Chapter 61

Part 11: The Royal Palace (1)

"I should probably head back right away."

In response to the young nobleman's words, the butler advised,

"Since it's late, it would be better to leave early tomorrow morning."

The sun had already set, and the nobleman's estate was very far away.

"Can we prepare by morning?"

The butler replied to Manuel,

"Yes, I will have everything ready."

The young nobleman thanked Manuel,

"Thank you."

Everyone's expressions were grim due to the sudden change of events.

The servants quickly packed their belongings and began preparing for the early departure the next day.

The group also moved to their respective assigned rooms.

The evening banquet was canceled, and the young nobleman busily moved around late into the night, checking for any new news.

"I didn't expect the guest rooms to be so reduced."

As I looked around the room, I sighed.

After all, this was the capital of the kingdom.

A place where the influence of the Duke's family was weaker compared to the influence of the Countess's family, the Lanzarote family.

If it was natural for me, a bastard, to receive such treatment, then it was natural.

However, the treatment I had received from the main family recently had not been bad, so this treatment felt particularly stark.

"It feels like I've entered enemy territory."

I was well-prepared for this.

I had been treated worse and even died several times before.

After taking a short rest in the room, I went out to the balcony.

The night had deepened, and the capital's night view, which was usually quite beautiful, was now shrouded in darkness.

The servants, who were preparing for the next day's departure, had all gone to bed.

However, there was someone else who hadn't gone to sleep.

"What are you still doing up?"

A voice came from the adjacent terrace.

Turning my head, I saw Valesia, the nobleman's daughter, standing on the dark balcony with a captivating smile.

My room was a guest room, and the adjacent rooms were also guest rooms where Valesia and her brother, guests of the Duke's family, were staying.

The room next to mine was Valesia's.

I had come out to the balcony because I had sensed her presence.

"Seems you're excited about your first visit to the capital."

In response to my words, she made a strange snort.

"I've noticed before, but your tone seems to match your position and age, yet the content in your eyes and words is completely different."

Her casual remark hit the mark, and I clenched my fist slightly, recalling the events before my death in the nobleman's territory.

My acting wasn't working.

'Can I just let this go?'

However, the words that came out of my mouth were completely different.

"It seems you can't sleep either, Miss. I extend my condolences for the nobleman's passing."

The shift in the conversation made Valesia narrow her eyes, and she let out a long sigh.

A sad sigh, lamenting the nobleman's death.

However, the words that followed were completely different.

"If my father really is dead, then he died just right."

I opened my mouth in surprise, as if hearing something absurd for the first time.

Fortunately, the moon was hidden behind the clouds, concealing my expression.

"Hmph, you don't need to be so surprised. I can't go into details, but this is a much better situation for the young master."

Of course, it's a better situation. I worked so hard.

But why is she telling me this?

The last time I saw her, she looked half-mad. Surely she's not acting like this here?

Her gloomy expression gradually turned bright.

"Of course, it's a very, very good thing for me too. Do you understand? Now I can start anew. I can live as Valesia, not as the nobleman's daughter who follows orders."

Her words sounded like those of a noble daughter freed from her parents' pressure.

But I knew the true meaning.

It meant the caged beast had broken free!

I released the tension in my clenched fist.

The freed beast wasn't looking at me.

"Now I can do what I want. When I return and confirm my father's death, I will erase the old Valesia and start anew."

The true meaning of her words was to eliminate the evidence of her past crimes and make it a perfect crime.

The mana swirling around her made me shudder involuntarily.

Fortunately, the mana subsided quickly. The bright smile faded, and she returned to a gloomy expression.

"Oh, I must have been too talkative in the night air. Please forget everything I just said. I must have been overwhelmed by the news of my father's passing."

What should I say in response?

"Ah, yes, yes. I, I didn't hear anything."

I answered hesitantly, with a confused expression.

She gave me a pitiful smile.

"Thank you. I'll go in first."

She bowed, and I returned the gesture.

After the bow, she went back into her room.

Before leaving, she said to me,

"See you later, little master with the mask."

Left on the balcony, I quietly looked at the empty adjacent balcony.

I wasn't a righteous person.

The world had many swords, many villains, and much madness.

Just because I knew about them didn't mean I had to or wanted to eliminate all the villains and madmen.

I couldn't go around killing everyone who had killed me in my previous life.

If I were to do that, I would have had to find and kill all the maids who killed me initially.

And I was curious. Without the nobleman, the puppet master, what would happen to her?

As long as the sword wasn't aimed at me, I was curious where her madness would lead.

So I decided to let her go.

After returning to my room, I closed the window.

The next morning, the carriage carrying the nobleman's son and Valesia set off.

The nobleman's son was very regretful about not being able to attend the academy with Manuel.

After all, he would have to inherit the estate when he returned home.

He could have appointed a manager and attended the academy, but managing the estate from a distance would be difficult, and appointing a manager was unrealistic.

On the other hand, what about Valesia?

She was currently putting on a performance as a daughter who had just learned of her father's death.

It was unclear whether she would return to the nobleman's estate and turn it upside down, seek independence, or continue her previous activities.

But now it was out of my hands. I just hoped she wouldn't stand in my way.

Thus, the nobleman's children left the capital.

It was a bizarre situation to come to the capital and then return, but the matter of the nobleman's family was quickly forgotten by people.

Manuel and the people of this mansion were busy preparing for his enrollment in the academy.

As expected, they paid little attention to me, but I quietly joined in the preparations for the academy.

The servants tried to avoid me as much as possible, but they were still the Duke's servants. If I gave them orders, they had to follow.

While living this somewhat isolated life, someone came to see me.

A butler wearing clothes with the royal crest.

Surprisingly, he was a royal butler who had come to see me.

"Queen Liah Carlos requests your presence, Alex."

The butler's expression had changed from the first time we met.

When I first saw him, he pretended not to know me.

But now, he looked visibly uncomfortable.

It was a lack of preparation. If he were the head butler of the estate, he wouldn't have shown any signs.

Regardless, it was a summons from my patron.

I followed the royal butler and the soldiers to the palace.

* * *

"......Hmm. Impressive."

I looked at the palace through the carriage window and said with a somewhat indifferent tone.

"It's a magnificent palace built by the first king, Carlos."

The royal butler, sitting in the front, replied in a formal tone. However, even he didn't say the palace was impressive or beautiful.

The palace, which grew larger as we approached, was a reflection of the first king's taste as a knight.

The palace was massive, sturdy, and lacked any ornamental features, making it a proper fortress for battle.

Of course, a proper fortress was necessary for the first king, who had experienced a great war, but the palace had never been attacked by an external force since then.

As the capital grew and external attacks disappeared, most people in the capital found the palace's appearance, which resembled a monstrosity, unappealing.

Eventually, the name "Knight's Castle," given during the first king's reign, became a form of self-deprecation.

Thanks to the grand title of "the Queen's guest," I was able to enter the inner palace without getting out of the carriage and proceed directly to the harem.

The "Lady's Palace," the third queen's residence, connected to the inner palace, was quite beautiful, unlike the main palace.

I got out of the carriage and entered the building, guided by the royal butler.

The beautiful corridor and the servants bowing on either side.

They were bowing because of the royal butler, not because they recognized me. The greetings felt a bit tense, unlike those I received at the Duke's estate.

Despite having died several times, I thought I wouldn't feel tense anymore, but the aura of the palace was not ordinary.

"Welcome."

As I entered the lavish room, a welcoming voice greeted me.

The room was the most luxurious I had ever seen.

Inside, there were two women, excluding the maids.

One was slightly older, and the other was young. Both were extremely beautiful.

The younger one was familiar, so the older one must be the queen.

The younger one was Katrine de Latenhamar, whom I had called the Phoenix Hunter when I didn't know her name.

She was beautiful even as a mercenary, but in a dress and with makeup, she was so beautiful that I could hardly recognize her.

I nodded to Katrine and then bowed deeply to the queen.

"It's an honor to meet you, Your Majesty. Alex... de Gresia."

I stumbled a bit with the full name, but it didn't seem too strange.

"I am Liah de Carlos. You can call me Liah."

The queen smiled and responded to my greeting.

However, it was absurd. I couldn't just call her by her first name.

She gestured for me to sit on the sofa in front of her and continued,

"I was quite surprised by Katrine's request. I've never had such a request before. Thanks to her, I was very eager to meet you."

After all, I was the Duke's son, but not the official heir. A request to sponsor a bastard was bound to seem strange.

Thus, it was natural to be curious. I sighed inwardly.

Katrine looked at the queen and me with an apologetic expression.

"I had no choice. It would be strange for me to sponsor the Duke's son, and I couldn't tell my father. So, I had to ask the queen."

She was Katrine's sister, but she couldn't call the queen of the country her sister.

Calling her Liah was a joke taken too far.