Love Doesn't Matter

Chapter 34 – Mercilessly Thrown Away

Hadius was calm. He didn’t blink once.

“I’m not sure. It is difficult to give an immediate answer. Getting blood on your hands isn’t easy. What do you think, Sir?”

Hadius answered and opened the carriage door. The cool air rushed in and forced out the thick cigarette smoke.

“It is dangerous. Especially if you have a lot of eyes on you like now.”
“However, isn’t it the simplest and easiest solution?”

William glanced at him in surprise, and then he burst into laughter.

“As expected, you didn’t go to the military academy for nothing. You and I have something in common.”

Hadius looked at William without agitation.

“Actually, it’s not like I hadn’t thought of that. I don’t know if you know, but I’ve often discussed it with your mother or Grand Duke Reinen. We call it ‘the last resort’. To be honest, if you don’t have any affection for that commoner chick, it’s fine to just get rid of her.”
“…”
“But it is already too late. There is nothing we can do about that chick now. The parliamentarians could be just waiting for us to rashly get our hands on her. Because people tend to gather like a flock when they see blood.”
“… I agree.”

William took another drag of his cigarette. The slender cheeks gathered in the center resembled a vampire sucking blood.

“Until a few days ago, I couldn’t think of anything either. Then, suddenly, a very wonderful idea came to my mind. It’s called the ‘cheating fiancée’.”

Hadius’ eyes, which had been as calm as a lake, shook for the first time.
Then, they became calm in a moment. Hadius smiled, as if it were a little funny, and looked at William.

“The cheating fiancée?”
“Exactly. You’re trying to calm the public opinion by sympathizing with the chick, and then secretly negotiating with the King behind her back? Why would you do such a troublesome thing? It is over if she cheats on you. Don’t you think so?”
“That’s a very interesting idea.”
“So, does it appeal to you?”

A light laugh escaped from Hadius’ mouth.

“It’s not bad, but I have to point out one important issue. I’m not sure if it’s possible that she will obediently meet another man and cheat on me like we want.”

Suddenly, William burst out laughing. His laughing was so loud that the footman waiting outside was startled.

“What is so funny?”

When his head, which had been bent backwards, turned to Hadius again, William looked like a child giving out a riddle.

“I guess you haven’t heard it yet. Actually, I discovered something very interesting not long ago. About your fiancée.”
“It is hard to understand what you mean.”
“If you are curious, go to your mother. I don’t want to say it myself.”
“… If you are uncomfortable, I will do that.”

The voice that answered contained a hint of annoyance, and not curiosity. It was a bit disappointing for William, who had expected a more intense reaction.

“Then, I’ll assume that you’re accepting my plan for now. Make sure to discuss the specifics with your mother.”
“I will consider it.”
“I guarantee you; your eyes will open when you hear it from your mother.”

William rubbed his palms with great anticipation.

“Well, even if that method doesn’t work, don’t worry too much. If it doesn’t work, it’s fine to just get rid of her. Don’t you think so?”

William laughed and put out his cigarette with his wrinkled hands. The bright red blaze was extinguished in an instant.

***

Hadius saw the carriage off and went straight across the garden. The servants who encountered their master were overwhelmed by his chilly atmosphere and flinched without even saying hello.

The irritated steps stopped in front of a large warehouse behind the mansion.

It was modeled after the shooting room, the training ground of the Elfort Military Academy. There were dozens of long-barreled rifles hanging on the wall, and the drawers were filled with all kinds of weapons.

The servant who was cleaning the barrel was startled by his master’s sudden appearance. However, as he knew very well when his master would visit this place, he put down the rifle he was holding and hurriedly opened the drawer.
Pistols and rifles were lined up in rows. From among them, the servant chose his master’s favorite, the Colt, a long, quick revolver.

Meanwhile, Hadius unbuttoned his sleeves and folded his shirt up. Click, the sound of the gun being loaded followed.

“Young Master, the earplugs…”
“Get out of here.”

The servant felt an obeying pressure from the cold, serious voice. The moment he came out of the shooting range,

Bang!

A roar rang out. The servant looked back, frightened. Through the narrow gap in the door, he could see a hole in the center of the human-shaped target. His eyes of admiration turned to this master.
Standing with his long legs, his back looked firm and yet strangely swaying at the same time.

‘It’s fine to get rid of her.’

Hadius couldn’t shake off his voice, which resonated like an echo. Among the scattered smoke, that day long ago rose like a haze.

***

When was it? It was probably about a year after their engagement.

When he visited Krambitz Villa to visit his father, he stopped at the study there for the first time. There was no particular reason. That day, his father was in an exceptionally deep sleep, and Hadius had to spend time until he woke up.

Without thinking, he bent over and looked through the bookshelf…

‘Don’t think too much of it. It’s not a real marriage, it’s just an engagement. We’ll pretend to follow the King’s command faithfully, and then break up the engagement at the right time.’

He heard a low voice over the bookshelf. It belonged to his mother, Caitlyn.

‘Do you think it will be that easy? She will become the Duchess if she just waits. What kind of girl would break up the engagement so obediently?’

The owner of the voice asking the blunt question is Bianca’s father, Hannes.

‘Don’t worry. That is never going to happen.’
‘Ha! How can you be so sure?’

For the first time that day, Hadius found out about the secret room in the study and the existence of the secret meeting taking place there. He leaned over and listened to their conversation.

‘I recently invited her to a dinner party and kept an eye on her. I’m sure, she is not the type of person who doesn’t know her place and acts recklessly. I am even doing what I can so that she doesn’t dare covet it.’
‘… Is the human mind so easily controlled? Even if you think of that chick like that, what do you know? Will Hadius fall for her and lose his reason? Everyone was surprised on the engagement day. Even though she is still a young girl, she is pretty good-looking, and all the men there were drooling over her. I have no intention of making my daughter Bianca compete with a chick like that before marriage.’
‘Hadius has no interest in that child. He is not someone to lose his mind over a girl either.’
‘How can you guarantee that? Haven’t you heard that ‘like father, like son’?’
‘Grand Duke!’
‘Stop it.’

William Richards’ sudden interruption silenced the two who raised their voices.

‘There’s nothing complicated about it. If you notice anything strange between the two of them, please contact me immediately. I will make it very simple for you.’

Shocking words continued from William’s grinning mouth.

‘Even if they fall in love with each other, what’s the point? It’s over if you just get rid of that chick.’

Hadius, who had his ears pressed against the bookshelf, was completely frozen.

‘Even so, didn’t His Majesty personally hold the engagement ceremony for her? If we recklessly hire an assassin, you may suffer a counterattack due to the King’s suspicion.’
‘You can’t ignore the parliamentarians either. If that child died suddenly, wouldn’t they be suspicious of us?’
‘You think I, who am second-to-none, wouldn’t have that in mind? I don’t mean to kill her right now either. Let’s wait and see for now and do that if we reach a dead end. The only thing that will solve all problems at once, very clearly, is death. Caitlyn, you just need to take good care of the spies you have attached to your son.’

It was then that he first became aware of the spies’ existence.
His assistant, the coachman, the tutor, the aide, and even some boys he thought were real friends.

The sixteen-year-old heir gradually realized that his life had been a world of lies and deceit, thoroughly manipulated by his mother.

‘Even if he is a child or an heir, you should be careful. You don’t want Hadius to take over everything in the family and do his own thing, right? You must be regent. At least until Hadius marries Bianca and the merger is complete. Don’t you think so?’

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The silence was brief. Clank, the glasses hit each other as they made a toast, as if a huge agreement had been reached between the three people.

At that moment, Hadius mercilessly threw them away.

The little girl who was shining with a golden light, the big ring that he put on the child’s finger, and the smile they exchanged for a moment.

The blue eyes that covered everything in an instant, like a tidal wave…

All those things.