Chapter 39

This is Lucas' final chapter.

There are many bloody scenes, so please be cautious.

There are a lot of cruel scenes, more than usual.

The next is Renaria's chapter. It will be about the same length, around 3-6 episodes?

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After that, it was a nightmare.

He was taken to a large dance hall. The familiar white marble and the deep red carpet contrasted sharply. There were many students and teachers present.

He was seated in a sturdy chair with velvet upholstery, and in front of him was a large table and an empty silver plate. Even though it was daytime, the curtains were drawn, and the light from the magic stones created a unique atmosphere.

Among the students were Kistaria, the son of Duke Latitche, and Mikaelis, the son of Count Dmitrias, and his sister, Jiburiel. They glanced at Lucas with cold eyes.

Beside the Duke were the butler he had brought and another young servant. It was the man whom Renaria had spoken to before. He had an intellectual and handsome appearance, always with his hair neatly combed, giving an impression of being without flaw. He usually followed Kistaria, but when the head of the house was present, he prioritized him. His slightly lowered purple eyes showed no expression.

When Lucas tried to escape, he was quickly caught and seated again.

His movements were light, indicating that he was not just a servant.

"What should we do?"

"Cutting the tendons would be the quickest, but he is still a prince. Hold him down."

"Understood."

After that, the Duke handed him a piece of paper with a name written on it. Among the neatly lined up papers was the name of the beloved girl.

No matter how many times he refused, saying he didn't want to, the Duke wouldn't listen.

No matter how many times he pleaded for mercy, the Duke wouldn't hear it. After a while, the Duke sighed.

"Then let's draw lots. This isn't getting anywhere."

Papers were placed in a box, and he was made to reach in and draw a few.

He didn't intend to draw, but when he struggled and put his hand out, a few papers fell.

The servant picked up the papers and handed them to the Duke. After the Duke confirmed them, he returned them to the servant, who read them out one by one.

He was immediately urged to draw another, but he refused, saying he didn't want to. The Duke frowned, looking troubled.

"Then let's dispose of them first. We need to finish this quickly.

—That lonely child will be scared if she wakes up alone in an unfamiliar room."

The first part was said casually, but the latter was said with a sigh, in a very gentle voice. Only Lucas, the butler, and the servant, who were nearby, could hear it.

The names read out were those of the servants and knights sent by the palace for Lucas, and a few nobles close to Renaria. All of them were involved in this incident. They were brought before the Duke and Lucas, and with despair on their faces, they apologized to the Duke and begged for mercy. However, the Duke ignored their pleas and beheaded them all with a single stroke. Some tried to escape, but they were beheaded after taking only a few steps.

The abundant blood stained the red carpet even more.

The Duke muttered, "I forgot to read out the charges."

Before he knew it, a transparent magic sword was in the Duke's hand. He must have used it to behead them all.

It was a thin, delicate blade, like a fine sword he had never seen before. It looked as if it would break if swung, but it shimmered with a faint light, creating a fantastical appearance. It was hard to believe that this beautiful object had taken so many lives.

The young ladies and gentlemen who witnessed the headless corpses gasped and some fainted. Those close to the victims started to sob, instinctively trying to suppress any noise that might attract the consciousness of the demon king.

Silent corpses. Heads that had been cut off so easily. The servant quietly approached and picked them up in the order they were cut, placing them on the table in front of Lucas. This was the purpose of the silver plate. The eyes remained open, vacant, reflecting only despair and terror. The heads, now just heads, were neatly arranged facing Lucas.

Their vacant gazes seemed to say, "It's your fault."

"A, ah... ah, no, that's not it, it's not my fault..."

"Then whose fault is it, Prince Lucas? It was you who, without checking, sent Albertina to be sniffed out and gave orders to the knights to carry it out.

Or was it the baron's daughter who incited you? That would be easier to resolve.

Is this what true love means to you, Your Highness? After nearly a decade of engagement with Miss Armandine, you involved many nobles and caused great worry and trouble to the king and queen."

The Duke pierced the softest part of Lucas' heart.

His trembling body and rejecting thoughts. He clutched his head, messing up his usually well-combed golden hair. He scratched his cheeks and temples with his nails, leaving red marks. His pale green eyes lost focus and the light in them faded.

He didn't want to accept reality, but the cruel and rusty reality was right in front of him.

Pointing to it, the Duke said,

"And this is the result."

He pointed to the forehead of one of the guards. A middle-aged man who had served the royal family and Lucas for over ten years. The second son of a count, who had just married last year. His wife was recently pregnant with their first child.

It rolled over sideways, then fell from the plate onto the table, staining the cloth and rolling onto the floor. The students who saw the dead face nearby turned pale. A suppressed murmur of horror rose.

The Duke watched the reactions of those around him with disinterest.

Suddenly, he remembered something and pushed a small, dark-haired boy standing behind the servant with his foot. The boy had a foreign appearance with a tan complexion. He had painful bruises on his face from being hit, but he remained silent as he was stepped on. He was bound but not gagged. However, he didn't seem to want to speak.

"Let's get rid of this one as well. A guard who is useless at a time like this is unnecessary."

"...Pardon me, but is it alright, Your Grace?"

"What?"

"Perhaps we should ask the young lady? She seemed to like this one very much."

"This useless one?"

"Yes, I know it's presumptuous. But I don't think you want to see her cry later."

"...I don't understand, but will Albert be sad if I get rid of this incompetent one?"

For the first time, the Duke looked genuinely displeased, then troubled. He sighed and nudged the boy with his foot, stepping on his sternum. The boy, who must have been in great pain, finally grimaced and groaned.

Then, he glanced at his stepson, who nodded, and he sighed even deeper.

"I really don't understand that girl's tastes. Why does she like such incompetent people... You, Kistaria, and Mikaelis, I don't get it... They might be better than the dimwits around here, but they can't even protect themselves. And yet, they are so greedy.

She didn't used to have such feelings for toys... But now, including that, I find Albert endearing, so I can't help it."

The Duke, as if saying "Oh well," but with an extremely gentle and loving expression. Anyone could tell who he was thinking about.

His grumbling was not heard by Lucas, who was nearby. Only the servant and the butler heard it.

They maintained a solemn expression, but deep down, they were in sync, wondering, "How could Lady Albertina be born from this cold-blooded demon king?" Before the kidnapping, it was one thing, but now, "The young lady is an angel" is the servants' catchphrase.

Innocent, pure, and ignorant—she continues to doze in the distorted garden created by the Duke.

Recently, she seems to be trying to leave the garden, but for now, the Duke handles it with a smile. If she really tries to leave, the demon king will likely cut the feathers from her wings, take away her shoes, and use the lives of the people she cares about as a substitute for shackles and handcuffs to take away her motivation.

The Duke's affection for Grail von Latitche is a thin line away from madness.

At that moment, the Duke raised an eyebrow.

He moved away from Lucas and positioned himself in front of the entrance door.

After a while, light, quick footsteps—those of a young boy or woman—approached. The servants, who recognized the footsteps, looked up in surprise.

"Father!!"

A beautiful girl in a light pink dress, her face flushed with anxiety, appeared.

Renaria is adorable, and Jiburiel is beautiful, but this girl's beauty overshadowed even theirs. A beauty that could be described as "rare and exquisite." She appeared in the dance hall with a face that looked like she was about to cry.

Despite the inappropriate setting, a sigh of admiration escaped from the audience. It wasn't just Lucas; the atmosphere of terror and cleansing that the demon king had created was replaced by the presence of this beautiful woman.

A few people showed signs of displeasure, but Lucas didn't notice.

After that, it was all Albertina's show.

The demon king, who had ignored countless pleas, gave in to his beloved daughter's request. It was so sudden that it left everyone speechless.

The servant boy, who had been treated poorly, was spared with the condition of "re-education," and the cleanup was left to the stepsons. The demon king quickly left with his beloved daughter.

The Duke, who had been determined to kill everyone involved in the incident, did exactly as Albertina wished.

The Duke, who had been radiating an aura of fear and authority, transformed the moment he saw his beloved daughter. He approached her with a meltingly sweet smile and a gentle voice, granting her wish. Far from being displeased, he looked extremely satisfied with his daughter's relieved smile. When they left the school, he was in a very good mood.

The Duke's daughter, Albertina von Latitche, was the complete opposite of the terrifying appearance she was rumored to have. She was incredibly beautiful, but unlike her father, she was delicate and fragile. Her face, revealed when her glasses were broken, was a dazzling beauty, a perfect replica of the famous beauty Sistine. She wore a romantic, pink dress with minimal exposure, but her figure was that of a mature woman.

She left the room with her father, who she seemed to love dearly, and the Duke, who clung to her. They looked more like a couple with a significant age difference than father and daughter.

The Duke's doting on his daughter was well-known, but it seemed that she accepted his intense and heavy love as a matter of course.

Despite having such a terrifying father, many of the young men who saw Albertina were captivated by her.

After that, Lucas was summoned by the king himself and placed under house arrest. The second prince, Leold, who failed to stop the situation, was also placed under house arrest, but his punishment was much lighter compared to Lucas, who was the actual perpetrator.

He was confined to the VIP prison, despite being called a potential heir to the throne.

For a while, he was in a daze, still in shock. But gradually