I Became the Monster's Bride

The World that You Would Be Living In. (3)

Roelin corrected her posture and took a seat eventually after the Court Physician had left. Then, Silloa brought along some fresh cushions and propped them against Roelin’s back so she could sit much more comfortably.

“Thank you, Silloa.”

“No, Empress. Really now! Shall I bring some refreshments? I heard that the chef has developed a new type of dessert for the Empress with those apples that she harvested this time.”

“Really? Then, I’ll ask that of you.”

Roelin smiled faintly at Silloa’s words and nodded her head. Silloa responded that she would prepare them immediately and withdrew herself.

“……”

A small sigh leaked out of Roelin’s mouth as she stared at that back for a moment. Lucy, who had been silently standing by her side until then, began to open her mouth cautiously.

“Are you worried about Rakain?”

“Huh? Ah… just a little bit. Still, I’m just glad that it wouldn’t lead to war. There should be no such thing as countless innocent lives being sacrificed unjustly.”

Both her mother and brother who had tried to kill her could be demanded against their own sins. However, it made no sense at all to be asking the people of Rakain for their sinsin return.

They were just born and lived there. However, if war were to break out soon, their home would definitely be ruined.

Roelin had no doubts that even in the event of war, Seroif would eventually emerge victorious. She had been more relieved since she was utterly sure of this.

“Besides, I don’t want that to happen because of me.”

All she ever wanted was to just live like this—without seeing them again at all.

She had cut off all her attachments towards Rakain. She was no longer a member of the Rakain Royal Family and she was no longer their family as well.

For her, her only family was Kergel and only that man as to what she had said.

‘…Perhaps this is also due to the fact that she just doesn’t want to get involved with them ever again.’

Whether it had been war or whatever it was, she never wanted to take part in anything to do with Rakain again.

“So, I just hope that it will eventually end like that…”

Roelin muttered to herself along with her own wishes.

* * *

“Welcome, Duke.”

“My greetings to the King of Rakain.”

The Duke of Pazolan straight away greeted Lenoff. Lenoff offered him a seat with a relaxed smile. Then, the Duke of Kaizen, who had been the one to first arrive, requested for a handshake with the Duke of Pazolan.

Lenoff raised the corner of his mouth as he watched how the two old Dukes were exchanging greetings. It was rather funny how they actually glanced at him while greeting each other.

“You must be wondering why I’ve called—in the name of a secret meeting without anyone even knowing.”

Excluding Seroif, he had summoned both the Dukes from the two principalities and asked for a meeting.

“…Hmm. You do speak right away without trying to beat around the bush. What do you mean that you have to talk to us?”

Among the two of them, the Duke of Kaizen, who had an impatient personality, spoke up first. Due to this impatient personality of his as well was the reason he appeared first at the meeting.

Lenoff swallowed his laughter that was just about to burst open before turning his head slightly. Then, some masked servants approached and hurriedly began to serve refreshments on the table.

“I didn’t come here to simply eat something like this…”

“Shouldn’t you protect what you really wish to protect?”

Lenoff interrupted the words that the Duke of Kaizen was impatiently trying to imply. Then, he gestured towards one of the previous servants. Not before long, the person who earned his gesture started to approach Lenoff cautiously.

“We are not such beasts…… It’s just a person.”

Lenoff’s hand went to the servant’s mask. And his hands gracefully removed the mask as if he was merely playing a musical instrument.

“…Haa!”

“……!”

As they saw the servant’s face, the two people instantly gasped in amazement.

The whole face seemed to be throbbing and looked as if the skin could just spill out at any moment.

“This—such a monster…”

“Ah, what do you mean, monster. It must be unpleasant for this ‘person’ to listen to. There’s actually an actual monster out there.”

Lenoff raised a corner of his mouth and laughed. Then, he posed a question to the servant whose mask had just been removed because of himself earlier.

“Isn’t that so, Heyen Tegort?”

“……Ha, Heyen Tegort?”

The Duke of Pazolan narrowed his brows at the name that he had heard with his ears. Heyen Tegort. He was a scholar who could be called the pride of Pazolan itself. However, he disappeared a long time ago and there was no way to find out about his whereabouts…

“Could it be—that Heyen Tegort?”

The King looked back at the servant, Heyen, before opening his eyes wide in response. Then, Heyen turned his body towards the Duke of Pazolan and bowed down to show a sense of his respect.

“I greet Your Grace, the Duke.”

“…The real Heyen Tegort?”

The Duke tried to recall the face of that said Heyen through his own memory. However, there was no trace of the past to be found across the disfigured face. Feeling confused, he began to open his mouth at Lenoff once again.

“What are you going to do? For what purpose have you kidnapped Tegort at this kind of time…”

“How could Rakain even do such an ugly thing? He just wanted to come over to Rakain and get settled down. In fact, this is also the first time that I’ve come to know about this.”

A smile flashed across Lenoff’s blue eyes. The Duke of Pazolan, who became offended by this, stirred in his seat before he stood up.

“Are you trying to mock me right now? If that’s what you called us for, then there’s no real reason to be here any longer!”

“How are you in such a big hurry? I thought that only the Duke of Kaizen was impatient, but looks like the Duke of Pazolan is quite restless as well.”

The smile soon disappeared from the corner of Lenoff’s mouth, which had just been laughing away. Then, the Duke of Pazolan flinched as he exchanged glances with the Duke of Kaizen. Soon after, with a cough that seemingly cleared his throat, he took a seat back down.

It was because he had a hunch that the full story as well as the purpose of this meeting would be revealed shortly.