Chapter 32

When Latil gestured, the maid who caught his gaze nodded and hurriedly approached the three. "Give me the clothes you took off," she said. When the maid came closer, the three went back into the bathroom and came out with the uniform they had taken off. The uniform was soaked, as if they had washed it in the bathroom. "I'm sorry. It's in this state," they said. "It's fine," the maid replied. The bloodstains on the uniform didn't easily come out, so it was still covered in blood, but the maid, distracted by the three's naked body, quickly took the uniform. As the captain of the royal guard, the three's body was like a well-sculpted statue. Not only were the muscles symmetrical, but there wasn't a single ounce of fat, and his face was even more handsome. The maid was understandably mesmerized. Seeing the maid's eyes darting around the room, unsure where to look, Latil silently shook his shoulders. When the maid, her face red, gathered the clothes and fled the bedroom, Latil finally burst out laughing. The three glared at Latil. "Is this situation that funny?" "I'm sorry. But seeing you standing there naked in my room... it's a bit funny." "This is the first time I've heard someone find my nakedness funny." "Hey, have you been showing off your naked body around?" "Well, when we're with other knights, we wash together and sometimes take off our shirts during training." The three explained with a serious face, and Latil chuckled. "This is the first time I've seen a naked man in my room." "!" The three put a hand behind them and awkwardly grabbed the doorknob. It seemed they were unsure whether to hide in the bathroom or stay outside. Seeing this, Latil also became curious. Will he come out or go in? But the three stopped in that ambiguous state. Without going further in or out, he only made a faint sound. "Some clothes..." "What?" "Please bring me some clothes." "Huh? What did you say?" "Your Majesty, please order someone to bring me any clothes." "Huh? I can't hear you." "..." The three looked at Latil with tired eyes, and Latil, holding his stomach, laughed until he waved his hands. "Sorry, sorry." Since he was usually the one being teased by the three, it felt refreshing to tease him for once. But to avoid hurting the three's feelings, Latil bit his lip and rang the bell on the table. When the clear sound of the bell rang, a different maid entered. Perhaps the maid who had taken the three's uniform had told her something, as she came in with a red face, looking only at the carpet. "Did you call, Your Majesty?" "Please bring some clothes for the three. He's too embarrassed to come out." * * * The pleasant and cheerful mood didn't last long. The next day, the summoned priest confirmed the body and said with a dark face, "It is indeed a cursed body." Everyone nearby was shocked and murmured. "A curse? Oh my." "Have the black mages returned?" Latil, too, narrowed his eyes and repeatedly gripped and released his sword scabbard nervously. Curses were taboo. The black mages who used curses were classified as heretics during the war 500 years ago and were mostly executed. Only a few survived, and those who were recognized as useful and meritorious to 'ordinary people' remained. Even they, however, had their lineage completely cut off. Officially, at least. But now, the curse, which was thought to have completely disappeared, had reappeared in such a terrifying form. The situation would become even more complicated. Latil clicked his tongue and asked the priest, "Then how should we handle the body? Is there a specific procedure?" The priest answered while taking off the gloves on his hands. "Yes. The most efficient way to deal with a cursed body is to burn it." "What happens if we don't burn it?" "In most cases, it doesn't matter. But in the case of a very evil curse, the body can taint the ground and its surroundings with negative energy as it decomposes." "What happens then?" "People become weak, and an unknown epidemic may spread. In the worst case, the dead may come back to life. Zombies are created." At the mention of zombies, everyone shuddered. It was said that human-form monsters were as common as forest monsters a few generations ago. But in the present day, vampires, zombies, and ghouls were only mentioned in history books. Now, zombies? Even in the era when human-form monsters were common, people feared zombies. Could modern people really handle such a terrifying existence? Concerned by the serious situation, Latil frowned. The head butler, thinking the same thing, worriedly suggested, "Your Majesty, shouldn't we burn it quickly?" He seemed afraid that black liquid might suddenly drip from the body. However, Latil hesitated. "That's true, but..." The three cautiously asked, "Your Majesty, is there something else you're worried about?" "Yes. Although he's not the culprit, this person seems to be connected to the culprit. I want to draw a portrait and gather information from people." Latil asked the priest again, "Even if we don't burn it immediately, can we prevent the negative energy from spreading?" "I'm sorry, Your Majesty. Exorcist priests are almost extinct, so there are few people who know about this." With no other choice, Latil decided to use his power to handle the situation quickly. He stopped asking questions and called the head butler. "Duke Sablé, gather all the people who can draw portraits quickly and accurately. And bring as much ice as possible to prevent the body from decomposing." "Yes, Your Majesty." "And secretly arrest anyone known for using black magic or curses. Don't announce the arrests just in case." "Yes." After giving the instructions, Latil looked at the body with a troubled expression for a moment before turning and leaving the prison. There was nothing more for Latil to handle here. That's when it happened. "Your Majesty." The priest, who had been following behind, cautiously called out. When Latil turned around, she quickly climbed the stairs and approached him. "High Priest Hittla might know something about this. Should I ask him and relay the information?" "Where is that priest?" "He is in the Sosta territory." Sosta territory was about a five-day carriage ride from the capital. Latil nodded. "Please do." As the priest left and Latil continued walking, the head butler, who had been following silently, said in a slightly embarrassed tone, "Your Majesty." Latil tilted his head. "I gave an order? What was it?" The head butler had received many orders from Latil, so he couldn't immediately guess. "Didn't you order me to investigate Kalain's past?" Hearing the head butler's explanation, Latil nodded indifferently. "Oh, right. How was it?" At the time, Kalain's wild and sexy demeanor was quite shocking. But perhaps due to the passage of time or the continuous occurrence of shocking events, Latil didn't feel as curious as before. However, since the head butler had worked hard on the investigation, he had to listen. "There are no rumors of him having loud love affairs." "What do you mean by loud love affairs?" "It means there were no rumors about his love life. But he might have had secret affairs." "I see." "Moreover, due to his mercenary activities, he traveled to many places, and there were so many exaggerated rumors that it was difficult to distinguish the true ones from the false ones." Latil thought to himself, then, where did this man learn such wild behavior? '...Was he born with it?' Strangely, this thought made him want to see Kalain again. At that moment, the perceptive head butler gave Latil a nudge. "And, Your Majesty, I think you're neglecting your harem and the concubines too much." "Is that so?" "Yes. You should visit them often. If you just gather them and don't show favor, the nobles will start talking about the succession and bother you again." * * * "They'll bother you again! I'm sure of it!" Tria clenched her fists and trembled with anger, and Gestha awkwardly laughed. "It's been two days. Don't be so angry." "How can I not be angry when it's only been two days!" "But..." "It's definitely him. Who else would throw water at you, Gestha?" "There are more people staying here than just a few." "But among those people, only he has fought with you!" "Still..." "What do you mean, still? That prince is known for his crazy temper, Gestha!" Despite Tria's outburst, Gestha still fidgeted awkwardly. Tria, who was combing Gestha's hair, almost hit him with the comb. She couldn't help but exclaim, "Oh no, oh no." When he was younger, he seemed a bit cunning. What could have made him so soft and spineless over time? Every time he acted so spinelessly, she felt more frustrated watching him. It was fine at home. It was home, after all. Everyone loved him and wanted to protect him. But this was Harei, surrounded by enemies. In such a place, he needed to be more alert and think faster than others, or at least as fast as others. Seeing Gestha just smile and laugh, Tria felt like she would burst. "Actually, the Emperor is also too much. He knows how kind our Gestha is, yet he maintains neutrality. It's a bit disappointing." "..." This time, instead of laughing and saying "No," Gestha hung his head dejectedly. Seeing this, Tria's heart softened, and she stopped nagging. She put the comb on the vanity and tried on a brooch for Gestha. Gestha, with his well-defined features, was a handsome man, but his natural demeanor was plain. Since he was surrounded by flamboyant handsome men, the only strategy was to enhance his comfortable aura. However, Gestha, unaware of her thoughts, asked bluntly, "Why the brooch? I'm going to the library." "Yes, I know. That's why I want you to look nice when you go to the library." "Huh?" "Didn't you meet the Emperor there before? Maybe try to stay there a bit longer this time." "But why do I need a brooch for the library..." "Gestha!" Tria, feeling stifled, shouted, and Gestha finally closed his mouth. Tria firmly instructed, "I have somewhere to go today, so don't wander around and get into trouble. Stay in the library until I come back to get you." "Where are you going?" "To buy some cosmetics." "Cosmetics?" Gestha, surprised, asked, and Tria answered solemnly, "Yes. Gestha, your demeanor is too plain, so you need to work on your image." "But you don't know how to apply makeup. I don't either." "You'll get better with practice." With a huff, Tria left. Left alone, Gestha felt awkward and sighed as he looked in the mirror. Just then, Tria, who had gone out, rushed back into the room and slammed the door. "Tria? What's wrong?" Gestha, surprised, approached her, and Tria said with a sad face, "Outside... the Emperor is...!" Gestha's face brightened. "He's coming to see me?" He looked like a fluffy tail would pop out and move at high speed if she said yes. It was a truly adorable expression, but... seeing his hopeful face, Tria felt even more depressed. "No. He's going to see that mercenary king." "Again...?" "Yes, again."