44 – Brilliant Vacation (6)
From Noble mtl dot com
Right after placing her Majesty the Queen in a safe place,
We gathered in the room and seriously questioned Ellie about the current situation.
“Well then, if you could explain now. What on earth happened?”
“I agree, no matter how urgent it is, it’s just too much to make people worry like this.”
“I… I also think the same way…”
“…”
“I’m okay, it was fun to see the queen and visit the palace!”
The Devil Hunters, who had become talkative due to the hectic mission that just passed by like a bomb.
Gabriel, who maintained silence,
Except for Leone, who viewed the situation as simply fascinating and enjoyable, everyone else expressed dissatisfaction and confusion about the current situation.
And regarding this,
Eli spoke to us in a calm voice while seated.
“First of all, I apologize for causing trouble by acting recklessly. I sincerely apologize for that.”
Eli, who rarely lowers her head to show humility.
Right after that, she looked at us again with her usual calm face and spoke.
“But the recent events were truly an unavoidable case. We were too late to notice the signs of the attack, and considering the circumstances, we couldn’t have made hasty statements.”
“Um…”
“Well… regardless, he is still the king.
The Devil Hunters accepted Eli’s apology while feeling uneasy.
As the atmosphere calmed down slightly.
Eli spoke to us with a serious expression.
“Now, I will tell you the detailed story. But I want to let you know in advance that this story is classified as a top-secret of the nation, so please make sure it does not leak outside.”
*
The ruler of the Franz Kingdom, King Louis XVI.
She was not originally destined to be a queen.
From the moment she was born, there was already a matured older brother and his young child above her.
A figure who had been expected by her parents to become a great ruler.
As long as he was there, there was no chance for her to wear the crown, and no one thought that she would be burdened with such a responsibility.
However,
After the older brother met with an accident and died,
And not long after, the young child also met an untimely death due to illness.
A heavy burden that she could not bear was placed upon her shoulders.
The weight of the crown that she had to take on from that moment on.
For her, who possessed a fragile disposition, the badge of power and authority was nothing more than a duty and burden that she unknowingly bore.
And,
There was someone who watched over her.
At that time, he was the chief minister of the country and had become her guardian by the request of the deceased king.
Elli Hellat.
She, to the young king who was slowly withering away under the yoke of duty,
Created a breathing hole, so to speak.
“Even without saying it, you can probably guess what that hole is.”
“The clock factory we saw…”
“Yes, that’s right. That’s why he often secretly went there to be the boss himself or make clocks whenever he had free time. But… it seems like he got caught this time.”
“Indeed… secrecy is secret in many ways. It’s not enough that His Majesty left the palace, but he also devotes himself to such petty hobbies.”
“So… it would be a great material for the aristocrats who know about it to tear apart if they found out.”
Jeanne spoke with a hint of sarcasm.
However,
Soon she found herself unable to say another word as she looked into Ellie’s expressionless face, staring straight at her.
“Anyway, this is roughly the story. Honestly, I have been hiding it somehow for Her Majesty until now, but it has been revealed through this incident. Now that things have turned out like this, they will probably try to make full use of it.”
“Assassination of the king… Who on earth is plotting such a conspiracy?”
Even if I don’t know, planning something of this scale means that the other party has that level of power and authority.
Feeling cautious about this fact, I asked a question,
And Ellie quietly answered about it.
“There are many suspicious people. However… at the moment, the most likely person would still be him.”
“Him?…”
For a moment, Ellie emitted a chilling aura.
Regarding this,
Gabriel, who had been silent all this time, spoke with a cold voice.
“Duke Auclair… the second in line to the throne, born into the royal bloodline. When the king dies at the present time with the queen having no children, the throne will fall into his hands.”
“!…”
As soon as that name was mentioned, the expressions of the people also hardened.
Continuing, Ellie flickered a significant hint in her crimson eyes and spoke quietly.
“As the assassins have all been killed at the present time, it is taboo to jump to conclusions when there is only suspicion. However, it is also true that he is the most likely candidate.”
With those words, Ellie asked for attention at the upcoming assembly.
The Devil Hunters nodded at her words, steeling themselves for what was to come.
However.
Unlike them,
at that moment, I
unintentionally furrowed my brows as I came to clearly realize one particular fact.
“…So that’s what happened…”
*
Seated by the window, gazing up at the night sky alone, was a figure.
Queen Louie.
She let out a small sigh, feeling like a bird that had flown out of a cage only to find itself back inside again.
‘I never wanted to return… yet here I am again.’
It was the gift of freedom named joy from the only person she could rely on in this world.
While she had relished this freedom, basking in happiness all along,
now she found herself back here.
In a place where she must bear the heavy burden called duty.
And, at the same time,
in the exact place she needed to return to in order to root out the origin of everything.
It was then.
“Your Majesty. Captain Gelard Mura of Devil Hunters Squad Three is requesting an audience.”
“…What?”
The sound of a bell coming from behind.
Upon hearing this, a moment of doubt crossed Queen Louie’s face,
but she quickly turned around, concealing that expression.
The person standing before her.
Looking at his serious expression,
the queen gave an order to the bell-ringer standing beside her.
“You can step back.”
“What? But Your Majesty–“
“He is a person entrusted by Earlly. What danger could there possibly be? If anything happens, I will call for you immediately, so please step aside.”
“Yes… Your Majesty. Understood.”
Although there was still a hint of unease, the bell-ringer stepped aside according to the ruler’s command.
Now alone with the man, the queen spoke in a calm yet dignified voice.
“Are you Gellert Muellin?”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
“I see… I have heard your name before. So, why have you come here alone?”
While it may not have been difficult for him to come here as a bodyguard, requesting an audience with the ruler of a nation implied that there was something important.
However,
contrary to her expectations, Gellert spoke with a notable lightness in his voice.
“Well, there are several reasons… but first, there is something I need to confirm.”
“Is there something you want to confirm?… What on earth…”
Queen Louise’s expression was filled with doubt.
Facing her, Geralt spoke with a stern expression.
“What exactly are you trying to do?”
Geralt’s words were cold and unyielding.
In response, the queen spoke to him with a bewildered voice.
“…W-what…what…are you talking about? What are you trying to do? That is a question that I should be asking. How dare you casually mock the safety of anyone?”
The queen spoke in a cold tone, holding back a momentary tremor.
However,
Facing her like that, Geralt continued speaking calmly.
“For someone who hasn’t even seen the safety of others once or twice, there’s no need to act so tough.”
Geralt brought up an unexpected conversation.
In response, she, who had been diligently maintaining seriousness and dignity until just now…
The face of Queen Louise, the ruler of this country at the age of 16, became hardened as it was.
“Eldo, you’re too much. You didn’t need to hide it so tightly, whether you don’t trust us that much… or it’s simply because I cherish you that much…”
With those words, Geralt began to slowly approach her.
Continuing, he spoke with a serious voice in front of the queen who started trembling slightly.
“Then, don’t you have something to say to this leader, Gabriel?”
“…”
She maintained a moment of silence at Geralt’s words.
And after a moment.
She opened her mouth with a tremulous voice.
“Um… how… did you know?”