'only'... … .
“What can I do?”
Dulcinea's mouth opened.
"What are you talking about?"
The man wrinkled his forehead. But on the other hand, strangely, the face seemed to be smiling.
“You can't touch him. Yes?"
Dulcinea said that while looking down at the back of her hand. The red marks from the scratches on the empress were still clearly visible.
“Your honor will not be damaged… … .”
***
The next morning, Reinhardt left the welcome palace early to meet Halsey's priests. Donating to the temple was close to the duty of the great lords, so it was a natural schedule. However, Reinhardt was a little surprised that Wilhelm's eyes widened as she accompanied her.
“Did you not sleep?”
"A little bit."
“Somehow.”
“… … You know better how it happened.”
Wilhelm replied with a smile, and Reinhardt deliberately widened his eyes.
Halsey's priests are all women, and men cannot be in the same room as Halsey's priest. It is for similar reasons that Halsey's temple is only open once a year. Even at Daejong Church, Halsey's priests do not bother to come to the capital. Only one small temple of Halsey in the capital received visitors, and men were not allowed to enter it.
You won't be able to train anyway, so just rest today, Wilhelm shook his head and followed. Reinhardt didn't bother too much and left it alone. No matter how hard I tried, it was obvious that he wouldn't listen to me.
"majesty!"
“… … Excuse me.”
“Oh my, I’m sorry, Your Excellency.”
The one I met near Halsey's temple was Johana. After meeting her at the prayer meeting, she tried to come to the welcome palace, but her husband refused to meet Reinhardt. She eventually met with the excuse that she was going to donate to the temple. Perhaps because of her habit of always calling her highness, Yohana could not change her speaking habit. Reinhardt smiled while lightly cautioning him.
“You look pretty today.”
“Thank you, Your Excellency. Your Excellency is truly beautiful.”
Johana hesitated, then gestured to the maid she had brought with her. When I opened the box Johana gave me, I found a small lapis lazuli brooch.
“What is this?”
"I'm so sorry to His Excellency... … .”
The marquise's jewels were obviously the ones Reinhardt had sold to Johanna, but Johana couldn't stand it because she couldn't help but feel sorry for disposing of them. Reinhardt glanced at Johana with a smile.
“I didn’t meet you to get something like this.”
“Of course, since you have the Orient, the enormous jewels there must be yours too. Anyway, Yohana can't give His Excellency such a wonderful thing. Please think of it as an expression of apology.”
“I know, Yohana.”
The restless Yohana was so cute that it was unbelievable that she was already a mother of a child.
"yes. I mean the heart does not value it.”
"happy."
In the end, Reinhardt smiled and took Johana's box and handed it over to the attendant. Wilhelm received the box from the attendant from behind and checked the poison. Johana looked at the scenery and whispered.
“By the way, Your Excellency. Is what Johana really heard?”
"Well? What did you hear?”
The two slowly walked up to Halsey's temple. It was because it was forbidden to ride a horse near the temple. High Lord of Luden and Countess Schneider. Many people glanced at the two, who were being followed by a huge entourage, but Reinhardt didn't mind and talked to Johanna. It had been a long time since we met, but the air between the two was friendly as if they had met yesterday. Friends are such a good thing.
“Yohana heard that His Excellency not only held onto the friendship between the Great Estate and Glencia, but also their love!”
“… … Yohana. You still like rumors.”
"children. Everyone is true. Please don't do that.”
Johana laughed softly. Reinhardt coughed and cleared his throat.
"Not yet… … It is not the time.”
"oh. If you say not yet, then you think you have!”
Johana, whose eyes shone brightly, glanced at Wilhelm again. Wilhelm was following the two of them about four paces behind. It seemed hectic because of the escort of the two walking among the people.
“You said you were very young and brave? I didn’t know, but he was even handsome.”
“… … I just turned 20.”
“Oh my God, Your Excellency. I hope you like it!”
Maybe I can smile so lovingly. One fist was pink, clenched excitedly as if it were her own business. Reinhardt opened his mouth while smiling wryly. Since there was hardly anyone to share these thoughts with, I was both happy and reluctant to have a conversation with Yohana.
"I do not know. We met by chance and took care of him like a child... … .”
“Was there?”
“… … that. I do not know either."
Reinhardt's ear lobe burned slightly. Yohana, who saw that, clenched her fists again and liked her like a child. “Oh dear, please tell me. how did you meet… … .” Of course, it was natural to lower the tone once more and whisper.
“… … Is the emperor's bastard right? The entire capital is noisy because of you two. Even Johana is going crazy with curiosity.”
“Haha, Yohana. Wouldn’t it be better to leave out such a story?”
“Oh, yes. I asked if Johana was too sensitive.”
Reinhardt was not a roundabout person, and Johanna also had a cool personality who immediately put aside topics that Reinhardt did not like to talk about. However, as if curious about the love story of the dethroned woman I served, as she held Reinhardt's hand, "Then it's true that you're dating, but can you tell me?" After all, I couldn't win.
“That’s right, Yohana.”
Moreover, it was a problem that even Reinhardt couldn't get his head around. Even more since last night. Reinhardt opened his mouth, being careful not to mix up useless stories. He didn't forget to lower his voice so Wilhelm, who was following behind him, couldn't hear him.
"I do not know. I've never seen it like that before... … I just thought of him as pretty like a younger brother.”
"yes."
“Besides, I wasn't a very good owner for him. Do you know that When the conscription order... … .”
When Michelle shamelessly retaliated with a conscription order at the Luden estate, Yohana opened her eyes wide and jumped in place. "Oh my gosh! Be petty!” Do you know how much I tickled the nobles after that? Really, you don't know how much my married husband noticed in the imperial castle! It took another time for Yohana to calm down.
“… … Anyway, the relationship has changed so strangely. I do not know. container… … .”
I couldn't briefly explain the story so far. The two whispered as they tried to pass through the gates of Halsey's temple. If Wilhelm had not summoned the two, they would have continued walking without knowing that they had entered the temple.
"dismissal."
“… … Oh yeah. Wilhelm.”
"I can't go in from here."
Only then did Reinhardt look around. Countless men stood in front of Halsey's temple, where men were not allowed to enter. Most of them were servants of nobles or knights. Of course, no one was shabby or particularly ugly, but standing in the middle of them, Wilhelm was conspicuously dignified. Suddenly, Reinhardt's face was about to heat up again as he was looking at Wilhelm. Come out soon.” he did and turned around. Mark, who was walking with the knights, hurriedly caught up with Reinhardt.
“… … what is it?”
As soon as I entered the temple, my apron fluttered at the slightly warm feeling, and Yohana was smiling brightly next to me.
"It doesn't look like you don't know Yohana."
“… … no. I really don't know.”
Embarrassed, Reinhardt replied sullenly.
“He persistently courted me even before coming to the capital, but that didn’t really come to my mind. It's also strange... … I was also uncomfortable with something. Being three years apart, I'm already unfamiliar with it, but suddenly I love you... … .”
“Yeah, I can’t help but feel my heart flutter because he’s so dignified. Even I would be shocked and tremble if a child who had been poisoned suddenly became so cool!”
Reinhardt's eyebrows furrowed at Joanna's chumsae and waved his hand.
“It’s dignified, no. just… … .”
"just?"
Reinhardt stopped walking for a moment at the pressing question. Then he smiled and replied belatedly.
“It’s just, a little cute, right now.”
As she said that, she touched my ear lobe. It was strangely hot.
“… … dismissal. Did I mention that Count Schneider and I were married?”
Reinhardt blinked at the sudden change of topic. Yohana was walking while clasping his hands together and looking playfully at Reinhardt. If it was inside the temple, he would walk quietly like that, but if he was outside, he would have run around.
“My husband is my childhood friend. Bondi, I also didn't like my husband that much. As you can see, my husband is a little timid. I notice a lot of other people too.”
“… … aha."
Those words reminded me of Count Schneider, who was urging Johana in front of him with an uncomfortable expression during the prayer meeting.
“So, when I first received my husband's marriage proposal, I didn't like it. I cried and cried to her parents asking if she had to get married in such a hurry. I hate him as much as Count Schneider. Actually, my parents didn't force me into marriage as much as others thought. Hearing that, he immediately sent a message to Count Schneider. Let's reconsider the engagement.”
“… … .”
It is said that Count Schneider ran to the end and apologized to Yohana. sorry. I've liked you since I was little. I never thought you'd hate me. I apologize if I have offended you. You may cancel the engagement. Hearing this, Johana said that she felt somewhat rebellious. Not quite like that!! With that answer, Count Schneider's face... … .
“It got a little stupid.”
“Ahaha. Did you?”
“Actually, it wasn’t that I was so offended that I turned it down. I just hated the fact that I had to quickly marry someone I had never seen before.”
"I understand."
It's not that people didn't like it. Reinhardt also fully understood Johana's feelings. When the decision was made to marry Michelle, Reinhardt did not dislike Michelle, but rather liked Dietrich. ah… … . The two names that popped into her head suddenly stirred her stomach. The man I want to kill and the man who has already died. What more could Reinhardt think? She tried to clear her mind and focused on Johana's words.
“But it is rare. From then on, that stupid face looked so cute.”
“Haha, did you?”
“I couldn’t leave my room for a week because I was thinking about it after I told him to go. Her husband then sent me a different flower every day for a whole week. He received and felt the flower. Oh, it's ruined.”
Are you ruined? Seeing the question that appeared on Reinhardt's face, Yohana smiled brightly.
“After much consideration, I told my parents to cancel the engagement. How ghastly was her mother’s face then.”
“It’s obvious if you don’t look.”
“Anyway, I have one thing to say.”
Johana pulled Reinhardt's arm. It was to whisper in Reinhardt's ear, who was taller than him. she spoke gloomily as she raised her voice in a menacing tone.
“Your Excellency is already ruined.”
“… … ?”
“It’s okay to look cool. There is still a chance to get out. But if it looks cute, it's ruined.”
Accept it. After saying that, Reinhardt stared blankly at Johana, who laughed and fell.
it's ruined
net… … .
At that moment, the kiss of yesterday evening came back to mind. Reinhardt closed his eyes tightly. He didn't know how to cool his heated earlobes.
It took some time before he met Halsey's high priest. In the meantime, Reinhardt looked inside the temple. It was interesting because old stories were painted on murals. Halsey approaches, enchanted by negligence caught on the horns of her reindeer, and Alutica spies on her from behind her reindeer.
“The person who painted this mural must have never had a child.”
"why?"
Johanna laughed in front of Halsey's picture holding Anilak.
"Where would anyone go with a newborn baby like that?"
"Is it? Because I have never had a child.”
Johana was even more startled by Reinhardt's strange words.
“Oh my, Your Excellency. I'm sorry. I made a mistake.”
"Well? oh It's okay, Yohana."
Reinhardt and Michelle's marriage lasted less than five years. At the time, Reinhardt didn't hate or like that marriage, but after her infertility was tagged, it became rare and painful. She was gossiping about the young prince and his wife because they had no children.
“You have no idea how fortunate I am that I don’t have children now.”
“U-isn’t it?”
At Reinhardt's words, Johana quickly regained her cheerfulness. "Yes. His Highness, the Crown Prince, still doesn't have a child. Everyone cursed only at His Excellency, but now that I'm here, everyone knows who's to blame. If you write Simbo like that, you don't have children, do you?” Reinhardt giggled at the swearing, which was very basic for Johanna.
"It's okay. If you take a young and very brave man as your husband, His Excellency will also have a child.”
“Is that so?”
"Of course. You must give birth to an heir to the third great estate of the Empire.”
Yohana answered with clenched fists, then changed her posture and whispered.
“But, sir, think broadly. It may not have to be that article.”
“… … ?”
“Ah, Your Excellency! Your Excellency is now the best bride in the Empire! It's because everyone doesn't know... … .”
You're the third great lord, but you don't even have a husband. How good is that? When you die, why don't you gather a hundred groomsmen and pick them out? Leave the dignified and cute knight to the government... … . Johanna's chatter continued without tiring. At that cute and cute imagination, Reinhardt laughed while wiping away tears. When she was with Yohana, her headaches would be forgotten for a while.
The procedure to meet Halsey's priest was surprisingly simple. For a temple that opens once a year, there were few cumbersome ceremonies. Both Reinhardt and Johanna met with the priest and received his blessing, writing down their contributions on parchment. The high priest of Alutica whom I met last night checked the amount of donations and held Reinhardt for an hour and flattered him with all sorts of things. It was nice not having anything like that.
The two went into the large altar hall right next to the priest's room and lit a candle. Halsey's priests were praying in front of the altar hall. In the center of the hall was a painting of Halsey surrounded by the gods of the seasons. The moment she saw it, it occurred to her that Halsey was also the goddess of fertility as well as vengeance. She must be because of Yohana.
In the painting, Halsey is holding reindeer antlers and looking down at the fruit growing on them. The negligence that seduced Halsey. Wouldn't that be revenge? Sweeter than honey, more tempting than anything... … .
Reinhardt closed his eyes and prayed.
'On this road arranged by my father, even if everything is uncertain, let me finally taste the sweet fruit.'
The second life her father created for her would never be wasted. And… … . When Reinhardt opened his eyes, Halsey's painting came into view again. He gave birth to Anilak in Spring, Calon in Summer, and Galactia in Autumn... … And Winter's Unter. Winter's Unter is the only son Halsey never bore. A kid I met on the way back from throwing Anilak to Alutica.
Betrayed by a human man, she became a goddess of vengeance, but Halsey happened to meet the man's son on her way back to her castle. Seeing her child cursed by her goddess and made her beggar because of her dead father, Halsey takes pity on her and picks up her Unter and raises her in her own castle. She is also the reason Alutika hates her Unter to death.
Alutica eventually transforms into Unter and seduces her into giving birth to Calon of My Summer. Even after falling in love with her again, Alutika takes all her riches from her Unter and throws the dry, cold season of winter to her. Bondi Winter was 100 days when Halsey, who was betrayed by her Alutika, shed tears while raising her Anilak, but Alutika turned a blind eye to her betrayal she had committed.
Unter in the picture is therefore farther away from Halsey than the other three sons and daughters. Black, thick hair, sunken cheeks and shiny yellow eyes. Even so, the eyes staring at Halsey. When she was the Crown Princess, she had definitely been to Halsey's temple, but at that time, she didn't even pay attention to her Unter. In the picture, Unter had nothing in common with Wilhelm, but Reinhardt somehow looked like Unter and Wilhelm.
I don't know what I'm going to do, but that blind love is certain.
Reinhardt turned around. For her most ardent followers who will wait for her outside her shrine.
***
Johana's chatter continued even after leaving the temple, so Reinhardt had to struggle quite a bit to find the timing to break up with her. Seeing Yohana bidding her farewell in front of her imperial castle, Wilhelm stood stiffly, then kissed the back of her hand as if reluctantly at Reinhardt's gaze. Johana laughed brightly and said a few words of thanks, as if thinking that Wilhelm's attitude was just the bluntness of a young and clumsy knight unfamiliar with the capital.
“Why are you being so blunt to Yohana?”
“Is it?”
“Wilhelm.”
Reinhardt called out the name of the flirtatious young man. Upon returning from the shrine, Mark changed his clothes. He had plans for dinner with Glencia's son and had had several interviews before that, but there was still time. So, Reinhardt was sitting in the drawing room as if he were stretching. Wilhelm stood behind Reinhardt's chair, saying that he would be her bodyguard, but she grabbed Wilhelm's arm and sat him next to her.
“Should I teach you like a son?”
At the threat-like words, Wilhelm pouted a little before replying as if he had finally vomited out.
“I’m jealous.”
“… … Johanna is not Heitz. He is not an unmarried man, is he a decent lady with a child?”
Wilhelm averted his eyes for a long time from Reinhardt's gaze, which seemed to be incomprehensible. Then he says he does.
“… … That person knows about Reinhardt's past, which I don't know.”
"her… … .”
Reinhardt was stunned and tried to burst into his wild laugh.
“It wasn’t a very good time.”
"I know. But I still hate it.”
“What the hell?”
"just… … .”
Wilhelm was sullen.
“It’s just the two of you whispering about things I don’t know… … .”
oh The whole time in front of the temple, whispering so that Wilhelm couldn't hear it seemed to bother him.
"That wasn't much of a story, Wilhelm."
“What are you talking about?”
Reinhardt was speechless at the direct question. Wilhelm became more rugged.
“Look. You hate what I hear.”
“That talk… … Why do you listen... … .”
There, they only talked about how cute you were! and can't answer Reinhardt couldn't help but open and close his lips. The young man's planting became more and more uncomfortable. In front of Reinhardt, who couldn't continue his speech, Wilhelm expressed his jealousy by tying his slightly reddened ears.
"I know. That would be a no-brainer. At most, they are childhood memories, and to you, they are just words to laugh at. But sometimes I get angry imagining you sitting next to another man.”
“… … .”
“When I was gone, when I lived without knowing you, you must have been another man's wife. That person you met because you were his son's wife. I am… … .”
Wilhelm's red lips fluttered.
“Every time that happens, it feels like the green-eyed monster inside of me is trying to eat me. The monsters in the Fram Mountains won’t be so terrible.”
Reinhardt sighed and grabbed the man's hand.
“If you put it that way, I don’t even know about your childhood.”
“… … It's my childhood, it doesn't mean anything... … .”
“It was like that when I was the Crown Princess. But you don't think so.”
“… … Yeah."
“What do you think of this, Wilhelm?”
The rough, large hand in hers wriggled restlessly. Reinhardt grabbed that hand again and squeezed it tightly. Then he looked into her eyes and whispered.
“I was able to meet you because there was a time when you didn’t know.”
“… … .”
“I married that man, I was betrayed, I was kicked out. Betrayed by the mercenary Johana saved, she was in danger of being raped in the mountains. Who was it that saved me then?”
“… … .”
"Who is it?"
When he pressed on, Wilhelm's eyes turned red. will be shy
“… … Me."
His eyebrows curled round in response.
“Your childhood doesn't mean much, and my time as the Crown Princess doesn't have much meaning either. But now that you and I met, it has meaning. Isn't it?"
With just one word, the bottom of her eyes went up and her aegyo skin went up. The shiny silver cheekbones protruded to the fullest, and the lips with a big smile were red like blood. As he watched the young man's face, which had been swollen just before, change dramatically to a beautiful face, Reinhardt thought it was only natural that he was fascinated by him in the end.
“Reinhardt.”
The young man whispered in a rare trembling voice.
“I want to kiss you. may I."
If you rub your nose against my nose and say that, how can I refuse... … . Instead of answering, Reinhardt closed his eyes. His lips parted as if he had waited. There was a pleasant feeling of pressure in his clasped hands.
"I love it. I really like you.”
“… … Sometimes it's embarrassing that I seem to depend on you too much. So please don't talk like that.”
It was pushed back and forth between hot breaths. Satisfied dark eyes glanced through the unfocused gaze.
“You have no idea how happy I am to have you rely on me.”
Lightly, making a sound, he kissed Reinhardt's upper lip. At this moment, he could see that her youth was holding him back, even though he was terribly lusting after her.
“I will do anything for you. I'll do any disgusting thing, any lie... … .”
"station,"
Don't do anything disgusting. I tried to say that, but my lips parted again. Her tongue was entangled. The sensation of the slippery mass of flesh wrapping around the root of the tongue as if it were about to be sucked was terribly good. But at the same time, it felt like venom was dripping between my tongue and tongue. The young man gently licked the wound on her left cheek as soon as he parted her lips. “Oh,” Reinhardt groaned, and Wilhelm smiled faintly, then ran his lips over the cut on her collarbone.
"stop… … .”
Reinhardt sobbed and lightly pushed Wilhelm away. He was so powerful that he couldn't even shake a piece of paper, but Wilhelm willingly backed down. Then he smiled at her, her blackness full of happiness in her eyes.
Just a little bit, a little bit... … .
Beasts don't reveal everything at once. At this time, Reinhardt did not know that he only reveals his true colors and brings despair to people only after he gets wet like clothes in drizzle.
***
“The emperor will prove his lineage before the gods in the final ceremony.”
"It's a common procedure used by men who want to give their property to their illegitimate children."
Pernaha Glencia spat out the grass she was chewing on. The day was good. The air was cold, but the sky was clear, and in the Hall of Glory, the priests of the seven gods, who were conducting the great festival from the morning, were busy moving.
“We are not bad. Adelphia's oath It's an old legacy, but nothing to lose. It doesn't matter as long as Glencia shows her will not to betray her. For us, it's okay as long as we don't reduce the number of enlisted men.”
“After going through that, you look a little discouraged.”
The Grand Ritual is held simultaneously in the Plaza of the Capital and the Hall of Glory. There were citizens in the square, and nobles gathered in the Hall of Glory for a prayer meeting as usual. The difference is that it is a three-day festival that begins as soon as the ceremony of the Great Festival is over. It was the highlight of Daejong Church.
A small banquet is held in the Hall of Glory. It was different from a banquet at night because it meant sharing the food of the gods. All the terraces of the hall were open, so the nobles waiting for the festival were mostly chatting in groups of trees and trees in the garden connected to the terrace rather than inside the hall.
Only today was the Emperor's intention to acknowledge Wilhelm as his illegitimate son. So Reinhardt accompanied Fernaha Glencia instead of Wilhelm. It was because the emperor wanted to bring him in personally.
Rumors had already spread since morning that the empress had turned the palace upside down crying last night, saying that she would never acknowledge her illegitimate child. Everyone was glancing at Reinhardt and Pernaha, but neither of them cared.
Only Pernaha's lieutenant, Alzen Total, had strained his shoulders for no reason and glared at the nobles approaching him. Reinhardt laughed as he looked at him acting as if he were a very wild man. Fernaha also followed Reinhardt's gaze and smiled.
“He seems to think this is an opportunity to show the women of the capital the charm of a tough man from the north.”
“Oh, there are women who have such fantasies very often. Cool, cold Northern men.”
Pernaha chuckled at Reinhardt's dry tone.
“Glencia's dirty bastards are overrated in the capital. You have to see people sucking their fingers on the battlefield with their cheeks frozen and cracked even after they haven’t washed for 10 days.”
“You are also a Northern man, aren’t you?”
“I have no doubt that I am the noblest man in the North. A northern man, after all.”
Pernaha stole his nose.
Alzen was now rolling up his sleeves. He's not trying to get anyone to come this way. Arms forged on the battlefield were exposed under the sunlight. Among his classmates, there were girls who seemed genuinely surprised to see the arm, and Alzen's nostrils widened as he pretended to be calm but was conscious of his gaze. However, there is no guarantee that the surprised eyes of the young ladies are necessarily love.
“I hope the adjutant is happy.”
“Sometimes it’s so funny that you want to kick it in the ass.”
“What will Glencia do once the enlisted men are returned?”
At first glance, Reinhardt's question seemed out of context. But he was also the most important thing to the Glencia family. The reason they lent enlisted soldiers and supported Wilhelm was to maintain security in the north with 10,000 enlisted men. Fernaha shrugged.
“For those who want to settle down, we will give a settlement subsidy and have them live in Glencia. Glencia, like Luden, has more soldiers than residents.”
“In the eyes of the emperor, even the settled villagers would look like soldiers.”
"Surprisingly, that's the point."
A cold wind swept between them. said Per Naha, shrugging her shoulders.
“As you may have noticed already, our goal is simply to maintain the status quo.”
“Many of the lords of the empire do not know that maintaining the status quo is the greatest virtue. But isn't Glencia's status quo impossible? Because the enemy is gone.”
It meant that the savages disappeared and there was no need to maintain private soldiers. The monsters of the Fram Mountains come down to the bottom of the mountain range, but they do not invade the borders of the empire. However, Fernaha smiled.
“There are dragons in the Fram Mountains.”
“A dragon.”
Reinhardt narrowed his eyes at the sudden mythical story. Glencia was an old family that received the title of Marquess from Amaryllis Alanques. It shouldn't be laughing at me to tell you this, but well. It's not something that will come out now, is it? Seeing Reinhardt's gaze, Fernaha shrugged.
"It's more of an idiom now, but the fundamental reason my family was given the title of Marshal was not to prevent monsters or barbarians."
"then?"
“Because Glencia doesn’t forget.”
Glencia doesn't forget. If Alankess doesn't look back, Glencia stands behind Alankess and doesn't forget the enemies of her empire... … is it.
“It’s romantic.”
“I want the ladies of the capital to know that men in the north have an unexpected romance.”
Laughing like a joke, Fernaha crushed the grass with her toes. Reinhardt suddenly remembered the [Closed in Cold Weather]. Dragon of the Fram Mountains. The author, Lil Alankes, wrote a long article about the dragons of the Fram Mountains. It was close to an absurd story, so I stopped reading the latter part. Later, when I returned to Luden, I wanted to read the book again.
“What are you going to do, His Excellency?”
“You mean me? When the body is returned... … I'll have to go back to Luden. I'm trying to find a place to bury my father's body in Orient. I'll have to move the Rinke family's ossuary as well. Busy for the time being... … ”
“No, not that.”
Reinhardt immediately recognized what Pernaha meant. Wilhelm. Perna continued.
“You already know that Lord Colonna traded bloodlines with us.”
“… … .”
“In fact, the simplest way to trade bloodlines is through marriage. But he rejected my sister. So do you know what happened?”
Reinhardt looked at Pernaha without a word. It was then. The people started to enter the hall one by one, agitated. Hearing shouts from inside, it seemed that the festival was about to begin.
The two naturally entered the hall through the terrace. Alzen glared at the people who approached the area, but Pernaha said, “Alzen. It's ridiculous, so stop it." He dissuaded him. Alzen grumbled as if he was steaming and followed the two.
The imperial family was entering through the main road of the hall. People all moved out of the way, so Reinhardt and Ferna could easily move to the front of the altar. The prince and his wife were leading, and the empress entered. The Empress was alone. Her expression as she entered with pursed lips didn't look too angry, so those who had heard the rumors looked at each other's faces.
“I heard you prove the bloodline of an illegitimate child… … .”
"I heard that the empress' palace was overturned yesterday, is that a rumor?"
Surely, the empress' crying and fussing was also a ploy to slash the emperor's head. Reinhardt looked at the crown prince and his wife passing by indifferently. Michelle was walking, looking straight ahead as if she wouldn't make eye contact with anyone in the room, but it was rather unnatural.
However, only the Crown Princess and Princess Canary glanced at Reinhardt. She should have heard everything about her, but her gaze was not filled with a sense of triumph or contempt for Reinhardt.
However, the moment their eyes met was too short to penetrate the complexities within. The empress who passed next was rather easy to read. She looked down at Reinhardt as if to say, 'Let's take a look.' Reinhardt bent his knees expressionlessly.
“Your Majesty is here!”
“Sir Wilhelm Colonna of Luden follows!”
Those who did not know were greatly perplexed, and those who already knew were faintly puzzled. As usual, the arrogant emperor entered the hall, followed by Wilhelm. Wilhelm, who was always wearing black, was wearing a luxurious outfit today. The black curls that had been hanging over his eyebrows were all pulled back to expose his forehead, making the impression all the more intense.
“They really look alike… … .”
“That’s it… … .”
The gossip intensified. Wilhelm had a faint smile on his lips. When a smile is added to a delicately crafted face, it is bound to be beautiful. However, looking at Wilhelm's face now, Reinhardt had the impression that a beautiful embroidered tapestry that had been crocheted tens of thousands of times with thin thread was as ferocious as an angry beast.
Then Pernaha continued.
“He told me to come under him.”
“… … .”
“My sister has a great personality, but I tried to convince her that she would be better than me. I earnestly requested that marrying a man was not part of my life plan when I was eight years old.”
The jokes he heard without eye contact were not even funny. Fernaha also didn't say that because she wanted Reinhardt to laugh.
“'I don't need a woman to stand next to me. There are other women I want to stand by.'”
“… … .”
“Now, the 20-year-old kid said that without even blushing.”
My face was about to heat up, so I fixed my gaze on the altar. The priest in front of the altar took the illegitimate child next to the emperor and lit a candlestick. The high priest coughed heavily and began to recite prayers. Everyone bent their knees and rolled their eyes pretending to pray. Pernaha's voice also became smaller.
“What I look forward to right now is His Majesty's face after Adelpho's oath.”
“… … .”
“As soon as the pedigree of the illegitimate child is proved, the illegitimate child swears the oath of Adelpho to Michel Alanquez. You'll hear that Her Highness is once again very resourceful.”
Is it because you already know what will happen next? The face of her empress looked as if she was already triumphant. In Reinhardt's eyes, the emperor, who was putting her hands together pretending to pray, glanced at her empress reluctantly. When the high priest finished the prayer, everyone stood up, and the high priest thanked the nobles for successfully completing the Daejong Church. However, the nobles continued to keep an eye on the royal family, pouring their gratitude into their ears. Wilhelm was still smiling fiercely.
“I came with the determination to live as a knight of Lord Luden instead of being married. But if he swears the oath of Adelpho, I won't have to stay in Luden, so it may seem disheartening. But I am much more grateful to be able to return to Glencia.”
“Should I say congratulations?”
"dismissal. I dare you to tell me.”
Pernaha whispered quietly. Reinhardt raised his gaze and glanced up at Pernaha standing to his right. He was close enough to count his freckles.
“Be careful.”
“… … That's rude.”
Reinhardt answered plainly. Fernaha snorted.
***
The emperor held up Wilhelm's hand with a hand full of sparkling rings. And he spoke briefly of the tragedy of the Colonna family. The nobles, who already knew about the illegitimate child, looked on their faces as if they were hearing about it for the first time in their lives and let out sighs and sorrow.
The prince and his wife and the empress, standing on one side of the altar, looked like supporting actors for that moment. Normally, they would never have put up with such treatment. But all three of them knew. The fact that the lead role will change soon.
The Marquis of Pullea brought a crystal for identification of the imperial family. Since Wilhelm had already passed through the Crystal Gate, it was just a ritual. Wilhelm put his hand on the crystal, and the crystal shone brightly. It was the last magic left by Amaryllis Alanques. The nobles exclaimed in admiration.
It just passed Reinhardt like the whole scene flowed. There was no more excitement than I expected. Instead, Reinhardt muttered the words of Fernaha Glencia, who was watching the proof ceremony with her back in a disrespectful attitude next to him.
<From now on, I am Glencia's son. Therefore, whether it is passionate love or blind innocence, it has nothing to do with me. But at least I know what love is. At first, I thought he was just a kid struggling with his first love.>
<… … .>
<But it's too insidious for a kid. It's cruel.>
Reinhardt had finally looked at him. 'Valencia's goal is about to be accomplished, so are you going to try to stir things up now?' At the calm question, Pernaha smiled.
<Your Excellency. Sir Dietrich and I were quite good friends, I think.>
I almost bit my tongue at the unexpected name.
<I met him for the first time in the war, but he was a nice person. If Sir Dietrich had given the Great Order to you, would it have been this way?>
<… … .>
<No. He must have consulted with Your Excellency about borrowing private soldiers. The reason why you want to hide a secret next to the woman you love is because it smells bad. Isn't it a bit strange to cover it up with loyalty and love?>
Reinhardt did not immediately respond to those words and kept his mouth shut until the proof ceremony took place. Fernaha did not rush for an answer. The more she chewed, the colder the back of her back became. Reinhardt bit his lip and looked at his eyes. Alutica's High Priestess was declaring that he was a member of the imperial family, leaning on Wilhelm's shoulder. The emperor opened Wilhelm's mouth and placed a piece of sugar in the shape of a white amaryllis petal on his tongue. It is a ritual that all who have the surname of Alanquez go through. Even Reinhardt once put that piece of sugar in his mouth.
It was customary to melt the sugar pieces before eating, but Wilhelm immediately closed his mouth and chewed the sugar with a crunching sound. The priest's face turned earthy and the emperor laughed. Seeing her red lips munching, she turned her head to Per Naha. Instead of a deferred answer, it was to solve the curiosity that came to me.
“What do you want to say? If it's not epilepsy, are you saying it's for me?"
What did you, a mere outsider, gain by saying this?
“… … I do not know."
Facing her gaze, Fernaha smirked.
Before coming to the capital for the Daejong Church, Fernaha made preparations to move to the Great Manor of Luden. Even for Glencia, the loss of Pernahara was painful, but it was none other than the Marshal who sent private soldiers in response to the deal. So, the Marquis decided to send his second son as soon as Alzen sent the message that he had 'confirmed the Amaryllis hand'.
However, once they arrived, the game changed, and Pernaha said there was no need to go to Luden. Glencia's fox felt bad. It was too sweet. Could it be a trap? He wanted to, but without his knowledge, everything was going smoothly, and Glencia was now in the process of exiting all these plays. There was no one who could get Glencia into her trap and get something out of her. Reinhardt and Wilhelm.
If so, who is the trap covered by love for? Instead of venting his suspicions, Fernaha giggled and said quietly.
“Wash only the sweet water on one side and throw it away.”
“… … You say something funny.”
“I am telling you to enjoy it but not to indulge it. A subordinate who holds secrets from his master is not a good subordinate.”
At that moment, Wilhelm stood up from the podium. “Now Sir Colonna, no, my other son will be called Wilhelm Alankes.” At the emperor's declaration, people reluctantly bowed their knees. It was said that he was born out of wedlock, but he had to take an example because he was now the face of the new imperial family.
Among them, only Reinhardt and Pernaha stood upright. Suddenly, Wilhelm looked this way, and their eyes met. Pernaha whispered as he quickly bent his knees like the others.
“A man who has secrets from his lover cannot be a good man either.”
Now only Reinhardt is left. Wilhelm looked at her and smiled until her eyes widened.
Reinhardt never bent his knees. It was only for a moment that our eyes met, but it seemed like an eternity. Between the grains of that time, Reinhardt pulled out several threads.
<It would be difficult to succeed in revenge in a place as far away as Luden.>
<I will definitely offer you Michelle's head. So please love me... … .>
<Tell me one more time. My, beautiful knight... … .>
<Even if I did a great wrong to you, would you try to guess my suffering... … .>
<Every time I see your scars, it makes me happy. You don't like me like this.>
All those threads were pointing to one thing. Reinhardt was convinced. Pernaha is wrong. It's just a young beast that doesn't know how. It's a trap. It is not likely that Alzen Stogahl is telling everything to Fernaha Glencia. Glencia doesn't forget, but sometimes you have to forget. Among them, the clumsy trial and error of a young man who just came out of the world is included.
There were times when she was also unfamiliar with Wilhelm. But now that she has come, she is just a young man blinded by her love. Reinhardt bit the tip of his lip.
Meanwhile, the Marquis of Pullea was reciting the rights and duties of Wilhelm, an out-of-wedlock member of the imperial family.
“… … The rights given to you are the same as above, and you must not neglect your duties as a member of the imperial family.”
"for a moment."
The Empress of Castreya intervened between the words of the Marquis of Pulea. Everyone looked at her empress in bewilderment, but Reinhardt knew what her empress would ask for. Thus, Reinhardt put her gaze in focus, like a young girl who is distracted before a play she already knows. In fact, even though he himself is the main character in the play, his mind is confused and he can hardly concentrate.
“I will make it clear. Even though this is His Majesty's child out of wedlock, the right of succession belongs to the crown prince.”
“Obviously.”
The emperor showed off his soon-to-be-destroyed dignity.
“However, I am concerned about the fact that the descendant of Alanquez has a different surname… … .”
“Are you like that too?”
The empress cut off the emperor's words. Wilhelm hunched his back elegantly and exaggeratedly. It was the most common posture of submission from subordinates to superiors, but to Reinhardt at that moment, it looked like a beast crouching down to hunt.
“I have no intention of tarnishing the name of the great Alanques.”
"Then it doesn't matter if I make a request as a deficit."
“Michelle.”
The nobles watched with interest the skits performed by the imperial family. The words exchanged between the empress, Michelle, and Wilhelm were dense, and no one seemed to be perplexed, as if they were reciting pre-determined lines. Only then did the emperor notice a strange expression.
Just in time, Michelle stepped forward from where she was standing. The emperor's brows furrowed when Michelle, who was barely moving on the podium, took the center stage because she hated crippling in front of others.
“What the hell… … .”
"your majesty. I hereby demand the oath of Chevalier from my half-brother.”
“Michelle!”
I called my crippled son's name like an emperor shouting. The bastard's answer followed like flowing water.
“I accept it.”
As if she had waited, the smile of a victor appeared on the empress' face. Admiration and sighs erupted from all sides at the same time. The nobles noticed that the empress, who had shunned her emperor, had already concluded some kind of deal with her illegitimate son behind her back.
There were also those who clicked their tongues. Already, those who wonder what the price will be are starting to whisper. Pernaha and Alzen exchanged smirking glances as they bet whether the emperor's face would become earthy or green. The face of all the people of the empire was pale, as if covered in filth.
“Eh, that… … Are you referring to the oath of Chevalier Adelpho?”
I could hear the high priest of Alutica asking dubious questions. Everyone was holding their breath and looking at the podium.
However, Reinhardt's air gradually became uncomfortable. It seemed difficult to breathe. Reinhardt looked down in front of me. The laces of his black dress were tight. Will it be okay if I solve this? He wanted to find Mark, but during the great festival, servants and maids could not enter. You can't even ask Alzen to adjust it.
So Reinhardt lowered his head and loosened his belt slightly. Gave gaps between the weaving strings, and though he was not as good as Marc, he made a ribbon shape with his clumsy hands. It didn't matter, since no one paid much attention to her dress anyway. But it wasn't until the ribbon was fully knotted that Reinhardt noticed that the weave was no problem.
"you're right."
“It is, eh… … . Wilhelm Cole, no, Prince Wilhelm Alanquez, promised to be absolutely loyal to His Highness the Crown Prince... … You mean you agree?”
Even the priest's question sounded like a scream.
Only then did Reinhardt realize the cause of the feeling of heaviness rising to the bottom of his chin. It wasn't the crampedness of yesterday and today. She knelt at her feet, begged, and sometimes shut her mouth. But her uneasiness for her youth had to be blinded by her love.
<It seems difficult to say now.>
<I will do anything to get you whole. So trust me.>
A man who seemed to be her enemy limped and stood on the podium with an exalted expression on his face. The savage man she fell in love with put her on one knee in front of him. The emperor shouted and the empress rolled her eyes and laughed. She was a woman with eyes as blue as water, and her eyes were glinting.
Reinhardt looked at the red lips that had kissed him with his faraway head reciting an oath.
you got me I swear I don't know if this is 'perfect', but my heart is with you now. I can't deny it now. I gave myself away to you
So you will have to complete my vengeance. in any form.
Reinhardt decided not to endure this anxiety any longer.
Michel satisfactorily lifted Wilhelm up. Wilhelm put his forehead on the back of Michelle's hand. The nobles bowed and bowed. The pale emperor's face turned red, and the priest quickly recited the last prayer of the great festival while sweating. Alzen giggled, swearing that it would be the fastest prayer among all the great religious festivals of the empire.
That evening, presents from the empress' palace arrived in the drawing room of the Welcome Palace. The attendants of the empress' palace piled up a mountain of presents and left with a letter expressing a mother's heart to a new child.
All sorts of things were piled up, from precious fabrics and rare food to five seasoned attendants, a beautiful chair, and a luxurious ornamental sword. Wilhelm picked up a large ebony box decorated with blue kingfisher feathers and placed it in front of Reinhardt. Reinhardt hugged the box.
It was the body of her father who had given her a second life.
***
I couldn't stop crying even though I knew that Marc was restless because he cried so much that the bandages covering his face were all wet. Reinhardt couldn't even let go of the box and cried endlessly. He barely stopped, but his eyes continued to throb, so the servants of the Palace of Illusions brought ice. As I tried to place the cloth wrapped in ice over my eyelids, the area around my eyes felt hot. I wondered if the tears that flowed down my cheeks were not tears, but melted eyeballs.
The ice melted and wet the cloth and ran down my cheeks. As someone carefully wiped her cheek, Reinhardt removed the ice from her eyes and looked to the side of her. It was Wilhelm.
“… … Wilhelm.”
“Are you okay?”
"yes. What about the others?”
“I asked you to leave your seat.”
Wilhelm was still the same as he had seen in the Hall of Glory. It was surprising that Amaryllis was wearing an ornately embroidered blue top. Reinhardt stretched out his hand to tidy up a few strands of his combed hair that were swaying in disarray. Wilhelm smiled lightly.
“I couldn’t even ask how you were. How is it?”
As soon as the great festival was over, Wilhelm was summoned to the emperor. His words were called out, almost dragging them.
“He was screaming.”
“Emperor? I am surprised.”
“Unexpected… … .”
“Even so, it is a greeting to protect one’s pride by always maintaining one’s composure in front of others. He must have been quite angry.”
In my own way, I would have thought it would be worth trying to create a fairly plausible heir fight structure. How could he have imagined an illegitimate child who ended a deal with the empress in advance?
“He has an inferiority complex because he was crowned by the Empress of Castreya when he was young. It is true that he arranged you for the sake of the empire, but she must have been more angry that she was beaten by the empress again.”
Reinhardt chuckled. Wilhelm removed the wet bandage from Reinhardt's cheek and carefully wiped the wound.
“Even so, he asked me since when did you become so close with the empress. It seemed like I was guessing. It's a corpse, it's enough if you find it yourself, but why do you go wrong with things like this... … .”
“People who pretend not to know are really good at talking.”
According to the words, the emperor already knew that it was the empress who stole Hu Rinke's body. However, the emperor did not extend his hand to Reinhardt, but rather stood by.
“He must have thought that if he found out that the empress had stolen his father's body, he would have more resentment and would cooperate with him. disgusting human beings. Alanquez really hates to look like that.”
At those words, Wilhelm's hand stopped. Reinhardt too belatedly realized his mistake and looked at Wilhelm with an ah.
“I didn’t mean you, Wilhelm.”
"Yes. I know.”
The corners of her eyes trembled slightly as she said that. Reinhardt patted Wilhelm on the cheek. Wilhelm even started to clean her wounds.
“Whatever.”
"What."
“Even the emperor is a very petty person. Didn't he say he would do something to retaliate against you?"
"What… … .”
The young man rolled his eyes as if thinking a little, then smiled lightly.
“If you were afraid of that, would you have sworn?”
"so."
Reinhardt replied as if sighing, then quietly placed his face in Wilhelm's hands. Wilhelm found the box of bandages Marc always left in her drawing room and sat down in front of her again. The wound began to heal in earnest, and scabs formed on her face.
Wilhelm carefully brushed the scab over Reinhardt's wound with his thumb before applying the bandage. Although he quit as soon as Reinhardt squinted at him.
“When will I return?”
“Are you going back?”
“I can't do anything for the time being. Because you swore in the middle, you couldn’t use your hands openly for a while anyway.”
He swore the oath of Chevalier, but if you think about it, there are plenty of ways to do things secretly. However, as soon as you swear an oath, you cannot immediately attempt an assassination. Rescuing people clumsily is dangerous, and the Welcome Palace is too close to the royal family to look for an opportunity.
Reinhardt was thinking of returning to Luden and reorganizing the territory. Time is long and she never forgets her revenge. Bondi Reinhardt only aimed at Michelle, but now the empress also bought her grudge. Playing pranks on her with her father's body. He decided to cut off the head of the Empress as well as Michelle's intestines and give her dog food, but he thought he would have to retreat.
“Um, Reinhardt.”
"why. What's wrong with you?”
“Could you give me one more month? that… … The Marquis of Pulea.”
Wilhelm rolled his eyes and stumbled. Oh, Reinhardt realized.
“There must be a territory given to members of the imperial family. as well as the title. There must be quite a few documents to confirm your authority and signature.”
“… … Yes. Because of that... … .”
"yes. Then should I go back to Luden first?”
At her words, Wilhelm's face darkened slightly. Reinhardt smiled afterward. Her young lover was always open to everything, but she was undoubtedly shaken by comments of this kind.
“It is a joke. The Marquis of Pullea should tell you, but you should have an advisor as well.”
"Well, if you're too tired, you can go back first... … .”
“No, Wilhelm. Are you okay? Just, um.”
Reinhardt tilted his head and pondered for a moment. Even thinking about cancer, it was not so reluctant to be in the imperial castle holding Rinke Hu's corpse. He probably wouldn't steal the body he had already returned, but Reinhardt was very uneasy.
“I want to bury my father in a good place. You have suffered so much with the hands of things that are not even human.”
Wilhelm looked at the box next to her and nodded. Reinhardt was able to laugh a little.
“I’ll be back through the Crystal Gate, so it won’t take long. I'm going to take you there myself this time, but there's already a place in Luden... … yes. Wouldn't it be ten days?"
“If you wish.”
“And after I go back, let’s look for a mansion in the capital. I hate staying here anymore.”
"Oh yeah."
Wilhelm gently hugged her by the shoulders and kissed her on the forehead.
“I hate this place too.”
“You have a family now, right?”
Wilhelm narrowed his eyes at the playful words. Reinhardt giggled. He wanted to lighten the mood by even joking like this.
“Please tell me you are joking. Otherwise... … .”
“Otherwise?”
“The Marquis of Pullea told me in passing. Anyway, officially I'm going to use the surname of Alanques, but in this case... … therefore. I am out of wedlock.”
Reinhardt nodded. Wilhelm shrugged his shoulders.
“I heard that there is a mansion that is usually given to Alankes who cannot stay in the imperial castle. It is owned by the imperial family, but I can use it.”
"aha?"
“But if you don’t cancel that joke, I will write it myself.”
As if to say something very scary, Reinhardt smiled softly as he looked at her with his eyes strained.
“Can I write alone?”
“Are you still treating me like a child?”
“Who told you not to go back to Luden in the first place?”
Wilhelm wrinkled his nose at her words. It was a very cute and satisfying sight to see his handsome face changing every moment because of me.
“I definitely said it. If you are tired, please go back first.”
“Is that so?”
"line!"
Reinhardt laughed and lay back. Lying down on the carpet strewn with colorful and shiny boxes made Wilhelm startled. “The floor is cold.” I've been sitting on the floor and crying all this time, but what? Instead of saying that, Reinhardt pulled Wilhelm to stand me up. In an instant, a young man came along and came into her line of sight.
Reinhardt looked up while lying down. The world suddenly felt perfect as the young couple entered under the ceiling of the beautiful but uninspiring welcome palace.
It was. Reinhardt was already calling him her lover. Aside from the uneasiness welling up in the corner of his chest. How many years has it already been to fill these cold and empty nights with this boy, or this man?
Whatever it is, you can't completely like it. Look at Michel Alanquez. Her father placed Michelle in her life in order to make Reinhardt the noblest lady in the empire. When asked if the nights she spent with Michelle, the best groom in the empire, were comfortable, she definitely wasn't. Is she the only one She became her worst enemy of her life.
Compared to that, what about Wilhelm? Because he looked up at him for a long time and was lost in thought, the corners of Wilhelm's eyes, who had to look at her for a long time while sitting on top of her, were slightly reddish. Strangely enough, that image filled my heart.
… … be dangerous
So, Reinhardt placed the second finger of his right hand on Wilhelm's lips as he lowered his head to kiss him. Wilhelm hesitated. Reinhardt closed his eyes and laughed.
"No."
“… … it can not?"
Love, like this, makes people eagerly in an instant. Wilhelm whispered in a mournful tone. Reinhardt put his index finger on his lips, then pressed it again on Wilhelm's lips. Wilhelm held his mouth shut. It was a look full of displeasure.
“From now on, it’s a long game. Wilhelm. I'm sorry I seem to be acting my own way, but our deal hasn't even been finalized yet.”
“A deal, I mean.”
"yes. me."
Reinhardt poked his finger a little below his collarbone. Less than the cheek, Wilhelm flinched at the sight of the injured collarbone. However, Reinhardt immediately stabbed Wilhelm in the chest and continued.
"And Michelle's neck."
“… … .”
“One for one.”
“One for one… … .”
Wilhelm repeated Reinhardt's words as if sighing. Reinhardt touched Wilhelm's chest with his right hand. Delicately embroidered golden embroidery tickled Reinhardt's palm. I only wear black every day, and this suits me well... … . He stared down at his chest and along his neck and observed his smooth face. He hadn't been conscious of it before, but during the short period he spent with Sudo-ro, it seemed as if he had grown a little more, and his jawline seemed to have gotten harder than before. The bridge of his nose, which he thought had not healed… … .
“… … Will you love me until you cut Michelle's throat?”
"In addition… … .”
Reinhardt was even more surprised by the words he suddenly uttered when he saw the young man who would grow up quickly if he took his eyes off him for a second. Wilhelm frowned, as if asking why he kept saying that, but what Reinhardt just said was the same as what he had said before, but with a different meaning.
What if you fall in love with someone else and leave me?
She had only Wilhelm before, but now it was only Wilhelm in a different sense. Wasn't it because of her insecurities? Reinhardt sighed lightly. She wasn't even sure about her own feelings.
“Reinhardt. There is no such thing.”
"yes."
Reinhardt laughed hard. However, the words of Wilhelm, who was looking at her, were not simply a promise. The young man picked up Reinhardt's hair scattered on the floor and kissed it. Her gaze was on her.
“If that worries you, Reinhardt.”
"Don't say you'll prove it. That is an answer that only time can give.”
"Nope."
Reinhardt stopped talking, and Wilhelm answered firmly.
“I will close the deal as quickly as possible.”
“… … .”
“So don't waste your time on such troubles in vain. You have already wasted a long, long time.”
Hair fell from Wilhelm's hand. The thousands of strands of gold seemed strangely slow to dissipate like waves.
“You will soon know what it means to give you to me.”
The young man's lips landed on the back of her hand. I didn't feel the slightest bit of the reverence that is often found in kisses of that kind. Instead, there was something in Reinhardt's hand. she looked down at it. It was Amaryllis' hand that Wilhelm had received from the emperor.
“Why is this… … ?”
"Because if we're apart, we might be needed."
Reinhardt didn't understand at all, but eventually packed it in. Wilhelm smiled.
***
The little bird-like woman who had been waiting for him all along in the forest fell into his arms as soon as he appeared. Her man simply grabbed her and then kicked her tongue right in front of her.
“Why are you crying?”
"ah."
Dulcinea's eyes were swollen from crying for a long time. It wasn't until after a while that she pulled herself together and said in a choked voice.
“I don’t think you will come… … .”
“Dulcinea.”
"sorry. As soon as we met... … .”
“Shall we go inside first?”
The man looked around and lightly squeezed Dulcinea's shoulders and pushed her away. Dulcinea shed tears and followed him. It was so cold that it felt like my wet cheeks were freezing.
“Why did you cry?”
After going inside for a while, the man hugged her. Dulcinea hugged her young man tightly to his chest and whispered pamperedly.
"I don't know. I just cried.”
“Where are you just?”
"just… … .”
It was this morning that Gillia delivered the sheepskin gloves. It was as soon as Dulcinea got out of Michelle's bed.
Yesterday, Michelle was in a good mood. She took out several bottles of precious wine, shared them with her empress, and offered them to Dulcinea. Those claiming to be Michelle's hands and feet were also among them. They suffered until dawn, but even after that, Dulcinea could not rest. Her drunken Michelle complained of her neuralgia again and held her in her dryness. She was terribly tired, but as soon as she got out of her bed, she was excited again by the hand of her gloves.
After Chevalier's oath, Michel doubled the guard of the Crown Prince's palace. That was all I had to do. Neither the empress nor Michelle were total fools, so the possibility that her sworn illegitimate son might tamper with Michelle was always in view. So, for Dulcinea to hide in the forest near the crown prince's palace, it took twice as much effort as usual.
I suddenly became scared to wait endlessly for the young man in the forest where I had been hiding like that. I didn't know why. Could it be because of the forest where you can't see any human beings and all the light is blocked, so you can't even see an inch in front of you, or... … . Dulcinea stopped thinking and glossed over.
“Just. Because I'm waiting for you... … .”
“Sorry for being late. It was because there were too many people recognizing me in the castle.”
"ah."
Only then did Dulcinea look up at the young man again. The young man seemed to be in a good mood. Well he deserved it. Dulcinea remembered yesterday afternoon.
A young man proudly proving his lineage with a smile the whole time in the hall of glory bathed in sunlight. He was so beautiful that he almost forgot himself and everyone else was staring at the dais, and was fascinated by him.
"Yes. sorry. It must have been.”
“After wearing the last name of Alanquez, people’s gazes were completely different from when I was a knight of the Welcome Palace.”
“It must have been cumbersome.”
The young man gently stroked her disheveled hair and tucked it behind her ear.
“I came thinking you did too.”
“… … ah."
The woman who had once been a pawn, now bearing the surname of Alanques, blushed. She laughed at the young man.
“Do we both have the same last name now?”
“… … Wilhelm.”
"Good."
Why did I cry so much in the forest? When I saw this man's face, I was so happy. Dulcinea buried her face in his chest again, feeling the hopelessness that had tormented her just before disappearing without a trace.
“I don’t know… … .”
"why? I'm good, don't you like it?”
“Because you have the surname of Alanquez, not mine… … .”
Dulcinea was speechless. Wilhelm Colonna, or rather, now Wilhelm Alankes, constantly longed to have himself. He hoped and hopped for the rest of his life and even made a decision. Obviously she had said it once and had already made up her mind, but when she tried to say it again, she felt deeply guilty.
These words were spoken in anticipation of comforting or soothing words of love, but when Wilhelm heard her words, he snorted.
“… … You have to speak straight.”
"what… … .”
“Aren’t you fretful that you can’t have me?”
Dulcinea covered her mouth with her small fist. It was correct. The man who had stimulated her possessive desire from the first time he saw her saw through the reason for her tears that she did not even know. Dulcinea bit her lip. Wilhelm laughed and lifted her chin.
“You wouldn't be very happy that I had the surname of Alanquez attached to me. A big smile spreads on his face only when he talks about getting hit with me in front of others.”
“Wilhelm.”
Dulcinea, her cheeks flushed, hugged him by the neck and tried to cover his mouth, but Wilhelm avoided her hand and sarcastically.
“I can speak more crudely.”
“Like I’m some kind of barber… … .”
"Isn't it?"
The young man shook his head and looked down at her. Unlike yesterday, when she exposed her forehead all over, her comfortable clothes and her hair looked soft and languid. She may have looked like an infallible idler by day, but she was overly alluring in the forest at night, and Dulcinea couldn't take her eyes off him.
“Every time you avert your eyes and act discreetly, and sometimes you act like you kiss too much, but I know you. You always want to put a leash around my neck.”
“No, how… … .”
“I get down on you and beg you, and you just want me to be your dog forever. no?"
I swear I never thought of it like that. I've thought I'd like to see a man yield to me, but I didn't mean to be mean in that way. no… … .
isn't it?
Dulcinea involuntarily imagined strangling the man. The watery eyes trembled. This young man was chained to his leash like a dog and panting… … . The man did not laugh at such Dulcinea any more and quietly observed it. She had had similar conversations with men before, but somehow Wilhelm's tone was quite different from then. At that time, it seemed like they were throwing a joke mixed with affection at me, but now why… … . Dulcinea suddenly noticed Wilhelm's gaze and cleared her mind.
“How could you think of me that way?”
It was negative, but not a denial. Wilhelm replied expressionlessly.
“Because I know you.”
“No one who knows me thinks of me that way.”
“I don’t think so.”
Wilhelm's long, thick fingers dug into Dulcinea's hair. He wrapped and unwound Dulcinea's dull silver hair with her fingertips, tickling her temples. His gaze seemed to be looking at Dulcinea, but she seemed to see something else beyond him.
“Think of the stigma you have since you ousted my master and took the golden throne. Anyone would think they could do that.”
my master I was talking about Reinhardt Delfina Rinke. The moment I thought of the blond woman who had returned to Luden through the crystal gate with my father's body this morning, I felt a strangely fierce hatred. I'd never thought I'd hate her this much. She felt indebted, burdened, guilty, and sometimes sad. But do you hate it? why? The answer came quickly.
my master
It was. The moment Wilhelm said that out loud, Dulcinea hated Reinhardt being called the master of this young man.
“What kind of stigma is that?”
“Do you want to hear it through my mouth?”
“It’s the same no matter who hears it.”
“The little boy from the island.”
After Wilhelm said that, he was silent for a long time. His gaze was still observing Dulcinea. Dulcinea did not avoid Wilhelm's gaze. The spirit of triumph rose again. I had a strong feeling that if I wanted to subdue this man, I couldn't just cry out over something like that.
“Bitch of the canary. The salt woman... … .”
Those were demeaning nicknames. It was a certain stigma that stuck to Dulcinea the moment she sewed her Michelle, but it was another pain to hear those words from her young man's mouth.
However, Dulcinea raised her eyes as if she would not lose and glared at Wilhelm.
“Now there will be a few more.”
"For example?"
"I do not know. What do you call a woman who takes both her older brother and younger sister as her husband?”
At those words, Wilhelm smiled ahaha and turned his head. Dulcinea was intoxicated by a small victory. The young man stopped laughing for a long time and turned serious.
“Are you really going to do it?”
“… … I have decided that now.”
“Dulcinea.”
the young man whispered softly.
“Maybe it will be fine as it is now. You said you wouldn't tarnish my reputation, right? Your honor will not be damaged either. No, this might be the best. With the same last name, smiling and greeting each other in front of others... … . A family bond might be best for you and me. let's think. We've barely met for a month. Maybe you will change your mind.”
“… … Aren't you?”
“Dulcinea.”
Wilhelm's expression blurred in an instant.
“I don’t know. I stood at that altar with the courage of a lifetime because of you, whom I have only known for a month.”
“… … You don't even know.”
The hand holding the young man became stronger, and Dulcinea involuntarily grabbed his clothes. The body temperature of the young man who appeared wearing only one shirt could be felt under the palm of his hand. It was hot and hard. It was completely different from the terribly cold body that oppressed her the previous morning. Dulcinea spat out the words involuntarily.
“Even if we share the same last name and smile at each other, every night I will think of you in the bed of a man I've never loved. You know what? I was thinking of you yesterday.”
“… … .”
“I’ve never been happy being hugged by that man, but thinking of you as you makes me feel a little bit better. Do you know what a terrible feeling that is?”
After closing her mouth for a moment, Dulcinea whispered harshly, as if shouting.
“Have you kissed someone you don’t love?”
“… … Dulcinea.”
“Family? don't be funny You're right. I want you to kiss my feet and beg me to talk about the fact that I got hitched with you in front of others!”
She had always been a quiet and sad woman, but after she strangely met this young man, she was overcome with a senseless passion. When she listened to the man she was holding back, her heart seemed to explode and she did, and sometimes she wanted to wield her thunderbolt. It was a drastic change for her as she had never trampled an ant to death.
no. This may be anger that has been suppressed against Michelle for a long time. Dulcinea felt it yesterday. As I hugged Michelle's chest from behind as she fell asleep next to me, it was the young man in front of me who had just kissed me... … .
Wilhelm.
Dulcinea impulsively swung her arm at the young man who was looking down at her. It was a very sudden violence, one that even Dulcinea hadn't intended. There was a sound, and Dulcinea was startled by the sound and reflexively pulled her hand. Because of that, Dulcinea's slapped cheeks even had fingernail marks. Wilhelm's dark eyes were dyed even thicker.
"iced coffee."
“… … .”
“Mi, I’m sorry. Sorry… … . That's on purpose... … .”
she trembled. She swore because it was the first time she had ever hit someone. But Dulcinea abruptly stopped her extended apology. It was because she belatedly realized that a faint sense of fullness was welling up inside of her. Dulcinea looked down at her right hand as if she had been unknowingly bewitched.
“… … .”
“Dulcinea.”
The young man did not even once caress his swollen cheeks from being beaten, he just quietly whispered:
“Don’t apologize.”
“… … .”
“You have to get used to this if you want to kill your husband.”
Dulcinea raised her head at the frighteningly seductive words. The beast smiled and covered her cheek.
“Kissing someone I don’t love, I do that every day.”
lips overlapped. A green flame burned inside Dulcinea's chest. It was clear that he was referring to the lord of Luden, who was said to have been hit by a knight and a ship.
"yes. If you want me to kiss your feet, you too must fall into hell... … .”
“It’s Narak.”
"yes."
The man smiled brighter in front of Dulcinea. It was the brightest and most beautiful of Wilhelm's smiles she had ever seen. She even looked happy.
"It's too much to break alone, Dulcinea."
If he said such a thing with such a face, who the hell could shake off his hand? The young man licked his red lips and whispered softly.
“… … save me This can happen?"
Dulcinea decided to become the hero of her love. It was an instant that the vague imagination hardened.
***
After the Daejong Church, the Crown Prince's Palace was unusually crowded. The same was true of the palace of the crown prince and the palace of the empress. Everyone noticed that the empress was one step ahead of the emperor who tried to bring her illegitimate son and give it the surname of Alan Kes. The aristocrats who came to the capital just in time for the Daejong Church went in and out of the palace of the three, holding presents under the pretext of their regards.
Michelle acted cheerful, as if her dislike of public appearances had been lied to. Before he limped, there were quite a few people who remembered him for being big and dignified. Since the founder, Amaryllis Alanques, was a great beauty, most of Alkanes' bloodlines were beautiful from generation to generation.
“In the past, he was a very refreshing person, but now I feel a different charm.”
“I hope you like it. Your personality is still the same.”
The salon opened by the empress was crowded with people from broad daylight. The wives who pushed their consorts around the prince scrambled to talk to Dulcinea.
Dulcinea smiled lightly and took a sip of her tea. It's been a habit since before to drink tea slowly and catch your breath when you don't have anything to say.
"I don't know your former Highness very well."
“Oh, is that so?”
A wife who had interacted with the prince several times since childhood covered her mouth and laughed. Since she was a woman whose name was once raised as a candidate for the crown princess with a deposed queen, she always looked down on her Dulcinea. however.
“When I was younger, my hair color was lighter than it is now. It was like the visionary now. Not too long ago, I saw the two of you standing at the altar and I thought they matched well.”
How fun it was to sit in front of Dulcinea and talk like that while looking at her. The ladies of Dulcinea secretly exchanged glances with each other as if they were amazed. Dulcinea, who was sitting in the middle, thought it was really boring.
“I heard that you received a large sapphire necklace as a gift from His Highness a while ago.”
“I heard you. I heard that she walked out in front of the lungs. How proud she was... … .”
"I wonder. Can't you hang it up next time and come out?"
"Oh my gosh. The last jewelry my husband gave me was when we had our second daughter, but I can't even remember how many years ago it was!”
Stories that don't help much in life even if you know them. There were times when I tried very hard to be part of such stories. The time when I stumbled around after adorning myself with the tall things that Michelle gave me.
But when covered in darkness, all of that becomes ephemeral.
Dulcinea smiled lightly.
Since he had been out at night for several days and was coming back at dawn, he could have lacked sleep, but Dulcinea was rather lively. Her cheeks were flushed and her eyes twinkled. Everyone was talking about whether Dulcinea had finally come out of the shadow of the dethronement.
They are fools. I'm just in love But I can't talk too much, so I just keep my mouth shut.
“Did the waste go back to Luden?”
"What… … . The body of the predecessor Rinke Hu was finally found. That both of them hid it completely.”
It was supposed to be like that The body returned by the empress was found by Reinhardt after digging up who was behind the deceased. Reinhardt carried her body back to Luden, leaving only her knight and emperor's illegitimate son. She still hadn't decided where she would go, but rumors circulated that she would probably go to the red-stemmed mansion.
“The mansion with red stems is for that purpose.”
“His Majesty was originally like that… … .”
“Colonna bag.”
"ah. okay. I heard that there were a few girls who tried to attach it to the Colonna Bag. But all of a sudden, you lay down saying you were sick, didn’t you?”
Rumors passed from mouth to mouth. It's a colonna bag. The man was given the title of count. So, instead of the illegitimate child, everyone called her Colonna Baek. Dulcinea traced the petal pattern embossed on the teacup with her fingertips. That's bullshit. To be precise, there were people who heard rumors of an illegitimate child and secretly asked the emperor what his daughter was like. However, the man I met last night replied that the emperor had arranged for him to be Lord Luden.
'Because if I become the crown prince, the great land will be owned by the empire. Even if that's not the case, you must have calculated that you would bind the third great estate to Alankes's castle.'
Thus, the blonde woman almost took the surname of Alanques again. Power entered Dulcinea's fingertips.
'It's mine.'
She chewed over and over again the words Wilhelm had spoken to Dulcinea. The story that Lord Luden accidentally met him in the mountains when he was young was actually planned, and the emperor wanted to appoint Wilhelm as crown prince instead of Michel because of his inferiority towards the empress.
Recalling that she raised her illegitimate child without the empress' knowledge by using a dethroned woman with a vengeance on Michelle, and that the plan materialized when the lord of Luden became the owner of the Great Territory, Dulcinea felt hatred for Reinhardt's luck in stabbing Michelle before she did.
no, that's funny. Didn't that blonde woman get that much luck thanks to herself? She said that Michelle loved Dulcinea, and thus Reinhardt stabbed Michelle. And she had a man named Wilhelm. The small guilt that Dulcinea had towards Reinhardt had long since disappeared. Instead, envy and jealousy took over.
When Reinhardt Delfina Rinke returned to Luden, the man came to the night forest to see her every day as if he had been waiting. He was completely different from before when we met every few days. Dulcinea told Michelle that she was tired every night and that her body ached, and that she would return early. As it continued for about a fortnight, she grumbled.
“Do you want me to have a mistress?”
yes please Please do so. Please take that gaze away from me.
Unfortunately for Dulcinea, Michelle was a faithful husband. That is, if the standard of sincerity is set on the numerous men in the empire. He was always looking for Dulcinea, and Michelle didn't have one of those common mistresses.
However, it is difficult to say that Michelle only loves Dulcinea. He was now paralyzed and had a complex on his right leg, which was thinner on one side. Even with Dulcinea, she had always refused to show her right leg, so she had guessed that other women would be even more so. She was always looking for her jewels to adorn her dulcinea, stroking her dulcinea's hair, and seeing Michelle talking like her chastity, people said that she was a very good husband.
The headache got worse. Dulcinea faintly frowned, but people noticed her abnormality more alertly than expected.
“Oh my God, Your Highness. Where are you sick?”
“Ah, a little headache… … .”
“I guess we made it too much of a hassle.”
no. Even if I had noticed before, it was just that I didn't have to say anything. Dulcinea said, “I need to rest for a while,” and left the drawing room. The ladies-in-waiting quickly followed. "Are you okay?" “Does your head hurt? It deserves it. The shameless words of those wives... … .” Even the ladies-in-waiting wanted to disappear from his side, but it was difficult to do so.
Oh, I wish I had him. Dulcinea walked slowly and drew the smell of grass from the man's arms. If only I could fall asleep in bed with the smells of that night coming from the man walking through the woods... … .
Dulcinea once again murdered Michelle in her head.
***
Evening dinners also had to be shared with other people. Dulcinea, who had been plagued by her headaches all day, tried to go back as soon as her dinner was over, but Michelle held her back.
“Are you sick today?”
“I am not feeling well. A bit of a headache since the afternoon... … .”
“A doctor?”
“I don’t think it will get better even if I take medicine. There were many people who visited the palace, so I didn't call them separately.”
Michelle clicked her tongue. Dulcinea felt a little impatient in his heart. What are you trying to talk about? It was already dark all around her, and her beloved lover would wait for her. Dulcinea knew how she waited in the dark for her opponent to come, so she wanted to run to her lover as soon as possible.
But her husband didn't seem willing to let go of Dulcinea easily.
“Let’s talk.”
"What's going on... … .”
Dulcinea, hesitant, finally entered the bedroom only after Michelle frowned. Normally, we would talk in the drawing room. Michelle, who was bitten by all the attendants, looked Dulcinea up and down.
“What are you doing these days?”
"These days… … If so, what do you mean... … .”
Dulcinea's hands sweated. When she barely raised her eyes to look at Michelle, Michelle squinted in amazement.
“You keep dodging.”
“… … me? you?"
"yes. Been sick for a few days now. After Daejong Church... … a day or two... … .”
Michelle, who had been counting her fingers, snorted.
“You haven’t been using the bed with me for 15 days.”
“… … It hurts... … .”
“And they say they go for walks every now and then.”
Suddenly, my heart went wild. Dulcinea watched carefully, wondering if she had noticed her wife's infidelity. Michelle was staring at her annoyedly, but not with her annoyance. she wasn't yet Dulcinea stroked her chest inside her. Considering her usual Michelle personality, from the moment she noticed Dulcinea's infidelity, she would turn the womb of the crown prince upside down.
“I have a severe headache, so I wonder if it will be okay if I get a cool breeze.”
“Don’t you know that being cold gets more headaches? You have to be careful. What if it harms your health? Call the doctor right away tomorrow and see the doctor again.”
“Yes.”
Did you call because you were really worried? Dulcinea wiggled her fingers. When I thought about whether I should just leave now, Michelle's words continued.
"And I'm going to sleep here tonight."
“… … That."
“We talked for a while before dinner tonight. Everyone was wondering when the heir would be. I didn't say anything outright because I was paying attention, but Dulcinea.”
heir. Dulcinea's heart shrank again, as if it had been scratched by her rough claws. For Michelle, she still had no children. Not only with Reinhardt, her ex-wife, but also with Dulcinea. Michelle gestured instead of talking. It meant coming in front of me. Dulcinea walked slowly and stood right in front of Michelle.
“Ask the doctor tomorrow about that too. It's a refusal for me to receive unnecessary suspicion because of you. More than anything, it's tiring for my mother to keep pushing women.”
oh As he tried to laugh, Dulcinea bit his lip. Did she tell such a story in a place where she was not confident?
The empress always attributed her childlessness to Dulcinea's fault. She used to say openly that she didn't have children because she was an unlucky bitch, and that there must be something wrong with Dulcinea.
'He acted as if he despised conspiracies so much, and then recommended the government in my absence.'
I was in the thick of it.
“After receiving treatment, it would be better to stay in the Crown Prince's palace for a while. I'll set aside a bedroom for you, so do that.”
"That… … .”
Lips didn't come off. It's hard to even say a word of rejection like this, so how should I live? Her hand pulling her by the wrist and hugging her around the waist seemed like she didn't even think she would reject it. I guess so. Because you were like that even when you held her hostage… … .
"yes?"
“Light some incense… … I'll change my clothes and come back."
Dulcinea smiled brightly. She squeezed her waist tight and let go as Michelle fell with a wistful look. Her desire was so strong that she was buried and gave goosebumps.
***
I didn't expect to stay this long in the complex and hateful capital. Besides, he had to go back soon, so Reinhardt took care of things quickly in Luden. But he had more work to do than he thought. Each of the six territories that came to be called the Great Territory of Luden had an enormous scale. Excluding Orient, the richest of them all, Delmaril and Pala also had the size of two or three other territories combined.
In the end, Reinhardt, who had been thinking about ten days, ended up spending ten more days than originally expected. He sent a letter of apology to Wilhelm, but no reply has yet come.
"driving me crazy. I need to appoint an agent soon.”
“Until His Excellency came, everything was mine.”
Mrs. Sarah answered without expression. Reinhardt, sitting in front of the desk, smiled apologetically at the old lady.
“You apologized several times for being sorry.”
“I also thought about how many times before the lord came, I should just quit and go to the estate where my daughter lives.”
couldn't win Reinhardt smiled and drank from the glass of water next to him. Marc, who was waiting behind him, clicked his tongue.
“Shall I bring some tea?”
“Okay. It was always cold in Luden.”
It was Orient's office. The floor was completely covered with a beautiful red beret, and there were lavishly decorated curtains. There were glass windows in the office.
sash!
You don't know how many times Marc rubbed the window after seeing it. Hearing that you saw it in the imperial castle, Marc was excited, saying, "This is the lord's!" From that day on, Marc wiped the opaque glass windows every day.
Funnily enough for someone sitting in such an office, Reinhardt thought even drinking tea was a luxury and a hassle. It was the same during the days of the Crown Princess. The reason may be that the Marquis of Rinke has a family tradition that favors practical things. Her father, who was an unmanned man, always said that freshly drawn well water was better than hot tea. Her Marquis would have been very comfortable.
Reinhardt wrote the tomb of his predecessor Rinke on the highest hill in Luden. I tried to move to Bondi Orient, but strangely there was no place I liked in Orient. So, the charnel house of the Rinke family was about to be moved to Luden gradually. It will take a long time to move them from the Rinke family estate, which is now Michelle's estate, but... … .
“I met with my new financial agent.”
“Oh, have you met?”
Reinhardt made a happy expression. The old woman went on dryly, sorting through the papers Reinhardt had already seen.
“His Excellency is busy, so he came to look around the territories first. He was the treasurer of the imperial castle.”
“One skill is trustworthy. It's not bad if you stop with your personality.”
"Yes. He seemed like a young man who grew up in a nice home. I don't know the Baron Yeltz family, but... … .”
Heitz, who received a hand from Reinhardt, stopped by Orient first. There he greeted Sarah, who was struggling, as the new treasurer, and said that he would visit various estates. The old lady, who was glad to see him, wondering if salvation had come, finally sighed in front of a rare stranger. In the end, Heights left only after helping the old lady for two more days than the three days he had intended to stay in Bondi Orient. At those words, Reinhardt laughed loudly.
“You must have had a hard time, ma’am!”
“I didn’t mean to be so bareheaded either.”
The wife glanced at Reinhardt not to hate him.
“Anyway, he figured out Orient’s financial structure that I had been looking at for almost a month in one day. Maybe it's because Hwang Seong is the finance minister."
“Originally, he went to collect back taxes. So it's only natural that he has such a talent.”
“The work was done quickly. Anyway, I sighed.”
Is that all? The lord of Orient finally figured out the size of the hidden slush fund and found it. The lord of Orient had burned some papers while submitting to the estate war, but Hates Selter, after looking over the other financial statements, immediately pointed out the gaping numbers.
“The surplus money we ripped off went to Luden.”
“Ah, Luden. yes."
Reinhardt chuckled. She also went to Luden to bury her father and opened her eyes wide at the change in her estate. The walls of the castle, which had been covered with straw, were completely filled with earth, and old tapestries were replaced with new ones. The new road was under construction, and the residents of Luden, whose winter was already approaching, smiled at Reinhardt. It was thanks to him that he had plenty of food ready for the winter. That Mrs. Sarah provided food at a very low interest rate.
“So much has changed.”
“We are still far away. You have to clear the way.”
"yes."
Reinhardt still remembered being nearly raped in the mountains while on her way to Luden. Not only the barren environment but also being remote contributes to the fact that Luden is a poor territory. If the road to Luden is wide and solid, there is no reason not to stop by merchants. So Reinhardt had just given permission to build a large road from Luden to Delmaril to Orient.
“It’s winter now, so that’s good. Hire those who take a break from farming and pay them generously. It should pay much better than growing radishes for the winter.”
“Whoops.”
Mark, who was waiting behind him, laughed. Since I was talking about winter, I naturally remembered the time when I was calculating the price of a sack of apples. As he was anxious about slaying a pig without even looking at the documents in the poor manor, being busy while being wealthy felt like a luxury and a good thing.
The only places where fire was lit in Luden Castle in winter were the kitchen stove and Reinhardt's drawing room. Even firewood had to be saved. However, Orient was a much warmer place than Luden, and stoves were burning everywhere.
After finishing his work, Reinhardt went back to his room and glanced at the maids who greeted him politely. Even the maids who worked in the castle ate well and had a good complexion.
“And madam. I'll probably ask for Wilhelm's work for a while.”
"ah."
Sarah had also heard Wilhelm's story. Emperor's illegitimate son. One might be surprised to hear that the black child who ran around the courts of Luden Castle like a monkey, unable to tell the difference between blood and blood, was the emperor's son. Does the long-lived age make you indifferent to such things? The wife nodded her head and asked briefly.
“When you come back, Sir Colonna… … Are you here?”
“Perhaps.”
It meant that he would be a knight of Luden rather than the county rank he received as a member of the imperial family. At Reinhardt's words, the old lady sighed.
“How should I treat you?”
“You can just treat it as before.”
“Are you going to marry me?”
Reinhardt, who was about to enter the bedroom at the old lady's words, flinched. He glanced at Mark, but Mark was on the other end. She was Sarah's third daughter, so she probably should have told her roughly what was going on in the capital. Besides, it's not like Sarah doesn't know how Wilhelm behaved to Reinhardt during the territory war.
But I couldn't help but blush. She rubbed the corners of her eyes awkwardly and replied as if in a chant.
“I don’t know. I haven't even thought about that yet... … . He is still too young.”
“My first daughter got married at eighteen. Was she nineteen, Your Excellency, or was she twenty?”
Marc took notice and quickly accepted Reinhardt's mantle. When Reinhardt glanced at him, he took up his cloak and ran to his dressing room. She was somehow warm, flapping her hand lightly on her apron, and struck Sarah back.
“… … I became the Crown Princess at the age of 20.”
“More people get married before their 20s. Commoners get married sooner. There are also some wives over forty who marry husbands younger than Lord Colonna. When the title is pending... … .”
“You don’t need an arranged marriage, do you?”
“It is more so because it is not an arranged marriage. Doesn't that young man love you?"
Reinhardt was cool. That's why it's so public... … ?
Orient's bedroom was filled with her furniture from Luden. It was what Reinhardt wanted. Mrs. Sarah continued, handing her her dressing gown.
“I heard from Mark that the two of you have made quite a progress in the capital. He said that His Excellency did not seem to have a heart... … I didn't believe it all, but now I see it wasn't completely wrong.”
“Um… … .”
As soon as he put on the gown, Reinhardt sat down on the sofa. After he moved away from the capital, his heart became even clearer. Could it be that the presence of her young man, who was always by her side, was so great? Reinhardt occasionally flinched as she spoke her words into the air. She looked to her side, puzzled by the answer that did not come back, but after she realized that the young man was not by her side, she became strangely empty and shut her mouth several times.
I pushed him away because I was young, and I rejected him because I was like a child. He always makes me anxious and has a lot of secrets, and he's not a kid who gets good reviews from others, but that's why he's even more affectionate.
Reinhardt fidgeted with the handle of the nightstand next to the sofa. It was one of the pieces of furniture brought home from Luden. Reinhardt found something unexpected while opening the drawers of the furniture, which was crude compared to the interior of the beautiful Orient Castle. It was a copper ring that had been put in a long time ago and forgotten.
'ah.'
The ring that I can't find where the egg is broken or gone. It was the thing young Wilhelm was wearing. It was big for a child then, but it probably fits well now. Reinhardt lifted the ring and turned it around in front of him.
Will it fit? Maybe the ring is small... … .
Time flies so quickly. To the point where the small, skinny boy she fell asleep in her arms grew up before she knew it and gave her a fluttering heart.
Even when I lay my tired body in bed at night, I suddenly think of the touch that touched my lips. She had already been married once, and things more intimate and profound were always open to Reinhardt. But that kiss kept coming back to me. Her eyes staring at me blindly hurt her sometimes like a wild beast, sometimes just like her little puppies… … .
<If it's cute, it's ruined.>
Johanna is right. Reinhardt had already realized that he was in love with the young man. Reinhardt loves Wilhelm. It happened so soon. From that suffocating passion to the violence that springs out of clumsiness. He loves her to the point of being able to cover up and suppress even the uneasiness that suddenly opens like a jewelry box that has not been closed moment by moment.
However, what he said to Wilhelm was sincere. Yet she couldn't settle down. Isn't Michelle keeping her eyes open? The empress who cut open Michelle's belly and chewed her intestines and played a prank with her father would have the same ending. For Reinhardt, playing with fire with Wilhelm was always next.
“We’ll have to wait and see.”
So Reinhardt could only say that.
“The position is also complicated. It is a problem for me to marry him when he bears the surname of Alanques.”
“The words have to come out.”
"Well, the emperor won't even look at it."
After glaring at him in the great festival and returning, he remembered the emperor who never allowed an interview again. Her emperor won't let her go either. Words like marriage are probably far away... … .
I thought so.
It was the next day that the news of Michel Alanquez's sudden death came.
***
The prince died as if he were sleeping.
The first to discover the prince, who had become a corpse overnight, was an attendant of the prince's womb. As always, in the morning, he prepared warm water for the prince who was not in a good mood and called him cautiously. The prince did not answer, so the attendant called him from the door again after a while. But he didn't answer Michelle again. Thinking of the prince's schedule, which had a dinner for lunch that day, he had to be woken up, so the attendant closed his eyes and opened the door. That day, the door hardly opened, so the attendant, who had been struggling, stood in front of Michelle's bed, sweating.
And what he saw on the bed was the corpse of the prince. Except for the pale blue color of his face, he was quite calm. The attendant screamed and other attendants who heard the sound came running. The crown prince's womb was overturned all at once. The doctor came running, but it was too late. Upon hearing the news, the empress went black.
After the appearance of the illegitimate child, Michelle tripled the number of guards at the Crown Prince's Palace. Those who stood guard that night testified that they did not see a single rat. There were no scars on Michelle's body, so the assassin wasn't hiding.
So, is it poison? The cook who prepared the food Michelle had eaten the day before and the attendants who made the tea she drank were taken away. The doctor, who had examined the corpse all day, finally concluded that it was not poison, but both the cook and the attendant had long been distracted by the torture.
The Crown Princess, who had shared a bed with the Crown Prince the night before, testified crying that the Crown Prince was alive by the time she returned to her bedroom.
“Before we went back, we covered the blanket again and burned incense that we liked.”
Was there a problem with the scent? All the incense in the Crown Prince's Palace was confiscated. However, the ladies-in-waiting testified that the scents had been used by Michelle and the Crown Princess for a long time. Furthermore, the Crown Princess went back to her bedroom and lit the same incense in her own room. If she died because of the incense, wouldn't it be right for the Crown Princess to die too?
And at the center of all this vortex was Wilhelm Colonna - Alanquez. As soon as the empress woke up, she screamed, "That illegitimate child killed my son!!" There was no evidence, but the emperor imprisoned Wilhelm because he was the most likely culprit.
“My son.”
That was what the emperor said right after meeting Wilhelm alone.
“If you do this, you can praise it. What method did you use?”
The illegitimate child, who had been imprisoned for two days and could not drink a sip of water, was terribly calm in front of the emperor.
“I didn't do anything.”
“… … .”
“If I had coveted the throne, I would have behaved like a man with Your Majesty on my back, and I would not have sworn the Chevalier oath.”
“That oath is why you are suspected now.”
“So, Your Majesty.”
The young man, who had been staring at the floor with his eyelashes down, finally raised his eyes and looked at the emperor.
"If I wasn't a fool in the world, how would I have done that now?"
It was the snake's eye.
The Emperor sent Wilhelm back.
After being released from prison, Wilhelm was sent directly to the Red Stem Mansion instead of the Welcome Palace.
Knights escorted the man who walked out of the imperial castle to the red-stalked mansion. The empress jumped out, screaming that she would rip Wilhelm's face apart. Her knights stood in her way, but Wilhelm, who silently looked at her empress, stepped in front of her.
“If you kill me and return alive, please do so.”
“You talk so well that your mouth is open! yes! I'll tear your mouth open! If I kill you, my Michelle will be happy even in the afterlife!”
Only the poor knights died. Wilhelm waved his arms and looked at the desperate empress, then suddenly shed tears. The empress widened her eyes.
"You are… … .”
“His Highness must have been very nice.”
"what?!"
The dark-haired young man spoke calmly, revealing a face that had been particularly emaciated for the past two days.
“I wonder if the mother who gave birth to me loved me like this… … .”
The empress frothed and stumbled backwards. She supported her empress with the flagship of the ladies-in-waiting of the empress' palace. "majesty!" They said that they would call a doctor and take them to the empress' palace as soon as possible, causing an uproar. The knights let out a sigh of relief as if it had become easier.
Everyone who passed by the scene saw it. Officials and nobles who came and went to the imperial castle, and even merchants and beggars who did business on the other side of the moat in front of the imperial castle.
Public opinion was boiling. No one doubted that the empress had disposed of the daughter of Viscount Van Colonna, with her childish child. There were quite a few women whom the emperor robbed of chestnuts, but none survived outside the hands of the empress. In addition, those who saw Reinhard Delfina Rinke's terrible scars agreed. It was very clear that the empress was playing with the corpse of her husband Rinke.
So, in a way, the loss of my child is not a cause and effect. Someone secretly said that the prince, who suddenly died in his sleep one day, should be thankful that he did not die in a worse way. There were also rumors that it might not have been punished by God. There were also secretly those who complained that the illegitimate child splashed excrement directly on the empress' face. Some of them were the ones who had been treated badly by the empress, so there was no one to say anything about.
The empress woke up and passed out, and woke up again and passed out. She was so complacent that the death of her son, whom she loved so much, made her feel complacent. The fever soared for seven full days, and the story spread that she was sick and unable to open her eyes in the empress' palace.
In the end, the empress could not even attend the funeral of the crown prince. The high-ranking nobles attending her funeral saw her pale-faced dauphin light the candles on the altar where Michel's coffin was raised with her trembling hands. The Crown Princess eventually dropped her ignition rod from her hand before lighting all ten of her candles.
“Oops.”
Everyone clicked their tongues when they saw the wrist of the crown prince, who was parched at the sudden death of Giabi. Most of the audience had also heard the story that the palace attendants had overturned the crown prince's room, so the theory of sympathy was great. However, when they saw the person who picked up the ignition rod, everyone shut their mouths. It was an illegitimate child dressed in black. He picked up her ignition rod and placed it in her dauphin's hand, then sighed as she averted her eyes, still trembling. Then he started lighting the remaining candles himself with the ignition rod.
If it wasn't for his wife, it was only natural for blood relatives to light candles. Besides, that illegitimate son swore an oath of Chevalier Adelpho to Michel. Ironically, however, he was now the new crown prince.
Now, the gaze of those who watched the scene changed from sympathy to interest or disgust. At Michelle's funeral, he didn't hide that he would take the crown prince's place, but he was bold, perhaps even ambitious.
“But if he had wanted the position of crown prince, it wouldn't have been this way. Maybe it has a different purpose... … .”
It was someone who was certain that Wilhelm was the culprit and made a fuss after the funeral. Her rhetoric about whether she was trying to avenge her mother's enemies happened to be heard by the Crown Princess, who was riding in her carriage to leave her post. Dulcinea met her escort Wilhelm for the first time since Michelle died. A faint sneer appeared in Wilhelm's eyes. Dulcinea had to bite her lip to keep her from smiling.
“I already know you never wanted a position like that.”
“You know, what can I say?”
The attendants who heard the same words together on the spot were more embarrassed. Wilhelm politely bowed and greeted the Crown Princess who got on the carriage.
“I just want to thank you for your consideration.”
Only the two of them knew that the greeting had a different meaning than it seemed. The carriage was closed. The nobles left one by one. There were also those who approached Wilhelm, who was almost certain to be the new crown prince, to secretly greet him. However, the young man rode his horse and left for his mansion without accepting a few words.
The Crown Prince was buried in the tombs of the imperial family. It was the twentieth day since he died.
It was two days later that the empress woke up. Upon learning that she had not properly attended her son's funeral, the empress went to the grave of the crown prince crying. In front of Michelle's tombstone, right under the tomb of the previous emperor, she was about to strike the empress, but she noticed something strange.
Since the tomb was just made, it was only natural that the soil was all red. But the grass laid on it was strange. The empress thought it looked as if someone had opened it and then closed it. With her trembling hand, she grabbed the handmaid's wrist and led her to look at the grass.
"weird. Doesn’t it look like someone dug a grave?”
"majesty… … .”
"no. weird! really weird! Look at these pools! Could it be that Michelle is still alive? And that is why my poor child has barely dug out of his grave!”
Countess Motil was an old friend and maid of honor of the Empress. She knew better than anyone about the empress's mischief and her tenacious love for Michelle. Countess Motil embraced her empress and wept bitterly.
"majesty. I know the tearing heart because I also sent my little daughter away. But Your Highness is more important. You need to restore your health.”
“No, look at this! Michelle must have opened the coffin and came out!”
The empress used evil, but eventually broke down and cried at Countess Motil's words. Am I really out of my mind? My son, who died as if asleep, was actually just sleeping, and the thought that he might have opened the coffin and came out, like that... … .
My head got dizzy. I want to open the grave, open that grave... … . She couldn't bear to say such a thing and the empress returned to her palace. She thought that even though she was so tired that she could sleep, she would have to take a deep breath.
And because of the people who were lying face down in front of her room when she returned, the empress' afternoon had to fly away. One maid and one servant. The maid said to the empress even as she trembled.
“The small person has been acquainted with Gillia, the lady-in-waiting of the crown prince's palace... … .”
The lady-in-waiting of the Crown Princess, who had strangely become spendthrift, said that her master had a good attitude these days. Then, out of nowhere, she often asked the maids who were married to her if falling in love was really that happy. When the prince died, the maid suddenly remembered her words, and after putting them together, she was stunned.
The other attendant confessed that he had a relationship with Gillia when she was serving a princess from her hostage days. He remembered the story the princess had shared in bed saying that among the things she had brought from the Duchy of Canary, there was tasteless, odorless poison.
The Crown Princess, who had just had a funeral and was soundly asleep, was dragged out by the empress' hand in the middle of the night, grabbed by her hair.
“Where have you gone!”
Dulcinea barely responded to the empress who threatened her, holding onto her hair.
“If it were my lady-in-waiting, after seeing the attendants searching the palace after Her Highness passed away, she started a match and died that night.”
Testimonies and the already dead handmaid Gillia. Everything pointed to one thing.
The empress screamed and slapped Dulcinea on the cheek. But people don't die with a slap on the cheek. He tried to strangle her, but the Crown Princess, who had already been slapped on the cheek, did not stay still.
For the first time, the crown prince pushed the empress, who was not in a proper condition after suffering from several days of illness. The empress fell and hit her head on the tabletop. She yelled at the empress, who was bleeding from her forehead, to bring her sword.
If the emperor had not appeared after hearing that the crown prince's palace had been overturned, someone would have died.
***
Those who testified to the Crown Princess' guilt appeared one after another. Above all, there were those who remembered the conversation between the illegitimate son and the Crown Princess in front of the carriage. An escort knight added that the Crown Princess spoke to the illegitimate son in a patronizing tone, as if she knew that she did not kill her husband.
However, the reason was decidedly unknown.
“Why did you do that?”
the emperor asked. Dulcinea smiled faintly. She was beaten by the empress and her face was disfigured by her scratches.
“I didn't do anything.”
“Gungnyeo.”
The emperor's tone became a little stricter.
“If you don't tell the truth, the Duchy of Canary won't be safe either.”
However, Dulcinea's smile deepened. The swollen and chapped lips burst from the wind. With her lips slowly seeping blood, the Crown Princess answered.
“Do whatever you want.”
“… … .”
“I am 12 years old and it has been 12 years since I came here as a hostage. Half of my life was lost in the Empire. Does it mean anything to me whether the Principality of Canary I can't remember disappears from the map or not?”
It was amazing. It's hard to believe that she was the one who whispered to her crown prince to buy the principality's salt. For the first time, the emperor tried to see Princess Canary properly. Could it be that the watery eyes of a woman who always seemed powerless could burn this much?
So the emperor's intuition. The Crown Princess is ignoring her, but she is the one who killed Michelle. The emperor sighed, rubbing his forehead, and asked belatedly.
“I ask you one more thing. Did you ever have an affair with Wilhelm Colonna?”
“It’s a sore throat.”
The Crown Princess snorted at those words.
“What did I do with His Highness the Crown Prince over four years ago other than adultery?”
“… … Cheeky!”
“At that time, he married me, but now he asks if I have ever had an affair with another son of His Majesty. I am called a prostitute that sells salt, so does Your Majesty look at me that way?”
The woman who came as a hostage from the Duchy of Canary lowered her eyelashes and smiled. Ha ha ha ha ha. Seeing her laughing like a madman, the emperor gave a brief command.
“Ask for compensation from the Duchy of Canary. I imprison Princess Canary in her prison until the answer comes from the principality. The trial is next.”
"your majesty! but… … !”
Among those who had remained silent until then, the nobles who had been on the side of the empress protested. The Emperor just pretended to have heard and left. Dulcinea, who quickly stopped laughing and closed his mouth, was dragged away by the guards.
***
The whole capital was in a state of confusion. Right after Daejong Church, the crown prince died and the crown princess was pointed out as the murderer, so it was natural. She said the empress has collapsed again and is unable to get up. As soon as Reinhardt passed through the crystal gate, he ran to the mansion with red stems. Her mark and several of her knights followed her.
“No one can enter this mansion without His Majesty's permission.”
“… … .”
Guards and knights in front of the red-stemmed mansion blocked her. Reinhardt tried to back off, but she suddenly remembered something and searched for her arms. It was Amaryllis' loss.
<Because if we're apart, we might need it.>
Could it be that Wilhelm knew something like this would happen? A short thought passed by, but it was forbidden to make hasty conclusions. Seeing the card, the knights exchanged glances, but soon moved away.
“The armed personnel must disarm and wait at the entrance of the mansion.”
In the end, only Reinhardt and Mark were able to safely enter the mansion. Marc, who was hiding a dagger in his sleeve, snorted. “The villagers in the capital don’t even think of doing a body search on a lady-in-waiting from the north.” Her knights seemed inconceivable that she had once served on the battlefield as her soldier. Normally, she would have smiled, but she couldn't afford to. Reinhardt walked quickly, following the guidance of the mansion attendant.
The red-stemmed mansion was three stories tall. It was said that the room where Wilhelm stayed was the large room on the second floor where the owner of the mansion stayed for generations. Two knights stood guard in front of the room. Reinhardt watched nervously as the wooden door, which was embossed with a dizzying array of red amaryllis, opened. The door opened, and the person who had been sitting in the parlor looking carelessly stood up.
“Reinhardt.”
It was Wilhelm. Tousled, curly hair and an emaciated face. As soon as I saw it, my heart broke. Did he have a hard time living in confinement? As soon as he saw himself, he got up and saw the approaching young man. Reinhardt almost ran into the room.
“Ah, Wilhelm.”
She reached out and touched Wilhelm's face. Wilhelm looked down at her in disbelief, then smiled brightly at her, then pulled her by the waist and held her in his arms. Unexpectedly, Reinhardt ended up hugging Wilhelm's neck, but the young man's embrace was just as pleasant and heartbreaking. So she hugged him tightly.
“What do you mean by this? What the hell happened? Did this happen because I was too late?”
“No, Reinhardt. It's not because of you. Well… … You were a little late, but.”
After taking a look at the young man's playful face, Reinhardt lightly slapped him on the chest.
“Are you laughing!”
“Everytime I laugh. you are back How was Luden? How is Mrs. Sara?”
Wilhelm asked me how Luden and Sara were doing, and Reinhardt felt uneasy as if nothing was wrong.
“Isn't it time to ask that! How excited I was when I heard that Michelle had died and had fallen apart! Besides, you were caught!”
"aha. You've heard that far... … .”
"yes!"
Upon hearing the news of the death of the crown prince in Luden, Reinhardt was truly stunned. It was even the news that Michelle had died and that Wilhelm had been taken away first. He heard the news through the Crystal Gate, but he had no time to hear the next news.
It was so tense that Reinhardt ran to the crystal gate without properly packing his luggage. Even after he passed through the crystal gate, he passed the gate of the capital as if he was almost rolling into it. If it wasn't for Mark, who took care of her behind her back, Reinhardt's appearance would probably have been worth seeing.
“Reinhardt.”
“Yes, Wilhelm… … .”
Wilhelm kissed Reinhardt on the forehead before she could finish her words. Reinhardt was taken aback by the sudden expression of affection, and Marc, who was standing behind him, flinched and turned his head. The guards, who were looking inside, looked outside as soon as their eyes met Mark. Reinhardt pushed him away with a reddened face.
“What are you doing all of a sudden?”
"I missed you."
Having said that, Wilhelm grabbed Reinhardt again and kissed him on the ear and cheek. Marc said, "I'm going to step back." Then he turned around and ran out of the living room.
As she slammed the parlor door, the two knights from the outside quarreled whether or not they could close the parlor door, whether or not they had a duty to watch. However, Marc said, “Our Excellency has come with the hand of Amaryllis!” and he soon became quiet. Only then did Reinhardt, who had been listening outside the door, try to push Wilhelm away with his face blushing. But it wasn't that easy.
“Wilhelm. Everyone has gone.”
"ah."
It was clear that he did it to get the knights looking inside, and Mark, out, but Wilhelm was fulfilling his greed as if he had seized the opportunity.
“Wilhelm.”
Wilhelm, who had buried his face under her neck and gently kissed the scars that had not yet healed from her neck to her cheeks and the exposed flesh even to her swollen upper chest, only after his name was called several more times, Wilhelm withdrew regretfully. . Reinhardt glared at Wilhelm in amazement, and the young man squinted his eyes and smiled.
“It’s real. Do you know how much I cried when I received your late letter?”
"Do not lie."
"Yes. Actually, it's a lie that she cried. At the time she was in prison.”
At the word prison, Reinhardt's face suddenly blurred. Wilhelm immediately gently hugged Reinhardt's cheek and whispered softly.
“Don't make that face. I'm really fine. It is very enjoyable.”
“What is there to enjoy?”
“Aren’t you happy?”
Wilhelm bumped his forehead and asked. 'The crown prince died?' was an omitted question. Reinhardt's face became cloudy.
"I didn't kill you, so what's so much fun?"
That's right. Wilhelm murmured and ran a hand through Reinhardt's hair. His hair, which was always neatly combed and tied, was a mess, indicating that Reinhardt had made a frantic run to the capital. Reinhardt glared at Wilhelm and brushed his hair back. He had tied it up, but the ribbon must have been spilled somewhere along the way, and his hair was all disheveled.
“Then, Reinhardt, what about the contract between you and me?”
It was a strange singing voice. Reinhardt looked up at Wilhelm as he used his hands to braid his hair. The young man's black eyes were full of mischief, as if nothing was so interesting. Even so, Reinhardt narrowed his eyes as he clearly showed signs of trying to calm his excitement.
“… … So were you enjoying it?”
In exchange for the prince's life, Reinhardt agreed to give me to Wilhelm. But she really didn't know that the prince would die like this.
While running to the capital worried about Wilhelm, the question of Michelle's death lingered in the back of her mind the whole time. Michelle in his previous life became emperor and went on a winning streak until he was over forty. Why did he die as if sleeping like this?
However, unlike Reinhardt, Wilhelm didn't seem to have any special thoughts. The young man seemed to be really happy and put his hands together and covered his mouth like a shy girl.
“I’m sorry, Reinhardt. You came running because you were worried, but did I like you so carelessly?”
The mumbled immature tone somehow made me grumpy. I was so worried about you, but since the prince died, you easily achieved your goal and liked it. Moreover, when the worry was relieved, the old hatred crawled up his throat belatedly.
“A deal is a deal. It's not what you accomplished, so there's no price.”
“Oh, Reinhardt.”
“That's it. He died while sleeping without knowing the world. It's just a pity that the damn bastard went so comfortably.”
Hearing the sound of teeth grinding, Wilhelm blinked. I thought he would get angry or desperately cling to me when he said there was no price. Reinhardt was also a bit taken aback by Wilhelm's unexpected reaction and became expressionless. Eventually, after a while, Wilhelm opened his mouth.
“Then Reinhardt, what if I did that?”
“… … What?"
Reinhardt frowned. Wilhelm rolled his eyes at her, then pouted at her and pulled her back into his arms. While in a state of fascination, she was hugged by Wilhelm again without a moment to refuse. Wilhelm whispered in her ear in a sharp tone.
“Reinhardt. I swore to avenge you by any means necessary.”
“… … Wilhelm, by the way.”
“So, you must forgive me. You know.”
Appointment. huh? Promise me. Contrary to her coquettish tone, the arms that held her were as hard as rocks. In her gripping arms, as if she would never let go of Reinhardt, she finally nodded her head.
Wilhelm finally let her go and smiled brightly. She was just as flawless and cheerful as before, with a maddening smile.
Reinhardt continued to ask what was going on, but Wilhelm led her by saying that he would tell her soon. “It must be difficult because you have come a long way. This mansion is better than I thought.” Reinhardt couldn't help but ask Wilhelm, who said that and led her to her room.
The red-stemmed mansion was said to be an allusion to the stem of an amaryllis. A flower stem that looks thick, but when you cut it open, there is nothing there. The mansion for those who had the castle of Alanquez but could not live in the imperial castle was cold and chilly, probably because the owner was imprisoned. Only the room where Reinhardt was staying was warm.
I ate dinner that couldn't be passed over and fell asleep for a while. I thought I slept briefly, but it was dawn when Reinhardt woke up. “Reinhardt.” Unexpectedly, no, in a way, it was Wilhelm who woke Reinhardt by gently rubbing the back of his neck.
“I have somewhere to go with me.”
“… … yes."
When he saw the knights following Wilhelm outside the room, Reinhardt flinched. It was because they were the imperial escort knights. But Wilhelm smiled.
“You don’t have to worry about it. These are my people.”
“… … how?"
There are four knights in the imperial family? He swears he never thought Wilhelm could be so resourceful. Escort knights are not simply those who stand guard. You have to serve the imperial family for more than ten years to be recognized for your service and become an escort knight. But how can I call such people my own? At her question, Wilhelm smiled softly.
“Like you did.”
“… … I am the imperial knight... … .”
When Reinhardt asked back, Wilhelm shook his head. Then he whispered again as he took her hand and dragged her.
“Just as you hired the brown-haired treasurer, so did I.”
"what… … .”
As he was about to say that, Reinhardt suddenly became stunned. no way. Realization came like a thunderbolt. Before even drawing her conclusions, she widened her eyes and looked at Wilhelm. Wilhelm laughed lightly.
"It's time to hear what you've been curious about."
“Wilhelm. It's just me... … .”
"Shh."
Wilhelm put his finger to his lips and winked at the knights. Reinhardt rolled his eyes. Just as she had recruited Heitz, if Wilhelm had made those knights his own.
therefore.
If Wilhelm also has memories of his previous life.
“More on that later. Yeah?"
“… … Wilhelm!”
Reinhardt involuntarily gasped for breath and called out his name. Wilhelm looked down at her gently and smiled as if he couldn't help it. Then he calmly picked her up and hugged her. It's like taking your precious partner to bed. However, Reinhardt didn't even have time to flinch at Wilhelm's touch and blocked his mouth.
Oh, why didn't I notice?
Everything I thought I couldn't understand until now felt like it was finally finding its way into the ark. It gave me goosebumps. Wilhelm held the breathless Reinhardt in his arms and looked down lovingly, then kissed him on the forehead. Then he slowly walked down to the basement of the mansion.
***
Reinhardt knew for the first time in his life that there was such a road in the basement of the red-stemmed mansion.
A place where those who have the name of Alankes but cannot stay in the imperial castle live. There was a secret passage leading to the imperial castle in the mansion.
It was a terribly damp and dark road, but Wilhelm held her in his arms and walked calmly and steadily, as if he could clearly see the road. Reinhardt silently organized her thoughts while holding Wilhelm in her arms.
Wilhelm also returned from his previous life with him. Then everything makes sense. That Wilhelm knew his bloodline, and that he traded that bloodline. He spoke as if he could see the situation clearly in his eyes. And… … .
that he used.
I remembered what Wilhelm said when he said he was trying to use himself as a tool. This kid knew why Reinhardt had him from the beginning. He seemed embarrassed.
iced coffee. Reinhardt groaned and just wanted to fall down. However, she was still held by Wilhelm and she could not escape anywhere. Besides, her doubts were still there. In his previous life, Wilhelm was loyal to Michel under the name of Bill Colonna. But he killed Michelle.
I like sleeping too. How?
Reinhardt involuntarily looked up at Wilhelm. The only light in the underground passage was the torch of a knight walking slowly in front of the two of them. The face of the young man who was walking forward was pale and hard as a rock. She bit her lip. Whatever happens, I will no longer be surprised.
But, as always, oaths of that kind are rarely kept.
“Hello, Dulcinea.”
The place where Wilhelm stood holding Reinhardt was in the dungeon of the imperial castle. There was not a single rat in the prison where the guards were supposed to stand guard. Perhaps Wilhelm used his hand. And… … . Reinhardt looked straight ahead. At Wilhelm's words, Booth and a figure rose from the corner of the prison. She's a ghostly, whitish woman.
“… … how… … .”
“How could I not come to see you at this point?”
A faint smile spread across Wilhelm's expressionless face. In the dark prison, the woman groaned happily and raised her body.
“Ah, my love… … .”
At those words, Reinhardt flinched. Wilhelm looked down at Reinhardt, then calmly kissed him on the forehead and whispered.
“You promised to forgive me. Yes?"
The woman in the prison was faster than Reinhardt could answer. She got up and came to the window. Princess Canary. She beat Reinhardt, she sold the principality's salt, and finally became the Crown Princess, her face was messed up, but she was also full of joy.
“My love, even if you are safe… … .”
The woman's face, which had said that while holding the bars, turned pale for an instant. It was because the knight lifted the torch, revealing Wilhelm holding Reinhardt.
“That woman-”
"ah."
Wilhelm still answered.
“There is something you must tell my master.”
“… … Wilhelm.”
Reinhardt loosened the grip on Wilhelm's neck. But Wilhelm shook his head. It means he won't let go.
“My master. This prison is so messy and dirty. There is no place for you to set foot.”
“Put it down.”
“No, my master.”
“I told you to come down.”
In front of the trembling woman holding onto the bars, Reinhardt said forcefully. Wilhelm clicked her tongue as if there was nothing wrong with her and put her down. It was as if the woolen shoes he had worn while resting in the mansion were soaked in the waste water collected in the basement of the prison.
“If you don’t want to be hugged, why don’t you step on my feet?”
Wilhelm urged her to get on top of his boots and pulled her towards her, but Reinhardt shook his head. Wilhelm, who had been staring at her for a moment, smiled even as she sighed. His black eyes shone dangerously.
"He's the kind of person who really doesn't have an easy part."
“… … .”
“Wilhelm!”
Unable to endure that short moment, Dulcinea called out to him as if screaming. Wilhelm sighed and put his finger to his lips again. Compared to Dulcinea, it was a small movement that was really quiet and didn't attract attention, but Dulcinea immediately closed her mouth. Wilhelm winked at the knights. The two knights bowed their heads and fixed their torches to the wall.
“I will be at the entrance.”
"yes."
Wilhelm nodded and the knights immediately disappeared. Reinhardt managed to remember the face of one of them. When her former life's Bill Colonna stopped by her own estate, she was one of her knights by his side who revealed her enmity to her. It became clear. Wilhelm must have recruited those knights just as she knew what Heitz wanted and captured him precisely.
then… … .
Reinhardt turned his eyes and looked at Dulcinea. A silver-haired woman clenching her lips while trembling as she clutched at her bars. Her face was a mess of scars and her dress, which she had apparently been wearing for days, was dirty. Her fingernails seemed to have been broken long ago.
He was wary of Reinhardt, but whenever he looked at Wilhelm, unrefined desire was blatantly revealed in his eyes. Eventually, when Wilhelm turned his gaze to Dulcinea, his anxious face turned bright.
“Oh, I couldn't wait to see you. Wilhelm, come a little closer. I thought you were going crazy here... … .”
“Dulcinea. Before that, I have something to confirm.”
At those words, Dulcinea glanced sideways at Reinhardt. The beautiful but lethargic face was poisonous. Reinhardt immediately recognized that it was an instinctive alertness. I could have guessed just by hearing that he was my love. She is probably in love with Wilhelm.
I couldn't bear to imagine it, but maybe that kind of girl was Michelle... … .
“You said in front of His Majesty that you had no affair with me, but that's not true. right?"
“… … .”
Dulcinea only rolled her eyes. He seemed to be trying to guess what the man was asking. In silence, Wilhelm spoke again.
“Dulcinea. I just want to confirm with my master.”
“… … Why is that woman... … .”
“Dulcinea.”
Before Dulcinea could finish his words, Wilhelm quickly stepped in front of the bars. Dulcinea's face mixed with anxiety and joy. She was swirling in confusion, her wariness at the woman the man she loved picked up and brought to her, and her joy at seeing the face of the man she loved up close.
“Be careful with your words.”
What followed, however, was a cold young man's warning. The change was so drastic that even Reinhardt flinched. However, Dulcinea shrugged his shoulders in fear for a moment, while glinting at his eyes.
“Wilhelm. I'm confused... … .”
“There is no need to be confused.”
Wilhelm gently wrapped his arms around Dulcinea, who was holding the bars. The cold demeanor from before had completely disappeared. Dulcinea looked at the hand, then looked at Wilhelm through the bars with a slightly relieved expression. The young man whispered softly and gracefully.
“You loved me, and I swore an Adelpho oath. So you killed Michelle to be with me. right?"
“Is your master curious about that? between us?”
"yes. It is something my master must know.”
Only then did Dulcinea's face shine brightly like the surface of the water bathed in spring sunlight. When she looked at Reinhardt, her expression became convincing.
"okay. Your master could hardly have known the whole story.”
“… … .”
“Reinhard Delfina Rinke. I was always sorry and sorry for you. I unintentionally took your place and caused you pain.”
It's painful. At that deceptive word, Reinhardt's face contorted for an instant. It was because it was too long and past years to be reduced to the word pain. But Dulcinea smiled as if interpreting it differently.
“But I was also in pain. She got the position of Crown Princess she never wanted, but she wasn't always happy. But since you returned after a few years and got what I coveted the most, I must have been saddened.”
Vomiting in disgust, Reinhardt covered his mouth. Dulcinea smiled brightly. At that moment, she was full of life, and she was as beautiful as a flower under the torchlight.
"Yes. I loved your knight and killed my wife.”
“… … .”
“To inherit the man who swore Adelpho as my father.”
It was a shocking declaration, but I was not too surprised because I had already guessed. However, this situation was not understood. Reinhardt stared at Dulcinea, but coughed involuntarily as he vomited. Cough-cough, Wilhelm tried to approach him straight away, but Reinhardt shook his head. Having barely stopped her cough, she opened her mouth.
“How, since when… … .”
“Ever since His Excellency walked through the hall of glory in black mourning clothes.”
Dulcinea replied coldly. I swear Reinhardt had never seen her so lively. Her messy face, dirty matted hair and injured face. But her eyes sparkled like a sixteen-year-old girl out in the sun.
“From then on, I loved him.”
Is this the end of revenge? Confused, Reinhardt looked at Wilhelm. Are you trying to get her to kill Michelle? no. A person's heart is not something that someone tells them to do. Is this your revenge? Not a coincidence? However, Reinhardt soon noticed that Wilhelm had memories of his past life just like he did. Just as she knew what Heights Yelter wanted, he must have known what kind of man Dulcinea loved. That means... … .
“Shall I tell you a funny story?”
Wilhelm, who had been quietly gazing at her the whole time, opened his mouth. The pampered attitude he had so far was nowhere to be found. Reinhardt felt that one of his eyelids had fallen off. His dim memories came back.
Bill Colonna. It was exactly the same as the tone of the man I had only met once.
“Dulcinea. Do you remember what I said?”
“What are you talking about, my love?”
Turning his head, Wilhelm removed each of Dulcinea's fingers holding his hand. He removed his hand from his bars, looked at Dulcinea's hand, and kissed the back of it lightly.
“You said you had me in a previous life.”
Dulcinea's expression suddenly became ecstatic.
“You said you were my prisoner.”
"yes."
In the next moment, Wilhelm held Dulcinea's hand tightly. Dulcinea's face contorted as she blinked.
“Oh, it hurts.”
“… … .”
“Wilhelm!”
The young man was straining as if he were about to crush the slender woman's hand. His face, which had not been shaken until just now, was the same. A gaze full of contempt and hatred, as if seeing something terrible that would never happen again. Reinhardt was chilled.
“You strangled me. He ordered me to kneel at his feet and clawed at me until I lost consciousness.”
“Let go!”
"yes. I begged you to let me go too.”
Wilhelm smiled faintly. At the same time, there was a loud noise. Dulcinea screamed evil. Reinhardt belatedly recognized the sound of his finger bones breaking. Dulcinea stepped back from her with her drowsy hand raised, her face stained with her tears and bewilderment. Wilhelm didn't turn his gaze to Dulcinea, only staring at Reinhardt.
“Reinhardt.”
“… … .”
“This is my story.”
All Reinhardt could do was pretend to be Taeyeon.
Wilhelm was still stuck in front of the bar, three steps away from her. I could have closed the distance with her at any moment, but I got the feeling that it wasn't on purpose. Just like a beast measuring the distance before consuming its prey. Is Wilhelm weighing whether Reinhardt will accept him or not?
"I… … Just like you hated Michelle, you too... … .”
Are you saying that woman was your enemy? She wanted to ask that, but couldn't. Because it's not that simple.
Reinhardt couldn't believe that the gap between himself and Wilhelm could be bridged in such a short story. It seemed there was something more. The young man smiled briskly as if he knew everything about Reinhardt.
“It is too simple to sum it up in one word. I think so too.”
“Wilhelm… … I'm so sick. why you... … .”
Dulcinea's sobs broke in. Wilhelm still didn't look that way. For a moment, his back turned black, and Reinhardt almost rubbed his eyes. It seemed that all the darkness of the dungeon had been driven into Wilhelm's shadow.
“But that is all.”
“I only thought you were loyal to Michelle. Yes, no, you didn't say that... … me."
Bill Colonna. What Reinhardt was facing now was not Wilhelm, who had been picked up from her snowy mountains and raised by her, who had lived only 20 years. Twenty years later, nearly thirty years of Bill Colonna were covered like a layer of dirt, and it danced in front of Reinhardt's eyes as a shadow. But even that was short-lived.
“Don’t talk like that.”
The shadow that was wrapped around Wilhelm's forehead collapsed like dust. The young man furrowed his eyebrows and opened his mouth as if complaining.
“It hurts me when you treat me like I don’t know you.”
“… … .”
But you in front of me are like someone I don't know. Before he could say that, Wilhelm walked quickly. Before she could escape, he grabbed her by the waist. She was obviously much bigger than her, and her Reinhardt was buried in her Wilhelm, but strangely, it felt like her young man was barely clinging to her.
“Don't do that, please… … .”
“Wilhell… … name.”
“You are the only one for me.”
Why? Until just now, Reinhardt was clearly frightened by Wilhelm. But the moment her man clung to her, Reinhardt realized that her beast, who had embraced her, was frightened of her and was observing her.
“… … Since when?"
It was the same question he had asked Dulcinea. Wilhelm lifted her face and peered into her, whispering softly.
“'People are not tools.'”
“… … .”
“'He doesn't know that.'”
Reinhardt looked at those black eyes for a while before replying.
“It’s like a popular novel.”
“Is that so?”
“… … It's so obvious I can't believe it."
“But sometimes the obvious can save someone, Reinhardt.”
The fingers holding her trembled like an aspen tree. The eyes looking at Reinhardt were as excited as those of an ardent admirer.
“So, Reinhardt, please accept me.”
“… … .”
"please."
What should Reinhardt do with that blind faith? The whole world in her eyes existed only for her. Reinhardt closed her eyes. She swallowed her breath like a beast, then brought it to her face. Her lips met.
“Wilhelm?”
It was Dulcinea who broke the silence. Reinhardt opened his eyes. At the unexpected interruption, the young man said, Oh, that's right. There was that woman, she pursed her lips as she did. Only then did the focus come into focus, and our eyes met with the black eyes.
And the next moment, Reinhardt had no choice but to believe that the young man really loved him. His eyes, which sparkled as if the sun was shining through them, turned black like a solar eclipse the moment the young man turned toward the prison.
“What are you doing? I can not understand… … .”
“Dulcinea.”
“Are you kidding me? Wasn't it to tell your master that you loved me? Wilhelm, please... … get me out I… … .”
Wilhelm's smile deepened. He approached the prison and looked down at Dulcinea, who was lying on the floor holding onto the bars.
“Yes, I love you.”
“Wilhelm… … .”
Sweet words that fell as if they were right. Nevertheless, as if Dulcinea couldn't believe her words of love anymore, she just looked up at him as she collapsed. Human instinct tends to see what is hidden behind sweet words. Unfortunately, Dulcinea's instincts awakened too late.
“To the extent that I can kiss you as much as I want for my master.”
“… … you."
“I didn't mind falling at your feet and kneeling in front of your husband. The disgusting work is mine, and the enjoyment belongs only to my master.”
“… … Wilhelm!”
Then the woman who realized everything screamed his name and grabbed the bar.
"It was a lie! no!"
A clank could be heard from above the prison. Could someone hear her scream and try to come down?
However, Reinhardt immediately felt relieved when he remembered the empty dungeon as soon as he first entered. There was no way he would supervise the woman suspected of killing the crown prince so poorly. everything will be woven Just like the emperor's escort knight is Wilhelm's. like that… … .
"you! It's a lie! You made him lie!”
I couldn't believe it was the helpless woman. Reinhardt felt a little pity and took a step back. The weak Dulcinea grabbed her spear and shook it, but it couldn't be opened that easily. The young man who was looking down at it all snorted at her like he was going crazy.
“It can't be! no! Oh, Wilhelm. please… … .”
A woman betrayed by love wept. “How much I thought about you… … . You made that oath to be with me. Even though I was tortured terribly, I didn't spit out your name at all... … . You said you would be happy soon.” The man smiled as if he was really grateful for that time.
"thanks. you'll be happy soon Except for you.”
“Lies, lies… … .”
The woman, who had fallen on the floor in tears, suddenly stood up and screamed.
“Guards!! guards! Call His Majesty the Emperor! guards! I will denounce your name to the world! An illegitimate child made me kill the crown prince with his venomous tongue! Since you were instigated by a dethroned queen, that dethroned woman should also be hung naked from the top of the castle and thrown with stones!”
The man stopped laughing in an instant and whispered softly.
“Dulcinea.”
“I will kill you! I cannot go to Hell alone!”
“I told you to be careful with your words.”
There was no time to dry. Wilhelm picked up the jailer's spear standing on one side of the prison and pierced it through the bars. With a gasp, Reinhardt swallowed his breath. The woman couldn't even scream and she stretched out her hand to grab the spear that had pierced her heart, then slumped. After removing his hand from the tip of the spear, Wilhelm sighed.
“I didn’t mean to end things so messy.”
Then the young man blew a whistle. The knights came down and kicked his tongue.
“Didn’t you say you would end it with poison?”
“Because you have a long tongue.”
"All right. Please go back two minutes earlier.”
Without even asking if he was okay or what he was going to do, Wilhelm turned around.
“Come on, Reinhardt. this… … .”
Before I knew it, Reinhardt's shoes were wet all over. Now it was mixed with the blood that flowed from Dulcinea. Wilhelm sat her down, took off her shoes, and threw them on the fire in her prison cell. Leaving behind the smell of burning shoes, Reinhardt returned to the red-stemmed mansion in the arms of a young man.
I felt possessed by the devil.
***
I was terribly tired and wanted to rest. But even if I lay down on the bed like this, it was obvious that I would be tossing and turning all night instead of resting comfortably. Wilhelm got out of her basement and took her directly to her room in her red-stalked mansion and laid her down on her bench.
“You’re having a hard time.”
Is it hard? It was just too late a night to end like that. Besides, the night wasn't over yet. I glanced out the window and saw the morning star next to the moon. It was obvious that we would have to wait a long time for the sun to rise. Reinhardt looked at Wilhelm with his mouth shut.
Unlike Reinhardt, who was nervous and flustered, Wilhelm tried to remove the cloak he had covered earlier from her shoulders with a relaxed attitude. However, when Reinhardt shrugged her shoulders in the cold, the young man said yes and put the cloak on her again. Wilhelm's face was so calm as he hurriedly lit the fireplace.
“You may want to rest, but not yet.”
Looking at Reinhardt's glinting eyes, Wilhelm smiled.
“There is still unfinished business.”
“Unfinished work?”
"Yes."
Wilhelm brushed his hair annoyedly and sat down on his knees in front of her. It was to wash her soiled feet. She wrapped her hands around her cold feet to warm them, then wet her towel with water.
"sorry. I’d like to have her maid heat the hot water, but things aren’t going well.”
If warm water was prepared in the current situation, it would be even cooler. As Reinhardt looked down at her Wilhelm in silence, her man met her black eyes and smiled again. Then someone knocked on the door. Tap twice, then three more times. When he tapped twice again, Wilhelm only then briefly said, “Come in.” he replied. These were the knights Reinhardt had seen in the dungeon.
"It's done."
"yes."
As if the bright expression he had shown on Reinhardt was a lie, Wilhelm's face was completely expressionless as if it had been discolored.
“Treatment.”
“I did as you said.”
"yes."
Wilhelm nodded and chined the knight. Both knights bowed and opened the door to a room normally used as a toilet room. It was dark inside because the lights were not turned on, but strangely, Reinhardt felt something wriggling inside. It feels like something like creepy malice is lurking around. Seeing Reinhardt unable to take his eyes off him, Wilhelm laughed softly and said,
“Now you must finish your unfinished revenge.”
Reinhardt asked involuntarily.
“What revenge?”
"Shouldn't the crown prince take his breath and grind his intestines and drink?"
“… … Isn't Michelle already dead?"
The answer came a little slowly, thinking about what it meant. Reinhardt's words made Wilhelm really feel sorry for him, and he whispered after kissing her on the back of her hand.
"Yes. That was something I couldn't do either. sorry. I should have made him beg for his life in front of you alive, crawling on the floor.”
“… … .”
“I wanted to show you howling and crying… … .”
Wilhelm stood up. Reinhardt reflexively closed his cloak and looked up at him.
“I should have held back my anger. Originally, I was going to bring the coffin in front of you in a nice way, but I killed the woman, so I showed you unnecessary blood... … .”
Wilhelm continued to mutter while Reinhardt tried to guess his meaning.
“When she opens her mouth, I get angry and I can't stand it. She really put up with her hard... … . Really, she couldn't help it because she talked about you like that.”
The next moment there was a creak. Reinhardt turned his head towards the sound. Knights were coming out of the room carrying a coffin. Reinhardt's eyes widened. Wilhelm also smiled contentedly at that side. and he whispered
“Reinhardt, look. The way she stole my son's body.”
no way. Reinhardt covered his mouth.
What the knights carried on their shoulders was undoubtedly a coffin. coffin into which the body is put. Reinhardt seemed to already know who the owner of the gold and jeweled coffin was.
The knights set down the coffin in front of Reinhardt's seat. The faces of the knights were also expressionless as if they had been bleached. Reinhardt hurriedly tried to get up, but stumbled. Her Wilhelm supported her, and she struggled to the front of her coffin. At Wilhelm's glance, the knights quickly retreated out of the room. Reinhardt gasped and tried to open the coffin. However, the splendid and heavy coffin could hardly be opened with Reinhardt's power.
“Open it!”
Reinhardt couldn't tell if what was leaking from his throat was a scream or a request. Wilhelm looked at her like that and rolled her eyes and smiled. Then she took off her black gloves and opened the door of her coffin. With a squeaking sound, Michelle's body was found in the open coffin.
A pale blue corpse. No sign of life remained. Dark spots on the skin made it clear that the god of death had already taken his orders from the prince. A boiling sound came from Reinhardt's throat.
“… … Michelle... … .”
"sorry. really... … . I wanted you to take his own life. My heart was like that... … That would take too long.”
ha ha ha. I laughed involuntarily.
The sight of the man she hated lying as a corpse in front of her was so terribly funny. “Ahahahahaha!” Reinhardt just burst out laughing. It was a cool laugh, as if there were air vents all over the inside.
laughed to tears asshole! What an asshole! Gear has to die!
"sorry. My personality is so impatient... … .”
“No, no. Wilhelm. Ahahaha.”
Reinhardt laughed like a madman and whispered no to Wilhelm. It was so funny to see a man who had been trying so hard to kill in his previous life lying in front of me like this in vain. I laughed with my mouth open so wide that the wound on my left cheek hurt. But I just couldn't stop laughing.
"Asshole, you're going to die like this!"
“I am happy to see you happy.”
Reinhardt laughed through tears. Reinhardt must be the only person who can rejoice this much in front of his corpse. Wilhelm whispered to her that she was happy and wiped Reinhardt's cheek with her finger.
“If tears enter the wound, it is painful.”
"Does not matter. I don't care if my tears cover the wound and blood comes out again and bleeds for the rest of my life!”
I didn't expect Michelle to die and be so happy and exhilarated. Besides, the fact that there was a corpse in front of me that should have been buried in the imperial family cemetery was also something that made me burst into tears.
“Castreya! You played with my father's corpse, and your son's corpse is also in my hands!”
She recalled the story of the empress who had said nonsense in front of the prince's tomb that Michelle had come back to life. come out alive! Like this, dying in front of me!
It looked as if she wanted to grab the empress by the hair and pull it out right away, so that she could see her at least once. It was the first time I had ever laughed like this. While gasping for pain in his stomach, Reinhardt grabbed his forearm and burst into laughter.
Besides, it didn't end there. After watching her for a long time, Wilhelm took out her pure white sword from her waist and put it in her hand. It was the sword that Reinhardt was all too familiar with, the sword of the predecessor Rinke. When Reinhard stopped laughing and questioned his father's sword in his hand, Wilhelm smiled.
“Reinhardt. You couldn't cut the breath with your hand, but you can pull out the entrails.”
“… … Wilhelm.”
A smile escaped the corners of his lips. Reinhardt wiped the tears from his eyes and held out his sword.
"It's okay. I'm really fine. Grinding the intestines and drinking it was just a saying. Seeing the corpse in front of me like this makes me feel refreshed.”
Anyone could see that it was a corpse whose life had already been taken away by death. It was already refreshing, but there was no reason to get blood on your hands.
“Let’s just burn this body. I couldn't return any remaining sympathy to the empress, even if it suddenly took a toll on me. Let her cry out for the body of her son to be lost forever.”
“Reinhardt.”
However, Wilhelm looked at her for a long time and then kissed the back of the hand holding the sword. His pupils were still as dark as an eclipse, and Reinhardt suddenly felt uneasy.
“You are truly merciful. But I always wonder if this damned tribe deserves your mercy.”
“… … why… … .”
“Reinhardt.”
Wilhelm gently cupped her hand. However, it was more of a choke so that she couldn't let go of her sword than her affectionate touch. Her young man brought her face to kiss her, then whispered softly in front of her nose.
“Your father fell off his horse and died.”
“… … yes."
“Have you ever wondered that a great general of the empire died from falling off a horse?”
Reinhardt's eyes wavered. It was creepy and gave me goosebumps. Wilhelm squeezed her hand tighter. Her finger felt like it would tear, but the pain remained separated from Reinhardt's mind as if it were happening far away.
“Michel Alanquez took the opportunity when your father passed away to ask for a divorce. But was that opportunity just a coincidence?”
“You mean, Wilhelm.”
“Alanquez’s blood goes one step further than always stays.”
It seemed that his eyes were stained black. Wilhelm held her steady and whispered to her until the end.
“Michel Alanquez said that about drugging the horses of Hu Rinke.”
Wilhelm's words took effect immediately. his blood gushed out
Reinhardt let out a tearing scream.
“Michel Alanquez!”
My heart was pounding. I couldn't stand it without tearing anything.
Did you even arrange my father's death?
His eyes were black with anger. Reinhardt raised the sword in his hand and stabbed the deceiver in the throat as he lay in the coffin. A very small amount of black blood leaked from the neck of the cold, hard corpse. It didn't matter. A scream that didn't sound like hers erupted from Reinhardt's throat. The knife in her hand held up very well, and Reinhardt hacked up the body.
His face, which had been praised as a handsome man in his lifetime, was a mess. The neck, the splendid shroud, the stomach, and the poor legs were torn and ripped off.
Black blood splattered and stained with sticky malice. Fragmented skin fluttered in 50,000 places, and each time Reinhardt spat out his hatred and applied it to the corpse of my Alankes. When he saw the corpse, he thought he had brushed it off, so the rage welled up again.
you,
will kill you Kill one hundred million times and kill again... … .
When I suddenly came to my senses, the surroundings were a mess. The twilight light of the dawn was shining on the blood that flowed from his corpse, the protruding intestines, the crumbled small bones and his own wounded hand. Of course, after scratching and digging through the hard corpse thousands of times with a longsword he was not familiar with, the inside of his thumb was all torn. The silk shoes that Wilhelm had worn were again stained with blood and messed up. Reinhardt sat down in a state of fascination.
“… … Reinhardt.”
And Wilhelm, who had been watching her all morning, slowly knelt in front of her. There was a clicking sound from sitting in a pool of her blood, but the young man didn't care. “You must be sick. Shall she take a little break and do it again?” Instead of stopping her, Reinhardt, who was staring at the young man who said that while holding her thumb, closed his eyes at the sudden urge and immediately kissed the young man.
The young man shook his shoulders as if he was a little surprised, then opened his lips and rushed at Reinhardt ravenously.
Clink. As soon as he threw down the sword in his hand, he immediately stretched out his bloodstained arm and wrapped it around Wilhelm's neck. Black rotten blood. The feeling of his soggy palm touching Wilhelm's flesh was pleasing.
Michelle, my enemy. I will embrace my love with the hands that open your corpse. In front of you, you will cling to your half-brother.
If you can see through those worm-eaten eyes, see clearly, son of a bitch.
Above the pool of Michelle's blood, the young man hugged her arm and waist and kissed her. At the same time, it got wet. Wilhelm's hand was rough, but at the same time the tip trembled as if grabbing something he wouldn't dare touch. It was contradictory. Reinhardt leaned his weight completely on Wilhelm and kissed him tenaciously.
His breath and tongue intertwined affectionately between his open lips. Reinhardt bit his tongue lightly, not liking the unexpectedly moderate Wilhelm. Wilhelm groaned.
"ah."
And with that moan, Reinhardt realized what Wilhelm wanted. She wrapped her arms around her neck and pulled back her hand inside her, squeezing Wilhelm's neck. Her gooey, bloody hands left Reinhardt's handprint on Wilhelm's long young neck. Reinhardt was very satisfied with that. If Wilhelm left a long scar on her soul and seeped like poison in between, Michelle's blood that Reinhardt applied looked like the leash she put around Wilhelm's neck.
“It is pretty.”
Surprisingly, the young man was shy at the words he said without much thought. The mischievous Reinhardt decided to go one step further.
She tilted her upper body more towards Wilhelm. Reinhardt now stood on her knees, between Wilhelm's thighs. Her Reinhardt's thumb dug deep into her Wilhelm's shoulder.
"la,"
Reinhardt, he must have tried to call him. The young man called out Reinhardt's name in a terribly erotic voice. Reinhardt kissed his bright red lips and scratched Wilhelm's shoulder with the tip of his fingernail. Wilhelm let out a hot breath into her lips.
“Ugh.”
I could feel Wilhelm's stiff groin on her thighs. At the same time, a low moan of pleasure flowed from her. Wilhelm's shoulders shook slightly and Reinhardt removed his hand, but Wilhelm lightly shook his head.
“Hug me more… … .”
Reinhardt happily hugged him. His swollen breasts pressed against Wilhelm's firm breasts and pressed them arbitrarily. She pulled Wilhelm's hand through the gap and placed it on her breast. Wilhelm's fingertips trembled as he paced the inside of Reinhardt's gold buttons, then with all his might he opened his collar completely. With a pop, the button fell off without a hitch. Surely the ladies-in-waiting of the great lord must have meticulously sewn, but why is it like this?
So Reinhardt really believed that this young man had decided to leave everything to his chastity. A man who could break Reinhardt's slender neck in an instant with just one swing of his arm, risked his life solely for Reinhardt's touch.
Reinhardt wrapped one hand around Wilhelm's shoulder and wrapped his arms around him. The thick man's body did not fit within Reinhardt's arm. The young man's eyes grew thinner, and the insides of his legs tightened up. Reinhard lightly bit his neck, and Wilhelm groaned in pain.
“I’m so sorry.”
The young man's back trembled. In contrast, however, the hand that was supposed to be massaging her breasts fell right down. After doing something, the young man grabbed Reinhardt's armpits and the area around the wings. Her large hands gripped Reinhardt's skinny body and she swayed like a toy. It felt like every part of her skin that her hand touched would wake up sensitively. Reinhardt struggled lightly.
“Sorry, Reinhardt… … .”
Hehehe, said Wilhelm, gasping for air and shaking his waist. Just like an animal, I rubbed my lower leg against her thigh. She blushed innocently like a helpless boy, but the way she rubbed and pressed her crotch against Reinhardt's groin felt vulgar, like a stray dog snatching up anywhere in the street.
Ironically, Reinhardt was excited about it. Heck, heck. Her hot breath warmed the nape of her neck beneath her dark eyes. The bottom was already soaking wet. Wilhelm hurriedly rubbed his things on Reinhardt and whispered.
"So good… … .”
Once again, their lips mingled impatiently. She bit hard on Wilhelm's lower lip. Wilhelm knew better that he did not mean rejection. The kiss tasted like blood, but it was hard to tell the difference between the blood and the lips because the lips were red with excitement. Saliva mixed and saliva ran down her chin. Wilhelm quickly put out his tongue and licked up Reinhardt's chin and nape. Then, Reinhardt, who was about to fall back, was lifted up by the young man. There was a pool of blood below.
"I can't make you lie in a dirty place."
“Have you already stepped on a pile of corpses?”
“Even so, Reinhardt.”
Wilhelm chuckled.
“I hope you never get a single grain of soil on your toes.”
With those words, he gently laid Reinhardt on the bed. Black blood stained the sheets, but he didn't care. Reaching out his hand and snatching the bottle from the bedside table, the young man pulled out the stopper and poured the drink over Reinhardt's bare feet.
Does the red wine wash away the blood or make it darker?
Wilhelm's fingers gently penetrated through the cold liquid and massaged her toes. And then Wilhelm took her lips and sucked Reinhardt's big toe. Caught Her Wet At the strange sensation, Reinhardt tried to withdraw his foot without thinking, but Wilhelm's large hand quickly pressed down on the inside of Reinhardt's thigh.
“Please let me lick… … .”
“Wilhelm… … .”
Reinhardt begged in a voice that seemed to go out.
“It’s dirty.”
“So I want to lick it and clean it.”
Without waiting for her answer, Wilhelm licked the concave area on the inside of his foot with his tongue. She got goosebumps and got wet inside.
Reinhardt closed his eyes tightly. Wilhelm laughed softly and sucked her big toe into her mouth. Every time his tongue moved, Reinhardt's shoulders trembled. She's at best sucking her toes, but like this... … .
With a soft, Wilhelm's thumb rubbed the inside of her foot. Then her fingers passed her heels and groped her ankles. Reinhardt let out a thin moan involuntarily. Wilhelm followed Reinhardt with his eyes and licked her ankles, the back of her calves, and her hamstrings with his tongue.
The appearance of a gigantic young man digging into the inside of his skirt must have looked awkward, but Reinhardt looked strange and dizzy at the young man wriggling inside his skirt. After emptying the entire bottle, Wilhelm threw the bottle away and pulled down her underwear. Reinhardt closed his eyes the moment the humble underwear, which could be undone by untying the two knots, draped over his legs.
“Do you like it?”
“… … .”
“With no.”
The young man laughed grimly and buried his face in her wet skin. Her wet tongue licked the apex.
“I’m sorry.”
Roll it up, press it, lick it, roll it between your lips… … . Wilhelm's tongue ruthlessly trampled Reinhardt's insides. The tip of his tongue pressed against Reinhardt's apex, and when he escaped, the inside of his stomach tightened. The young man was literally licking her groin with all his heart, but suddenly changed and bit her. As she bit into her thighs, she involuntarily pulled her legs together. But because of her broad Wilhelm's shoulders, she couldn't narrow it down even a hand.
“Stop, huh? stop… … .”
"I do not like it."
Wilhelm gave a twisted answer, biting Reinhardt's thigh with his lips and smiling briskly.
“Sweet.”
“Well, there is a difference… … Ah yes!”
Reinhardt groaned loudly as he stopped talking. The young man's close gaze kept an eye on Reinhardt even with his lips buried between her legs. Like you won't miss a single thing.
"Come on."
At Reinhardt's words, the young man climbed up on top of her. Reinhardt grabbed Wilhelm's face and pulled him back to kiss him. A foul smell mingled with the hot breath and the bloody smell.
But Reinhardt thought it suited the current situation very well. Young man's lips, chin, cheeks, eyes... … . As Reinhardt's lips continued to follow him, the young man let out a hot breath and rubbed his groin between her legs.
Reinhardt reached out and grabbed Wilhelm's. "Huh," Wilhelm groaned with half-open eyes. As he rubbed it with his mindless hands, Wilhelm gnashed his teeth unconsciously in excitement.
"Hug me."
Wilhelm didn't answer and shook his back like a beast. Her Reinhardt was her denial, but Wilhelm could smell her sweet scent from her. When I put my lips on her skin, the scent doubled. And the young man who smelled the scent was literally soaked. got out of control Even more so now that she's handing her own.
Every time Reinhardt's slender fingers moved, he felt dizzy. His mind was clouded and he couldn't tell what was going on. In the end, Wilhelm went through his pockets, took out his own, and held it. He pressed the remaining side against her thigh as he frantically scanned her tight penis. The hem of the skirt draped over Reinhardt's body was thickly soaked with the thick liquid that came out of it.
I was ecstatic and wanted to die.
“Ah, Reinhardt. ah.”
Saliva flowed from his mouth. It was obvious that she would look at me like that and despise me for being messy, but she expected even that. Her Wilhelm looked down at her with her cloudy eyes. The glittering golden eyes right in front of his nose filled his field of vision.
Far from despising him, she had an eye for admiration. If so, you should respond there. A deep breath, not sure if it was a sigh or lust, swirled in his throat. He pulled her upright and buried his nose in her upper chest. A rich and sweet scent.
When I smelled the scent, the desire to spurts rose to my chin. Wilhelm didn't stop there, grabbed Reinhardt's right hand, kissed his palm lightly, and put it on my cheek.
“Please punish me.”
Gold's eyes clouded with bewilderment. me you Looking straight into her eyes as she spoke, Wilhelm whispered to her.
“You claimed it was all yours, and then you did disgusting things with this body.”
“Wilhelm. Again, I'm not saying that... … .”
Reinhardt, who had been talking that far, changed his gaze as if he noticed something. She squinted her eyes and calmly assessed Wilhelm before asking with a faint smile.
“How can I punish you?”
“There is no such thing as a sinner deciding the punishment, my master.”
Wilhelm kissed her palm deeply again.
“Please do as you please.”
“But that sinner avenged me instead.”
“If so.”
The young man laughed bitterly. The corner of his mouth overflowed with thirst for the corporal punishment that was about to be inflicted on me. Since her death, he believed that no human would be pleased with her pain, but Wilhelm seemed to have no doubt that even the pain she inflicted would be sweet. He was holding Reinhardt's hand and pretending to slap me.
Reinhardt lightly slapped Wilhelm on the left cheek as he moved. But it was too feathery to be called a strike. As an analogy, tapping your dog on the butt would be much closer to violence.
Wilhelm smiled thickly and shook his head. Reinhardt raised his hand reluctantly and slapped him on the cheek again, but it seemed that he was not satisfied. The young man kissed her fingertips with a friendly, sinister smile.
“My master, you are too noble in your temper to have this lowly slave.”
“Wilhelm, I am not at all inclined. Rather... … .”
“Rather,”
The young man immediately understood what Reinhardt was trying to say. He quickly reached out and groped her inner thigh, and Reinhardt drew in her breath. The touch of her flesh, thickly seeping through, directly invaded her innermost being. The young man trembled at the feeling that the delicate mucous membranes were wrapped around Wilhelm's fingertips as if they were sticking to each one.
“I always imagined licking your skin. Like a correctional banquet.”
“… … .”
Index finger, middle finger. The young man was unrepentant. It was different from the slow and persistent movements so far. Reinhardt couldn't breathe at the violent and unhesitating invasion. His long, thick fingers, which he frantically hit and then withdrew, vividly awakened the forgotten senses. He was giddy. Suddenly there was a squeaking sound. When Wilhelm's finger poked at a certain point, it felt like his head was being crushed.
"ah! Bill,”
Unable to carry even Wilhelm's name on, she screamed. But Wilhelm persistently stabbed her inside.
Before he knew it, Reinhardt was moaning from the pleasure that filled his head. "Ahhh… … .” It was not an age she was afraid or reluctant to accept her new man and her man, but Wilhelm treated her like a maiden having her first night. wholeheartedly. So sincere and messy that she burst into tears.
“Oh, please. stop. stop, huh? Wilhelm,”
"I do not like it."
Unable to withstand the pleasure, Reinhardt twisted his entire body. It's been a long time since his clothes were dug up, and his white buttocks were exposed in the dark. One of Wilhelm's hands grabbed her waist and wouldn't let go, while the other hand dug into her crotch.
The reciprocating fingers pressed and rubbed against the inner wall, and each time Reinhardt's head went blank. The pleasure he reached to the limit was painful and difficult. Tears wet his cheeks. Reinhardt slapped Wilhelm on the shoulder, who was holding him down.
“Stop, stop. huh? Ah, ah!”
It was hard enough not to notice that Wilhelm's smile was getting more and more insidious. Eventually, Reinhardt, who was stirring the air, burst into tears. He was resentful. She unconsciously waved her hand. Her palm slapped the cheek of the man who was harassing me from above.
Dude, there was a sound. Hearing that, Reinhardt stared at him with wet eyes in shock. However, the corners of Wilhelm's mouth were torn even longer, and his hands continued to grow rough.
“More, Reinhardt. again."
There was a creaking, irritating sound. Reinhardt burst into tears.
"stop,"
He cried out and hit the young man on the cheek. Pair, a loud sound came out. “Ah,” the young man’s hand stopped right after that. Instead, he let out a low moan that burst from the depths of his throat. At the same time, something hot was suddenly splashed on Reinhardt's thigh. Reinhardt raised his teary eyes and looked down at his thighs. A white turbid liquid on the thighs covered with blood.
"under… … . damn good... … .”
The red-cheeked young man looked down at her and scanned her. Reinhardt's wet hand, which had been poking inside Reinhardt a while ago, touched it, and Wilhelm's object vomited a few more white liquids.
“Huh, huh.”
The object, which was heated with excitement, was so large that it could not fit even in Wilhelm's hands. Even though he had already quenched his lust once, Reinhardt couldn't take his eyes off it, which was still soaked.
“Ah, Reinhardt. my master.”
The young man frantically rubbed his forehead and cheek against her upper chest. Affection, lust, helpless ecstasy, desire, love, hunger... … . Arrogant emotions melted there.
“My dirty cum is on you. how to do it."
“Wilhelm,”
“Please punish me, okay?”
Wilhelm trembled. He hit him so hard that even though his cheeks were a different color, there was only excitement and lust in his charming dark eyes. No, perhaps her slap added to the desire. Now Reinhardt could also know. Wilhelm pampered her with his sharp tongue and licked the tears from her eyes.
"please."
please. He didn't listen when Reinhard begged for it. He spits it out on the tip of his tongue. It's amazing, it's pretty, and it's grumpy. Reinhardt grabbed Wilhelm's wings with grumpiness. I won't slap you on the cheek.
But rather, it was good news, and the young man's face was excited. Between the shortened breathing, Reinhardt raised his upper body with his fingernails stuck in his wings, and as soon as he put his lips on the young man's, he bit his lower lip again. The taste of blood thickened with a distant roar. At the same time, Wilhelm trembled and pressed him under him. Reinhardt also shrugged his shoulders and groaned as he felt his hardened penis dig into my thighs.
"Do it… … .”
“No, Reinhardt.”
oh Really, there was no such thing as a madman. But if you think about it, isn't she herself a crazy bitch? There was no way a normal guy would stick around next to a crazy girl, so it was a match made in nature. Reinhardt raised his voice and laughed sobbingly. And gave strength to his fingertips. Heo-eok, the young man happily inhaled.
"sun."
"As you wish… … .”
I could feel the tightness of my back muscles with my palms. Wilhelm dangles me, grabs her hips, and burrows into her at once. oh Reinhardt fell backwards with a tearing pleasure and scratched his back.
All of a sudden, the corpse lying next to him had been erased from his mind.
The deal was done.
***
Could it be because of Wilhelm, who blatantly desires me? Reinhardt had no doubt that he would end up in the bed of a young man, whether he wanted to or not.
“But I never thought the bed could look like this.”
Everywhere was full of blood. Reinhardt looked at the room bathed in sunlight with glaring eyes. He was barely focused, but he could tell that the room was a mess.
It wasn't just a beautiful feeling for each other to become entangled like vines. Vines full of thorns tend to injure each other. Reinhardt barely recalled the time her youth had dug into her. It felt as if poison had seeped through the wound and venom flowed all the way to the top of my head.
But strangely, my heart was full.
"What do you mean?"
The young man who was hugging her from behind asked curiously. Reinhardt laughed lightly through his nose.
“The first night was so great that if you hung up this blanket, the new groom would think he killed the bride.”
The young man grew up. Reinhardt turned and kissed Wilhelm lightly. The feeling of someone else's bare skin against your bare skin was creepily soft. Before the young man's hands that were holding Reinhardt's back were too strong, she removed her lips. Wilhelm ran his chin with her lips as if regretting it, but Reinhard lightly pushed the young man's chest.
“You need to clean your room.”
“… … I want to do it later.”
“Wilhelm.”
Reinhardt managed to separate the young man who buried his head in her chest as if he was spoiling it. The Crown Princess, who was imprisoned, died. The prison would have been overturned by now. I don't know how Wilhelm cleaned up, but I couldn't leave this room alone.
“Shall we go to your room, then?”
“What about this room?”
“Egon will clean it up.”
I was about to ask who Egon was, but I thought it might be the name of one of the knights. Reinhardt got to his feet. I tried to find my gown because the chill came over me, but it was soaked with blood and I couldn't wear it again. Leaving her hesitant behind, Wilhelm moved first. The young man went to the room where his coffin had been and carried two tunics of his own. Reinhardt pulled the tunic over, exposing his shoulders.
“Ahaha. Be cute.”
Confused, Reinhardt removed his hand from trying to tighten the shoulder strap and Wilhelm pulled the strap. The young man was really cute and kissed the nape of her neck as if he was going to die. I thought it would end there, but Wilhelm kissed her on the nape of her neck and then on the wound on her cheek. Even at dawn, Wilhelm held Reinhardt and continued to lick him up.
“Sometimes when you wipe it off saying that tears get worse.”
Reinhardt pushed the young man away and glared at him with a clear expression. Wilhelm smiled, but seldom pushed back.
“You smell like me. It's so weird and so good.”
“Wilhelm.”
Reinhardt pinched the young man's nose. Ouch, said Wilhelm, squinting his eyes.
“As long as your life is alive, you can have sex as much as you like.”
“I really have a lot to say about that, Reinhardt.”
Immediately released, Wilhelm kissed her on the forehead again. And she smiled brightly.
“You want it, so I will do it.”
A young man wearing a tunic over his bare body slithered across the puddles of blood. As he pulled the rope, knights, not servants, entered.
The knights nodded their heads without showing a tired expression even after seeing the tremendous sight in the room. In the meantime, one of the eyes stopped on Reinhardt. Reinhardt, who was sitting on the bed, lost his mind, and then, belatedly embarrassed, tried to pull the gown that was spread across the bed, but Wilhelm was quick.
“Jonas. turn your eyes.”
"Yes."
The ice wall of that snowy mountain would not be as cold and frightening as Wilhelm at that moment. Her Wilhelm, who had approached her belatedly, picked her up with her blanket.
"sorry."
"what… … .”
“I should have ripped out Jonas’ eyes.”
At those words, Reinhardt flinched. Wilhelm looked down at the woman in her arms wrapped around her neck, with an expression that saw her as something lovely that would never exist again in the world. But the words that came out of his mouth were embarrassingly cold.
“I tore it once in my previous life.”
“… … .”
“But then it became useless as a knight.”
I still don't have many subordinates. you understand Reinhardt looked around the room in awe at the words he uttered quietly. The knights must have been listening to Wilhelm, but they didn't budge and looked in different directions until he and she left.
Reinhardt's room was the same as she had been awakened by Wilhelm last night. Wilhelm ran away from his arms as if he were running away and looked at Reinhardt's back as if he was wearing silk shoes, then shook the blanket and said,
“Shall I hang it in the mansion as you said?”
A blanket with Michelle's blood on it. As Reinhardt furrowed his brow, Wilhelm smiled brightly.
“I want to show off to the whole world.”
“… … Puck is also proud.”
“I am proud of you, my master.”
Wilhelm briskly approached her, kissed her on the back of her hand, and moved his lips to the palm of her hand.
“You gave me a bed after all.”
Reinhardt laughed and punched Wilhelm in the chest.
“What should I do if my new husband is arrogant?”
“A concubine.”
"yes."
Although he deserved to complain about being treated so lightly, Wilhelm seemed to be having fun.
“You should punish the cheeky concubine.”
“What punishment will I give you?”
“Anything you will.”
Reinhardt frowned and smiled.
“Should I wash and think about it for now?”
***
Washing it wasn't easy. Mark, who came running when he pulled the rope, was shocked to see the bloody, smelly, and obvious affair between the two. However, Marc was well aware that it was not a virtue of a servant to speak carelessly about his superior.
After drinking a lot of hot water, Wilhelm, who said he would wash his master, backed off without saying anything. Reinhardt complained that Marc was good, but of course it became difficult to complain soon. Of course, because Wilhelm got between her legs again and claimed to be her dog. He frantically bit and sucked her whole body as if her Reinhardt body had been coated with sugar.
As was already the case, the foreplay lasted until penetration, and the bath water had to be changed twice. Should I say that being young is good?
Reinhardt had been exhausted for a long time, but he couldn't let the unquenchable desire throb, so he responded several times. Reinhardt was released only after I begged to tear it all down.
The cheeks of the two people who came out were flushed. Please stop! Reinhardt pushed away her young man who continued to hit her, but her point was immovable. Wilhelm's red-hot cheeks came out of the water after being in the water for so long, so he just wanted others to think so. But is there anyone who has only one cheek burning?
Wilhelm hugged the exhausted Reinhardt from behind and sat down on the bed before smiling contentedly.
“I guess you don’t know.”
"What?"
“Originally going to bed once is like a dam bursting out.”
Reinhardt looked up at Wilhelm holding me. Wilhelm ran through Reinhardt's disheveled hair and gently bit the tip of his ear.
“It is very difficult to build a dam once it has been broken. How are you going to stop the water?”
“Is that why you are being so shameless?”
Reinhardt wrinkled his face and squeezed Wilhelm's thighs as he sat hugging me. The young man startled, then pulled Reinhardt's waist further into his arms.
“Are you shameless? You know how much I trembled.”
It was. How surprising and thrilling it was to see the hands of the young man who had always desired him tremble. Reinhardt sighed and leaned on Wilhelm. His wet hair draped down.
“What are you going to do?”
“Everyone knows who wants to kill the Crown Princess the most right now.”
“Castreya.”
"Yes."
The sun was midheaven. It was obvious that no one had been chasing the Red Stem Mansion until now. The news of the death of the crown prince must have turned the outside world upside down. As for the culprit, anyone would suspect the empress. Starting with the emperor, all the people of the empire would think so.
“Reinhardt. You are so generous.”
“Sometimes it’s difficult.”
At Reinhardt's bruise, the young man laughed haha.
“I should have made Michelle crawl at your feet. I couldn't even capture you alive, but you gave yourself to me like this... … .”
“Wilhelm.”
Reinhardt said with a sigh to the young man who buried his nose in the nape of his neck and inhaled.
“I always said that, but I didn’t think it would be easy.”
“… … .”
"So I'm just grateful to you for letting me tear up the body of that son of a bitch."
Reinhardt cut them thoroughly so that no one could tilt them. It still felt like it was about to tear between the thumb and index finger of my right hand.
“I can’t help but pay the price because it’s an incomplete transaction.”
“I just want to tell you one thing, Reinhardt.”
Wilhelm wrapped his arms around her shoulders and hugged her. Reinhardt was completely embraced by Wilhelm.
"sorry."
“What do you mean?”
“I kissed a woman other than you.”
oh It did. Reinhardt raised Wilhelm's chin with his index finger. Wilhelm looked at her like a submissive beast, entrusting her chin to me. Oddly enough, she found it very satisfying.
“Is there any other way than that?”
“… … I might have been looking for it. but… … I told you. I am impatient.”
Wilhelm struggled to open his mouth one by one.
“I can’t imagine going back knowing there is a shortcut.”
“It’s a shortcut.”
Reinhardt held his chin this time and turned around. Her beautiful youthful face followed her as she moved. At the same time, it looked like a dog being disciplined for doing something really wrong with its eyelashes down in embarrassment.
“Can you tell me now, Wilhelm?”
“… … .”
“Your story.”
She kept remembering what Wilhelm had said in front of Dulcinea. The story of how she strangled Wilhelm and did cruel things in her previous life. The story is that Dulcinea was Wilhelm's enemy just as Michel was Reinhard's enemy.
“Did she love you? So, did you wait for her to fall for you in this life as well?”
“… … It's a little different, my master.”
The young man bit his face from Reinhardt's fingers holding his chin, and kissed the tip again. Reinhardt stared blankly at him, as if the black sun was blazing again in those eyes that seemed docile at first glance. Wilhelm laughed softly.
“If I tell you, will you forgive me?”
“… … You promised, Wilhelm.”
Reinhardt stroked Wilhelm's cheek.
“You were the one who said you would avenge me by any means.”
“… … .”
“At the same time, you didn’t even take the promise to forgive me, did you?”
The woman's golden eyes were colored with satisfaction. Wilhelm looked into those eyes as if possessed.
“Anyway, I forgive you.”
Cheeky.
At that moment, Wilhelm heard an auditory hallucination of a woman putting the last leash on him. It was an ecstasy different from the horror he had felt in his previous life.
Until the end of the second life he created, he will never take off his leash.