157. two fathers (1)

how far did you run? Emil had never known in his life that the day would come when he would be able to run around for so long. That’s when middle age is over. The monocle that I usually wear has disappeared somewhere, and my hair, which has always been neatly arranged, has become scattered after a long time. Sweat trickled down his forehead even as the cold winter wind blew. Emil opened the creaking wooden door, wiping the sweat from his forehead.

“here… Ramen will be fine.”

A medicinal effect that lasts about half a day at most. Emile Bordain could feel his face gradually returning to normal as the effect of the disguise potion ended. Pretending to be an attendant, walking around the palace and trying to evade the chase was a while. Leon Benning’s invasion began much earlier than Emile expected, and Emile had to move around so as not to be killed by a blind sword.

The place he found was an abandoned arms warehouse in the corner of the present royal palace. Emil sighed as he looked at the mace, which clanked and swayed. Emil’s hand brushed past the rusty old armor. An old knight would have lamented that his appearance was no different from those rusty weapons, but Emil couldn’t find anything in common between himself and those weapons.

It can be said that they resemble at least that they are old and rusty.

Emil let out a bitter laugh as he recited the prince.

“… This should be good enough.”

Emil’s hand, which had been brushing past the armor, stopped holding a dagger. Even if he was rotten, he was the son of an aristocratic family, and the memory of sword training as a child remained vague, but he did not have the strength to wield a sword and fight the knights when he remembered him.

Of course, this is just a matter of making time.

Emile tapped the hard stone-like object in his bosom with the tip of his dagger. the real thing is this Emil gripped the dagger in reverse and pressed down on his beating heart. Running away and catching the attention of the pursuers has now reached its limit. It was only a matter of time before they caught him as long as his disguise was off and his original face was revealed.

“ha.”

Emil sat down on the boxes scattered in the armory. The thought of cigarettes was desperate. If I had known this would be the case, I would have always carried a pipe with me. As I closed my eyes, I could hear the noise coming from outside the warehouse more clearly. Buildings collapsed, burned, and people screamed.

‘Marion will be safe.’

Although she did not like Maxim Appart very much as her son-in-law, she firmly believed that he would protect her daughter. It was a conclusion made by looking back on his actions. I really didn’t like the fact that other girls clung to me, either because of my face or because of my personality, but my fiancée stayed by my side like a stone.

Well, you could say it’s better than me.

Emile Bordain smiled bitterly. All other family members are unharmed. If there is any remaining regret, it is about wanting to see Marion’s face one last time. When I caught a glimpse of that face at the ball, I almost shed a reproachful tear. You grew up well. Even under the persecution of this pathetic and mean father, it bloomed so beautifully.

Emil opened her eyes. The noise was getting closer.

rattle.

Didn’t seem to hear anything wrong. It wasn’t an unmanned vehicle that could detect presence, but I could tell that people were swarming in front of the narrow warehouse. Emile Bordain looked at the creaking, dusty wooden door.

—

rattle.

King Louis Loire looked back. Even as the king made his way out through the passage, that disturbingly rattling noise was constantly heard. The servants and knights who guarded the king were constantly vigilant, swallowing dry saliva. Right now, Leon Benning’s soldiers must be prowling all over the capital to find the king.

“… It’s not long, Your Majesty. Give me a little more strength.”

One of the attendants said to cheer up. Hearing that, the king had a calm expression on his face, but on the contrary, those who guarded the king needed to exert their strength. Quite a bit of time had passed since they started going through the secret passage, but they still couldn’t feel the presence of Aaron, whom they relied on the most.

“Aaron is late.”

The king spit out the anxiety that they all had in their hearts. The king’s expression was dark. With thick shadows in his eyes, the king looked at the path the party had walked.

“It shouldn’t have been something that happened.”

Even as the king said that, he did not hold out any hope that Aaron would be able to endure to the end. Judging by the sound of footsteps and shouting, dozens of people must have stormed in. The fact that they haven’t followed the group yet means that Aaron is still blocking them.

“… Isn’t that Sir Aaron? I will definitely overcome and join.”

As if comforting the king, it was Layton, a member of the 1st Guards Guard Knights, and Aaron’s direct successor. He was a strong-willed knight, but his complexion was as pale as that of a king, as if he couldn’t forget that Aaron was left alone to defend his enemies.

“Move quickly, Your Majesty. Now is the time to think more about His Majesty’s prison, rather than worrying about Sir Aaron.”

Layton urged the king with a broken voice. The King nodded and hurried his steps. First of all, I had to get out of the secret passage and get in touch with those who must have been scattered in the safe house on the outskirts of the capital.

“! your majesty! We have reached the safe house.”

At the words of a leading soldier, the king and the party let out a sigh of relief. The safe house the king headed this time was not a house disguised as a bar, but an abandoned house located quite far from the center of the capital. It was unsatisfying to use as a shelter, but there was no place like this to make it a refuge from prying eyes.

The sound of a soldier grunting and straining was heard, and soon the stone door to the cellar of the abandoned house opened with a rattle. A cool breeze blew from the basement. The soldier looked ahead and frowned. It was so dark inside that I couldn’t see an inch in front of me. The soldier flashed the interior of the cellar with the lantern he was holding. Fortunately, no other suspicious elements were seen.

“I will go inside first, Your Majesty. Please be careful ahead.”

“Yes, everyone worked hard.”

A chill was creeping up from the hard stone floor of the cellar. Steam rose from the mouths of the exhaling party. Lastly, Layton, a knight walking from behind, pushed the stone door leading to the secret passage closed. There was a heavy sound of stones dragging on the floor, followed by a thud, and the cellar was plunged into darkness.

“what?”

A soldier’s voice sounded disconcerted. The lantern he was holding was flickering and losing its light. The gaze of the party, including the king, was focused on the soldier, who began to look at the lantern in a cold sweat.

“Why are you doing this? Is the wick exhausted?”

I brought a new one, so there’s no way… The soldier murmured and waved the lantern, but the lantern’s light, which shook as if it were placed in front of the wind, was completely extinguished. As the party’s vision darkened together, the bewilderment in the soldier’s voice grew together.

“Bar, I’ll make sure to turn on the light right away.”

“Okay. take it slow.”

The king encouraged the soldiers in a weary voice. In front of the eyes of the soldier who was struggling to fix the lantern, it seemed that he could see a bright red light.

“… uh?”

The last thing he showed the soldier was a smile blooming in the bright red blood.

hooked

With that sound, the lantern the soldier was holding was slammed to the ground and shards of glass splattered in all directions. The King’s party could not move. His vision, which had been covered in darkness until just before, was gradually opening. It wasn’t because he had adapted to the darkness, but because of the bright red light someone had caused. The king is perplexed and spits out the words.

“What is this… .”

slap, slap.

There was no standing water in the cellar, but the footsteps sounded like they were jokingly stepping on a puddle. Attendants, soldiers, and knights blocked the king’s way. Layton shouted as he pulled out the sword from his waist. The knight’s instincts were ringing the alarm. The basement was turning into a more dangerous place than the battlefield in the royal palace.

“Your Highness, please step back.”

There was tension in Layton’s voice. Footsteps continued to be heard, but I had no idea where the footsteps were coming from. No, was this basement too wide to detect the direction of footsteps in the first place?

As Layton’s head went into confusion, his vision felt brighter. in red. It was not the red of a rose, but the red of fresh blood flowing down the sword.

“Oh, it’s okay if you don’t have to be so vigilant.”

The voice was sweet. Three steps away, the voice speaking came as if it were whispered directly into my ear. Leighton’s face darkened. You can see the bright red red hair. The king was able to recall that face. A beautiful red-haired, purple-eyed woman who was sometimes seen walking beside Leon Bening.

“Your Majesty, nice to meet you. This is the first time I’m officially greeting you.”

discouragement and despair. The king sighed as he was swept away by the two helpless waves of emotion. The king spat out the words in a dejected voice.

“… Is it the count’s warlock?”

Witch, Lilia nodded. The bloody curtain that was swirling around her must have been the identity of the unknown red light. Lillia’s purple eyes sparkled with curiosity.

“Yes, that is correct. Of course, I’m not planning on having an unprofessional dialogue with Your Majesty here.”

Lillia waved her hand lightly in the air. Layton’s heightened senses moved his body.

“Your Majesty, you must avoid it!”

Layton pushed the King back. As the king stumbled and fell backwards, something like a vine of red roses entwined the spot where he stood. When the king raised his head again, he found that those who had already guarded his surroundings were entangled in the vines and floating on the ceiling of the cellar.

“does not make sense… .”

“Oh, you have a knight with a pretty good sense.”

There was a moment of interest in Lillia’s eyes. Lillia looked at Layton, who had been wrapped in a vine, without even looking at the shocked King. The hand rested on Layton’s chin and turned his face around. Lillia let go of her hand and shook her head, probably losing interest.

“Hmm, but it’s still much less than ‘that man’.”

Lilia smiled. Layton stared at that enchanting, eerie grin, almost forgetting the situation he and the king were in now.

“Here, did you plan to capture Jim?”

said the king with difficulty. Lillia didn’t even think of tying the king to the vine. After all, there is no way for the king to escape. Lillia looked down at the king who was sitting on the floor with narrow eyes. The emotion in those eyes was close to contempt.

“Captivate? You must be very mistaken.”

Lillia’s voice was infinitely cold. A voice that is completely different from the usual voice that sounds sweet and seductive.

“You have to have a reason to keep them alive to captivate them. You will meet a miserable end here.”

“Your Majesty, you must avoid yourself! Preserve the jade body!”

“Yeah two years! Do you even know what you are talking to and to whom!”

Those tied to the vines made defiant movements. Layton, in particular, was struggling and screaming in order to escape the magic that somehow bound him with bloodshot eyes. Lillia’s fine brow furrowed slightly. His luscious lips opened, and he spat out cold words.

“A bit noisy.”

Lillia clenched her fists. The king’s eyes widened as he realized what those words and actions meant.

“no!”

Wooddeuk.

The execution was carried out without the king’s cries. The floor of the gallows extinguishes all at once, and the prisoners hang in the air. The king looked with despairing eyes at his servants, who were hanging limp in the air with their necks broken. Among them, there were attendants who had been by his side for decades, and there were also knights with wives and children. That upright Layton, without exception, also hung in the air with his neck twisted at a strange angle.

“ah… ah… .”

The king’s hand flicked through the air. Towards such a king, Lilia’s voice dropped.

“I will be back soon.”

Behind the back of the king who was stirring in front, I could feel the presence. There were many signs, but they were making extremely refined movements. Like a well-trained army. Lillia looked up and looked at the door leading to the secret passage. Lillia stretched out her hand, and the door slowly opened with a heavy sound.

The king gazed at the open door with eyes like those of a dead fish. As if carrying a halo on their backs, those who walked from the aisle into the basement were walking with a confident gait. Those who walked out first began to slowly surround the king. The king saw a figure walking behind the soldiers who came in like a tide and formed the road.

He has lighter hair than his siblings. And brown eyes that kept those of my mother intact. Kyle Loire. The king’s second son and second prince was entering the basement with his guardian.

Kyle’s inorganic eyes and the king’s dead eyes met in the air in the cellar.

“How are you, Your Majesty?”

Words came out of Kyle’s mouth. Every word Kyle said was giving the king pain as if it were piercing his lungs.

“Soja, I have come to greet Your Majesty.”