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Chapter 50
The eldest son of Viscount Seal.
At the age of sixteen, Zelton ended his short life.
The newsletter took the case seriously.
[ The severed head of an aristocrat at the South Gate of Winter Castle. ]
[ What did Zelton do wrong? ]
It was a very unusual and unconventional move.
There were also voices of criticism about whether a proper trial or understanding the situation was given priority.
In fact, even Viola did not know that the Duke would move so radically. He simply summed up the situation in one word.
‘These days, rats are fearless. How dare they do such thing in the Winter Castle.’
And he cut his neck himself.
He hung his neck at the south gate of the winter castle and displayed it as if he were a worker bee.
Some nobles protested, though Duke Heron did not care at all.
Meanwhile, some nobles objected, and some nobles were silent. Only a few nobles said that Duke Heron did very well.
However, among the common people, the story was different.
“Are you okay?”
“Of course! Am I not a citizen of the Winter Castle?”
“What happened? Is the newsletter true?”
“Princess Viola sent her pet sword.”
“She herself?”
“Yeah. She’s a regular in our shop.”
“She sent her pet sword because she was a regular?”
“Hey! It can’t be! As one of the owners of Winter Castle, she has protected the citizens of Winter Castle because you are a citizen of Winter Castle!”
The commoners in Winter Castle were overwhelmed.
Their master, the Duke of Veratoux, beheaded the nobleman for them. Because of that, this became a message and touched the hearts of commoners.
‘Winter Castle never forsakes the people of Winter Castle.’
And, at the center of this work was the ‘Pet Sword.’
Pet Sword Tundra.
“You moved as fast as a lightning bolt and cut off Zelton’s limbs in an instant?”
“Ah, no, that, that…”
It wasn’t.
He did arrest Zelton, but Tundra did not directly kill Zelton.
“Those who torment the citizens of Winter Castle deserved it even if they suffer like that.”
“Of course.”
The rumors that were spread were a bit twisted. Viola, who witnessed the torment of the citizens of Winter Castle, sent her minion, Tundra, to slaughter him.
“The rumors weren’t wrong either.”
“What rumors?”
“Iron-Blood Princess. A Veratoux, who is more Veratoux than anyone else. Rumors about the adopted Princess of Veratoux.”
Where Viola had no idea, the voice of praise for Viola began to rise little by little.
Heron’s office.
It was a quiet time, past eleven o’clock at night.
The scarlet light of the magic candle touched the Duke’s cheek. Viola gazed at the Duke’s orange-tinted cheeks, and her legs trembled hidden under her skirt.
“Why did you call me?”
He had been silent for thirty minutes after calling her as he was signing papers for half an hour, and he hadn’t even looked towards her.
‘Why?’
He was the person who decapitated even the Viscount’s son for acting up in the Winter Castle.
There was talk of the decapitating done in the office. It felt as if the smell of blood had been tainted in this place.
‘Why don’t you talk to me!’
After thirty minutes passed, the Duke finally opened his mouth.
“Why did I call you?”
‘How would I know that? Father called me, so I just came. So, why are you asking me that, huh?’
Nevertheless, she had to come up with a reasonable answer.
Viola felt it again this time.
Heron was obviously the absolute supreme in this world, and there was no way to go against the absolute. Having fallen into such a world, wouldn’t it be necessary to adapt and survive?
She answered the question with a question.
“Why did you kill the eldest son of Viscount Seal?”
“Because I think you want it.”
…Yes?
Me?
After a long time, Viola’s head was dazed.
‘Why did he think that way?’
He seemed to have misunderstood somewhere. In fact, it was true that Zelton’s quality was bad, though he did not commit a mortal sin either.
“Weren’t you planning on moving in earnest, too?”
Heron’s eyes narrowed.
Viola was somehow afraid. She didn’t know what those eyes were saying.
His eyes seemed to be stuck in her heart!
‘Moving in earnest? Me…?’
She quickly understood why he was saying that.
‘You interpreted it as jumping into a full-fledged succession competition…’
That keyword became a hint. Viola seemed to understand why Duke Heron had done so much work.
“That’s right.”
‘…No. That’s not right.’
She didn’t want things to get this big. She thought she would break one or two places and send him back. Viola didn’t think he would kill the Viscount’s son without trial.
The Duke sat back.
Judging by his appearance, it was as if he was expecting the following words from Viola.
‘Please don’t expect it…!’
Aside from her inner thoughts, Viola had to carry on her words as Viola Veratoux.
“Winter Castle has always been protecting mankind from ‘where it snows.’ As time passed, people got used to it. So, that’s why a bastard like Zelton dared to commit murder within the Winter Castle.”
“Therefore?”
“You wanted to send a warning. For those who defied the authority of Veratoux in Winter Castle.”
It was a warning to the world.
It was interpreted as that….
Actually, she never thought about it this far, but anyway, that’s the result.
“As a result of this incident, the nobles who will remain silent will remain silent.”
“….”
“The nobles who will rebel will rebel.”
“What does it mean to share it?”
“As a white Veratoux, I need to clearly distinguish my comrades from my enemies.”
The Duke grinned and said, “You mean those who are silent are our potential allies, and those who rebel are potential enemies?”
“No.”
Viola shook her head.
“It’s the other way around.”
“Why?”
“I think father’s treatment was right, but I don’t think it’s legal.”
Viola’s heart pounded.
‘After all, what you did was illegal! I won’t go against my heart.’
She knew by reading the original story. Heron was never a tyrant who acted as he pleased. A lot of people know that, but that’s not true.
‘Nevertheless…’
Her hands and feet were trembling.
She had to use extreme patience to keep it from coming off.
“Those who are silent are cowards. And those who rebel are fearless madmen.”
“….”
“Neither of them are friends. Winter Castle is only Winter Castle, I don’t need a colleague.”
It was a wild word, but it was also Heron’s favorite. After she said what Heron wanted to hear, he brought up the subject.
“But, I like crazy people more than cowards.”
There was a faint smile on Heron’s lips. He had never had such a satisfying conversation with a child since the First Princess Medea.
It was even more enjoyable than talking to Medea.
“Among the opposing aristocrats, those who have no personal acquaintance with Viscount Seal and have a clean past. I plan to embrace them.”
“In the future, when you rule Veratoux?”
Viola’s heart was pounding, she felt like she was falling!
No. Not her.
Her sister, Medea.
As her father knew, she was really strong. She was going to enjoy the honey after helping out.
“Yes.”
…Damn it.
This wasn’t it.
“It’s a good attitude.”
“In addition.”
Viola wanted to cry, but she spoke to her calmly. “There was something special about the love Viscount and Viscountess Seal have for their child.”
“How did you know?”
“I have to enter the social world at the age of twelve, too.”
It meant studying in advance about a family with children of that age.
‘I didn’t study it, but I know it because I read it as a novel.’
Anyway, according to the content of the novel, the Viscount would never stand still. Although it was developed a little differently from the novel, Viscounty Seal and Duchy Veratoux were destined to collide one day.
“Viscounty Seal will definitely take action one way or another.”
It was the same in the novel.
Viscount’s son, Zelton, was defeated by Vixen.
[ “I will never forgive my son’s enemy, Duke Veratoux.” ]
And Viscount Seal marches towards the winter castle.
The size of his army was only around five hundred, and they were all shot and killed at the south gate of Winter Castle.
In the novel, Duke Heron praised Viscount Seal.
[ “Your actions were right.” ]
It was cowardly to remain still when your son was dead. It was the right thing to do as a parent to rush and lash out like this.
It was Heron’s idea in the novel.
[ “But, why did you run to me even though you knew you were going to die?” ]
[ “It’s because I’m a father.” ]
[ “You mean you know you’re going to die?” ]
[ “Everyone does stupid things at times. If that stupidity is meaningful.” ]
And, Heron hung Viscount Seal instead of beheading him.
Ironically, he didn’t spare financial and forceful support for Viscountess Seal, who had lost the Viscount.
The novel also had something like this.
[ “Viscountess Seal had a child in her belly.” ]
Viscountess Seal named the child Bengas.
Bengas meant revenge.
Bengas became a powerful wizard and becomes the enemy of Duchy Veratoux… That was the content of the novel.
It was a fictional world with a lot of things done.
A worldview in which he killed the father to create a powerful enemy named Jermi Palail, and killed both his older brother and father to create another enemy named Bengas Seal.
[ Shadow of Veratoux ] was such a fictional world.
Heron asked, “What action are you going to take?”
“I’m going to ask the Empire to intervene.”
“And?”
“The Empire will not accept arbitration.”
“Why?”
“Because there is no point. The Empire cannot actively engage in work that does not make any sense.”
“But, wouldn’t the cause lie in Viscount Seal?”
“The first person to break the law of winter castle is Zelton.”
A moment of silence passed.
However, unexpected words came out of Heron’s mouth.
“And, he tried to steal your pleasure.”
“Yes…?”
For a moment, Viola thought she had heard it wrong.
“Egg tart. Isn’t it your favorite?”
“It’s… true.”
Viola coughed then continued, “Viscount Seal, who was also shunned by the Empire, will make the final choice.”
“What kind of final choice do you mean?”
“Are there any parents who will stand still after losing a child?”
“Usually they’ll stay still. If the opponent is the winter castle.”
“According to my understanding, Viscount Seal will never stand still. Surely he will march towards the winter castle.”
Heron nodded once.
“Then, I’ll have to kill him honorably.”
No.
Then, there would be an enemy called Archmage Bengas.
At least let’s prevent that, father…
“Are you sure he will march? At the risk of death?”
“Humans sometimes do stupid things. If that is meaningful.”
It was the words of Viscount Seal in the original story.
[ “Everyone does stupid things at times. If that stupidity is meaningful.” ]
Viola opened her mouth.
“I want to do stupid things, too.”
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‘For my splendid old age. For a long and clean life… To prevent the birth of an archmage named Bengas!’
“Please send me as a special envoy. I want to visit the Viscounty Seal.”
This alone may not be enough.
Like a Veratoux, she added a word, “I’ll prove myself as a white Veratoux. Just like in Storm Fortress.”
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