101 Bloody New Year
***[Richard Wang]***
Prince Robert’s engagement was canceled.
The other side even knew the process of having a concubine.
Even if he didn’t know that Robert liked the Duchess, he was definitely aware of the fact that he tried to drag her by force.
Although it has only been talked about in the hands-on line yet, the engagement will be officially broken off soon.
Seeing how they reacted so quickly, it must have been that the other side had no intention of maintaining this marriage from the beginning.
No matter how much the Crown Prince has a concubine, it is impossible to find out the details behind it in an instant in a country far away.
It means that the country’s ambassador staying here has been keeping an eye on the actions of the crown prince since before.
‘Maybe there was a marriage story with another place behind the scenes…’
The fact that the marriage dragged on without being consummated may itself prove it.
I thought it was because they wouldn’t yield to each other, but it’s possible that it was for a completely different reason.
When I thought that the marriage might not have been established even if all the unfavorable conditions were accepted, bitter water welled up inside me.
‘ha.’
King Richard raised his glass and covered his mouth with a sigh.
Among the crowds in the hall, I saw my son’s figure.
‘That stupid bastard.’
In order to somehow dispel the bad rumors, at this banquet, she appeared as a partner with the daughter of a baron who would become a concubine.
It is to hide the bad rumors subtly through the unfortunate pure love between the crown prince and a low-ranking lady.
Behind the scenes, stories that have been created here and there are being spilled little by little.
‘But that stupid guy.’
Even though he was clearly aware of the situation, his eyes were still secretly following the Duchess.
For today, I told my lips to act affectionately with my partner, the baroness lady.
‘Stupid guy.’
King Richard smiled on the outside and clicked his tongue on the inside.
Even if the king’s seat looks easy, it’s never easy.
No matter how rotten the inside is, the king should smile calmly.
‘Really… I think my insides will rot at this rate.’
The problems now facing are not limited to Prince Robert.
As Duke Weiss said, reports of an increase in the number of demons were coming in from all over the place.
Some roads have been cut off by demon beasts, and it seems that there are people who have been attacked by demon beasts on the highway in some places.
However, there was some hesitation about whether the fact should be announced to everyone.
It is true that the number of demons is increasing.
However, the damage was not so great that everyone was warned and announced.
A number of powerful and important families in Korea have extensively subdued demon beasts during this year’s hunting season.
The situation of some families seems serious, but some damage is unavoidable.
Considering the confusion and danger that would arise from announcing the fact that the number of monsters would increase, it was clear which one was more important.
‘We must never accept the suspicion that the royal family has caused the wrath of God.’
In areas with severe monster damage, you can send royal family soldiers to help, and provide financial support for the time being.
Then, he thought, he could show that the royal family was responding properly, and he could sell some grace.
‘Besides, most of the areas where there was damage are insignificant.’
Thinking that far, King Richard’s expression became bitter.
Most of the families with no increase in the number of monsters or damage were close to the duchy.
I was assuming that it would.
Information exchange between close families is unavoidable.
However, even though they were not close to the duchy, there were many families who started to subdue the beasts.
It was thanks to the spread of rumors that Count Becker and his wife were attacked by demons on their way back from their trip.
At first, I thought it was fortunate, but I later found out that the Duke of Weiss might have done it.
only today
“…”
King Richard cast a sullen gaze at the duchess.
Countess Becker was not leaving the vicinity of the duchess.
It seems that he has become a complete entourage.
‘Someday people will know.’
I thought it was a coincidence, but the fact that the duke leaked information on purpose will eventually become known.
Even if the Duke himself didn’t say anything, the people around him were talking.
‘If that happens, all the people’s gratitude will be directed to that young duke.’
No matter what the royal family does, the evaluation will not be overturned.
King Richard again covered his face with his goblet.
Even if he couldn’t see it, he knew how terrible his face would look now.
I can’t find any equilibrium.
f*cking Duke.
‘Before that happens, we have to send support to the family that suffered from demon beast damage.’
Hurry up.
It is difficult to give the impression that the royal family deliberately hid the fact while knowing about the increase in the number of monsters.
It was around that time that something went wrong in the banquet hall.
The movements of the dancing people gradually stopped from a distance and spread to the center.
and to where he is.
As the hall became quiet, the man’s harsh voice reached King Richard.
‘What’s going on this time! What are the guards doing?’
The hall is too big, and it is hard to see because the pillars and people are in a row.
The chamberlain next to him headed to the center to check what was going on.
However, the chief chamberlain hadn’t taken a few steps, and the people filling the hall were scattered on both sides like a wave.
A road was built, and the men who had been making a fuss at the entrance came forward with violent movements.
All five people.
However, the whole body was covered in blood.
Even though it is still far away, the smell of blood seems to reach here.
It was soaked in blood from head to toe.
Of course, the clothes are also messy.
He didn’t look like he was going to meet the king.
‘That person’s face is familiar to my eyes… I can’t believe that man in front of me.’
King Richard’s face went white.
The king does not know the faces of all the nobles.
Everyone remembers important family members, but people from lower families, even the head of the family, were not well known, and even if they greeted each other, they were easily forgotten.
There is no need for the king to remember such a person, as the chief chamberlain secretly hints at them whenever necessary.
That man must have been one of them.
However, I only remember it because we met a while ago.
He was the one who came up to explain himself after being scolded for sending a letter saying that he was in trouble because of the beast.
And he pleaded for help with tears, saying that he could not stop the demon with his own strength.
‘Damn it.’
Cursing came out spontaneously.
By then, the duke had already warned them, and King Richard promised to help.
I just thought I should know the current situation first.
So I sent an investigator first.
‘Come to think of it, that investigator’s report didn’t come except for the first time.’
I thought the report was delayed because I was not in a hurry, but maybe there was no way to report it because of the monster attack.
The bewildered King Richard and the chamberlain’s eyes met.
The author should get this out of the way before he even starts talking.
The chamberlain seemed to think so too.
He hurriedly approached the man.
The chief chamberlain spoke in a low voice, but the man shouted.
“What do you want to hear later! What do you want to hear!”
The man’s face contorted.
“Beasts attacked our city. My wife, my son, and the people in the city, almost all of them were bitten to death.”
The man stood in the distance and glared at King Richard.
Dare to glar at the king and shout.
“I asked for help several times by letter. Each time, you ignored it. Instead, I was only criticized for neglecting the beast hunt. He finally said that he would help me when I personally came and explained and begged for help. However, His Majesty sent There is only one investigator.”
The person standing behind the man stepped forward.
I quietly put the thing I was holding in my arms to the floor.
When the cloth was unwrapped, a child’s head emerged from within.
The neck was savagely torn, and one side of the head was broken in half.
“oh my god!”
“How did that happen?”
Screaming whispers poured in from all directions.
As if the man was about to fall, he fell to his knees on the floor.
I stare at King Richard while holding the child’s head.
“He’s the only surviving son! I ran out to save this child, but before I could leave the city, I met the Witchbeast again. All the men I was with died, and all we have left is the five of us and the child’s head. Now, can you help me? your majesty!”
The man leaned forward as if he was about to collapse and howled.
“Then… help me. Please save my son. Everyone is dead and this one is left. Everyone… everyone… is dead. The whole city is dead.”
The bloody men shed silent tears.
Tears stained with blood run down my cheeks.
In the quiet hall, only men’s sobs echoed horrifyingly.
The eyes of the nobles in the hall turned to King Richard one by one.
It seems that everyone is to blame.
King Richard looked frozen at the heads of the man and child without saying a word.
***[Heroine Oscar]***
‘oh my god.’
What was feared actually happened.
Even in its worst form.
The king got up and tried to approach the man, but the chief chamberlain quietly reached out his hand to stop him.
Men had knives.
He must have thought that if he did wrong, he would be harmed by the excited people.
The king had no choice but to offer words of consolation from a little distance away, but when the man raised his head and glared at him, he fell silent.
It’s something that wouldn’t happen normally.
But a man who has lost everything has nothing to protect.
Perhaps the fact that he came in here with a knife represents the man’s heart.
The action of the chamberlain was probably right for the king.
But in this case, it’s a handshake.
The king had to go to the man and comfort him personally, even at some risk.
Whether it was the chief chamberlain’s order, or whether he did it on his own, after a while, one of the attendants hurriedly approached the king.
As if something urgent had happened, I whispered something to the king, and the king hurriedly went outside.
Perhaps what the attendant said was nothing special.
It’s just a play to get out of this place.
As long as you can’t do anything about a man, the more he behaves insolently, the more the king loses his face.
I would have thought that if I stayed here any longer, the situation would only get worse.
After the king left, Crown Prince Robert also quietly disappeared.
‘Goofy.’
What if the royal family all vacated their seats?
If hostilities were shown towards the King, at least the Crown Prince had to stay and comfort him.
I let out a gloomy heart.
Catherine’s view was already blocked before the child’s corpse came out, but when she is not seen, the human brain unleashes imagination.
It may have been more frightening to have only heard it with my ears.
Catherine’s body trembled.
Before I knew it, Countess Becker was approaching me.
Her expression didn’t change at all.
Stay calm.
It is said that he has encountered a demon, so he may have seen a scene worse than this.
When our eyes met, Countess Becker nodded slightly, as if not to worry.
I held Catherine’s hand and looked into her eyes.
“Madam, excuse me for a moment. I want you to stay with the Countess.”
Catherine’s white face grew even whiter.
But Katrin nodded calmly and pulled away a little.
Almost at the same time as she was pulling away from me, the Countess put her arms around Catherine’s shoulders.
Katrin’s body was shaking a little, maybe her legs were shaking.
“I’d better leave this seat to the men and we’ll go that way.”
As Countess Becker and the counselor’s wives moved in unison, the women who were watching from a little distance also began to move.
Little by little, like the ebb tide, the women moved away from the neighborhood.
I approached the man who was still on the floor crying.
Kneeling next to the man, I untied the scarf around my neck.
After spreading the long rectangular lace scarf on the floor, I saw the man.
The man was crushing and hugging the child’s head.
The temperature of life has already disappeared, and the child does not feel anything.
But the motionless child’s lips seemed to be screaming in pain.
I quietly put my hand on the man’s arm.
“A child…”
I opened my mouth, but my throat was choking and I couldn’t speak.
I cleared my throat and continued.
“Let’s return the child… to the arms of the gods. It is not good for the child to stay too long on earth.”
The voice made me cry involuntarily.
The man held the child’s head as it was for a moment, but after a while, he lifted his tear-stained face.
“…the Duke of Weiss.”
“…”
Seeing the understanding in the man’s eyes, I loosened his fingers one by one.
I’m holding on too tight, my hands won’t loosen up.
child is sick
I suddenly had that thought, and I couldn’t stand it.
It seems that both the man and the men behind him knew my heart.
Their sobs grew louder.
As people watched, I carefully placed the child’s head on the scarf and wrapped it finely.
The cloth that originally wrapped the child was soaked with blood, but now that it has been dead for a long time, it no longer bleeds.
The head of the child wrapped in lace, if you didn’t know it, it looked like it was just wrapped in a pretty treasure.
His maternal grandfather, the Marquis of Hoven, came closer and silently sat next to the man.
As I picked up the cloth wrapped around the child, Marquis Hoven helped the staggering man to his feet.
In silence, me, Marquis Hoven, and the bloody men walked across the hall.
This year’s New Year’s banquet ended with that.