Chapter 9

“May you reach Evangelium.”

When he went off to war to conquer Icharta, it was expected to take two years, but it ended rather lamely, even so, the entire empire gave everything they got to welcome their Emperor.

At least, in front of his face.

The nobles looked like they would even lick his shoes to welcome their master home. They also held grand parties and readied some lowly women for him.

However, the first thing the returned ruler did was not to enjoy himself at parties or take those women to a bedroom. Out of all the things he could do, he went to go see his newly born princess. Everyone held back their breath, preparing to see the palace once again be covered in a rain of blood.

All their speculations were wrong.

As Ferdel looked at the man’s back as he walked, he thought of the small silhouette he just barely made out.

The Mad Tyrant, Caitel Agrigent, was the ruler and friend he made with his own two hands.

“What are you thinking?”

As soon as they returned to the main palace, Solay Palace, he stopped. Caitel, who was walking a few steps ahead, turned around.

“What?”

A frosty look. Cold eyes.

The look that would spare no one who got in his way. The murderous intent he sent towards the losers, no matter who they were, yet Ferdel, who never learned swordsmanship, did not tremble before him. It was not because he had the skills to go against him, but he had the confidence that Caitel would not kill him. No, it was because he couldn’t kill him.

“If you wanted to spare her you could have spared her life in her palace. Why did you bring her to Solay Palace?”

He also gave her a name. Ferdel was truly curious.

No, he found the whole situation perplexing. It completely baffled him. He had always been crazy, so it was not strange if he had killed her. If he had killed her off himself, Ferdel would have just said ‘crazy bastard’ and that would have been the end of it.

However, he spared her and gave her a name on top of that.

However, what really shocked him was…

“You brought her to Solay Palace.”

The order after she arrived. There was no way he didn’t know what it meant to bring her to Solay Palace. Despite everything, Caitel was the Emperor after all.

“When?”

This ruler of his might have done something to topple everything he worked for without any care at all. As soon as he arrived at his room, Caitel turned around to give him a cold glare.

“Do I have to report every single thing to you?”

The look he gave him was so sharp he felt he could be cut down in any second. Ferdel let out a deep sigh. He had a slightly serious look. Well, the current situation was enough to make him truly serious.

“I just wanted to know your thoughts, that’s all. What are you getting agitated for?”

Caitel turned around without answering. Then he took the annoying decorations of his body.

“No reason.”

His voice was very dry as he threw off his mantle.

“It seemed interesting.”

He didn’t sound interested at all. Ferdel lowered his eyebrows, but Caitel didn’t even spare him a glance and started mumbling to himself.

“Who was the mother?”

Ferdel sighed soundlessly. The mother… He thought of the woman who died from labor two months ago. Lady Jereina. The ice princess who came down from the north.

She was the successor of a kingdom with a long history, but currently, their power was greatly weakened, and they couldn’t continue to ignore it. So, she ended up getting thrown into Caitel’s palace as one of his numerous accessories.

Ferdel held his forehead as he knew better than anyone how she was treated and what kind of degradation she had to endure in the twilight of her life. It was not a pleasant feeling at all.

“Why do you ask when you are not even interested?”

His motions froze as Caitel tried to loosen his tie. Ferdel, who was looking somewhere else, moved his line of sight. The atmosphere was cool between them.

Ferdel just kept his mouth shut.

“If it’s something that should be confirmed,”

He had thought he offended him but it appeared he didn’t. Caitel’s gaze, as he looked at Ferdel while taking off his necktie, was his usual gaze.

“Then it should be confirmed.”

“So, are you going to just wipe out the kingdom?”

It was an immediate aggressive response. His irritation burst out of him and lifted its ugly rear towards Caitel. They both stared into each other’s eyes and quickly examined each other. Even if Ferdel held some grievances against him, it was only a bit of annoyance. It wasn’t like he was planning to actually do anything.

Caitel turned his head with a dry expression.

“No.”

“Then if it’s not that…”

Ferdel’s face was slightly wrinkled. What was he thinking?

Caitel probably knew who the woman was. He wasn’t really asking who the mother was. After all, he most likely already knew what the answer was. Their hair was blown about by the cool wind from a window; someone had left one opened in the palace room. Caitel stepped in front of the window and pondered deeply.

“You tried to kill her before.”

He tried to suppress his frustrations, but they kept escaping against his will. Ferdel furrowed his eyebrows at this situation that kept making him want to pull out his own hair. From the beginning, from the moment Caitel didn’t kill her and allowed that woman to live on and have his child, everything was entangled. No… Perhaps even before that time.

“Why?”

Caitel laughed as he looked at Ferdel silently reflecting on his thoughts. It was the kind of laugh that instantly cooled one’s thoughts.

“Should I go kill her now?”

“I am not joking, Caitel.”

It appeared that Caitel was unwilling to listen to any more of Ferdel’s complaints since he turned his body away. Ferdel looked at Caitel’s back as he coldly walked away from him. He sighed from within then he began to chase after his back.

“What is the reason for this change of mind?”

“I am just taking what is rightfully mine. So what is with all these complaints?”

“It’s not that kind of problem.”

“It is that kind of problem.”

“Your descendant. Your kid.”

He felt so frustrated that he practically begged him to listen, but Caitel only gave a light response as he changed his shirt.

“What is the difference then with all those girls you tossed in the palace?”

Ferdel’s mouth clamped shut like a clam. What was different? Well… Like what he said, it might not be so different. The girls would be sold off to different places after some time. The future was set in stone for them. If he tried to pinpoint the difference, it was the fact that Ariadna had Caitel’s blood running in her veins, making her his personal property. However, Ferdel felt this fact would not help the princess at all in the future.

Caitel finished putting on a new shirt and looked back at him. He had a strangely excited face.

“I am wondering.”

“Wondering what?”

Ferdel answered flatly, he secretly wished he could make that face sullen. The maid who was serving disappeared without a word.

Caitel slowly opened his mouth as he closed the buttons on his wrist. His extremely sharp voice aggressively attacked Ferdel’s ear.

“How is the child of a mass murderer going to cope with all the finger pointing and looks from the people in her surroundings?”

The last button was finally clasped in place.

“How is she going to live in the future?”

At that moment, Caitel’s lingering smile was incredibly seductive. It was only for a second, but Ferdel was instantly drawn to that smile. At this fact, he immediately made a face.

Caitel laughed softly at his crumbling face. Ferdel didn’t try to hide how he felt.

No, in fact, he bluntly showed how sick and tired he was.

“Crazy bastard.”

“Why call me out now?”

Caitel nodded as if he knew this would happen. He finally put on his jacket and fixed his outfit. Then he replied, in a secretive and dangerous manner.

“If something happens, I can kill her then. Don’t you agree, my friend?”