Chapter 87

The situation was too awkward to be dismissed as mere frivolous play. There must be some reason behind it.

‘Son or lover.’

I should imagine it with Baron Selenyae, not Rua.

Daisy, the daughter of Baron Selenyae.

‘I really don’t like it.’

Daisy, the lover of Baron Selenyae.

‘Really.’

Don’t you?

‘...Is that even a question? Of course I don’t like it. I just don’t.’

But when I tried to answer with a horrific expression, my heart felt uneasy, so I answered indirectly.

“Being a son would be better.”

“Son? Hmm...”

He let out a meaningful hum and then, as if nothing had happened, started walking forward again.

‘What? Is that it?’

Why did he ask such a question?

We entered the grand white interior of the castle after passing through the garden.

As the surroundings grew quieter, only the small grumbling of Marquis Medeis could be heard.

“Baron Selenyae, you are making a mistake. Relying on Calepa’s power, you can’t see what’s right in front of you...”

“That’s the most expensive painting in this castle.”

Baron Selenyae didn’t even pretend to listen.

I took in the massive frame that covered an entire wall, which could easily be mistaken for a mural.

The painting was drenched in blood.

A giant tree, growing from a pool of blood, stretched its branches to the sky, giving off a rather eerie feeling.

“What did you paint?”

“A god.”

“If it’s a god, is it Calepa?”

Baron Selenyae only smiled slightly this time, without answering.

We moved through the interior to the back garden. For the first time, signs of life began to appear in a space where not even an ant could be seen.

Focusing all my attention on my hearing, I could hear two voices not far away.

“Will you lose your strength if you don’t concentrate, Your Majesty?”

“Wait, just a little... Huh, huh. Just a little rest...”

“Where is ‘just a little’? Get up quickly. Among my students, none have failed to become a knight. If you can’t even overcome Senoet’s wall, you will be the first disgrace in my teaching career, Your Majesty.”

“Phew. It might be better to be a disgrace...”

Two men stood on the lush green grass.

The younger man, who looked to be in his early thirties, was rolling on the ground, while the older man with white hair and exotic Rovian attire was scolding him.

And then, at some point, their gazes turned towards us.

More precisely, towards Baron Selenyae.

The young man, who had been blinking blankly, soon brushed off his bottom and approached hesitantly.

His short blond hair was plastered to his forehead with sweat.

“Lord Cale...?”

“Selenyae.”

Baron Selenyae, who had the audacity to interrupt the king, emphasized it without a care.

“Baron Selenyae, Your Majesty.”

“...Right, right! Selenyae! Baron Selenyae!”

The young man, not the white-haired one, was the king?

The King of Astrusa, who looked like a neighbor’s youth, ran over in a rather shabby state, hugging Baron Selenyae with a broad smile.

“How long has it been? Where have you been all this time? How could you not show your face, huh? Were you planning to visit my grave only after I died? That’s your nature, isn’t it?”

“You’ve grown a lot.”

“Of course! We haven’t seen each other for 14 years, haven’t we? A few years ago, you... Ah, no, Lord Calepa sent me Sir Schoold and then went to the empire... But, of course, that story has nothing to do with you...”

The way King Astrusa rambled on was as familiar as a neighbor’s friend.

‘He seems to know that Baron Selenyae is Calepa.’

The title ‘Lord’ was a bit puzzling, but it was clear.

After all, he is the king, so it’s impossible for him not to know.

It also seemed that he already knew that Selenyae puts on a different face when he is Calepa.

“Regardless, you are always welcome, Selenyae! But what brings you here? You’re not the type to visit without a reason...”

“Your Majesty.”

However, there was another person who dared to interrupt the king.

It seemed to be the king’s sword instructor, a Rovian with a sharp appearance.

“Your Majesty, by talking non-stop, you’re not letting Baron Selenyae speak. Let’s hear his story first.”

Baron Selenyae, who had been staring at the middle-aged man, naturally knelt down.

“Calepa.”

It was a surprising scene.

The fact that the king’s sword instructor was Calepa, and that Baron Selenyae (whom I am convinced is Rua) knelt down so skillfully, was surprising.

‘He really got into character.’

But even if he was fully immersed, it wouldn’t be easy for someone like Calepa to kneel.

At least, he doesn’t seem to have a prideful nature like Andert. Baron Selenyae looked a bit different to me.

“C, Calepa.”

“Oh my. Calepa? The one I’ve only heard about...”

As the Marquis Medeis hurriedly bowed, Baron Kwan followed suit and knelt down.

During the long praise that followed, Dsheroh whispered to me.

“Miss Daisy, kneel and bow. Calepa is the highest leader of Rov, the state religion of the Northern Continent. You must show respect.”

Following Dsheroh’s advice, I thought to myself.

The man in front of you is also Calepa.

‘Come to think of it, there are three Rovian Calepas.’

The attire he wore was similar to Dian Ket’s, whom I had seen at Grandpa Malicops’ house.

Is it like a Calepa uniform? I wear a maid uniform, so I felt a sense of familiarity.

The white-haired Calepa, with a very awkward expression, looked at Baron Selenyae and said, almost like a sigh.

“It seems they have come to see Your Majesty, so I will step back for a moment.”

“Ah, do that.”

King Astrusa, nodding lightly, quickly scanned the people who had slowly risen after Calepa stepped back.

“Their appearance and combination are quite peculiar. So, what brings you here, Baron Selenyae, that you even used the golden key?”

“The matter is not with me, but with this one.”

The king’s gaze turned to the back.

Then, his sweaty forehead wrinkled slightly.

“My, you look quite miserable. What happened, Marquis Medeis?”

Meanwhile, Marquis Medeis, who had been diligently cleaning the horse dung, answered with a red face.

“I am merely grateful for your concern, Your Majesty.”

“So, what’s the problem?”

In response, Marquis Medeis, bowing deeply, raised his voice.

“Your Majesty! Please hear the petition of your humble servant, Medeis! I am here to accuse Baron Selenyae of abuse of power!”

“...Accuse? This is sudden. What are you accusing him of?”

“The incident occurred 30 minutes ago at Selenyae Castle. I had agreed with Baron Selenyae to enjoy horseback riding, but there were other guests from the empire staying at the castle. Baron Selenyae introduced them to me, and we agreed to ride together.”

Ride together? He was completely ignored.

“However, among the guests from the empire, there was a maid. That woman. I refused to ride with a maid, considering Baron Selenyae’s dignity. I was so annoyed by the shameless woman that I even tried to educate her. It was all for Baron Selenyae. Since he spends more time abroad, I offered to help educate the staff, knowing the culture of Astrusa well.”

The old man, who spouted his one-sided claims without blinking, even made the stoic Dsheroh raise an eyebrow.

“However, the ruthless Baron Selenyae! Suddenly, he picked up a riding crop and started beating me! Seven times! Not satisfied with that, he poured horse dung on my head from the stable. Is this reasonable?”

“Hmm.”

“Baron Selenyae invoked Calepa to justify his unjust violence! He claimed he was Calepa’s servant. He used this sacred duty to trample on me, a relative of the king and a loyal old minister!”

It seemed he had some confidence.

‘A relative of the king.’

“I petition Your Majesty to punish Baron Selenyae, who abuses his power by relying on Calepa and the king’s authority! The position of Calepa’s servant is too much for him. Please dismiss him!”

“Dismissal.”

“This claim is not false, as Baron Kwan, who was present, can attest.”

Baron Kwan, with a tense face, nodded vigorously.

“Yes. What the marquis said is true. Not only me, but everyone present saw it with their own eyes.”

“What do you think? About Baron Selenyae.”

It was a strange question.

‘What do you think?’

Shouldn’t he ask if the claim is true?

Baron Selenyae stood there, looking bored as if he couldn’t yawn.

Then, he calmly spoke.

“There are inaccuracies in Marquis Medeis’ claim.”

The old man, who had been spouting horse dung, exploded in anger at the indifferent tone.

“What a shameless lie!”

“Marquis, be quiet. What do you mean by inaccuracies?”

With a light shrug, Baron Selenyae answered the king’s question.

“First, Miss Daisy is not a maid. She is my fiancée.”

Huh.

“What?”

“I said Miss Daisy Pajer is my fiancée.”

...Huh?