Chapter 69
「I am thinking of stepping down from the throne」
The next morning, in the audience hall .
Aura and I were standing below, and the king was sitting on his throne .
The king was very exhausted, he was a wrinkly old man in the first place, but it seems like he had become much older than that; he’s weakened so much that he could die anytime .
「Otou-sama……」
「I was blinded . To think that I took a monster as a queen, to think that I was controlled by a monster」
The kind covered his face with his hands .
「Astrea, Clora, Shima, Daphne, Eunice, Lena, Leda……」
He called out names, his daughters’ names .
「Ohhhhhhh……forgive me, forgive me……」
He wailed while covering his face, repenting to the daughters that no longer exist .
「Onee-sama……」
Aura who was by my side also cried .
Honestly, I’m troubled . I don’t know what face to make . I can’t laugh or smile right .
I could only stay quiet .
Stay quiet and look at them, waiting for the two to calm down .
Aura returned earlier .
「Otou-sama, this kingdom still needs Otou-sama . Please continue, please continue to lead us, lead the people」
「The sin of dragging a monster within us……is heavy . It cannot be forgiven other than stepping down the throne」
「Otou-sama」
「And there, the next king……is……uhh……」
The king stutters, he took glances at Aura, it seems like he’s hesitating about something .
He had said it clearly when leaving his throne, what is he hesitating after all this time?
『He probably can’t say that his son would be the next king?』
Eleanor said . I see, that’s how it is huh .
The reason why he killed his daughters while being controlled by Aerine is to make his son the king; after regaining his senses, it’s probably hard for him to say that his son is the next king .
『That obsession and the his weak heart was probably the reason he was controlled』
That’s probably right . I also think so .
The king stutters . Later than Eleanor, Aura also noticed that .
Aura kneels, and said while bowing her head .
「The crown prince should be the next king . Aura Torideca Comotoria, as weak as I am, I am willing to support the new king as a vassal」
With a formal tone, she said what the king wants .
The king clearly got relieved, and his expression got bright .
『That’s why he got taken in』
Eleanor didn’t have mercy .
I also……agree with her pretty much .
☆
I was invited to Aura’s house .
It’s a splendid mansion that stands in the most lively place in the royal capital Krades . It’s several times more luxurious than my mansion, ‘as expected of a princess’ I thought .
Welcomed by many butlers and maids, I was passed through to the drawing room .
After waiting for a while, Aura appeared .
Her appearance right now, wearing a princess dress, is the most beautiful that I have seen her .
Aura straightens her back, and walks gracefully towards me .
She stood in front of me, stares, and bows her head .
「Thank you very much . All of it, is thanks to you」
「Yeah, be grateful」
「Yes, thank you very much」
Aura bowed her head again once, and said to me .
「I have talked to Otou-sama . You are now a viscount……one rank above baron」
「I see」
「Also, the land that bestowed before, he says that you will be given a vast land more than that」
「Land? Ahh, there was something like that right」
I remembered Comotoria’s messenger that came to my mansion .
If I’m correct, at that time, that man told me that he’d give me a land other than the baron title .
I didn’t have interest with that, so I had forgotten up until now .
「Is it vast?」
「Yes . It seems like your noble rank could not be raised immediately, so the land was increased」
「Fu〜n . That, it’s troublesome, so you manage it」
「Eh?」
「I don’t have that much interest in lands or territories . Honestly, noble ranks too」
「N-No way……」
Aura’s expression breaks off .
She had a princess-like refined face when she entered the room, but now, she was almost crying .
「I cannot give my gratitude back then . Is there anything……is there anything else you want?」
With a face that is about to cry, she asked me as if to beg .
「You」
I answered immediately .
From the start, I was only planning to request that .
Aura got dumbfounded .
「Me……?」
「Yeah, you」
「Me, you say, what do youーーah!」
She was a little bit late to understand, but Aura realized .
The way her face blushes, it’s no doubt that she understood correctly .
「That’s right, let me embrace you」
「Do not joke with me, rather than the viscount title, rather than land」
「I’m not joking . You’re a good woman, a good woman is good enough for a reward」
「……are you saying that seriously」
「I’m serious」
I immediately answered again .
Aura’s blushed face reddens .
She blushed, and got restless .
It’s a little bit vexing . It’s not like she doesn’t like it, so I carried Aura like you carry a princess .
「Where’s the room that has a bed」
「Eh, ehhh??」
「Where is it」
「Uhmm, you go left there」
「Yosh」
While holding Aura, I walked imposingly .
When we went outside, we encountered servants there .
The butlers and maids, they looked at me with a surprised face .
Aura covered her face with her hands . It seems like she’s too embarrassed that she would die .
「Uhmm……」
「What, even if you say it now that you don’tーー」
「From the time that you saved me, I have loved you」
Aura said with a voice as small as a mosquito’s cry . The way she said that while covering her face was so dangerously cute .
I took Aura to the room that has a bed on it, and ‘took’ her as a reward .
☆
Within the darkness, small lizard monsters squirms .
The lizards gathered at one point .
With that dark haze as a point, as if a black hole was there .
The child lizards came and jump into that, came and jump into that, repeatedly .
After that, the black hole gradually got bigger; it got bigger every time child lizards jumped into it .
Repeating that, for one whole day .
The black haze finally materializes, and broke just like an egg .
「Kuhoaa!」
A lizard came out from the inside .
The thing that came out of the broken egg was Aerine in her lizard form . However, her appearance was small, just the size of a child .
Aerine’s face was full of hatred .
「That man……I won’t forgive him, I will never forgive him!」
The words she spits out, they were also filled with hatred .
「I will torture him, torture the ones around him……I will kill him slowly that he would regret he was alive!!」
With blood-shot eyes, a strong will could be felt with her declaration that she would do anything so that it can be done .
「……」
One man appeared without sounds .
Wearing a black outfit, a man that has an appearance of an assassin .
「You, you came at the right time」
It looks like Aerine and the man know each other .
It’s not like her hatred had completely disappeared, but it lessened when she saw the man .
「Take me back with you, when I regained my strength, that manーー」
Without waiting for Aerine finish talking, the man pierces out his hand .
He pierces her fiercely with the track of a body blow .
His hand pierced through Aerine’s body . His hand that was coated in blood had sharp nails; it didn’t look like a human’s .
「Kaha!……W-Why」
「You didn’t seem like you’d lose your hatred, you know」
The man said with a merciless tone .
「The who cannot be controlled would be destroyed」
「Even so……I……」
「My bad」
The man used his remaining hand and pierced through Aerine, and tears her into two .
Aerine who had just regenerated had been torn into two, and this time for real, she died .
The man only took a glance at her, and looked at the other side as if he had lost his interest .
「To treat Aerine as a child like this, stronger than expected」
Unlike his words before, a bit of weakness could be felt with his words .
「We are stronger than anybody else . He probably cannot be stopped with one on one anymore」
He whispered, and let out a sigh this time .
「The man who subordinates the Demon Sword……the man who gives birth to a new Demon Sword . I must make everyone thoroughly not get involved with him」
Saying that, the man disappeared into the darkness .
In a place where Kakeru is not present, the darkness, it changed its movement greatly .