Chapter 16
— — —
"War is out of the question."
That was the first thing Deyan said the moment I stepped into the room.
He went on a tirade about how horrific war is, how much it destroys, and how filthy and pathetic the victor's blood-stained toast truly is.
'Is he insane?'
Coming from a man who treated the battlefield like his own bed, it was rich. If he wanted to lecture me on the devastation of war, I wished it had come from someone who had at least disobeyed a deployment order once in their life.
"Count Nemanich."
"Once you have your revenge, what will be left for you, My Lady?"
"Shut your mouth before I tear it open."
"……."
"You're annoying."
Where does he get off acting so righteous?
When I spoke with genuine coldness, Deyan’s mouth snapped shut. I confirmed he had quieted down, then walked over to the tea table placed in the corner of the room and sat down.
Giselle quickly brought in tea and refreshments, arranging them neatly.
"Sit."
I wiped away my irritation, put on my usual smile, and gestured for Deyan to take the seat opposite me. I could see his momentum deflate rapidly, as if he were exhausted by how quickly I could change my expression.
"So?"
After confirming he was seated, I poured him a cup of tea and opened the conversation.
"What was the reason for that sudden, nonsensical outburst?"
At my question, Deyan hesitated before spilling everything. I listened to his story in silence, but by the end, I burst into laughter.
Not the fake, performative laughter I used for high society, but real laughter. I laughed because it was genuinely absurd and hilarious.
"You don't look the type, but you have quite the vivid imagination."
[Right? I thought it sounded plausible.]
Beval, who had been sitting beside me and stuffing his face with the tea snacks, chimed in while chewing.
[It’s a sound deduction, isn't it? No? If it were me, I would’ve just started a war and wiped the continent clean.]
"Sound? There’s a massive hole in that deduction."
I wiped the tears from the corners of my eyes with my finger and sipped my tea. After catching my breath, I finally had the composure to speak.
'This is what happens when you’ve never stepped foot in high society.'
I twitched the corners of my lips as I looked at the slightly sullen Deyan.
"Count Nemanich. How old was the first Emperor when he declared the founding of the Adorif Empire?"
"……Sixteen."
Deyan replied, as if asking why I was bringing up something so random.
"And the first Emperor’s mother was thirty at the time."
In other words, the first Emperor’s mother had given birth to him when she was only fourteen. I pointed out this fact to dismiss his idiotic theory.
"It’s true that fourteen is a young age, but it’s a stretch to dismiss every attack by hiding behind the mask of naive innocence."
A fourteen-year-old isn't just a fool. Especially not a noble child who has received an heir's education. In fact, there were more petty adults who would try to seize the initiative to nip a threat in the bud.
"You don't really think all those rumors would just disappear because I act a little naive, do you?"
Deyan’s eyes widened as if he had just realized something.
"Of course, it’s advantageous to wear a pleasant face, so I do go around smiling."
I watched his expression shift leisurely and told him the truth.
"But that alone doesn't solve every problem. I was the one who got rid of the rumors."
"How did you do it?"
"I committed arson at the newspaper office and tracked down the culprit who spread the rumors to deal with them."
"May I ask who the culprit was?"
"Someone you know quite well."
I stopped there and clamped my mouth shut.
'Let him die of curiosity.'
If he managed to amuse me again with his wild imagination, I might consider rewarding him with the answer.
"Anyway, I have no intention of starting a war. I want to ensure that my country suffers as little damage as possible."
[Aww. But it would’ve been fun.]
Beval, sitting next to me, flicked his red tongue and sounded disappointed. I wanted him to disappear because his constant interruptions were grating on my nerves, but I couldn't say it out loud, so I swallowed the words.
"So, why don't you put your useless worries aside and focus on recovering from your injuries?"
Even though I said I didn't want war, Deyan still looked suspicious. In the end, I decided to add a bit of unnecessary filler.
"When war breaks out, armies trample everything in their path, regardless of whether it’s a field or a farm."
"……."
"The livelihoods that the workers have painstakingly built are burned to the ground, innocent women scream and die amidst harassment and violation, and children wander the streets after losing their parents, only to starve to death."
These were atrocities that occurred frequently in every country, regardless of victor or loser, strong or weak. And naturally, it was we, the weak, who witnessed and suffered from those atrocities the most.
"The Grand Duchy of Plene has suffered in that hell day after day."
The man sitting in front of me must know that fact very well. He would have watched it all from the perspective of the strong.
"I……."
"Even though you are a cruel commander who annihilates every enemy on the battlefield, you do not attack defenseless villages. I have ears, so I know at least that much."
"……."
"But not every commander acts that way. In the chaos, even ordinary men can be swept up in the madness of looting their neighbor's house. I consider that the aftereffect of war."
There is no need for the entire continent to suffer just to deal with unnecessary aftereffects. Disease and madness spread easily, and in the end, the damage would only return to our Grand Duchy of Plene.
"It is true that I seek the prosperity of the Grand Duchy of Plene, but I do not desire to rule the entire continent. I don't have the ability for that. I don't want to be an idiot who covets things beyond my reach, so put your worries to rest."
"……I apologize. I was thoughtless."
Perhaps realizing the sincerity in my words, Deyan bowed his head to me readily.
"I only thought that since you wanted revenge, I should ruminate on what I knew about the Grand Duchess's death……."
"Ah."
I cut off his stammering excuses and set down my teacup.
"I will have my revenge."
Once I catch the culprit, I will slice their flesh, pickle it, and shove it down their own kin's throat. Wouldn't it be fair for them to struggle with the guilt of having chewed and swallowed the flesh of their beloved family?
As I spoke of my revenge plan with a smiling face, Deyan’s complexion turned pale again. Beval, excited by something else, was trembling beside me with his face flushed red.
[Annoying. It’s just my type. Will you be my bride, Idir? Before an angel takes your soul, I’ll snatch you up and run off to hell.]
"I'll decline."
It was true that I summoned a demon with the resolve to risk falling into hell, but if I could avoid it, I preferred to.
[I love you.]
"I hate cheesy lines. Because of someone."
[What! Why? Who is it!]
"Hmm."
I rolled my eyes, looking back and forth between Beval and Deyan.
"Who knows?"
In the end, I fixed my gaze on Deyan, watching the change in his complexion.
"Because of Joaquin Perez?"
Deyan Vojislav Nemanjić. His face was instantly filled with agitation.
"I’ll be going now. I still have work to do."
"Wait, My Lady……!"
"Rest well."
I pulled at the corners of my lips and quickly slipped out of Deyan’s room. As I walked down the hallway, a hum escaped my lips at the thought of how I’d teased him.
[Who is Joaquin Perez?]
"Someone. A bastard."
[But why is that guy reacting like that?]
"Probably because he almost died at that man's hands?"
I’d find out the answer soon enough. I looked at Beval, who was following me around as annoyingly as a shadow, and said one thing.
"Lord Sariel left after saying he would watch, but you don't seem to be doing that, Lord Beval."
[That’s because I have nowhere else to go.]
Beval shrugged, acting shameless.
[To come back to the human world, either you or that contractor of yours has to summon me, and I don't know when you'll do it, nor do I like having my actions restricted. I’d rather be with Idir than stick around that twitchy man.]
"Hmm. Is that so? Then at least act as my bodyguard."
It wasn't like he would disappear just because I told him to. When I suggested it indifferently, Beval’s footsteps came to a sudden halt.
I knew it, but I just kept walking.
[Hahaha! Who’s the fool who asks a demon to protect them?]
Soon, I heard Beval burst into laughter behind me.
* * *
[Idir.]
I didn't know that "watching" meant this.
I smiled faintly as I looked at the mess unfolding before me.
[The tea smells lovely, but the guy sitting across from you is noisy.]
[What did you say, you ■■■! You ■■■■■■■ the ■■…….]
0 Comments