103 – 103. Execution
Today was the day of the execution for Hayden Wahl and Ian Wahl.
The location was Cobent Square in the heart of the capital.
It was also the place where the public execution of Mrs. Chandelier, who was known to have made health syrup (externally known as such), took place. Of course, technically it wasn’t a public execution. It was just that the health syrup was publicly tasted in that place.
“But in reality, it was an execution.”
Even drinking an ordinary health tonic to that extent would be dangerous. And it was impossible to survive after drinking syrup mixed with poisonweed, even in a bottle.
And the Hayden brothers were scheduled to die in a more cruel manner than her.
Fire Trial.
At first, I thought it was a lie, but it wasn’t.
The Empire was a peaceful country.
While it wasn’t abundant in entertainment, it wasn’t a barbaric nation that enjoyed public executions as a form of amusement. In fact, executions were rare in the first place. Even if they occasionally executed criminals, it was usually done privately.
But this time, they skipped the trial and carried out a public execution by burning.
And it was a fire trial.
The Hayden brothers were the Emperor’s nephews.
They were also heroes who each played a role in the succession war when they were young officers. It was true that the prince, who was the Emperor at the time, and his knights led the swordplay, but the Hayden brothers were responsible for tracking the movements of the key military commanders.
I could only imagine how much the Emperor struggled with the decision to execute them.
But there was a fact that was even more surprising.
“Lord Allen. It is His Majesty’s command. Please enter the palace immediately.”
The Emperor suddenly wanted to see me.
I used the teleportation magic circle and entered the palace right away. I wasn’t dressed for conquering, but the Emperor didn’t mind. He said he wanted to see me urgently, so there was no need for formalities…
“It must be an urgent matter.”
Did he call me privately to reprimand me for not only ruining his beloved youngest son, but also executing his nephews?
Considering the things I’ve done so far, it wouldn’t be unreasonable.
Moreover, the place he asked to meet me was not one of the three reception rooms, but his study. That meant he wanted to see me privately.
I entered the study shortly after,
And first, I respectfully greeted him.
“Your Majesty, I have arrived.”
Raising my head, the face of a middle-aged man, visibly weary over the past few weeks, caught my eye. It wasn’t grotesque, but rather remarkably worn.
The Emperor didn’t bother to speak to me, not even to glance in my direction.
He merely fiddled with his teacup in silence.
It was a while before the Emperor slowly opened his mouth.
“This is a tea called Daehongpo.”
Suddenly, raising tea as a topic.
“Your Majesty?”
“They say it’s a tea mainly enjoyed by the royal family or close associates in the Imperial Court, even in Jinkuk. Honestly, I don’t know what it tastes like. Not because I lack discernment in tea, but because I’ve been drinking whiskey. A lot of it. …It’s a habit I’ve developed these days.”
“….”
“I find it quite pleasing.”
He wasn’t saying this to boast about his preference for mixing whiskey with tea.
There was only one reason to reveal one’s vulnerability to someone with whom relations were strained.
To lay aside past discomforts and confide one’s inner thoughts; that’s why I decided to lend an ear.
“Alan Maydoff. I have a request.”
“It’s not a request, but an order.”
“Must it be that way? …But Alan Maydoff, if I give an order, you, or rather, you’ll start figuring out a way to escape. It was the same before. That’s why I’m asking politely. And this time, there won’t be any clever ways to avoid it.”
“….”
“In a little while, witness the execution ceremony of my brothers-in-law.”
The Emperor, insisting that I should watch the execution of his brothers-in-law.
“Your Majesty, may I inquire about the reason?”
“You already have an inkling, don’t you?”
How am I supposed to know that?
However, upon careful consideration, there was indeed a plausible guess.
In the end, it had to do with Victoria. If we consider Victoria’s character, she must have wanted to witness the execution personally. Even if it meant asserting that it was a punishment she herself led. So, ultimately, the Emperor’s intention was…
“Victoria probably wants to sever ties with me emotionally.”
I was the mastermind behind the downfall of the Wulphol family.
Of course, it was an act carried out in collaboration with Victoria, but the fact remains that I orchestrated the conspiracy. I even wielded a mace against Hayden and his daughter. There was a possibility that if Victoria sensed my repulsion while watching the scene of the Hayden brothers being burned alive, it might affect her.
More precisely, it seemed like what the Emperor hoped for.
“Alan Maydolf, if possible.”
Edmund III spoke only up to this point and hesitated.
He probably mumbled because the words fell short of the Emperor’s dignity. The Emperor was currently somewhere between a weary ruler and an eager father.
From Noble mtl dot com
I’ll carry out as ordered, but it didn’t seem likely to go as the Emperor wished.
This was no longer a matter of how things would turn out in terms of my position.
**
I headed to Cobent Square.
There were two gallows set up in the spacious square.
Gallows that looked somewhat clumsy, with firewood piled high.
It was evidence that there hadn’t been an execution in the Empire for a long time. Even the crowd gathered to watch the execution was buzzing with excitement. Was it strange to be planning to burn someone alive in such an open square?
On the rooftop of a three-story building overlooking the square stood a noble maiden.
Dressed in a black, elegant tunic dress.
However, even in her humble attire, it was hard to hide the platinum-haired beauty. Even without considering her beauty, she was extraordinary. Knights in plain clothing guarded her surroundings, while the person in question stood tall with her shoulders back, carrying a burden.
The protagonist was, of course, the First Princess Victoria.
Wanting to quietly observe, I approached without formalities.
“Allan, is that you?”
Victoria openly showed her surprise as soon as she saw me.
It was indeed a strange situation, even in my opinion.
Workers awkwardly stacking firewood, glancing around the crowd. Citizens of the capital murmuring with tense expressions. And even some onlookers stealing occasional glances at Victoria (or me), recognizing our faces.
And we, watching all of these scenes unfold.
Victoria bit her lip and blurted out something unexpected.
“In truth, it’s not just two people being executed.”
“Is that so?”
“Yes. Jennico Wolff… is one of my external relatives. He is also Timothy’s father. He commanded the 6th Cavalry Division for five years. But during those five years, he received a portion of his salary from the stablemen responsible for managing the horses.”
“Considering it went unnoticed until now, I suppose he only took a portion.”
“How did you…? Anyway, you’re right. It seems they only kept around 50 talers per person each month. At some point, the practice of giving a portion became so natural that it was treated as a kind of membership fee. And one officer who pointed out this practice… sigh.”
“……”
“I truly didn’t know. He even considered giving up his promotion to Major because of me…!”
Victoria muttered sincerely, her voice suddenly becoming louder.
She clenched her fist tightly, her expression contorted in agony. She was blaming herself for not realizing her own family’s corruption. It was a kind of corruption that was difficult to detect from the beginning, but there was no trivial comfort to offer.
Silence lingered for a while.
Meanwhile, the execution platform was completed, and the square buzzed with the crowd.
This means the execution is imminent.
Only then did Victoria slowly turn to look at me. Her eyes were filled with tears.
“…After today, I will go down in history as the princess who executed one uncle and two cousins. That’s not all. The four titles held by the Wolfall family will be severed, and those who escaped execution will live their lives making ropes in labor camps.”
“Your Highness…”
“I’m honestly afraid of how people will look at me. Who would willingly come near me, who trapped her own relatives and subjected them to punishment?”
“…”
“Now, I have no one by my side.”
At this point, a single tear rolled down Victoria’s cheek.
It was normal to be afraid.
How could it be easy for Victoria, who had cut down her own relatives in a fierce battle, to approach her with her own hands? She might even be treated as a more detestable figure than Siena. Siena may have business talent, but Victoria doesn’t even give pocket money to her subordinates.
It is proper to offer comfort, but how should I comfort her?
At that moment, Victoria approached me.
A distance of less than a hand’s length.
A faint citrus scent wafted through the air. Perhaps thinking it was too close, Victoria hesitated for a moment, but she didn’t step back.
“Allen, sir.”
“You may speak.”
“I originally wanted to start by apologizing to you… I thought that was the right thing to do. Didn’t I make you do something terrible this time? Of course, I know that you don’t care about what others say, but still, I felt sorry.”
“…”
“But I decided not to apologize… this time.”
This time?
Doubts surfaced, but Victoria promptly provided an explanation.
“Now, all that remains for me is the journey beyond the horizon.”
At first glance, it seemed like an incongruent statement. However, it wasn’t challenging to speculate on what Victoria truly wanted to convey. The gaze of Victoria, whose firearm had disappeared, was so sharp that it felt burdensome.
Though the situation was somewhat perplexing,
the awkward moment soon passed.
“Hey! Look who’s coming!”
The Hayden brothers appeared in the square, aboard a escorted carriage.
They claimed to have taken a lap around the square like cargo on the carriage. While it didn’t seem like they had been hit with eggs, both of them were visibly sighing sadly. Witnessing the gallows seemed to have forced them to confront reality.
Only then did Victoria divert her gaze from me and signaled to the officer.
The execution was swiftly carried out.
…
“Your Highness! Princess Victoria!”
“Wait, wait! Let’s put this down. It’s not that I’m innocent, but I have a confession to make, confessing all the remaining sins honestly and openly! But if I go like this, it won’t be good for His Majesty, so let’s just go for exile…! With honor!”
Desperate struggles were in vain as the brothers were bound to the gallows.
The executioner immediately set the fire.
“aaah! Put out the fire!!”
Contrary to the desperate cry, the flames grew fiercer with each passing moment.
The brothers’ departure was soon enveloped in dense smoke and flames.
The silence that followed the screams occurred much later.