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Chapter 52
Sending a special envoy from Veratoux.
That in itself has become an issue.
“Did you hear the news? The Duchy of Veratoux sent a special envoy.”
“From Veratoux?”
“They killed the son of Viscount Seal or something.”
“Are they going to send a special envoy?”
For the common people, Winter Castle had been perceived as a terrifying place. It was not a place to send a special envoy just because he killed at least one of the Viscount’s children.
“But it was a twelve-year-old kid who was sent as an envoy.”
“Hey, hey. Be careful with what you say. What do you mean kid?!”
The man carefully looked around.
“You don’t know the rumor?”
“What rumors?”
“The rumor that the ‘Thousand Kills’ Duke adopted a witch five years ago.”
“Witch? What does that mean?”
“I don’t know either. At the age of seven, she killed bandits and ate their flesh. Oh, and a welcome dinner? I think they drank the blood of the monster there.”
It was Vixen, not Viola, who killed the bandit at the age of seven.
Viola had just simply saved Tundra. She never drank monster blood. She drank not the blood of the devil, but the potion ‘Viola.’ However, as always, rumors have been twisted and misinterpreted.
“Let’s be careful.”
“Yeah, yes. That’s right.”
Rumors about Viola have been twisted and twisted.
Rumors, that would make the blood boil upside down as they spread little by little across the continent. Nevertheless, there were people who grasped Viola Veratoux a little more objectively.
It was Selina who started a deal with the internal affairs of the Empire three years ago.
Selina said, “Inside the winter castle, a child named Viola Veratoux seems to be getting a lot of favors.”
“Looks like that.”
“Even though she is an iron-blooded Veratoux, it is said that she cares very much for the people of Winter Castle. The people of Winter Castle call themselves citizens and are considered to be proud.”
She became Minister of Finance at the age of thirty-seven, and was now second in command of the Monarch Empire. She was the only person in the world who used the title second in command.
King of Swords Nellach Freuds Caliburn.
He asked, sitting on the edge of the bed in light clothes.
“Did you say she was twelve?”
“Yes.”
“When did you start watching the kid carefully?”
“It’s been since the welcome dinner party of Veratoux five years ago. With a splendid appearance, she was recognized as Veratoux at once.”
She was talking like it was funny.
“She’s also the kid who has benefited greatly from occupying the land to develop the Golden Road.”
“Is it a coincidence?”
“It’s most likely a coincidence, but at the same time it doesn’t seem like a coincidence.”
“Why?”
“The kid secured as much cash as she could, and poured it there.”
The Emperor coughed in vain.
He glanced around. “Putting all the eggs in one basket. No dignity.”
“There’s only two of us, so what’s wrong?”
“A gourd that leaks on the inside leaks from the outside as well.”
“I’m not leaking. Did you see any leaks?”
“If you can’t speak.”
Selina ruffled the emerald-colored hair behind her ear. She walked lightly, and she sat down next to the Emperor.
“Your Majesty, I’m assuming it’s not a coincidence.”
Then she places her hand over the Emperor’s hand.
The Emperor’s face turned red.
‘You’re cute.’
The Emperor was obviously a great man. At least, his talent for swords was unmatched, and he even earned the title of Emperor of Swords.
However, thanks to him sticking to knitting*, he was a foolish person who doesn’t know much about other things of the world.
[ T/N: It was a phrase that meant to only focus on one thing. ]
The Emperor Selina saw was pretty cute.
“Se, Selina. You’re reporting now, aren’t you?”
“Did there ever be an imperial law that says you can’t hold hands and report?”
“Well, that’s…”
“If you don’t like it, you can make such a law. Your Majesty is the only sun of the Empire.”
“But, I never said that I would make it.”
“Then, can I report and hold hands?”
“Do, do it.”
“Why do you keep stuttering?”
“It’s…”
Nellach’s face flushed red.
As Selina’s hand touched him, and his heart pounded.
“You’re cute.”
“I am the Emperor.”
“Is there a law that says the emperor can’t be cute?”
“Rep, report.”
Selina smiled and continued her report, “She is a very insightful and analytical child. She also wisely solved the problem with the Storm Fortress this time. Prince Jermi, who is also called the Beautiful Prince, seems to be interested in Viola.”
The Emperor nodded his head.
In fact, his heart was pounding right now, so the report didn’t come in properly.
“Your Majesty. Are you listening to me?”
“I’m listening.”
Selina rested her head on theEmperor’s shoulder.
Her hair smelled nice.
The Emperor grabbed his pounding heart and clenched his toes tight. It was much more comfortable to go to the battlefield and face ten thousand soldiers.
“I think the key is to see how she’s going to deal with Viscount Seal this time.”
“Why?”
“According to my expectations…”
She spoke carefully.
“Before Princess Viola arrives at Viscounty Seal, Viscount Seal is likely to be dead. If she’s unlucky, Viola will be a murder suspect who suspected Viscount Seal.”
Xenon sat down on one of his knees.
“The shoelaces are untied, Princess.”
Viola stood still and looked at Xenon, who was sitting there. With a gentle touch, Xenon tied the knot on the leather shoelace again.
“You have to ride a horse for a long time, and you have to go through a barren mountain road. Didn’t I teach you that you have to tie it up like this so it won’t come loose?”
“I didn’t learn it.”
She was only taught unilaterally.
‘No, why do you need magic to tie your shoelaces?’
This knot was finished using a special method by infusing magic by using a magic technique, Viola could not learn this.
‘I’m not good at tying knots.’
She used to hear nagging from Hanjun every day.
‘You still can’t tie your shoelaces like that?’
‘I do not know. It’s difficult.’
‘Tying shoelaces?’
He laughed like crazy.
‘When I see that you are good at studying, you are an idiot. Why can’t you tie your shoelaces like this?’
‘Ah. Don’t make fun of me!’
‘Well, it’s okay. At least a person has one flaw. But I don’t know where there are people who can’t tie their shoelaces.’
‘Brother!’
Stop teasing me, I’m frustrated too! Just as she was about to say that, Kang Hanjun bowed his head.
‘Ugh. I’ll just do it.’
Since then, he has always tied Han Arin’s shoelaces. Viola opened her mouth shamelessly.
“You can do it.”
“Am I?”
“Yes. You.”
Strangely, she didn’t know how to tie a knot.
Even though she learned and learned, she forgot. So, in that case, it was better to just not learn at all since not being able to learn, and not learning at all are two different things.
‘It would be strange if Veratoux couldn’t do this either.’
Veratoux should be close to perfection in every way.
That was the direction Veratoux was pursuing. That was why she deliberately decided not to learn how to tie a knot because she doesn’t want to expose my flaws.
However, Xenon was a little strange.
He had a brighter smile than usual.
With a little lie, it seemed that the sun had risen on his face.
“I’m happy.”
Yes? What…?
“I’ll always do it. Next to the princess.”
Was this something to feel so happy about?
With that thought, Viola tilted her head inside.
“I feel like I’ve been given permission to be with the Princess.”
With Xenon’s help, she got on her horse. Even if she didn’t tie the knot well, she got used to horseback riding.
‘It would be better to go by carriage.’
The road to the Viscounty Seal was too daunting to go by wagon.
There were also roads, but moving along the road took about a month. So, they took a path through the mountain range.
“As the Princess knows, you have to pass through eight large and small mountain ranges to reach the Viscounty Seal.”
“I know.”
“Maybe, we can expect multiple raids.”
Among them, there would be some gossip like a bandit, and there would be enemies of Veratoux.
‘In the beginning, my father’s nickname was a thousand-kill Duke.’
He got his name because he killed a thousand people. It was said that he was an enemy to at least a thousand people.
‘If you think about their family and friends…’
That number would grow exponentially. The immature, young Veratoux was always under threat. It was also a Veratoux’s job to overcome that danger!
‘No one has actually been assassinated.’
It was also said that everyone in Veratoux had overcome the danger on their own.
“Viola!”
In Vixen’s case, who was running over there waving his hand, ‘Hey! All the weak will die!’ he must have swung his sword innocently.
Chaeng!
The blade and the blade collided.
Tundra pierced the sword, blocking the dagger held in Vixen’s hand.
“Sheesh. Is it you again?”
Vixen retrieved the dagger in his hand as if it were a pity.
Viola felt it… She would have died many times without Tundra, though she said it outwardly coldly.
“If you want to kill me, step on my dog first.”
“Hmm.”
Seeing Vixen nodding his head, Viola let out a sigh.
Is it a bad or a good thing?
“If I didn’t have a mission, I would have gone with Viola.”
After saying that, Vixen waved his hand again and walked away. He ran very fast, but dust flew behind Vixen.
She fell into doubt.
‘You must be busy with your mission, so why did you come?’
If you ran that fast, your stamina would be severely drained. It meant that there was a reason for him to move quickly at the expense of stamina.
It was said that he was very busy, but why did he have to come all the way here and take a stab at it?
‘Do I look like I want to get stabbed that much?’
She didn’t think her brother would have come to just see her.
Viola just before departure.
As if thinking about it, she turned the horse’s head back to the Duke’s castle.
“Is something wrong?”
“I remember something I left behind.”
“Shall I bring it?”
“I’m going.”
Xenon couldn’t bring it since what she left behind wasn’t a thing, it was a person.
‘Because it seems like there will be many raids…’
After hearing Xenon’s words, she became anxious. So, Viola decided to take Hickson—from Hickson to Xenon to Tundra.
This should give her peace of mind.
“Huh? Me? I’m a little…”
“Why?”
“That is…”
Hickson hesitated, then opened his mouth with difficulty. “When I was young, I was a little beat up.”
“Why?”
“Well.”
Hickson then scratched the back of the head with that big hand.
“I confessed to my first love.”
“Was it a life-and-death matter?”
“No?”
“So, not even a life-and-death matter, but confess to the person you like.”
“I was young then.”
He continued to avoid Viola’s gaze. He couldn’t lie, and honestly, he was ashamed as an adult to say this.
“Did you apologize?”
“That’s, too much time has passed, a little, that’s, so…”
“You didn’t apologize.”
Hickson was sweating profusely.
It had been more than twenty years already. Wouldn’t it be more embarrassing if he pretended to know about it now?
“If you remember the person who beat you this much, it will remain as a bruise on the person who was hit’s chest.”
“Ah, how can a guy be like that?”
“Whether it’s a man or a woman, it hurts when you get hit.”
Hickson touched his cheek, and shrugged his shoulders.
“The name that is engraved in your heart doesn’t get better no matter how much time you put on it. It’s the same with you.”
Hickson wasn’t confident in meeting Viola’s eyes.
He actually knew it, too, because there was a big bruise on Hickson’s chest.
Although he pretended to be okay, he was not okay at all. No matter how much time passed, his daughter’s face became more and more distinct.
“So, sincerely apologize. I’ll give you that chance.”
Eventually, Hickson decided to move on as well.
Three days passed.
Xenon tilted her head, wiping away the bloody dagger.
“I think the frequency of raids is much higher than usual.”
Hickson agreed.
“It looks like they’ve been trained.”
There were seven raids in three days.
It was the second day they entered the mountain range, so in effect, there were seven raids in two days.
“By the way, it’s definitely not just bandits like that. Viola. Did you go somewhere and kill people without me knowing?”
“No, I never did.”
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Viola thought. ‘If it’s Xenon, he might know the reason.’
He knew, still, he may not tell her to silently verify her qualifications as a Veratoux.
‘Then I… I have to tell you the answer.’
As her thoughts went so far, new possibilities began to appear.
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