48 – Bloodline of Vaskhill
A good story.
Mar smiled cunningly, as if presenting a tempting venomous apple.
“Let me be straightforward. I’ll fix the Queen’s anomaly.”
“You…! Don’t babble nonsense!”
“Whether it’s nonsense or not, judge for yourself.”
Mar gripped the blade pointed at me with his finger. As he did, blood dripped to the floor when the blade pierced the flesh and touched the bone. Mar then confidently spread his palm.
It was a perilous act that could have cost him his finger. However, Ronan’s eyes were quick to catch Mar’s rapidly healing finger.
“Now, will you believe?”
“Could it be… the sacred power that seemed only recorded until now…?”
“More precisely, it’s the power of the baptismal name… but there’s no need to interpret differently. Well, proof is done. Now, the only concern left is whether King Vaskhill will listen to a good story or not.”
At that moment, Ronan’s thoughts accelerated rapidly.
Whether it was a good or bad story, in the end, it would directly result in an alliance with the demons. However, seeking an alliance with the demons was a betrayal of humanity.
The Treaty of Human Defense, its first article.
[Anyone colluding with demons is designated as a traitor to the human community regardless of their status.]
[Furthermore, individuals or groups designated as traitors to humanity will be eliminated unconditionally.]
Ronan, a leader of a nation, was well aware of the danger. Yet, despite this knowledge, humans sometimes allowed emotions to override reason. In his current state of psychological turmoil, Ronan thought, ‘If it’s just a story… if it’s just listening to a story, wouldn’t it be okay?’
The balance of Ronan’s thoughts was tilting.
If it was an absurd story, he could simply reject it. However, if it was a proposal worth exploiting, it seemed fitting to delve into the square of humanity’s defense threats by turning his mind.
His weighing was done.
“That story. Let me hear it.”
“You’ve thought wisely, King Vaskhill.”
Mar shook a harmless smile wide.
Before continuing the story, she added one demand.
“But there is one more person needed to hear the story.”
“Who are you talking about?”
“The princess of this country, Leticia Vaskhill.”
◇
Leticia received a discreet call and ran hastily, forgetting her dignity. Since Ronan, who would be smooth even if you dusted him off, called someone secretly, the act itself was unfamiliar.
In Ronan’s private office, they arrived, where Ronan and an unidentified woman were seated.
At first, she thought it might be a royal mistress candidate. If that were the case, Ronan secretly calling her would have been understandable. However, when the woman removed the tightly pressed hood, Leticia let out a silent scream.
“…… Abamama…!!!”
“Sit down, Leticia.”
“Wait, that woman is definitely…!”
“I know too. Sit down, and let’s talk.”
Leticia looked puzzled in an incomprehensible situation. Sitting side by side with the enemy of humanity, whom she should be strangling right now.
Since ancient times, demons were taught to be cunning and wicked. Leticia was in the mood to escape with Ronan even now.
In the midst of all this, the demon woman gestured gently to the princess.
“You look beautiful, Princess. How about we share a pleasant story together?”
“… Leticia. I know what you’re thinking. Still, trust me just this once.”
Doubt and anger surged within, but choices were scarce at the moment. Thus, with narrowed eyes, Leticia quietly took a seat next to Ronan.
Meanwhile, Marca lightly clapped her hands and laughed innocently.
“Alright. Let’s start the story. First, to help the princess catch up… I can fix the anomaly of Queen Lunia Basquille.”
“… What?”
“I can not only perfectly fix it without any aftereffects but also adjust it to be better than before.”
With confidence in her statement, Leticia stood up abruptly and rebutted.
“Nonsense. Worthless pseudo-science. Get up and chase this woman away, will you? Abamama!”
“Leticia…”
While Leticia’s opinion might have been valid initially, Ronan had witnessed a miracle before his eyes. Therefore, with a stern gaze, he seated her back.
“It’s a confirmed fact. That woman has the ability.”
“What are you saying…?”
“Fact or not, Princess. Even if it’s not true, what if we let her go after that?”
It seemed like a reasonable suggestion. Leticia, unable to come up with a counterargument, tightly sealed her lips.
“What are the conditions?”
“It’s simple. Give me the purest Basquille bloodline.”
“That’s…!”
It was said that the Basquille lineage inherited its characteristics well when the hair was black, and the eyes were vividly dark. And among the current Basquilles, there was only one child with black hair and black eyes, be it in the direct or collateral lineage.
“Letitia… Are you asking for my daughter?”
“If the one with the strongest bloodline is the princess… Then I must answer ‘yes’.”
“Don’t be ridiculous!”
Crash!
Rohan struck the table with enough force to shatter it. It stopped just short of losing control, but his anger had not subsided.
“Letitia was wise. It was pointless babbling that wasn’t worth listening to.”
“I don’t understand. It’s not like they’re asking for you to sacrifice yourself as a princess.”
“Regardless, this conversation ends at the mention of Letitia…”
Just as Rohan was about to lower his voice.
Letitia hastily intervened.
“Just a moment, Avamama.”
“Letitia?”
“What’s your name?”
In a soft, melting tone, he answered Letitia’s question.
“They call me ‘Mar’, favored by you.”
“Yes, Mar. It seems like you want me, so I would like to hear the reason as the person involved.”
“It’s simple. I hope you can become the bridge of peace between humans and demons.”
“Please explain in more detail.”
“Will you marry me?”
“With whom?”
“The King of Demon Spirits. Please be the Rain of the Demon King. Of course, it’s just a proposal.”
At Mar’s suggestion, the air in the room froze. Not only Ronan but also Leticia found it difficult to move their lips easily. The surreal proposal brought a dreamlike sensation.
“… That’s a lie.”
“What?”
“The bridge between humans and demons. Among the things you said, that’s the only one that is blatantly false.”
“How do you know?”
“A woman’s intuition is sharp.”
“I’m a woman too, but I can only agree. The Lord above doesn’t bestow powers as remarkable as a woman’s intuition…”
Mar didn’t directly affirm or deny. However, it became almost evident that the bridge of peace was a falsehood.
“So, Your Highness, are you unwilling?”
“No.”
“Leticia…!”
Ronan grabbed Leticia’s arm, surprised by her unexpected answer. Clearly, initially, it was Leticia who held Ronan’s arm, but their relationship had completely reversed.
“Dear mother, it’s not like I’m going to die or anything.”
“Of course not. Who dares to meddle with the Demon King’s bedroom? If you wish, I’ll provide luxury and pleasure overflowing.”
“Things like a bridge of peace are nonsense. I’d rather disappear quietly without anyone noticing.”
“That kind of approach is fine too. It’s an easy task.”
Leticia sharply shot a glance at Mar, who was capturing the wind next to her.
“But why me? What significance does it have for the Bloodline of Baschill?”
“Oh, didn’t you know? It’s better to hear this directly from the King of Baschill.”
“Abamama?”
Ronan was engulfed in self-loathing. The fact that his once ignorant daughter now aspired to own a thoroughbred horse turned his insides upside down.
Yet, at this point, there was no hiding the inevitable truth.
He finally spoke.
“…The Tribe of Fertility and Prosperity. That’s what the ancestors of Baschill were called.”
The expression sounded noble, but the reality was different. The distinctive trait of Baschill’s bloodline was its unique ability to enable crossbreeding through the thoroughbred horse itself.
Men with pitch-black eyes and hair to the extreme could impregnate cows and horses, while women, too, were known to conceive offspring from various races.
Letitia, having absorbed all these truths, grasped it firmly.
“…Could I become the Demon King?”
“Not so much becoming one, but due to possessing an overwhelming power, the mother couldn’t withstand carrying the child. About twenty wives all perished immediately after conceiving.”
“So, are you placing hope in the Baschill bloodline?”
“Not hope, but certainty. Surprisingly, your bloodline is remarkable. Even considering it from a human perspective, claiming a superior existence is not an exaggeration.”
“So, the conclusion is that I can endure this?”
“Yes, without that, I wouldn’t go to such extremes in pursuing this ‘line.’ If things are resolved well, you can return to the kingdom as if nothing happened.”
“…I see. That’s how it is.”
Letitia gulped down her anxiety. Then, she leaned on Ronan, who was silently watching her back.
“Abamama.”
“No, don’t say that.”
“I’ll go.”
“Letitia, please…”
“I’m okay.”
She left her memoir as calmly as possible.
“My mom and dad gave birth to me and showed me the world. They always loved me. If I don’t repay that kindness, how can I call myself human?”
“That’s a natural thing as parents. It’s something you should do.”
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“We, as parents, call those who consider racial hardships as something natural.”
Leticia knelt down. Then, she bowed her head to Ronan and bid farewell with a moist voice.
“So now, I want to do what you find difficult as something natural.”
“Leticia…!”
“I will repay all the troubles I’ve caused so far, right here.”
She left her sincerity for the last time.
“I love you. Mom, dad.”