The old man fastened his hands. The collar of his shirt wrapped around his neck. What was seen above him was a man who had both self-imposed and generous.
His name was Cardo Rubel. He’s a man who had risen unprecedentedly and was now a Count. Count Rubel was reading a letter. It was Lena’s letter that arrived early today.
“Was there a mistake?”
“I checked it again and again. There’s no mistake…”
When the Count asked, the Butler hurriedly made an excuse. However, he was unable to give a satisfying answer. It was because he recalled how Lena laughed at that time and what she said.
—What if I was found dead tomorrow?
She said that before she drank the poisoned tea. The Butler swallowed his dry saliva.
What was that? It was sinister rather than anxiety. He couldn’t even guess what she meant.
“I don’t think you made a mistake.”
“Master…”
“I don’t know your thoroughness.”
The Count’s gentle voice stopped the trembled Butler. It wasn’t because his fear disappeared. Rather, it was the opposite. When the Butler was completely affirmed, a big hand, like a fire, wrapped his shoulders.
“I, I’ll clean up the mess. This time, by all means, without a problem….!”
The Butler was almost appalled and clung to the Count. He didn’t want to be considered a worthless old man who knew the secret of his master. So he begged with a low voice, but a knock was heard.
“Come in.”
With the permission of the Count, a young servant came in. He bowed politely and handed a note to the Count.
While the Butler watched nervously, Count Rubel opened the note and muttered.
“That’s better.”
He smiled and handed the note to the Butler. The Butler received it with hesitation. There was a short note.
—It was the South that invited Lena Rubel.
The information brought Butler’s face paler. He investigated Lena on his own yesterday. It was to know how the girl, who was evidently dead, suddenly appeared. However, there was no name of Lena Rubel on the official invitation list of the Imperial Palace. So where did she come from? It turned out that the Southern Duke invited her himself.
He was shocked by the unexpected appearance of a big shot, and then he raised a lot of suspicions.
‘Then why…?’
Why did she appear alone? Why did she show up by herself, only her name, without striking down the reputation of being a Duke’s guest?
The Count who thought the same as the Butler laughed deeply. ‘
As expected.’
The Duke of the South wanted to know how he would react. He was just trying to figure out what Cardo Rubel’s going to do. As a result, they attempted to kill by poisoning. It would’ve been something the would never have experienced if they knew she was a guest of the South.
The Count looked again at Lena’s letter. He was able to feel the ridicule in the letter. The father laughed at his daughter’s wickedness. It was a sorrowful smile.
🍃🍃🍃
“Miss, wake up!”
A young maid raised her voice under the bright window.
“Come on, the Duke is calling!”
After Yuni’s voice rang upon the entire room, Lena buried her head in the pillow. She slept too late yesterday. Because she happened to meet Lynn in the garden, and was awake until dawn and then she came back and delivered a letter.
Because of her lack of sleep, Lena put her face on the pillow and muttered.
“I was poisoned and died…”
“Don’t say such a terrible thing. Open your eyes!” Yuni shouted and took the blanket.
Lena had never really won over Yuni. She was defeated again, and then she raised her body.
After a hustle and bustle, Lena became an elegant lady and left the room. Outside, there was a servant waiting for Lena. He was an attendant of the Southern Duke, Duke Arles Grascha, who invited Lena to the Imperial Palace.
🍃🍃🍃
The old man’s rough skin was full of wounds. From light up to deep scars. All were traces of misery left by the Southern War.
Just 100 years ago, an ominous stone called the altar appeared, putting the world in chaos. Because of the altar, the dead awakened in a bizarre form, and Grandis Grascha was divided into the East, North, West, and South, fought a terrible war against the dead.
The first to destroy the dead and returned the altar was the East. But it was North that declared victory. The West, sublimated and became the land of the dead. And until recently, the place where they fought fiercely and won was the South.
The Duke of the South has ended several wars. It would be great to be a master of such virtue. However, this morning, the first thing coming out of the old man’s mouth was not a radical saga, but a deep sigh.
“Did you sleep comfortably last night, My Lord Duke Arles?”
The lady in the reception room bowed down. The young maid who followed along also bowed her head.
Duke Arles sighed after alternately looking at the beautiful lady and the young maid, Lena, and Yuni.
“You always surprised me.”
“Thank you for the compliment.”
“You arrived, but you didn’t register, changed your name, even went to Count Rubel yesterday. I don’t have a word to say.”
Duke Arles frowned and criticized Lena. Then, she made a graceful apology.
“I have nothing to say about that. I should have said hello to you first. Please forgive me.”
“I’m not saying you should apologize, is there a problem?”
Duke Arles rested on his chin and glanced at Lena. He was supposed to be angry, but when he saw her, he was just stunned. He couldn’t speak for a long time in confusion, and he soon spoke like a strangled person.
“So, you are a woman now?”
It’s like an old saying. He felt that way himself, he couldn’t help it.
Lena’s eyes widened. Yuni intermittently intervened, “How can you ask that? No one ever asked the Duke why you are a grandfather now.”
“I’ve always been an old man in the last ten years. But the Lady was not a woman just half a year ago.” In spite of his stern reply, the South Duke showed no anger. Lena and Yuni were amazed.
“You don’t mean to say I was not a woman because I didn’t wear a skirt, right?”
“Wow, that’s old fashioned.”
“No, Yuni. No matter what, it’s true.”
“Wow, it’s an old-fashioned way of thinking about the value of conservation.”
“It’s much better.”
“I’m not calling you to be joking.” The Duke glared at Lena and Yuni.
“I’m asking why the expensive mercenary I hired appeared in a skirt?”1
He asked, with his white eyebrows distorted, “Answer me, Executor.”
🍃🍃🍃
The Southern War, which ended just half a year ago, was called the silent war. There was no sound in the war. There was no commander’s call, no army’s spirit, no groaning from the wounded soldiers. The war started and ended in a thorough silence.
The reason the southern soldiers desperately swallowed their cries was because of the dead.
The deads, who crawled to the South, were referred to as the ‘King who swallowed the first cry.’ And they responded to any sounds.
They roamed around in a skinny dry body, and as soon as they heard a noise, they turned frantic. If they hear even a very small sound, they would grit their teeth with their mouth wide open, they barely have lips and cheeks.
Thus, the southern army swallowed the sound in any situation and the terrible war earned the odd nickname of a silent war.
There were few people in such a situation to maintain their spirits. The horrible misfortunes of the dead, more terrible brutality, long battles, and successive defeats made soldiers wish they died instead.
‘Here we are…’
Duke Arles sighed as he looked at the dark blue sky. It was a small sigh that even made a noise.
Two years ago, he was on the edge of a southern cliff. Those who swallowed the first cry gluttonously ate the South, and those who survived were destined to become prey soon.
The South seemed to be losing, but the battle was not over yet. It was to make time for the Northern Army to come.
If he pulled out, the last line of defense would be scattered like sand. Then the South will become a land of the dead just like the West. So, Duke Arles, who decided to die, smiled bitterly, looking at the scrambled troops.
‘The last defense line is too shabby.’
The South has already lost most of its troops. Not only that, the mercenaries who were recruited to get an assortment were too young, old, or too sick. Absolutely, it was obvious that it would be used as a firefighter, but even if he were to pay a million golds, the situation wouldn’t have been completely cured.
The South felt a tremendous blow while the Duke stood firm. Then, he again looked at the mercenaries and clicked his tongue.
‘You’re the first one to die.’
Among the mercenaries, a small mercenary was found. His face was masked, but he looked so young only by looking at his hands.
‘I have to let this little boy go.’
The Duke commanded the mercenaries with a terrible feeling. Then, he opened his eyes. He couldn’t give a word of encouragement, so he’s going to wait and see how they got there.
There was a line of blood in his energized eyes, the southern mercenaries tried to engrave the last battle, taking note of the heat in their eyes.
But at the last moment, a miracle happened.
Black blood spattered in the middle of the battlefield. It was the blood of one of the dead. The Duke doubted his own eyes.
The dead’s blood was splattered without a sound. And every time the blood came out, the dead man’s neck fell off.
Duke Arles froze and took a quick look at who it was. It was him. The little boy he thought will die first.
The young mercenary was hanging around the battlefield without making any noise and striking the dead with a dagger. The poisonous breath by the dead must be terrible, but he refused to yield even a single inch.
He was unstoppable. No, it seemed to be decided at all.
This is my hunting ground.
I’m the only hunter.
Stop and be the target.
If you don’t like it, give in to me.
The Duke finally realized. That the torch was hiding among the firestarters he collected.
From that moment, the war was overturned. The soldiers again picked up the spear and followed the young mercenary, and the people praised the South and its brave soldiers whenever they reported their victory.
But those at the forefront knew exactly who the real contributor to this war was. They nicknamed the mercenary with awe.
‘The Executor’.
It was a ruthless name that suited the appearance of the silent execution of the dead.
🍃🍃🍃
“Um…”
Lena smiled anxiously with her mouth closed. In fact, Lena didn’t like the nickname ‘Executor’. To be honest, it’s childish. So she grumbled and pleaded with the solemn look to the Duke.
“First of all, to solve the misunderstanding, I have never pretended to be a man.”
“Yes. You’re just wearing the right clothes to suit the situation.”
“I can’t do mercenary work in a dress anyway.”
“That’s true.”
With the smooth explanation of the lady and the maid, Duke Arles burst into a cough. ‘Executor’ never introduced herself as a man. In a situation where they couldn’t hear each other’s voices, he misunderstood it.
After realizing the truth, Duke Arles looked at Lena with an embarrassing face. He had his own ambition to invite the Executor to the Imperial Palace. He was going to take her out from the mercenary and make her his agent.
However, Lena came to dress up gorgeously. The Duke sighed as if he was stuffy, Lena watched silently.
“I’m sorry if I surprised you, but is there something wrong?”
Lena raised her eyebrows and asked the Duke. She smiled and added to the foolish old man.
“I’m not the boy you invited.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
O-ow, turns out Lena’s background’s really complicated, like why did she become a mercenary, and why was she in the South when her father’s from the North. Too many questions, and still we have a lot of chapters to read XD