The Devil Who Breaks My Neck

As Charlotte disappeared into the colorful carriage like a crumpled goods, some looked at Miguel, who had fallen from his mother with a pitiful face. But Ezekiel saw the smile near Miguel’s mouth clearly and turned around. He beckoned the old butler.

“……lock him up where he’s staying.”

At Ezekiel’s order, the old butler stiffened his face and approached Miguel. Then he pulled the child after removing the nanny attached to Miguel. The middle-aged woman attached to Miguel threw herself in front of Ezekiel.

“Oh, My Lord. No, Master Miguel is still young.”

“…….”

“Well, I’ll stay with him. I have to be with him.….”

Anyone could tell the woman was full of loyalty. However, Ezekiel confirmed that there was something dazed in the woman’s eyes and said calmly.

“Get her out of the castle. And don’t let her set foot here again.”

When the old butler signalled at the servants, the servants dragged Miguel’s nanny this time. The woman was dragged out calling Miguel’s name.

Ezekiel glanced at Miguel, who was being held by the old butler, and called Edgar, who was in front of the knights, and said something.

“……take care of it.”

“Yes.”

Edgar, who bowed his head in front of Ezekiel, got on the horse. Soon a group of knights led by Edgar and a carriage carrying Charlotte went out of the gate, making dust fly. Miguel greeted the carriage, which was getting smaller and smaller.

“Good-bye, Mother.”

***

Where Edgar’s party arrived was the border between the North and the barbarians. Edgar stopped his horse while looking around the desolate land. It was already dark and it would be completely dark after a little more time.

“Take it out.”

It was a harsh word as if he was dealing with a thing. A knight pulled Charlotte out of the fancy carriage. Charlotte was almost thrown to the floor with a scream.

“Hey, this is……?”

In response to Charlotte’s question, Edgar cut off the bar and rope connecting to the carriage and the harness and separated the horses from the carriage. And he ordered the knights to take the box from the carriage.

Thud.

The box, which was carried by several knights, settled on the floor with a heavy sound matching the weight. Edgar opened the box with his foot.

The box with the lid open was full of gold, clattering around. Charlotte’s eyes grew momentarily in brilliant gold staring at it.

“It’s the gold that the Duke promised you. It weighs several times your body. It’s all yours.”

Charlotte hugged the box with spiteful eyes at the words. Now that she had been kicked out, she was going to take this. When Miguel becomes the Duke, she will return to the castle.

Smothering the box of gold, she began to grin with bloodshot eyes. Edgar narrowed his brow and turned around.

“Let’s go back.”

Edgar handed over the horse separated from the carriage to the other knights. The knights tied the horses behind their respective horses and turned themselves along Edgar. Charlotte, who was smiling at the gold, finally felt strange and shouted.

“What is this! You there! I can’t leave me here!”

Edgar stood tall in place. Charlotte closed the lid of the box containing gold and approached him, faltering. Her eyes were filled with anxiety instead of joy.

“Hey, how do you want me to take this if you go away like this?… I have to move this. Show me where I’m going to live right now, you piece of cloth.”

“……The order I have received is that you, this gold, and this carriage will be left here. His Excellency said himself; Retrieve all the horses and come back.”

Charlotte’s eyes widened with consternation. You’re leaving me, the woman, the gold, and the horseless carriage in this wasteland? Are you out of your mind? But the eyes of the knight looking at her were so calm. Charlotte pointed to Edgar with her trembling fingers.

“He wants to kill me, doesn’t he? Otherwise…….”

“…….”

“Speak it out! He wants to kill me, doesn’t he? Your master told you to kill me, didn’t he? Otherwise, how!”

“Why did you become so greedy?”

“What?”

“It’s not enough to be presumptuous, but to poison Master Erzen and his wife, so you deserve it.”

At the end of the sentence, Edgar got on the horse. And he kicked the horse in the side without any hesitation. The horse carrying Edgar began to run with a long cry, followed by other knights.

“There! Stop there! Argh!”

Behind the dust, Charlotte screamed. But in the dangerous land, there was no answer to her scream.

***

Herace was excited to see Erzen. Sitting in front of the greenhouse fountain, she opened the shirt she sewed for her son, with eyes full of affection.

Blue birds were beautifully embroidered on the shirt. When Herace stroked the blue bird embroidered by herself, the blue bird trapped in the next cage chirped.

“Do you feel stuffy? Do you want to come out?”

Herace opened the cage door and put her finger toward the bluebird. The little bird sat on Herace’s finger, moved its head around, and moved back into the cage.

“I wish it could fly…….”

The bird did not fly out even if the cage was opened, perhaps because it was tamed. Herace looked at the bird with pitiful eyes, closed the cage door and picked up the shirt she had put on the chair. The banquet will be over in a little while, and then Erzen can try this on.

“Isn’t it over yet…….”

But her wait continued until the sun went down and the sky became dark. In the chilly weather, Herace moved into the room and looked nervously at the door. And at last there was a knock on the door.

“Erzen!”

Herace smiled broadly, expecting her son to stand. However, the door opened and it was one of the maids who brought the meal. The maid bowed her head when her disappointment was revealed.

“Hey…… isn’t the banquet over yet?”

“…….”

The maid did not answer Herace’s question. At first glance, she looked the same as usual, but Herace felt strange from the maid who only looked at the floor with shaky hands. Herace spoke coldly in her voice.

“…what’s going on out there? Is it related to my son?”

“Oh!”

Herace was just wondering, but the maid was surprised by Herace’s words and missed the plate. The bowl did not break, but it fell on the table with a sharp sound. Red sauce dripped onto the surface of the tablecloth.

Herace went to the door without delay. And without any hesitation, she popped the door open.

***

“Madam, you have to go back. You can’t come out like this.”

“…….”

“Madam, please…….”

The maid and the knight who was guarding the hallway stuck to Herace and begged in a troubled voice. But Herace walked away pretending she didn’t hear their voices.

“No, I’m not locking you up. You can go out freely if you want. But I can’t guarantee what I’ll do if you break the rules.”

She was afraid of Ezekiel’s words that were close to intimidation. But she couldn’t stay still because she didn’t even know what happened to Erzen right now. Herace crossed the garden faster and faster.

But when the main building began to be seen in the distance, a man stood in her way. To be exact, Herace and the man, who were rushing around the corner, almost collided.

“What’s going on?”

“…….”

“Hicc. Huh? Aren’t you the Duchess?”

The man was very drunk. Not only his face, but also his neck and chest, which were seen through his untidy shirt, were red. The knight and maid who were following her sent her back and blocked her.

“Ben! Are you crazy? Get out of the way now!”

The maid shouted in a small voice as if she had recognized the man. But the man laughed with a grin, threw away the bottle he was holding, and began to look through them to Herace with a loud giggle.

“What kind of wind made your precious body come out? You should have just sat still like a bird with its wings cut off.”

The man’s hostility toward Herace was obvious. When the man uttered rude words even at the maid’s scolding, the knight crumpled his face and reached out to the man.

“A woman who can only sit motionlessly when other people are doing everything…… Argh!”

With a thud, the man fell to the floor and was overpowered. The knight twisted the man’s arm and said to Herace.

“Don’t listen.”

“Hmm… Paul, it’s no use bowing to her. Your girl was kicked out of the castle because of her, too. Anna? Yes. She was that woman’s maid.”

However, the man named Ben made fun of the knight with his mouth while struggling with pain. Herace, who was solidifying herself in the sudden situation, opened her eyes wide to the name of the man’s mouth.

“Anna, what’s the name of the kid who likes you? Did you say Paul? What do you think? Do you want me to talk to him?”

“How can you talk to him for me? Paul is three years younger than me! He’s a total kid.”

Herace’s eyes stared at the knight’s face. Not only did he completely change from how he looked a few years ago, but he no longer had an innocent look. There was only terrible bitterness and depression on the face of the boy who grew up as a robust knight.

“She ran away with that woman using you because you liked her. And she was caught and beaten and kicked out. She (Herace) only has a knack for using his maids or her subordinates.”

“……I’ll cut your throat if you make more fun of Madam.”

“Stop. Leave it alone.”

Paul pulled out his sword as words of insult to Herace continued. Herace dissuaded him and moved on. She didn’t have time to argue with such a drunkard. But as soon as she took a few steps away, Ben said out loud from behind so she could hear him.

“How many lives have you ruined with this……. Just today, Lily died and the woman who gave birth to Master Miguel was kicked out. Poor Master Miguel. He lost his mother just in a day. It would have been better if it was the unlucky kid who looks like you…….”

Herace’s feet froze as soon as she heard Erzen’s name. She came back and grabbed Ben by the collar, which was still lying face down.

“Speak it right. What happened to Erzen? What do you mean?”

Ben, who was caught by the collar, said naturally. Rather, it was the maid and Paul who looked surprised at the sudden change of Herace. But Ben soon laughed at her and grinned.

“With your expression…. Are you saying you are his mother who doesn’t know what happened? Yeah. I’ll let you know in person because no one would have told you. Your son. Today…….”

“Ben! Shut that mouth!”

Paul shouted and tried to cut Ben off. However, Ben, who was looking at Herace with hateful eyes, finally uttered words with a strong smell of alcohol.

“……He almost died from poison. I wish he’d really died. It’s a waste.”

***